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Showing posts with the label International

Need for Speed: Polish Pursuit

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(1m 19s read)  If you're a car enthusiast looking for a rush of adrenaline or the opportunity to enjoy some automotive masterpieces, you want to check out the Warsaw Night Racing scene. This underground street car racing event takes place in the heart of Poland's capital city. It attracts cars & people from all over the world. Warsaw Night Racing typically begins with meet-ups in public spaces such as shopping center parking lots where participants show off their vehicles, discuss the upcoming races, and enjoy each other's company. The actual racing take place across the city, and while the legality of the event is not fully understood, a visible police presence seems to be courteous to the racers. One thing that sets Warsaw Night Racing apart from other street car racing events is the variety of cars involved. From high-end European sports cars to classic American-muscle cars, there's something for everyone at this event. It was refreshing to see a good old Dodge

Best Ramen in Warsaw

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(1m 30s read) It's time to grow up, no more cheap instant noodles. We need to mature our culinary standards. Let me introduce you to the best place in Poland to enjoy the beloved Asian classic, ramen . Not even a 10-minute walk from Warsaw University of Technology, Arigator Ramen  Shop is turning high-quality ramen  into a science. With a delicious array of options to choose from, it's clear to see these kitchen technicians have mastered this famous Japanese dish. I must warn you: unless you know what you're looking for, you might walk right past this treasure . Don't let the size fool you though, this tiny  restaurant packs a flavorful punch! In my trips to Arigator , I have devoured the Tantanmen Classic enough to know it will forever be my go-to. The mildly  spicy pork broth is unlike anything I've ever had. The Shoya  mushroom is also delicious, and its kakuni  pork belly will melt in your mouth. Served in a neat  Japanese-style kettle, I'd recommend drin

Szprycer

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(44 s read) Looking for a modern , intimate place to grab a drink in Warsaw ? Szprycer , located right on Nowy Świat ,  might be the spot for you. Not even a two-minute walk from Warsaw's very  own palm tree, this quaint little bar features a full menu of cocktails , with an emphasis on spritzers of course. Jägermeister fans, this may also be a place you'll want to check out. I had my first-ever Jäger  Sour here and I must say, delicious . Whether you want a small, trendy place to take your date before dinner or a chill place to relax with some friends, this clean and cozy lounge is perfect. Appetite can't wait for your dinner reservation? Szprycer  even has you covered with "nachos" (tortilla chips and dip). My thoughts: I'm not a fan of huge , loud bars. I tend to opt for more laid-back, comfortable environments and Szprycer  had this. In addition to my Jäger Sour, I sampled the Aperol Spritz & Hibiscus Szprycer , both enjoyable. The prices were

Building Iceland

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Maybe it's because I was a history major or perhaps Ted Mosby is my long lost brother  cousin (I'm too tall). If the How I Met Your Mother reference didn't connect, I've just always been fascinated with architecture in general and whenever I go anywhere I am always in awe of the buildings of the area. Iceland, primarily Reykjavik, was such a unique place and the architecture reflected the country's character perfectly. I wasn't sure what to expect before I had arrived, but upon walking the streets I was overjoyed with the vast array of styles and colors. Building Iceland  showcases the distinct appearance of Reykjavik...or at least what I saw of it. Harpa You know how some places have very distinct looks to them? It's easy to describe the type of architecture there like modern, Victorian, colonial, or what have you. Well Iceland is not   a place that can defined by its architecture. There are mixes of European influence, modern style, what I just call I

A Little Taste of...Iceland?

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As corny  as the title may hint, if you have ever wondered what the cuisine is like on the tiny island nation of Iceland, then look no further! The Blue Lagoon  and Relaxed and Ready to Go!  highlighted a couple of the dining spots we found while visiting, but here you will find even more insight to some of the hot spots my friends and I discovered around Reykjavik. I have listed six great places I would highly recommend any one to check out when in Iceland. For more content be sure to click each link... 1. Omnom Chocolate Iceland in December means limited daylight hours, so when looking for things to do you need some creativity and a little luck. Perhaps the most pleasant surprise of our entire excursion was finding Omnom Chocolate in Reykjavik. Finding this designer candy company was by complete chance as our entire plan at this point of the trip was to just drive around and get lost. We figured if we drove around with no specific agenda, we'd eventually find something

Relaxed and Ready to Go! (Iceland Day 1)

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If memory serves me right, which it rarely does, after spending our time at the Blue Lagoon we headed for Reykjavik, the capital city of Iceland, where we would be staying for the duration of our trip. As I sit here on the plane headed for home, my reflections on the trip are far more blurred than they should be. Thinking back on our events it's as if the trip occurred years ago, so bear with my lack of memory on this. I'd like to say after the Blue Lagoon we were again hungry (go figure) so we found a little pub and, like the Americans we are, ordered some burgers. I'm not quite sure what the sauce was they put on it, but it was delicious. They also accompany their salt shakers with a type of season salt in a shaker as well. Our server explained to us that this is quite common in Iceland and that they always put it on their fries. I tried it, liked it, and used it every chance I got. The reality of how expensive Iceland is certainly hit us at this point as our simple

The Blue Lagoon

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Departing from Keflavík International Airport, we were about 30 minutes from our first location, the popular Blue Lagoon. There wasn't a whole lot we could see being that daylight wouldn't commence until about ten or eleven in the morning, but our excitement was through the roof because our adventure had finally started. If you've never been to the Blue Lagoon before, hopefully I'll be able to highlight it enough so that you add it to your list of places to go because it is definitely a fun and relaxing experience. If you have been before then I encourage you to comment your experience below or perhaps add something I may have misrepresented. From what I know you are to make reservations ahead of arrival. Flying in during the wee hours of the morning, we had to decide whether we'd like to go as soon as possible or maybe get some rest and then go. Being a bunch of young and energetic guys we decided to hit the ground running, so we scheduled our time for the ab

Icelanday 1

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After roaming the streets of Boston, we found ourselves back on track and headed for Iceland. We arrived just before 5:00 AM local time and were filled with excitement and maybe a slight sense of accomplishment. Just by chance I happened to book this trip over my birthday, so day one definitely made for a memorable 24th birthday. I find it funny how turning 24 in the States means you're finally old enough to rent a car, but naturally I'd be renting my first car in a foreign country. After giving our Hyundai Tucson a thorough once over (and declining the rental insurance), we were on our way. Humorous enough, it was quite nice getting out into the open air...Keflavík was ~35 degrees warming than home! It was dark, it was windy, but we were there. First stop: The Blue Lagoon. Just wing it. - C

The (1st) Trip to Europe

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We've all seen the movies. There's four types of them. American goes overseas, falls in love with a local, they end up being together forever, and it's happily ever after. Oh and then there's always a free-spirited 3rd wheel friend and something about a motorcycle with a sidecar.  American goes overseas and is kidnapped, never to return home ever again until by some miraculous feat they are rescued.  The classic American Eurotrip-based movie where a bunch of friends go overseas, nothing goes as planned, but it's still the most wild time of their lives. or Typical action movie with car chases, spies, and saving the world. Now heading to Europe for the first time I would have settled for any number of those outcomes because, quite frankly, at the end of the day they all would have made for a pretty great story upon my return to the States. Unfortunately, #1 hasn't quite happened (at least not yet anyway), #2 my father is not Liam Neeson, #3 is highly  u