Category Archives:Join the Party

Valentine’s Day is almost a distant memory (please let it soon be a distant memory), which can only mean one thing here in Italy: Carnevale is on its way. I might not get “real” Halloween in this boot-shaped country, but by golly, at least I get Carnevale.

In the Catholic tradition, Carnevale is the celebration that occurs on Shrove Tuesday and punctuates the beginning of Lent; the customary 40 days of abstinence before Easter. The word carnevale is usually translated as “farewell to the flesh”, a reference to the decadence and debauchery that usually take place in that precious slice of time before all ice cream-eating, texting, Facebooking, and swearing must cease. Carnevale is the original pre-Lenten celebration, co-opted by the French, who called it Mardi Gras – “Fat Tuesday” – and made it popular throughout the world. Whatever you call it, this year, Carnevale will be celebrated on February 21st. That’s just under 2 weeks to get ready.

Unlike New Orleans and other warm places, celebrating Italian Carnevale doesn’t involve flashing your tette for strands of beads. There are, however, a set of traditions Italians follow for this most awesome of holidays.

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A romantic mood can strike in surprising places.  It seems that many of us have found ourselves on a secluded beach somewhere, perhaps enjoying a golden sunset or spectacular view…but *gasp* alone.  We’ve pooled our bloggers and our community to find out where they’d like to return with a lover.  Some have held on to these ideas for the best places to propose, or go on a couple’s holiday.  Honeymoon ideas, anyone?

Some rights reserved by Gyopi_K

Here are the tripwolf community’s picks for the top 10 most romantic places on earth.  Which do you think is the most romantic? 

(And even though we’re showcasing these top picks, we’re sure you’ll agree that any place can be romantic if you’re with the right travel ‘buddy!’)

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We love you guys.  I mean, just love you.  And we love to celebrate.

We had a record number of downloads for our tripwolf mobile travel guides for Android and the iPhone last week, thanks to YOU!  So, we’ve decided to give you an early Christmas gift: One more day of FREE mobile guides!

These cities will be free TOMORROW, Tuesday December 20th (So now you have time to share the gift with friends):

Berlin
Madrid
Amsterdam
Salzburg
Istanbul

(You’ll also find them for free tomorrow only in the Android Market.)

Give the gift of traveling easy…you’ll find subway maps, offline maps, augmented reality and more in our guides!

What’s strange for you may be usual for others…and the holidays are certainly no exception.  Some of us may immediately think of our families, and wish we could trade those in for new.  That might not happen any time soon, but you might think of adopting one of these unique Christmas traditions we found around the globe.

1. Tió de Nadal – “The Shitting Log” – Catalonia, Spain

Children beating a Tió de Nadal to make it shit candy. Photo source Catalan Wikipedia. Viquipèdia in català.

There is a Christmas Day or Christmas Eve tradition in Spain that may seem quite strange for those unfamiliar with it.  Each family acquires a ‘tio de nadal’ early in the month.  It sits in the house, under a small blanket, getting ‘fed’ daily up until Christmas.  That is when someone puts the tió partly into the fireplace or the middle of the room and orders it to “shit” by singing traditional songs.  To make him “shit” everyone begins to beat the log with sticks (much fun for children of adults with some stress to release I’m sure.)

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Winter is getting closer, and I can’t help to think of soft snowflakes, gifts and gifting, open hearts, and serenity as if all the cheerfulness in the world would have been comprised in this beautiful time of the year.  It’s obvious that Christmas is more than a religious holiday, it’s a state of mind.  In Europe, we like to keep a festive state of mind through the long, long winters.

Christmas Markets are a European tradition celebrating the holiday season with delicious foods, candies, music and handicrafts.  Some of these holiday markets have been held in the same villages for more than 600 years.  Shopping here is a way to celebrate the region and find unique Christmas gifts for the family.  They are also great for romantic evenings with your significant other.

Let it snow ~ Photo by mardy78 on flickr

There is a wide selection of Christmas Markets in the Nordic Countries and they are unique to those in southern Europe because they borrow the beauty and the traditions of these northern European cultures.   In this post, I’m going to share with you where you can find the oldest Christmas market in Europe, as well as the most contemporary, and share with you what you might find (and eat) in Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Denmark!

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If you find yourself abroad during Halloween and surrounded by a group of expats wanting to celebrate (most likely Americans, Australians or Brits) here are some ideas that are quick and clever – and the supplies can be found in any country in the world…or even within your backpack.

Don't do this at home...or away...or ever. Photo by notmargaret on Flickr.

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October came, carrying Halloween’s footprint, becoming a symbol of costumes, carved pumpkins and ghost stories...
Romania is a small country in Europe and even if you haven’t been there, you’ve certainly heard about Dracula’s Castle in Transylvania.   The most popular vampire movies were spawned from this legend, and many visitors to Romania head to this mystical land to discover for themselves which part is true and which is myth.
Halloween was born from the old Celtic Festival of Samhain.  At that time, people were celebrating New Year on November 1st and the legend said that the night before, the edge between the two worlds – ours and the eternal land of dead – becomes permeable and extraordinary things can happen.

Dracula's Castle, by Kyle Taylor, flickr

Later, Halloween became a festival celebrated all over the world.  It’s the evidence that we are all excited about the unknown even if we often wear a mask of skepticism.  The essence of this holiday is the same all over the planet but every nation has its unique traditions to celebrate the last day of October.  Romanians have their own way to spend Halloween and their belief in ghosts and other evil spirits is a part of popular mythology.

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It’s rare to find a traveler that does not enjoy the occasional drink…and by occasional, I mean whenever or wherever that occasion may arise.   Sharing a drink with new friends could be arguably the best way to breakthrough cultural and social barriers that may present themselves daily when you’re traveling long term.   The only faster way to make connections may be to share some  life-threatening experience like tandem skydiving or narrowly escaping an animal attack — this said, a little alcohol might be the catalyst for some of the best travel stories you’ve got.

Learn to mingle...

Here on tripwolf, users can vote for their favorite places – here is the list of our community’s top ten favorite bars in the world.  What do these places say about us?

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Beginning September 17th of this year, it is happening again. Mayor Christian Ude will give the beer tap a mighty blow at noon exactly and announce, “It is tapped!” – upon these words, Oktoberfest 2011 is on!

Each year about 6 million people come from all over the world to demolish millions of pints of beer and over 500,000 roast chickens.  This year, the festival celebrates 201 years of tradition.  The “Zugroaste” (as residents of Munich lovingly call newcomers) who stand for the first time at the gate of the Theresienwiese may ask: “How the hell do I find my way through this sea of intoxicated people, tents, beer gardens and sausage stands?”

Answer: The tripwolf Oktoberfest 2011 Survival Guide

At Oktoberfest you will seriously learn how to party. Foto: Marcus Weilguni

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Oliver Gradwell is the ambitious founder and creator of the travel bloggers’ network and conference aptly named Travel Bloggers Unite (TBU). The next conference will be held in Innsbruck, Austria, this August 25-27th.  tripwolf is proud to be the official media sponsor of the event, and excited to be providing every attendee with a free mobile travel guide to Innsbruck to help them navigate!  We got to ask him some pointed questions about the upcoming conference and TBU in general.  Follow updates about the conference on twitter under the tag #TBUIBK.

Let’s get to know you a bit better:
Black or milk and sugar?: Neither, I’m a Red Bull fan!

iPhone or Anroid?: iPhone

Half empty or half full?: Half full, but soon to be fully empty!

Steak or Sushi?: STEAK! Preferably Sirloin, cooked medium

Electric or Acoustic? (Guitar): Listen to “Highway To Hell” with Bon Scott singing and tell me there is a place in the world for acoustic guitar?

Alright, let’s get down to business.

For all the work TBU Manchester must have been, what makes you want to hold another conference?
I don’t doubt I’ll ask that again and again during Innsbruck! I love what I do. I have never worked so hard in my life, but I wouldn’t change what I do. Even before Manchester we had planned to hold other conferences in different destinations, that is part of our plan for TBU.

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