alacarte

Falling In Love with Paper Travel Guides In The Digital Age

By Lakshmi:

For the last several years, most of our trips have been facilitated by electronic media.  From downloading apps on local transit systems to those that point you to what’s around, from eguides to cities to programs that track your visits, going paperless has been quite a liberating experience.

However, despite our newly discovered efficiency, there is something magical about picking up a print travel magazine (the most recent case in point being an issue of Wanderlust at Heathrow airport) that sends our hormones into a state of bliss.  Given this induced state, it should come as no surprise that my heart skipped a beat or two when I discovered alacarte maps.

Pitched as a package that combines a travel guide with a city map that can serve as a piece of art, these extremely attractive, easy to carry guides may be the perfect companion to discovering an entire city or a quaint neighborhood.

Founded by two Swiss flashpackers (backpackers who like to journey in style), these enticing maps provide tons of tips from locals on where to go and what to do in addition to of course providing you with what you would expect from good old fashioned maps.  In fact, mix one part eye candy, one part personal tour guide and one part reliable data and you come up with a map ideally suited for today’s digital age limited attention span!

I happened to see the one on my former home town of Washington DC and can’t wait to buy a few for cities I am already quite familiar with…London, New York, Vienna.

Take a moment to peruse their collection at 
http://www.alacartemaps.com/
 and if that’s not enough to get you excited, take a look at one of their creative videos at 

And if you’ve used their maps, please do send us your feedback.

At little traditional coffee shops with all their eloquent pieces.

Coffee – The number 2 reason to visit Addis Ababa

Contributed by Sara Genene

We continue today from our last post
http://aglobalaffair.com/2013/06/11/top-five-reasons-you-should-visit-addis-ababa-ethiopia-part-1/
on the top five reasons to visit Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Love Coffee? So why not come to its birthplace. (For many, this reason could supersede all others for a visit!).

Join us on this visual journey to see first hand why having coffee in Ethiopia is an out of the ordinary experience.

On the next post, we’ll feature yet another reason to visit Addis.  A hint – It is something that is exotic, intriguing and a reason for travel.

Cafe_Nero_the_italian_coffee_co._100620121717

Caffe Nero (Good Coffee + Amazing People = A Beautiful Move)

By Lakshmi:

A couple of weeks ago, we faced the daunting task of setting up home in Abergavenny in South Wales.  Besides all the hiccups associated with creating habitable quarters, I was not going to have my turbo charged cappuccino machine from home to serve me my morning “wake up” potion.  There was one consoling factor.  Our new abode was a stone’s throw away from the Caffe Nero in the heart of Abergavenny.

Caffe Nero is a ubiquitous coffee chain in the UK and beyond.  When Gerry Ford, an American founded Caffe Nero, his philosophy was pretty simple – “Premium Italian coffee. A warm and welcoming  atmosphere. Good food and great personal service.”  I think he was bashful in his use of the word “great” in personal service…he should have used the word “superlative” instead.

Fast forward to our move.  I walked into the store early am to be met with the most welcoming smell of freshly brewed coffee.  As I grabbed a sandwich and walked towards the counter, the lovely barista took the sandwich for toasting and with the biggest smile and most sincere voice asked if I wanted something else.  As I rattled off my request for toasted panettone, a couple of cappuccinos and the newspaper, she asked if I was new to the area.  When I mentioned we were just moving in from Crickhowell, she proceeded to ask where we lived in Crick and how she was a neighbor there just around the corner.  As the hot food emerged, and she rang up my purchases, she wanted to know if we were ok with the move, if we needed any help and support and more.  Finally, she took my frequent purchase card and provided three extra stamps (our good luck charm for moving in).

As I walked away from the store with my breakfast in hand, I was a bit giddy with excitement.  As a foodie, I was psyched to have such a delicious breakfast in my hand, but more importantly, I was floored by the service I had just experienced.  Coming from the New York/New Jersey area, personalized service is a rarity in European terms. Even in situations where employees have been trained to ask for the name of a customer or to be friendly, it appears more coaxed than genuine.

And here, there was genuine effusiveness.  Warmth and affection which probably were typical to the Nero culture but left me feeling so welcome into our new home and town.

During our move, we made repeated visits to the store, staying in sometimes and carrying out food at others.  The staff changed, our meals changed, but what was a constant was the genuine affection of the team and of course the awesome cups of coffee.

Thank you Nero.  You have no idea how much you and your team helped.  We look forward to many many more visits