guestspy » Uncategorized http://www.guestspy.com undercover, independent reviews of places to stay & eat Thu, 12 Aug 2010 08:41:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Bergamo Zoo – Le Cornelle, Parco Faunistico http://www.guestspy.com/2010/08/12/bergamo-zoo-le-cornelle-parco-faunistico/ http://www.guestspy.com/2010/08/12/bergamo-zoo-le-cornelle-parco-faunistico/#comments Thu, 12 Aug 2010 08:37:52 +0000 Undercover Brother http://www.guestspy.com/?p=64 I have mixed feeling about Zoos, and I don’t go often; I find the repetitive pacing of animals that evolved to roam large spaces unsettling, as I do the behavior of visitors; trying to spur the apathetic animals to action by shouting and making noises. In this regard Bergamo Zoo is like any other.

Captive sImian in Bergamo

It’s a compact area and the edge of the town and the enclosures for the large animals are not anything like the size of their corresponding areas in Dublin Zoo. There is a large supervised carpark @ 3euro per day, and entry to the zoo is 11euro for adults with under 4’s in free.

Brown Bear in Bergamo Zoo

There is a kennelling service for people with dogs: in Italy people still bring their dogs everywhere with them, and in a country where the car temperatures soar in the summer, this seems like a sensible approach to animal welfare. How much of this carries over to the rest of the zoo, I’m not qualified to judge, but I have a gallery with some of the animals here.

Parrots in Bergamo Zoo

One thing I can say for certain: it’s a big hit in the 4 year old demographic, and there are a lot of merry go rounds and petting zoo type animals, including one tiny pony with a bossy attitude that has to been seen to be believed; he charges in from far, head held high and mane flying, with nibbles and karate-precise kicks to rouse his herd to action. I didn’t get a picture of the pony (I was too shocked at his management style), but this one from the fairgound part of the zoo will give some idea of his outlook:

Mechanical Pony Ride in Bergamo Zoo

Don't share an apple with this one.

My vote would be to populate the whole zoo with similar domesticated beasts with attitude and let the big cats and other animals roam the savanna, but I’m unlikely to have the last word.

Their website is in Italian only, and the navigation doesn’t translate with Google Translate, but this page contains a map. I suppose they’ve never head of multilingual content management for tourist attractions :)

If you’re trying to get there with a Tom Tom it’s not listed as an point of interest, you’re going to need the street address. As with all Italian maps on Tom Tom get ready to be misdirected down some roads that are one way (frequently), or haven’t been built yet (when you’re rushing to the airport). Morbegno bypass is a good example: the GPS shows a spagetti junction, while reality shows a field with some red and yellow poles in it.

The address of the zoo is Via Cornelle, 16, 24030 Val Brembo (BG)

Service is very friendly and bring a picnic, there are loads of covered eating areas.

]]> http://www.guestspy.com/2010/08/12/bergamo-zoo-le-cornelle-parco-faunistico/feed/ 0 Theatre Restaurant Riga http://www.guestspy.com/2010/06/04/theatre-restaurant-riga/ http://www.guestspy.com/2010/06/04/theatre-restaurant-riga/#comments Fri, 04 Jun 2010 12:42:16 +0000 Undercover Brother http://www.guestspy.com/?p=55 On my recent trip to Riga the capital of the Baltics I stumbled upon the Theatre restaurant hidden in a courtyard away from the hustle and bustle  of the busy streets. With pleasant weather touching 20 degrees it was perfect for sitting outside. A really nice place to relax. Shame about the food. Cheaping out on the salad sauce by using sunflower oil instead of olive oil. Bizarre considering the effort taken to create a nice atmosphere in the restaurant. The portions were decidedly small. After my useless salad starter I indulged in some pasta carbonara. This was also so-so. Not as good as I would cook at home which is not good enough from a professional chef. Deserts?… nah why bother with being underwhelmed again?

On the up side the coffee, drinks and cocktails were good. Would definitely recommend it for a tipple in the sunshine but avoid the food. I’ll be covering a better option for grub, just around the corner, in my next post.

]]> http://www.guestspy.com/2010/06/04/theatre-restaurant-riga/feed/ 0 The Unicorn Dublin http://www.guestspy.com/2010/02/11/the-unicorn-dublin/ http://www.guestspy.com/2010/02/11/the-unicorn-dublin/#comments Thu, 11 Feb 2010 16:36:14 +0000 alexevil67 http://www.guestspy.com/?p=60 Sick of hearing about this recession drivel my colleague and I decided the best detox would be to visit The Unicorn just off St Stephens Green for lunch. Rubbing shoulders with the movers and shakers of the Irish finance industry during this lunch hour it was clear by their pot bellies that their recession is confined to sensational newspaper headlines and an is primarily an event that is happening elsewhere. How fitting that the people who caused this mess get off scot-free. I digress….

The place was rammed to the gills and we were lucky to get a seat. After enjoying an excellent lunch it is easy to see how this place remains so popular during these supposedly tough times. The variety on offer for the buffet starter would have been enough to satisfy even the most choosy of eaters. After enjoying the juicy olives, mozzarella, tomatoes salad and a range of other tasty morsels it was onto a main course of roast lamb. The lamb was slightly over done by my taste but I’ve unfortunately come to expect this in many Irish establishments. The roast potatoes, veg and yorkshire puddings which were served as accompaniments were however excellent.  As we had a full schedule in the afternoon we stuck to water though the extensive wine list was enticing.

4/5 for the Unicorn.

]]> http://www.guestspy.com/2010/02/11/the-unicorn-dublin/feed/ 0 Hotel Barcelona ME – Merry Crisis http://www.guestspy.com/2009/03/24/hotel-barcelona-me/ http://www.guestspy.com/2009/03/24/hotel-barcelona-me/#comments Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:07:10 +0000 Undercover Brother http://www.guestspy.com/?p=28 I was lucky enough to spend a few days in the brand new designer Hotel, Barcelona ME, when I was visiting the city for a show earlier this month. This hotel had it all but you would want deep pockets. Maybe not the ideal time to open a hotel of this grandeur. On the other hand if you want to escape the rat race with a weekend in Barcelona I would highly recommend the ME. Situated in the 22nd district near the Pobleneu Metro station it’s stunning architecture (see the slide reel below) and everything possible concierge left me with a feeling of awe. I can only thank God that I wasn’t paying with a double pack of Durex (flavoured albeit) coming in at a tidy 15 Euro and a bag of crisps (small snack size) at 6.50 Euro.
The room was small but comfortable with a large panorama window giving a eye catching view which had you looking straight down the outer wall. The bathroom was all you would expect and featured a large window into the bedroom which gave the room a spacious feel. If you like a good book there was also a Roman style triclinia in the corner. It was 160 Euro a night. The cheapest option.
Breakfast was quality. A buffet with a large selection of tropical fruits, cereal, pastries, cheese, bread, cold cuts, juice, coffee and tea along with a menu where you could order a range of cooked items. I couldn’t resist the chorizo sausage, bacon and eggs (along with a good helping from the buffet). They do say breakfast is the most important meal! The butter was, strangely, noticeable through it’s absence and if I have to admit it, it wasn’t missed so grand was the selection on offer.
Unfortunately I didn’t have any time to get stuck in at the pool or gym (after a breakfast like that it would have probably been a good idea) or any of the bars or lounges. I did however manage a few sneaky pics for you on my final morning.
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