photograph by Kaymaria Daskarolis

You think that Starbucks frappuccino is delish? Try the frappuccino at Portes Café in Neo Psychiko, one of the first suburbs north of central Athens.

Do not take this recommendation lightly, Cheapos. While visiting Athens, it is worth going to Portes (take bus #450 or 550 and get off at Faros bus stop) just to sample the café’s distinctive frappuccinos.

If you like the flavors of coffee and chocolate blended together, opt for the Portes mochaccino. Hot or cold, the frappuccinos and mochaccinos at Portes are delectable—and heavily caffeinated—liquid desserts.

“Portes” means “doors,” and Portes Café surely opens new doors for its customers, whether they be culinary or artistic. The owner of the café is herself an artist, and she has conferred upon the décor a modern, sumptuous feel—the perfect accompaniment for the modern and sumptuous coffees on offer.

Popularity: 4% [?]

photograph of Gareth Pugh courtesy of christopher_owen

London Fashion Week was soggy, very soggy. But it was worth it, if just for the sight of famed drag queen Jodie Harsh in the front row at Gareth Pugh. We thought we’d bring you the abridged version of our take on LFW.

Trends for Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter 2007:

Black (or gray) opaque tights worn with everything, short-as-hell hemlines, shift dresses, hats and turbans, oversized granny cardigans, cocktail dresses, metallic, PVC, neon, and platforms—to name a handful. Verdict: A bit tacky 80s and a bit glam 70s.

We say stick to the basic pieces and let the designers have their fun on the runway. Marc by Marc Jacobs, Giles, Gareth Pugh and Paul Smith all had outstanding shows, ranging from the flamboyant to the über-wearable (read: commerical). Mario Schwab has a wicked shoe collection, the best designed by Scorah Pattullo.

For all you out there on a Cheapo budget, go to London Fashion Weekend this weekend for huge discounts on designer clothes. LFWeekend begins today, February 22 and runs through Sunday, February 25.

Discounts are up to 80% off retail. You can’t go wrong. Unless you opt for PVC undies, of course.

Popularity: 3% [?]

photograph of bicycle near Belleek Castle courtesy of bbdoyle  

Sheila Flynn’s dreamy story in yesterday’s USA Today about Irish Castle rentals made us green with envy. After all, when we last visited Dublin we stayed in a youth hostel. It was a friendly place, but it certainly wasn’t a castle.

Ireland is full of centuries-old stone castles, offering rooms for travelers who want history and romance. Think heavy wooden doors, protective moats, and crackling fireplaces. From seaside splendor to mountain-top majestic, the castles mentioned in the article sounded enchanted—and monetarily inaccessible.

But then we got to the part about some big castles for small budgets, such as the Belleek Castle in County Mayo, which offers singles for $118 and doubles for $183. The 15th Century castle provides stately rooms on 1,000 forested acres, perfect for strolling.

Also mentioned: An entire “small” castle with three bedrooms for as low as $1,575 a week. Sold.

Popularity: 2% [?]

 
image courtesy of Ivana Helsinki

Spring is not quite in the air, but it’s certainly on our minds. We’re dreaming of frolicking in fields where the green things grow.

In the meantime, we’re relying on the whimsy of some favorite Finnish designs—light, airy, and vibrant with nature—to get us through another winter day.

Here’s our Finland-inspired Spring 2007 wish list.

1. A floral, kimono-themed umbrella by fabric design company Marimekko. Click on that link. It’s insanely beautiful.

2. A crisp cotton frock from Ivana Helsinki, preferably patterned in birds, butterflies, ponies. Or kittens.

3. And while we’re at it, a ticket to Helsinki-Vantaa.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Ryanair announced today that they will give away one million free flights (not including taxes and charges, obviously!) following an Irish victory over England in the 6 Nations rugby match scheduled at Croke Park in Dublin this coming Saturday.

How fervently is Ryanair hoping for an English win? That’s our question.

The free flights are scheduled to go on sale on Monday, February 26. We’ll make a note to read the sports pages on Sunday.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Fans of homestyle Korean cooking should make a beeline to L’Arbre De Sel, a tiny family-run gem in a quiet corner of Paris’ 15th arrondissement behind Montparnasse. At lunchtime you can take a “menu bamboo” for €9.50 and enjoy two mini potstickers followed by an oversized bowl of rice with beef, vegetables, a fried egg and shavings of nori seaweed with miso soup on the side.

The menu also features traditional favourites like bibimbap, galbi (Korean hot-pot) and Korean barbecue. Everything is cooked without MSG and the decoration—a profusion of tiny potted plants and clusters of gossamer lights strung from the walls—reflect the whimsical character of the owner, who welcomes all guests like his own family.

L’Arbre De Sel 138 Rue de Vaugirard 75015. Tel.: 01-47-83-29-52. Metro: Falguière

Popularity: 2% [?]

photograph courtesy of acampm1

UK low-cost carrier Jet2 today announced the launch of what they’re calling their “Stress Less” check-in system.

This new set-up will allow passengers to pre-select seats on all flights. The check-in option is only free on 11 routes, however, including flights between Leeds and Amsterdam, Düsseldorf, and Paris; flights between Manchester and Amsterdam and Paris; and Newcastle-Amsterdam flights. On other routes, seat reservations will cost from €4 (for standard seats) to between €15 and €23 for seats with extra legroom.

Additionally, passengers traveling between UK airports and Amsterdam will be able to check-in online from 28 days to five hours before departure.

Advance seat selection is an especially nice perk for families and groups traveling together. Along with Jet2’s new handheld device, it’s another way that Jet2 is setting itself apart from the low-cost pack. 

But a whopping €23 for a seat with extra legroom to Tenerife? That’s how low fare flights turn into average fare flights, buddy.

Popularity: 3% [?]

To the dismay of many French doctors and school teachers, smoking is now forbidden in medical centers and schools.

We’ve already reported on this turn of events, of course, but we’d like to reflect for a minute on how things will feel in January, 2008, when the all-encompassing ban on smoking in public places goes into effect. In a city where memories of the good old days of smoking in elevators and puffing away in the delivery room are still fresh, Parisians will have to adjust to espresso sans smoke.

By this time next year Parisians and tourists alike will be faced with cafés that are just not what they used to be. Gone will be that slight eyeball burn and the uncertainty of whether the chef has added a dash of pepper or cigarette ash to les croques-monsieur.

Parisian public smoking, you’ve been stinky, rude, omnipresent, and oddly charming. You will be sincerely missed.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Today’s HotelMarketing.com cites recent studies conducted by Burst Media and PhoCusWright Research that show the massive effect the Web is having on travel planning and travel-related purchases, especially—no surprise—among younger consumers.

According to the story, the impact of the Internet “has been so great that researching or purchasing travel outside of the Internet is already an unknown experience for many consumers.”

Nearly 55% of those surveyed in the 25-34 demographic say the Internet is their primary travel resource. Nearly four out of five (79%) respondents say they will use the Internet to plan upcoming personal travel.

Looks like this Internet thing has legs.

Popularity: 2% [?]

photograph courtesy of borya

Austria is entering the end of Carnival and, beginning today, will be in fasting mode. In Austria, Carnival is called Fasching.

Vienna has survived this year’s Fasching more or less intact. The Vienna Opera Ball, the extensive media coverage courtesy of Paris Hilton (construction magnate Richard Lugner’s special guest this year), and the numerous balls leading up to the start of the Lenten season have all come and gone.

As far as we’re concerned, the most important element of Fasching is Krapfen.

Krapfen is the equivalent of the American doughnut or the British/Australian pancake traditionally eaten during Shrove Tuesday. It is called Berliner Pfannkuchen in Germany. In Italy, it’s called Krafen.

Krapfen is a pastry of yeast dough fried in either fat or oil. Krapfen are dusted with sugar or iced. They are usually injected with a jam filling after being cooked. They are so tasty they’ll make even staid adults want to scarf a dozen in one sitting.

Krapfen are good and cheap, too. They cost between €.70 and €.90 apiece.

Popularity: 3% [?]