A Walk And A Taste Of Stockholm
After checking out the tickets, I went for a walk with lunch thrown in using my Walk and Eat Guide.
The pictures tell the story of the walk.
I actually had lunch in Cafe Rival, which is in the hotel of the same name. Again there was gluten-free bread. I think, if I go to Stockholm again, I’ll try the Hotel Rival first.
A Good Hotel, But!
I stayed in the Stureplan Hotel in Stockholm.
Hotel Stureplan, Stockholm
It was a good hotel, for what I paid, and I couldn’t complain about the position, staff or the food, where I even got gluten-free bread for breakfast.
But it had various faults that annoyed me.
The first and one of the most serious was the intermittent wi-fi. I couldn’t get it in my bedroom unless I connected first in the lobby that was on the way to the lift. Security on wei-fi doesn’t bother me, but this can’t be the most secure, if you have to use your device in the open.
I think the hotel had had a makeover from a designer. Look at this picture of the shampoo and shower gel.
Shampoo And Shower Gel
The only way to tell is to read the small writing on the back, which for me, means glasses. But as I don’t shower in my glasses, I couldn’t tell which was which, when I needed them. Anbd trhen there was the shower controls.
Unfathomable Shower Controls
it worked well, but which side was the water control and which was the temperature. The only way I worked it out, was by experiment, after giving it a good once over with my glasses. I still haven’t found a hotel shower as good as the digital Aqualiser Quartz, I had in Suffolk.
I think partly, my problem may well be my left hand, which doesn’t work that well and also because I need my glasses to decipher things like this. Surely, all controls should be obvious to someone who is virtually blind!
I wasn’t struck with the shower door, as water leaked underneath and made the floor slippery.
A Useless Shower Door
My balance is good for someone, who had a bad stroke, but I know quite a few people, who would have found the floor dangerous.
But it was the little touches that I didn’t like. The hotel seemed to have quite a few steps like this.
A Tricky Step
If my house can be designed with totally flat floors, surely a good hotel can. Luckily, I didn’t trip up badly.
I also didn’t like the tissues.
A Silly Box Of Tissues
With my rhinitis, it was just one good blow and they were in the bin. Not very green!
An Ideal Place For A Clock
In the hotel, they had this clock on the reception desk.
An Ideal Place For A Clock
I’ve never seen one like this before.
Note that it appears to be on a substantial chain!
The Hotel Les Armures In Geneva
Someone told me to stay in the Old City in Geneva and as they say it’s all about location. This hotel is expensive, but my good deal got even better, when I was upgraded to a small suite on arrival.
However, it was money well spent as I had no issue with rooms, plumbing or service, as I often do in hotels. But then after what I’ve been through in recent years, I have a right to be picky. I did wonder, who had slept in my room in the past, judging by the signatures in the lift.
Bill Clinton Slept Here
At least the American President, who’d stayed here, hadn’t been Dubya.
Checking on the Internet, it would appear Bill Clinton spent the night of the 15th May, 1994 in Geneva and had a meeting with President Assad, before going on to visit Italy and have an audience with the Pope. It’s all here.
Would I stay in the hotel again?
If I had good reason to, I would.
But I doubt, I’ll ever need to go to Geneva and spend a night there again, as it is such an easy place to visit on a day trip. I might pass through on one of my trips back after a fly out, whilst taking a train home, but a hotel, by the station would be much more convenient.
The Monstrosity By The Tower
Watching the bridge go up and down, I realised what a classic of monstrous architecture, the Tower Hotel opposite where I stood, is!
I suspect that if anybody applied for planning permission today, they’d be sent back to their drawing board with several fleas in their ears, to think again. Wikipedia sums up the hotel like this.
The Tower Hotel, part of the Guoman collection, is situated on the north bank of the River Thames, on the east side of Tower Bridge, in London. It is built in a modern style considered unattractive by many, indeed it was voted the second ugliest building in London in a 2006 BBC poll. However, it is reputed to offer occupants excellent views from its rooms.
As you see, they do give the rooms credit. But I am very much reminded of Guy de Maupassant’s thoughts on the Eiffel Tower.
I think I went inside once to meet someone with C and our view afterwards was it is the sort of hotel, where you took somebody else’s husband or wife to impress them. I think one of her clients had done that, as I haven’t and I don’t think she ever did!
The Excelsior Hotel In Munich
This hotel was very convenient for the station and was well worth a stay.
The staff were very helpful, wi-fi was complimentary and I was able to have a very good breakfast with proper tea.
I would certainly stay again.
The King Is Dead
I stayed at a hotel, I’d used before with C.
The King Is Dead
It was a rather waste of time, as the room I had was noisy and very hot. with little ventilation. but I suppose the wi-fi was good and free.
Would I Go Back To Bratislava?
Yes! If only to go back to the Arcadia Hotel and to eat in the restaurant again.
But it would be a good stoping off point on a trip back from say Kiev or Belgrade.
A Superb Hotel And Memorable Gluten-Free Meal In Bratislava
I hadn’t booked the hotel in Bratislava, but I had sussed that one of the best in the city was the Hotel Arcadia. So after a few minutes at the station, I took a taxi to the hotel.
My choice was vindicated, as it was one of the best hotels, I’ve stayed in since C’s death. I know she would have liked it, as the beds were comfortable, the bath was large and easily filled with the very hot water she liked and the dressing gowns and towels were luxurious.
The evening meal was absolutely memorable and I can’t tell you what I had, as I can’t get an on-line copy of the menu. The main course was lamb and it was some of the best I’ve ever tasted.
They even had a gastronomic tasting menu of umpteen courses, where except for the cheese and sweet courses, I could eat everything.
I shall certainly make sure next time I’m in the area, I will spend a night at the hotel.
Inside And Around Le Meridien, Budapest
I stayed in Budapest at Le Merieden. Not the cheapest hotel, but I got a reasonable deal and I could trust the food for breakfast. These pictures show the hotel in its very central location, on the major interchange of the Budapest Metro.
They even offered to bake some gluten-free bread, as I left. That sounds late, but I suspect they hadn’t realised I was coeliac before.
They did find me an excellent restaurant though called Rezkakas. I did take a Hungarian celiac travel card.
I’d certainly stay in the hotel again.
The Anonymous Widower 