San Francisco

My body still may be reeling from the jet-lag and the aftermath of an 18 hour flight, but wow, what an incredible first full day in San Francisco.

The journey to the states was long and painful as expected. Changing planes in Reykjavik and Seattle and the associated layovers had left me questioning whether or not the cost-cutting measure was worth it, but what I do know is that I’m here now and San Francisco is like no place I've ever been before.

I arrived late on Tuesday night, having seemingly passed through the stage of immense tiredness. I’d gone from being unable to keep my eyes open on the plane a few hours earlier, to somehow not being able to sleep despite my body working at 8am UK time once I got in bed.

I eventually managed to grab what could have been no more than five hour kip before going downstairs and signing my name up to the hostel walking tour.

Signing up for the tour is definitely the smartest thing I’ve done so far during my time here. The knowledgeable tour guide led us around the city showing us the various sights and vantage points to photograph the stunning cityscape.

San Francisco is like hilly like no other. The hills are an intimidating prospect to walk up but the views at the top make the struggle well worthwhile.

Our tour initially led us to Union Square, a compact space which is the setting for many important episodes in the history of San Francisco.

From here our tour progressed through the fascinating Chinatown, onto Little Italy before descending down to the sea front which displays stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz.

Each district of the city oozes its own culture and identity and San Francisco emanates a very bohemian and mellow vibe.

The place strikes me as a tolerant city, where the people who live there are free to express themselves however they see fit.

Many of the landmarks are recognisable from various media and a walk around one district led us to a bar where the likes of John Steinbeck used to hangout, not to mention the church where Marilyn Monroe once tied the knot across the road.

All-in-all a very successful first day, met some cool people, got my bearings and finished off with a fantastic calzone and a beer in the searing afternoon heat.

Eagerly anticipating what the rest of my time in San Francisco has to offer.

A few images from a weekend of fun in Madrid

2013

Well, this blog has been awfully quiet for a while now and there can be two reasons for that. Either I’ve been travelling the world and having such a blast that I haven’t yet found any time to update the page, or that nothing of interest has happened in the life of Chris Matthews.

Ok, so the case has definitely been the latter, but that’s all about to change.

2013 has been a strange one so far, I’ve been working extremely hard and packing the hours in and unlike in recent years, haven’t really got away much.

Up until September, my only jaunt of note was a trip to Download Festival in June. Download certainly didn’t disappoint with notable performances from Stone Sour, Parkway Drive, Jimmy Eat World, A Day to Remember and Slipknot and a family atmosphere that I experienced at Download more than any other festival that I have been to.

Next came three more months of extremely hard graft before the annual Roast. For those who are unaware of what a Roast is, it’s a group of friends who get together once a year for a little lads holiday. My inaugural roast was Vegas last year, and while the Roasters visit Vegas every other year, the year that lies in-between is a closer and cheaper trip to another European country.

This year it was decided that Madrid will be the venue for the trip and I must admit that I’d never heard Madrid mentioned in the same breath as Prague, Krakow and Barcelona as places renowned for a great night out, but wow, what a night out it was.

We arrived late on the Thursday and hastily changed and headed out. We sat down and enjoyed some tapas in a lovely square before doing what all good British tourists do and heading to the nearest Irish bar for lots of beers, shots, dodgy dance moves and god knows what else.

As the night became the next day, we got our heads down for a few hours before embarking on a bus tour of the city. These rides are very ‘touristy’ but are a fantastic way to be ferried between the major sites in a minimal amount of time.

The afternoon’s sightseeing was broken up by the odd beer, in a few of the many sidewalk bars/cafes in Madrid, great places to kick back and watch the world go by.

Then we headed back to the hotel before changing into our fancy dress for the upcoming night out. As all good groups of Roasters do, we pushed the boundaries as far as we could and dressed up at bulls and matadors.

Fortunately, despite out initial reservations about the choice of dress, Madrid’s mix of locals and international students all found the idea comical.

Madrid is certainly a fantastic place to go out at night, as there are a plethora of bars and clubs all within short walking distance of each other. There is also an electric mix of locals and international students, during our stay we made friends with Americans, Dutch, Swedes, Germans, Puerto Ricans, Spaniards and South Americans.

The city itself isn’t the most beautiful city in Spain, it feels more like a working city, but there are still some beautiful sights to be sampled.

It may have just been because of the sheer units of alcohol consumed, but our touring group found Madrid extremely difficult to navigate and with the similar looking, parallel streets, I think just about all of us were lost at some point.

Fortunately everybody made it back eventually at times ranging from 10pm (early casualties) to 7am (very drunk).

The Saturday was the day of the big football match and we had managed to all score tickets for Real Madrid against city rivals Atletico at the world famous Santiago Bernabeu.

We arrived early and took in a stadium tour before finding a bar and counting down the hours until kick-off.

The atmosphere was incredible and the ultras choreo display in the moments leading up to kick off is an image that will stick with me for a long, long time.

Real turned in a poor performance and a Diego Costa goal gave Atleti a richly deserved 1-0 win. Real never really threatened their opposition and in truth, had Atleti not been so wasteful themselves in front of goal, they could have emerged even more comprehensive winners.

Another night out followed the game and we all awoke the next day feeling slightly worse for wear. We then split into two groups with one heading to one of the city’s art galleries and the non-arty group decided to head to the Vicente Calderon, the stadium of Atletico Madrid for a tour.

After relaxing in a charming park and grabbing a bite to eat, we arrived to find the staff understandably in buoyant mood after the result from the previous night. Whereas Real is a global brand and business, we found Atleti a lovely club really in touch with its fanbase.

The Calderon isn’t the most sparkling stadium but I can imagine it generating some noise on a match day and being an intimidating place for opposition to visit.

So all-in-all our jaunt to Madrid was full of laughs, nights out and sightseeing and I would fully recommend the city for anybody to visit.

Next week I am off to the United States for a prolonged visit. I loved Las Vegas and ever since I have been saving to return to the country.

I will be flying into San Francisco before making my way down the California coast and then across to Texas, before working my way up to New York, where I will meet my parents for a few days before flying home.

I’m looking forward to meeting lots of new people and visiting some places that I have seen in so many films and television programmes, yet never actually visited.

Time to reap the rewards of working 55 hour weeks all summer!

Ten things I love about Las Vegas

Having just returned from a visit to the city that never sleeps, I feel compelled to tell you all just how great it is.

Many a word has been spoken about Vegas and many an image cast, but until you go and sample it for yourself no words can do it justice.

Here are ten things that really summed up this special city for me.

The strip

Scores of neon lights illuminate the stretch that features the majority of the city’s major hotels. Any Google search will show the strip to be one of the most iconic images of the city and just a walk down this metropolis is essential for any visitor and the many bridges across the road offer stunning views for any aspiring photographer.

The people

Having never previously visited the States I didn’t really know what to expect of the people. A popular conception of Yanks here in the UK is that they are loud, boisterous and arrogant. I would like to rewrite the rule book here.

Yes, some Americans are loud, especially after a last minute field goal or big win on the roulette table, but they are no worse than many Brits on tour.

American people are amongst the friendliest people that I have ever met. Attentative to all your customer needs and very open and approachable, such as the friendly roulette dealer we met with whom we put the world to rights over a few spins of the wheel.

Once they find out that you’re English then you are certainly onto a winner. Americans seem mesmerized by the English accent and this resulted in two kind fellows buying all seven of us a round of beers.

Fancy dress seems not to have caught on in the States quite as well as it has here in the UK. Two of our nights out were in fancy dress, an Olympic theme night and a pink night and I kid you not, that is the closest I have ever felt to being a celebrity. Dozens of other revellers approached us to have photos taken with us and join the party spirit.

The hotels

Now I’ve stayed in some nice hotels before but I had never seen anything like the hotels of the Las Vegas strip before. Each one is in competition with the last as to who can be the most extravagant and elaborate.

Every hotel features an extensive casino, various restaurants, bars, nightclubs, shops and often a unique and spectacular selling point that adds to the overall Vegas experience.

The water fountains at the Bellagio, the Eiffel Tower at the Paris, the light that shoots out of the Luxor that can apparently be seen from space and the Gondolas at the Venitian are all essential viewings, especially at night when they become lit up and glow in the clear night sky.

Freemont Street

Essentially old Vegas where it all began, Freemont is a hive of activity, especially when we visited one Saturday night. Featuring a zip-line that runs the length of the street, numerous bands perform on several purpose-built stages, as well as mime artists and street performers doing their thing. Getting a taxi away from the strip for at least one night is an absolutely must!

The food

I enjoy going out and sitting down for a good feed. I like to think that I make a good attempt to finish whatever is put in front of me and more often than not I succeed in my aim.

However eating in the US is a whole different matter.

I enjoyed mammoth ribs, luscious pork and numerous other fantastic meals during my time in Vegas and a side order can come as a meal in itself. When ordering a side of onion rings I was confronted by around ten rings the size of Yorkshire Puddings, and all this often served by beautiful waitresses. God, I love Vegas!

The Grand Canyon and surrounding lands

Although not even in the same state as Vegas, the Grand Canyon both can and should be visited in a day during a stay in the city.

The drive itself is fascinating. The impressive Hoover Dam is located conveniently on the route and definitely worth a stop off.

After this you continue into what is effectively the middle of nowhere. Long stretches of road, little signs of life, expansive desert and the odd ghost town all make intriguing window gazing and give an indication of just how big and vast  America is geographically.

Before you reach the Grand Canyon, you travel through a town called Dolan Springs. We barely saw a soul and the houses look mostly derelict. A little further research shows that 25% of the town’s residents live under the poverty line and many more have left altogether in the search of work.

On to the Grand Canyon and three hour trekking through the desert is worth it in every single way. Spectacular doesn’t even come close to describing this area and I would insist on any visitor paying the little extra and taking the helicopter over the canyon, as this is the only real way to grasp the sheer magnificence of it.

The service

Hot waitresses, lots of food, free refills. Say no more.

The shopping

Although not normally one for shopping, doing so in Vegas was a completely different kettle of fish for me.

The city pretty much hosts a shop or boutique of near enough every leading brand and product imaginable, all at cheaper prices than you would find here in the UK.

The nightlife

Although really feeling it now, I am so glad that I soldiered through and went out every night.

The city really does never sleep with many bars open around the clock.

Even if you’re not a fan, it is well worth a visit to a bar showing NFL. The passion that it generates is magnificent and you can’t help but be absorbed into the atmosphere. I previously had no time for it whatsoever but am now a convert due to the fans and the players’ explosive play.

Karaoke is also prominent and live bands work the crowd at various locations around the city, many of the casinos and bars also feature table dancers in case you are short of any eye candy, which in Vegas is highly unlikely.

Ferguson the bum
Any homeless gentleman who can be found passed out alongside a bottle of vodka in the middle of the afternoon, and next sighted 12 hours later calling a policeman a ‘fucking retard’ deserves a special mention.

 

VEGAS... the best city in the world