The Oxford bicycle

And finally its here! The inspiration, the prototype, the one & only, the soul of the blog: The Oxford Bicycle! (coupled with some Oxford preppy tips)

Bike Obviously in Market Street

1) Grab a beer and a quick bite at The Rusty Bicycle pub. It is a bit outside the center but the fantastic patio, tasty food and not at all rusty crowd worth the extra mile!

2) An ex church, with an appearance of a Greek temple, rumoured to have hosted the first Radiohead live, make Freud cafe an interesting destination in North oxford. You can stop for lunch (though its more about the atmosphere rather than the food), go for drinks or if you are lucky get to see a live!

3) Punting in Cherwell river: You can rent the boats at Cherwell Boathouse  to sail leisurely the river, trail fingers in the silky water, admire the wildlife or pic nick on the river bank. It is a timeless, slightly eccentric, quintessentially oxford activity!

4) Go for oxford shoes at Ducker and Son on Turl Street. They make bespoke oxford shoes from 1898, and even if oxfords are not your style or price it is still very interesting to explore!

5) Finally go for lunch or dinner at Magdalen Arms pub. Voted by the Guardian as one of the best gastropubs in UK (and highly endorsed by Maria) it is the best place to eat in Oxford!

The Vietnam Bicycle

Bicycle-Taxi at Hanoi

1) Spend 2-3 days on  Phu Quoc island. It's a small island on the south of  Ho Chi Minh, in the Gulf of Thailand. It is still an unspoiled paradise and when we were there 2 years ago they were still building roads... This is the ultimate do-nothing and rot-on-the-bench destination. We stayed at Chen Resort, a complex of luxurious beach bungalows just in front of the sea! Every night the staff would come to the roomss and light lemongrass scented candles , to indulge all the senses. For a more cosy and lengthy stay Mango Bay was also very good with the most fantastic cafe/ restaurant, dining literally on the sea!!

2) Have a 2 day cruise at  Halong Bay. Halong bay is a natural wonder: a lake with almost 3000 green islands rising from the emerald waters of the bay. The atmosphers is stunning and the best way to enjoy this is by taking a cruise. There are many companies in Hanoi orgnanizing cruises to Halong, my suggestion is Handspan and go for a small junk which feels more private. I totally recommend to go for the 2 day cruise and spend one night on board  It is like going back to the time of Indochina! Either sipping cocktails on the deck while the night sets or fishing shrimps on  the boat, the breathtaking nature & atmosphere of  Halong is a lifetime experience!

3) We didnt dine in many restaurants since the best place to eat in Vietnam are the outdoors food stalls. Once you overcome any hygience concerns it is guaranteed to taste the best  food of your life and be introduced to a new world of gastronomic delights. If  howeverer you want to stick to normal restaurants then I would suggest Green Tangerine in Hanoi for fine french vietnamese cuisine and Nha Hang Ngon in Shaigon. But again, nothing compares to the authentic vietnamese cuisine you can eat on the road!

4) Stroll in Hanoi lanes,sit together with the locals for a lemon tea, and look for Ma Ena Xanh store: they have the cutest handmade hats and beanies, sewed together by differnet materials and each one being a unique piece.Ma Ena Xanh 40 HANG GAI ST., HANOI; 84-4/826-7883.  Walk around the Hoan Kiem lake, watch locals performing Tai Chi or cute couples walking hand in hand and get the vibe of a lively and yet low key and romantic city.  Stroll by the old quarter for a glimpse at the original architecture of Hanoi where every street had merchants and households specializing in a certain trada.  The names of the streets still reflect this specialization.

5) If you do find some time, take cooking classes at  Red Bridge Restaurant at Hoi an. You will need to pay forward all this Vietnamese bliss and share it with your friends once back!
After writing this post,  I simply want to go there again!

Das Stockholm-en Biken

Das Stockholm-en Biken: this city is made for biking!!!

Bike at Ostermalm

1. Stay at Skeppsholmen Hotel: design hotel located on Skeppsholmen island, it really feels like an urban oasis. The rooms are fantastic with hip Scandinavian design, Duxiana mattresses and the local Byredo brand toiletries. Even if you don't stay there it is worth going for breakfast or lunch esp. during summer period where you can sit outside at the terrace.
2.Cafe Chokladkoppen at Gamla Stan: situated in the middle of the Gamla Stan square (old medieval city) this is the best spot to stop for a break and sip a white chocolate (or have one of the soups of the day).
3. Go for drinks at the hip Sodermalm area and esp.Pet sounds Bar. We really liked this one, though there are so many options for drinks at this area that you won't be disappointed.
4. Buy herrings from the local food market at Ostermal Saluhal. Delicious!!!!!!!

5. Branch or lunch at Moderna Museet restaurant.The museum exhibitions are not as impressive as the building and terrace overlooking the city. Caution, it may require booking!
Of course, shop from Acne, buy Byredo and really rent a bike! This city is made for biking!!!

The St Pete Bicycle

The St Pete Bicycle: struggling to avoid russian baroque

Bicycle in Конюшенная площадь

1) Stay at Casa Leto: located in the city centre, next to St Isaacs Cathedral it has a very cosy feel having only 5 rooms with unique pre-revolutionnary decoration. You can prepare your own breakfast at the kitchen or if you wake up early (pre 10) ask for the homemade omelette!

2) Have dinner at Teplo Restaurant: amazing food, a fantastic courtyard with tables outside for the summer, cosy interior, very tasty homemade plates & at the best prices. A totally must visit! No wonder it is no1 recommended in trip advisor!

3) Visit P-10 Art Centre: self described as museum for non conformist art, p10 an art multispace with special tribute to Beatles and many interesting staff happening all around the year. Even if you are not into art you can go for a drink to the bars scattered around the area and get a feel of the anti-baroc and anti-gold st pete feel.

4) Cocktails at 22-13 bar.  Great crowd, great tasting cocktails, 80s music and the feeling of being in an island! 





The Lemon Bicycle Karma

THE LEMON BICYCLE KARMA
Suggestions & tips on the places that the lemon bicycle has visited and enjoyed so much that it is worth sharing with friends. Our rules

a) No Bullshit
b) Not sponsored
c) Not touristic
d) Not lenghty & exhausting: a simple top5

Enjoy the ride!