Scruffy Gios Does Gay Manchester

Gay Manchester - Scruffy Gios

Manchester is a city with a very special place in my heart. The recent events, so terribly evil and heartbreaking, shook me and left me astonished. My thoughts and prayers are with Manchester and all those involved.

As an openly proud member of the LGBT community I am sure you will all join me and keep living freely and openly and without hate and prejudice. And this is why I love gay Manchester: it is a shining city of love in these troubled times.

Have you ever visited this vibrant city in the Northwest of England? Greater Manchester is the second biggest urban area of England (after London, before the West-Midlands) with a very inclusive and open-minded attitude.

I visited gay Manchester for the first time for the celebration of its fun Pride in 2013, and I absolutely loved it: Manchester Pride, traditionally held at the end of August during a long bank holiday weekend, is one of the most attended in England, beaten only in popularity by London Pride. Since then I have been to Manchester a few times, and every time I discover some new facets of the city.

The core of the gay life of the city happens in the Manchester Gay Village, right in the centre of the city: it is a neighborhood full of bars, clubs and restaurants where the LGBT community gathers, around Canal Street.

By Scruffy Gios – Full Story at The Scruffy Italian Traveler

Northwestern England Gay Travel Resources

Other Gay Travel Events

Alexandria’s Modern Library – Keep Calm and Wander

Alexandria's Modern Library

The modern Library of Alexandria doesn’t really live up to its prestige in ancient times – when it comes to rare collections. There’s one surviving scroll from its ancient library in a city once ruled by Cleopatra and Alexander the Great. However, its architecture is brilliant, bold, modern and wonderfully executed. And oh boy, this is the only library in the world that I’ve been to where I paid to get in.

The new Library of Alexandria is built near where the ancient library was. Along the Mediterranean shore, the circular, glass-covered library beacons the same sea where Cleopatra first laid eyes on Julius Caesar.

The modern design commands knowledge and reflects boldness that complemented the sound of the waves that crash ashore.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Egypt Gay Travel Resources

The Saqqara Pyramids – Keep Calm and Wander

Saqqara Pyramids

The Saqqara Pyramids in the City of the Dead are the burial grounds of Memphis, Egypt’s ancient capital. This place is also known and spelled as Sakkara or Saccara. Unlike the Great Pyramids of Giza, the ones you see here are smaller but older than the former.

Off-the-beaten track

While tourists mostly flock to the three great pyramids, only few come here for a visit. There was only one big tour bus I saw in my two hours of exploration here. Most of the visitors were on private tours, like me.

How much to get here?

I hired a driver to get me here because I didn’t want to be with a huge group. I paid around $30. He took me here first and then to Dashur where the Red Pyramid, the world’s first true pyramid, is located. The whole trip lasted 5 hours.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Egypt Gay Travel Resources

Twelve Lesbian Resorts That Once Were

Lost Lesbian Spaces

As we move gracefully from a mediocre spring into the depths of another volatile summer season filled with dread and uncertainty, one might ask oneself “are there any hotels / resorts / B&Bs / guest houses / ranches / etc in the U.S. where I can be surrounded exclusively by other queer women?” and the answer is “yes, there is one, it’s called The Highlands Inn and it’s in New Hampshire.”

But, if you’d asked that question a decade or two or three ago, the answer would’ve been, “Yes, SO MANY!” (Wanna know why? Check out the outro to this list at the end for some lesbian travel herstory and also the sources I used for this post!)

Ellie’s Nest Guest House // Key West, FL // 1980s

This is what the Ellie’s Nest building looks like now

In 1981, Ellie’s Nest was advertising itself in Gaia’s Guide as “Key West’s only guest house by and for women” (read: lesbians), owned by a lesbian couple named Martha and Judie. The property included tropical gardens, a pool, continental breakfast brought to your door and individually decorated rooms named after famous women like Gertrude Stein, Alice B Toklas, Georges Sand, Tallulah Bankhead and Patience and Sarah. A 1983 issue of The Empty Closet features a review of Ellie’s Nest, of which the author says “…the best Night life [in Key West] is right at Ellie’s Nest. Lounging by the pool in 76 degree temperatures, babbling with peers into the morning hours left us with some of our fondest memories of Key West.”

Full Story at Autostraddle

Bolongo Bay Beach Resort – St. Thomas, US Virgin Island

Bolongo Bay Beach Resort

Periodically we’ll feature one of our properties here to let our readers know about some great gay friendly places to stay:

Bolongo Bay is an intimate Caribbean resort offering All-Inclusive and Room Only rates. We also offer some fantastic honeymoon, wedding, girls escape, and tour and attraction packages. We’re all about getting away from home and having fun in the sun.

Our Caribbean resort features a variety of complimentary water-sports, gift shop, and a freshwater swimming pool with its own swim-up bar – enjoy a tropical drink under the Caribbean sun while you relax away your cares. Bolongo Bay is home to St. Thomas Diving Club, a five star PADI facility.

We also have a small gym on-site with treadmills, stair-masters, an elliptical cross trainer, and a recumbent life cycle.

Bolongo Bay Beach Resort is casual, fun, and private – a Caribbean beach resort with an emphasis on great customer service. We’re on a long, palm tree-lined beach overlooking the lovely waters of the Caribbean on St. Thomas.

We have sixty five ocean-front guest rooms just steps from the sands of the beach, and all of our rooms come with terraces with fantastic water views.

We also offer ocean-front studios and 2 bedroom condos just up the beach from the main property, perfect for families or groups of friends who want larger accommodations on Bolongo Bay.

We have two restaurants on-site, both open air: the Lobster Grille beside the pool lit with romantic candle light and Tiki torches, and Iggies Beach Bar & Grill.

Bolongo Bay Beach Resort doesn’t have elevators, marble tiles or chandeliers – we’re not an upscale property, but we offer large, bright, clean rooms with stunning views of the Caribbean – a real Caribbean vacation

Bolongo Bay is a family-owned resort – we’ve run the resort for over thirty years. Do you want to have a true Caribbean resort experience? Come to Bolongo Bay, and experience the Virgin Islands firsthand!

See the Bolongo Bay Beach Resort Expanded Listing on Purple Roofs Here

Gay Friendly Bed and Breakfasts, Hotels, and Vacation Rentals in the US Virgin Islands

Pompey’s Pillar, An Open Museum in Alexandria – Keep Calm and Wander

Pompey's Pillar - Alain

Pompey’s Pillar is an open museum in Alexandria. This pillar wasn’t really built for Pompey, a Roman politician and military general. He was also Julius Caesar’s fiercest rival and mortal enemy in the civil war.

This monolithic column was built to commemorate the triumph of the Roman Emperor Diocletian over a revolt in Alexandria. And now, you’d ask: How in the world this shaft became known as Pompey’s Pillar?

It’s known in the Middle Ages that a bronze urn on top of the pillar contained the ashes of Pompey. This corinthian column is standing on blocks that comes from earlier foundations. It’s cut from red granite in Aswan in the southern part of Egypt.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Egypt Gay Travel Resources

Gay Puerto Madryn, Argentina

Gay Puerto Madryn - Nomadic Boys

Puerto Madryn is THE super gay friendly destination of Patagonia. We absolutely loved this city in the Chubut region of Argentina and had to feature it on our blog.

Why?

Ring deprived Stefan was quick to point out to Sebastien that gay Puerto Madryn was one of the first cities in Argentina to introduce a Casamiento Express (Express Marriage) package for gay couples in which anyone can get married, with all the formalities in place in just 5 days.

On top of this, there’s so much to do here: you can swim with sea lion pups, have a few conversations with the cute Magellanic penguins, watch orcas, whales, get up close to Commerson’s dolphins and relaxing on the beach. This is our gay travel guide to Puerto Madryn featuring the gay hangouts, places to stay and activities to do.

Map of Gay Puerto Madryn

Argentina has inverted seasons to the US and Europe, so the summer months are between December to February and winter is from June to August. During the summer months you’ll have the warmest weather and optimal beach time. Despite this, Puerto Madryn is a destination you can visit all year round, depending on the wildlife you want to see:

The life and soul of Puerto Madryn is centered around the city’s beautiful promenade, extending from one end of the city to the other.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at The Nomadic Boys

Argentina Gay Travel Resources

TRAVELING IN OUR FABULOUS GAY WORLD: Florida Holocaust Museum

Holocaust Museum - St. Petersburg

When we were in St. Petersburg, Florida earlier this month we visited the Florida Holocaust Museum which is one of the largest such museums in the country.  This year they are celebrating their 25th Anniversary.

Their permanent exhibit, “History, Heritage and Hope” is on the first floor and features original artifacts, videos and photos. It deals not only with antisemitism but also with other victim groups. The Nazis classified not only Jews as ‘the enemy” but also included Roma (Gypsies), people with disabilities, Poles, Soviet prisoners of war, Afro-Germans as well as Jehovah’s Witnesses and Homosexuals.

Holocaust MuseumThe centerpiece of the museum collection is an actual train box car that transported victims of the Nazi regime to the concentration camps. It rests upon original track from the Treblinka Killing Center as a silent tribute to those who perished on the Holocaust.  Seeing this is a VERY daunting and somber experience.  Just to think of all the hatred in the world both in history and in today’s world as well !  Everyone claiming to be a right wing Christian and or ‘born again Christian needs to visit this museum as well as everyone else in the country!  You will walk away with a new appreciation toward life. The 2nd and 3rd floor has changing exhibits of art and history.
Besides having artifacts, photos, exhibits, etc. the museum also runs several programs of outreach within the community with the aim of continuing their mission of human rights. To put it simple…… they are an excellent and outstanding organization.

They are now having a very special exhibit thru July 2:  NAZI PERSECUTION OF HOMOSEXUALS – 1933-1945. Between 1933 and 1945, 100,000 men were arrested for homosexuality under Paragraph 175, the sodomy provision of the German penal code dating back to 1871.    Some were imprisoned, others were sent to concentration camps.  Of the latter, only about 4,000 survived. In 2000, fewer than 10 of these men were known to be living.  The exhibit is full of LGBT history with stories, photos and artifacts.

Holocaust MuseumFive of the survivors came forward in a documentary to tell their stories for the first time, considered to be among the last untold stores of the Third Reich. The documentary, “PARAGRAPH 175” tells of a gap in the historical record and reveals the lasting consequences, as told through personal stories of gay men and women who lived through it. including Karl Gorath, Gad Beck, the half-Jewish resistance fighter who spent the war helping refugees escape Berlin, Annette Eick, a Jewish lesbian who escaped to England with the help of a woman she loved; Albrecht Becker, German Christian photographer who was arrested and imprisoned for homosexuality, then joined the army on his release and Pierre Seel, the Alsatian teenager who watched as his lover was eaten alive by dogs in the camps. If you REALLY want to read a heart wrenching story, just ‘Google’ Perre Seel, actually ‘Google’ all of these people.

They are having a special film showing at the Museum on June 21 at 6:30. The FHM Film Series:  Paragraph 175. This event is free and open to the public! If you are unable to attend the see the movie yourself as it is at many local libraries as well as thru Amazon.com.
The Museum is located in downtown St. Petersburg at 55 Fifth Street South and their hours daily are 10 AM to 5 PM. You can call them at 727.821.0100 or visit their websites: www.thefhm.org or https://www.flholocaustmuseum.org/

We want to thank Kristen Wright at the Museum for her assistance.

We dedicate this travel column to Siegbert “Siggi” Wilzig, (1926-2003) who was a Holocaust survivor and  the Father of Sir Ivan, Sherry Izak and Alan Wilzig and the husband of our dear friend Naomi Wilzig,(1934-2015),

Don and RayAlways remember to have fun when traveling, meet new people and talk to everyone!

TRAVELING IN OUR FABULOUS GAY WORLD is written by Donald Pile and Ray Williams, Award-winning, Celebrity travel columnists who write for gay publications from coast to coast (And now legally married).

Proud members of the IGLTA. You can email them at gaytravelers@aol.com and visit their website at http://gaytravelersataol.blogspot.com/

St. Petersburg Gay Travel Resources

King George Inn – Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, Canada

King George Inn

Periodically we’ll feature one of our properties here to let our readers know about some great gay friendly places to stay:

Travel back to Nova Scotia’s storied past at King George Inn Bed & Breakfast – originally built in 1868, our home is entirely furnished in wonderful, age-appropriate antique furniture.

Our B&B inn is a Registered Heritage Property, and has large, sunny guest rooms, private bathrooms, twelve ft ceilings, carved moldings, original leaded glass, fireplaces, gorgeous parquet floors, and Faith’s famous Nova Scotia hospitality.

Kin Gerorge Inn has a great location in Annapolis Royal – we’re an easy walk to all the main sights and attractions in the National Historic District.

Our inn features an antique-furnished parlour and 2 dining rooms, a grandstaircase in our main hall, and a Square Grand Piano in our larger dining room.

We offer 8 guest rooms, each furnished in beautiful oak or painted Victorian nineteenth century bedroom sets, complete with commodes, bowls & pitchers, Gone-With-The-Wind lamps, comfortable rocking chairs, oriental rugs, and artwork. Each room is also furnished with antiques, hand-made quilts, color TV, coffee maker, wine glasses, and a/c.

We have bikes available for guest use, or hang around at the inn and relax on our lawn swings, or take a picnic lunch out to our rolling back lawn. There are also a number of great outdoor activities available in the Annapolis Royal area, including whale watching, golf, and deep sea fishing – we can make reservations for you for any of these activities. There are also tennis courts and swimming facilities close by.

Our accommodations are non-smoking and scent-free. We both speak English and French.

Come visit us in Nova Scotia at the King George Inn.

See the King George Inn Expanded Listing on Purple Roofs Here

Gay Friendly Bed and Breakfasts, Hotels, and Vacation Rentals in Nova Scotia

Amazing Alexandria Murals – Keep Calm and Wander

Alexandria Murals

I was walking around for two hours until I saw these murals in Alexandria. It’s one of those moments when I allowed my myself to get lost around a new city. And when I can’t figure out, I’d hail a cab to bring me somewhere to satisfy my stomach.

These Alexandria Murals depict arts in all forms. I tried to find the artist’s name somewhere in these murals but didn’t spot it. If you know who did this amazing work, let me know so I can properly acknowledge him.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Egypt Gay Travel Resources