Gaudi in Barcelona – Visiting Buildings Designed by Antoni Gaudi

Gaudi in Barcelona - Visiting Buildings Designed by Antoni Gaudi

Barcelona is known for its vibrant culture, world-class cuisine, and stunning architecture. One of the most notable architectural styles in the city is the work of Antoni Gaudí, the celebrated Catalan architect known for his unique and imaginative designs.

Gaudi in Barcelona – Visiting His Fascinating Work

Gaudí was born in 1852 in the city of Reus, near Barcelona. He studied architecture at the Escola Tècnica Superior d’Arquitectura in Barcelona and quickly gained recognition for his innovative and imaginative designs. His most famous works are located in the city of Barcelona, where he spent most of his career.

The most iconic building by Gaudi in Barcelona is the La Sagrada Familia, which is still under construction. This massive church has been in the works since 1882 and is expected to be completed in 2026. The Holy Family Church shows a unique and imaginative design, a mix of Gothic and Art Nouveau styles. The exterior of the building has intricate carvings and sculptures, and the interior features stained glass windows and elaborate columns.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Barcelona Gay Travel Resources

Exploring Bagan Temples in One Day – Keep Calm and Wander

Exploring Bagan Temples in One Day - Keep Calm and Wander

Exploring Bagan Temples in one day is possible – on a motorbike. Yep, you can rent a motorbike and go at your own pace! However, I’d still advise you to ask for a map from the hotel/hostel receptionist. 

And don’t just ride unprepared. The weather in Bagan is scorching hot all year, except on monsoon mornings. Pack an extra t-shirt or sweatshirt and bring water or food. And oh, the road is dusty so you better have a pair of sunglasses. 

This post is the last of the 22 temples you can explore in Bagan in one day. So, let’s continue with our little adventure in Bagan!

Bagan Temples: Yinmana

Yinmana is an interesting complex of well-tended temples. Despite its wondrous beauty, the temples are off-the-beaten-track. There were only two of us there at the time of our visit. If you notice in the picture below, each temple has a different style and they’re interesting to see if you observe them from afar. The downside is that nowhere we could find descriptions of the pagoda’s history.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Myanmar Gay Travel Resources

Mandalay Pagodas – Keep Calm and Wander

Mandalay Pagodas - Keep Calm and Wander

These 6 Mandalay pagodas are must-see tourist attractions when you are in this ancient capital of Myanmar. They are all Buddhist temples/pagodas but each one is distinct from the other. You will be surprised how the locals devote their time when they are in the temple. Myanmar, I think, has the most number of Buddhist temples/pagodas in the world. Not sure about that but many of their tourists attractions are temples – and Mandalay is no exemption.

Let me introduce first these three Buddhist pagodas within the city of Mandalay.

Remember to take your shoes off when entering temples. Dress appropriately or cover you exposed skin with a sarong that you can borrow/rent at the entrance of some temples. You can also bring your own sarong if you’ve got one. Don’t worry about losing your shoes. No one will snatch them away. Be respectful when taking pictures inside the temple. There are places where “No Photography” sign is displayed. Don’t be THAT tourist! Always bring wet tissues to clean your feet after visiting.

Myanmar Pagodas – Kyauk Taw Gyi

The most prized possession here is the presence of the largest marble Buddha in Myanmar. As soon as you enter, you’ll see its imposing size and brilliant whiteness surrounded by a not-so-well-lit temple. Remember to check out the backyard where some interesting things to do and see await you.

Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Checking Out Gay Florence – The Nomadic Boys

Checking Out Gay Florence - The Nomadic Boys

Did you know in Germany they used the word ‘Florenzer’ for a gay guy? It certainly piqued our interest enough to take a trip to Florence. But how did it come to be?

Well, the year was 1476 – and the city of Florence was awash with scandal. Four men were accused of having an affair with a male rent boy – and one of those men…. was Leonardo di Vinci! Oh, y’all wanted a twist? Yup, the world-famous artist could have gone to jail for “being caught in the action“! But Florentians turned a blind eye.

Artists like Michelangelo, Donatello, Sandro Botticelli. and Benvenuto Cellini, were well-known gay guys, and due to the renewed interest in Plato’s writings, homosexuality was viewed as just another part of life in gay Florence. And, thus, the slang term was born!

Visiting Gay Florence

To this day, this beautiful Italian city still attracts the creative type – making it the perfect gay destination. Now is also the perfect time to visit, because, until December 31st, there is a promotion called Destination Florence Plus offering discounted hotel rates and an extra discount on experiences once the room is booked. This portal is the official tourism platform of the town, totally non-profit and we love it because they only select local providers offering authentic experiences.

Full Story at The Nomadic Boys

Florence Gay Travel Resources

Mexico City’s Metropolitan Cathedral – Keep Calm and Wander

Mexico City's Metropolitan Cathedral - Keep Calm and Wander

Mexico City’s Metropolitan Cathedral is the oldest and largest cathedral in Latin America. Located right at the heart of the city, the church is an imposing structure that demands your attention.

For visitors, it’s just another tourist attraction, but for the locals, it is a symbol and soul of their faith. It’s also the seat of the Archdiocese of Mexico. Its complete name is Catedral Metropolitana de la Asuncion de la Santisima Virgen Maria a los cielos. That’s a mouthful, right?

In English, it is translated as Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven. Even in English, that is still a mouthful to say.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Mexico City Gay Travel Resources

Prague’s St. Vitus Cathedral – Keep Calm and Wander

Prague's St. Vitus Cathedral - Keep Calm and Wander

St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague looked so familiar to me the first time I laid my eyes on its massive Gothic structure. I was pretty sure I’d seen it somewhere but I had a hard time remembering it. 

Standing and staring outside its facade, I really tried hard to remember where in the world I saw this cathedral before. Then it hit me – it looks like it’s the smaller version of the Cologne Cathedral in Germany. Both are impressive and great examples of Gothic architecture with historical importance.

This beautiful church is inside the complex of Prague Palace, the world’s largest palace complex. Inside, you won’t just find breathtaking arches, flying buttresses, and scary gargoyles but also tombs of royals and saints of Bohemia.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Putrajaya Walking Tour – Keep Calm and Wander

Putrajaya Walking Tour - Keep Calm and Wander

This short Putrajaya walking tour is not really the kind of tour you’d like to join. I did it without a tour guide nor a map on hand. I did it because I like walking and I want to see what’s beyond the Putra Masjid, a landmark you shouldn’t miss. When I got out of the Pink Mosque, I walked across the street and onto the huge square.

From the square, I walked closer to the country’s impressive Legislative Building. There must be no session that day because the surrounding areas were so quiet. Aside from its well-manicured gardens, you’ll also see a huge sculpture of a hand. I tried to get closer to find its description but didn’t find one.

Near the Legislative Building is a long bridge. I walked across it, enjoying the lake views.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Gay Split, Croatia – The Globetrotter Guys

Gay Split, Croatia - The Globetrotter Guys

We spent 4 nights in the beautiful city of Split in Croatia and loved every minute.

Split is Croatia’s second largest city in the Dalmatia region after Dubrovnik and home to 250k people.

The historical walled old town lays on the water’s edge and is a maze of pretty cobbled streets, beautiful buildings (including the famed Diocletian’s Palace), monuments and is also a great point from which to travel to the other islands along the coast.

In our guide to gay Split we will cover how we found the city as a gay couple, if a gay scene exists, share our experience of the gay beach, cover the best activities to do in (and from) Split, where to stay and practical tips – we highly recommend that you visit!

Is Split Gay Friendly?

As a country, Croatia is not particularly well known for being progressive and gay friendly compared to other countries in Europe such as Spain.

However when visiting the tourist hot spots, like the case in many countries, we felt very safe and had no trouble at all. We have been to Croatia twice with no issue.

In fact, our trip to Croatia was for a gay sailing trip which finished in Split (the trip goes each year) and we had a huge pride flag flying for the whole journey and never had an issue!

By Sion & Ben – Full Story at the Globetrotter Guys

Gay Split Travel Resources

Chicago for Gay Families – 2TravelDads

Chicago for Gay Families - 2TravelDads

The USA has several cities that are known around the world as being iconic or embodiment of America. We think of New YorkSan FranciscoSeattle and Chicago. Traveling to Chicago is really awesome and totally easy to do in two or three days; you could even have an unforgettable Chicago experience in one day if you were really in a pinch and wanted to. It’s an easy, walk-able city with unlimited potential and plenty of things to do.

There are so many things to do in Chicago, and you really can’t do them all on one trip. For your first trip, or if you’re traveling to Chicago on a tight schedule, these are the best ideas to make sure you explore the city and really get a feel for this incredible town.

To get familiar with the layout of the city, take a look at the map below. You’ll see that Chicago is on the shore of Lake Michigan, so there are several activities and sights very near each other since they’re all in that Magnificent Mile neighborhood, between Michigan Ave and the Lakefront Trail. We don’t include the Shedd Aquarium or Field Museum on our things not to miss in Chicago, but they’re close by too, so easy to add to your list.

By Chris and Rob – Full Story at the 2TravelDads

Chicago Gay Travel Resources

Walking Tour in Gay Jakarta – Keep Calm and Wander

Gay Jakarta

A walking tour in Jakarta is possible – as long as you have the stamina to walk around, of course! And when I say walk, I’m talking about 4-6 hours of movement from one place to another. But such length of time depends on the pace you’d like to take. Remember that Jakarta is a huge city and streets can be confusing for a first time visitor.]

Hire a Tour Guide

I highly recommend getting a private tour guide for this walking tour – just like I did. It saved me so much time from researching and using Google maps. My guide made sure that I had a total experience of the city. We walked in streets and alleys, crossed bridges and passed through the nitty-gritty parts of Jakarta. We also took a shared public cab once and got on a train – and I loved the experience! If you want the same experience I had, you better call or send WhatsApp text message to Prie via +62-818-0228-8008.

My tour guide picked me up at Oria Hotel in central Jakarta on a rainy morning. He brought with him two raincoats, just in case we needed it. Fortunately, when we started at 9:00 in the morning, the rain temporarily stopped. And since the streets were wet and slippery, we walked slower than expected. These are the places and activities we did – in order of visitation.

Full Story From Keep Calm and Wander