Łódź, Poland + Georgetown, Guyana
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We now have a website for our web series, Live from [Blank]! Check it out and follow along! After the success (and safety compliant-ness) of our #10KDrivewayTour, Alison felt confident she could safely plan a surprise road trip for four teenagers for her daughter’s Sweet 16! She used our dashcam and even put together a little video of the trip.
Alison is obsessed with Mike Birbiglia’s comedy special Sleep Walk With Me. She has been listening while she goes for her walks on the beach and is really feeling his style… relatable smart comedy is her kind of humor. Lulu suggests she check out his podcast, Working It Out. Lulu’s obsession is more intentionally follow galleries, artists, fashion brands, and more on Instagram. She has taken a deep dive into the world of art via Instagram.
Alison is wishing for appetite suppressing gum, is that a thing? Yes, it is. Lulu is wishing for a way to transfer coconut oil from the jar to her body. Alison suggests a basting brush… since she’s not a turkey, maybe she looks into reusable coconut oil dispensers that work whether the coconut oil is in solid or liquid form.
Alison is headed to Łódź, Poland, the best city you can’t pronounce. Pronounced like “woodge” (who would’ve guessed?!), this third largest city in Poland has a vibrant up-and-coming arts locale. Likely due to its low cost of living but high flying social scene, massive murals and unique renovations are making this city a must-see. Alison found an Airbnb whose ambiance would make any and all city-dwellers swoon. This spacious (160 m²/~1700+ ft²) penthouse loft-style apartment in BK Tower has a large kitchenette, expansive living room, and a bedroom with king-size bed. The large bathroom features a walk in shower AND a soaking tub with a window where you can get a view of the city from your bubble bath. Saving the best for last, Alison is stoked for the stunning outdoor terrace, complete with a wings mural on the exposed brick, a wood-burning fire pit, dining area and lounge chairs! The host of this rental is a medical group called Orto Med Sport, and in addition to renting this top-floor suite, you have access to their hyperbaric chamber… so there’s that.
Alison is headed to what is largely considered the major draw of and the center of the city, Manufaktura. This shopping center (and then some) is located in beautiful brick buildings of a former 19th-century industrial estate that belonged to a textile magnate. Inside the complex are over 200 boutiques to browse through as well as restaurants, a cinema, pubs, hairdressers, theaters, a fitness center, a bowling alley, a laser game center, and an interactive museum of science and technology, even a hotel. Alison is going to spend most of her day amongst this center’s many offerings.
First stop is Polka, a restraunt famous for its traditional Polish flavors, and famous for its proprietor, a graduate of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid who “fights for the taste, quality and style of Polish restaurants”.
Within Manufaktura is the Vienna House Andel’s Łódź Hotel. On the top floor is a fitness club with VIP-level relaxation amenities known as the skySPAce Club. There you will find a glass-enclosed rooftop pool, a dry and herbal steam sauna, a sun terrace, relaxation rooms, cardio and strength training sports classes, a massage studio, a space for face and body beauty treatments and other wellness facilities. This is workout and wellness luxury at its best! To look the part, Alison searches for the “most expensive” in athletic wear, footwear, and swimwear. She buys yoga pants and a sports bra for just over $800 from Fendi’s sportswear collection, and spends a little over $800 on this Balmain belted one-piece swimsuit from Bergdorf Goodman. She was wanting to purchase the most expensive swimsuit in the world, until she realized it costs thirty million dollars.
To complete her look, Alison searched for the most expensive tennis shoe, and discovered that Drake dropped two million dollars on solid gold OVO x Air Jordan sneakers. Obviously her 10K budget can’t compete with that. So she looks for the least expensive most expensive shoe, and discovered this clever collaboration that set out to mock “collab culture”. These Nike x MSCHF Air Max 97 “Jesus Shoes” originally retailed for $1,425, but were bought up fast and now sell on line for around four grand! You can “walk on water” with the 60ml of holy water from the Jordan river injected into the sole. Also the shoes feature a crucifix attached to the laces. So, naturally, Alison got these for her luxury gym fit.
After her day of some reps and some R&R, Alison sticks to the Manufaktura family of businesses and stops by Galicja where she grabs a bite of pork schnitzel and Hungarian goulash.
Alison decides to take in a bit of history, and heads to the Łódź Ghetto and Cemetery. Over 160,000 people are buried in this Jewish cemetery which was established in 1892. Its charm lies in the beautiful stones covered with Hebrew sayings and symbols that are half hidden between trees or covered in moss. For a haunting look at life stood still, you can still visit the ghetto, and the former Radegast Station House which is now converted into a museum.
To close out her evening Alison goes to a Visual Concert at Atlas Arena - also called a Film and Epic Music Concert - where they screen visuals of some of the most beautiful destinations in the world, while a live orchestra plays “trailer music”-style scores. Talk about a memorable evening!
Lulu is headed to a very unique destination this week, the only English-speaking country in South America. Guyana is seen as more culturally Caribbean than South American, and is home to six ethnic groups – Indigenous, East Indian, African, Portuguese, European and Chinese. These groups live harmoniously and celebrate each other's culture as if it is their own! This vastly geographically diverse land is known for gold, diamonds, rum, and for being the home of RIhanna’s mom. It is also home to the widest and longest single-drop waterfall in the world… four times higher than Niagara Falls! Basically, there’s loads to see and experience here. Lulu chose the Guyana Marriott Hotel in Georgetown as her accommodation in the country’s capital.
Lulu gets a jump start to her day with breakfast at one of the best restaurants in Georgetown. We’re talking about local favorite Starbuds, where Lulu orders their “grand slam” (aka all the American style breakfast options possible) as well as some roti, bake and saltfish, and the Brazilian feast.
First excursion of the day is the 1763 Monument, also known as the Cuffy Monument, in the Square of the Revolution. Unveiled in 1976, it commemorates the Berbice Slave Rebellion of 1763, a major event in Guyana’s anti-colonial struggles. Cuffy was one of 4,250 enslaved people who revolted against the 350 white colonists of the area. Unfortunately the revolution was quashed when the Dutch settlers received aide from nearby European settlements, but just that act of bravery makes Cuffy a hero to the Guyanese people. The statue is fascinating, with many symbolic features: his pouting mouth is a sign of defiance; the face on his chest is a symbolic breastplate giving protection in battle; and the horned faces on his thighs represent revolutionaries from Guyanese history. In his hands he holds a pig and a dog, each being throttled, the pig representing ignorance, and the dog covetousness and greed.
After taking in a bit of the history of this locale, Lulu heads to Fireside Grill-N-Chill, touted as more expensive than most places in the area but with excellent service. There she finds a plethora of seafood dishes - we are on the coast of this South American country, after all - like whole grilled red snapper, creamy garlic prawns, and a seafood boil!
Lulu is going to brave the odds and take a sunset drive over the Demerara Harbour Bridge. At the time of its construction it was the longest floating bridge, it is now the fourth-longest. It was comissioned in 1978 and was only supposed to last about ten years. So, you know, any day now this thing could sink, so-to-speak… or at least in Lulu’s mind it could.
She decides to be prepared for this potentiality, like reaaalllyyy prepared. She is going to create her own personal coast guard with a pontoon boat and twelve life guards she hires through Stingray Swimming Services. Lulu has each of them outfitted in swim trunks with her face all over them via MyFaceSocks.com, and she got them nose coat colored sunscreen and lip balms to stay protected while in the sun. She’s such a considerate scaredy-cat. On board the pontoon is the $295 Hanro terry long hooded robe in case she falls in and needs to be rescued and warmed. We said prepared, didn’t we?
Lulu sees your dinner reservation and raises you a dinner experience. Lulu has booked the Georgetown 7 Curry tour, where you visit a natural area to collect lily pads, take a guided tour or spice factory and market, have an immersive visit to an authentic local puri shop, concluding with a curry cooking class with a professional chef where you prepare seven different curry dishes to enjoy. Lulu found this tour when searching on our favorite travel excursion resource, Viator.
She discovered that tour while using Viato'r’s new search function “Good for avoiding crowds”. Introverts travel, too, you know.
CHECK OUT THE CHARITIES WE FOUND IN THE CITIES WE VISITED:
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