Monday, 31 October 2016

Site Maintenance and Speed Optimizations

Lately, you have probably noticed that we have not posted much content on the website. Ever since we had an attack on the site a couple of months ago (where our site was down for a day), I have been planning on upgrading the server infrastructure in order for us to be able to handle much more traffic and potential attacks. So after I got back from New York, I decided to make all the necessary changes, since we are planning to post a lot of great content very soon and I wanted the site to be able to handle it all. As of today, most of the work is complete and we can now finally get back to work! If you have been browsing the website today, you have probably noticed drastic changes to the overall speed and responsiveness of the site. I am happy to report that we are now running the site on a pretty beefy setup that should be able to handle quite a bit of traffic going forward.

At this point, we need your help! If you notice any performance-related issues or see any errors / problems, please let us know as soon as possible in the comments section below, so that we can take a look at what’s going on. And if you are happy with what you see, please do let us know as well – your feedback is always appreciated!

We will be posting some interviews from the expo at Photo Plus New York and I will start working on a few overdue reviews. Quite a bit of gear will be in my hands very soon and I would like to get some older stuff out of the way to make room for the new and exciting.

More to come!

The post Site Maintenance and Speed Optimizations appeared first on Photography Life.



from Photography Life https://photographylife.com/site-maintenance-and-speed-optimizations

A Dreamy Trip to South Wales

Kate in Wales

Wales is a bit of a peculiar destination. It doesn’t have the fame or glory of England or Scotland, but it’s brimming with just as many treasures. So many people want to visit Wales — but they’re not sure where to begin. Why is that?

I think part of it is that Wales doesn’t have a signature attraction. Scotland has Edinburgh and the Highlands and Loch Ness. England has London and Stonehenge and Liverpool. Wales’s destinations tend to be lesser-known to the general traveling population.

And yet something about Wales captures people’s imagination, even if it’s just the idea of rolling hills and castles.

I recently went on a food-themed trip through South Wales and I feel like it would work for so many travelers! Here I’m going to break it down so you can get a better idea of what Wales has to offer.

Laugharne Castle

South Wales: Trip Guidelines

Stick to just the south if you have one week or less. If you have longer, feel free to venture to the north. I’ve been to parts of North Wales and particularly enjoyed Conwy, Llangollen, and climbing Mount Snowdon, but this post will concentrate on the south.

Driving is best. The joy of driving around Wales is seeing little villages that public transportation doesn’t cover — or covers minimally. You’ll get to see much more this way. And just like the rest of Britain, you drive on the left.

You may want to fly into Bristol, England, and rent a car from there. Cardiff does have an airport, but it’s tiny and doesn’t fly to many places. (Virtually every Cardiff local said the same thing to me: “Yes, it’s small, but at least we have KLM and can fly anywhere from Amsterdam!”) Bristol Airport is much bigger and it’s only about 50 minutes from Cardiff by car. Alternatively, if you’re spending time elsewhere in the UK, you could take a train to Cardiff and rent a car from there.

The Welsh language is everywhere — but everyone speaks English. As part of efforts to protect Welsh language and culture, the Welsh language was placed on equal footing with English in 1993. As a result, Welsh is taught in schools and all government signs are in both English and Welsh. Some Welsh are more comfortable speaking Welsh; others are more comfortable speaking English. That said, today everyone speaks English.

IT IS SO CHEAP RIGHT NOW. Post-Brexit, the British pound has fallen significantly in value. While this is a horrible situation for my British friends, as well as myself (some of my contracts pay me in British pounds), it’s good news for foreign visitors. The UK has not been this cheap to visit in decades — take advantage and go ASAP.

Haye-on-Wye

South Wales Bases: Where to Stay and Spend Your Time

When I do a road trip, I like to stay in a few different places for 2-3 nights at a time and do day trips from there, thus minimizing the amount of packing and unpacking I have to do each day. Wales, thankfully, is perfectly set up for this.

Here are three very different destinations that I think would make good bases for a South Wales trip:

Cardiff Waterfront

Cardiff

Wales’s capital is an ideal spot to start your journey. Cardiff is beautiful, conveniently connected by transportation, highly walkable, and feels like a small town while having the amenities of a larger city.

Cardiff CastleCardiff WaterfrontCardiff Market

My favorite experience, and one that I recommend to all Cardiff visitors, is a food tour with Loving Welsh Food. On the Cardiff Tasting tour I sampled everything from local cheeses to local beers, fresh cockles, and creatively flavored Welsh cakes hot off the griddle!

This tour, led by Sian Roberts (fun fact: Sian is the Welsh version of Jane), infuses food with history and culture, the way the best food tours do.

Even if you don’t do the tour, there are two places visited on the tour that I would recommend checking out: the revitalized waterfront at Cardiff Bay (a great place to take pictures), and Cardiff’s central market, home to dozens of terrific food vendors.

Haye-on-Wye

Hay-on-Wye

I had never heard of Hay-on-Wye before this trip, but I fell in love with it immediately, and I think you will, too. Why? It’s the used bookstore capital of the world! More than 30 shops are in this small town. You could spend days perusing the offerings (and I honestly think I could happily spend five days here).

Hay-on-WyeUsed Bookstore Hay-on-WyeHaye-on-Wye

Hay-on-Wye is home to the Hay Festival, a world-famous literary festival. Bill Clinton visited and called it “The Woodstock of the Mind.” Junot Díaz, one of my favorite authors, visited and described it as, “One of the finest, most thought-provoking literary gatherings I’ve ever attended.”

Beyond books, Hay-on-Wye has an antique map store (where I purchased a gorgeous antique map of northern Italy for my apartment) and several cafes, antique shops, ice cream shops, and restaurants. There’s also a castle, because it’s Wales.

Tenby

Tenby

I was shocked when I caught my first glimpse of Tenby — it looked like it belonged in Liguria, Italy, or maybe the French Riviera. Definitely not Wales!

The Pembrokeshire Coast is one of Wales’s greatest draws. There are excellent coastal walking paths and each town has its own flavor. Tenby makes a convenient base to visit. Just be prepared for less-than-perfect weather — in my brief visit I had both sunshine and downpours.

TenbyPembrokeshire CoastTenby

It’s also easy to explore the Pembrokeshire Coast with Tenby as a base. Also, I was shocked to learn that trains come here!

South Wales Side Trips

Once you’ve decided on where to base, fill in your days with little side trips. Most of these places could be visited in 1-2 hours; some of them could be used for a longer stay if you wanted to take it super-slow.

Penarth

Penarth

Penarth is a small seaside town so close to Cardiff that it’s practically part of the city. If you’re in Cardiff, take time to stop here in the evening and check out the pier. Not only is it perfect for sunset photos, but one of the best restaurants in Wales, Restaurant James Sommerin, is across the street. They have a Michelin star and I adored everything on the menu!

Tintern Abbey

Tintern

Tintern is a tiny town, but it’s home to Tintern Abbey — an incredible complex worth visiting. Tintern Abbey was founded in the 12th century and went into ruin by the 16th century, making it a beautiful place to explore and photograph. It’s also been immortalized in numerous poems.

Tintern is on the England border and it’s a short distance from Cardiff, on the way to Haye-on-Wye.

Laugharne Castle

Laugherne

Laugherne (pronounced “Larn” — gotta love those Welsh consonants!) has two claims to fame: it’s home to a castle (Laugherne Castle) and it’s the home of poet Dylan Thomas. In fact, you can stand in front of the castle and photograph it simultaneously with Thomas’s house and his writing shack in the background! (The house is white; the shack is a little black dot.)

Llandailo

Llandailo

Llandailo is a lovely little town with an oft-photographed row of pastel houses. It’s a nice place to have a quick wander, as there are several local shops worth perusing. I loved Heavenly Chocolate, a bakery and pastry shop.

Garlic in Wales

Abergavenny

Abergavenny is a small town home to a famous food festival in September — but I visited to attend a Welsh cooking class at The Culinary Cottage. Chef Penny Lewis has cooked for THE QUEEN (and it took her about 90 minutes to reveal that — if I had done that, I’d be telling strangers on the street!) and she led us in a group lesson making lamb meatball stroganoff, leeks with smoked salmon, and a meringue with blackberries, all served with Welsh wines.

This class was a lot of fun and I feel like I got to know the mystery that is Welsh cuisine a lot better!

Kate in Three Cocks

Three Cocks

I’m not sure what there is to do in Three Cocks, but seriously, that sign was made for selfies.

Jabajak Winery

Jabajak Vineyard

“If you’re going to drink Welsh wine, you’ll need three other men: one to hold his arms down, one to hold his legs down, and one to pour it down his throat.” Ha. But seriously, Wales has a wine scene and some of their wines are surprisingly good, especially the whites.

Jabajak Vineyard is a bit out of the way, but I enjoyed tasting their local blends. It’s also an exceedingly comfortable place to stay overnight — great rooms, great food, great wine! And the vineyards are lovely to wander (keep an eye out for the Shetland ponies).

Swansea Belly Rings

Swansea and the Mumbles

Swansea, Wales’s second-largest city, doesn’t get included in itineraries very often, and I don’t think it would appeal to a lot of travelers if you’re limited on time. It was heavily bombed during World War II and it’s not the prettiest city to look at. That said, I took a quick wander around the central market and I loved it — it was much more working class and local than everywhere else I’d been in Wales and I found it very interesting to explore.

Alternatively, head out to The Mumbles, a beach community just outside the city. The beaches are lovely and Catherine Zeta-Jones, a Swansea native, has a house here. They also have a famous pub crawl challenge where you get a beer in every bar along the boardwalk.

Fun fact: “mumbles” is Welsh slang for boobs. The town gets its name for a pair of rocks rising out of the water.

Happiness is a Warm Welsh Cake

What to Eat in Wales

My trip to South Wales was all about the culinary treasures! Here’s what you should keep an eye out for in Wales.

Welsh Cakes

Welsh Cakes

Welsh cakes are everywhere in Wales — you’ll eat a lot of them! They’re like a cross between a cookie and a scone, usually packed with currents for flavor. They’re great with tea.

I had a lot of Welsh cakes on my trip, but the absolute best ones were from Fabulous Welsh Cakes near Cardiff Bay. You can get them hot off the griddle! There is a world of difference between a fresh Welsh cake and a stale one.

Lamb Meatball Stroganoff

Lamb

Wales is the land of sheep and not surprisingly, lamb is on almost every menu. It’s tender and juicy in almost every form. (Just be sure to pace yourself, as lamb is intense; after a few days, I didn’t want to touch it again!)

Cockles Heart

Cockles

Cockles, or tiny clams, are one of the most popular kinds of seafood in Wales. It sounds like a funny name until you realize that coquilles is the word for scallops in French!

Also popular: laverbread, a seaweed puree popular in Wales. Pair it with some cockles on bread or a savory biscuit, pictured above.

Smoked salmon and leeks

Leeks

Leeks are the official vegetable of Wales! Try them however you can. I was never into leeks until I lived in the UK; I quickly became obsessed. Especially with creamed leeks — so bad for you, but so good in the moment. I now cook with leeks all the time at home.

Faggots in Cardiff

Faggots

Uh, yeah. I feel uncomfortable typing that, but that’s the actual name. If Scotland has haggis, Wales has faggots: a creative way to use up the leftover bits of meat. They are essentially pork meatballs made primarily from offal and served with gravy. Like haggis, faggots are delicious if you don’t think about exactly what you’re eating.

Kate and Welsh Cheese

Snowdonia Cheeses

I first discovered the Snowdonia Cheese Company in Chester in 2011 and immediately became a fan. I was delighted to reacquaint myself with these cheeses on this trip. The Black Bomber, their signature cheddar, is fabulous, but I love their crazy flavors too.

I also got the best news ever on this trip: THEY NOW HAVE THEM IN THE UNITED STATES! You can get them at some Whole Foods markets. I’ll be on the lookout in New York.

 

Tenby

The Magic of Wales

For me, the highlight of Wales was simply exploring the countryside, on foot or by car, and admiring the scenery, stopping for great food, and seeing all the little towns along the way. Wales is so beautiful, and I feel like it’s ripe for exploration — a little bit more off the beaten path than the popular tours of England and Scotland.

Come to Wales — and come hungry — and you’ll have a wonderful time.

David Hasselhoff in Cardiff

I Only Ask One Thing

I beg you, if you happen to be visiting Wales between December 10, 2016, and January 8, 2017, PLEASE GO TO CARDIFF AND SEE DAVID HASSELHOFF PLAY CAPTAIN HOOK AND THEN GET ON SKYPE AND TELL ME EVERY. SINGLE. DETAIL.

Essential Info: The Loving Welsh Food tour in Cardiff has a variety of options. I went on the Cardiff Tasting Tour, which costs £35 ($43 USD); see all the options here.

In Cardiff I stayed at the Park Plaza Cardiff, a luxury property I loved, set in an ideal location in the center of town. Rates from £89 ($108).

I also stayed at Jabajak Vinyard, which had beautiful rooms and wonderful food and wine. Rates start at £65 ($79) for singles and £110 ($134) for couples.

Admission to Tintern Abbey is £6 ($7) for adults.

Admission to Laugharne Castle is £4 ($5) for adults.

The Culinary Cottage offers cooking demonstrations starting at £55 ($67), cooking lessons starting at £65 ($79), and multi-day lessons with a boarding option as well.

On this trip my colleagues and I traveled with Mike Davies of Dragon Tours, who also drove us. Mike is a wonderful tour guide, he has his Ph.D in medieval history, and if you’re in the market for a private guide and driver, you will have a great time with him!

I visited Wales as a guest of Visit Britain. All opinions, as always, are my own.



from Adventurous Kate http://www.adventurouskate.com/a-dreamy-trip-to-south-wales/

10 Great Gay Hotspots Around the World

superman and batman kissing in street art in manchester england
I’ve added an LGBT column for the website to make the site more inclusive and talk about issues that affect some members of our community. In this column, we hear from voices in the LGBT community about their experiences on the road, safety tips, events, and overall advice for other LGBT travelers! Returning this month is our column leader, Adam from travelsofadam.com

The great thing about travel today is that more of the world is accessible and open — no matter your sexuality or gender identity. While there have been ups and downs in the political movement for LGBT equality, major cities still provide the safest and friendliest spots for LGBT individuals.

I’ve been traveling around the world since 2009 and have visited some of the world’s most popular LGBT-friendly destinations along the way. I’ve marched and danced in Gay Pride parades from Sydney to Stockholm and been to more queer music festivals than I ever even imagined existed.

As the Orlando Pulse shooting reminded us, the gay club is still an important place to find culture and community. And there are still cities that really strut their LGBT history and queer identity, so we need to hang on to them.

There are many more gay-friendly hotspots around the world, but these are 10 of my favorites because of their history of activism, the number of diverse LGBT events they host, and the fact that they’re just really cool cities. If you are a gay traveler looking for a city that has it all, check out one of these:

Berlin

a man painted in silver at a LGBT pride event in Berlin
Germany’s capital has a unique place in gay history. In the 1920s Weimar era, it was one of Europe’s most liberal cities — home to gaudy cabaret and the site of one of the first gay villages. Today, Berlin’s free-spirited attitude has propelled it to the top of many “best of” lists thanks to 24-hour nightlife, a burgeoning art and food scene, and a diverse, international population.

Historically, the gay center of Berlin was around Nollendorfplatz in Schöneberg, an area still popular for its fetish clubs and leather bars, not to mention the legendary Folsom Europe street party each September (and where you’ll also find a gay history museum). But in today’s Berlin, the new gay hotspots are found throughout the Kreuzberg and Neukölln neighborhoods in indie bars and clubs such as SchwuZ, SilverFuture, or The Club. Berlin’s legendary nightlife shines through queer parties that are increasingly not just for LGBT people — everything from the techno-fueled weekends at Berghain to KitKat Club’s bi-monthly Gegen party.

When to visit: Visit Berlin during the summer, when the city comes alive with countless festivals, open-air parties, and queer events. The annual Christopher Street Day parade (Gay Pride) is celebrated by hundreds of thousands of locals and tourists each June.

Manchester

a plaque dedicated to alan turing in manchester england
While London still holds an important place in the UK’s LGBT scene, Manchester plays host to a number of the biggest and best LGBT events in the country. Once the home to iconic gay hero Alan Turing, Manchester became internationally famous from the 1990s Queer as Folk TV series set in and around the city’s gay neighborhood, Canal Street.

Today, Canal Street is still filled with bars, clubs, and other gay-owned businesses — from the pretty and glitzy Richmond Tea Rooms to popular nightclubs like G-A-Y and Poptastic. Manchester’s Northern Quarter, with its trendy bars, underground rock clubs, and small indie art galleries, has also become a gay hotspot a little further removed from the twinky, tank top–filled Canal Street.

When to visit: Manchester Pride is the UK’s largest, taking place each September, but other queer events happen year-round, such as the trans-focused Sparkle Festival in July and the Queer Contact arts festival each winter.

Dallas

superman and batman kissing in street art in manchester england
Maybe it’s not the first LGBT-friendly place you think of in the United States, but Dallas, Texas, has become a hotspot in the past decade. The Oak Lawn neighborhood is the epicenter of LGBT culture there, with many gay bars and LGBT-owned businesses on Cedar Springs Road, as well as in the nearby Bishop Arts District. Legendary nightlife venues like Station 4 and the Round-Up Saloon attract big crowds each weekend with their drag shows, square dancing, and other special events. And for those looking for slightly more offbeat travel adventures, the nearby Wildcatter Ranch is a gay-friendly cowboy resort.

When to visit: Dallas Pride takes place each September, but the Oak Lawn neighborhood also comes alive, full of color and costumes, each Halloween for the annual Oak Lawn Halloween Block Party.

Los Angeles

a plaque for Christopher Street, where the first gay pride parade in Los Angeles started
With its seemingly endless warm weather, sunshine, and meticulously manicured population, Los Angeles has been one of the United States’ most gay-friendly cities for a long time. So much so that since 1969 there’s been an LGBT center in the city that now boasts it serves more LGBT individuals than any other organization in the world. You’ll also find the ONE Archives Foundation, tasked with recording LGBT history by preserving historical artifacts, publications, and testimonies. Culturally, Los Angeles is famous for being the global cinematic capital, but it also has world-class restaurants and museums, such as LACMA and the Getty Museum.

Then there’s the nightlife, including West Hollywood’s gay clubs and bars, such as crowd favorites The Abbey and Flaming Saddles. Outside of the “gay ghetto” of WeHo, Silver Lake is a popular gay hotspot. There, you’ll find The Black Cat, site of the first documented LGBT civil rights demonstration in the US and now a popular brunch hangout. For nightlife in Silver Lake, Akbar draws the bearded hipster crowd with its small dance parties.

When to visit: The LA Pride Music Festival and Parade takes place each June in West Hollywood, with hundreds of thousands of spectators, but if summertime is too hot, the biggest gay party of the year is the free Halloween Carnival, a street party on Santa Monica Boulevard.

Buenos Aires

superman and batman kissing in street art in manchester england
Argentina was the first South American country to legalize same-sex marriage and adoption rights, putting the country at the forefront of LGBT equality since 2010. The capital Buenos Aires has benefited, with a large and vibrant LGBT culture.

The areas of Recoleta, Palermo, and San Telmo are where you’ll find the largest concentration of gay bars and nightlife. Palermo, with trendy bars, cafés, shops, and restaurants in its Soho district, offers a lot of cool things to see and do — from the Latin pop and drag at Jolie Club (Fiesta Jolie) every Wednesday to the gay-friendly underground speakeasies (such as the new Victoria Brown Bar).

The gay community in Buenos Aires is relatively out and open, but the culture is more subdued than other over-the-top gay destinations. But still, you’ll find LGBT life fairly well integrated in society, with many tango bars and clubs even offering queer tango lessons and dance nights.

When to visit: Buenos Aires Pride takes place in November, at the beginning of the southern hemisphere’s summer season.

Bangkok

superman and batman kissing in street art in manchester england
A longtime favorite for LGBT tourists, Bangkok has a lot to offer, making it one of Asia’s most popular gay destinations. The fun and friendly gay scene is centered around the Silom neighborhood, specifically the streets known as Soi 2 and Soi 4. Bangkok’s best gay nightlife is at DJ Station every weekend, specifically the midnight drag shows each Friday. Telephone Pub on Soi 4 serves as an early evening hangout with drag shows and pub food, while G.O.D. (Guys on Display) draws the after-hour crowds when all the other gay bars close down for the night.

While Thailand hasn’t recognized many LGBT rights, many tourists will find the city surprisingly open-minded. And while you’ll find some seedy sex clubs throughout the city, Bangkok’s legendary shopping and culinary scenes make it equally interesting for travelers with more discerning tastes. Also: look out for gay events at Bangkok’s luxury hotels such as the Sofitel So, which runs regular gay parties on its rooftop bar and pool lounge.

When to visit: One of the biggest and best events in Bangkok is the annual Songkran water festival in April, with the largest circuit party, called gCircuit, takes place in Silom — with all the trappings of every other international circuit party (think: hunky shirtless guys and lots of electronic music raging day and night).

Dublin

superman and batman kissing in street art in manchester england
When Ireland passed same-sex marriage laws in mid-2015, the country became the first in the world to offer equal rights by popular vote. At the head of Dublin’s LGBT scene sits local icon and activist Panti Bliss, who has been at the forefront of Ireland’s LGBT movement and owns the popular club Panti Bar. Gay pub The George also plays host to Dublin’s best LGBT events, with regular drag and karaoke nights.

When to visit: Paying homage to Dublin’s important place in literary history, the city plays host to the annual International Gay Theatre Festival each May. The festival began in 2004 to mark the 150th anniversary of Oscar Wilde’s birth and has since become the world’s largest queer theatre festival. Wilde, one of Dublin’s most important literary figures, has a statue commemorating his life in Merrion Square Park (near his birthplace). The park is also where Dublin Pride takes place each June.

Stockholm

a rainbow flag at stockholm's gay pride event
Famous for cold winters, sunny summers, and trendsetting Swedes all year long, Stockholm has a strange mix of art, fashion, culture, and design — and one of Scandinavia’s best LGBT scenes. Sweden is also one of the most progressive countries in the world when it comes to LGBT and women’s rights.

The LGBT scene is spread throughout the city. From the underground indie club King Kong to the kitschy ABBA Museum, there’s something for everyone in the city. During the summer months, the Mälarpaviljongen restaurant (located on a set of floating docks) hosts a number of LGBT events, fundraisers, and parties.

When to visit: Stockholm Pride each August is the biggest gay event of the year, with big music acts, parties, and public seminars on everything from fetish training to human rights.

Toronto

rainbow macarons in toronto canada
Home to Canada’s largest LGBT community, Toronto has a vibrant and lively gay village. The intersecting streets of Church and Wellesley feature a number of gay-owned bars and businesses. The area comes alive each night with locals and visitors, most famously at Woody’s, one of the best clubs on Church Street.

But Toronto’s gay-friendliness extends elsewhere in the city, such as the West Queen West and Trinity Bellwoods neighborhoods. Take a walk down Ossington Avenue, College Street, or Queen Street West (bordering these neighborhoods) for a number of cool, queer-friendly businesses, from Toronto’s best macaroons at Nadege Patisserie to the monthly Yes Yes Y’all queer hip-hop and dancehall party.

When to visit: Too cold in the winter, Toronto is best in the summer when it’s sunny and full of color. Pride Toronto — one of the world’s largest Pride celebrations — attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors. Other popular events include the Inside Out LGBT film festival which takes place over two weeks at the beginning of each summer, showcasing more than 200 queer-themed films alongside artist talks, premieres, and industry panels.

Sydney

superman and batman kissing in street art in manchester england
While Australia is currently arguing over same-sex marriage equality, Sydney remains a beacon of gay-friendliness on the continent. With Sydney’s progressive attitudes, beautiful beaches, and an active arts scene, the city is as vibrant as ever.

The Darlinghurst neighborhood, just south of Hyde Park on Oxford Street, serves as the unofficial gay neighborhood. Palms on Oxford, with its pop hits, hosts some of the biggest parties each weekend and is a longtime favorite for locals and tourists. But the areas of Surrey Hills and Newtown further out from the city center, with their cool cafés, trendy bars, and small, indie basement clubs (like the Tokyo Sing-Song bar) are also accessible and mostly gay-friendly areas.

When to visit: Sydney’s annual Pride takes shape in the form of Mardi Gras (February/March). It’s one of the world’s largest Pride parades and features weeks of events and parties. It’s a colorful event, with crowds that fill the streets and parks of Sydney all day and night.

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Here’s the thing: just about any city in the world can be a “gay hotspot” — it’s always a matter of knowing where is safe and how to meet locals. Planning your visit around LGBT events — from film festivals and Pride parades to political activist seminars — is a pretty solid way to make any holiday that much more gay.

Adam Groffman is a former graphic designer living in Berlin, Germany. He’s a gay travel expert, writer, and blogger and publishes a series of LGBT-friendly Hipster City Guides from around the world on his gay travel blog, Travels of Adam. When he’s not out exploring the coolest bars and clubs, he’s usually enjoying the local arts and culture scene. Find more of his travel tips (and embarrassing stories) on Twitter @travelsofadam.

P.S.  Want to meet some cool travelers? The Nomadic Matt team is hosting a bunch of meet-ups around the U.S. over the next few months! You can find out how to join one of them (they are free) by clicking here! We’re even giving away prizes to attendees!

Photo credit: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

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from Nomadic Matt's Travel Site http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/world-best-gay-hotspots/