Fangtastic Vampire-Themed Trips & Foodie Vancouver

Hey there, Travellers,

For me, one of the best parts about coming home from an adventure is being reunited with my cats. I've been known to say, "Wouldn't it be nice if the cats were here too?" more than once or twice during a trip - even though I know they'd hate it.

But after reading about the recent incidences of cats going missing while transiting through Dubai International Airport, I'm reminded of just how risky and stressful travel can be for our furry companions. Our Travel Guide By Pets, For Pets gets into all the things we ought to consider before travelling with an animal, but I'd really like to hear from you too.

When is it worth taking our animal pals on a flight? And how do you prepare them - and yourself - for the smoothest journey possible? Share your tips in the comments, and our furry friends will be forever grateful.

Paw-some travels and safe landings,

While they might be most associated with goth clubs and glittering heartthrobs these days, the legend of the vampire actually goes back millennia. The ancient Mesopotamians were spinning yarns about bloodsucking undead over 5,000 years ago. The popular image of a vampire has evolved numerous times since, leaving bloody fingerprints (or fangprints) all over the world.

And with that chill autumn breeze in the air and a cold mist hanging low over every creepy moor and haunted castle, it feels like the right time to sink our teeth in!

So whether you’re hungry to walk through the world of your favorite vampire novel, drown yourself in gothic aesthetics, or dig into some real-life macabre history, here are four vamp-related destinations with plenty of bite.

Haunt a Romanian Castle (or two)

While Eastern Europe didn’t invent vampires, they definitely set the tone for our modern depiction. Bram Stoker heavily borrowed from the region’s folklore to write Dracula, and the connection has stuck ever since. 

This is most obvious in the link between Count Dracula and Vlad Dracula, better known by the cheery title Vlad the Impaler. You might know him from the legends about staking his defeated foes, drinking blood, and pulling tricks to convince enemies that his troops could turn into bats. Most of these tales are likely apocryphal, but they sure do make for satisfying vampire lore origin stories.

Today, several Romanian castles draw in vampire enthusiasts by playing up their connection to Vlad Dracula. Bran Castle is the best known and it certainly looks the part, perched up on the cliffside exactly as Stoker described:

Unfortunately, Bran Castle doesn’t have any real historical connection to either Stoker or Vlad, but it’s still a fun visit for vamp fans. The entire area is rife with touristy vampire-themed gift shops and tours, and the castle puts on quite the Halloween party every year.  

If you’re more interested in the actual history of Vlad Dracula, you’ll want to head to Poenari Castle instead, a few hours’ drive west through the Carpathians. This was the tyrant’s actual residence, but it’s a lot tricker to reach than Bran – not only is it more isolated and dilapidated, but it also requires you to climb up 1,000 steps. 

There are a few more spots around the area with Vlad-related claims of varying believability, but one thing’s for sure: Visit a Romanian town with any connection to the ruler, and you’ll find vampire vibes galore.

Wander New Orleans like Louis and Lestat

Now we’re heading across the Atlantic to meet some New World vamps! Novelist Anne Rice, creator of the Vampire Chronicles (and about a million other spooky tales), was a New Orleans local and set many of her most popular books in the city.

Seemingly every NOLA landmark makes an appearance in her work at some point, from Jackson Square to Café du Monde to the famous above-ground cemeteries. Even Louis and Lestat’s French Quarter home is based on a real townhouse on Royal Street, known as Gallier House.

^{Gallier House in 2008, by Infrogmation of New Orleans} 

Both adaptations of Interview with the Vampire were filmed on location in New Orleans too, so these landmarks aren’t just inspiration for the books, they’re also real-life pieces of vampire film history. If you’ve seen either version a few times, it’s easy to feel like you might turn a corner in the Quarter and bump right into the characters.

Diehard fans can also make a pilgrimage out to Rice’s mausoleum at Metairie Cemetery, which is frequently adorned with flowers, beads, and gothic offerings from admirers.

Beyond Anne Rice’s books, there’s plenty more vampire ambience in NOLA. Other undead highlights include the ever-popular Vampire Café (where you can devour blood bags, along with some Louisiana staples), the Vampyre Cabaret (a recurring vamp-themed burlesque show), and even a New Orleans Vampire Association, where self-identified vampires can meet with likeminded folks. That’s NOLA for you!

Observe anti-vampire burials in Poland

A few centuries ago, Polish villages kept having the same problem: A townsperson would pass away, but their limbs would stay limber. Their faces would stay flushed. Sometimes there’d even be traces of blood underneath their fingernails. If buried in the standard fashion, these unnatural bodies would rise from their graves, devour their own flesh, and then set about eating everyone in town. 

These creatures were called vjesci, and they’re Poland’s take on the vampire legend. So what’s a village to do if a newly deceased local turns out to be a vjesci? Well, you’ve got to bury them very, very carefully, lest they come right back. 

Vjesci-prevention methods have been discovered in graves around the country, with approaches including decapitation, burying the deceased face-down, covering them with heavy chains or stones, and yes, inserting a stake through the heart.

While anti-vampire burials like this have been found in several places, Poland definitely seems to have been WAY more into it than other countries.

Keep reading for more spooky spots...

A couple of weeks ago, I went to Vancouver for the International Travel Expo. Aside from meeting some of you lovely Jack’s members and discussing the merits of WestJet at great length, I also requested your tips for what to see, do and eat in the city. I’m not gonna lie, you all really came through with some fantastic suggestions!

The first thing that became glaringly obvious from your messages was that there is a lot of eating to do in Vancouver. So, while my inbox was brimming with suggestions for the best lookout points, garden wanders and all-round outdoorsy adventures, today we’re going to focus on your Vancouver foodie tips. 

If you’re not feeling peckish right now, you will be soon…

Coffee, Bakeries & Breakfast

As a coffee lover, the ubiquity of the humble (yet delicious) drip coffee in Vancouver was more than enough to convince me that B.C. knows how to start the morning right. After all, how better to judge a coffee shop by its most basic brew? Here’s where you should be having them:

Having recently moved from London to Vancouver, Jack’s Traveller Matt has been scoping out all the best spots in town since he landed. And if you won’t take his word on Purebread, it’s also Canadian Navigator Annya’s fave for tasty baked goods.

Two of my personal recommendations from my visit would be BAM BAM (shout out to their amazing donuts) and lovelarte, who really know how to make a coffee.

When it came to breakfast of the non-baked variety, I quickly learned that Vancouver means business. The best bit, in my opinion? A Canadian fry-up always seems to include potatoes - a wholly underrated breakfast food this side of the pond, in my opinion. 

During our wander around the West End on Thanksgiving morning, we found ourselves in a cute local diner called The Basic, where we secured a never-ending supply of drip coffee alongside an overflowing plate of food. Thanksgiving dinner was also on offer, but I decided that turkey at 11am didn’t feel quite right - apparently one 9am diner hadn’t felt so hampered by societal norms.

Unfortunately, I didn’t make it to Yolks this time, which came highly recommended by member Janet. In case you hadn’t grasped from the name, these folks are all about the eggs. But no matter which brekkie joint you pick in B.C., there are usually at least 6 kinds of eggs benedict to choose from, in my experience.

Asian Food

Back in the mid-19th century, there was an influx of immigration from China to B.C. driven by the Gold Rush and employment opportunities on the Canadian Pacific Railway. Since then, there have been several waves of migration back and forth, resulting in thriving old Chinatown districts, generations of Chinese Canadians, and some absolutely incredible food.

Chinese restaurants in particular are easy to stumble upon regardless of where you are in the city, but you won’t find it hard to get your hands on fantastic fresh sushi or fiery Korean wings either. Luckily for me, Jack’s member Arie had plenty of recommendations:

On our second evening in Vancouver, jet lag had me tired and confused. I wanted to take advantage of the amazing food available, but I couldn’t face the idea of staying out any longer than necessary. So, I stopped in by Aburi Market for some handmade sushi to take back to our apartment, and I couldn’t have been more blown away by the variety of dishes on offer.

Alongside the usual sushi rolls and gyoza, they also sold rice and noodle bowls with freshly prepared tofu or fish, fresh cuts of wagyu steak, chilled and frozen desserts, soy sauce varieties I’d never conceived of, and much more. And as a bonus, visiting towards the end of the day meant they had 20% off all their fresh food!

It also turned out to be the best take-home sushi I’ve ever eaten.

Other Eats

Vancouver truly is one of those places where there’s something for everyone. Your main problem will be choosing just one place to eat for each meal! To wrap up, I’ll share a few more of your faves:

I must admit, I left Vancouver rather well fed. That said, I barely touched the sides of what’s on offer. I always feel like I’ve done well visiting a city for the first time when I get a feel for its vibe, but leave with the sense that there’s still more to return for.

In all honesty, we were only just getting on the right time zone when we headed off to Vancouver Island. So, next time, I’ll be sure to build my itinerary around Vancouver’s tastiest food instead of work! 

Thanks so much to everyone who sent me tips - and if there's anywhere else you'd recommend for the best Vancouver grub, please share your intel in the comments :-)

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across the web this week.

• After cancelling all flights from 20 airports, Wizz Air has now offered voluntary redundancy to its UK pilots.
  
  
• Ever found yourself chasing that perfect light for your travel snaps? A meteorologist claims these are the world's best destinations to catch golden hour.
  
  
• Here's which airlines really make it worth the upgrade to premium economy.
  
  
• If you've ever felt like it's impossible to switch off from everyday life, this abandoned Canadian island may be the place to make it happen.
  
  
• And finally, as if there weren't already enough mindblowing landscapes to take in across the US National Park System, they've only gone and added another one! Chiricahua National Monument in Arizona is known for its otherworldly rock formations and 200+ bird species, and also happens to be a dark skies park. Guess we'll be adding it to that never-ending to-do list of US roadtrips...