Meditation 101 - Paula Faris on Mindfulness & Meditation

Read article : Meditation 101 - Paula Faris on Mindfulness & Meditation

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By Paula Faris

Aug 11, 2017

Ten years ago, I would never have considered meditating. But I wasn't a mom then.

The other day, my 3-year-old licked a popcorn kernel off the floor at Starbucks. And incredibly, that wasn't the moment that drove me to look for some inner peace. No, that came while I was alone in my car one afternoon. I'd pulled off to the side of the road, crying, because in the midst of shuttling my two oldest kids (ages 7 and 9) to this practice and that party, I'd snapped and said some things in anger that I wished I could take back. I wasn't who I wanted to be for my children.

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Like so many of my friends, I feel like I'm drowning. I'm a weekend anchor on Good Morning Americaand a cohost on The View, and while I love what I do, it only adds to the chaos of navigating life as a wife and mom. My schedule changes constantly. More than once, I've had to postpone vacations and parent-teacher meetings to hop on a plane to cover breaking news.

At home, I try to be fully present for my children, and as a Christian, I get peace from my faith. But none of that means I'm patient. While of course I'd heard of meditation, it used to make me picture people chanting, cross-legged, in a candlelit room. Then I met Dan Harris, my GMA coanchor and an ambassador for the practice. (He wrote the New York Times best seller 10% Happier.) The more I learned from him — about the scientific evidence behind meditation and how it can rewire your brain, making you calmer and more focused—the more I wanted to try it. Dan calls it "a bicep for your brain."

So, when Redbook challenged me to meditate for an entire month, I jumped at it. I'm the type of person who needs structure and deadlines — someone to hold me accountable. "I used to be you," said Suze Yalof Schwartz, founder of Unplug Meditation in Los Angeles and my designated coach for the challenge. "I wish I'd had meditation when my own three kids were littler," she told me, noting that I could see a difference in as little as two weeks. So off I went to find some calm.

Week 1

This week was about mindfulness, and yay, I already knew what that meant — to really reflect on the moment you're in, to soak in the experience. I had never done it, but I was sure it would be wonderful.

As Suze explained, you can practice mindfulness anywhere and at any time, even while brushing your teeth. To make it easier, she gave me two short daily meditations and access to her studio's Unplug Meditation app so I'd have teachers to guide me.

On the first morning, I cued up a video on the STOP practice. You simply stop what you're doing, take a few breaths, and observe (with your eyes open) for a few seconds before proceeding with your day. When the sound faded out, I couldn't believe the meditation was over already. It was so simple — for days after, I repeated it on my own whenever I needed a reset, like at a stoplight or on set at GMA. One evening, in the kitchen, I found it worked rather well with a glass of wine; I noticed the way it swirled, its color and consistency. (Yes, I drank it.)

With that kind of success, I moved on to a meditation the military calls "tactical breathing." You take a deep breath in through your nose, hold it, and breathe out again. It takes roughly 16 seconds, and the idea is that when you're focused on your breath, the stuff causing you stress can fall away.

The testing ground was dinnertime: The kids were fussy, first about what I was cooking and then about one another. At the table, I took a deep breath, held that tension, and breathed out. "Mommy, are you mad?" my daughter asked, all three of them quiet, eyes fixed on me. Not anymore, sweetheart. Not anymore.Later that night, I did it again to fend off a meltdown (mine) during the hostage negotiations known as bedtime.

It wasn't until the next morning, however, that I found my favorite meditation yet: the three-minute cure. While my toddler watched TV, I slipped into the next room and watched my own video. For the first minute, you focus on your breath. For the second, you imagine being in your happy place — for me, that's Lake Michigan, surrounded by family, wind in my hair. The final minute is for positive affirmations. (I repeated Scripture in my mind: I am fearfully and wonderfully made.) When I emerged, I was quite emotional — there's something cathartic about extending the same grace to yourself that you give to others.

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In the days that followed, I had some mishaps: I fell asleep meditating once, and had to skip it another night when I came down with food poisoning on a flight to Utah. As the meditations got longer, I had to fight my share of distractions, which can be frustrating. ("You'll never completely turn off your thoughts," Suze assured me.) All that said, after just one week, I felt calmer. I was starting to understand the hype.

Week 2

I was really eager to tackle this week's meditations — all designed to engage the senses — as soon as I learned that the first couple involved essential oils, which I'd been using for years.

On the first morning, I grabbed two of my favorites (peppermint and orange, which are supposed to help you feel energized), rubbed a few drops in my hands, and breathed them in before starting the three-minute cure. The oils were strong, but immediately I felt more alert, and my nasal passages seemed more open, allowing me to breathe deeper. At night, I did the same thing, but with lavender, to help prepare for sleep.

On Wednesday, I was supposed to try tapping, where you lightly drum different areas of your body with your fingertips while repeating positive affirmations out loud. It took about 30 seconds for me to realize it just wasn't for me. (It's a hard pass for my coanchor Dan too, apparently.) It's not exactly practical for someone who tends to meditate on public transit — and I found I preferred my meditations still and silent anywhere. I also did my own version of a sound bath, where you listen to music and feel the vibrations. Focusing on the rhythms and background instruments of some of my favorite Coldplay and Hillsong music was almost like being at a concert. Seriously— I felt transported.

These were interesting techniques, but I was struck by how I was able to keep using mindfulness in my everyday life. After a celebrity shoot in Miami, a cameraman came to me and said, "We have a problem — we don't have anything." Seemingly the camera had failed to roll on the interview. I noticed his face turning red as he checked the camera; he had to lean against something to steady himself. "You don't look well," I said. "I want you to do something with me for 16 seconds: Take a deep breath in and hold it, then blow it out." A few minutes later, he was calmer, and thankfully — because there's only so much that meditation can fix — we found the video for my segment too.

Illustration by Shout

Week 3

Guided imagery was on my schedule this week, and I was glad it came later in the month. It would have been a hard sell earlier, but now I understood that being able to take yourself to another place when you're under stress can be an incredibly valuable resource.

I started the week out by writing down the things that make me happy. I struggled at first — a painful reminder that, as moms, we often lose sight of ourselves. (What with the floor licking and all.) But after a while, it started to come back to me, and I realized that it's some of the simplest things that bring me the most joy: drinking coffee, watching my kids play sports, picking flowers, hearing my husband laugh. I realized that I just needed to be more present in those moments, to be more mindful.

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That insight proved invaluable as I moved into the new meditations, sitting for up to 20 minutes at a time as a teacher asked me to envision things like a movie theater where the best possible version of my life played out on the screen ("What would it look like?"). One day, I imagined being in a tropical paradise — hilariously, even as my train's conductor announced, "Next stop: New Rochelle." The longer the meditations became, the more my mind wandered. Did I turn off the sprinkler? Oh, man — I forgot to call my mom back! When am I going to shower today? Now, however, I just smiled through them and brought my focus back to the meditation. It was like I had been doing this forever.

Week 4

I was due to try transcendental, or mantra-based, meditation for my final week, and honestly, it seemed like the most out-there one yet. That said, I was willing to give it a go.

Suze put me at ease when she explained the practice this way: Man means think, and tra means instrument — so, a mantra is a mind instrument, a word or phrase you repeat silently that helps you stay focused. The videos I was following along with suggested mantras like "Ahh-hum," but since Suze's studio encourages people to BYOM (bring your own mantra), I modified them to things like "Amen" and "Be still." I sat, for fewer than 10 minutes at first, repeating the mantra in my mind with each breath, softer and softer until I could just sit in the silence. And while I finally reached my limit on the last day — the video was 45 minutes long, but I could only do 15 — I finished the week feeling empowered, knowing that I had made this practice my own.

I'm no longer setting reminders in my phone to meditate, because I don't have to. I meditate throughout the day, by pausing to reflect on a leaf outside my window, taking 16 seconds to quiet my thoughts while my kids swirl around me, or focusing on a mantra I desperately need before I lose my mind.

Meditation is one of the few things I do just for me, and it's emotional: I've explored places within myself that were neglected or repressed, like warm memories of my family, feelings of anxiety, the harsh way I judge myself. It's made me more present in every aspect of my life. One of Dan's teachers says life is like a game of whack-a-mole — you tackle one thing and another pops up — and while meditation won't change your circumstances, it can change how you react. Now I see that instead of frantically smashing moles, I can slow them down and focus on one thing at a time.

My kids have noticed: "You're not as cranky," my daughter offered one day, and my older son said I had been giving more kisses than usual. My being more present with them has been a gift for all of us. They like this me better — and so do I.

---

How do you meditate, anyway?

"There are more ways to meditate than there are to make an egg," says Suze Yalof Schwartz, founder of Unplug Meditation in Los Angeles. But they all boil down (ha!) to three things: You focus on a single point, like your breath or an aroma. Then you let it slip away so you can just be present — feel the air on your skin, listen to the noises around you. And then when your mind starts to wander, you bring it back to that single point and begin again. Seems simple enough, right?

What meditation can do for you

A lot, actually. Research suggests that meditation can help ease pain, anxiety, and depression. In one study, people who practiced it for a short time had fewer inflammatory markers in their blood — lowering their risk for stress-fueled illnesses like heart disease. Scans showed that meditation had improved communication within parts of the brain that maintain calm and focus. Still, the science is evolving, and it isn't clear yet how often or for how long you need to meditate to see the rewards. For now, "it's best to think of meditation as a skill — the more you develop it, the more likely you are to benefit from it," says Madhav Goyal, M.D., of Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Catch Paula on ABC's Good Morning America Weekend every Saturday and Sunday morning on ABC (check local listings).

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Word Wenches: Keeping it Clean

Read article : Word Wenches: Keeping it Clean

Joanna here, talking about Georgian and Regency bathtubs and the joys of getting clean. 
 
There is a general view that historical people were rather dirty, there being a dearth of historical folks getting up at six and grabbing a bar of soap and popping in to warble un bel dì vedremo in the shower.  I'm afraid we all feel rather smug about our acres of colored tile with the running hot and cold.

How clean were they?  The townsfolks as they merrily hung aristos from the lamposts, Ninon de l'Enclos, Voltaire, (Did you know Ninon left money in her will for the 9-year-old Voltaire to buy books?) Napoleon, Jane Austen, the kitchenmaid grinding coffee in the morning? How clean were they?

This is a case where the written historical record tends to desert us, somewhat, as folks do not record in their diary, "I got up and Mary-the-perky-maid brought me six liters of water and I washed my face, hands, underarms and, last off, various parts south of the waistband." any more than we text to our BFFs to say we've had a morning shower.

So we end up making some 'best guesses' about this whole business.

You had your everyday getting clean.  You had your getting wet for recreational purposes. And you had your washing the body to treat diseases.

This last one gets written about a lot in a 'I went to the baths to see if I could get rid of this nasty skin condition' or 'the physician prescribed a course of cold baths with sulfur powder in them and I feel much better now that I have stopped' sorta way.  Marat, you will recall, was in exactly such a medicinal bath when Charlotte Corday brought it, and him, to an abrupt end with a knife.

Medicinal Baths and Thermal Spas.  The mineral baths at Bath and other spa towns provided an immersion intended to improve the health, not so much wash the body, though it did that too.  Some places there were separate baths for men and women.  Some places, everybody bathed together.
They went into the water dressed. Wearing their periwigs and bonnets.  I should think the fumes did neither periwigs nor bonnets much good, frankly.

Up at four o’clock, being by appointment called up to the Cross Bath . . .  very fine ladies; and the manner pretty enough, only methinks it cannot be clean to go so many bodies together in the same water. Good conversation among them that are acquainted here, and stay together. Strange to see how hot the water is; and in some places, though this is the most temperate bath, the springs so hot as the feet not able to endure. . . . Carried away, wrapped in a sheet, and in a chair, home; and there one after another thus carried, I staying above two hours in the water, home to bed, sweating for an hour.
         Pepys' Diary

Let us leave the whole subject of medicinal baths very quickly, as it is generally unpleasant, even if you're not getting stabbed.

Though I should point out that folks still do this medicinal bath bit, in the way of putting baking soda in a bath for some poor sufferer from poison ivy, and modern herb baths hold anything from lavender to chamomile and thyme.  The 'it's good for you' bath is not going to disappear anytime soon.

Out in the Fresh Air.  The opposite of taking a bath because it was good for you was getting wet just for the fun of it.  Any warm day would probably see the local youths sporting in the local river.  There are a good many references to folks doing exactly this -- including a Paris ordinance forbidding nude bathing in the Seine, but only near the bridges -- to avoid the scandalizing the public.

Pepys, in his diary, notes the sad death of a young boy bathing in the Thames.
and at Somerset-stairs do understand that a boy is newly drowned, washing himself there, and they cannot find his body.

Or this Englishman travelling in America.
Early the next morning, my kind, attentive host entered into my bedroom and inquired if I should like to take a bath. I replied in the affirmative, and immediately rising, was conducted to one in an adjoining field which is filled by a small brook and is therefore always fresh.
          A summary view of America, Isaac Candler  1824

Period pictures are not an entirely reliable guide to actual practice.  Showing folks bathing in pools and rivers is a great excuse to paint nekkid people, after all.  But from an extensive personal survey,it looks like bathing -- where folks actually got wet all over as opposed to wading in the water -- tended to be young people and they were segregated into women and men.  

Bathing in the sea, for fun and medical benefit, became fashionable in the Eighteenth Century, with 'bathing machines' on offer from mid century. 

The fourth is its fondness for bathing-machines,
Which it constantly carries about,
And believes that they add to the beauty of scenes-
A sentiment open to doubt.
          Lewis Carroll

Bathing machines were high-wheeled wagons, with a canvas or wood structure on top, towed from the shore into the sea. 

Image to yourself a small, snug, wooden chamber, fixed upon a wheel-carriage, having a door at each  end, and on each side a little window above, a bench below – The bather, ascending into this apartment by wooden steps, shuts himself in, and begins to undress, while the attendant yokes a horse to the end next the sea, and draws thecarriage forwards, till the surface of the water is on a level with the floor of the dressing-room, then he  moves and fixes the horse to the other end – The person within being stripped, opens the door to the sea-ward, where he finds the guide ready, and plunges headlong into the water – After having bathed, he re-ascends into the apartment, by the steps which had been shifted for that purpose, and puts on his clothes at his leisure, while the carriage is drawn back again upon the dry land; so that he has nothing further to do, but to open the door, and come down as he went up.
                                   Tobias Smollett  1771

Men plunged into the waves starkers.  Small children, of course, went into the water naked, as they do in European countries today.  Women wore a long flannel shift, sometimes with lead weights sewn into the hem to keep the skirts from floating up.

In all this bathing, women took to one end of the beach and men the other, so modesty was maintained, in any case.  Hefty and agile attendants supervised so folks didn't drown, a real possibility when wrapped in several yards of soaking flannel, I should imagine.  

But how did people wash? I hear you asking.  How did they keep clean?

Public Baths.  In France, the custom of public bath houses, cheap, respectable and widely available, never died out.  This was an amazement and joy to travelling Englishmen and women who have left us detailed records of the process since this was something they did not have at home. 

Paris baths had private rooms with hot and cold running water, big tubs, fireplaces, nicely heated robes and towels, waitresses offering coffee and drinks, and a selection of bath oils and bath herbs.  There were also bathin g pools for both men and women and, in one bath on the Seine, swimming lessons for both.
I'm surprised English folks every went home again.

Meanwhile . . . at home. In England, in this period, folks did their actual getting clean by sponging off with a pitcher of water and a little basin on their dresser, or by immersing themselves in a tub not too different from a modern bath tub, or by standing in a smallish tub on the floor and washing with a pitcher of water.

The habit of washing the body and the introduction of wash basins and portable bath tubs began to spread among wealthy households in the late 18th century.
     The Family, Sex & Marriage in England 1500-1800 Laurence Stone

You had yer bath tubs.

I think and feel that, after a day's bard riding, there is no luxury comparable with a 'warm bath—it is so grateful and refreshing, and disputes the title of "tired nature's sweet restorer" with sleep
The Inspector, literary magazine and review, Volume 2

These were not necessarily in a 'bathroom'. 

The idea of having a room devoted to washing in a tub goes right back to the Seventeenth Century.  Pepys mentions such a bath in a private home.

Thence with Mr. Povy home to dinner; where extraordinary cheer. And after dinner up and down to see his house. . . .  his grotto and vault, with his bottles of wine, and a well therein to keep them cool; his furniture of all sorts; his bath at the top of his house, good pictures, and his manner of eating and drinking; do surpass all that ever I did see of one man in all my life.

But this would have been rare.  Rooms devoted to bathing were for palaces and the grandest mansions.

Moveable tub baths were more common.
What folks of middling means did when they wanted to take a bath was fire up the hearth in their bedroom, pull a screen round to close off the drafts, and send for a tub. 

And water.  They had 'running water' of a sort.  They sent a footman to run and get it.  It came up in biggish cans, generally one hot and one cold.  A housemaid might linger nearby and keep a kettle on the fire and add more hot water from time to time as the bath cooled.
This process was what you might call, labor intensive.  Water and bath hauling was done by footmen.

Warning:  Author anecdote time.  My father grew up in a house with exactly this kind of 'running water'.  His job was to go to the well and carry in all the water used for cooking, cleaning, bathing and washing for a household of ten people.  It will come as no surprise that he ran away to sea.

How common were these tub baths?

Every house of every nobleman or gentleman, in every nation under the sun, excepting Britain, possesses one of these genial friends to cleanliness and comfort (bath tubs).
           The Mirror of Graces (1811) 

So the British may have been well behind their continental counterparts in the matter of home bath tubs, just as they were in matter of public baths.

And when there was a tub in the house, it's worth noting that its use involved a whole production.  Boiling water, carting it upstairs, and then carting it down again after use.  I wonder how many of the ordinary gentry folk would have seen this as a daily necessity when you could get just as clean with . . .

Basin and Pitcher.  This was the standard wash equipment all through the period.  

Washing with a pitcher of water would be part of the morning routine, or undertaken again after a long day of work or play.  This was what you'd expect to find waiting for you in a decent inn.  This was the normal way folks got clean. 

Pitchers held about the largest amount of water one person could easily manage to pour.  Call it one to two gallons.  (Four to eight liters.)  You wet a towel or flannel and washed yourself, using the basin to catch the used water. Or you might pour the water in and splash it on yourself. 

The towels, by the way, weren't the fluffy terry cloth we think of today when we say towel.  That's mid-nineteenth century fabric.  Our Georgian and Regency folks used woven linen to dry off. 

The soap would most likely have been spherical, about the size to fit in the palm of the hand, because that's how it would have been form -- piece by piece between the palms of the hand.  Your character might have called this a 'wash ball'.  

It would be kept in a soap ball holder on the washstand. After the 1790's the soap might have been 'Pear's Soap', which was transparent and flower scented. And . . . There might be sponges. 

Your basin and pitcher might sit on a sideboard or a dresser, or you might have a fancy, purpose-built washstand in the corner.  It was typically a maid who brought the pitcher of hot water up to you. The amount of water was limited by the amount you could lift and pour yourself.  That meant a maid could easily carry it. 

How clean did you get, washing this way? 

I don't see any reason to believe you couldn't keep yourself just as clean as bathing in a tub.  Even today, this is 'how it's done' for most of the world's population. 

Whether our Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century folks felt the need to wash as often as we do today or righteously refrained from washing on the grounds that it 'opened the pores' and let sickness in . . . I don't think anybody will really know.

It's not a British reference, but:

Having completed it, [my work]  I went to the stream to wash myself thoroughly, and then to the sailor's chest to change my coat, that I might make a decent appearance at breakfast, and give my sons an example of that cleanliness which their mother was at all times eager to inculcate.
                   Swiss Family Robinson 1812

And Beau Brummel advocated frequent washing. 
On the other hand, he felt he had to advocate frequent washing.

Rub a dub dub.  A couple final questions remain in my mind.

Why the devil did women sometimes wear their shifts in the bathtub?  And what is with putting a sheet along the bottom of the tub?

I have cogitated upon this from time to time when I am not concerned with other great issues of the day like, 'Why does the car always break down when I have to be somewhere in twenty minutes?' and 'Why are taxes so complicated?' and 'Why would anyone name his kid Cedric? Isn't it obvious he's going to be a supporting character and come to a sticky end in a graveyard?'

I won't call this the final word on sheets in bathtubs . . . But this is what I think:
There is cloth on the bottom of the tub because these tubs were either (a) wood and full of splinters or (b) metal and cold.

  So why are women wearing a shift in the water?

I think bathing in a tub was seen not so much as washing to get clean, as it was an enjoyable interlude. 

Think of modern habit of spending an hour reading in the bathtub.  If it took a couple man-hours to prepare and clear out that tub, it seems to me you wouldn't put your household to that much trouble and then not take full advantage of it. 

Washing with a basin and pitcher was solitary, but tub bathing, by its nature, was a group effort.  It seems to have been something of a social occasion for some folks.

Marie Antoinette wrote:  I dictate from my bath, into which I have just thrown myself, to support, at least, my physical strength. I can say nothing of the state of my mind;"

If Marat had not been of the opinion that receiving visitors in the bathtub was an unexceptional practice he might have lived a while longer.

So maybe -- a shift was worn for modesty when the bedroom was apt to be crisscrossed by servants running errands and you planned to be in the tub a while? 

washstand from the Victoria and Albert. Ewer and basin, soap ball, and the Degas statue of Woman Washing Her Leg are from the Metropolitan Museum. 

What do you think?  Were they clean and sweet in Regency times, or deplorably . . . uncleanly. 
(Not Mr. Darcy.  Say it ain't so.)

How a "48 Hours" producer got an interview with Bruce Beresford-Redman in a Mexican prison

Read article : How a "48 Hours" producer got an interview with Bruce Beresford-Redman in a Mexican prison

Bruce Beresford-Redman in his Cancun, Mexico, prison cell spoke to "48 Hours Mystery" in his first and only TV interview

CBS News/48 Hours Mystery

(CBS) - The line was long - the odds were much, much longer.

It was seven in the morning and already baking hot when my colleague, Ana Real, and I arrived at the Mexican prison where American television producer Bruce Beresford-Redman is being held. Beresford-Redman is accused of smothering his wife, Monica, and dumping her body in a sewer during a family vacation in Cancun in 2010.

Watch a preview of Saturday's 48 Hours Mystery "Fatal Episode: The Producer's Story"
Video: Bruce Beresford-Redman on speaking out
Video: Bruce Beresford-Redman on losing hope

It was visiting day at the prison as we took our place on line with families burdened by bundles of food, crying children and the sadness of separation.

For us, the burden was lighter, but still significant. We wanted to get an interview with the reality TV producer caught in a real life nightmare, an accused murderer who'd never spoken before - and now was locked away in a place where getting a camera crew inside seemed logistically impossible.

"48 Hours" and CBS correspondent Troy Roberts have been working this story since it first broke almost two years ago. When Bruce Beresford-Redman was suddenly extradited from California, Ana Real and our veteran CBS colleague Avi Cohen happened to be on a fact-finding mission to Cancun -- timing is everything.

Our team began meeting with lawyers, prison officials, even the army general in charge of regional prison security. In the chaotic courtroom where he sat confined in a cage during six days of pretrial proceedings that made "Midnight Express" seem like "Midnight in Paris," Ana and Avi even approached a reluctant Beresford-Redman himself.

As the week went along, Beresford-Redman seemed ever more willing to speak with us. In fact on the last day of the pretrial hearing, he actually requested a visit from Ana. Originally from Nicaragua, Ana has a calm but forceful power with the guards. They placed Ana on Beresford-Redman's visiting list and agreed informally, to put me on the list as well.

Once we were safely inside prison walls -- as safely as a pair of news producers from America can be inside a Mexican prison -- we skirted the chaotic yard, full of thumping disco music and cigarette smoke. We found Beresford-Redman in his cell. Through two sets of bars, it's open to the elements -- heat, dust, rain, roaches and mosquitoes. There are bare wires in the ceiling, but no electricity. Water dribbles from a tap in a concrete trough at the back of the cell. Next to a filthy shower pipe and a clogged toilet there is human excrement smeared in a mural on the wall - a gift, he says, from the last occupant. He lacks a reliable supply of even the most basic provisions - clean drinking water, bug repellant, aspirin. Meals consist of mostly of bean gruel delivered in a plastic laundry hamper which is dragged down the hallway three times a day and ladled into a bowl. Bruce is only allowed to leave his 6 x 12 cell if there is a visitor or a court appearance. He spends 24 hours a day, seven days a week in this cramped cell he shares with another English speaking prisoner. This space may well be where he spends the rest of his life.

Given that horrifying reality, the reality TV producer from L.A. seemed in remarkably good spirits. He was especially pleased to be let out of his cell for the first part of our visit. Having not received a single visitor other than his lawyers, he was eager to talk about all manner of things - and talk we did - for more than four hours.

I've been in the news business for almost 20 years and have often found persuading people to give interviews a distasteful part of the job. Since it frequently hinges on your ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes and see the world through his or her eyes, it can be really difficult, too.

As our conversation entered its fourth hour, I realized Beresford-Redman was actually eager to get his story out -- and afraid he wouldn't have another chance. I had a cell phone in my pocket and knew that while it would have been nice to have a fully rigged television camera to do a formal sit down interview, in this new media age the phone was all I really needed. A cell phone interview would be enough to bring this powerful story to millions of viewers in the United States. It would be as raw -- and real -- as the nightmarish prison itself. All we needed was a quiet spot to talk.

And that's how I wound up wedged into the bathroom -- Beresford-Redman standing up against the shower wall in the back of his cell -- with my cell phone, interviewing him for close to 40 minutes for a national network television.

Contributed by "48 Hours Mystery" producer Josh Yager

© 2012 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Viking's Myanmar Explorer - Day 7

Read article : Viking's Myanmar Explorer - Day 7

Embarking Viking Mandalay

Hello, Viking Mandalay! Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

ooday is an exciting day. For the first time since our Myanmar Explorerriver cruise tour with Viking River Cruises began in Bangkok, Thailand almost one week ago, we’re embarking our river cruise ship. In fact, we’ll join Viking Mandalayin its namesake port of Mandalay, Myanmar.

But first, we have to get there.

Our first stop after arrival in Mandalay: the gorgeous Mahamuni Paya. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

The one thing I’ve realized after spending nearly a week in Myanmar is that traffic here works on its own set of rules. I’m sure they have traffic laws, but enforcement must be sparse at best. Cars and trucks drive remarkably slowly due to the uneven pavement and the proliferation of cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians that clog major thoroughfares. This means that getting from Point A to Point Be can be a time-consuming activity.

Such was the case today. We checked out of the Areum Inle Lake Resortand boarded our coach at 9:45 a.m. in order to be back at Heho Airport for our flight to Mandalay at 12:55 p.m. Impressively, we’d need every bit of that time in order to make our flight.

elaborate gold leaf patterns. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders" width="864" height="576" />

The pagoda is decorated in elaborate gold leaf patterns. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

The drive back to Heho took about two hours, with a 15 minute stop to collect our boxed lunches that we’d enjoy at the airport. At 30 minutes in duration, our flight isn’t long enough to have meal service, and there’s no time to stop along the way.

Heho Airport is a real experience. I wouldn’t call the airport filthy, but I wouldn’t call it clean, either. The toilet facilities are pretty grim by Western standards, and men can expect “the hole in the ground,” while women are treated to proper toilets.

Men are allowed to directly pay respects to Buddha … Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

… while women must do so outside. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

Once again, we boarded an ATR-72 600 operated by Mann Yadanarpon Airlines. This time, seating wasn’t assigned, so you just took an empty seat as you boarded. Fortunately, this isn’t North America, so it’s not the free-for-all you might expect. Instead, boarding – which took place from the tarmac – was an orderly experience.

If Rudyard Kiplingromanticised Mandalay with his famous poem, the reality today is somewhat different. In fact, Mandalay is not at all what I expected; I expected a Yangon-style metropolis. My Rough Guide to Myanmarstates that Mandalay is “a faceless grid of congested streets,” and I’d say that’s accurate. It’s a city, to be sure, but a city that’s not quite ancient and not quite modern. Most buildings are a single story tall, or perhaps two, and have a ramshackle quality to them.

Full Moon Festival were well underway. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders" width="864" height="576" />

At the Paya, celebrations for the Full Moon Festival were well underway. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

Still, the appeal of Mandalay can be found in the numerous historic sites that are interspersed within the city. There are dozens of Pagodas and ceremonial stupas, plenty of Buddhist temples, and other relevant historic sites.

On our drive out to Amarapura, near where Viking Mandalayis berthed, we stopped at the fascinating Mahamuni Paya.

As if to illustrate how many pagodas and places of worship there are in Myanmar, Mahamuni doesn’t even appear in my guidebook. According to local legend, only five likenesses of Buddha were ever made during his lifetime. Two were in India, two were in “paradise,” and the fifth and final image is in Mahamuni here in Mandalay.

includes weaving silk, which must be given as an offering to Buddha before the next sunrise. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders" width="683" height="1024" />

This includes weaving silk, which must be given as an offering to Buddha before the next sunrise. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

The entire complex was built in 1785, but a fire in 1884 nearly destroyed the entire complex, save for the image of Buddha. In 1996, the military government of Myanmar undertook extensive repairs and renovations to the complex, and today it is a major site of worship for locals and a source of curiosity for tourists.

Once again, it’s shoes-off-socks-off for our visit. I’m surprised at how much I am railing against this. I hate having dirty feet, and a few minutes of walking around barefoot here in Myanmar is enough to turn the soles of your feet jet black. We’re given moistened towelettes to clean our feet, but I suppose it’s something that, as a Westerner, I’m just not used to. I think some people embrace it, but I haven’t enjoyed it yet. Still – it is important to respect the local customs, and I always walk barefoot through the temple complexes, even if I despise it.

embarking Viking Mandalay. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders" width="683" height="1024" />

At long last: embarking Viking Mandalay. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

What’s also interesting is the segregation between men and women. Men are allowed to go right up to Buddha to pay respects, but women must sit outside the room Buddha is contained within and pray there. They can watch the men via closed-circuit televisions that are placed above their heads, but cannot directly see Buddha.

There’s also a bizarrely tacky quality to some of this, as bright LED lights and coloured Christmas lights adorn aspects of the temples. I saw this in Indonesia as well, and it baffles me – the fascination with blinking red, blue and green lights that strobe madly, as if to proclaim Buddha as the God of Shabby Lighting.

Pandaw River Explorations and operated on long-term charter to Viking. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders" width="864" height="576" />

Viking Mandalay is actually the Indochina Pandaw, owned by Pandaw River Explorations and operated on long-term charter to Viking. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

Of course, part of this is due to the upcoming Full Moon Festival tomorrow. Tazaungdaingis held on the Full Moon in November to celebrate the end of the rainy season, and offerings are made to Buddha in many forms. At this pagoda, women are working furiously to weave silk robes for Buddha; these must be finished by sunrise this morning, and the women will work through the night to ensure it gets done.

By the sides of the road to Amarapura, women and children gather in long lines, waiting to stop vehicles to extract payment from drivers as offerings to Buddha. Drivers stop and hand over money. Incredibly, this money will actually make it to the Paya complex!. In Burma, great emphasis is placed on doing good deeds in this life, and offerings to Buddha are pretty high up there. In our “me-me-me” societies in the West, I think we could learn from that.

The Key To Room 307. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

Tonight, we arrived at the beautiful Viking Mandalay just before sunset. It’s a gorgeous ship, fashioned after the classic steamers that used to ply the Irrawaddy River at the turn of the last century.

Unlike its European-based Viking Longships, Viking does not own Viking Mandalay. In fact, it’s real name isn’t Viking Mandalay at all; it’s Indochina Pandaw, a vessel built in 2009 in Vietnam and owned and operated by Pandaw River Explorations, a longtime player in the Southeast Asian river cruise market.

Welcome Home! Stateroom 307, in its standard configuration. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

Legally, Viking can’t own and operate a vessel here without establishing a permanent presence in Myanmar – something that is complicated, if not impossible, under the current government regime. So like every other river cruise operator, Viking relies on long-term lease agreements from established river cruise lines to offer river journeys in Myanmar.

So if you’re expecting the Viking Longships here, don’t – you won’t see a single Longship. What you will get, however, is the same wonderful Viking standard of service you’ve come to expect, along with all the normal Viking amenities.

It may not be a Viking-owned ship, but Viking Mandalay has all the expected Viking swag … Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

… like the Viking Daily … Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

… and L’Occitane toiletries! Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

Viking Mandalay – or Indochina Pandaw– is 170 feet long, with a beam (width) of 33 feet across the deck. The draft – the amount of the hull underneath the waterline – is just three feet; something that is needed to clear the often shallow sand banks that shift and change along the Irrawaddy.

She has a total of 38 staterooms, all of which are the same basic size and shape – with a few notable exceptions. 10 staterooms are located all the way forward on Main Deck, while 18 staterooms run from bow to stern on Upper Deck.

Staterooms are all essentially the same size, and are constructed from beautifully-polished wood. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

My stateroom – 307 – is a cozy affair on the forward, port-side portion of Upper Deck. Done completely in wood (real wood, no less!), it measures approximately 168 square feet. But don’t let its compact size distract you from how inviting it is. The entire ship oozes Gemütlichkeit – my favorite German word for which there is no direct English translation other than to say, “a feeling of coziness.”

Beds are typically positioned in the twin configuration, with one on either side of the room. These can be pushed together to make a queen-sized bed, though you will lose a little room space in the process. Travelling solo, I don’t feel any compulsion to push them together; in fact, I rather like the old berth-style aspect of the stateroom; a classic throwback to travel on the Irrawaddy in the days of Kipling and George Orwell.

A small desk is big enough for a laptop computer and several books, and the foot of the bed has some storage space for luggage. Note that there is no under-bed storage on Viking Mandalay. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

Inside the stateroom, more wonderful surprises: two North American-style electrical outlets positioned near the beds, and one multi-voltage electrical outlet positioned above the desk that can accept North American, European and UK-type connections without the need for an adapter (though you’ll need a converter if you don’t have one on your device). This outlet has a switch that can be turned on or off.

Light switches and two of three power outlets in the room. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

There are three sets of lighting in each stateroom, all of which can be turned on with a series of brass, toggle-style switches that make a pleasant thunk!-sound when clicked into position. These lights turn on brass, nautical-style lamps mounted on the ceiling and wall, while brighter halogen-style lamps are situated over each bed. Two brass reading lights are also mounted on the bulkhead walls of the room, and are perfect for reading in bed.

The bathroom is compact but functional. An exhaust fan is available in the bathroom, but keep it turned off: It’s so powerful that it will suck the cold air out of your bedroom that is produced by the air conditioning unit.

The bathroom: compact but functional. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

Tap water in the bathroom isn’t potable, so Viking has provided bottled water for drinking and brushing your teeth. Should you run out, there’s an entire cabinet full of replacement bottled water under your sink.

The toilet is an older-style flush toilet and not a modern, shipboard vacu-flow toilet you might be used to. It works, and it is functional.

Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

The shower is a floodlit-affair that has clearly been refitted to Viking specifications, as the gleaming white tilework and American Standard showerhead look brand-new. But the colour temperature of the lights above the shower is significantly different from the off-orange lighting in the rest of the bathroom, which gives the shower an oddly illuminated look.

The only thing I’m not a fan of in my stateroom is the oddly-illuminated shower. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

Still, you’ll be pleased to find the same French-milled L’Occitanetoiletries that are found on the Viking Longships, along with the same stationery and pen, the same design and paper stock for the Viking Dailyprogram, and the same thoughtful Viking touches throughout. Have a paperback with you? Leave it on the desk and a Viking River Cruises bookmark will magically appear inside.

colonial appearance takes on a new hue. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders" width="864" height="576" />

Out on deck, Viking Mandalay’s gorgeous, colonial appearance takes on a new hue. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

Hotel Manager Dominik … Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

… and our Captain and crew welcome us onboard! Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

Also, as a point of reference, the air conditioning unit is more than powerful enough to keep your stateroom at a soothing temperature, even during the heat of the day. This wasn’t the case for me when I sailed the Mekong on a competitor of Viking’s a few years ago; I continually found that room to be far hotter and more humid than I had wanted.

Of course, we’ll write more about the ship in the coming days. After all – we’ve got a week onboard to continue to enjoy everything that Viking and Myanmar have to offer!

Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders

Viking Mandalay - Myanmar Explorer

DAY	PORT
Day 1	Bangkok, Thailand
Day 2	Bangkok, Thailand
Day 3	Yangon, Myanmar
Day 4	Yangon, Myanmar and Shwedagon Pagoda
Day 5	Inle Lake, Myanmar
Day 6	Inle Lake, Myanmar
Day 7	Mandalay, Myanmar; Embark Viking Mandalay
Day 8	Mandalay, Myanmar & the U Bein Bridge
Day 9	Ohn Ne Choung, Myanmar
Day 10	Bagan, Myanmar
Day 11	Salay, Myanmar
Day 12	Yandabo, Myanmar
Day 13	Myint Mu, Myanmar

Our Live Voyage Reportfrom Viking River Cruises’ Myanmar Explorer continues tomorrow as we travel to Mandalay, Myanmarto board the Viking Mandalay!Be sure to follow along with our adventures on Twitter@deckchairblog.

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Where to Stay in Antwerp: The Best Hotels and Neighborhoods

Read article : Where to Stay in Antwerp: The Best Hotels and Neighborhoods

To help you out with the decision where to stay in Antwerp, we’ve put together a list of neigbourhoods and the best hotels in the city.

Antwerp is often left out when planning a trip to Belgium. Touristy cities like Brussels or Bruges easily obscure trendy towns of Antwerp or recently re-discovered Ghent.

However, from what we’ve experienced in Antwerp, it’s a vibrant, extraordinarily creative city full of history, so you’re doing yourself a favor by staying here longer, and exploring it for more than a day away from Brussels.

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Where to stay in Antwerp?

Where to stay in the Antwerp Historical Center

This is one of the best neighborhoods to stay in Antwerp if your goal is to catch up with sightseeing. The old town is full of museums, lively squares, and a number of cafes, restaurants, and beautifully renovated bed & breakfasts in historical houses.

The area is very walkable, and you can easily access the riverbank. It’s also safe and quiet at night.

Our top pick > De Koning van Spanje

We stayed in this family-run boutique hotel for three nights, only a minute walk from the main square Grote Markt.

The luxurious interior with elegant decoration made us feel comfortable, as well as the immense space in the bedroom and bathroom. Hot tub, solid wooden writing table and sofa were also part of the room. Our room faced a small courtyard and a garden, so it was absolutely quiet during the whole day.

The breakfast is served in the dining room furnished with antique plates and furniture. If you’re looking for some insider tips on the city, ask the owners. They are extremely helpful, and knowledgeable, since Carl has worked at one of Antwerp’s museums. Check the latest price.

Luxury > Hotel ‘T Sandt
Spotless, spacious rooms with an incredibly homey touch. The suites and rooms are bright thanks to big windows. Excellent location near the Grote Markt, good breakfast included. Check the latest price.

Mid-range > Aplace Antwerp City Flats & Suites
Very tastefully decorated rooms and apartments in vintage style with modern elements. Apartments also feature a fully equipped kitchen. Pets allowed. Check the latest price.

Budget > Kathedraallogies Drie Koningen
Unusual and affordable bed & breakfast in the historical center of Antwerp. You can choose from rooms with shared or private bathrooms. The property is a renovated building from the 16th century. Check the latest price.

Things to do in Antwerp Historical Center

• Visit Museum Plantin-Moretus
• Get a pint at the Witzli-Poetzli while enjoying jazz music or check out the the quirky Elfde Gebod
• Hang around the Groenplaats or Grote Markt Square early in the morning
• Enter the Cathedral of Our Lady

Traveling to Belgium and Europe? Get inspired by more travel articles:

Where to stay in Het Zuid (the Southern District)

It’s trendy, modern, and very suitable for expats and young people fancying nightlife and art. The southern district aka Het Zuid is a renovated neighborhood with plenty of bars, local restaurants, galleries, and museums.

Het Zuid is well connected to the city center and train station by public transport. We stayed here for a few nights and loved it here for its laid back vibes and a running path along the river.

Our top pick > The Soul Antwerp

In case you prefer cooking your own food and are hoping for some privacy, The Soul would be the best place to stay in Het Zuid. Modern studio with vintage interior offers an equipped kitchenette with a dining corner and comfy sofa, (which we found great after walking the city all day).

The apartment is located right in the heart of the south district, surrounded by many cafes and restaurants. By the way, you can grab a coffee, breakfast or lunch at the atmospheric Soul Cafe. In case you decide to cook, there is a big grocery shop within 5 minutes walking.

Our studio was clean, with a separated bedroom, bright seating area with a dining table and kitchenware, and a private bathroom. The place is also run by welcoming and easygoing owners. Check the latest price.

Luxury > The Glorious Inn

In case you’re wishing for some extraordinary place to stay in Antwerp, check it out here. Thematically decorated rooms, classy furniture, and a very quiet location.

We stayed here only a night, but enjoyed the funky atmosphere of the room with a Sleeping Beauty theme. We won’t spoil the surprise, but the room was full of secret hints related to the fairy tale. You better come and check for yourself.

It featured a large and very comfy bed, a tea table with plenty of herbal choices. The highlight of the room was a bathroom with an enormous bathtub, candles, and high-quality toiletries.

Spoil yourself, and if you come during the week, make sure to have dinner in their restaurant downstairs. Check the latest price.

Mid-range > Maison Emile
Stylish, modern, and clean rooms with a rich healthy breakfast. It features double and single bedrooms. Check the latest price.

Budget > Le Sud
Very affordable and clean budget option with different types of rooms with shared or private bathrooms. Check the latest price.

Things to do in Het Zuid

Where to stay in the Jewish Quarter in Diamond District

The area near the Central Station is the oldest diamond center in Europe, and rumour has it they were playing around with diamonds long before the first traders in Hong Kong or New York.

Stay around on Friday or Saturday, and you’ll see the Jewish community walking to and from the synagogues here. Currently, more than 80% of the Jews in Antwerp are involved in the diamond trade.

There are more than 1500 companies involved in selling, cutting, and polishing diamonds in the city, and you can check out some of them on Pelkinstraat Street near the railway station, or in the boutique shops on the Appelmansstraat, Lange Herentalsestraat and Vestingstraat streets.

Always ask for the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) grading report when buying a gem. Read more about the history of Jews in Antwerp.

Our top pick > Hyllit Hotel

Located right in the center of the Diamond district, a couple of minutes walking from the Central Station. Luxurious 4-star hotel with an indoor pool, spacious rooms with writing desk. Suites available. Check the latest price.

Luxury > Park Inn by Radisson Antwerpen
Spacious and super clean rooms, some of them with a great view. The hotel features a gym, and you can use sauna and swimming pool at the Health Club that is 100 m away. Check the latest price.

Mid-range > Queen A Antwerp
Incredibly cosy rooms and common area, decorated with a great taste and sense for interior details. Very kind staff and excellent breakfast! Check the latest price.

Budget > Eden Hotel
Simply decorated in pastel colors, and for a very reasonable price considering the proximity to the main railway station. Free tea/coffee station available. Check the latest price.

Things to do in Diamond district

• Check the architecture of the railway station in case you haven’t arrived by train
• Go to the Stadtpark and have a picnic here. Great for kids, the park offers some playgrounds
• Book your ticket for a performance in the stunning Flemish Opera
• Have a peak in some of the diamond stores in the Diamond District

Where to stay in Sint Andries

Rough and poor area in the past that has become a shopping area with lots of cafes now. Popular for its vintage vibes, great proximity to the centre and best Antwerp attractions. Safe and lively Southern neighbourhood in Antwerp.

Our top pick > Holiday Home Zuiderzin

Wonderful holiday home for family or groups of friends. It features three double beds, a seating area, washing machine, and a small kitchen. It’s centrally located, with many cafes and restaurants around. Check the latest price.

Luxury > Maison Nationale City Flats & Suites
Ultra clean, beautiful, bright, and spacious rooms designed in black & white minimalistic style. Possibility to prepare your own food with the kitchenware. Check the latest price.

Mid-range > Kaai11 City Flats & Rooms
A luxurious option for a mid-range budget. Situated near the Schelde River, most of the rooms have awesome views. Modern & elegant interior. Some suites come with a fully equipped kitchen. Check the latest price.

Budget > Antwerp Cental Youth Hostel
Very cool place in a great location. Simple and clean with twin, quadruple, or dormitory rooms, all with private bathrooms. Buffet breakfast included. Check the latest price.

Things to do in Sint Andries

• Visit MoMu Fashion Museum
• Go for a graffiti hunt. Read this article to get inspired.
• Walk through the summer Markt van Morgen market & do some shopping here
• Visit St Andrew’s Catholic Church from the 16th century
• Spend a couple of hours at the incredible Plantin-Moretus Museum of printing
• Vintage lovers, head straight to the Kloosterstraat Street

Where to stay in Het Eilandje

Het Eilandje means “Little Island,” and currently the area is boasting with loads of cafes, and some of the most distinct museums in Antwerp: MAS, which is a highlight of the Het Eilandje, and Red Line Star – a museum dedicated to the emigration waves that brought millions of European overseas, and the iconic Port House of Zaha Hadid.

It’s a cool area to chill out, enjoy an afternoon coffee, and make your artistic soul happy.

Our top pick > B&B Yellow Submarine

Original modern room with minimalistic décor. Clean and spacious rooms feature a shower or a bath. Very good breakfast included. Check the latest price.

Luxury > B&B Suites@FEEK
This is something quite different. High ceilings, futuristic white design with a jacuzzi in the room. Great breakfast! Check the latest price.

Mid-range > Best Western Hotel Docklands
Modern rooms of a 3-star hotel, some of them with harbour views and a balcony. Very friendly staff. Some rates include delicious breakfast. Check the latest price.

Budget
The area doesn’t really offer budget options, but you can find a budget accommodation not far from Eilandje.

Condo Gardens Antwerp
Simple, clean studios with a kitchen, great location for a very reasonable price. Check the latest price.

Things to do in Eilandje

Where to stay in Borgerhout

The area doesn’t have the best reputation, but only because of its multicultural nature, as it’s a home to 90 different nationalities.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for a bit of an “underground,” creative area with music festivals, quirky bars, and a Moroccan & Turkish minority, which means great food, head to the Borgerhout.

Our top pick > @Couche Couche

Very stylish and comfortable B&B. You can stay either in an apartment for 2-4 people with kitchenware, or in a double room. Located in a beautiful old mansion from 1907. Minimalistic design with soothing feeling.

Luxury
There aren’t any top luxury hotels in the area, although the B&B mentioned above can be considered a high-end choice of accommodation in Borgerhout.

Mid-range > B&B Antwerp
Large, impeccable rooms with lots of sunlight, very tastefully decorated. The quadruple room also features a seating area and facilities like a coffee machine, fridge, and microwave. Check the latest price.

Budget > Kif Kef City Apt.
Incredibly charming apartment with minimalistic design. Fully equipped kitchen, sun terrace and bike rentals (for an extra charge) available. Check the latest price.

Things to do in Borgerhout

• Spend an evening at one of the performances in De Roma, an amazing cinema from 1920’s.
• Go for a free yoga class in Krugerplein Square on Saturday (from 24th of June – 9th of September from 10 am to 11 pm)
• Check out the gigs at the TRIX Muziekcentrum

Where to stay in Deurne

Located in the east of Antwerp, famous mostly for its huge green area: the Rieverenhof Park. It’s the area of townhouses, and it’s not popular among tourists as it lacks Antwerp’s cultural vibes. However, it’s a good option if you feel like staying out of the city center.

There’s great cycling infrastructure. For the best Antwerp attractions you’ll need to take a tram or a bike to the city center. Or… go local and visit some of the Deurne’s cultural events.

Our top pick > Bed & Breakfast Exterlaer

Elegant & artsy rooms, some of them with a seating area. The place has a lovely garden, and delicious breakfast included. Very pleasant hosts. Check the latest price.

Mid-range > Luxury Suites Arendshof
Modern & simple design, located in a quiet area. The suites are in a two-floor house with a living room and a jacuzzi. Breakfast for an extra fee available. Check the latest price.

Things to do in Deurne

Where to stay in Zurenborg

Residential, trendy, silent and … the pricey area of Antwerp with convenient public transport. It’s popular for its art nouveau architecture. Over 170 houses in the neighborhood have the status of protected monuments, and most of them were built in 1900’s.

Zurenborg is a bit off the beaten path, as it lacks the typical tourist attractions, but is easily accessed by a short tram ride from the centre. Very worth a visit even if you don’t book a hotel here.

Apart from exploring the special architecture, you can stop by for a coffee, a lunch, or have a pint in one of plenty of Zurenborg’s cafes, restaurants, and bars.

Our top pick > Abondance Logies

Wonderfully minimalistic rooms with white & red décor. Super clean. Breakfast for an extra fee available, and you can prepare your meals also in the common kitchen. Close to the restaurants.

Luxury
There are no luxury options in the area.

Mid-range > Amaaj
Simple, neat rooms with private bathrooms and a bathtub. Great relaxing area. Check the latest price.

Budget > Alias Youth Hostel
A fantastic choice for budget travelers. Clean, simple, with dormitories or double bedrooms with shared or private bathrooms. Tram stops nearby. Check the latest price.

Things to do in Zurenborg

• Grab a leaflet in one of the tourist offices in Zurenborg or at the train station in Berchem neighbourhood and do a self-tour
• Walk along the streets Cogels-Osylei, Transvaalstraat, Waterloostraat to see some great architectural works
• Learn about brewing and go for a fantastic beer at the De Koninck Antwerp City Brewery in the nearby Berchem neighbourhood
• Make a trip to the southern neighbourhood and visit Middelheim Open Air Sculpture Museum

Hopefully this ultimate guide on where to stay in Antwerp helped you to decide which hotel to book, and what attractions you can see in each neighbourhood.

Have a blast in this incredibly vibrant city, and in case we missed any district you’d recommend staying in or cool things to do in Antwerp we haven’t included here, please, leave a comment below.

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