Author: The practical explorer

BEAUTIFUL ARCHITECTURE AND CHEAP FOOD: Chasing gnomes in Wroclaw

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Wroclaw is a small but beautiful city in Poland. The old town centre is picturesque, and you can spend a few hours wandering around and spotting the hundreds of bronze gnome statues scattered all over the town.

There are plenty of things to do, including many cool restaurants and bars, so it’s a good option for a long weekend.

To the north of the old town there are a few islands in the river Oder where you can visit local churches and museums or walk by the scenic promenade.

  • Szczytnicki Park is a large park with some famous local attractions. It is a bit far from the city centre but the walk there is interesting.
  • Central Market: a large market with a good selection of fruit and veg and other local produce.
  • Transport: it is easy to walk everywhere on foot, but the city is covered by a good network of trams which are very convenient. You can buy tickets on board with a debit or credit card. Tickets for 3.40zl.

As ever, we also checked out many vegan places:

  • Vega: a vegan restaurant at the heart of Market Square serving a great selection of Polish dishes. The pierogi were great! Lunch for two including drinks for 47zl.
  • Mihiderka: a place with several locations across Poland serving delicious burgers and many other vegan dishes. Lunch for two including drinks and tip for 68zl.
  • Krowarzywa: a cool vegan burger place serving lots of delicious combos. Lunch for two including drinks for 70zl.
  • Ahimsa: a Middle Eastern and Asian vegan restaurant with a good varied selection. Dinner for two for 68zl.
  • 4Hops: a bike-themed craft beer bar with a large selection of beers on tap. A pint for 12-17zl.

CROSSING THE ORESUND BRIDGE: Day trip to Malmö

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We were visiting Copenhagen and decided to take a little trip to Malmö as the two cities are very close to each other. To get there, you cross the Oresund Bridge from The Bridge fame.

We walked around the old town centre and visited Malmö Castle. We then stopped at the Modern Art Museum (free entry), which had some nice displays on, before heading back to Copenhagen.

Malmö is a beautiful city and a good place for a day trip.

  • Getting there: trains leave Copenhagen Central Station every 20 minutes. The trip takes about 40 minutes and tickets cost 90Kr. each way. The passport check is done on the train halfway through the journey.

CHERRY BLOSSOMS AND VEGAN CUISINE: Tasting all the food in Copenhagen

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The first time we visited Copenhagen was in the winter and we didn’t have a chance to enjoy the city properly. This time we came back on spring and had a very different experience!

We were lucky with the weather so we spent a lot of the time walking around the many gardens and parks and visiting the main sights like Kastellet and the garden at Rosenborg Castle.

We spent time wandering around the city and taking in the beautiful architecture. There were plenty of good options for vegan restaurants so we checked out quite a few!

  • Simple Raw: a cool place by a main square serving a wide selection of yummy vegan food. We tried the smorrebrod. Lunch for two including drinks for 370Kr.
  • Plads’n: a vegan pizzeria in a laid-back area. Delicious food and cocktails. Dinner for two including drinks for 318Kr.
  • Souls: a cool place serving generous portions and great vegan food. Brunch for two for 324Kr.
  • Plant Power Food: a vegan restaurant in Norrebro serving delicious smorrebrod and green salads. Dinner for two for 260Kr.
  • Veggie Heroes: an Indian buffet serving a wide selection of delicious curries. Dinner for two for 298Kr.
  • DOP: a traditional hotdog stand offering vegan options. Hotdogs for 44Kr.
  • Tivoli Food Hall: this place is right next to Tivoli Gardens, so you can get a good view of the famous theme park without having to pay the entrance fee. There are plenty of options for food and drink, including vegan and veggie alternatives.
  • Norrebro Bryghus is a microbrewery in a cool building serving a great selection of beers on tap. A float of beers for 100Kr.

BEAUTIFUL ARCHITECTURE AND A SUNSET BY THE BAY: An evening in Beirut

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The thing about work trips is that there isn’t much time to explore the amazing places that I visit. In my recent trip to Lebanon I only had a few free hours, so I made the most of them.

Downtown Beirut is beautiful: there is a nice contrast between old and new architecture, with plenty of impressive buildings.

Zaitunay bay is a popular area with the locals, and great to explore: you can spend a few hours walking by the yachts, and stop for dinner or coffee at one of the many places around.

We went to Leila for dinner, which was a great choice. You can try the amazing local meze with a great view of the bay. A delicious dinner for two including tip for $80.

DELICIOUS FOOD AND LOCAL WINE: A weekend in Moldova

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We flew into Chisinau not really knowing what to expect, and we were pleasantly surprised! The city doesn’t have many highlights, but there are some great restaurants and bars around.

For dinner we went to Gastrobar, a great place serving modern Middle Eastern cuisine, with plenty of veggie options. Make sure to reserve a table in advance. Dinner for two including drinks and tip for 1,000MDL.

We also visited Propaganda, a popular restaurant with quirky decor serving yummy food. A light dinner for two including drinks and top for 400MDL.

  • Wine: Moldovan wine is amazing and very cheap! Most restaurants and bars have a great wine list and you can find a good selection in supermarkets too.
  • Stay: We stayed in one of these apartments. It was spotless and ideally located.

HANGING OUT WITH GIRAFFES AND BUFFALOES: One day in Nairobi

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I had a free day in Nairobi during a work trip, so I joined a tour to see some of the local highlights.

  • Nairobi National Park: the most popular attraction of Nairobi, this huge park is located just outside the city, but you can spot lions, giraffes, rhinos, buffaloes and much more. It’s a great place to visit if you don’t have time to go on a safari (tickets for $43).
  • David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: An orphanage for rhinos and elephants, where you can see them being fed (tickets for 500Ksh).
  • Giraffe Park: A small but fun place where you can feed giraffes and see them up close (tickets for 1,000Ksh).
  • Bonas of Kenya: A cultural centre with a show of local dance and music (tickets for 1,000Ksh).

I booked a group tour with this company. It was a good way of seeing most of the main sights in one day. The National Park is the definite highlight!

For dinner I went to Nyama Mama, a cool and popular restaurant serving modern Kenyan food. There are plenty of veggie options and the food is very delicious. Dinner for two including drinks and tip for 3,000Ksh.

VEGGIE IN MAPUTO: Restaurant recommendations in Mozambique

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I went to Maputo for work. I didn’t have a chance to explore the city much, but I visited a couple of good restaurants:

  • Txhapo Txhapo: This place is very popular, and serves a good selection of veggie dishes, clearly labelled. Lunch for 990MT.
  • Lugar e Meio: A chilled place serving a good selection of dishes. They only had one veggie option but it was delicious (spinach and feta quiche). Lunch including tip for 600MT.

BEAUTIFUL VIEWS AND VEGGIE FOOD: A weekend in Zurich and Liechtenstein

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One of the few places remaining for us to visit in Europe was Liechtenstein, so we flew into Zurich for the weekend to check it out.

ZURICH:

We were really impressed by the food in Zurich. There are plenty of vegan and veggie options clearly labelled in most places. In supermarkets, vegan items are clearly labelled and options are plentiful.

  • Hiltl Haus: The oldest vegetarian restaurant in Europe is a popular place with a buffet and a la carte options. The food is varied a really delicious. Dinner for two including drinks and tip for 79CHF.
  • Hiltl Sihlpost: Another Hiltl restaurant with a buffet full of yummy vegan and veggie options, in a cool space. Dinner for two including dessert for 40CHF
  • Stay: We stayed at Swiss Star Apartments, a good self-catering option located just 10 minutes from the Central Station.

LIECHTENSTEIN:

Vaduz is a small town surrounded by picturesque snow-capped mountains. The main attraction is the walk from the centre up to Vaduz Castle. The castle itself is not open to tourists but the walk gives you the most amazing views.

  • Kunstmuseum: This modern art museum has a small but good selection of works in a nice space. Tickets for 15CHF.
  • Go: From Zurich to Vaduz in Liechtenstein the best option is to take a train to Sargans where you can get bus n. 11 to Vaduz. You can buy tickets online here (choose option Vaduz, Post, which includes the bus transfers), about one month in advance.

A BEAUTIFUL RIVIERA AND MISTY DAYS: A chilly break in Rimini and San Marino

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RIMINI

We were going to visit San Marino, so we decided to spend a couple of days in nearby Rimini.

Rimini is a riviera with sandy beaches overlooked by cool modernist hotels.

The Old Town is beautiful and includes a good collection of Roman and Medieval landmarks. It is also the birthplace of Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini.

For lunch we visited Bar Lento, a cool cafe serving delicious vegan snacks and drinks (lunch for two including tip for 18.50€).

Rimini is definitely a good place to visit and relax for a couple of days!

SAN MARINO

San Marino was one of the few European countries we hadn’t visited yet, so we decided to check in out in January.

It is located high up in the mountains, giving it amazing views over the region. Unfortunately when we visited the place was right in the middle of the clouds, and we couldn’t even see further than a few metres ahead.

We spent a few hours exploring the narrow roads and visiting the main towers, even without being able to see much.

For lunch, we stopped at Laminona, which serves piadinas and offered a few vegan options.

San Marino is picturesque and I’m sure we would have enjoyed it more on a sunny day!

  • Go: We flew to Bologna, where you can get semi-frequent buses from the airport to Rimini. You can reach San Marino from Rimini taking a regular bus which departs just outside the train station (return for 10€ per person). The trip takes 50 minutes each way.

2018 TRAVELLING: The year in review

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This was another year full of adventures!

  • We kicked off the year with a weekend with friends in Edinburgh.
  • Then we headed to amazing South Africa for a wedding – we hung out with elephants and enjoyed the breathtaking views.
  • In March we braved the cold to discover fun Riga.
  • In April we travelled around Sicily, eating all sorts of treats along the way.
  • In May we relaxed in sunny Paphos, Cyprus.
  • Then we headed to Berlin for a weekend full of amazing vegan treats.
  • I went to Paris for a beautiful weekend of chilling in the sun.
  • In September we had an adventure in the Balkans: we visited Kosovo, Macedonia and Albania – a great trip!

Another year full of amazing adventures!

And I have big plans for 2019: I may actually finish visiting every single European country!