europe

CLEAR BLUE SEAS AND A CITY THAT SMELLS OF LAVENDER: A weekend in Croatia

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My good friend Andrea was getting married in Primosten, so off we went to a little break in Croatia.

Primosten is about 45min from Split via a scenic but slightly scary road by the sea. The town is very pretty, and there are lots of nice restaurants and ice cream shops around. But the big draw is, of course, the beach.

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Primosten is surrounded by beautiful beaches in all shades of blue. The weather was nice and hot, so it was great to cool off with a swim or a cold beer.

After enjoying a lively beach wedding, on Sunday we headed to Split to explore a bit. The Old Town is absolutely amazing, everywhere you turn there’s a new photo opportunity (Croatia is the most photogenic country ever!), from little alleys to ample bright squares.

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Around town you can see the ruins of the Diocletian Palace, lots of cute souvenir shops selling super-cheap lavender and cool restaurants serving local fare (their risotto is the best I’ve had).

We followed the promenade to get good views of the sea and the Old Town, which were made ever prettier by the yellow hues of sunset.

Even before we left I was already planning my return – the sign of a great trip!

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HOW TO DO IT:

  • Go: From London to Split the flight takes about 2h. Primosten can be reached by taxi (50€ each way) or by local busses during the day.
  • Stay: In Split we stayed at Rooms Valentino, where we were greeted by Valentino himself and service was great (we paid 65€ for one night). There are plenty of B&Bs in Primosten.
  • When to go: We went in June, and the weather was hot and perfect for the beach. The shoulder seasons are also a good bet in Croatia, as you get the sunshine without the crowds (particularly in Dubrovnik).
  • If you have one week: Time allowing, driving from Dubrovnik to Pula along the coastline would be a dream holiday – stop at Trogir, Split and other main cities, go for a swim wherever it looks good and stop along the way to buy local figs and olive oil.

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MODERN ART AND SUNSHINE DAYS: A weekend in Oslo

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We took advantage of the Bank Holiday weekend to visit Oslo. We were greeted with amazingly clear skies and great weather, so we decided to spend the afternoon exploring the city centre and the views by the sea.

We walked around the area between the parliament and the royal palace, a lovely stretch with a beautiful square with lots of trees and fountains. Around the royal palace there’s a nice park, so we spent some time there watching people go by.

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We then headed towards the Astrup Fearnly Museum of Modern Art, following the nice promenade with lots of bars and restaurants and great views of the port. Everyone was out enjoying the sunshine, so we spent some time taking it all in before making our way back to the flat.

On Saturday the weather was even better, so we started the day going for a picnic at Ekeberg park. This park has great views over Oslo, and there are lots of sculptures by famous artists such as Louise Bourgeois and Damien Hirst.

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We then headed to Toyen and followed this route to find some local street art. We stumbled upon Siste Sang, a local brewery, and got a couple of beers for the road (2 bottles for 84kr). Arriving at the city centre, we had an early dinner at Nordvegan (meal for two for about 230kr), a nice vegan cafe with yummy food.

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To finish the day we stopped at Dr Jekyll’s, a really cool pub with an impressive selection of beers from around the world (2 beers for 180kr).

Sunday started a bit colder and overcast, so we headed to the Munch Museum. This is a nice museum with a great selection of Munch’s artworks displayed in five large rooms (tickets for 120kr).

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We then went back to the city centre for lunch. We tried our luck at Git Bit, but as that was shut we ended up back at Nordvegan for another nice meal. The day was clearing up, so we headed to Oslo Fortress to check out the views over the city and explored for a couple of hours before going back to the flat for a chilled night in.

We had a couple of hours left on explore on Monday, so we decided to check out Vigeland Sculpture Park. This is a beautiful park with lots of sculptures by Vigeland – the obelisk was a unique highlight! Then it was time to leave the Norwegian sunshine and head back to grey London.

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HOW TO DO IT:

  • Stay: We stayed at this nice flat, which was only a few metro stops from the city centre. Norway is very expensive but accommodation prices aren’t too bad.
  • Money: Norway is one of the most expensive countries in the world, and it’s definitely easy to spend a lot (a beer costs around £9). But it’s also possible not to spend too much – self-catering makes a huge difference. Public transportation costs are similar to those of London, and we took advantage of the good weather to visit parks and spend time outside, so we ended up not spending too much.
  • Transportation: Oslo has a good network of metro, trams and busses. The airport bus to the city centre costs about 250kr return and takes about 30min. You can buy a 24-hour ticket for 90kr and covers all different methods of transportation, so it was our preferred option. Having access to mobile data was a huge help, as it made it easy to navigate all the different routes. In the city centre most places can be visited on foot.
  • Food and drink: Norwegian food is not particularly veggie-friendly, and there weren’t many veggie places around, but we found some good options on Happy Cow. Self-catering was a great help, and also a good way of saving money. Alcohol is equally expensive (a pint of beer starts at around £9), and local regulations make it somewhat difficult to purchase alcohol outside of bars.
  • When to go: The good weather had a huge impact on our trip, as we joined the locals in enjoying the sunshine in local parks. After this experience, we’re hoping to go back to Denmark when the weather is good, as visiting Scandinavia in the winter is a very different experience.

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TULIPS AND WINDMILLS: Easter break in rainy Amsterdam

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We decided to spend Easter in Amsterdam to enjoy tulip season. I’d been to Amsterdam before so this time I didn’t need to cover all of the highlights.

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We bought tickets to Keukenhof (24€ per person, including transfers), a magical place where you can see enough tulips for a lifetime. The transfer bus leaves Schiphol airport frequently, but queues can be lengthy.

Once there, we spent a few hours exploring: the place is huge and beautiful. There are countless varieties of tulips, as well as daffodils and hyacinths. You also get amazing views over the fields nearby full of blooming flowers.

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There’s also a windmill and canal tours available – great if you like all your Dutch stereotypes in one place. All in all, Keukenhof is great, but also immensely touristy (and probably best visited early on a weekday if you have that option).

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Back in Amsterdam we headed to Terra Zen for an early dinner. This is a Caribbean/Japanese vegan restaurant serving yummy food in the city centre. A meal for two including a soft drink and tip for 33€.

On our second day in the city we went exploring beautiful Jordaan, where you spot lots of canals and great traditional architecture. This area is full of nice little streets and you can spending hours wandering around – unfortunately for us, the weather wasn’t ideal.

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To escape the cold and rain, we headed to De Hallen, an old warehouse which has been converted into a big space with independent shops, a cinema and a large food hall with lots of options.

We had lunch at Maza, a stall which served delicious large mezze plates for 12.50€, watered down with nice cold local beers. There are lots of other nice stalls to choose from, with food from all over the world and plenty of veggie options – this was an ideal find for a rainy day.

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We then headed back to the city centre, stopping at Cafe Pieper for a drink. This brown cafe is a traditional bar with cosy ambience – and one of the oldest in Amsterdam. Two beers including tip for 10€.

On our last day in the city we headed to Museumplein, a nice open area with many great museums – this time we checked out Moco, a contemporary art museum which was hosting exhibitions by Banksy and Dali (tickets for 12.50€ per person). It was a cold but sunny day, so we continued on to the city centre via the many canals and cute little roads.

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We had a quick lunch at old favourite Maoz (meal for two for 15€) before the weather started turning and we decided to call it a day. Amsterdam is a great city to visit for a chilled break – we had a great time!

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HOW TO DO IT:

  • Stay: We stayed at this Airbnb flat which was nice and well located near Amstel station (it came complete with a lovely house cat too!). Staying in Amsterdam can be very expensive, so an alternative is to stay in cities nearby as the train network is good and cheap.
  • When to go: We went in April which is an ideal time to see tulips. Even though it was Easter, everything was open as usual. But we did get a lot of rain. The other time I visited Amsterdam it was summer, and that was great.
  • Transportation: Amsterdam is very well served by trains, metro, busses and trams. The centre is easily covered on foot. The easiest way to navigate the system is to buy an OV-chipkaart (similar to an oyster card) which gives you access to the public transport in Amsterdam as well as national trains.

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WINTER SUNSHINE AND GLAMOUR: A weekend in Nice and Monaco

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We decided to go to Nice in February for a bit of winter sun – it was beautiful!

We arrived in the afternoon and had time for a nice walk by the Promenade des Anglais. The architecture there is really amazing.

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In the evening we went to the Old Town, exploring the little streets with cool bars and restaurants. We quickly found our favourite place: Distilleries Ideales, a great bar with an impressive choice for beers, cocktails and wine (two drinks for 7.80€ plus tip).

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In the morning we hopped on a train to Monte Carlo (7.80€ return per person). The trip from Nice takes only 24 minutes and goes through beautiful beaches, so it’s definitely worth it.

Monaco itself is what you’d expect, other than spotting Ferraris and yachts there isn’t that much to do, but it’s fun to recognise all the places from the Formula 1 GP.

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In the evening we headed back to Nice Old Town, where the crowds were getting ready for the carnival parade. We went back to Distilleries Ideales for a couple of drinks, then we had dinner at Delhi Belhi, which despite the name served delicious Indian food (dinner for two including tip for 42€).

On Sunday we started the day visiting the impressive Russian Orthodox church. We then headed to the Marc Chagall museum, which is small but has a good selection of his paintings (tickets for 10€).

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We headed back to the Old Town where we had lunch at Caju, a vegan cafe with great food and friendly service (lunch for two including dessert and tip for 35€). They suggested we should check Castle Hill nearby, where there is a waterfall and great views over the city and the promenade.

We finished our little break joining the crowds by the promenade as they left the carnival parade and we boarded the bus back to the airport.

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HOW TO DO IT:

  • Stay: We stayed at an Airbnb flat close to the station. The location was good but it was really noisy at night. But there are lots of options to choose from and they are not necessarily that expensive.
  • When to go: We went in February, which is definitely off season but the weather was a pleasant 15 degrees. During low season it’s best to stick to the main areas of the city centre and Old Town as otherwise restaurants and shops may not be open.
  • Get around: Nice’s centre is easily accessible on foot. The city is also served by a good network of busses. You can get a bus to and from the airport for 6€ each way (the ride only takes 20 minutes). Nice is also a good gateway to other destinations in Cote D’Azur, such as Monaco and Cannes, so it’s a good base from where to explore the region.

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SANGRIA BREAKS AND MODERNIST TILES: A weekend in Barcelona

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For our first trip of the year, we decided to go to Barcelona for a chilled weekend. Barcelona is always great, and it was just what we wanted!

On our first day we hit the city centre to check out some highlights. We started at la Rambla and Barrio Gotico, then made our way to Barcelona Cathedral. We stopped for lunch of delicious vegan burgers and beers at Cat Bar, which is great (service was okay) – lunch for two including beers and tip for 25€.

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We wandered around and ended up at culture centre El Born, an amazing market where you can see ruins of old Barcelona.

In the evening we reached Barceloneta, where we watched surfers brave the cold as the sun set. We stopped for drinks at Bar Celoneta, a vegan sangria bar that served delicious food (and definitely the best sangria I’ve had, although I’m no expert!) – tapas and a pitcher of sangria for two for 40€ including tip.

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We woke up to blue skies, so on our second day we headed to Park Guell for outdoor fun. It was a beautiful day, so we took lots of photos. We only visited the free areas, but you can also pay 8€ to access an area of the park where most of the Gaudi sculptures are.

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We then headed to El Bosc de les Fades, which is an old favourite. This whimsical bar looks like a little forest, and it’s an amazing place to get a drink after a few hours of exploring the city (two drinks for 6.50€).

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The Picasso museum is free on Sundays, so we headed in that direction – on arrival the queue discouraged us, so we instead we went to Ale&Hop, a veggie bar with a great selection of local beers (tapas and beers for two for 22€). This bar is in a great area, so we spent some time just wandering around.

And then it was back to out flat for a quiet evening before our early flight back to London!

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HOW TO DO IT:

  • Stay: We chose an Airbnb flat a bit further from the centre, which is always a good way of saving money. There’s lots of options in Barcelona and prices are generally good.
  • Transportation: The metro is the best way to travel. You can buy 10 single tickets for less than 10€, which is nice and easy. You can also get the metro from the airport to the city centre (tickets cost 4.50€), which is very convenient.
  • Money: With the current exchange rate between the pound and the euro we weren’t sure how expensive things were going to be, but Barcelona is still definitely cheaper than London. We also found that there are lots of budget options for food and drink.

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DELICIOUS PASTA AND MARBLE STEPS: A lazy weekend in Pisa

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This year we hadn’t had as many holidays as we usually do, so I was looking forward to a nice little weekend away in Italy.

We arrived early afternoon, and headed straight to our flat where our host welcomed us with a delicious bottle of local wine. After stocking up at the supermarket (and buying way too much pasta to bring back home), we went out for a walk around the leaning tower. It was a beautiful afternoon, and the light was amazing!

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We had dinner at Da Antonio, a restaurant which is among the touristy area close to the tower. Despite the location and the fact that staff was not at all Italian, the food was great. Dinner for two including drinks and tip for 40€. We went for a nightcap at Mani’Omio, a cocktail bar which served aperitivi for 6€.

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The next morning we had tickets to visit the leaning tower. It was a beautiful sunny day, and the site wasn’t particularly busy, which was really good. We visited the Cathedral and then started climbing the tower, which is a strange experience as the building pushes you around as you climb the steps.

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The view from the top was beautiful, with a nice contrast between the red roofs and green mountains – the kind of thing you can take for granted in Tuscany. We took some silly photos and headed for our next stop: delicious ice cream at La Bottega del Gelato, which had the best fiordilatte gelato I’ve had in a long time (two scoops for 2€).

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In the afternoon we took the train to nearby Lucca, a walled city which is really cute. We had lunch at Nanda’s, a vegan place that served yummy (if a bit cold) food (lunch for two including a drink for 20€). We stopped at the local cathedral (tickets for 3€) which has impressive artworks, including a large panel by Tintoretto.

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We spent a couple of hours exploring the narrow roads, and finished our visit by climbing another tower, Giunigi, which is unique because it has trees planted at the top (tickets for 4€ per person). Again the views from the top were really amazing.

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We headed back to Pisa where we had a dinner reservation at Vegusto, an amazing vegan place that had a gnocchi with lemon and ginger that was just the best (dinner for two including drinks and tip for 50€).

The next morning it was time to leave – this was a nice and chilled little trip, the perfect little break from my usual routine!

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HOW TO DO IT:

  • Go: There are direct flights from Gatwick with BA, and they take about 2h. The airport is really close to the city centre, only 10 minutes by bus (a single ticket costs 1.30€).
  • Get around: Pisa is a nice base to explore Tuscany. Lucca is a 30 minute train ride away (tickets for 3.50€ each way), but there are many other nice places around: Cinque Terre is 1h30 away, and Florence 1h – all reached easily by train.
  • Stay: We stayed in this cute Airbnb which was just what we needed – well located but with a local feel, and there were tons of tips by previous guests and our host.
  • The Leaning Tower: Tickets can be booked online up to 20 days before your visit, and cost from 16€ (depending on what is included). You need to leave your bag in a cloakroom before you go up, so make sure to leave plenty of time as lines can be long.

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IN PICTURES: Village life and countryside walks in Cumbria

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I don’t normally travel within the UK, but last weekend I went to visit a friend who recently moved to Cumbria.

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The area is very scenic, perfect for long walks (weather permitting).

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We visited Bolton Castle, which is really nice and has great views over the countryside.

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There are many nice villages nearby, so we spent a couple of hours window shopping and sampling Wensleydale cheese in Hawes.

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My friend runs the beautiful Brownber Hall, so we had plenty of time to relax in style, watching goldfinches flying by.

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SUNNY PICNICS AND FOOTBALL IN CAFES: A week in Paris

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We arrived for our week in Paris on 21 June, when the French celebrate the Fete de la Musique. Getting off the Eurostar and straight into the heart of the party in the Marais was a great start for our holiday!

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The Eiffel Tower

I’ve been to Paris lots of times, so I don’t spend much of my time in the top tourist attractions, but this time we decided to go up the Eiffel Tower. There was extra security because of the Euros, but otherwise it was relatively quiet.

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As ever, the views from the top are truly amazing (you can even buy a glass of champagne from the bar on the 3rd floor), so we spent a good amount of time admiring the views and taking photos (tickets to the summit for 17€, you can book online but advance tickets tend to sell out quickly).

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Arc du Triomphe and Champs Elysees

We spent an afternoon walking from the Arc du Triomphe to the Louvre via the Champs Elysees. This is a massive highlight of Paris, but it’s definitely one of the most beautiful thoroughfares in the world. So much history, sights and amazing architecture all in the same place! This is definitely where Paris is at its most grandiose, and I’m happy every time I go back there.

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Sainte Chapelle

Close to the Notre Dame but significantly less crowded, the Sainte Chapelle is a gothic church with the most amazing stained glass windows (tickets for 10€). We spend some time admiring all the little details and taking photos which don’t really do the place any justice.

We then walked to nearby Ile St Louis, a small island in the Seine full of nice cafes and shops.

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Parc de Sceaux

I went to Parc de Sceaux once 21 years ago! I have been to Paris many many times since, but I hadn’t been back to this beautiful park yet, so I thought it would be a good thing to go back and take a nice picnic.

This is a beautiful park with a castle and formal gardens, and it’s easily accessible from Paris (just take RER B to Parc de Sceaux). It was very hot when we visited, so it was a great day to lounge under trees and watch parakeets flying over.

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Tour Saint Jacques

Visiting Tour Saint Jacques was a massive highlight of this trip. You get amazing views over Paris in a very exclusive setting.

The guided visit (tickets for 10€) takes 50 minutes, half of which consist of looking over Paris in all its glory. The maximum group size is 17 people, so it’s a real privilege to be able to visit.

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Promenade Plantee

Like the High Line in New York, the Promenade Plantee is a suspended footpath which has been transformed into a park. It’s a beautiful and peaceful place, and a great way of seeing Paris in a different way, starting behind the Bastille.

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Louis Vuitton Foundation

I’ve been meaning to check out this new museum for a while, so I made sure to book tickets in advance this time around (14€) – although we probably needn’t have.

The Louis Vuitton Foundation is a modern art museum in the outskirts of Paris, right next to the Bois de Boulogne. The building by architect Frank Gehry is as much part of the display as it is part of the outside environment, and you get great views of Paris from there too.

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The Euros

We went to the Euros in Ukraine four years ago, and it was great. This time we had tickets for two games – Austria v. Iceland, and Italy v. Spain, at Stade de France. Both games were great, and as is usual in such tournaments, the crowd came from all over the world.

We also went to the Fanzone which was right next to the Eiffel Tower – an amazing view that really added to the atmosphere.

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From my experience with international tournaments (I also went to the World Cup two year ago), this was a bit different: because Paris is already such an amazing place, the football wasn’t such a central part of our trip – on the other hand, we had all of Paris to explore, which is always great.

The other consideration is that because of the terrorist attacks from November, there was a lot of security everywhere – you had to go through three security checks to get into the stadium or the Fanzone – but of course this was more than justified, and everything went really smoothly.

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HOW TO DO IT:

Go: The best way to get to Paris is by train. The Eurostar takes you to Paris in 2h30 and it’s just so convenient! You can leave after work and arrive just in time for dinner in Paris.

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When to go: Paris is always amazing, but summers are great as the days are really long and you get to enjoy lots of outdoor activities. We were really lucky this time as it wasn’t as crowded as peak season usually gets.

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Stay: We stayed in this perfect place in the Marais. It was a perfect home for one week – located right at the heart of the action in a bohemian neighbourhood, but in a nice and quiet area. Marais is a great place to stay, as you are centrally located while feeling that you’re living like a local.

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Food: We ate mostly at the flat where we stayed, but we also went to a couple nice restaurants. Le Potager du Marais is a popular vegan place which serves yummy food, including the best vegan cheese I’ve tried (lunch for two for 35€). Our favourite food place this time was Hank, a vegan burger place that had the best food (a meal deal with burger, side and beer for 13€) and it was very cheap for Paris prices.

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Drink: France is obviously great for wine, so I made the most of the 5€ bottles at the local supermarket. Drinks at bars and restaurants are not as cheap, although wine is fairly priced (about 5€ for a glass). Beer lovers end up paying more, with a pint costing 7-8€ at bars. We also ended up at a ridiculously touristy place at one point, because we were running late and wanted to watch a football match – we paid 30€ for two drinks (1l beer and a cocktail) which is exactly the kind of tourist trap that you should avoid. Lucky for us, this was a one-off.

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Transportation: Other than walking, the metro and local trains are great in Paris. Because we were staying for one week, it made sense to get a weekly pass (26€, and you need to bring a passport photo with you). Another good alternative is the carnet with 10 tickets which can be used within central Paris (14.40€).

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GREAT VIEWS AND VEGGIE FOOD: A day in Tallinn

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We took the ferry from Helsinki to Tallinn for the day. After exploring the Old Town for a bit, we stopped for lunch at V, a vegan restaurant that was ideally located in the city centre and had the best food (lunch for two including drinks and tip for 30€).

Our next stop was St Olaf’s church – you can climb up the tower to get amazing views over the centre and the bay. Tickets cost only 2€ per person, so it’s definitely worth a go.

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We continued exploring the city centre, finding the Orthodox cathedral and another viewing point nearby. We stopped for a drink at Bogapott, then explored some more of the little corners and alleyways of the Old Town (which is a Unesco Heritage site).

We stopped at the Holy Spirit church, went across St Catherine’s passage and then climbed up Hellemann tower and walls (tickets cost 3€ per person). We then headed to Cafe Inspiration for some more yummy vegan food (a light dinner for two including drinks and tip for 26€) before getting back on the ferry to Helsinki.

Tallinn is definitely worth a visit – what a picturesque place!

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HOW TO DO IT:

  • Getting there: Helsinki and Tallinn are very close, so you can take one of the many ferries available.  We chose Linda Line which seemed to have the fastest options (1h30 on the way there and about two hours on the way back). Prices can go up, so it’s best to book in advance (we paid about 40€ return per person). We left Helsinki on the 10am ferry and took the 8pm service on the way back, which gave us plenty of time to explore.
  • Money: Tallinn is very cheap as compared to nearby Helsinki. Drinks at the Old Town for about 3-4€.

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