europe

RELAXING IN KRAKOW: Narrow streets and cool bars

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Krakow is perfect for a relaxing break. The city centre is relatively small, so you can see loads just by wandering around.

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DAY 1

We started our first day in Krakow visiting the Barbican and the city walls, located at the entrance of the Old Town.

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It was a beautiful sunny day, perfect for walking around. The Old Town of Krakow has a great Market Square (the largest medieval market square of Europe), with lots of shops and cafes.

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We stopped for lunch at Green Day – yes, they have a veggie restaurant called Green Day!! A meal for two and drink cost £5.50.

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We continued along the narrow streets all the way to Wawel Castle – but we saved that for the next day.

Not far from the Old Town we stumbled upon Frania Cafe, a bar which is also a launderette and it was pretty cool.

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Heading back to the Old Town we found a few more nice bars, so we stopped for a beer at the Beer Gallery, a Belgian bar near the market square.

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DAY 2

One of the best things in Krakow is that there is a park which goes all around the city walls. This is a great place for a walk, so on our second day in the city we made our way through the park to get to Castle Hill.

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This is a great place to visit – you can see the many areas of Wawel Castle, visit the Cathedral and you also get great views over the river.

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After leaving the castle, we went to the Jewish Quarter, an amazing neighbourhood full of history which is now home to lots of cool shops are cafes.

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Wolnica Square is the perfect place for a little break, so we stopped for lunch at Cafe Mlynek.

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We found lots of cool independent shops in Jozefa Street. The Jewish Quarter is also great for drinks, so we stopped at Bill Hickman (amazing décor), Propaganda (perfect soundtrack) and Strefa Piwa (they have the best beer map painted on the wall) – all really great places.

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This was the end of our Poland adventure! Check out this post for tips on how to organise your trip.

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A SUNNY DAY IN WARSAW: Cold beer and vegan food

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Warsaw was great – I didn’t really know what to expect, but it’s a beautiful city with a relaxed atmosphere and lots of cool places for eating and drinking. What else do you need?

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We started our day in Warsaw at the Science and Culture Palace, which hosts lots of museums and other cultural hubs. You can go up this impressive building to get nice views over the city (tickets at 20 zloti per person).

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After taking in the view, we started walking towards the Old Town. We stopped for a quick drink at Aioli, a nice place for a cocktail on a sunny day (drinks looked amazing but were a bit watery). We then made our way to Novy Swiat (the Royal Way), a busy thoroughfare full of bars and restaurants.

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For lunch we stopped at Vege Bistro, a little vegan cafe that served delicious pirogi (traditional Polish dumplings). A meal for two cost 53 zloti (around £9).

The Royal Way leads to the Old Town, which was completely rebuilt after the second World War – about 85% of Warsaw was destroyed then. This is a beautiful area to wander around for a few hours, stopping to lounge in the sun at one of the many cafes.

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We found a great Belgian bar just off the Old Town. The Elephant Pub has a great selection of Belgian beers and is very nicely decorated. Perfect to recharge for a little bit.

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Our last stop of the day was Poznanska Street, which is full of cool bars and restaurants. We had pizzas at Vegan Pizza before heading back to the hotel.

What a nice day!

HOW TO DO IT:

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  • Go: We flew Wizzair, as they tend to have the cheapest options for Eastern Europe. The flight takes around 2h so it’s easy to go after work.
  • Money: Poland is really cheap. A beer costs less than £2, and you get a meal for about £5. Things are really good quality, so it’s the perfect place to indulge.
  • Stay: We stay at Mercure Grand Warsawa which was by far the best Mercure I’ve ever stayed at. We only paid £35 per night – bargain!
  • Food: Polish food is not traditionally veggie, but there are lots of veggie places around. We took recommendations from Happy Cow and were really spoilt for choice.
  • Train to Krakow: We took the express train to Krakow, which takes about 2h30. Tickets cots £7, and that even includes a free beverage! (shame on you, National Rail!) The train was great and the trip very enjoyable. You can spend the time gazing at the countryside outside or having a cold beer at the bar.

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IN PICTURES: Street art and sunny days in Berlin

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Berlin was great – as always.

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I visited on a sunny weekend in August, a beautiful time to go.

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For the first time I managed to visit the Reichstag (it’s free to go but you must book in advance).

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The cool cupola by British architect Norman Foster is definitely worth a visit.

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And it’s a great place to take weird self-portraits.

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The street art around the East Side Gallery was a bit more damaged than I remembered.

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But it’s still quite impressive.

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And there are lots of other great street art all around the city.

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This was also the first time I visited the impressive Berlin Cathedral.

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From the top you get great views over the city.

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And inside there are many amazing details too.

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Sundays in Berlin are always great for brunch.

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After eating at the lovely Napol Jonska in Prenzlauer Berg, we walked around Mauer Park.

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This is a great area to see remains of the Berlin Wall in a less touristic area.

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But we also stopped at some of the highlights – like the Brandenburg Gate and the memorial next to it.

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Berlin never disappoints!

ON TRAVEL: I’m going away to Pasargadae

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I never read Road Dahl in school. Every so often someone tells me ‘you don’t know what you’re missing out’. But then again I didn’t grow up in an English-speaking country.

Well, I grew up with Monteiro Lobato and many other great writers that many people have never even heard of. So who is missing out after all?

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The first time I moved to a new city was when I went to uni. It was unusual where I grew up to move to another city because we had a very good university there. But by then I was already way over it, so when the opportunity came, I hopped on a plane (or an overnight coach) and never looked back.

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There is a poem by Brazilian modernist Manuel Bandeira, loosely translated as ‘I will go away to Pasargadae’, about the need to escape to a new and exciting place, the place where you belong, a place which is not only better than here, but a place where you are a better person too. There aren’t many good English translations, but it starts:

I will go away to Pasargadae
There I am a friend of the king
There I will have the woman I want
In the bed I will choose

Full version in Portuguese here.

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This poem has followed me ever since I left my hometown for uni (12 years ago – ouch!).

It’s about finding yourself in a new place, where you live your life in your own terms. Sounds good to me!

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In the poem, Pasargadae is a representation of an idyllic place. In real life, it’s an ancient Greek city in Iran.

What’s the place where you’re at your best?

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(all photos from my trip to Lisbon, shot with this great Lomo redscale film).

THE 5-MINUTE TRIP PLANNER: A sunny day out in Brighton

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Brighton gets really busy on sunny weekends, when half of London seems to get on the train to enjoy the sunshine. And it’s really worth it!

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There are lots of nice shops, bars and, of course, the beach!

HOW TO DO IT:

  • Go: Trains from London are frequent and cheap, so there’s no need to book in advance.
  • Do: Walk around the Lanes, a pedestrianised shopping area full of quirky and cool shops.
  • Eat: Terre a Terre is a famous veggie restaurant that is on the top of my wishlist – it’s highly recommended and everything on the menu looks amazing!

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The 5-minute trip planner: Planning a short trip in no time.

WHERE TO STAY IN LONDON: Insider tips on finding a good deal

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If you’re never been to London, deciding where to stay can be quite difficult. There are lots and lots of options, but prices are way too high, and there are many bad hotels around. Here are my tips for getting a good deal:

Money matters:

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Accommodation in London is really expensive (it’s really expensive to rent here too, so there’s no escaping it!).

If your only concern is about money, then Easyhotel is as cheap as it gets. With double rooms start at £30, it really doesn’t get cheaper than that. Of course there’s a trade off: this place is tiny, and you even have to pay extra for a room with a window!

Other usual budget options include Ibis and hostels – although in London even a bunk bed in a shared room can cost over £40! Tripadvisor had good mid-range options from £80, although really it’s unusual to pay less than £100 per night (yikes!).

I’ve stayed at the Royal National the first time I visited London. It’s a good option: a massive and boring hotel, but good value and good location.

And of course there’s Airbnb, with lots of options for around £80 for two. This is probably the best choice of all.

I’m sure there are absolutely tons of high-end places, but this blog doesn’t really know anything about that.

Location, location, location

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London is a big city, but public transportation is very good, so as long as you’re inside zones 1-2 of the tube you can’t go very wrong. But these some good areas to consider:

  • Victoria is a good area to stay, as it’s very central and there’s lots to see and do.
  • King’s Cross is another good option, as it’s a transportation hub and it’s close to Islington – a nice region to explore with a great nightlife.
  • Around London Bridge, especially near the river, there are some of the main sights, and it’s not as full of tourists as other areas.
  • Soho is at the heart of the action, but I imagine would be quite expensive to stay around there.
  • And for those who want a more authentic experience, staying a bit further from the centre should be considered.

But the best way to have a great time in London is staying with a local, as I’m sure my friends would tell everyone!

SUNNY BREAKS IN EUROPE: 3 places to visit this summer

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I’m mostly done with my summer holiday planning, but there’s still one weekend in August to go somewhere. Here are three ideas for summer breaks:

1. The beach holiday: Sicily, Italy

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Sicily is one of the most naturally beautiful places I’ve ever visited. Deep blue seas and sunny days make it the perfect summer scape. Plus there are lots of historical sites to visit, from Erice to Taormina, where you can see old walled cities and Roman ruins.

Go: Fly into Palermo and explore the region by car, bus or ferry.

The perfect beach holiday without the crowds!

2. The city break: Stockholm, Sweden

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Stockholm is amazing in the summer. Walk around the Old Town (Gamla Stan) and take a ferry around the many islands. There’s lots to explore on foot and the temperatures are mild – perfect for walking around.

Go: Get a cheap flight with Norwegian and book a flat around the city centre.

The perfect time to discover a great city!

3. The hidden gems: Ljubljana and Bled, Slovenia

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Ideally located by the Julian Alps, Ljubljana is not very touristic and is really pretty. Nearby is the amazing Bled, a scenic town with a famous church in an island in the middle of a lake.

Go: Flights from the UK take around 2.5 hours and are cheapest with Wizzair. Book in advance for the summer months to get the best prices. Buses between Bled and Ljubljana are frequent and take around 1.5 hours.

A sunny break in a new place!

THE BEST ART SHOW IN THE WORLD: An artistic scape to the Venice Biennale

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Two years ago I decided to visit the Arts Biennale in Venice and it was great! So I wanted to come back to see this year’s edition.

The Venice Biennale is a paradise for art lovers. There are two main sites, Arsenale, a massive exhibition space with room after room of all sorts of contemporary art from all over the world; and Giardini, an open garden with pavilions from many different countries. There’s also lots of art all around town.

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Because we had visited Venice before, we decided to stay at this lovely place in Arsenale. It was the best decision – we were close to the city centre but not in the middle of the tourist crowds.

We decided to visit each of the main venues on a different day (last time we needed to see both on the same day and it was definitely too much).

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We visited Arsenale on our first day there, which was good as it is the most intense of the two places. Then we visited the different country pavilions in Giardini on our second day, when it was sunny and just generally lovely.

The rest of the time we spent waving at boats going by our window, or drinking delicious Aperol Spritz by the canal.

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Isn’t life grand?

HOW TO DO IT:

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  • Go: The Arts Biennale happens on odd years from May to November. Flights from London aren’t particularly cheap so book in advance.
  • Tickets: Tickets to the Biennale cost 25€, including entry to Giardini and Arsenale (you can visit those on different days on the same ticket).
  • Stay: We stayed at this amazing place which we found on Airbnb. There are lots of good places around, so pick an area and go from there. We stayed in Castello which is very close to the Biennale but also only about 15 minutes from San Marco square.
  • Food: The first time I visited Venice I wasn’t massively impressed with the food, as everywhere looked like a tourist trap. This time it was much better, mostly because we weren’t staying in the city centre. Da Paolo was a good choice for our first dinner. We also stopped at Osteria alla Tana, which is a great affordable stop just outside Arsenale – perfect for relaxing after hours of walking around the many exhibits. But just by venturing a bit further from the city centre it is possible to find nice restaurants.
  • Do: Aside from the Biennale, Venice is a beautiful and iconic place to visit. But it can be quite touristic too – from the busy San Marco Square and Rialto Bridge to the expensive gondola rides, it can all get a bit much. But the Doge’s Palace is beautifully decorated with paintings by Titian, Tintoretto and many more, so it’s definitely worth a visit. And a walk around San Polo is a great way to see a more authentic side of Venice.

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I’m already looking forward to going back in 2017!

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UNDER THE SHADOW OF THE VESUVIUS: A visit to Pompeii and Herculaneum

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I always wanted to go to Pompeii, so I jumped at the chance when my mother said she was going there. I was staying in Rome, so we woke up early in the morning to get on the fast train to Naples.

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Pompeii and Herculaneum are such unique sites to visit. You get a clear grasp of what life looked like 2,000 years ago, so it’s no wonder that people are fascinated by these places.

Herculaneum:

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Our first stop was Herculaneum, which many say is better than Pompeii. I can’t help but agree – overall Herculaneum provides a much better experience to the visitor.

On the day I visited, unfortunately there was a massive (and very disorganised) queue, so it took us two hours to get in. But when we finally got through, it was worth it.

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Herculaneum is only partially excavated, so it’s not very big. As you walk around the many narrow roads, you get a chance to explore little houses, big villas, local food shops and more. There are many great details of beautiful frescoes, mosaics and patios.

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And because of the way Herculaneum was hit by the eruption of the Vesuvius, you even get to see bits of preserved wood (which is not available in Pompeii).

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Pompeii:

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We then got the train to Pompeii, where we managed to get in straight away. Immediately we were struck by how big it was, with large monuments and a spacious square, from where you reach narrow roads full of houses. It really is an impressive archaeological site!

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Again there were similar architectural features, but not as many places were open to the public (often you can only see inside the buildings from the outside).

But Pompeii was absolutely rammed with hordes of tourists everywhere, which made the experience much less enjoyable. I’m glad I got to see Herculaneum in more detail first!

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HOW TO DO IT:

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  • Go: I went as a day trip from Rome, taking an early train to Naples. From there you can hop o a crowded train to Pompeii (which takes 30 min) or Herculaneum (16 minutes) – these are quite cheap and regular.
  • Visiting the sites: Combined tickets to both sites normally costs 20€, but I happened to go on the first Sunday of the month when it’s free (I’d avoid that option as this is one of the reasons why it was so crowded). There are also lots of excursions departing from Naples.
  • How long you need: Ideally you need a few hours in each site. Pompeii is really big, so you can probably spend a whole day there (if you have the patience to battle the crowds for that long!).
  • Weather: I went in May and it was already quite hot, so it’s definitely best to avoid the summer months.

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