Why being spontaneous feels great

Ladies and gentlemen, we are now approaching the Port of Calais. Please remain seated until you are called to your vehicles. Please be patiet and DO NOT gather at the top of the stairs.

So here I am, at the top of the stairs, with a massive crowd almost breaking through the door indicating the “yellow stairs”, a minute after the announcement. In my defense, I didn’t have anywhere to remain seated as I was just wondering around the ferry aimlessly, with my eyes switching from sea-watching to people-watching. I did a lot in an hour and a half: read, browsed the internet, had a coffee, ate, tried new perfumes at the duty free shop, sent a few messages, and went outside on the terrace to take in the view.

My mom asked me: “So, are you not bored? How did you even think of going by yourself? It’s a bit sad, you know. Especially in Paris”. Thanks, mom.

But to be fair, I get it. I hate travelling by myself. The longest I’ve been visiting a place by myself was a few hours, usually around Christmas when I buy my tickets home so late that no direct flights cheaper than £1000 are available. Even then, when the time is so short, I wish there was someone else with me to share the excitement of visiting a new place. So I really don’t blame my mom for trying to come to terms with the fact that I suddenly decided to go to Paris, all alone.

I bought my tickets 3 days ago and that’s when I decided as well. I didn’t have any time to plan, I don’t know what I’m doing once I get there. But I can’t even begin to describe the excitement! It’s the first time I’m going somewhere by myself (if you exclude moving to a different country twice) and even if it’s only for a few days, it feels like an adventure.

I was so thrilled that I told everyone I met with since Wednesday that I’m going to Paris, with a lot of emphasis on “by myself”. And solo travelling is so popular in the UK that I was surprised at some of the reactions. “You go, girl, it’s going to be amazing!” said a few, with the same amount of excitement. But most were “How come you’re not going with your boyfriend?”, implying my relationship is clearly falling apart; “What about your friends? *insert aww-she-probably-doesnt-have-any-friends look*”. Well, I did consider all the above options. Then I thought about vising friends who live abroad. But sometimes the timing is just not there, so you either have to give up the idea or go for it, no matter what. Since I’m in between jobs, I thought I’d make the most of my work-free days and Paris just happened to feel right. I’ve been there a few times before and it’s hands down my favourite place. This time, I don’t need to run around visiting all the iconic places, I can just walk the streets and discover the true Paris.

So no, I’m not sad or lonely or have a mid-twenties crisis (well, not this week, anyway), I’m just doing something I’ve always wanted to do but never found the right time. So, if you’ve ever thought about doing this, but for some reason you were too scared or too worried about what the others might think, then stop over thinking and just go. I still don’t know what it’s going to be like, but I can guarantee the journey itself is definitely worth it.

So, I’m not sure if my next post is going to be a love or a hate one, but I’m excited to find out. Speak Write to you soon!

Bisous!

About starting over: a feel-like-home place in Aix- en-Provence | Guest post by Aemilia

…and the first guest post on my blog!

Emilia is one of my dearest friends – we’ve known each other for about 15 years (oh my God, we’re old!!) and it’s insane through how many things we’ve been through. She decided to make a change and recently moved to France, so this is an honest post about the joy and loneliness of starting over. It’s always a bittersweet feeling and you can’t be 100% ready for it until you’re there. You never anticipate how tired you can become of your own thoughts because you spend so much time with yourself, but at the same time how much some places or experiences can make you feel at home just by offering you something ordinary.

Having gone through it, it’s tough – but nothing compares to the feeling of self-accomplishment and confidence once you’ve crossed all the barriers. It’s all down to you and you’ve made it. And once you have that bug, it’s very hard to take it out of your system – you want to know more, to explore more, to be challenged more.

Emilia, the floor is all yours!

***

My story starts with a blank. A big, white dot that’s been on my mind as if I were in a coma for the past weeks and I’ve been flying from one place to another. No, not walking. Literally toes-above-the-ground flying.  Because that’s how it feels when you suddenly find yourself in a new place and you realise that this is it. This is the thing that you’ve been waiting for, for such a long time and the dream is starting to finally happen.

But this is not about the psychological process  that I’m going through right now, this is about the new places that leave a footprint, colouring my never resting soul. The places that colour me! ^.^ (see what I did there?) It’s about these special, cosy spaces where you forget that you’re a foreigner trying to blend in. Because, even if only for an instant, it gives you the feeling of home.

And what better place would fit this description if not … *drums please* … a bookshop? But not just any tedious, ordinary shop, what I’m talking about is the real deal – an international café bookshop where books aren’t arranged by title, author, year and whatnot. Yep, no OCD-freaks in this place. Here, books are arranged only by genre and language.

Lately, one of my struggles has been about loneliness. Of course, you may think this sounds silly, cliché or childish. But it’s as real and as unexpected as I could ever think. I could never imagine I’d be as irritated from spending SO MUCH time on my own, because most of the time I love my intimacy and my “alone-time”. But as anything that’s exaggerated, I’ve had enough. And I reached the point where the only option I have left is accepting it. So, in this self-discovery, embracing-the-solitude process, I ran into this lovely shop.

Located in the coeur of the bourgeois & chic city (so many hints already) in southern France called Aix en Provence, Book in Bar is probably the best place where you could be alone and enjoy the most of it. You might even forget you don’t have company, and if you are with someone, you might avoid talking just to enjoy the silence. After almost two hours here, inspired by the smell, music and ambiance, I find myself sitting at a high table, facing the window, and writing. On actual piece of paper. It’s amazing how a Jack Jones song can unblock one’s ability to put thoughts and feelings together (coincidental or not, the name of the song fits as a glove).

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It’s a place where you’ll find 80% of the books written in a different language than French, be it English (most of them), Russian, German, Chinese or Spanish. They actually have very few French books. Once a month, they have a book club meeting, open to anyone and free of charge. All you have to do is read the book in advance and join the meeting, by sharing your feedback on it.  The next one is on September 24th and has a Spanish theme.

My favorite corner in this unconventional bookshop is called the “Blind date” shelf. A shelf where you get to go on a blind date with a book.Metaphorically speaking of course.  Awesome idea, right? All the books are covered in newspaper cover, so that you can’t see the author or title, and they have attached to it a small note on which there are written some hints about content of each book. All you have to do is accept the challenge!

It’s the kind of place where you’d go if you wanted to learn a foreign language, where middle aged English men come to sit at a table discussing all sorts of subjects, and it’s a pleasure to just sit and listen to their stories, only imagining what they’d look like, because you’re facing the window.  Now they went all philosophical talking about the connection between democracy and the truth, with a perfect English accent that makes you imagine Sir Oscar Wilde sitting there behind you, enjoying his pipe. “…because the truth hurts like a knife”. On the other side of the room, there are two French youths (I can tell from the way their voices sound) drinking a coffee and chatting too fast for my ear to apprehend, but with the same ear-loving accent which combines perfectly with the English one on the other side of the room, along with the sound of clinking teaspoons on the background. It almost feels as if I’m a spectator to this theatre play that I’m directing vividly in my imagination. And all I can do is listen. This is the art of silence.

And this is how to win the fight against loneliness – by embracing it. Laughing in its face and accepting the prize. So, for all the lone travellers passing by Aix-en-Provence and wanting to take a break and enjoy the silence, don’t miss Book in Bar. Grab a café avec dessert and you won’t regret it!

Fin

5 alternative must-dos in Paris

It’s been 13 years, but I still have this vivid image in my mind of mum and I walking joyously on the streets of Paris in the same clothes for 3 days, washed in the hotel sink and dried overnight at the mercy of a fan because our luggage had been lost at the airport. Not to mentioned my mum’s “Oh my God, I lost my kid!” look when I went back to her after a casual shopping spree in the almighty Tour Eiffel. That first adventure made Paris my absolute favourite place and no matter how many times I go back, I still enjoy it as if that is my first time.

Paris has a lot to offer and it’s almost overwhelming how many must-sees there are. And if you go there for the first time, you should definitely go and see all of them, they are worth it! But if you have the luxury to spend more than a few days there or to go back for a second visit, here are 5 places which will show you more of Paris than its world-renowned attractions.

#5 Galerie Vivienne

The moment you step foot in here you start dreaming. The gallery really takes you to another world, small, luxurious, with a mixture of elements from the past and present. My favourite was the little bookstore with vintage postcards, spreading the smell of old books across the corridor.

        

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Galerie Vivienne: 4 Rue des Petits Champs, 75002 Paris

 

#4 Bibliothèque nationale de France – site Richelieu

Just across the road from Galerie Vivienne, you’ll find the Richelieu-Louvois Library, part of BnF. You can’t go in if you’re not a member, but you can go through the first set of doors to have a sneak peak intro the reading room, which looks like this:

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Just spend a few minutes taking in its beauty and grandeur before moving on.

Bibliothèque nationale de France – site Richelieu: 58 rue de Richelieu, 75002 Paris 

#3 The Société Générale headquarters

Across the famous Galeries Lafayette (definitely worth a visit if you’re there – the inside and the view from the top are quite memorable as well!), you’ll see the Société Générale central branch. Before continuing your trip, go inside and prepare to be amazed. Your image of a stiff banking environment will soon be wiped away by this incredible Art Nouveau decor. It is surreal that people actually work there! Head downstairs to find the entrance to the strong rooms, marked by an impressive 18 tonnes steel door.

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Société Générale: 29 Boulevard Haussmann, 75009 Paris, France

Galeries Lafayette: 40 Boulevard Haussmann, 75009 Paris, France

#2 Canal Saint Martin

If you’re looking for a quiet afternoon, away from the buzz of the city centre, come out of the Stalingrad Metro and walk along Canal Saint Martin. You’ll see an alternative face of Paris, with plenty of street art, funky cafes and neighbourhood bakeries. While you’re enjoying your stroll, keep your eyes peeled for bits of creativity spread across the walls, the pavement and…the people.

One of funniest moments here was spotting a duck in the middle of the street and trying to chase it to move on the pavement. Cars were stopping and honking, waiting for the not-at-all-bothered bird to decide on its way, while other worried passers-by stopped to do the same as me. One of them, was this lovely gentlemen who was clearly having a bright day and decided to share it with everyone else through his distinctive clothing.

Canal St Martin : Quai de Valmy, 75010 Paris, France / Metro Stalingrad

#1 The view from Tour Montparnasse

People’s go-to place for a good view of Paris is, without doubt, the Eiffel Tower.  The major drawback of that, apart from the price and massive queue, is the fact that Paris’ symbol itself is not in there. I’m not gonna lie – Tour Montparnasse is quite ugly. But since it’s not in the picture, you completely forget about it once you’re at the top. Plus, it’s way cheaper and there is (almost) no queue!

Tip: go there at dawn to get a spectacular view and see the Eiffel Tower light up. Every hour on the dot, the tower also starts sparkling for a few minutes, so get to the top of Montparnasse 15-20 minutes earlier to be able to look right at it.

Super tip: bring a bottle of bubbly with you to accompany the view and:

Voilà: Paris, je t’aime!

Tour Montparnasse: 33 Avenue du Maine, 75015 Paris, France

That’s all for now, but I’m definitely not done with Paris. I will keep adding to my list of Paris amazingness and share my findings with you. Until then, pack your bags and go discover your own hidden gems!

Weekly Pinpoint#1: Alice’s Adventures Underground – Immersive theatre

This week I’m starting a new series called Weekly pinpoint, where I’m going to keep it short and sweet (at last!) and introduce you to an event, restaurant, one-day trip, you name it.

For the first one, I have the pleasure to present you Alice’s Adventures Underground, a very cool immersive/ interactive theatre experience. A production by Les Enfants Terribles, this weird, yet wonderful twist on the classic story has taken over the Vaults, in Waterloo, only to get everyone a chance to experience Wonderland.

For the newbies (myself included until not long ago), immersive theatre is the kind of theatre where spectators become actual participants in the play, either as a witness or a character. That often means that viewers have an active role in shaping the story and they get to experience the ins and outs of the play, not just observe it from the outside.

In Alice’s Adventures, you play the witness role as you don’t have a say in how the story evolves, but you become part of Wonderland’s madness, the one you so often tried to picture while reading.

Well that was the silliest tea party I ever went to! I am never going back there again!

The décor of the promenade is spectacular, probably my favourite aspect! At times you might not have enough time to notice it, though, with all sorts of wacky characters storming past you – you get to meet the Queen, the Mad-Hatter, the Rabbit and … I’ve already said too much. It’s better to go without expectations, so I don’t want to ruin the surprise.

My dear, here we must run as fast as we can, just to stay in place. And if you wish to go anywhere you must run twice as fast as that.

For me, the exit scene was a bit up in the air and there were times when I felt like something was missing, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. Nonetheless, everything went smoothly, the set was incredible and the actors were really well-prepared. It’s also hard to predict what will happen next, so there are plenty of surreal rooms and activities unfolding in front of your soon-to-be-amazed eyes!

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TIP: There will be a point where you have to choose between 2 scenarios: Eat me or Drink me. If you go with friends, make sure you choose different options so you can compare your stories at the end. Each of you will play a completely different role, which is part of the fun and excitement. And yes, you don’t get to experience the whole story but you’ll get to hear about all the intricate details first hand from your friends, so it (kind of) makes up for it.

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.”
“I don’t much care where –”
“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.

I hope you’re a bit curious now, so go here to find out more details and buy tickets. The show runs until August 30th, at various times throughout the day. It’s a bit pricey for budget-conscious spenders (£35-£47.50), but totally worth it!

Discount alert – WizzAir 2 seats for 1 today only!

I’ve just discovered that today, May 19th, for each seat you buy at WizzAir, you get the second one for free! The admin fee is not included in the offer and will still be payable separately and the seats have to be bought together, on the same flight.The offer is valid only for today. As far as I could see, you can choose any starting point and destination, on any date.

Read the terms and conditions carefully to understand exactly what is included, but it  sounds like a good offer, so it’s time for a spontaneous holiday!

Eating and drinking in central Brussels

Eating out

I don’t think there’s a better way to get to know a place than to try the local food. But before I go on telling you about the good parts, a piece of advice: stay away from Rue de Bouchers  – tourist trap alert with many exclamation points!

For a good meal out in the centre, Fin de Siècle is a good choice. It’s a very relaxed restaurant, with a buzzing ambient, perfect for a chat in an unpretentious environment. Their menu consists of a range of fixed and daily dishes. The prices are decent considering the location, with around €20 per person for a main and a drink.

Fin de siècle – Rue des Chartreux 9, 1000 Ville de Bruxelles

I tried Lapin en sauce kriek (rabbit in sour cherry beer) – generous portion and yum!

If you want a place to grab a quick bite and have cheap beer, go to Le Perroquet. It is fairly close to the center and it has a long menu of pitta bread filled with just about anything. There’s nothing too special about the place, the inside is very cozy and simple , but the beer is cheap and if you want a break for all the walking, it’s a great stop to recharge your batteries.

Le Perroquet – Rue Watteeu, 31, 1000 Bruxelles

And now for the specials:

Fries: what makes fries so special here is the fact that they are hand-cut and double-fried in animal fat (not oil). Obviously, as the word spread, lots of fritkots gave up hand-cutting or chose the cheap way out by using vegetable oil, so if you’re a fan of fries, you need to choose carefully. In the hunt for the best fries, the answer I received was unanimous: Frit Flagey (place Eugène Flagey, Ixelles).

The time was too short for me to go there, so I went for the second best, also recommended by locals, the fritkot in place de la Chapelle.

Waffles: when asking around about a good waffle place, I found out it is a blasphemy to get those chocolatey-fruity-creamy ones that are everywhere in the centre and practically invite you to try them. I had the willpower to stay away, so I went for what apparently is the traditional waffle (the square one!), without any toppings or with a bit of powder sugar on top. If the waffle is good, then you should be able to feel the flavour without adding any of the other deliciousness on top. For a cheap one, try the waffle vans spread across the city ( €1-2) and if you’d rather have something more fancy, Maison Dandoy, just off Grand Place, will serve you some mouth-watering options (€4-5).

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Chocolate: the city centre is filled with shops displaying incredibly looking pralines, so nobody will judge if you go and try a few here and there. I was quite disappointed that none of the shops had tasters (it is understandable, though), but just as I had lost my hope, I discovered Le Comptoir de Mathilde, a chocolaterie near Saint Nicolas Church, filled with not only chocolates, but liqueurs, spreads and spices. And the best part: it has free tasters!! Their chocolate and nut pâtes à tartiner (spreads) are to die for and there’s a pretty good selection of typical liqueurs that you can delight your senses with. So, whether you want to buy something, or just get a taste of Brussels (literally), your taste-buds will love this place!

Drinking

OK, I’m not a beer person at all, but I have to say, I don’t think I’ve tried and enjoyed so many different types of beer in my life. As a wise man once said, drinking in your country is alcoholism; drinking in a foreign country is cultural discovery.

A great place to start with is Chez Moeder Lambic. It is a relaxed bar close to the centre, with a long menu of beers that promise to satisfy all preferences. The best thing is to ask the bartender for a recommendation, unless you are a connoisseur, of course, and you are familiar with all the listed options.

One thing worth trying is the lambic beer, which is made of only 3 ingredients: water, a starch source and hops – no yeast. The absence of yeast means that the beer is still in the process of fermenting with wild yeast and bacteria – it sounds terrible, but hear me out. With an under-developed acidity and a strong sour taste, the lambic tastes nothing like beer, so it won’t be for everyone. It is, however, worth trying if you want to discover a new taste (or rather old, as this is how beer used to be made in the past).

Oh, and while you’re there, give their quiches a try – delish!

Chez Moeder Lambic – 8 place Fontainas 1000 Bruxelles

Delirium holds the Guiness World Record for offering over 2000 different types of beer, from the classic choices to some very unusual flavours. It is placed in the heart of the touristy centre, hidden on a side alley and it has 3 floors, each offering certain kinds of beer. I didn’t have the best experience there, as my money got stolen (so watch out!), but I guess it’s worth experiencing their insane beer menu. They have €2 tasters in case you really wanna go for it and can’t make up your mind. Note: the place is quite famous among tourists, so if you’re looking for a local spot, then this might not be for you.

Delirium –  Impasse de la Fidélité 4A, 1000 Ville de Bruxelles

That’s all about Brussels for now. Next up: Paris!

Brussels at a glance

I’ve just come back from a weekend getaway in Brussels, with some fresh knowledge ready to be shared! I didn’t have too much time to go off-the-beaten track, especially since it was my first time visiting the city, but I will give you an initial insight and hopefully come back with more tips after my second getaway.

For some reason, I’ve never been too drawn to Brussels, but always wanted to visit it, if that makes any sense. I have to say, I have mixed feelings about it. I thought the city was great, with a great mixture of old and new, and it feels like a capital city, without being too overwhelming.

There is a lot of French influence in the architecture, so walking the central streets I found myself saying “That looks like *insert attraction* in Paris!!”… but still not quite as impressive. So, after having seen a few places in France, I wasn’t blown away by the looks of the city, but that doesn’t change the fact that it is a beautiful place, nonetheless, and it’s definitely worth a visit.

What I did enjoy was the laid back atmosphere of the city, and coming from London, where you feel like you’re constantly running, it was a piece of heaven! So, at times, I took a break from walking and let myself soak in the “breeze” over a glass of beer (more like multiple glasses, but we’ll go into more details later) and a few (ahem, lots) of delicious pralines.

As usual, I went on the Sandemans walking tour and found out a bit about the history of Brussels, while ticking off the main attractions of the list. For some reason, I found Manneken Pis, the symbol of the city (one of the many, actually) to be quite funny and to my delight, I had the pleasure to find it dressed in one of the over 6000 custom-made costumes. If I’m ever going to live there, I will go see him every day and build a collection of photos with all his costumes (don’t judge, we all have our little quirky bugs). Word!

For a good photo spot, go inside the Galeries Royale and you’ll also get the chance to drool at the sight of some incredibly-looking chocolate. They are quite pricey so it’s up to you if you want to buy any or not, but having a look won’t hurt your wallet.

Inside the galleries, I found Tropismes, a French librairie (bookshop) with an impressive  decor, where the “Blue Note” jazz club used to be in the 1960s.

Galeries Royale

Inside Tropismes (Source)

Tropismes: Galerie des Princes 11, 1000 Brussels

Marolles neighbourhood and Jeu de Balle flea market

The Marolles (fr.) neighbourhood shows a different face of Brussels, one that is not even remotely close to the fancy pralines and imposing architecture of the touristy-centre. I spent half a day just wandering on the streets and peaking into the small galleries, second-hand shops and neighborhood cafes. Although this area was partly destroyed to give way to the grand Palace of Justice, you do get a feeling of authenticity and it’s perfect for observing the locals.

Flea market – Place de Jeu de Balle

One of the gems in this part of the city is the flea market in Place de Jeu de Balle, which takes place every morning, until 2-3pm. If you are like me and you love scouring through your grandma’s drawers to find random relics, then that’s definitely the place for you. You can pick up anything, from frames, clothes and glasses to typewriters (because, why not?).

Cartoons – a different way to see the city

If you’re not a fan of mainstream tours, then a comic strip tour of the city might please you. It’s widely knows that, in Brussels, comic books are a valuable and extremely appreciated form of art (and that’s where TinTin was born!).

What started off as an attempt to cover the empty walls in 1991, the big cartoon murals now form a great route in and around Brussels’ centre, giving tourists the opportunity to see some less known faces of the city. There are over 50 murals and each of them has a small silver plaque underneath, pointing you to the next one.

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Brussels! 

In case I haven’t mentioned before, I am crazy about panoramic views! This is a must-do whenever I go somewhere and Brussels was no exception.

If you follow the road to Palace of Justice, you’ll find yourself on top of Brussels, with good views of the city, the Atomium and Sacre Coeur. It’s not as impressive as I would’ve wanted, but it works.

Another spot, which I didn’t get a chance to see, but apparently offers great views, is the rooftop terrace at the Musical Instruments Museum. The view from Mont des Arts, close-by, is pretty spectacular, so I can imagine the museum’s rooftop is even better. While you’re there, give the museum a go as well for a chance to listen to the sound of some rare instruments.

General tip: most museums are free on Sundays and closed on Mondays, so plan wisely!

Antiquing

In Marolles, near Place de la Chapelle, I stumbled upon this quirky-looking shop called Stefantiek. The inside is a bit like Alice in Wonderland, with more rooms unfolding as you delve into the shop. The place is jam-packed with artifacts and oddities, from furniture to rusty bikes and all sorts of retro pieces, which will surely serve for your entertainment. The prices are quite high so you might have to resort to just lurking around the shop to satisfy your thirst for relics.

Stefantiek – Antiques Shop

 Stefantiek – Blaes Street 63, 1000 Brussels, Belgium

That’s it for now. Part 2 to follow with great places for eating and drinking!

Travel Planning Kit – The Sequel

Missed part 1? Long story-short:

• Search for flights on Momondo.
• Find a cozy room/ apartment on Airbnb – sign up here and get £16 (or the equivalent) travel credit
• Meet some great people in colourful hostels – here and here.

Today’s heroes

City tours

Oh, no, no, no, don’t you snooze on me. The word tour just makes you want to go to sleep, I know. But what about free, young, fun tours? Now you’re listening!

This is probably the first thing I do when I visit a new place: go on a free tour of the city to learn a bit about it’s history, legends and things worth doing. It’s a great starting point as you can see the main attractions and then find out about what else is there, all through the eyes of a local.

The concept is simple: the guides are young, passionate about the city they live in and  don’t get paid to do this. So you’ll be welcomed by enthusiastic people, who’ll tell you lots of secrets about their city with a cheeky sense of humour, some urban legends, random facts and a bit of history. The best part is that you can ask more about what seems interesting to you and you also get brilliant recommendations on where to eat, drink, party and learn, all depending on your schedule and budget. For all of this, you leave a tip amounting to whatever you think the tour was worth. Believe me, you won’t be disappointed as the guides will do their best to entertain and inform you – their income is in your hands (literally). And if you really dislike the tour (guide), you are free to go at any time – no strings attached.

The most well-known company is Sandemans New Europe. I’ve seen Prague, Berlin, London, Barcelona, Paris and Lisbon with them and loved every single one of them! If they are not in the city you want to go to, look for local companies. I recommend Bucharest’s Walkabout and Warsaw’s Free Walking Tour.

Couchsurfing

Image source

I think pretty much everyone has heard of Courchsurfing by now. I don’t know about you, but I was very reluctant at first. What, so do I just go and sleep on a stranger’s couch? What if something happens? *insert 100+ scenarios of all the things that could go wrong*

Now I’m not saying things can’t go wrong. But is it that hard to believe people would genuinely offer a piece of their home to some strangers just to make sure they have a good time? No need to answer that, let’s just leave it there. But seriously, have some faith in humanity. I tried couchsurfing in Zaragoza. Me and my friend, Daniela, stayed at Edu’s place (hi, Edu!) and we didn’t only get a couch; we got a whole room for ourselves, yummy food and *drum roll* the most adorable kitten in the world (don’t trust on that though, I find them all adorable)! Edu took the time to show us the city and he was an excellent guide! He also taught us the difference between calimotcho and cachirulo (still took me a while to remember that).

City Maps2Go

City Maps2Go is an app which contains a series of offline maps that will prevent you from getting lost. In most cases you’ll be able to find wi-fi in cafes and restaurants, but unless you have mobile data abroad, Google Maps won’t be be able to come to the rescue. This app is a good compromise. You can’t search for directions from A to B, but you have a detailed map with all the streets and a database of the main attractions and restaurants that you can mark on the map (or add your own). On the main streets, it will also tell you what bus/ tram numbers are on that route. This is what my Warsaw map looked like:

One drawback is that the app can be quite slow at times, but it does most of the job and it’s free, so you’d better say “Thanks!”. Don’t forget to download it before you leave, as it is quite big and it’s going to take a while to install.

BlaBla Car

Ah, I love BlaBla Car! This startup has grown a lot in the past few years and it’s expanding quickly across Europe and beyond.

BlaBlaCar is also present in Hungary, Croatia, Serbia and Romania and the most recently Mexico. Source

How it works: people have empty seats in their car. You are looking for a ride. They advertise their empty seats on the website, against a fee they choose. You contact them. They accept you. Travel sorted!

I’ve used BlaBla Car a lot in Spain and I found it really flexible and convenient. I’ve met some really nice people and travelled cheaper and faster than by train and sometimes coach. However, the golden rule applies here as well: check reviews!! You’re trusting your live in the wheels of a strangers, so you need to get a confirmation of their driving skills from fellow adventurers.

City guides

If you still love paper travel guides and magazines (I am one of those old-fashioned ones), then my heroes are Lonely Planet and TimeOut.

Lonely Planet has an extensive collection of standard guides as well as various books grouped by topic and plenty of up-to-date travel suggestions, both online and offline.

TimeOut is not only great as a city guide, but also reviews local events and pop-ups, ranging from outdoor activities to theatre, concerts and food fests. If you live in London, pick it up every Tuesday from any tube station and you’ll definitely find at least one cool thing happening that week.

(Talking about London – subscribe to the Londonist to get the best of daily London – there’s so much going on and it’s all collected in one place, for you!)

Drungli 

Drungli is a great flight-finder (never tried their hotel section) for those days when all that matters is that you want to go somewhere. You select your location and dates (or month) and it shows you the cheapest flights. Even though it might not have such an extensive database of airlines, it can give you an idea of cheap destinations and dates, and you can take that inspiration to scour the internet for better deals.

However, I think lately the site hasn’t been as good as it used to in terms of flight prices, which is why I left it towards the end. But it’s still on my list of sites to check, for old times’ sake!

I can’t go without mentioning my good old friend Trip Advisor. It’s so integrated in our lives that there’s not really any point mentioning it. I just want to make sure you do have a look – reviews are the closest thing you have to a friendly advice, and if you want to avoid tourist traps, you need an insider to point you in the right direction.

That’s all (for today) folks!

Travel planning kit – part 1

Before I go into the secrets of destinations, I think it’s appropriate to set the scene and talk a bit about the resources I use to plan my trips.

Checkpoint #1: Flights

So, I want to go on a holiday. That’s what it usually starts with. Most of the time I have a vague idea of the time or the destination, so my first checkpoint is finding flights. As a fresh graduate, I have quite a limited budget, so my priority is usually finding the cheapest flight or get as close to it as possible.

When you don’t have a favourite airline, the best thing to do is use a metasearch engine (aggregators which compile results from multiple sites) and my absolute favourite is Momondo. I stumbled across it a few years ago through a random Google search, but when comparing the results with SkyScanner or Kayak, it had by far the best ones in terms of price. That might have been a fortunate coincidence, I admit, but what I like most about it is the graph at the top, indicating the fluctuation of price for each day. Although the price estimation they provide when you hover the mouse on the graph is not always accurate, if it shows that flying out on Saturday will be more expensive than Wednesday, it is probably going to be true.

Example of price graph for a return trip between London and Madrid.

Like most travel metasearch engines, you can filter your results on various factors like airports, departure/ arrival time, length of trip and so on. It also has some cool features, like Trip Finder, which can serve as an inspiration for when you aren’t quite sure about what you want.

However, if you found a flight (yaay!) make sure you double-check the airline’s website and other metasearch engines (my next in line is SkyScanner) to see if you are really getting the best deal.

Checkpoint #2: Accommodation

Airbnb – the almighty

Accommodation highly depends on the type of holiday I am aiming for. If I leave the room in the morning for a full day of visiting and come back late at night, then chances are I mainly need a bed to rest my feet in and a decent shower. If I am going to the beach and I want to have a midday hide-away from the sun, I might go for a nice hotel room with all the facilities.

For almost all scenarios, top contender here is airbnb. Most of you have probably heard about it by now, but if you haven’t, all you need to know is that you have to try it!

Airbnb is a travel startup which has grown immensely in the past few years. It works on a very simple principle: people who have a spare room or property advertise it here and you enjoy your next stay in a cosy place that feels like home. You will easily find something that suits your budget, with some very simple and practical options, on one hand, and some amazing apartments that you won’t want to leave behind, on the other! Everything is controlled through the website (payments and messages) so it’s safe and personal at the same time.

This is what a basic search would look like. You can filter the results on the number of people, price, room type and other facilities and you can see where everything is on the map.

I’ve used airbnb on a few occasions now and I can’t recommend it enough. I found some amazing places in key locations at a very small price and the people were all lovely. So next time you go on holiday, give it a try!

However, make sure you check reviews! They give you great information on the host, location and property and highlight if something went wrong. Also, before you proceed with the payment, contact the host through a message and make an enquiry about the dates, prices and anything else you are interested in. You can get a first impression based on how fast they reply, their tone and amount of details they give you.

I don’t get anything for promoting these sites (that’s not the point) but if you do decide to sign up, you can use this link and get £16 credit (or the equivalent) for your first trip and so do I. So, there you go, win-win!

Hostels – your friend in need

I rarely come relaxed from a holiday due to the insane amount of walking I do, I mostly look for a bed and some friendly faces. In this case, hostels are the answer, my friend.

I know, I know, by default you think hostels are terrible: dirty, lots of people, eew, how can you even..? Ok, I’m not going to say there are not some terrible hostels out there. But in my experience, 90% of the time you get a clean bed, central location, creativity in decoration, a friendly kitchen and living-room and plenty of activities. You’ll also get a free map and great advice on what’s there to see, any events or great gems you can’t miss. For someone like me, who never plans their trip, this is heaven!

Hostels are great for meeting people as you’ll either have to share a room or there’s going to be a great party, pizza night or city tour somewhere down the line. And if you are going with your partner, there are also ensuite private rooms at a much cheaper rate than hotels. Ok, maybe not as glamorous, but hey, you have privacy and you can afford a nice dinner in that fancy restaurant you read about on TripAdvisor!

The 2 sites which I use the most (they are the most popular as well) are HostelWorld and HostelBookers. I always check on both to make sure all my options are covered and most of the time I find what I am looking for. One thing to bear in mind, always check reviews (yup, it’s in bold again)!! It’s a good habit to have as a traveler in general, but with hostels it’s a must, as you can find out vital information about the shower facilities (believe me, you need to know that!), location (you want to be close to the hot spots) and other things such as activities and friendliness of staff.

Although not as much, I always have a quick look on Booking.com as well, as they do have some great-looking apartments at decent prices, sometimes even cheaper than hostels and airbnb.

Looking at the length of this post, it seems like I got a bit carried away, didn’t I? I have plenty of other resources, but I’ll let you start planning for now. Look out for part 2 and if you have any secrets of your own when going on holiday, share away!

It’s happening!

A few hows, whys and whats.

How I got the travel bug

I can’t even remember the number of times I’ve been asked “What are your hobbies/ interests?”, be it a formal or informal context, with these exact words or something pointing to exactly the same thing. There’s always some kind of pressure that comes with this, because you feel the need to say something actually interesting or unheard of, that would make the other person go “Oh, wow, that’s really cool!”. Oh well, no matter how much I thought about it, there was never anything out of the ordinary, nothing I could spend hours on end doing or talking about.

But something changed in the past few years. On my ordinary list of not-so-interesting hobbies, I started adding travelling. I’ve always liked it (I mean, who doesn’t?), but the joy of planning your own trips (there’s one good thing about being an adult) and actually wandering on the streets and talking to locals (yes, talking to strangers is also a perk of adulthood) changed travelling into a completely different concept. And the more I discovered, the more I wanted to see. And when you want to shout it to the whole world, you know that makes you happy. And then you have interesting answers to give.

Photo source

Why can’t I keep it to myself?

Well, remember what I said about things that make you happy and you want to share with the world? Well, there’s that. But we already talked about it.

The idea of a blog came to me when I went to Croatia last summer. I had never thought much of Croatia; never asked, never really been told anything but the fact it has nice beaches. And it ended up being a revelation! I had such a beautiful experience and discovered a place I had never even considered. And that’s when I felt the need to tell everyone about it.

But there were also things like looking for a good restaurant and ending up in tourist traps, finding out what activities are worth doing, what’s cheap and what’s not. All of that happened during the trip (I’m not the planning-every-minute kind of traveler) and made me realise it would have been so much easier if someone I know had given me at least one good tip. But hey, where’s the joy in that?

So, what’s in it for you?

I’ll first tell you what not to expect: a guide or a life story.

Now onto the important bits. My main hope is to give you a hint when you have no clue. So I’ll tell you about good (or bad) places to eat and drink, places worth (or not so much) visiting, anything I find interesting about people and really, anything that could improve your experience in a destination (or before getting there).

Let the travel storytelling begin!

P.S. The lovely photo on the Home page belongs to my dear friend Ozana. See more here.