#but not spending 4 days in vienna make it a lot more possible for me to get a new phone next month probably

[whyshedisappeared]

at least I'm going to be able to get the new phone I need sooner?

[mostlymovieswithmax]

Movies I watched in May

Sadly, I kind of skipped writing a post for April. It was a mad month with so much going on: lots of emails sent and lots of stress. I started a new job so I’m getting to grips with that... and even then, I still watched a bunch of movies. But this is about what I watched in May and, yeah… still a bunch. So if you’re looking to get into some other movies - possibly some you’ve thought about watching but didn’t know what they were like, or maybe like the look of something you’ve never heard of - then this may help! So here’s every film I watched from the 1st to the 31st of May 2021 Tenet (2020) - 8/10 This was my third time watching Christopher Nolan’s most Christopher Nolan movie ever and it makes no sense but I still love it. The spectacle of it all is truly like nothing I’ve ever seen. I had also watched it four days prior to this watch also, only this time I had enabled audio description for the visually impaired, thinking it would make it funny… It didn’t.

Nomadland (2020) - 6/10 Chloé Zhao’s new movie got a lot of awards attention. Everyone was hyped for this and when it got put out on Disney+ I was eager to see what all the fuss was about. Seeing these real nomads certainly gave the film an authenticity, along with McDormand’s ever-praisable acting. But generally I found it quite underwhelming and lacking a lot in its pacing. Nomadland surely has its moments of captivating cinematography and enticing commentary on the culture of these people, but it felt like it went on forever without any kind of forward direction or goal. The Prince of Egypt (1998) - 6/10 I reviewed this on my podcast, The Sunday Movie Marathon. For what it is, it’s pretty fun but nowhere near as good as some of the best DreamWorks movies.

Chinatown (1974) - 8/10 What a fantastic and wonderfully unpredictable mystery crime film! I regret to say I’ve not seen many Jack Nicholson performances but he steals the show. Despite Polanski’s infamy, it’d be a lie to claim this wasn’t truly masterful. Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) - 8/10 Admittedly I was half asleep as I curled up on the sofa to watch this again on a whim. I watched this with someone who demanded the dubbed version over the subtitled version and while I objected heavily, I knew I’d seen the movie before so it didn’t matter too much. That person also fell asleep about 20 minutes in, so how pointless an argument it was. Howl’s Moving Castle boasts superb animation, the likes of which I’ve only come to expect of Miyazaki. The story is so unique and the colours are absolutely gorgeous. This may not be my favourite from the legendary director but there’s no denying its splendour.

Bāhubali: The Beginning (2015) - 3/10 The next morning I watched some absolute trash. This crazy, over the top Indian movie is hilarious and I could perhaps recommend it if it weren’t so long. That being said, Bāhubali was not a dumpster fire; it has a lot of good-looking visual effects and it’s easy to see the ambition for this epic story, it just doesn’t come together. There’s fun to be had with how the main character is basically the strongest man in the world and yet still comes across as just a lucky dumbass, along with all the dancing that makes no sense but is still entertaining to watch. Seven Samurai (1954) - 10/10 If it wasn’t obvious already, Seven Samurai is a masterpiece. I reviewed this on The Sunday Movie Marathon podcast, so more thoughts can be found there. Red Road (2006) - 6/10 Another recommendation on episode 30 of the podcast. Red Road really captures the authentic British working class experience. Before Sunrise (1995) - 10/10 One of the best romances put to film. The first in Richard Linklater’s Before Trilogy is undoubtedly my favourite, despite its counterparts being almost equally as good. It tells the story of a young couple travelling through Europe, who happen to meet on a train and spend the day together. It is gloriously shot on location in Vienna and features some of the most interesting dialogue I’ve ever seen put to film. Heartbreakingly beautiful.

Tokyo Story (1953) - 9/10 This Japanese classic - along with being visually and sonically masterful - is a lot about appreciating the people in your life and taking the time to show them that you love them. It’s about knowing it’s never too late to rekindle old relationships if you truly want to, which is something I’ve been able to relate to in recent years. It broke my heart in two. Tokyo Story will make you want to call your mother. Before Sunset (2004) - 10/10 Almost a decade after Sunrise, Sunset carries a sombre yet relieving feeling. Again, the performances from Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke take me away, evoking nostalgic feelings as they stroll through the contemporary Parisian streets. There is no regret in me for buying the Criterion blu-ray boxset for this trilogy. Before Midnight (2013) - 10/10 Here, Linklater cements this trilogy as one of the best in film history. It’s certainly not the ending I expected, yet it’s an ending I appreciate endlessly. Because it doesn’t really end. Midnight shows the troubling times of a strained relationship; one that has endured so long and despite initially feeling almost dreamlike in how idealistically that first encounter was portrayed, the cracks appear as the film forces you to come to terms with the fact that fairy-tale romances just don’t exist. Relationships require effort and sacrifice and sometimes the ones that truly work are those that endure through all the rough patches to emerge stronger. The Holy Mountain (1973) - 10/10 Jodorowsky’s masterpiece is absolute insanity. I talked more about it on The Sunday Movie Marathon podcast.

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) - 10/10 Another watch for Grand Budapest because I bought the Criterion blu-ray. As unalterably perfect as ever. Blue Jay (2016) - 6/10 Rather good up to a point. My co-hosts and I did not agree on how good this movie was, which is a discussion you can listen to on my podcast. Shadow and Bone: The Afterparty (2021) - 3/10 For what it’s worth, I really enjoyed the first season of Shadow and Bone, which is why I wanted to see what ‘The Afterparty’ was about. This could have been a lot better and much less annoying if all those terrible comedians weren’t hosting and telling bad jokes. I don’t want to see Fortune Feimster attempt to tell a joke about oiling her body as the cast of the show sit awkwardly in their homes over Zoom. If it had simply been a half hour, 45 minute chat with the cast and crew about how they made the show and their thoughts on it, a lot of embarrassment and time-wasting could have been spared. Wadjda (2012) - 6/10 Another recommendation discussed at length on The Sunday Movie Marathon. Wadjda was pretty interesting from a cultural perspective but largely familiar in terms of story structure.

Freddy Got Fingered (2001) - 2/10 A truly terrible movie with maybe one or two scenes that stop it from being a complete catastrophe. Tom Green tried to create something that almost holds a middle finger to everyone who watches it and to some that could be a fun experience, but to me it just came across as utterly irritating. It’s simply a bunch of scenes threaded together with an incredibly loose plot. He wears the skin of a dead deer, smacks a disabled woman over and over again on the legs to turn her on, and he swings a newborn baby around a hospital room by its umbilical cord (that part was actually pretty funny). I cannot believe I watched this again, although I think I repressed a lot of it since having seen it for the first time around five years ago. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 - (2011) I have to say, these movies seem to get better with each instalment. They’re still not very good though. That being said, I’m amazed at how many times I’ve watched each of the Twilight movies at this point. This time around, I watched Breaking Dawn - Part 1 with a YMS commentary track on YouTube and that made the experience a lot more entertaining. Otherwise, this film is super dumb but pretty entertaining. I would recommend watching these movies with friends. Solaris (1972) - 8/10 Andrei Tarkovsky’s grand sci-fi epic about the emotional crises of a crew on the space station orbiting the fictional planet Solaris is much as strange and creepy as you might expect from the master Russian auter. I had wanted to watch this for a while so I bought the Criterion blu-ray and it’s just stunning. It’s clear to see the 2001: A Space Odyssey inspiration but Solaris is quite a different beast entirely. Jaws (1975) - 4/10 I really tried to get into this classic movie, but Jaws exhibits basically everything I don’t like about Steven Spielberg’s directing. For sure, the effects are crazily good but the story itself is poorly handled and largely uninteresting. It was just a massive slog to get through.

Darkman (1990) - 6/10 Sam Raimi’s superhero movie is so much fun, albeit massively stupid. Further discussion on Darkman can be found on episode 32 of The Sunday Movie Marathon podcast. Darkman II: The Return of Durant (1995) - 1/10 Abysmal. I forgot the movie as I watched it. This was part of a marathon my friends and I did for episode 32 of our podcast. Darkman III: Die Darkman Die (1996) - 1/10 Perhaps this trilogy is not so great after all. Only marginally better than Darkman II but still pretty terrible. More thoughts on episode 32 of my podcast. F For Fake (1973) - 8/10 Rewatching this proved to be a worthwhile decision. Albeit slightly boring, there’s no denying how crazy the story of this documentary about art forgers is. The standout however, is the director himself. Orson Welles makes a lot of this film about himself and how hot his girlfriend is and it is hilarious.

The Mitchells vs. The Machines (2021) - 4/10 More style over substance, Sony’s new animated adventure wants so much to be in trend with the current internet culture but it simply doesn’t understand what it’s emulating. There’s a nyan cat reference, for crying out loud. For every joke that works, there are about ten more that do not and were it not for the wonderful animation, it simply wouldn’t be getting so much praise. Taxi Driver (1976) - 10/10 The first movie I’ve seen in a cinema since 2020 and damn it was good to be back! I’ve already reviewed Taxi Driver in my March wrap-up but seeing it in the cinema was a real treat. Irreversible (2002) - 8/10 One of the most viscerally horrendous experiences I’ve ever had while watching a movie. I cannot believe a friend of mine gave me the DVD to watch. More thoughts on episode 32 of The Sunday Movie Marathon podcast. Don’t watch it with the family. The Golden Compass (2007) - 1/10 I had no recollection of this being as bad as it is. The Golden Compass is the definition of a factory mandated movie. Nothing it does on its own is worth any kind of merit. I would say, if you wanted an experience like what this tries to communicate, a better option by far is the BBC series, His Dark Materials. More of my thoughts can be found in the review I wrote on Letterboxd.

Antichrist (2009) - 8/10 Lars von Trier is nothing if not provocative and I can understand why someone would not like Antichrist, but I enjoyed it quite a lot. After watching it, I wrote a slightly disjointed summary of my interpretations of this highly metaphorical movie in the group chat, so fair warning for a bit of spoilers and graphic descriptions: It's like, the patriarchy, man! Oppression! Men are the rational thinkers with big brains and the women just cry and be emotional. So she's seen as crazy when she's smashing his cock and driving a drill through his leg to keep him weighted down. Like, how does he like it, ya know? So then she mutilates herself like she did with him and now they're both wounded, but the animals crowd around her (and the crow that he couldn't kill because it's Mother nature, not Father nature, duh). Then he kills her, even though she could've killed him loads of times but didn't. So it's like "haha big win for the man who was subjected to such horrific torture. Victory!" And then all the women with no faces come out of the woods because it's like a constant cycle. Manchester By The Sea (2016) - 6/10 Great performances in this super sad movie. I can’t say I got too much out of it though. Roar (1981) - 9/10 Watching Roar again was still as terrifying an experience as the first time. If you want to watch something that’s loose on plot with poor acting but with real big cats getting in the way of production and physically attacking people, look no further. This is the scariest movie I’ve ever seen because it’s all basically real. Cannot recommend it enough. Eyes Without A Face (1960) - 8/10 I’m glad I checked this old French movie out again. There’s a lot to marvel at in so many aspects, what with the premise itself - a mad surgeon taking the faces from unsuspecting women and transplanting them onto another - being incredibly unique for the time. Short, sweet and entertaining!

Se7en (1995) - 10/10 The first in a David Fincher marathon we did for The Sunday Movie Marathon, episode 33. Zodiac (2007) - 10/10 Second in the marathon, as it was getting late, we decided to watch half that evening and the last half on the following evening. Zodiac is a brilliant movie and you can hear more of my thoughts on the podcast (though I apologise; my audio is not the best in this episode). Gone Girl (2014) - 10/10 My favourite Fincher movie. More insights into this masterpiece in episode 33 of the podcast. Friends: The Reunion (2021) - 6/10 It was heartwarming to see the old actors for this great show together again. I talked about the Friends reunion film at length in episode 33 of my podcast.

Wolfwalkers (2020) - 10/10 I reviewed this in an earlier post but would like to reiterate just how wonderful Wolfwalkers is. If you get the chance, please see it in the cinema. I couldn’t stop crying from how beautiful it was. Raya and The Last Dragon (2021) - 6/10 After watching Wolfwalkers, I decided I didn’t want to go home. So I had lunch in town and booked a ticket for Disney’s Raya and The Last Dragon. A child was coughing directly behind me the entire time. Again, I reviewed this in an earlier post but generally it was decent but I have so many problems with the execution. The Princess Bride (1987) - 9/10 Clearly I underrated this the last time I watched it. The Princess Bride is warm and hilarious with some delightfully memorable characters. A real classic!

The Invisible Kid (1988) - 1/10 About as good as you’d expect a movie with that name to be, The Invisible Kid was a pick for The Sunday Movie Marathon podcast, the discussion for which you can listen to in episode 34. Babel (2006) - 9/10 The same night that I watched The Invisible Kid, I watched a masterful and dour drama from the director of Birdman and The Revenant. Babel calls back to an earlier movie of Iñárritu’s, called Amores Perros and as I was informed while we watched this for the podcast, it turns out Babel is part of a trilogy alongside the aforementioned film. More thoughts in episode 34 of the podcast. Snake Eyes (1998) - 1/10 After feeling thoroughly emotionally wiped out after Babel, we immediately watched another recommendation for the podcast: Snake Eyes, starring Nicolas Cage. This was a truly underwhelming experience and for more of a breakdown into what makes this movie so bad, you can listen to us talk about it on the podcast.

[lucacangettathisass]

How The Light Gets In (ch. 4)

SUMMARY: After your home is ransacked by a group of strange men, you and your cousin are taken in by a group of outlaws. And that’s when the trouble really starts.

PAIRINGS: John Marston x Fem!Reader, Arthur Morgan x Fem!Reader

CHAPTER ONE, CHAPTER TWO, CHAPTER THREE

TAGGING: @mountainhymn if you would like to be tagged in future chapters please lmk!

NOTES: yikes so....this one took a while! yeah i’ve just been busy with work and playing red dead and junk. speaking of i’m aware i’ve done stuff out of order but listen. listen. i got no excuse. likes are welcomed but reblogs are most appreciated! be sure to support fic writers by spreading their work!

As you sat with the other ladies and Jack around the fire, you were all joined by a slim, older man with round glasses and a heavy coat. “I hope you all don’t mind.” He said, with a distinctly European accent. “The Reverend has been trying my patience.”

“Of course Herr Strauss.” Miss Grimshaw looked over at you and Sadie. “This is Leopold Strauss, he does the bookkeeping.”

You regarded the man curiously. “Are you from Germany Herr Strauss?”

Mr Strauss looked at you with a raised brow. “Vienna.”

You smiled brightly. “I’ve heard wonderful things about Vienna.” You said. “How long have you been in America?”

“Since 1863.” He replied, warming his hands. “Where did you hear about Vienna?”

“My mother worked for a Russian widow who spent a lot of her time in Vienna.” You explained. “She always spoke very highly of the city.”

Mr Strauss nodded slowly, regarding you with curiosity. “Do you speak German?”

Your smile grew wider. “Fließend.” You replied, with some pride. “Die Witwe hat es mir beigerbracht.”

That made Mr Strauss smile, while everyone else looked between the two of you in confusion. “She said that the widow taught her how to speak German.” He explained to everyone. “It’ll be nice to speak German with someone who can actually understand.”

You laughed lightly. “I’m sure, although it’s been a while since I had ample opportunity to speak it, so I may not be perfect.”

“It’s better than nothing.”

You laughed again, and to your delight saw Mr Strauss smile wider.

“Some old widow taught you German?” Miss Jones seemed rather intrigued.

“She taught me a lot of things.” You replied. “I owe her a great deal.” You crossed yourself out of habit, silently praying that her soul was resting as peacefully as she deserved. “She died a few years ago.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Mr Strauss said. “She clearly meant a lot to you.”

“Thank you, you’re very kind to say so.” You said. Now that you were able to think more clearly, you saw that you had to try and get as many of the gang members on your side as possible as long as you and Sadie were with them. The more they liked you both, the easier it would be. Thankfully if there was one thing you knew how to do, it was charm people. “You mentioned a Reverend?”

“A former Reverend.” Miss Grimshaw said. “He ain’t much of one these days.”

That made you frown. As a child you went to church often, and you had always admired those that had chosen to spend the rest of their lives walking with the Lord, so to hear of one falling from grace hurt you, as ridiculous as that sounded. But it also intrigued you to know that a band of outlaws had a Reverend of all things with them.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” You said quietly, and your fingers twitched, momentarily going for your prayer rope before you remembered that it was lost, along with just about everything else you had ever called yours. “So, who else do you have with you all?”

Miss Grimshaw told you of the other members you had yet to meet; Dutch’s lover Molly O’Shea, a disgraced soldier called Bill Williamson, the former revolutionary fighter Javier Escuella, young Lenny Summers whom Miss Grimshaw praised for his intellect, the lost and troublesome Irishman Sean Macguire who was hopefully with the equally troublesome and twice as brash Mac Callander, and an old man known simply as Uncle.

“Uncle?” You furrowed your brow. “Has he never given you all a proper name?”

“Nope.” Miss Jackson spoke up as she prodded the fire to keep it alive. “We’ve all asked, but he’s never given a straight answer.”

That left you flummoxed. You could understand one not wanting to give their real identity if they were an outlaw, but surely they would provide a proper name, rather than just ‘Uncle’. It made you wonder what kind of life ‘Uncle’ had lead. And trying to figure out how exactly you would address him as you would no doubt have to some time soon.

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Miss Roberts clinging onto Jack as he sat in her lap, whispering into his ear. You watched them for a bit, feeling your heart ache for the little boy. “What do you like to do Jack?” You smiled kindly at him, trying to put him more at ease.

Jack shrugged, avoiding looking at you. “I don’t know.”

“Yes you do Jack.” Miss Roberts said. She looked up at you. “He loves to read.”

You instantly perked up, smiling wider. “What do you like to read?”

Jack glanced up at you before shyly looking away again. “Fairy tales.” He said. “Uncle Hosea likes to read to me too.”

You nodded, touched and surprised at the idea of Mr Matthews doing something so...well, normal. It never occurred to you that people like this, outlaws and criminals, could be so domestic. “Do you read with your father?”

There was a sudden silence, and you felt a sharp rise of tension in the atmosphere, which in turn made you tense and anxious.

“His father ain’t really the readin’ type.” Miss Roberts said bitterly. “Not much of a fatherin’ type at all really.”

You felt your heart sink and you looked back down at Jack, who was frowning at the floor. “I’m very sorry to hear that Miss Roberts.” You said sincerely.

She shrugged. “It’s fine, the others around here help, particularly Arthur.”

That made you smile a little. “That’s good to hear, a boy needs a strong man in his life.” You looked back at Jack and leaned in closer to him. “So, what have you been reading lately?”

-

With some encouragement from his mother, Jack opened up and you found him to be a very chatty, and adorably precocious child. He talked animatedly about the stories of kings and knights of round tables he read with Mr Matthews, and of the games he made up and would play, either with others or by himself. As he spoke, you got the feeling that he felt rather lonely at times, even though he was surrounded by people who cared for him. Rather notably, he said very little about his father, and that made you feel for the boy. There was Mr Matthews and Mr Morgan, but you knew that nothing could truly replace a father.

All of a sudden, the low thunder of hooves cut through the conversations, making you all turn your heads. You jumped to your feet, wrapping the coat Miss Jones had given you around yourself as tight as you could. “I’m going to make sure the men are alright and that Gladys behaved herself.” You said, going to the door.

“I’m coming with you.”

You turned and looked at Sadie quizzically. “I’ll be right outside Sadie, not that far.”

“I’m coming anyway.” She looked and sounded stern, and you knew better than to try and argue this further.

The wind had died down somewhat from earlier, but the snow was still heavy and the cold still biting. As you and Sadie trudged through the snow towards the men, and you quickly noticed that Gladys and Mr Morgan weren’t among them.

“Gladys?” You looked around, thinking that maybe you had simply missed the two of them.

“Your horse is fine.” One of the men said as he approached you. He was darker than the others, but not as much as Mr Smith, and had a very finely groomed moustache and fashionable hat. In fact, he appeared to be the most well groomed of the men you had seen thus far. “We spotted another O’Driscoll on our way back and Arthur went after him.”

“Oh, that’s good to know.” You let out a sigh of relief. “Are the rest of you alright?”

“Perfectly fine.” The man replied, hitching his horse to the post.

“Did you kill all them bastards?”

You stared at Sadie, more than a little startled at her question. The rage in her eyes and the growling ferocity in her voice shocked you, and made you deeply uneasy.

The man seemed to be just as surprised, although you imagined it was far more jarring for him, as he didn’t know her at all. His eyes flicked over to you before going back to Sadie. “As many as we could.”

“Good.”

You felt goosebumps rise over every inch of your body in a way that had nothing to do with the cold.

“Sadie, are you-”

The heavy sound of hooves interrupted you, and you turned to see Gladys galloping into view, Mr Morgan on her back, and something stowed on her rear. Something that couldn’t stop struggling.

“What you got for us Arthur?” Mr Van Der Linde waded through the thick snow to Mr Morgan, and you stepped aside to allow him more room, noting the look of subdued glee on his face.

“An O’Driscoll.” Mr Morgan walked around behind Gladys and you saw that the something stowed on Gladys was, in fact, a someone. A young man, with scraggly facial hair and wide, terrified eyes. He didn’t seem like the O’Driscolls that had invaded the house and killed Jake. He was far too jittery, and you felt a little sorry for him. “Kieran Duffy.”

You saw that Mr Morgan had a look on his face that was similar to Mr Van Der Linde’s, appearing to be entirely too pleased with having a man captive. You didn’t enjoy it.

Mr Morgan tried to remove Kieran Duffy from Gladys, but she stepped aside, resulting in Mr Morgan stumbling forward slightly, his hands grasping at air.

Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed Sadie smirking.

“Careful there Morgan.” Mr Bell’s voice called out, sounding just as amused as Sadie appeared to be.

“Gladys.” You said in a warning tone.

That appeared to be enough, as while Gladys did huff, she didn’t move again when Mr Morgan removed Kieran Duffy and cut him free, forcing him to stand before Mr Van Der Linde.

While Mr Van Der Linde spoke to Kieran Duffy, mentioning something about “feeding people as needs feeding” that didn’t sit right with you, you went to Gladys, leading her back to the hitching post and tying her reins to it securely.

“You need to be nicer to these people.” You told her in a low voice. “They’re treating us well.”

Gladys only huffed, apparently uninterested in your concerns.

At the sound of crunching snow, you turned your head, and saw Mr Morgan approach you. Gladys huffed again, harder this time, and snorted, kicking at the snow. She was clearly agitated, but you couldn’t understand why. “Sorry about that earlier.” You said sheepishly, gently stroking Gladys’s face in an attempt to calm her.

Mr Morgan shrugged, and his eyes went to Gladys, seemingly amused. “It’s fine.” He attempted to approach Gladys, but she stepped aside, at least as much as she could while being securely hitched. Mr Morgan furrowed his brow slightly, but shrugged. “She’s fast.” He said approvingly.

You smiled, a sense of pride filling you. “She’s full of surprises.” You added, turning back to Gladys to stroke her face again. “Even if she does have an attitude.”

Gladys flattened her ears against her head and snorted, turning her head away in an offended manner.

Mr Morgan chuckled deeply, his eyes traveling over to you.

It was the first time you were able to get a good look at him, or at least as good of a look as you could get while he was bundled up. He was tall and broad, not as much as Mr Smith but still impressive, unkempt facial hair, and you could just make out hair that seemed to be stuck between a particularly dirty blond and light brown. But what caught your attention the most were his eyes. They were a clear, sharp blue, like a summer sky. The kind of blue that almost seemed fake, and only got more so the longer you looked.

There wasn’t much else you could concretely make out, but there was no mistaking that what you saw was very handsome.

You felt your cheeks flush and immediately turned back to Gladys. You were actually glad it was so cold, it gave a natural explanation for the shiver that went down your spine.

“You’ve got yourself a fine animal there Miss.”

His voice was deep and had a distinctive drawl, the kind that was oddly endearing.

“Thank you.” It came out as a whisper, and you felt your face heat up even more.

“[Name]!”

You turned and looked at Sadie, having somehow completely forgotten she was there, and saw that she was frowning. “Let’s get back inside.”

“Alright Sadie.” You turned to back to Mr Morgan to say goodbye, but he was already trudging away to another house, probably the one that he had taken residence in for his stay here.

You frowned, but were unsurprised. After all, since when did men like Mr Morgan waste their time with girls like you?

“[Name]!”

“I’m coming!”

[amphtaminedreams]

My Amateur European Travel Guide

Hi to anyone who’s reading!

I spent just over a month in Europe over the summer and have far too many good food pics that deserve more than sitting in my camera roll untouched and thus I thought I’d do my very shitty, amateurish version of a travel guide, basically a run down of my favourite things that we did in each city. From touristy shit like the Colosseum and the Roman Forum to some equally beautiful but lesser known places, getting an inter-rail pass gives you the time to see everything whilst not spending an absolute fortune. 

I went with a friend and we did the basic, first-time traveller route: Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Ljubljana, Venice, Rome and Milan. The pass, which allowed us to use domestic and international trains on 10 separate days within a month, for students only cost £230. We did then have to pay extra for the Eurostar from St.Pancras to Paris, and additional “reservation” fees to get seats on the trains in Italy and between France and The Netherlands, but all in all this didn’t cost us anymore than about £50. The flight back from Milan to Southend Airport cost £30, though be warned that it’s actually pretty hard to get from Southend to central London; if we hadn’t been able to get a lift, we probably would’ve spent an extra £30 getting home from there. 

We were away for 3 weeks and 4 days in total, and on top of the approx. £700/£800 we spent on hostels and air b&bs, I spent about £1500 whilst I was away. You could probably get away with taking about £1000 with you if you’re willing to cook while you’re away. We did a couple of nights whilst we were in air b&bs, but on the whole, we usually ate out. The hostel kitchens were a bit of a nightmare, though I’m not going to pretend it was anything other than a combination of laziness and gluttony that stopped me from cooking, lol. HOW CAN YOU GO TO ITALY AND NOT GO OUT FOR PASTA EVERY NIGHT?! It can’t be done. With my non-existent self-control anyway. 

Once I got back from inter-railing, I also then spent a week with my family staying in the cutest seaside town about half an hour outside of Barcelona, Sitges, which we’ve visited a few times before. For that reason, I thought I’d write about some of my favourite things to do in and around Barcelona, not just from this trip but from all the times we’ve visited over the last few years.

I’ll start, though, with the first place we visited on our inter-railing trip: Paris.

Paris, France

It might be because it was the first place we went and the place where I had the most energy and drive to explore, lol, but Paris was my absolute favourite of the cities we visited. I know a lot of people seem to be disappointed with it but there’s just so much to do and so much culture; gorgeous architecture, art, fashion, food, I feel that it lives up to its reputation in every way if you really utilise your time there properly. The public transport is easy to understand and use and my only gripe with the hostel is that it was a little far out. This didn’t really limit us in any way though, so it didn’t bother me. 

The Hostel

Our first hostel, Jo&Joe’s in Gentilly, was a really cool place. I believe it was around £30 a night (one of the more expensive hostels we stayed in) to stay in a room like the one I've included a photo of. The beds were comfy and you had a decent amount of space, and the wi-fi was good. My only issue is that there wasn’t much privacy in terms of the bathroom; there was one toilet room and one shower room in the actual bedroom to be shared between the 6 of us. There didn’t really seem to be much about in Gentilly but to be honest, we didn’t venture very far and there’s more than enough to do in central Paris.

Paris Top Things to do:

1. Palais de Tokyo

Probably my favourite art museum we visited our entire trip, Palais de Tokyo was...an experience. 

Costing £8 for a student ticket, almost every piece of artwork in there was strange as hell. That being said, it was all very immersive and interactive and like nothing I’d seen before which is why I liked it so much. 

Well, apart from the dirty sock. Literally. There was a dirty sock on display. Art, right? 

2. Musee D’Orsay

I’d say if you only had time to do one of the “big” art museums in Paris, do Musee D’Orsay, not the Louvre.

 It’s a lot more compact and has a wider range of styles, plus a lot more modern art, including some Van Gogh and several Degas. I had so many favourite pieces from Louise Abbema’s Allegories of Spring and Winter, to Thomas Couture’s Romans in their Decadence:

Plus I’d take Amaury Duval’s portrait of Marie-Anne Detourbay over the Mona Lisa any day. The staring into your soul game she’s got going on is unparalleled.

3. Eiffel Tower 

I think the level of dumbassery involved in my decision to wear heeled boots to make the 500 or so step journey up the Eiffel Tower cancels out any smarts that went into us saving €3 by booking in advance and walking instead of getting the lift, but it’s all about the experience, lol, and I would do it again for the view. It only cost €5 in total and by booking online about a month before, we didn’t have to wait in what is usually about a 3 hour queue if you turn up on the day.

4. Yves Saint Laurent Museum

It only took us about an hour to do the Yves Saint Laurent museum but it was definitely worth the £10 for entry if you are interested in fashion. It was pretty quiet when we went which I liked as it made for a much more peaceful experience than say, the Louvre, and the museum is very well laid out. There’s a load of original pieces in there and I feel like I learned a lot about Saint Laurent himself too. I also learned that I am very unsophisticated (I really didn’t feel posh enough to be walking into the building, lol) but we been knew.

5. Sacre Couer 

Warning: The Sacre Couer is a very steep walk from the nearest tube station. I internally died. Several times. But it’s very beautiful once you get up there.

6. Monmarte

I wish we’d had more time to explore Monmarte as it was one of the prettiest places I saw on our trip, with so many cute restaurants and cafes. Top things to see in the area are the Wall of Love and though we didn’t actually go there, Montmarte Cemetery too. I found out when we got back that the latter is supposedly inhabited by a load of stray cats and now I am severely disappointed that we didn’t have a look. I guess I’ll just have to go back! You know, just to check if it’s true about the cats. And also eat some more of the food, ofc.

7. Vintage Shopping

We had a quick look in two of the vintage shops whilst we were in Paris, Kilo Shop and Tilt Vintage, and I saw a lot of really cool things. Unfortunately, because I couldn’t really fit anything else in my backpack and was being pretty tight with money at that point in the trip (an attitude my bank balance probably wishes had been sustained throughout, lol), I didn’t get anything. Still, I’d definitely recommend checking the shops I mentioned and the other vintage shops in that area out if you are interested in buying some clothes whilst you’re away. The only thing I’d say is to avoid them if you have trouble with crowds and/or small spaces as there were a shit tonne of people in pretty much all the ones we went in and because of the layout, not much room to move. And protip: if you like breathing non-body odour tinted oxygen, don’t venture in any of them in the middle of heatwave. Not fun. 

8. Champs Elysees 

I think it’s kind of a given that you see the Champs Elysees whilst you’re in Paris, but last time I was there, I only really saw it from an open top bus and was quiet underwhelmed. On this trip, we walked from the Louvre through the Tuileries and then slowly made our way down towards the Arc de Triomphe, having a look down the streets that run perpendicular to the Champs Elysees on our way, which were all very typically Parisienne. At the bottom, you have Aventue Montaigne which has all the fancy, designer flagship stores, and then down Avenue FDR (where we went for lunch) there are plenty of places to stop and have a bite to eat. I thought I’d been all French getting a baguette from down here before realising it was from a glorified Paul which we have all over London, BUT, if you’re into açai bowls, my friend had a really good one at a place called Cojean.

9. Versailles

Before we went to Versailles, a lot of people told me that it was really crowded and not worth going to but I couldn’t disagree more. It was so beautiful both on the inside and out and there’s so much to learn! I’ve always been fascinated by Marie Antoinette so I might be slightly biased but I was totally in my ex-historical nerd element. I would definitely recommend arriving as early as possible if you’re not paying for skip the line tickets, since we got there for around 10 and had to stand in a very long queue to get in. It did move quickly but looked very daunting at first and I imagine it only gets worse as the day goes on.

10. Disneyland Paris

I mean, we didn’t got there this time and technically, it’s not Paris. But come on, it’s Disney. I couldn’t leave it off the list.

Future Paris Bucket List:

Moulin Rouge

Musee d’Orangerie

Jardin du Luxembourg

Louvre Highlights Tour

Louis Vuitton Foundation

Paris Museum of Modern Art

Get dinner in Trocadero

Centre Pompidou

Paris Catacombs

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Amsterdam is one of my favourite places ever. It’s picturesque, easy to find your way around, and full of amazing food. It was my second time here and my friend’s third so we had a pretty chilled out time but still did a lot. I definitely wouldn’t say no to going back again.

The Hostel

The hostel we stayed in in Amsterdam was called ClinkNoord and was a short (and free!) boat ride away from the city centre. Also at around £30 a night, the rooms were basic yet comfortable and the place as a whole had a modern, utilitarian vibe to it which I really liked. The bathrooms were a short walk down the hall, a more private alternative to the bathrooms in our Paris hostel, and were pretty much always free. As for the showers, they were a wet room kinda situation and a little bit grim at times but as long as you bring flip flops (I didn’t, another example of dumbassery, lol) you’ll be fine. Maybe this is the 10 year old in me leaping out but I really loved the bar area at this hostel too: drinks were cheap, but more importantly, it had table football, pool, AND a ping-pong room. WITH A BLACK LIGHT MIGHT I ADD!

Amsterdam Top Things to do:

1. Electric Ladyland

The edibles had already began to kick in a little bit by the time we got to Electric Ladyland so this might be a bit of an overstatement but this place was, in a good way of course, very trippy. It’s basically a mini fluorescent art museum and exhibition in this guy’s basement (not as weird as it sounds, lol), and for £5 you can go in and see it and then, if you hang around, watch him give a demonstration on how it all works and where he sourced his paint from. It says on the website that it’s by appointment only but we just turned up on the day just as a slot was about to start and were allowed in. In terms of taking an edible before you go in, maybe don’t, lol. It was a bit of a surreal experience; in a very dark room, listening to an old American hippy talk about how he explored caves in Utah to find mineral rocks, the weed-induced paranoia low-key kicked in. I did, at points, momentarily forget that there was a room around the point I was immediately focussed on and started panicking that we were just drifting through space. And then there was the occasional fear that I was trapped in some kind of eternal time loop where the man would just keep on talking in circles and I would be stuck down there forever, not wanting to be rude and leave whilst he was mid-sentence, as part of the universe’s karmic punishment for my impractical level of politeness and need to people-please. Climbing the ladder up out of the basement was...a little tricky, to say the least.

2. Pancake House

You have to have pancakes in Amsterdam and my friend recommended this place as the original one. I had a pancake with ice cream, caramel sauce and chocolate sauce and whilst a little sickly, it was tasty af. If I went again, I think I’d just stick to one sauce; it was so sweet that I had to admit defeat about halfway, something I do not look back on with pride. Next time, I will be victorious over one of these beasts of a pancake. Speaking it into existence.

3. Hire a bike and visit Vondelpark

There are plenty of ways to get about in Amsterdam and the trams are super easy to use but hiring a bike for the time you’re there is probably the cheapest and most Amsterdammy (I know, not really a word) way to get around. We hired our bikes from Starbikes by the central station and it was a very simple and affordable process which I would definitely recommend; their shop has some of the best reviews on Trip Advisor for bike hire. Riding along the canals is quite chilled but if you’re not super confident, the best place to go is probably Vondelpark, as it has wider lanes with the added bonus of not living in semi-permanent fear of being yeeted off your bike into the canal by a car coming up behind you. It also has friendly ducks! How can you say no to that? I mean, ignoring the fact that male ducks have like, 9 inch corkscrew penises which apparently spin when they mate. Thank Reddit for that life-altering and mildly disturbing piece of information.

4. Mannekin chips

The BEST Belgian fries which I spent the entirety of the rest of our trip craving. Best sauce combination is ketchup and samurai sauce, and I recommend going for a regular portion. The large is insane and I am very much in awe of anybody who can finish it.

5. Van Gogh Museum

We didn’t actually visit the Van Gogh museum on this trip but I went on my first visit to Amsterdam and you really can’t miss it. Not only does it have a lot of Van Gogh’s most famous works, including sunflowers, it has a lot of the work of the artists who inspired him as well as pieces from some of his contemporaries. 

7. Stedelijk

Really cool modern art museum with an interactive room where you can take part in activities relating to the current exhibition too. Though I guess it really depends on your art preferences, if you do only have time to do either this or The Rijksmuseum, I would definitely say Stedelijk. 

8. The Rookies Coffeeshop

So I can’t say I’ve tried a lot of the coffee shops in Amsterdam as on our first visit we only really went to this one and The Bulldog chain, and this time we didn’t go as much, but they do the best space cakes. They’re genuinely really tasty but they can be quite intense if you haven’t smoked in a while or don’t do so regularly so make sure you’re in somewhere you feel safe and have other people with you.

9. Amsterdam Dungeons

Though the Amsterdam Dungeons were more similar to the London Dungeons than I thought they would be, with less of a focus on the dark history of the area and more on general dark European history such as the Spanish Inquisition and witch trials which also came up a lot in the London run through, I would still thoroughly recommend them. The Dungeons are definitely a tourist trap but they’re also just hilarious and you genuinely do learn a little, so I think worth the money!

10. The Blonds Cafe

I wasn’t crazy about the menu here as I’m a ridiculously fussy eater but I think most people will easily find something they like, and the actual cafe and presentation is really cute. The grilled cheese sandwich I ended up having was really good and even if you end up just having a cake, I’d recommend it. They had lemon AND mint infused water dispensers, which, now I’m writing down doesn’t seem very exciting at all, but I got hyped up, okay? And worst case scenario, it’s not for you, there are loads of other cool and very hipster-y looking (lol) independent cafes in the area. 

11. Anne Frank House

Again, this was something I did on my first trip to Amsterdam, but you can’t miss it. From a history standpoint and as someone who read Anne Frank’s diary several times when I was younger, I found it very surreal to actually visit the house I’d heard so much about. You definitely get a sense of just how stifling and claustrophobic living in that annex was and even if you’re not into your history, I do think a lot of insight can be gained from taking a trip here! 

12. Go to one of the Pastry Shops

If you go to Amsterdam, you’ll see them everywhere, the little slightly shabby-looking cafes with all the amazing waffles and donuts and crepes and cupcakes in the window. Go to one! I had a waffle covered in white chocolate and Oreos and it was 1000% as good as it looked. 

13. Moco Museum

The last thing on my Amsterdam list and another thing we did on my first trip, the Moco Museum is one of my favourites I’ve ever been to. It’s pretty small and doesn’t take you that long to look around but it’s full of contemporary, provocative art based around the theme of political and social commentary. Given that description, it’s probably no surprise that it houses a lot of Banksy, but there’s also a fair bit of pop art too, and a very cool gift shop. Because I can never resist a good gift shop.

Future Amsterdam Bucket List:

A day trip to the tulip fields

De Poezenboot

Eye Film Museum 

Swing at A’dam lookout

Canal Cruise

Berlin, Germany

Berlin definitely wasn’t what I was expecting it to be. As a capital city, I expected it to be this very built up, bustling, commercial place, but it was actually pretty quiet and very spread out. In a way, it almost seemed a bit left behind and completely deserted in parts. That being said, from a historical point of view, it was probably the most interesting place that we went. It’s easy to forget that just a few decades ago the city was completely divided and you can definitely sense that it’s still rebuilding itself.

The Hostel

We stayed in a hostel that was tucked away in the basement of the Aletto hotel, just a minute’s walk away from the Zoologischer Garden station. I believe it was around £20 a night for an 8 person mixed dorm. The beds weren’t the comfiest and the room itself was a bit dark and dank, given that it was below street level, but all in all, the hostel was decent as a stop-off point. I liked that there was a kind of a small communal area in the kitchen and the bathrooms were spacious and clean, and fortunately, it was pretty quiet when we were there so we usually had them to ourselves. 

Berlin Top Things to do:

1. Never Ending Love Story

A really lovely little cafe in a pretty, quiet area, the service here was exceptionally good! I’m not one to complain when workers don’t seem overly enthusiastic, I work in retail so I get that you sometimes can’t be arsed with all the over-the-top politeness, but I do appreciate friendliness and the waitress here was so sweet. I had delicious scrambled eggs on sourdough toast and my friend had pancakes and we both really enjoyed our food. 

2. East Side Gallery

I wish I had more to say about the East Side Gallery, but to be honest I was pretty drunk and had half an edible-I thought we were going out out after, don’t judge me-so I can’t remember much. Judging from my very shitty and my friend’s very good (this is one of hers, lol) photos though, it was really interesting. Good street art is up there with the best of them imo and given the context of the gallery, it’s no surprise that a lot of the art is politically charged, which just adds an extra layer of appeal to it. There’s also a lot of good photo ops, or so drunk me clearly thought. 

3. Topography of Terror

Built on top of the former SS Reich Main Security Office, the Topography of Terror is a museum I’d say you need to set aside at least 2 and a half/3 hours for to properly do. There’s so much information to get through and I’d say I ended up skimming half of it towards the end because we were short on time; I later found out that there’s even more to see outside which we didn’t even touch. 

4. Jewish Museum

Unfortunately, a lot of the Jewish Museum was closed when we went but it’s still a very physically impressive building with exhibitions that are equal parts daunting and thought-provoking, relating to both the Jewish experience during the Second World War and Jewish culture in general.

5. Museum Island

We didn’t actually go in any of the museums on Museum Island but we walked around and sat at a nice little green spot nearby; t’s very pretty to explore, especially as the sun is going down. There were plenty of bars around and people drinking, sunbathing and listening to music by the river. Generally a really relaxed vibe.

6. Fritzies 

I know dirty fries aren’t the classiest thing ever but the ones from this place tasted really fucking good. How can you go wrong with a fast food restaurant dedicated to chips?

7. The History: Brandenberg Gate, Reichstag, Checkpoint Charlie, Hitler’s Bunker, Jewish Memorial

Most of these places are within walking distance of each other and we did them all within a couple of hours. Like I said, the best thing about Berlin is the history so I think making an effort to see all these things is really important. On our last night we managed to find out, via a nearby poster, about a free show on the river (with English subtitles obviously; as the basic monolingual bitch I am, anything other than dankeschön and hallo went right over my head) which covered major points in the history of the Reichstag over the last century; it was the perfect way to round off our trip.

8. KW Institute for Contemporary Art

This museum was half the overly pretentious contemporary art that makes classicists roll their eyes:

-though I do actually like it, sue me-

And half the simple, but millennially-inspired kinda stuff that I love. Like, that top collection got me feeling like the new Van Gogh every time I accidentally screenshot my home screen. 

So obviously, I rated it. And side-note, the building in general, which had an old, unused warehouse kinda thing going on, along with a shady little courtyard outside, was very cool.

9. Pizza Nostra

Look at this photo. Do I need to say any more?

Future Berlin Bucket List:

Historical River Cruise

Return to the Jewish Museum

The Story of Berlin Museum

Berghain (even just to see it from the outside)

About Blank, Suicide Circus, i.e one of the tamer, more mainstream clubs

Anne Frank Zentrum

Hackescher Hof

Oranienburger Strasse and Kunsthaus Tacheles

Prague, Czech Republic

I absolutely adored Prague. From the second I stepped out of the metro station into Old Town Square on our first evening, I felt like I was walking into a fairytale. All the buildings were so ornate and beautiful, everywhere you look is like a postcard. There’s so much history there which we only really had time to scrape the surface of and I can’t wait to go back.

The Hostel

We stayed at Hostel Dakura which was only around £15 a night and a few metro stops from the city centre. As you can see, it’s a little outdated but all in all, still clean and comfortable. The dorm and bathrooms were very spacious and there was an outdoor seating area with benches and ping-pong too. I’d definitely say it was good value for money.

Prague Top Things to do:

1. Explore Old Town

The Old Town part of Prague is definitely the main attraction, from the cute and very typically European seating areas outside the restaurants, to the Trdelnik shops, to the gothic statues, and the colourful buildings that surround them; you'll feel like you’re walking through a mix between a shopping mall and a medieval time capsule. There’s not really all that much point me putting Old Town on the must-do list as it’s pretty much unavoidable but I liked it so much I just couldn’t leave it out. I really haven’t been anywhere like it before. It’s part Westeros, part Fantasyland at Disney (with some stag dos thrown in), and that’s saying something; Disney World comparisons do not come easy from me.

2. Letna Hill

A bit of a steep walk uphill but totally worth it for the view of the city.  Lots of cool bars and places to get cheap beer and cider too, if that’s your kinda thing. Spirits, to my dismay, are pretty much the same price as they are back home. Not that it was on Letna Hill but I paid €20 for 2 doubles one night. €20. PRAGUE IS CHEAP FOR ALCOHOL, THEY SAID. YOU CAN GET PISSED FOR A TENNER, THEY SAID. IT’LL BE FUN, THEY SAID. Sigh.

PROTIP: Make sure you have cash on you, especially if you’re heading up Letna Hill, as they don’t take card at any of the bars and there aren’t any cash machines. There also aren’t any water fountains and the tap water isn’t drinkable, apparently. You know what there are, though? Rats. 

I’m going to stop before I put anyone off. Our experience wasn’t the best but done right, I think you could have a really chilled evening here. Go to Letna Hill. It’s lovely.

3. Prague Castle

Also a bit of an uphill walk, Prague Castle is a gothic dream with live music, tantalising food stalls (hehe, tantalising, somebody hire me to write their cookbook ASAP) and insane views. Half the time I felt like I was in King’s Landing and the other half Hogwarts, and that is the kind of 50/50 split I live for. 

4. Walk across Charles Bridge and walk alongside the Vltava River

I thought our day peaked when I came to the realisation, whilst crossing the Charles Bridge, that we were in fact surrounded by vaguely religious and mildly creepy Jesus-looking statues but then we reached the other side and soon after, became one with nature. We saw ducks! Otters. Swans. Inject that wholesome shit into my veins. 

Also, a pigeon landed on me! That’s right, if you stand there with your arm out for long enough whilst walking alongside the Vltava River, you too can experience the fleeting terror that comes with the possibility of being pooed on but then the earth-shattering realisation that comes after: that pigeons, maybe, aren’t so bad after all. That they’re actually kinda cute in their own weird, scavenging way! That maybe the pigeon lady in Mary Poppins made some points! I mean, can’t we all relate to wanting to steal other people’s food? I definitely can. Consider me a changed woman.

5. GOAP Museum

Though I’m not much of a Salvador Dali fan and I have a sneaking suspicion that some of the “artwork” in this museum was actually just prints from google blown up on A2 photo paper, I thoroughly enjoyed the Alphonse Mucha and Andy Warhol sections of the GOAP. 

-Untitled Salvador Dali-

The former is one of my absolute favourite artists so I definitely had to take a moment when I walked in and saw that not only did they have several of his original lithographs, but also a whole wall dedicated to him. I wish I had good photos but the lighting was a bit too artificial to really do it justice. The lithographs came out pretty well though:

Obviously Andy Warhol is an icon too; his exhibition in particular was hugely informative and well laid out, definitely a people pleaser. I couldn’t find all too much online but it seems like the exhibitions mentioned are permanent, so definitely go and check them out. 

I also feel the need to mention that it was here I ascended to an elite level of art hoe by buying a Mucha lighter. Jokes on me because it doesn’t work very well, like...at all in anything windier than a very, very mild breeze, BUT it looks pretty, so points for that. 

6. Cafe Chloe

Seeing the size of the queue outside Elan Cafe in London, it kinda blew my mind that considering its flower wall, you could just walk into Cafe Chloe and get a table straight away. Obviously the flower wall is a draw for Instagram purposes (yes, I’m a shallow human being, *insert Ariana Grande “and what about it?” gif here*) but the food was really good too. The perfect place to stop off for brunch. 

7. Pedalos

Again, the pedalos under Charles Bridge are kind of a tourist trap but it was only around €12 between us to rent one for the hour; most of them appeared to be 4 seaters so you could get 2 more people in there and split the price again, making it even cheaper. Plus, it was really fun and we got to go right up to the ducks! 

8. Karlovy Lazne

I’m not gonna lie, tackiness aside, I love a club with multiple rooms and this one had FIVE. There were a lot of English people in there and it did cost about 12 euros in cash to get in (take the cash out in advance as the machine outside charged quite a steep fee), but they played ABBA on more than one occasion so I have zero regrets. I mean, apart from drinking maybe a bit too much once again, but that’s kind of a given at this point. I can only apologise to my liver and what’s left of my dignity.

9. Joy Burger

NGL, the service here wasn’t the best and I kind of felt like I was annoying some of the staff literally just by trying to order my food BUT to be fair, I’d probably be annoyed by me too considering my upholding of the British tradition of asking everywhere if they speak English and hoping for the best rather than actually learning the native language. Anyway, back to the point: look at this burger. Fit. 10/10 would demolish again.

Future Prague Bucket List:

Museum Kampa

Petrin Hill

One of the free city walking tours

Pub crawl

Vienna, Austria

Honestly, of all the places we went to, Vienna was the one I was most pleasantly surprised by. Before going, I’d heard that there wasn’t much to do there and I thought that 24 hours would be more than enough to see the main attractions, but aside from Paris, it’s probably the city I want to revisit most. On every other block there seemed to be some kind of beautiful flower garden or sprawling palace or stately home or elegant cafe, but at the same time, it still had a very modern feel to it. A lot like Paris but more compact, and with a slightly Germanic twist. Plus, I had one of the best Maccies of my life here, so I really can’t complain.

The Hostel

For around £18 for the night we stayed in a 6 person dorm at the Wombats Hostel by Naschmarkt. Because we weren’t there too long, I didn’t get all that much of a feel for it but the communal areas and bar seemed very cool and the central part of the city was in walking distance. The dorms were a little small and outdated and we did get woken up by a fire alarm in the middle of the night but it gave me a kind of primary school trip type nostalgia so I didn’t mind too much. I’d probably look for another hostel if I went back to Vienna just because I think if you were staying for a while, you'd start to feel a bit cooped up in the room. For the one night, however, it was ideal.

Vienna Top Things to do:

1. Museum Quartier

We really only walked through Museum Quartier but there seemed to be loads going on and definitely lots to look at. There’s also a giant astroturf covered waterbed which sounds kinda wack but was actually super fun when I wasn’t fearing my head was going to be squashed like a watermelon by the kids quite literally throwing themselves around on it. So yeah! Check it out!

2. The Traffic Lights

It sounds silly but the traffic lights in the central part of Vienna are super cute. Have a stroll around and see how many of them you can spot. Berlin’s Ampelmann wishes. 

3. Belvedere Palace Grounds

Boujie. 

4. Schonbrunn Palace Grounds

Even boujier.

5. Volksgarten

I really felt like I was walking through the Red Queen’s gardens. Minus the crochet and threat of decapitation of course.

6. Max and Benito

SO GOOD. And a really funky seating area outside too. Probably best for a quick lunch and I also imagine would make great drunk food if you need an excuse to day drink. 

Future Vienna Bucket List:

Natural History Museum of Vienna

Wien Museum

Leopold Museum

Belvedere Museum of Contemporary Art

Cafe hopping

Further explore MuseumQuartier 

Naschmarkt

Budapest, Hungary

It might be an unpopular opinion but I didn’t adore Budapest as a city. To be honest, my expectations were probably slightly too high as I’d heard so many people rave about it. I can see why people like it so much: there’s loads of great places to eat, drinks are cheap, and ruin bars are very cool. My issue was just that I thought there’d be more to do in terms of daytime activities. The one art museum we went to was completely deserted and there didn’t seem to be as many historical places to explore as in some of the other cities we visited. Of course it’s all a matter of personal preference and I might have just not done enough research/planned enough, plus that’s still not to say I didn’t have a good time. We had some lovely chilled out days and the city kind of comes alive in a different way in the evening; the boat party we went to was by far the best night out we had throughout our trip and I had some insanely delicious food. We also hired an Air B&B here for about half the price of some of the hostels we stayed in, and so got to actually settle down and spread our stuff out for a few days; something that was much needed after living out of lockers for 2 weeks.

Budapest Top Things to do:

1. Mr.Funk’s

Look at this bad boy and tell me you don’t want to go to Mr.Funk’s and try one of their freakshakes. Tell me that freakshakes being banned in the UK wasn’t a devastating miscarriage of justice and an attack on my human rights. Tell me that I’m not a failure for leaving a donut behind. Pls. Validate me. 

2. Street Food Karavan

Street Food Karavan is such a cool little spot with so many delicious looking food stalls, I honestly could’ve eaten there for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. Plus loads of vegan and veggie options too.

3. Boat Party

I believe we booked our night through budapestboatparty.com and honestly it was so fun and such good value for money. It may have partly been down to the alcohol and the edible I had before, lol, but everything felt so surreal; I spent 90% of the event just being amazed by how beautiful our surroundings were and the combination of the breeze and the scenery and the music made for the absolute best atmosphere. Everyone we spoke to was so friendly and if I went back I’d love to do it again, maybe slightly more sober (unlikely) so I can take even more of it in. That being said, bear in mind that these kind of things can probably be a bit hit or miss. The friend that recommended the boat party told me that she spent the first half of the event avoiding being hit on by men twice her age, so clearly it depends a lot on the company, lol!

4. Kiosk

We didn’t actually have proper meals at Kiosk but we did find some deck chairs to sit on whilst we ate ice cream from one of the stalls they were running outside. The restaurant itself was inside but the outdoor seating had a stunning view of the sunset and the river and the area in general was really buzzing. 

5. Shoes on the Danube

It’s a simple monument but the story behind the Shoes on the Danube makes it one of the most important things to see in Budapest.

6. Szechenyi Baths

Before we actually went into the baths, I was a bit grossed out. Like, it sounded great in theory but then we got there and I realised we were about to step into what is essentially a steaming pit of bodily fluids. BUT, put that minute, mildly repugnant detail aside and you’ll have a brilliant time. Start with the whirlpool in the outdoor area and by the time you’ve done that, you’ll be feeling wild enough to bath and sauna hop to your heart’s desire. Unless you are a real, compulsive germaphobe, pissing yourself at the sight of little kids and adults alike getting uncontrollably whisked around like a bunch of sweaty egg yolks is enough to make you put any (don’t get me wrong, warranted) hygiene concerns to one side. You can shower when you’re dead. That’s what they say, right?

7. Margaret Island 

I think we had one of our most relaxed afternoons at Magaret Island, lying out on the grass by the dancing fountains; it’s definitely a great place to sunbathe, read, or grab a cheap alcoholic drink. There’s options for if you’re feeling more adventurous too: on our second visit there, we paid €10 between us to hire a pedal car for the hour and decided to cycle round the island. It was by the grace of god (or for the most part my friend’s very necessary backseat driving) that there was only one casualty of my steering. Angry Hungarian man, if you’re out there, I’m very sorry our pedal car almost knocked you off your bike. My bad. But yeah, my catastrophic attempt at doing the bare minimum physical activity aside, go and chill on Margaret Island. It’s super pretty.

8. Buda Castle and Fisherman’s Bastion

Just a heads up that we paid around €4 or €5 each to go up to the top of Castle Hill with one of the companies giving out flyers at the bottom, so have a look and see if you can find a better deal before paying to ride the funicular. Once we did get up there we could hop on and off, and the ticket included a ride down as well. In terms of what to expect when you get up there, spectacular views. Though I found the castle itself a bit disappointing, Fisherman’s Bastion was really beautiful and had some great photo spots. If I went back to Budapest, I’d probably spend more time in the area as I think that’s where a lot of the history actually is.

9. Szimpla Kert

Probably the most famous ruin bar in Budapest, I really loved Szimpla Kert. It was a bit chaotic and very crowded but the eccentric interiors and open air courtyard gave it an almost magical feel that only a tiny number of bars I’ve been to have anything on. Vaulty Towers and Bar Elba in Waterloo I’m looking at you. Missing you and your overpriced drinks always xoxo

10. House of Terror

The House of Terror was my only real history fix whilst we were in Budapest and I found it really interesting. In particular, I liked how all the visitors took sheets of information in each room to read in our own time rather than us all trying to crowd round one sign. The basement part of the museum is presumably the main draw, and I understand why given how unnerving it is, but I enjoyed the whole museum. Obviously there are things you have to take with a pinch of salt and (our Air B&B host warned in our welcome package that it was slightly biased; I couldn’t find much about public opinion of the museum online so if by the slim chance somebody who knows more is reading this please let me know! Educate me!), but at the same time, if just for walking through the site of the past atrocities, there is definitely something to be gleaned by visiting.

11. Parliament Building

There was really no need for the Hungarian Parliamentary building to step on Westminter’s neck like that but...I guess she did what she had to do.

12. Ludwig Museum

Like I mentioned, this museum was pretty deserted but they did have some cool contemporary art and in particular an exhibition dedicated to the fashion designer Kiraly Tamas which I really enjoyed. His are the pieces in the photo above!

13. Donut Library

Oreo donuts. Need I say more?

14. La Fabbrica 

A very boujie but surprisingly affordable Italian restaurant right opposite St.Stephen’s basilica (pictured), I had one of the many top tier spag bols on this trip here. The toilets are also stylish af and made me feel very much like a peasant so maybe wear something nice so you can get those good good HQ bathroom mirror pics. I was certainly not in any shape to do so. Those toilets were really wasted on my scruffy ass that day. 

Future Budapest Bucket List:

The Hungarian National Gallery

Műcsarnok

Museum of Fine Arts

Budapest History Museum

Hungarian State Opera House

Flippermúzeum

Instant

Great Synagogue 

Memento Park

Secret Walking Tour

Ljubljana, Slovenia

Though we mainly went to Ljubljana so that we could visit Lake Bled, it was still a very cute little area. Pretty small for a capital city but there were loads of day trips out from the centre and for the evenings, a whole range of lively bars and restaurants along the river. 

The Hostel

We stayed at Hostel Kva right in the city centre and paid around €20 a night. The hostel itself was lovely and kind of felt like more of a young people’s B&B than hostel; the communal area in particular had a very cosy, personal feel to it and the staff were incredibly friendly and helpful. That being said, the actual rooms were very small and I did feel pretty cramped whilst we were there, more so than in any of the other hostels we stayed at. 

Ljubljana Top Things to do:

1. Meselkova Mesa

About a 15 minute walk from the city centre, Meselkova Mesa is a very interesting place. I'm not going to lie, I did feel a little on edge whilst we were there, lol; it was pretty deserted apart from a couple of men having a very loud argument. Nevertheless, there’s some very cool buildings and street art so if you’re in a group, check it out.

2. Lake Bled

Our day trip to Lake Bled, a half hour coach journey from Ljubljana Station for IIRC €8 return, was one of my favourite things we did whilst inter-railing. Not only is it absolutely magnificent to look at but there’s so much to do that I feel like you could have your whole holiday there if you wanted to. Assault courses, hikes, swimming, water sports, rowing, tobogganing, chilling on the (yes, artificial) sand, whether you want to relax or thrill-seek, you’re going to have plenty to do.

3. Puffy

These mini pancakes were so good that I didn’t even notice the chocolate sauce was Nutella and that’s saying something because WHY DO THEY PUT IT ON EVERYTHING IN MAINLAND EUROPE!? PEOPLE WHO DON’T LIKE NUTELLA HAVE RIGHTS TOO!

4. Pop’s Place

The best burger of the entire trip, hands down, and the whole menu looked delicious. Would I fly to Ljubljana just to have another one? Probs. 

5. Tivoli Park

A great place to sit down and read a book or go on a bike ride, or alternatively, if you’re me, awkwardly hide from a bunch of people from your hostel you irrationally believed were judging you earlier that day in the bathrooms.

6. Castle Walk

The uphill walk did kill me a little but I am mildly asthmatic so let’s put it down to that. Nothing to do with the fact I haven’t been to the gym in a year. Nothing at all. Anyways, the view was very pretty and though we didn’t go inside the castle, there’s apparently an escape room in there as well as a museum, a restaurant and a jazz club so definitely worth the minor hike.

7. Flower Market

If you go to the square where the food market is, by Dragon Bridge, you’ll find endless stalls of some of the most beautifully arranged flowers I’ve ever seen. It might be a seasonal thing, I’m not sure, but if you’re there in the summer, I’d recommend seeking the market out. They’re a very reasonable price and yes, I did specifically buy a sunflower for a photo op for 50 cent, guilty as charged. When vanity is that cheap I really can’t resist, lol.

8. Illusions Museum

I would definitely recommend going with at least one other person to get the most out of the Illusions Museum and €10 is pretty pricey but if you want to get a cheesy oh-look-I’m-standing-on-the-ceiling photo, here is your best bet.

9. Grefino Frozen Yogurt

I’m not gonna lie, I don’t actually like frozen yogurt myself but I can appreciate good food when I see it and my friend’s portion looked FIT. Plus, I always get excited when anything’s make your own; there will always be a part of me that feels incomplete without regular trips to Pizza Hut to overdo it with the ice cream factory (which this is basically a frozen yogurt, grown up version of). Miss you always. 

Future Ljubljana Bucket List:

Escape Castle

Ljubljana Castle guided tour

Tobogganing at Lake Bled

Row to the Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Maria at Lake Bled

Škocjan Caves

MSUM

Venice, Italy

Everywhere you look in Venice is picture perfect. It literally looked exactly how it did in all the photos I’d seen beforehand. There’s so much to do and so many amazing looking places to eat, I could easily spend a relaxed week here. Emphasis on the relaxed because getting around does involve a lot of walking and a surprising amount of stairs, and we had to pack as much as we could into the short amount of time that we had. By the end of our first day in Venice alone, the word exhausted had a whole new meaning. In terms of public transport, there’s only really the boat system, and that’s a steep €18 for a day ticket. Probably partly due to my moaning, we did end up getting one of these on our last day, but that meant that we also got to go to the islands of Murano and Burano which are included. I definitely wouldn’t say no to going back but it’s quite an overwhelming space: a bit disorientating, crowded, and very expensive! You’d have to give me a few years, lol!

The Hostel

Whilst in Venice we stayed at the Wombats Hostel in Mestre, for around £13 a night. We were lucky in that it had only opened the week before (they were actually celebrating its opening at the Wombats in Naschmarkt when we were there!), and so it was super cheap. I imagine by now the price would’ve increased as it was a lovely hostel. Being new there were obviously some teething problems: queues on the front desk were pretty long, the free drinks vouchers given out had mistakes in that you couldn’t redeem them for one of the drinks that was listed, the kitchens were apparently very overcrowded with 2 faulty hobs between about 50 people, and our room as well as the bathroom in the lobby frequently ran out of toilet paper. Other than that, the dorms were the most spacious, modern and breathable of all the hostels we stayed in and the bar and communal areas were great. The only thing to bear in mind is that you do have to get a train into the main island of Venice, but it’s only about €3 for a return and it’s a short journey. 

Venice Top Things to do:

1. Peggy Guggenheim

A really beautiful museum and garden right on the waterfront, there were all kinds of modern and contemporary art and even a piece (pictured above) by Jenny Holzer who is one of my favourite contemporary artists! I definitely fangirled a little! Some other standouts were by Jackson Pollock, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Max Ernst, Joan Mitchell and Willem de Kooning which I’m going to offload here to free up some space on my camera roll, lol:

Composition by Joan Mitchell (1962)

Silver Bedhead by Alexander Calder (1945-1946)

Untitled by Willem de Kooning (1958)

Circumcision by Max Ernst (1946)

2. Liberia Acqua Alta

An eclectic little bookshop tucked away down some Venetian side street with tower upon tower of some of the most random combinations of books I’ve ever seen, my favourite thing about Liberia Acqua Alta was the cat chilling behind the counter. It’s shameful the vigour with which the crazy cat lady in me jumped out but I actually did start tearing up at the sight of it. I hadn’t seen a cat in 3 WEEKS! I missed my babies okay:(

3. Takeaway Pizza 

There’s loads of fresh takeaway pizza places around Venice but this particular slice was from a place called Farini. I think there might be more than one of them, and to be honest, when there’s pizza that delicious looking in the window, it would be a crime not to at least seek one out.

4. St.Mark’s Square and Basilica and Bridge of Sighs

It might be a huge tourist trap but you really can’t miss St.Mark’s Square. The Basilica is one of the most magnificent buildings I’ve ever seen and even as someone who is not at all religious, you can appreciate the thought and craftsmanship that went into it. The astrological clock right next to the basilica is also absolutely stunning, just as much so as the one in Prague, imo:

Getting dive-bombed by a flock of pigeons in the square was fun too. My life flashed before my eyes just for a moment. It was a humbling experience.

5. Leonardo Da Vinci Exhibit at Palazzo Zaguri

Basically, this exhibit was a collection of Da Vinci’s drawings of the anatomy of the human body side by side with the corresponding plasticised body parts. Really interesting and not at all as gory as it sounds, which was really the only disappointing part for me, lol.

6. Fondaco de Tedeschi 

If you want a good view of the city without paying a fortune, Fondaco de Tedeschi is your place. It’s a fancy mall with a rooftop area that you can, by booking a time slot online, go up for free. 

7. "Get Lost”

I’m not really someone that enjoys walking around aimlessly but if you’re gonna do that anywhere, Venice is your place. Every street and bridge and balcony is postcard worthy and there are pizza and ice cream and just generally good food places everywhere. You’re bound to stumble across at least one authentic, non wholesale mask shop whilst you’re wandering, and although there’s something vaguely creepy about a load of these blank faces staring out the shop windows at you, some of the displays are totally bewitching:

The middle display is from the shop window of the place that made the mask for Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut which I thought was very cool!

8. Get a boat pass and visit Murano and Burano

As I said, on our last day we bought a boat pass (€18) and visited the nearby islands of Murano and Burano, Murano being the island famed for its glass, and Burano for its rainbow houses. Burano was definitely my favourite of the two; it was a buzzing place full of charming little stalls and shops and boats, and of course, colour. Plus, we even got some close cat encounters in there! Murano was pretty but a lot quieter and seemingly more spread out. The glass shops get a bit old after a while as most of them all have the same things in and so I think finding out where you can see a glass blowing demonstration or visiting the glass museum is a good idea if you are thinking of visiting.

9. Osteria Trattoria Al Nono Risorto

This was a super affordable little restaurant with a really lovely outdoor seating area, recommended by my friend’s mum. The service wasn’t amazing (they forgot about my friend’s pizza, lol) but I had what was probably my number one spaghetti bolognese of the whole trip here, and the garden was very pretty. Finding spots to eat a proper meal in Venice that aren’t going to charge you, like, €12 for the privilege of sitting down in a nice place is hard so I would definitely recommend checking this one out.

Future Venice Bucket List:

La Biennale di Venezia

Lido di Venezia

St.Mark’s Campanile

Chiesa de San Giacomo

Gondola ride

Doge’s Palace

Punta della Dogana

Bugno Art Gallery

Palazzo Fortuny

Rome, Italy

Our final overnight destination, Rome was a lot more cosmopolitan than I expected it to be. I was so focussed on the historical side of things that I kinda forgot it’s a capital city and thus, is going to obviously be pretty commercial. Still, it’s strange to just be going down a very pedestrian street on a tram, turn to one side, and see the bloody Colosseum there. I’m not going to lie, by the time we got to Rome I wasn’t feeling my best and was physically pretty exhausted so I don’t feel like I got to appreciate it as much as I should have done; I ended up going back to our Air B&B a couple of the days, largely due to the heat. It was almost 40 fucking degrees! I was honest to god DRIPPING in sweat on the tram back at one point! But I definitely want to go back again, maybe some time when we aren’t feeling the effects of the planet withering and dying as much, and explore even more. Rome is undoubtedly a very cool place.

Rome Top Things to do:

1. Colosseum and Roman Forum

Before we went to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, I kind of expected it to be something you looked at, went “wow, that’s cool”, and then moved on, lol, and I was low-key a bit pissed off that we were paying €20 to do so. When we did arrive, though, I was blown away by the scale of both the landmarks and how much there was to see and do there. The Roman Forum in particular went on for ages and there were signs regularly dotted about to tell you what it was you were looking at, what it used to be, and who built it, amongst other things; though I’d love to go back with a tour guide, it’s really not necessary. I can’t tell you how starstruck I was to see the foundations of a temple that Julius Caesar ordered to be built; the Romans have always been fascinating to me and I genuinely feel like I learnt SO MUCH on our visit. We booked a last minute whistle stop tour that got us in and out of both venues with allotted time slots, meaning that we couldn’t stay too long in the Forum, so I’d say if you can afford it, just go full out and buy skip the line tickets in advance. You could definitely make a day of it.

2. Fattori Ice Cream

From a really cute little independent shop near the Air B&B we were staying in, this ice cream was SO GOOD that my fussy-ass-self didn’t even mind that I’d accidentally picked a flavour with lemon in. It’s a bit out of the way but I’d say worth the journey, and there’s supposed to be a lot of good street art nearby so there’s non-food related excuses to make the detour too.

3. Vatican Museums and Basilica

Honestly, the Vatican is worth going to for the ceilings alone. Raphael’s frescos are some of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen, and if anything was going to turn me (to Christianity I mean, lol), it’d be them. I love contemporary art and on the whole find classic art to be a bit repetitive and same-y in its themes but some of the work that can be found in the Vatican is just an example of the level of passion and dedication and patience that can be found in so many pieces of the period and is something that I think modern art can occasionally lack.

4. Aventine Hill

You’d think that a spot with such a good view of the city would be absolutely mobbed but Aventine Hill is just as serene as this photo makes it look. Do-ably uphill, amazing place to watch the sunset, and heads up: I can’t think of anywhere more romantic to propose.

5. MamaEats

One of many lively restaurants in the Travestere area, I had (surprise, surprise) another glorious spaghetti bolognese here. IIRC, they also specialise in gluten free food which is very forward-thinking!

6. Travestere and Riverbank

As I mentioned, Travestere is known for its host of buzzing bars and restaurants, but one thing we didn’t know about until we got to Rome was all the stalls and activities down on the riverbank. Though it didn’t seem to be a year-round thing, there was a whole strip of amazing food places and clothes and jewellery stalls and even some kind of VR experience down there which I would definitely recommend checking out if you are in Rome for the summer months.

8. St.Paul’s Outside the Wall

A really beautiful Church both inside and outside that's lacking absolutely nothing of St.Peter’s Basilica except the queues, my protip for visiting St.Paul’s Outside the Wall is to WEAR SOMETHING COVERING YOUR KNEES AND SHOULDERS. I mean, I’d say the same thing for all of the Italian Churches, but specifically this one because they WILL force these blue sheets of tarpaulin masquerading as “ponchos” upon you and you WILL feel like a complete and utter twat. You have been warned. 

9. Street Art 

We didn’t quite walk far enough to get to the cluster of street art by St.Paul’s Outside the Wall, but what we did see we found easily through the StreetArtRoma app, which marks out the various murals and professional graffiti points around the city. I think a really interesting day would be to hire a bike or a scooter and use the app to explore those various clusters that are dotted all around the city. 

10. Largo di Torre Argentina

The site where Julius Caesar (yep, him again) was assassinated, but also the site which is now populated by a group of very cute, and also very friendly cats. We didn’t get to go in the daytime when the actual cat sanctuary was open but when I went down the steps to get a closer look at the site one of the evenings, several of them came to say hello! No offence to any Christians out there, but if there was one point on this trip when I felt I was truly in the presence of something greater, it was here. And they were furry and adorable. With whiskers:3

11. Parthenon, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona

Basically, you gotta do all the big tourist spots. Yes, the Trevi fountain felt a lot like an overcrowded kids’ swimming pool, and yes, I did fear I was about to get yeeted into the fountain like a coin at some points too, but it is undeniably a very captivating sight. Along with the Parthenon, it’s a prime example of Rome not really being what I expected, because there’s no big clearing for either of them; they’re literally just slap bang in the middle of the street like they’re NBD, which is kinda wild considering they're hugely important pieces of history and architecture. Piazza Navona is very pretty too and a great place to sit down and get something to eat, even if it was just boxed pasta from one of the supermarkets round the corner in our case. 

Future Rome Bucket List:

Galleria Borghese

MAXXI Museum

MACRO Museum

Cinecitta Film Studios

Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna

Capitoline Museum

Milan, Italy

We only visited Milan for the day as that was where we got out flights home from but I still really enjoyed it. I went once in 2018 and I think the appeal back then was lost at me, but this time I get it: shopping, lol. There’s also a lot of art and fashion museums which are a huge part of the draw, and of course, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuelle; I think if you’re a person with *ahem* a fucking shitload of money, that’ll be enough to occupy you for at least a day or two.

Milan Top Things to do:

1. Galleria Vittorio Emanuele 

The oldest shopping mall in Italy and undoubtedly the most beautiful, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele might be the boujiest place I’ve ever stepped foot in. Sure, the shops are too intimidatingly expensive to consider even attempting to enter but they’re fun to marvel at and the general area has every typical high street store you can think of. Even the Zara in Milan looks like a fashion Haus inside! The same shop that in my local town centre resembles a jumble sale a good 50% of the time! So yeah, despite not having any money to spend and the fact that I was *supposed* to be on a shopping ban until October, I still like wandering around the area.

2. Novecento Museum

With several floors of modern art, interactive exhibitions (which you had to sign a RELEASE FORM to participate in), and an amazing view of Il Duomo upstairs, I really enjoyed the Novecento Museum. I thought it was going to a be a disappointing alternative to the Armani Museum, which was closed at the time, but it ended up being one of my favourite museums we visited on our whole trip.

3. Sforza Castle 

My friend that we met up with whilst in Milan (she has a flat in the city! I’m very impressed!) took us here and we sat down in the grounds for a bit, which was a nice way to chill out for an hour or so. There was a fountain out the front that people were paddling in to cool off too and there seemed to be several exhibits going on inside the castle as well if you did want to get a bit of background.

4. Starbucks Reserve Roastery on Via Cordusio 

The fanciest Starbucks I’ve ever seen in my life. Again, intimidatingly so. But if you like your coffee you will probs be in heaven.

5. Gallerie d’Italia

So me and my sister went here the last time we came to Milan and IIRC, really liked it. The modern art section was a bit sparse but the rest of the museum continued into some kind of grand old building and the usual stately home staples that I love were of course there in abundance: intricate ceilings, palatial stairways, opulent chandeliers, beautiful flower gardens, the place is basically a labyrinth of decadence and we lapped it up, lol. People being rich enough to own buildings like this? No. Them being open to the general public so we can go wild in them? Yes. 

Future Milan Bucket List:

Armani Museum

Navigli

Go in the Duomo

Barcelona, Catalonia

I’ve been to Barcelona about 4 or 5 times now and aside from Paris and London, there is no other European city that compares. It’s so huge, full of character and unique beauty, and endless things to do, that I could return probably about 10 times more and still leave with an incomplete bucket list. With stunning architecture, a laid-back coastline and bustling commercial areas, it’s a city with such a consistent vibe and sense of history. The only thing they could do to make it better? Take down the Christopher Columbus monument. Because having a giant statue of a man who facilitated the genocide of a whole country full of native people is a bit...yikes. Sorry, had to drop that in there. But on the whole I adore the place.

Barcelona Top Things to do:

1. CosmoCaixa

We didn’t actually go to CosmoCaixa on this trip to Barcelona, but we went a few years ago and it’s without a doubt, the coolest science museum I’ve ever been too. There’s information in Spanish, Catalan and English so most people can probably follow the exhibitions and even if not, there’s a whole interactive area with a load of contraptions that you don’t really need to understand to be entertained by. You could definitely make a whole day of it too; we went for about 3 hours and still only scratched the surface.

2. Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC)

2 things!

Firstly, this is a portrait of Colette, the French novelist, which me and my sister got really excited about because we kinda stan after watching that Kiera Knightley film!

Secondly, and probs more importantly, the modern art section of Museum Nacional d’Art de Catalunya is one of the most ingeniously laid out I’ve even seen. With the sections separated into different eras of Catalonian art, it kinda reads like a whistle stop tour of the cultural history of Barcelona, and so not only did I see so many gorgeous paintings, I got educated af!  Also, the building which the museum is housed in, the Palau Nacional, is stunning. Plus, there are escalators most of the way up. Iconic.

3. Portaventura

It was my sister and I’s fourth time visiting Portaventura this year and it was as amazing an experience as ever! The park is split into different themed areas, kinda like Disney, and has everything from thrill rides to Sesame Street Land (which is low-key super fun). It has what is probably one of my favourite rides ever, Shambhala, and also randomly the best theme park food I’ve ever tasted. One thing I would say is that the accompanying park, Ferrari Land, isn’t worth the extra money as the queues are super long, and there’s only really one ride worth going on, which is basically just a replica of Stealth at Thorpe Park. Same goes for the neighbouring water park; unless you’re going to pay for express passes there, give it a miss. The lockers are €10, the queues are ridiculous, the wave pool didn’t work (not that the staff bothered to tell everyone who was just stood there waiting for an hour) and the “lazy” river is pure anarchy. Literally, kids half-drowning themselves for the lols, popping up under your rubber ring when you least expect it, and then being screamed at by their parents. I live for a bit of chaotic energy but that lazy river...

4. Visit Sitges

A small city on the coast about half an hour from Barcelona, I really cannot recommend Sitges enough. There’s a ton of cute little art museums, delicious restaurants, heavenly beaches (the waves are INSANELY GOOD! You WILL get knocked under water half a dozen times but you also get to watch it repeatedly happen to other people too and it’s great), and a fucking ridiculously hard assault course out in the sea that me and my sister tanked at, hard. There’s incredible food places everywhere but favourites are Pom D’Amour and Dino for ice cream and sweet treats, and Beach House, Big Al’s American Kitchen, and Soca for mains . There’s also a really prominent LGBT community, plus lots of bars, pubs and clubs. Honestly, if you’re going to Barcelona, I really recommend staying around here as you get away from the the majority of the tourists but can still easily get in to the city by train.

5. Walking with Gaudi at the Gaudi Exhibition Centre

A very cool, very interactive exhibition that dives into the life of Gaudi, his creative process, his projects and his influences. My sister particularly liked the replica of El Drac. Like, she for whatever reason thought it was cute. Named it. Made us walk up to Parc Guell to try and see it. Wouldn’t leave the area til she got a keychain of it. Sigh.

6. Passeig de Gracia

Down Passeig de Gracia, you can both wistfully gaze through the windows of the designer shops you pass by, and actually spend your money (too much in my case) in the high street ones. Best of both worlds, bby.

7. Casa Battlo 

So it’s on Passeig de Gracia, pretty much opposite the metro station, but I had to give it its own little bit because it’s my favourite Gaudi building. Kinda looks like something aliens would build, kinda looks like something that sprang out of the ground, but that’s pretty much what Gaudi did best. 

8. Park Guell 

Just a warning, Park Guell is VERY uphill, and we somehow ended up getting off at the metro station right at the bottom of that hill, only to find out once we got up there that you had to book a slot and that all the slots for the rest of that day were sold out. My sister didn’t get to see her dragon and I was pissed off that I’d just nearly busted a lung open and regretted throwing my inhaler away for 20 minutes straight whilst getting up there, but it was still a pretty good view and we did get to see a bit of the park. Moral of the story though is to obviously book Park Guell before you go. 

9. Sagrada Familia

We’ve never actually been in to the Sagrada Familia, again, because we’ve never thought to book it (I want to absolve myself of responsibility here since every time I’ve gone to Barcelona before this trip, I’ve been a baby and let my parents organise everything), but it is an absolutely magnificent building even from the outside. I would one day love to go in and go up the spiral staircase though, because it looks fucking terrifying and I’m one of those strange people who likes being scared every once in a while.

10. Buenas Migas

I’m pretty sure it’s a chain thing but it’s the first time I’ve ever seen a focacceria, and maybe I’m just uncultured but...I got pretty excited. That being said, my sister and I both ended up getting pizza; it was as tasty as it looks.

13. Las Ramblas and Plaza Catalunya

The most typically mediterranean looking square you’ll ever see, Plaza Catalunya is the perfect place to stop off and get some tapas whilst you’re exploring Las Ramblas.

14. Mount Tibidabo

“I was backpacking across Western Europe, I was just outside of Barcelona, hiking in the foothills of Mount Tibidabo”...yes, I got excited to go here because of the Friends reference (I’m a basic bitch who likes friends AND has other personality traits, smd), but equally so by all the adorable old-timey fair ground rides once we did get up there. It was a few years ago now, so I’m not sure exactly how it worked but I do vaguely remember it being a bit of a rip off in that you had to pay to ride them all individually, so it’s good to know that the view from the Church and the Church itself is more than enough of a reason to go up. There’s also places to eat on the walk down and plenty of ice cream and food stalls up there.

Future Barcelona Bucket List:

Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA)

European Museum of Modern Art (MEAM)

El Jardin del Gats

Port Cable Car

Carrer de la Neu de Sant Cugat

So, that was my summer! 100% the most eventful one I’ve ever had! I’d love to go back to every one of these places, at least for a day, and am so grateful I got to have this experience. I definitely missed home a lot and maintaining your wellbeing whilst out of your comfort zone is hard, I’m not going to lie, but I hope that a year from now I’ll be feeling even more adventurous. 

There are so many places in Europe I desperately want to go to, some even more so now that I’ve visited the country. Now that I’ve been to Germany, for example, I’d be really interested in seeing somewhere like Munich or Cologne, as they’re supposed to have a completely different vibe from Berlin. It also really inspired me to get back into Spanish and possibly even learn French. 

I don’t know if anyone who is going inter-railing will read this but if they do, feel free to message me if you have any questions. My friend did pretty much all of the organising so I’m not the most knowledgeable person ever but I will do my very best to answer! Similarly, if anybody has any recommendations of other places to go whilst in any of these cities, food places and art museums especially (lol), let me know. 

Thanks for reading!

Lauren x

[travelita]

Interview Travelita Georgiana Spiridon

Travelita: 1. What does traveling mean to you? 2. Why is that important? 

I believe that traveling contributes a lot in discovering other cultures, both for our mental health (mental hygiene) and professional. Each time I travel, I learn to become confident and in tune with my emotions and desires.

We have only one life, I choose to follow my dreams, make them come true, and travel is something that fulfills me, a fire that burns inside me. I love solo travel because is one of the most rewarding ways to appreciate the world. The independence that it gives you, things it instills in you and know how it allows you to have all the benefits to transform your travels and even your life.

Travelita: 2. Now that I know what it is, now that I know why it's important and relevant, how are you implementing this in your travels? I mean, is there a process that you follow when traveling? 

Actually, there is a process that I follow: planning & organizing, financials, develop skills

I plan my trips in December for the entire upcoming year, before I choose the destinations I Iike to think – what am I dreaming about. So this year I wanted to visit the countries where Game of Thrones was filmed – visited Malta on my birthday, in July traveled to Dubrovnik, and for the other half of the year I chose Ireland in August and October in Rome to enjoy it with my mom, she’s my best friend and would like to spoil her for a moment. ☺ Planning ahead it gives me room to save money, now that I have all the tickets booked and accommodations as well. Every time I travel I have this system: 100€/ day, of course, I don't spend it all, but I feel much safer in terms of financials, maybe something comes up and I like to be prepared for any unplanned events. It happened to me once in London at the airport; I needed to pay for my luggage 150£ for some reason, I had that spare money and managed to solve the situation. Otherwise, I always get back home with some of the money, depending on where I'm going and what I plan to buy.

I very much enjoy creating my own travel guide for that specific location I’m traveling to – include what museums/ islands/ castles to visit with a bit of info about it, what to eat, where to shop.

Another thing that I love to do while traveling is to develop a skill that I’m not that aware of in terms of improving it or accepting it. For example, I'm afraid of heights; nevertheless, I always do my best to overcome it. If I keep feeding that overwhelming emotion I would never see cities from above or any gorgeous sceneries when traveling. I know my limit but I never give up, keep trying and always remember — if it scares you, you should do it. This way, I’m returning home with an improved side of me and some awesome photos as a reminder that if I persevere I’m becoming better every day.

Travelita: 3. What if people took advantage of your tips and steps you are providing? What will happen, how will their travels change? 

I'm a stickler and a worrier at the same time, people would say that these characteristics are not helping you.  I agree to disagree – sure they’re not something that one could easily live with, but they demonstrated that if I accept them, my true self, I would definitely enjoy what I love the most – see the world, learn from cultures, understand people better, become richer every time. 

If people took advantage of my tips and steps I’m providing, I would say that is a very good thing to do and I’m grateful for that. Each and every one of us has our own tips.  I rely on my instinct, learn from my mistakes, stay committed to pursue my dream and practice travel mindfulness – it’s a totally different perspective; that feeling of being present in the moment with openness and curiosity is one of a kind. I recommend it with all my heart, by devoting your full attention to each travel experience as it happens, you appreciate the moment more. 

Travelita: 4. Now we would like to get just some general information about you and your travels: (if not answered before) – When did you start traveling? 

Started traveling in 2015, visited Belgrade, Serbia. It was a great experience, it resembles a lot with my country. After that, I realized that all I wanted to do is to travel the world as long as possible. However, I was short on money and debated long and hard about what to do next, ultimately developed a plan to save money and to travel more. Since then I’ve traveled to 14 countries and counting! ☺

Travelita: - Do you remember how you felt when you traveled alone for the first time? - How did you, or do you deal with fears? 

I've experienced my first solo trip to Budapest; enjoyed it for 4 days! So awesome, peaceful, the history is everywhere with you, the architecture is astonishing, riverboat trip (highly recommended!) is overwhelming, adding the star of The River Danube – Margaret Island – took a walk, enjoyed the nature! Also, visited the Parliament, 9 Bridges, Buda Castle, Fisherman's Bastion & St. Matthias Church.

Every day, I had an energetic and joyful experience by visiting the main and beautiful tourist attractions. On my second day, I was heading out to visit the castle, and all of the sudden a man approached me on the busiest street in Old Town.

He asked me if I speak English, I thought he needed some help, and I said Yes! :) ...Unexpected, I paid close attention to what I felt in that moment --- the fight-or-flight reaction kicked in, sensed the imagined danger, everything was spinning in my head and my heart was about to pop up --- all of these for a couple of seconds, to me it felt like ages... Moreover, questions were bursting in my head: "What if he wants to hurt me, what if he wants to rob me?" --- All those what-ifs were not actual events, but something I projected into the future.

You know, when your head is playing games and gives you what it thinks is good for you, it never is. 

The guy was actually kind, knowledgeable, experienced in meditation, yoga, and healthy lifestyle. We talked about all these things, and what he actually wanted from me was to offer me a book, instead, he ended up giving me three amazing books and a soy cookie. :) 

In the end, my fear was only in my head, our thoughts have tremendous power to create our personal universe, so make sure you create a good one! When we go right at it (and through it), fear can teach us so much about our personal powers and strength. There is no other feeling like the triumph you feel when you realize you did not get defeated when you realize that instead, you actually made or did it!

Travelita: - Is there a place where you have been and you would definitely not recommend it for women on their own and why? 

Until now I was fortunate enough to meet kind and helpful people and I’m very grateful for that.

Travelita: - Do you still have this excitement, when you go for a trip? - what are your top 5 destinations and why? 

I always have this excitement as a very good driver. ☺ My top 5 destinations, I’ll start with Norway for its dazzlingly colored fishing villages, gaping fjords, vast nature, and being an aurora hot-spot, would very much love to see the northern lights. Sweden, for being a diverse place that welcomes people with all sorts of different views and experiences, food and the minimalist style. Santorini, for the Greek people, delicious food, dramatic sceneries, stunning sunsets, beaches. Paris, to feel the romantic vibe, learn about history, walk the streets, and as Audrey Hepburn said: “Paris is always a good idea”. Vienna, because it is one of the most stunning and mesmerizing capitals in Europe.

Travelita: Thank you for the interview!

Free your travels, be a Travelita! #travelita #iamatravelita

[mychronicthoughts]

Tagged by @mcmuffens . She is my sister, best friend, other half, light of my life. 10/10 would recommend following her blog. 

Rules: Answer the questions (which you can change if you don’t feel like answering certain questions), then tag followers you want to get to know better!

1. Nickname

Some people combine my first initial and last name because it sounds like a famous composer. 

2. Gender

Female

3. Star Sign

Gemini (to my dismay, actually) 

4. Height

5′5″, though it’s shocking how many people think I’m shorter than that. 

5. Favourite feature

I’m picking two. My curly blonde hair, and my eyes. They’re a mix of blue and green.

6. Hogwarts House

Hufflepuff (and proud) 

7. Favorite Animal

P E N G U I N S 

8. Average Hours Sleeping

Probably 8, but in order to function at the level I would like to, I would estimate I need about 12 hours (which is completely unattainable for me most of the time). 

9. Dogs or Cats

Both. You heard me.  

10. How many blankets do you sleep with?

As many as I can, short of overheating. The fluffier the better. It’s currently June and I’m sleeping with down blankets. 

11. Dream Trip?

Ugh, there are so many places I want to go. But picking one place, I would lose my mind if I ever got to visit Vienna. That city is literally filled with centuries of prominent music history, and it would feel so meaningful to walk the same streets that inspired Mozart, Mahler, Schubert, Haydn, Beethoven...

12. Dream Job?

There is a lot of research I would like to conduct within the intersection of musicology, disability studies, and trauma psychology. I would thoroughly enjoy a professorship, but am also becoming increasingly interested in the world of editing and publishing. 

13. When did you make this account?

2013, I think. I remember it was my freshman year of college, I was newly ill, and needed a place to go. 

14. How many followers do you have?

3,270. Far more than I ever thought I would get, and I am grateful for each and every one of you lovelies. Thank you for helping me build such a supportive, warm community. The world is a far better place with you in it. 

15. How many pets do you have?

Alright, buckle in. 

3 cats: Maggie, Mooch, and Swanson. Maggie is clearly the Queen Kitty, with tendencies toward sass, pretending she’s a lion, and talking back when things are not ~just so~. Mooch is a little chub whose hobbies include latching onto someone’s back to ride them like a horse, screwing with the dogs, and grooming everyone as a power move. Swanson, aptly named after Ron Swanson, is an enigma. You can either catch her eerily staring at you from down the hallway, or flopping down at your feet because she needs your attention nOw. If you’re lucky, she will shove her tongue up your nose as you pet her. Enjoys being held like a human baby.

2 dogs: Eddie and Crusoe. Eddie is a cranky old fart (no really, he’s almost 20 years old) who is blind and deaf. He spends much of his day wandering around in confusion, occasionally losing his shit when the cats bat at his butt to freak him out. Crusoe is a cheeky little brat who has a hard time coming to terms with the fact that he is a dog and not, in fact, a tiny human. But he is a needy sweetie and gives the best cuddles, so it evens out. 

16. What’s the best place to visit in your town or country?

Since there are too many places to visit in Chicago, I’ll just tell you my favorite spot: the riverwalk. It takes you around to the lake, where you can see the entire Chicago skyline. 

17. What’s your favorite study location?

My room, mostly. 

18. What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?

As many different types of chocolate packed into one flavor as humanly possible. 

19. How often do you read?

I have actually been getting better at finding time to read for fun; I think it’s really important to try to read things you love while in school. If I have a few minutes during my daily commute, I will crack out a book. It’s been nice to get back into genres I genuinely enjoy, not to mention the great escape it provides.

20. What’s your favorite book series?

Harry Potter, no competition. That was my whole childhood.

I tag @gymnastics-mania , @a-ballet-blog , and @zamboni-princess . (Sorry if I didn’t think of anyone, go ahead and fill it out anyway! Why not!) 

[dismalzelenka]

20 Questions

@buttsonthebeach tagged me in the getting to know you meme, but since I did that one recently I took the liberty of breaking the rules and finding another tag meme to answer instead. >:Dc

1. One thing you would change in your personality?

The constant undercurrent of social anxiety that renders me completely unable to speak coherently at the worst possible moments. I would love to have steady employment, social anxiety. Please stop cockblocking my job status. :^)

2. What is your DA rare pair?

MARIAN HAWKE AND RALEIGH SAMSON

GO RAID MY AO3, MY KIRKWALL TRASH HEAPS ARE WAITING

Sweetest Downfall

Arms Around the Past

3. A song that made you cry?

Passage by Vienna Teng. I've never had a song get me completely unglued on the last six words before this.

4. The best movie ever?

Love, Actually.

Fight me.

5. Food you will never eat?

C I L A N T R O >:(

6. Your celebrity crush?

Felicia Day. Mark of the Assassin DESTROYED me. 😅

7. Your favorite DA location and why?

Vigil's Keep. Because like. You're the head dumpster fire, in charge of recruiting more dumpster fires, and also you're apparently running an Arling that you never asked for and you have to deal with all these shitty nobles all the time but YOUR DUMPSTER FIRES are all right there beside you and you have the best papa dumpster fire ever who kicks nobles out of your dumpster fire house when you're tired of partying and basically it's this tiny fucked up little family and you all stumble down to breakfast in the morning in various states of hung over except for that one dwarf guy who's probably still drunk, you eat your eggs and toast in cranky silence, and then you go be big goddamn heroes.

....I really loved Awakening ok. Fite me.

8. You’re a night or a morning person?

I'm like a "night but the part of night where it's technically morning right up til morning" kind of person.

9. You have any tattoos?

Yus.

Nobody sigil from Kingdom Hearts wrapped in a treble clef between my shoulder blades.

A design of Helios on my left upper arm with "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken" underneath it because House Martell prideeee.

The Arabic word for "cat" on my left forearm, drawn to look like a cat.

I'm saving up for a griffon tattoo and maybe a stylized one of "can I get you a ladder so you can get off my back?" :3

10. How many languages you speak?

Fluent in English. Can understand Korean fairly well, but can't speak it quite as easily. Basic fluency in Italian. I can read it much better that I can speak it.

11. Where would you most like to visit?

The mountains in South Korea. I was born there and I've only ever been back to Seoul and a village on the outskirts where my grandparents lived. I want to spend like a week or so out there under the stars. ❤️

12. What’s the best book you’ve read?

The Poisonwood Bible.

So I was forced to read this in high school. And I went to a Baptist high school, so of course when I saw this summary of it I immediately went "oh fuck no."

"The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver, is a bestselling novel about a missionary family, the Prices, who in 1959 move from the U.S. state of Georgia to the village of Kilanga in the Belgian Congo, close to the Kwilu River."

Like. I was FULLY prepared to grit my teeth and spark notes another goddamn glorified colonialism story.

And then I read the damn thing.

And y'all this book is FUCKED UP. That missionary family? It's told from the POV of all of the daughters as they watch their father get more and more fanatical and abusive, as they struggle with culture shock, NONE of them wanted to be here, the majority of them slowly start to lose their faith and abandon their religion.

One of the girls is very clearly neurodivergent, but she's not really written as a character you're supposed to feel sorry for, and she's a total badass.

It has its problematic elements, but I think the fact that it's now seared indelibly into my brain is because I was 100% expecting a fucked up pro missionary story and ended up finding a story of the shit that happens to everyone else in the periphery of said pro missionary stories.

Was incredibly surprised to have read this in my AP Lit class at a Baptist high school, but goddamn, it shook me.

13. Who is your favourite BioWare character?

A N D E R S

Anders is my boy. I will ride or die for Anders. Anders was right. Fuck the Chantry. F I T E M E.

Bonus: fine Dwarven crafts, direct from Orzammar

14. Who’s your least preferred BioWare character?

Going to stick to Dragon Age because I'm too tired to rummage through my brain for other fandoms. And there's so many people I hate in Mass Effect. Hah.

Anyway. Livius Erimond kind of grinded my gears a lot, so much so that in my first mage playthrough I pissed off a ton of people and made him Tranquil. Like. My entire inner circle disapproved, it was fucking amazing. I'll never be able to make myself do it again because I felt so dirty after that I literally had to pause the game and take a shower, but man. Erimond is really good at pressing buttons.

15. What’s your favourite game?

Dragon Age Inquisition and Mass Effect 3. And Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark. Valen Shadowbreath was my first bioware love.

16. What’s your spirit animal patronus?

According to Pottermore it's a dragonfly but I'm pretty sure it's actually a cat.

Going with patronus instead of spirit animal because I've been asked to avoid appropriating that term as someone who is not of Native ancestry, and so I shall. Respect indigenous cultures. ✌️❤️

17. Cake or ice cream?

Fine Dwarven cakes, direct from Orzammar. Preferably almond or Chantilly. :D

18. Dogs or cats?

🐈 Kitties 🐈

19. What was your favourite DA romance?

3 Way Tie (although this could change since I haven't done all of them myself.)

Anders - because his whole arc is just so FUCK THE CHANTRY and he's such a Good Person who is Struggling and at the end of the day he's a soft feathery boy who loves you and cares about making people not hurt anymore and also is into some wild shit in bed and also loves cats. Let's be mentally ill cuddly softs together, Anders, I will give you my everything always, my soft feathery mage boy. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Leliana - soft but stabby song princess becomes the pope and her devoted girlfriend wife swoons quietly through all of it.

Cullen - weirdly enough, I did not expect to enjoy this romance as much as I did. I kind of hated him in the first two games, like when I ran into him in 2 I still hadn't forgiven him for the "KILL ALL THE MAGES" outburst and was just like. "Ugh it's this motherfucker." And then I saw him again in Inquisition and was like WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHITHEAD DOING HERE? HE'S FIRED. FIRE HIM, CASSANDRA.

But then Cassandra never reciprocated my affections, Blackwall yelled at me on the battlements about propriety and we're at war so I dumped him, and then Vivienne turned me down and I was like FINE FUCK ALL Y'ALL I'M GONNA SMOOCH CULLEN OUT OF SPITE.

And then he's all like. "I went through some shit. I said some really fucked up stuff. Also I'm trying to get clean and it's literally killing me but I don't want anything to do with that old life anymore." And the chess scene, and then me getting really personally enraged at all the Orlesians copping nonconsensual feels at Halamshiral and then I woke up one day and was like wow OK this dude's alright, he's even kind of cute, I guess I can-

"marry me?" "OKAY YES."

*shrug* I'm weak.

20. Do you prefer sunshine or are you a winter person?

Sunshine in winter, ideally, but if I have to choose between one or the other, winter.

Anyway. I broke rules, oops. Gonna tag @sasshole-for-rent @suzumicchi @joufancyhuh @laraslandlockedblues @becauseanders @inner-muse @ladymdc @agentkatie @kawakaeguri @a-shakespearean-in-paris @ekoorb03 @lyrium-lovesong @5ftgarden

[shortqueershakespeare]

Do all the asks! Hope you had a good Christmas!! <3

In ausOkay here goes, all the asks from the end of 2020

1. How many lockdowns did you go through until now? 

I actually can’t remember if I was in one or two in the UK, because I barely changed my habits, I stayed in my house throughout lockdown and non-lockdown. But either 2 or 3.

2. Ever been quarantined? (contact person, waiting for test result or positive test result) 

Yep, right before the start of UK lockdown one because of possible symptoms in my household and once in Austria now. 

3. Ever taken a Corona test? 

Yup, I took one, a gargle test.

4. Have you lived together with someone during lockdown?

Yep, lockdown in the UK with my dad and sister, in Austria with my flatmate.

5. Something you enjoyed about lockdown? 

Spending more time with my sister and also seeing my puppy grow up.

6. What bothered you most about lockdown? 

Not being able to hug my mum when we lost our rabbit and not being able to hug friends.

7. Which change, e.g. home office, would you like to keep once it´s all over? 

Teaching from home wouldn’t be bad to keep, also normalising wearing masks and distancing when ill.

8. Been to any Corona related demonstration? 

No.

9. On a scale of 1 (not at all) to 10 (completely), how well do you stick to government´s rules? Explain. 

In the UK I would say 10, and I did more than stick to them, I rarely left the house except for walking the dog. In Austria 7 or 8, we don’t really have the concept of bubbles here but through lockdown we had our friend in our bubble. I did also accidentally break curfew at one point.

10. Favorite lockdown activity? 

Sleeping, frankly.

11. How did the lockdown affect your work/education? 

The end of my year at uni was done at home, with take home exams and now my work is going to be distance teaching again. And of course masks and distancing at in person teaching.

12. Any new hobbies you tried out during lockdown? 

I taught myself to sew and cross-stitch!

13. Any new subscriptions you made due to lockdown? 

Disney plus!

14. Anything new you tried to learn during lockdown? 

Sewing, a few new recipes.

15. Any old hobbies you took up again during lockdown? 

I started writing a lot more again and did a lot of crafting.

16. How did you keep in touch during lockdown? 

Zoom calls, skyping, postcards.

17. Favorite mask you own? 

My rainbow one!

18. Favorite online conferencing tool? 

Teams for teaching.

19. Any new technologies and technological tools you tried out due to lockdown? 

Zoom, google meet, MS teams and a few online games.

20. Have you been able to go on any holidays this year? 

No.

21. Are Christmas markets allowed in your country? 

Sadly not:( It was part of what I was looking forward to about my year abroad and I’m genuinely gutted about it.

22. How are you going to spend Christmas in this situation? (or whatever you are celebrating!) 

I spent Christmas with my flatmate, we did polish dinner on the 24th, British Christmas on 25th and then called my family on Christmas day. I managed to make all of Christmas dinner all by myself which I was really chuffed with.

23. Any small business you support? 

Yeah, plenty of local shops.

24. Any small artist you support? 

When I find people on instagram or tumblr i try yeah! 

25. Favorite online shop?

I am in a very bath having mood so bomb cosmetics.

26. Dumbest impulse buy? 

My terrible Christmas hat.

27. First thing you bought when the shops reopened? 

Quite literally no idea, but I would assume something food related.

28. Been to the hair dresser this year? 

Nope, but I’ve been cutting my own hair for 2 or 3 years so that’s not unusual.

29. Got a new tattoo or piercing this year? 

Nope!

30. What did you only start to appreciate because lockdown took it from you? 

How easy it was to meet new people.

31. Favorite book that was released this year? 

Contacts by Mark Watson or Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh.

32. Favorite book you read that year? 

The same as above.

33. Favorite movie that was released this year? 

uhhhhh bold of you to assume that I paid attention.

34. Favorite movie you watched this year? 

101 dalmatians, a classic but gave me a lot of comfort. 

35. Favorite series that was released this year? 

Staged or the Goes Wrong Show.

36. Favorite series that you watched this year? 

Same answer.

37. Favorite podcast that you listened to this year? 

Cryptid Cape or I Can’t Believe It’s Not Buddha.

38. Favorite artist this year? 

Taylor Swift.

39. Total minutes on Spotify this year? 

I don’t have spotify!

40. Favorite album that was released this year?

I can’t separate folklore and evermore.

41. Favorite album that you listened to this year? 

Again, folklore and evermore.

42. Favorite song that was released this year? 

I’m gonna go with dorothea.

43. Favorite song you listened to this year?

dorothea or rainbow by dodie or Sad Girl Summer by Maisie Peters.

44. Favorite Corona related song? 

So Will I - Ben Platt.

45. What do you do to prevent yourself from going insane during lockdown? 

Sat outside and watched the stars at night listening to songs, took my dog for a walk, did some writing.

46. Describe a typical lockdown day of yours. 

I mean I’m in a kinda weird position of living with/being a kind of key worker. When I was in the UK, I would wake up at 9 to look after the pup, take her for a walk, do uni work or plan for my year abroad. Cook or help my sister cook dinner, play as a group with the puppy, then chill in the living room with family, play animal crossing. In Austria It’s been waking up half an hour before my first class, teaching, cooking and chilling.

47. Something you did during lockdown that you´ve been putting off for way too long? 

Had some proper heart to hearts with my sister and organised my year abroad.

48. Trying new baking recipes or new cooking recipes? 

Yeah! I made profiteroles and some new curries.

49. Netflix or Amazon Prime? 

Prime because you can buy stuff too, it would be netflix but my dad keeps forgetting to tell me his password.

50. Did you get Disney+? 

Yeah, I share it with a few friends.

51. Any new social media you started using during lockdown? 

Not sure actually!

52. Any trends you fell for? 

Not that I can think of?

53. Did you achieve more or less than in a normal year? Explain. 

Frankly, since November 2019 life has been utter hell so if it was less I wouldn’t be shocked but I think the tail end of the year has been pretty successful, I moved countries, signed my first rent contract and am supporting myself for the first time. But it’s kind of a mixed bag.

54. Did you start therapy this year? 

Nope.

55. Books or audio books? 

Both but I find reading really relaxing but hard to get into. I’ve read a shit ton of fanfic though.

56. Audio books or podcasts? 

Podcasts mostly.

57. Twitch or Youtube? 

Youtube.

58. Attended any online concert? 

Tessa Violet’s “the something to look forward to” tour

59. Favorite stream/streamer this year? 

I really enjoyed Mark Watson’s Watson-A-Thon and also Broadway Jackbox, the Evan Hansen one.

60. Most used social media this year? 

Either twitter or tumblr.

61. Yoga or long lone walks? 

Long lone walks.

62. Did you get a pet this year? 

Yeah! My puppy!

63. Did it snow where you live this year? 

Yeah It snowed in Vienna for one day.

64. What were you doing when you found out about the announcement of the first lockdown? 

I think I was in quarantine, looking after the dog.

65. Did you panic buy anything? 

No, I don’t think so.

66. Ever ran out of toilet paper? 

Yes. 

67. Favorite lockdown comfort food? 

Something with gravy. 

68. Selfcare tips for lockdown? 

Be gentle with yourself. Try to give yourself structure but don’t feel guilty for not being productive.

69. Did you use delivery services this year? For what kind of food? 

God yes, supermarket a few times. And also meals, kebabs a fair bit.

70. Any weird coping techniques you developed during or after lockdown? 

Not especially I don’t think.

71. Favorite game you played this year? 

Animal Crossing!

72. Favorite drink this year? 

Pornstar martinis.

73. Favorite food this year? 

Christmas Dinner.

74. Favorite App this year? 

Puzzle Page! I’ve enjoyed doing crosswords and stuff a lot.

75. Favorite memory of this year? 

Drunk dog walk with my sister in the pouring rain.

76. Any plans you had for this year that you could realize? 

Wait what does this one mean?? Any plans I COULD do? My year abroad I guess. Any plans I couldn’t - interrailing.

77. Do you even plan anything for next year? 

I still have the rest of my year abroad plan.

78. Did you find new (online) friends this year? 

Yeah - one at my uni who I didn’t know so that was nice!

79. Did you go through a break-up this year? 

No. 

80. Did you get into a new relationship this year? 

No.

81. Did you do something creative this year? Tell us about it. 

Yeah, I cross-stitched a bee, a snake and a butterfly and I also did lots of writing and a few doodles on my writing blog (lovenliterature).

82. Favorite blog you found on tumblr this year? 

A bunch of wolfstar or ballum ones - I really like @aeternumregina and @shanastoryteller too.

83. What did you buy way too much of this year? 

Take out and alcohol.

84. Did you win anything this year? 

Nope.

85. Did you drastically change your diet this year? 

Not especially, I tried to have more fruit though and I started drinking coffee.

86. Did you move to a new home this year? 

Yeah! I now live in a flat in Vienna.

87. Did you do something this year that you never did before? 

Signed rent and work contracts in another country. Also got corona.

88. Celebrity crush of the year? 

Ben Platt or Andrew Scott.

89. Most expensive thing you bought this year?

My phone!

90. Been abroad this year? 

Yep, I moved abroad.

91. Favorite tumblr trend of this year? 

Just fucking waiting for more Destiel news.

92. New Years Resolutions you broke this year?

I didn’t make any this year tbh.

93. NYRs you kept? 

Same answer.

94. NYRs you have for next year? 

Just be nicer to myself and remember to renew prescription/make doctor’s appointments sooner.

95. How are you going to spend New Years Eve? 

Drinking with my flatmate in my flat.

96. Will you get your fortune told in any way around NYE? 

No I don’t think so.

97. Any new shops (online or real) you discovered this year? 

Billa, our supermarket lol.

98. Any food you tried out for the first time this year? 

Polish Christmas food!

99. How did you celebrate your birthday this year? 

It was in Feb so had friends round and had drinks.

100. Was this ask game better or worse than 2020? 

Better

[ohwhatamessiam]

Give  -Part 1

Summary: Bucky and (Y/N) had an amazing yet brief relationship in Bucharest before all hell broke loose. Two years later they reconnect in a bar in Brooklyn, but things have changed and neither are the same people they were before. Will their relationship survive or is a break up inevitable?

Pairing: Bucky Barnes X Reader

Word Count: 1.9k

Warnings: I don’t think there’s any. Just a slow burn with lots of angst and the beginning of fluff within the time frame of pre and post-Civil War events.

Author’s Note: Hi guys! So I wrote this for @bladebarnes’s #bladehits2kchallenge with the song Give by You Me At Six. I’m generally a long form writer and I started this as a one shot and it became a lot longer so I’m breaking it into parts. I’m sorry if this is horrible and I suck at writing in second person so all this is in first person (still a reader insert). I haven’t written any fanfic in over a year, and I’ve never written any Marvel fanfic so this is new for me. Hopefully I’ll have the next part posted in the next two days. A huge thanks to @lostboyinneverland​ for beta-ing for me, and @irishdancr24 and @fangirlisms-22 for talking me into writing this. Also here’s a Spotify playlist to listen to while reading the entire fic. Hopefully you all will like it, and if you do let me know!

source: bbuchanann

I sat alone in a bar in Brooklyn, waiting to break up with Bucky Barnes. It was the same spot I’d met with Steve Rogers at a year ago when he checked in on me. More than two years had passed since I’d last seen Bucky. Since he’d last kissed me in the doorway of my apartment in Bucharest. Since he’d walked away from me for the last time.

That day was supposed to be goodbye, but to both of our surprises he’d survived the manhunt for him after he was framed with bombing the UN conference in Vienna. Steve had done what he could to protect him, reversing the roles of their childhood friendship and keeping Bucky alive and hidden. Of course I couldn’t know where Bucky was, and what mental or physical state he was in, only that he was alive. Steve had told me he was safe and I believed him. Sam Wilson had alluded to Bucky being unable to hurt anyone, which had caused me to feel a little more apprehensive about his current state.

Steve had set the meeting up, calling me a week ago and telling me that Bucky was ready to see me. Two months before, I’d woken in the middle of the night to a text from him saying, “he’s awake.” I’d been aching to see him for longer than felt humanly possible, but all my waiting strengthened my decision. I couldn’t keep waiting around for him. As much as I loved him and every fiber of my being wanted to be with him, being apart for two years without hearing his voice, without even a word from him, made me wonder what I actually meant to him.

Did he even think about me over the last two years? Were Steve and Sam just pitying me and making sure some Hydra crony couldn’t find me and try to get answers out of me? I’d lived the last two years of my life trying to save my love for Bucky, treating myself like a woman whose man was caught in a war, and would return when it was done. Did Bucky even still think we were together? Was there even a relationship leftover for me to be breaking up?

I’d spent the last two years thinking about him. Waking up in the middle of the night wanting to be with him. Just wanting to even hear his voice. But I got nothing, so I busied myself. Getting a new job, volunteering at an animal shelter, spending more time with my friends, but nothing filled the hole in my heart. And I’d faltered, spent days angry at him followed by weeks when I was sad and desperately needed human contact. But no one could fill his space. And so I continued to wait.

My knees bounced nervously underneath the bar’s counter, an almost empty whiskey already sitting on a cocktail napkin in front of me. This bar was the perfect place to meet because it was quiet enough to talk but just busy enough to disappear from without attracting attention if need be. The bartender with a full beard and sparkling green eyes paused in front of me, noticing how tightly I was wringing my hands together. “Everything okay?” he asked, leaning against the wooden counter.

“Just nervous,” I tried to smile but it was strained. “I’ll take another.” He nodded at me, grabbing another glass, dropping a couple ice cubes in it, and pouring more whiskey for me. I threw back the remaining contents of my current glass and left it on the counter.

“Let me know if you need anything else,” his eyes flashing a worried look my way. I nodded at him and tried to smirk. After another moment of hesitation, he continued onto the other customers and I was left alone with my thoughts again.

I took one more gulp of the liquor, feeling it burn its way down my throat in a cruel and slow way. Torturing my esophagus, the same way the waiting game of the last two years was torturing me. Just as I placed my glass back on the counter, I heard the front door swing open.

His eyes met mine before his feet even entered the building, and his smolder made me want to melt in my seat. Instead I straightened my back in my stool and took in every detail of him. He looked, different. His hair was gone, cut shorter than I’d ever seen it in person and it reminded me of the photos I’d seen of him from the 40s. He was clean shaven, his cheekbones and jawline on full display, and he’d slimmed down a little. He was still massive looking, but leaner than when I’d last held him, and maybe his clothing had something to do with that. He was wearing a pair of tight fitting black jeans, a pair of combat boots, a white t-shirt, a black leather jacket, and his gloves. There wasn’t a layer besides his jacket in sight.

He ran his fingers through his hair as he got closer to me and a smile stretched across his lips. Everything I’d planned flew out the window. It was as if my breath had been kicked out of me for two years and suddenly I could inhale. I slid down from my bar stool on shaky knees and allowed myself to be pulled into a hug. The feel of his hands on me, his chest against mine, the fresh and woodsy scent of his after shave, the twinkle in his eyes, his wicked smirk, and his husky “hello” threw me into a sensory overload. Suddenly I was reliving every milestone and moment of ours together in Bucharest.

The first time I laid eyes on Bucky Barnes was in the stairwell of our apartment building in Bucharest. It was the day I moved into the studio directly below his.

Bucharest was the 6th place I’d stayed in 4 months, and the city I was staying in the longest. My post-graduate school travel excursion could last for only so long before I had to start paying off my student loans, Bucharest was the most affordable city I’d be in, and therefore I was able to sub-rent an apartment for an entire month compared to a couple weeks in a dingy hostel. I knew I wasn’t moving into a palace, but just walking up the stairs, seeing all the cracked plaster and cement of the pinkish walls told me that living here was going to be interesting if nothing else.

The apartments sat close together and the walls were thin. I’d bothered to buy a couple sets of cheap dishes, silverware, pots and pans, and a set of bed sheets. Nothing I would mind leaving behind or throwing out, but cooking for myself was much more affordable than eating at a food stand or cafe everyday. I’d climbed the 12 floors worth of stairs with a box and bag balanced on my left arm, and dragging my luggage and backpack with my right.

I saw his baseball capped head bob down the flight of stairs above me and the way he darted down them quietly and quickly made me think he would push right past me. I leaned my suitcase on the corner of the wall and fished my keys out of my pocket. As I twisted the key into the deadbolt I felt his presence directly behind me, large and powerful but also timid. I rushed to yank the door open and jam my foot into the frame. As I swung the thin door open I heard my luggage start to slide down the wall. I whipped around to try to catch it while also balancing the rest of my things but that was no easy feat.

Bucky grabbed the handle before it hit the ground and placed it in my hand, his gloved fingers gently brushing mine. I slid my bags onto the floor of the apartment and then carefully put down the box of breakables. Pivoting on my heel I looked for him in the hallway but he was already gone. I leaned onto the red metal railing and searched for him on the staircase. His dark, broad figure was already 4 floors below me, but I still shouted thanks in broken Romanian, “M-mulțumesc!” He didn’t slow down or respond to my gratitude, but I watched him take the remaining flights until he exited the building, a small spark stirring in my gut.

The second time I laid eyes on Bucky Barnes was on a busy street lined with vendor stalls, paper kiosks, and to my luck, a few benches. It was only a couple blocks over from the apartment building, and I’d been reading and people watching there when the weather was pleasant. Staying inside the tiny studio with cracked walls, a half-fallen apart kitchen, and stained and slightly smelly furniture only seemed to dampen my mood. Exploring the city and absorbing the culture through watching the people and their interactions with one another was my escape.

It hadn’t even been a week since I’d seen Bucky, but the thrill that ran up my spine when I caught his form in front of a produce stand made me straighten in my seat. It wasn’t cool enough for him to need a jacket over a long sleeve t-shirt, yet he was bundled tightly. Unlike the last time I’d seen him though, he had no baseball cap on. His dark brown hair was tucked behind his ears and looked like it could use a good wash, but it still appeared soft looking in the light. I lowered my book onto the bench as I leaned forward to get a better look at what he was doing.

He was rolling fruit between his gloved hands. Starting with a pair of apples, he closely inspected their skin for blemishes or bruises, and then he moved onto a basket of plums. He tested their firmness and weight in his palms, and after another moment picked out four to purchase. As he reached for his money in his back pocket a soft breeze started to pick up on the street, causing the vendor’s canopy to blow upward. As he handed the middle age woman behind the table the money, the breeze grew into a slight gust. He reached down to place his plums in a bag, and as he did so the back of his hair blew up.

As he straightened with his paper bag in hand, his hair continued to stand upward. I let out a snort that came out louder than expected, and I covered my mouth immediately with my hand to smother the laugh that followed. Bucky’s head turned to locate the origin of the sound instantly and his dark eyes met mine for a moment. I dropped my gaze instantly, placing my book back in my lap but the damage was already done.

Bucky weaved back through the crowd, never removing his stare from me. As he reached the opposite end of my bench he paused for a second, knowing I’d been watching his feet move across the concrete without looking up. I glanced at his face one more time to find him fighting off a smirk. Then he stepped past me and onto a busy crosswalk, leaving me to watch him walk away again.

[fabiofernandes]

When in ROME: City Guide

Overview

Rome is one of the most beautiful Italian cities. It is inevitable to fall in love with the historical buildings, the friendly and loud speaking citizens, the fish based Mediterranean food and of course the chaos. Because of all that, Rome is the most popular destination in Italy. The country receives around 48.6 million tourists a year (2014) and from that, 14 million visits the capital. Between the many amazing places to visit, the Vatican Museum is the far most popular sight in the city with over 4.2 million tourists per year, making them the world's 37th most visited destination. In second we have the Colosseum with around 4 million tourists a year.

Between the ancient ruins such as the Forum and the Colosseum that evoke the power of the former Roman Empire, you will find the cosmopolitan city is full of influential art, architecture and culture. 

Rome is by far my favorite city in Italy. It's typically the place some people will immediately love or hate. There is no indecision when it comes to Rome. 

That is why I created this guide, to help you navigate in one of the best cities in the world, and hopefully you will enjoy and see the beauty I love so much.

"A fun fact, Rome became the capital city of a unified Italy only in 1870 after taking the title from Florence."

From the Beginning: Ancient Rome

The Ancient City is composed by the Roman Forum, Via Sacra, Arch of Titus, House and Temple of vestals, Palatine Hill and the Palace of Domitian. The Roman Forum, where some of the most fundamental monuments in the history of Rome can be seen, such as the Curia, the center of the Roman Senate, temples including the funeral altar of Julius Caesar, the remains of the magnificent House and Temple of the Vestals, and the Arch of Titus, with decorations recalling the Jewish religion.

From here, you will go up to the Palatine, the hill on which Romulus founded the city of Rome and which later became the site of the Imperial residences. Here it will be possible to see the impressive remains of one of the most important buildings, the Imperial Palace built by the Emperor Domitian, as well as the Imperial Family’s private stadium.

This spectacular visit concludes with a view over the Circus Maximum, the first and largest circus in Ancient Rome used primarily for chariot racing. 

I recommend buying your ticket online in advance and arrive early, specially if you are going in the summer (From June until September). During this period, the temperatures in Rome can reach 38 degrees Celsius (100 Fahrenheit) and the sun is ruthless. Expect to walk a lot inside the ancient city, including small hikes to reach the best views. You will find water fountains in some places. The water is perfectly safe to drink, but since there are not too many fountains spread around the site and no places where you can buy water, I also recommend bringing your own bottle.

"Julius Ceaser was the one who introduced the modern 12 month calendar. Before that Lunar or Arabic calendars were used. It was known as the Julian calendar and was introduced in 46 BC."

THE FAVORITE SPOT: Colosseo

The Colosseum is still recognized by the whole world as a symbol of Rome. From ancient Roman times it was called "Amphitheatrum Flavium" by the name of the imperial family Flavia under which began and ended the work for its construction.

The Colosseum's interior was divided into three parts: the arena, cavea and podium. The arena had a wooden floor covered in sand to prevent the combatants from slipping and to soak up the blood. Trapdoors led down to the underground chambers and passageways beneath the arena floor. The cavea, for spectator seating, was divided into three tiers: magistrates and senior officials sat in the lowest tier, wealthy citizens in the middle and the plebs in the highest tier. Women (except for vestal virgins) were relegated to the cheapest sections at the top. The podium, a broad terrace in front of the tiers of seats, was reserved for emperors, senators and VIPs.

Another beautiful site to visit in front of the Colosseo is the Arch of Constantine (Italian: Arco di Costantino). It is a triumphal arch in Rome, situated between the Colosseum and the Palatine Hill. It was constructed by the Roman Senate to commemorate Constantine I's victory over Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian Bridge in 312.

You can arrive to the Colosseum by Metro red line (subway) station Colosseo. Also taxis can approach the perimeter and leave you in front of the entrance. To maximize your experience, I suggest doing a bicycle tour or renting a motorcycle Vespa scooter. There are Scooter options under 50cc you can rent without a driver's license. In addition, you will have no problem parking you scooter in the nearby streets.

I recommend buying your ticket online in advance and arrive early, specially if you are going in the summer (From June until September). Also, be prepared to stay in line and be patient.

THE VATICAN

The Vatican is the smallest country in the World, encircled by a 2-mile border with Italy. It stands on Vatican Hill in northwestern Rome, Italy west of the Tiber River. It is comprised of roughly 100 acres. The first thing you will probably notice is that the city is surrounded by tall stone walls. As an independent state, the Vatican City has its own pharmacy, post office, telephone system and media outlets. Around 1,000 live in the City.

What to visit?

St. Peter's Basilica:

Built on the foundation of the first St. Peter's, the new basilica took 120 years to complete. Masonry, sculpture, painting and mosaic work continued for nearly another 200 years. Now, It is the world's second-largest Christian church after the Yamoussoukro Basilica in Cote d'Ivoire. The dome of the basilica was designed by Michelangelo, and is 400 feet tall and 138 feet in diameter. The church is shaped like a cross and is almost 700 feet long, 450 feet wide at its widest point, and stands on more than 18,000 square yards. In the grottoes or necropolis, beneath the basilica, is a papal burial chamber. The tombs of many popes, including St. Peter (the first pope), are located there.

"Fun Fact: Despite its massive size and importance, St. Peter's is not a cathedral, which normally is a bishop's principal church. That means the pope is the bishop of Rome, and his cathedral church is in Rome and not in the Vatican as many people may think."

Vatican Museum:

"The Vatican, the Museum of Museums," not only houses the extensive collections of art, archaeology and ethno-anthropology gathered by the Popes over the centuries, but also contains some of the Apostolic Palace’s most extraordinary and artistically significant rooms.

The Vatican Museums themselves were originally founded as collections of works of classical archaeology. The Popes viewed themselves as the legitimate heirs of Roman history. The pagan capital had turned Christian; the imperium of Augustus and Trajan was merged into the imperium sine fine of the Catholic and Apostolic Church. The monuments of the Roman civilization therefore had to be preserved, safeguarded and revered ad maiorem Dei gloriam and for the honour and glory of the Church.

For me, this is one of the most beautiful museums in Europe. Make sure to reserve a full day to you visit that is because, like the Louvre, the museum is incredibly big. From the exhibitions, to the Apostolic rooms, the Sistine Chapel and the gardens, you will certainly spend many hours inside.

Tickets now are all by appointment and they start as early as 8 am. As always, arriving early in the morning is the best option. There are less people outside in line and when you get in it is the perfect opportunity to see the museum in peace. I recommend going straight to the Sistine Chapel and seeing it first. It will probably be empty and you will love to see the room like this. Then you can return to the beginning and see the rest of the collection.

"Fun Fact: The new museum was created thanks to the efforts of a wide-reaching campaign of purchases from antique dealers and excavators working in the Papal States. The Congress of Vienna (1815) and the diplomatic efforts of Antonio Canova, Inspector General of the Fine Arts and the Vatican Museums, made it possible to recover almost all of the previously seized artworks. "

ALTAR OF THE FATHERLAND

The Altare della Patria, also known as the Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II or Il Vittoriano, is a monument built in honor of Victor Emmanuel, the first king of a unified Italy, located in Rome, Italy.

This is a must see place in Rome, mainly because of its opulent size and majestic architecture. Another great thing about the Altar, is that you can visit it for free. Just go and climb the huge stairway to have a wonderful sight of Rome and have a closer look at the eternal flame.

WHAT TO VISIT ON THE STREETS?

Restaurant Cacio & Pepe

Where the true Romans and renowned chefs (like Anthony Bourdain) eat. This is my favorite restaurant in Rome. The food is unbelievably simple and good. The main dish is the Cacio & Pepe that gives the name to the restaurant. It is a simple spaghetti with cheese and peeper, but the done perfectly. Make sure to arrive at 12 pm to get a table, otherwise you will have to wait a lot. The menu is written on a board outside. Wine is produced by the house and served in glass jars in 3 different sizes. The best part: prices are very cheap!

Via Giuseppe Avezzana, 11, 00195 Roma, Italy | trattoriacacioepepeprati.com

Villa Borghese

The Central Park for the Romans. This beautiful park located in the hills, is not special because of its size, but because of its beautiful gardens. Don't expect to see anything like the French gardens in Paris or Versailles. This is truly Italian and more than that, truly Roman. The trees and plants is what you would expect if you lived in the ancient Rome. Make sure to reserve a full afternoon to walk around and have a Roman experience. You will find gardens, fountains, villas and many other things to see inside the park. One suggestion is to rent a bicycle and ride around. This would be specially great if you decide to ride from the Villa Borghese to our next stop: Piazza del Popolo.

sovraintendenzaroma.it

Piazza del Popolo and Fontana di Trevi

Do you remember the movie "La Dolce Vita"? Well, so you will remember this piazza and the fountain. Here, Marcello and Maddalena met the prostitute. The scene is beautiful, with the fountain, the black and white, the lights, and for those who love Italy and La Dolce Vita, you will love to see where the movie was shot.

Come il Latte

The BEST gelato you will have in Italy (that is right, in Italy). I am an apassionado (lover) of Gelato, and because of that I can tell that I tried ice creams more than any other human being. When it comes to gelato, this is the best you can get. The small store away from the city center produces its own gelato inside the store (as many others) . That is not what makes this gelato the best, but 3 other reasons: 1. Texture is like nothing you tasted: it has the perfect texture, not too soft and not too hard, doesn't taste like a yogurt but at the same time it also doesn't taste like an ice cream. It simply taste like a gelato should be, right in the middle; 2. The flavors and ingredients are amazing: I always test the quality of a gelato by the flavor Baccio di Latte, which is basically a milk gelato. I like to use that flavor because its simple and there are no distraction in comparing them. I can say, that once you mastered the Baccio di Latte, all other flavors must be good; 3. Baked brownie inside the cup: that is right, they put the dough inside the cup of the gelato and then they bake it for 5 to 8 minutes and last they serve the gelato of you preference. Hot fresh baked brownies and the best gelato, what can go wrong?

Via Silvio Spaventa, 24/26, 00187 Roma, Italy | comeillatte.it

[blaupferd-blog1]

Der Reise von der Hoelle

I have been in Austria for a little more than a week now, and have been in Graz for five days. I have done quite a lot already in Vienna and Graz, but want to inform you all of the hellish journey I had to good ole Europa. Only having traveled to the resort scene of Playa del Carmen and the small town vibes of North Vancouver BC, it is safe to say that I definitely am not an experienced traveler of the world. I had never planned a trip or booked a flight on my own, so there was much room for error when I booked my flight. Needless to say, I fucked up. Nine hour layover in Las Vegas, five hour layover in Oslo, seven-fucking-teen layover in Paris. Why did I do that to myself? I really don’t know. The adrenaline of finally making my voyage to Europe combined with being an airhead and getting a good deal made me oversee my layovers somehow. I thought I had around five hours in each city, which to me sounded fine since the idea of navigating a foreign airport alone scared the shit out of me. Later I realized the error of my ways, and my 17 hour layover, but by then it was too late. All of my flights went without a hitch, but shit got real weird in Paris. You live and you learn, and never will I ever spend another night in an airport. After arriving in Paris I quickly noted the smell of cigarettes in the airport, and that this airport was by far the least nice airport I had been to. I found a place to sit alone and opened my suitcase to change my socks and shoes when I hear a “Mademoiselle?” Annoyed, I look up to see a large homeless man wheeling some sort of cart. He asks me something in French and I simply say sorry. Then he asks if I speak English to which I say “No I don’t speak English.” A look of confusion crept up on both of our faces from what I had said, I then correct myself “I mean yes, I speak English.” He then asks me for “a slip,” flustered and caught red-handed with a suitcase full of clothes I hand him the first shirt I see, a shirt that has been in my possession since around the 8th grade, despite it being about 4 sizes too small for him.  He thanks me several times, and then again inquires for “a slip,” to which I respond, “Sorry I don’t have any.” Eventually he tells me okay and to have a nice flight. Relieved that the man is walking away I begin hastily zipping up my suit case when I hear a “psssst.” Already anticipating an unpleasant interaction I look up to see a man 20 feet away from me near the exit, motioning me to come towards him. I quickly shake my head in disagreement. In response, he holds up a brown paper bag and again insists I go to him, again, I shake my head. He gets closer and holds up the bag once more, I then shake my head again and add in a waving gesture for flair which communicated “not interested.” With that he puts both of his hands in the air as if I am missing out, and leaves. Right when that man left I high-tailed it out of that area, determining that sitting alone was not a wise choice. I began looking for non-conspicuous people to sit by and decided on a mother and daughter duo, and they were actually super chill. They were possibly from Spain or some Spanish-speaking-country, and were very nice. The daughter was probably in her early teens and helped me figure out how to use my outlet converter. We also all had Fjallraven Kanken backpacks in different colors, so that was cool. I didn’t sleep any of the 17 hours I was at the Orly Airport, too stressed out to even close my eyes for more than a minute. Looking back, it all seems like a bad stress dream I had. But it happened, and now I am a little less stupid I guess.

[kootenaygoon]

So,

Recovery is a bitch.

When I first crash-landed on the coast at the beginning of December, wearing my Shambhala tights and violently monologuing to whoever would listen, I couldn’t imagine a future that didn’t involve rage — and it was exhausting me, making me feel disgusting and anti-social. 

Really, deep down, I was sad.

It’s one thing to know about a certain type of injustice, to intellectually engage with the idea of censorship, but it was something else altogether to experience firsthand. While I thought I was working on the most important journalism of my life, the powers that be had decided I was more trouble than I was worth — taking away both my journalism and my bouncer jobs within two weeks.

I didn’t understand. How could people just stand by and watch?

One smart move I made on my way out of the Kootenays was to leave my computer and my phone behind with my roommate. I’d been receiving death threats on my phone, while my computer had three years’ worth of memories waiting to drag me back into the blackness. I was better off going tech-free. I took all my creative energy and funnelled it into painting. 

My parents accompanied me to Vancouver General Hospital the first day I got back, and sat in while doctors told me what I needed: to cut out citalopram, my antidepressant of four years, as well as cannabis. To replace them I was given new drugs, lorazepam and zopiclone among them, and I was told to take it as easy as possible. I was scared of withdrawal, but the new regimen worked nicely. 

I did a lot of sleeping, and had a good Christmas.

Then came the New Year. By that point I’d levelled out for nearly a month, and I was starting to take social calls. But my head was still in the Kootenays, and I found myself processing my feelings with my series “Anatomy of a Mental Breakdown” — some of the rawest shit I’ve ever written, and cathartic too. But as my psychologist pointed out, I was purposefully throwing “petrol on the fire”.

Then Mike Spry wrote his piece “No Names, Only Monsters” , hosting it on a website called CanLit Accountable. He was busting his own glass house so he could throw some stones. Suddenly my feminist classmates, who had been engaged in a multi-year battle with UBC about the Steven Galloway situation, had a new reason to throw truth-grenades on Twitter. While I sat at home, bored, my friends were engaged in social media warfare.

So of course I joined in.

Looking back now, I’m embarrassed by how clumsy and ridiculous I must’ve appeared to everyone else online. While thoughtful women like Chelsea Rooney and Alicia Elliot put forward nuanced arguments, I was making everyone uncomfortable by tweeting outrageous shit at Galloway, using YouTube clips from The Wire and The Sopranos.

“Sorry I’m late,” I wrote to Chelsea. 

For me, the situation came down to tribal loyalties. And the fact was I’d spent years feeling guilty for not speaking up, for not backing up my friend Sierra Gemma. I’d been paralyzed by fear of saying the wrong thing, or messing up my employment opportunities, but suddenly I was free to say whatever the fuck I wanted. I felt like I’d unleashed a feral version of myself, like I’d transitioned from being Will Johnson into a snarling attack dog otherwise known as the Kootenay Goon.

By this point, I wasn’t sleeping again. When I started disturbing my siblings, I decided that the best course of action was to chain-smoke while driving all over the Lower Mainland in the early hours of the morning — from Surrey to Vancouver to Richmond and back. I was spending a lot of time crying, sorting through my Nelson memories, and worrying about what was going to happen next in my life.

“You need to stop looking into the past, and start looking into the future,” my Dad said. “Nelson is just making you angry.”

Along with my brother Cody, he brought me back to Nelson to pack up my stuff in mid-January. I still wasn’t sleeping properly, so around 4 a.m. I woke up Cody and drove around, ultimately leaving five of my paintings for friends I cared about — at the Hume, Vienna Cafe, Windsor Barber, Finley’s and Power By You. We went out to the bridge where bank robber Andrew Stevenson was arrested after jumping over the side.

Then, later that morning, I saw a tweet from Jacob Mooney where he noted that UVic teacher Lee Henderson (a good friend of Galloway) had taken his name off the UBC Accountable letter. It was a huge moment, being applauded all over Twitter, and in celebration I drove across town to see my friend Syd. I took a photo I posted with a provocative caption calling out a local asshole, and though I told my Dad not to answer his phone within half an hour we’d gotten frantic calls.

“Let’s just get the fuck out of here,” I told him.

Once I was safely back in Tsawwassen, I returned to Twitter to check if anything else had happened. Apparently the teachers Mike Spry called out at Concordia were no longer teaching their classes, and there was a sense that shit was happening right here, right now. With new access to my photo archives, I shared pictures from SD8 and noted that former Superintendent Jeff Jones was the first person to ask me about Galloway — which is true.

One night, buoyed by everything happening online, I drove out to UBC at 3:30 a.m. to hold my own “peaceful protest”. Different women had chastised me for “taking up too much space” in the dialogue on Twitter, so I decided to leave my RAV parked diagonally in front of the UBC sign and walk off with the music blaring. Somewhere deep down I understood that nobody was going to come, but in my mind I pictured my friends hosting a raging protest around my car.

Instead, they put me in the psych ward.

When I was doing the intake, the doctor was a muscular black man who resembled Dr. Dre. I told him I’d been watching “I Need a Doctor” by Dr. Dre repeatedly, along with a bunch of Eminem tracks, and I felt like I’d been screaming that sentiment for weeks: I need a doctor! Now, finally, I was getting some help!

As it turns out, the psych ward was a blast. I met a bunch of amazing people, had daily meetings with psychiatrists who were introducing me to new meds, and my journalist brain was carefully recording everything that happened around me. If nothing else, this was a good story. When I walked out 7 days later, shaking hands with Dr. Hutnyk, I thought for sure I now had the resources and support to scamper off into the world.

For a while, I was right. The following month was low-key and productive, as I found a new mental health team and started taking lithium. At times it was frustrating, like when my Dad and I drove out to Surrey to have a 20 minute conversation that could’ve easily been done over the phone, but I had the sense that people were mobilizing on my behalf and things were about to level out. No more drama!

But I hadn’t finished processing what had happened in Nelson, and I was still furious every day. I’d spent a lot of time contemplating anger, and the unhealthy ways I’d expressed it online up to that point. It was clear that controversial shit didn’t belong on Facebook, so I started funnelling my content more carefully through Twitter and Tumblr while I built my new friend base. I’d started a new Facebook to ensure that my friends were actually my friends. 

Then I wrote a post, on a Monday morning, that would cost me more than I’d anticipated. Because of the way I’d worded it, the person I was angrily addressing misread my sentiments. I was threatening to release information — which I ultimately did — but he took it as a death threat and reported me to police. At first it seemed so funny I couldn’t believe it, but a few days later I was in the segregation wing of the Surrey jail, wondering how the system could fail so profoundly.

While I was inside, I met with a psychologist named Dr. Worth twice. The first time I was wrapped in a Velcro smock, the second time in the red sweat-suits worn by all the other inmates. We discussed my actions at length, and talked about what I would do next. I told him I was planning to turn my experiences into blog posts at the very least, but maybe even a book.

“You’re definitely going to have a rich experience here,” he said. 

Four days later I was back in Tsawwassen, dealing with the bullshit around finding myself a lawyer, but I actually felt better than I had in months — I’d successfully thrown a truth-grenade that had a legitimate impact. I was told my boss didn’t leave his house for three days, and I was thrilled that I’d successfully fucked up his world. I’d gone from feeling powerless to powerful — I’d successfully established my moral dominance over him, and called him out for legit wrong-doing.

But again, my head was still in Nelson. And it would have to be for a while, because I had to ride-share back there for a court appearance a few weeks later. Luckily this visit, in March, went better than the one before. I was doggy-piled by love and moral support, saw a bunch of my favourite people in the world, and left town again feeling like a conquering hero.

That being said, I was still bored and jobless. There was the legitimate fear that these court proceedings could result in me having a criminal record — again, something so ludicrous I can only call it funny. I was vindicated by the fact that the local school district hadn’t considered me a threat, probably because they knew me better than my absentee boss, and I happily tweeted with them as soon as I was free. 

Now here we are: I’ve got three weeks ahead of me in the “low-stimulus environment” of Tsawwassen my psychiatrist recommended, and I’m trying to lose some of the weight I’ve gained while living at my parents’ house by joining a Master’s swim team and jogging up to Fred Gingell Park. I’ve signed up for whitewater rafting school and the biggest thing I have to battle in the meantime is boredom. 

Does that mean I’m recovered? No, probably not. But I’ve got faith that I’m getting there.

The Kootenay Goon

[demigreenwell3-blog]

Requirement For Rate Film Featurette Explores Camera Cars.

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That feels like dust is actually restricted to ever before touch the vehicle or even move over the monitor in anyway (jumping carton clipping etc). That's fantastic to find the various approaches to connecting with full blast through different car manufacturers as well as tuners equally. The bright side is actually that car proprietors along with complete insurance coverage are covered for water activities, and also very likely won't face the very same type of obstacles with insurance companies as house owners who could possess different aspect of coverage refuted or haggled above. In this particular situation, the most ideal way to confirm that the auto is actually latched is actually to scan the windows to check out the internal locking device.

[eleonoremarie]

The Other Gift Guide: 10 Charity Presents for Christmas 2017

Christmas is coming closer with every day now, the shops are filling up on chocolate Santas, cookies, decorations for our homes and presents for our loved ones. But each year around this time, I am starting to ask myself a very important question. Why Christmas. 

I've stopped believing in anything religious years ago and since then, started somewhat of a love-hate-relationship with the favourite holiday around the world. I still truly love the idea of Christmas, the coming together of family and friends, celebrating ourself, being aware of what we have and how beautiful all of our lives are.  But while I was growing up, a lot of negative thoughts slowly came up in me and the biggest of all: What are people doing this day without a family? What are those doing that can't afford a beautiful Christmas meal, the ones that maybe lost everything to a natural disaster or even the ones who never had much?

Since then, I started writing those Charity Christmas Posts. I always saw those beautifully curated articles on other blogs and magazines, saying, get this for your loved ones, buy here, spend money there. And it made me sad, sad to realise we live in a society where we don't doubt buying a T-Shirt for 150 bucks but wouldn't give a hungry a few coins so they can enjoy a meal or tea. 

I am still a totally commercial chick, don't get me wrong, I am that person who is willing to spend 150 bucks on a stupid T-Shirt that probably wasn't even produced ethically correctly.  But still, I do give myself a monthly budget I HAVE to spend on people living in the streets. I will never not ask them if they need anything from a close supermarket when I am short on cash and have the time pop into the store for a quick shop and even if not, I will always try to give them at least a warm smile in those cold days.  We live in such a hectic world, we are all so busy, that we often forget about the real things in life, forget that there are people with real problems, who are not thinking about where to get the perfect party dress from, no they are probably thinking on where they can sleep tonight, if they can afford a hostel and how they will find a space to be safe from the harsh weather conditions we are experiencing right now. 

My biggest achievement in Life for myself is not that I managed to get into college in London all on my own or this blog, no, is that I spend one and a half months building up a refugee-home in Vienna during one of the biggest crisis we ever experienced. I am proud to have met so many wonderful souls, just looking for a safe place to stay for themselves and their family, proud to be able to take back on my life and being fully committed into the wellbeing of someone else. 

Anyway, I kind of had to write that from my soul right now. I did collect my favourite Charity Presents for your beloved ones below.  I tried to do a bit of a mixture of British and Austrian charity organisations, jewellery companies that help others and ethically good produced beauty products. There is truly something for everyone in here, so, please, if possible, think about maybe giving away a pig for a family in need, lunch for a school-kid that otherwise would be hungry or maybe just some seeds for a poor family living in a totally different World. If you are ever in doubt what to get your parents, grandparents, uncles, sisters or friends, I am sure they will appreciate the thought of getting them something that will mean the world for another human being.  I know it’s a lot to ask for, but if there is any chance you are willing to help, I’d be forever grateful and maybe, the person you are gifting too, will be too. 

None of the pictures in this post are from me, they are all sourced by either the charity sites itself or from people that posted about them. The other images, the homeless on the streets decorated with fairy lights, are from one of my favourite holiday campaigns so far, published by ADOT.COM in 2014. It is here, to make us more aware of people sleeping rough through the holiday season, the cold months of the year, and asks one simple question:

What will it take for you to see them?

#1: CRISIS

One of my favourite charity ideas for London, here you can reserve a place for one person in need at their Christmas dinner, where they not only offer hot food, but also advice, healthcare screenings, learning workshops and most importantly, someone to listen. It’s a beautiful curated package for every person in need and, what I think is extra special, is not just for one day, not, it is for NINE days. With your donation here, someone could be able to have a beautiful meal every day for over a week straight, for just £26.08.

#2: GIVESCENT

Givescent was found by two beautiful souls, after a trip to Italy. They not only wanted to create a new scent full of amazing aromas, also with every bottle they are selling they support the Women for Women International organisation, helping women all over the world to get the medical advice they need, help them to find jobs and educate them on their rights. 

#3: VASELINE RELIEF KIT

One of my personal biggest surprises when researching possible charity gifts for you guys, was when I found that Vaseline is working together with Direct Relied to provide dermatological care all over the world where it’s most needed. The best part here is, that they have a new and engaging way on how you can choose how much and what you’d like to donate. On their website, you have to option to build your own Relief Kit, where you can drag and drop products like, Emergency Blankets, Soap, Plasters or Blood Pressure Cuffs into your little Box, which you can that purchase and send to places they are needed most. And with every one of those little boxes, Vaseline sponsors one pack of their own renowned Vaseline itself!

#4: SOAP CO

Another truly beautiful brand I found, is Soap & Co. Not only are they a fully sustainable and earth-friendly beauty company, producing products like Lotions, Exfoliating Soap Pebbles and well, soaps itself, no, each of their products is produced by blind people in London, who otherwise wouldn’t find work. For me this is one of those pioneer projects, everyone should know about and help, because that’s the way we should treat any kind of disabled human being, give them a chance at something they will succeed. Beside that, they have beautiful gift packages, who are insanely cute packaged and ready to give immediately. 

#5: SCHENKEN MIT SINN

Schenken mit Sinn probably only really makes sense for my Austrian & German Followers, since it’s based there. It’s the present shop of Caritas, the biggest charity organisation in Austria and everything you can buy in their store will help someone else. You can choose from pigs for families in Africa, seeds, baby care packages or lunches for school kids around the world. As treat, you get a beautiful little card, explaining exactly where your money is going and how it’s gonna help. This is perfect for everyone you don’t exactly know what to get for example their grandparents, aunts and uncles or cousins. 

#6: OXFAM

Oxfam is the equivalent to Schenken mit Sinn in the UK, where very similar, you can go and shop to change another person's life for the better this Christmas. They are called the Unwrapped Gifts, where you will get not something physical, but a beautiful curated card explaining your loved one exactly where their Christmas Gift is helping. You can choose between education for kids, medical help for refugee camps, grow vegetables or my personal favourite, a goat couple, giving a family milk and cheese to sell.

#7: GIVING KEYS

Coming to one of my personal heroes I found while researching, the Giving Keys Jewellery Brand form Los Angeles. They are another one of those companies, trying to change the world to a better place and in my eye, they are 100% succeeding. Every single one of their beautiful necklaces, bracelets or earrings, is made by a person transitioning out of homelessness. They make new jobs, teach every single person important knowledge in money management and other things someone might need trying to get out of the streets. People are treated to food and beverages and the brand also helps everyone to not only set their personal goals but also on the way to achieve them. Beside that, I think that their design is just undoubtfully one of the best ones I’ve seen so far. No one would ever think it’s for charity because it just looks perfect.

#8: PURPOSE JEWELLERY

Let’s stay with Charity Jewellery, but a different cause this time. Purpose Jewellery’s beautiful item are all created by women reduced from human trafficking, by buying one of their products, you provide freedom, dignity and hope to so many poor souls. The young women are getting taught every part of the business, to gain important skills they will need in their future careers.

#9: BRITISH RED CROSS 

A classic under the charity organisations, where you can choose from many different places to send an important donation too. Syria, West Africa, Yemen and Iraq are some of them. It’s incredibly easy to donate, and even though if you’re not getting a pretty card or anything else out of it, just the thought that £30 alone would be enough to buy a food parcel for a whole family for a month, is extremely satisfying in my eyes.

#10: GO FUND ME

Go Fund Me doesn’t seem like the traditional place for charity, but I recently became a bit addicted to it and wanted to share it here. I love the idea that there is real human being out there, just simply asking for a little help out of the comfort of your living room. There are projects to build schools, water fountains, pay medical bills for children, resume wildlife animals or just simply families that need a little help for a hard time. Her I can only encourage you to trust into people, look out for stories that touch you personally the most, and maybe even connect with some of them through social media.

[touristguidebuzz]

How to Travel Around Madagascar

Madagascar. It’s more than an incorrect (but fun) DreamWorks movie. Located off the eastern coast of Africa, this island, nearly the size of France and the third largest in the world, has a population over 20 million but sees only about 325,000 tourists a year.1 I spent two weeks there with Intrepid Travel Travel and was surprised by how few tourists there were (I figured — with no data to back it up — that there would be a lot more), as well as by just how difficult the country was to travel around. The roads are really, really bad. It can take up to eight hours to go 250 km (155 miles) — and that’s on the good roads!

But soon it became clear why there were so few tourists: getting to the country is expensive, there’s very little information about it online, few organized activities, and no hostels, tourism information centers, helpful signs, or anything that would be considered a “tourist infrastructure” (and sadly, very little infrastructure at all). Madagascar’s tourism caters to older Europeans who visit expensive beach resorts or take organized tours, moving around the country in a little bubble. Nary a backpacker did I see on my trip.

Madagascar is a raw, barely explored place. It’s on few people’s radar, and I doubt it will be for awhile, making now an ideal time to go. It’s cheap (once you get there), your tourist dollars can create a really positive impact, and there are few crowds and many cute lemurs and majestic landscapes, which you get virtually to yourself!

How to get there

The first thing you need to know is that getting to Madagascar is not easy: there’s only one daily flight from Johannesburg, Air France has one daily from Paris, and only Turkish, Kenyan, and Ethiopian Airlines have flights that connect to other destinations.

I jumped on a flight deal to Johannesburg ($630 USD for New York to Johannesburg and then onward to Vienna) but that was a stupid thing to do. Given the price of flights from JNB to Madagascar (I paid $800 USD round-trip), it ended costing me more than just booking a direct ticket to Madagascar.

I was pretty stupid not looking up flights enough beforehand and waiting until the last minute, but even “booking smart” doesn’t mean you’ll find a deal. Here’s a chart for December and January (these are a little cheaper since they are not last-minute and it’s low season):

You’re looking at spending at least $500 USD round-trip on a flight from Johannesburg. From Paris, Air France offers direct round-trip flights for around $800 USD. If you are going from the US, you pay around $1,200 USD for a round-trip ticket. Keep in mind those are low season (October-April) flights. During the high season (also the dry season), you’re looking at flights closer to $2,000 USD for the US and $1,200 USD from Europe. From Canada? Prices start around $1,200 CAD in the low season.

However, it’s not all bad news. There are a few travel hacking opportunities. With some planning, you can find a reward flight. You only need 30,000 miles each way from Europe, and Air France has a decent availability (but if you miss the 30,000-point option, you’ll be looking at 60-90,000 points each way). United has very sporadic reward flights on partners starting at 40,000 miles each way, but, sadly, no flights from Johannesburg to Madagascar are bookable on points. Here’s what I mean:

So it takes some work to get there, but if you can string together some flight deals (check out Scott’s Cheap Flights, The Flight Deal, and Holiday Pirates) as well as mile opportunities, you can lower the cost to an affordable(ish) level.

How to get around Madagascar

Organized tours are the most common way to visit the country. One guide told me that about 80% of visitors come on organized tours, and the other 20% hire a private driver to get around. Most of the tourists are an older, very heavily European crowd. I guess that most younger travelers stay away because getting to the country and tours are so expensive and there’s just not much information on Madagascar.

But let’s change that and talk about how to visit the country:

Organized tours A 14-day tour will cost $2,500–4,000 USD. You’ll stay in mid-range hotels (private bathrooms, hot water, breakfast, and maybe even a pool) and have your own bus with a driver and local guide. You’ll also get private guides at each park who will explain what you’re seeing, help spot animals, and give some added context on the destination. Most of the tours follow the same route, hitting all the big parks and destinations in the center of the country, with added paid add-ons to other parts of the country.

I went with Intrepid Travel Travel on its Experience Madagascar tour as part of my site’s partnership with them. Our guide Patrick was a phenomenal resource, answering all my questions, providing advice, and giving tips on what to see and do in this country that lacks a lot of resources to research.

If it were up to me, I would have focused the trip’s itinerary more. I think Intrepid Travel sometimes tries to do too much; for example, the trip to Ile Sainte Marie adds way to much time on the bus. While I liked everything we did, I wish there had been more time visiting each place and less time driving.

Going on your own Madagascar is a difficult place to do solo. There’s no tourist infrastructure or hostels, information is limited, and public buses don’t go to many cities and national parks. You’ll need to know French, too, as English is barely spoken. In my opinion, this makes it really arduous to get around without any assistance.

But could you travel around on your own? Sure — though very few people do, it’s totally possible to visit solo. But I think you’d need to be an experienced traveler, really OK being pushed out of your comfort zone, and in absolutely no rush, because getting around on a budget will take time. Since the roads are really bad, getting from point A to B is a challenge. In a public taxi brouse (small van packed to the gills with people), you’ll move slowly. Buses go when they are full. There’s no set timetable. Sometimes they show up; more often than not, they don’t.

(However, seeing the condition of the buses and how many people they cram in there, plus the number of accidents on the road, I’m not sure I’d even get in one. I wouldn’t want to spend 24 hours packed like a chicken in a van with no air conditioning (and sometimes not even windows). I have too much anxiety to whip around on narrow roads.)

Renting a car and driver costs $50 USD a day (or slightly more if you want 4WD) and is the most popular option for people looking to go on their own (and not wanting to wait for the buses). While you could drive on your own, most of the companies I looked at required that a driver go with you.

You can also fly around the island, but there’s only one airline (Air Madagascar), and most routes cost around 200 euros per leg.

Going with the flow is key here if you want to travel solo. You either have to pick a small area to cover or have a month or more set aside to explore Madagascar thoroughly.

So, what should you do? If you’re really looking for some rugged, old-school independent travel, Madagascar is the place to do it. If you have lots of time and are up for a real challenge, go solo but give yourself plenty of time to do so — and learn French! (I really can’t stress the need for knowing French. Outside the big towns and a few tourist areas, English is barely spoken.) You’ll cover slightly more ground and have a lot more freedom if you rent a car and driver.

If you aren’t looking for that kind of rugged experience and would like something more organized, a tour is the best – and really only – option. I wanted a tour to help me get the lay of the land and answer all my questions about the country. Additionally, I don’t speak French and didn’t have a lot of time. A tour was a great orientation to a country that was an enigma to me. It was a wonderful way to meet people in a destination with few independent travelers. (One thing to remember is that the clientele of the tours here is older and the tours cater to that in their itineraries, activities, and accommodation. The tours here aren’t designed for active backpackers.)

If I went back, I’d go by myself but I’m glad I went with a tour on my first visit.

Is Madagascar safe?

When I was wandering around, I never once felt unsafe. I was more of a curiosity than anything ,since they see so few tourists, especially those not ensconced in a bus. There are a lot of beggars, especially kids, and you have to just keep saying no and walking away. The taxi drivers here take no for an answer and no one really bugs you.

That said, crime is rife throughout the country, and not one local I knew recommended going out after dark. They don’t even do it. In fact, many hotels in the capital of Antananarivo hire escorts to take people from the hotel to bars or restaurants.

During the day and, especially in smaller villages, walking around is perfectly fine. At night, I would use a lot more caution, especially in the capital.

What are prices like?

Though getting to the country is expensive, once you are there everything is incredibly cheap. Your money goes a long, long way in Madagascar. I went to a local market and spent 100 ARY on a spring roll. After realizing that there are 3,000 ARY to the dollar, that meant I had paid just three cents. As I was still hungry, I bought 15 more.

Even when you are eating at the hotel restaurants the tours go to, most meals aren’t more than $4 USD. In regular, local restaurants, they are half that price.

Madagascar food is mostly chicken, zebu (a type of cattle), pork, stews, and rice. LOTS OF RICE. (Get the Zebu in a stew. It’s better that way.) There’s also a lot of surprisingly good pizza in this country. You’ll definitely need to know French if you go into the non-international places (or travel outside of the cities).

Even on the road, there are a lot of restaurants (again, knowing French is going to be key here, especially outside the capital Antananarivo). Hotels are $20-50 USD per night (on the cheaper range outside the capital). You can easily find accommodation on booking.com. Keep in mind that, again, there are no hostels in the country.

Here are some typical prices:

Meals at restaurants that cater to tourists – 10,000-25,000 ARY ($3-8 USD)

Meals at regular, local restaurants – 3,000-6,000 ($1-2 USD)

Street snacks – 10-200 ARY (up to 5 cents US) (Be sure to try the nem (spring rolls). They are incredible!)

Accommodation – 65,000-160,000 ARY per night ($20-50 USD)

Car with a driver – 160,000 ARY a day ($50 USD)

Grocery prices – 10,000 ARY ($3 USD) (This would get you a kilo of rice, some zebu, and a variety of vegetables.)

SIM Card – 3,100 ARY ($1 USD) for a SIM and 25,000 ARY ($8 USD) per gig of data.

Park entrance fees – 55,000 Ariary ($17 USD) and guides start at 20,000 AR ($6 USD)

Local mini buses – 10,000 – 20,000 ARY ($3-6 USD)

***

Madagascar was a beautiful, raw, and enchanting country. There’s no place like it on earth. Far off the tourist trail, this a destination where your inner Indiana Jones or Anthony Bourdain can be set free to explore. I’m so glad I went, and though the old traveler adage is “I can’t wait to go back,” I suspect that my visit to Madagascar will be the only one in my lifetime. I hope I’m wrong, but given the difficulty getting there, it really can be a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

And I hope you make it in your lifetime!

1 – Official stats are 293,000 but I’ve seen higher and lower figures so consider this an estimate. Links: Source and Source

Note: I went to Madagascar with Intrepid Travel as part of our ongoing partnership. They paid for the tour and my expenses during the trip. I paid for my flights to and from Madagascar. They offer 10% off their tours to readers so click the link and save on your next trip.

P.S. – Want to step up your travel hacking game? I’m speaking at Frequent Traveler University’s Expo in Chicago on November 18th. It’s the world’s largest travel, points, and miles event and there are some good speakers there. You can click here to get your ticket. Also, as a reader of this site, you get 75% off the ticket price with the code “NOMAD”.

The post How to Travel Around Madagascar appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

[fadingfartconnoisseur]

How to Travel Around Madagascar

Madagascar. It’s more than an incorrect (but fun) DreamWorks movie. Located off the eastern coast of Africa, this island, nearly the size of France and the third largest in the world, has a population over 20 million but sees only about 325,000 tourists a year.1 I spent two weeks there with Intrepid Travel Travel and was surprised by how few tourists there were (I figured — with no data to back it up — that there would be a lot more), as well as by just how difficult the country was to travel around. The roads are really, really bad. It can take up to eight hours to go 250 km (155 miles) — and that’s on the good roads!

But soon it became clear why there were so few tourists: getting to the country is expensive, there’s very little information about it online, few organized activities, and no hostels, tourism information centers, helpful signs, or anything that would be considered a “tourist infrastructure” (and sadly, very little infrastructure at all). Madagascar’s tourism caters to older Europeans who visit expensive beach resorts or take organized tours, moving around the country in a little bubble. Nary a backpacker did I see on my trip.

Madagascar is a raw, barely explored place. It’s on few people’s radar, and I doubt it will be for awhile, making now an ideal time to go. It’s cheap (once you get there), your tourist dollars can create a really positive impact, and there are few crowds and many cute lemurs and majestic landscapes, which you get virtually to yourself!

How to get there

The first thing you need to know is that getting to Madagascar is not easy: there’s only one daily flight from Johannesburg, Air France has one daily from Paris, and only Turkish, Kenyan, and Ethiopian Airlines have flights that connect to other destinations.

I jumped on a flight deal to Johannesburg ($630 USD for New York to Johannesburg and then onward to Vienna) but that was a stupid thing to do. Given the price of flights from JNB to Madagascar (I paid $800 USD round-trip), it ended costing me more than just booking a direct ticket to Madagascar.

I was pretty stupid not looking up flights enough beforehand and waiting until the last minute, but even “booking smart” doesn’t mean you’ll find a deal. Here’s a chart for December and January (these are a little cheaper since they are not last-minute and it’s low season):

You’re looking at spending at least $500 USD round-trip on a flight from Johannesburg. From Paris, Air France offers direct round-trip flights for around $800 USD. If you are going from the US, you pay around $1,200 USD for a round-trip ticket. Keep in mind those are low season (October-April) flights. During the high season (also the dry season), you’re looking at flights closer to $2,000 USD for the US and $1,200 USD from Europe. From Canada? Prices start around $1,200 CAD in the low season.

However, it’s not all bad news. There are a few travel hacking opportunities. With some planning, you can find a reward flight. You only need 30,000 miles each way from Europe, and Air France has a decent availability (but if you miss the 30,000-point option, you’ll be looking at 60-90,000 points each way). United has very sporadic reward flights on partners starting at 40,000 miles each way, but, sadly, no flights from Johannesburg to Madagascar are bookable on points. Here’s what I mean:

So it takes some work to get there, but if you can string together some flight deals (check out Scott’s Cheap Flights, The Flight Deal, and Holiday Pirates) as well as mile opportunities, you can lower the cost to an affordable(ish) level.

How to get around Madagascar

Organized tours are the most common way to visit the country. One guide told me that about 80% of visitors come on organized tours, and the other 20% hire a private driver to get around. Most of the tourists are an older, very heavily European crowd. I guess that most younger travelers stay away because getting to the country and tours are so expensive and there’s just not much information on Madagascar.

But let’s change that and talk about how to visit the country:

Organized tours A 14-day tour will cost $2,500–4,000 USD. You’ll stay in mid-range hotels (private bathrooms, hot water, breakfast, and maybe even a pool) and have your own bus with a driver and local guide. You’ll also get private guides at each park who will explain what you’re seeing, help spot animals, and give some added context on the destination. Most of the tours follow the same route, hitting all the big parks and destinations in the center of the country, with added paid add-ons to other parts of the country.

I went with Intrepid Travel Travel on its Experience Madagascar tour as part of my site’s partnership with them. Our guide Patrick was a phenomenal resource, answering all my questions, providing advice, and giving tips on what to see and do in this country that lacks a lot of resources to research.

If it were up to me, I would have focused the trip’s itinerary more. I think Intrepid Travel sometimes tries to do too much; for example, the trip to Ile Sainte Marie adds way to much time on the bus. While I liked everything we did, I wish there had been more time visiting each place and less time driving.

Going on your own Madagascar is a difficult place to do solo. There’s no tourist infrastructure or hostels, information is limited, and public buses don’t go to many cities and national parks. You’ll need to know French, too, as English is barely spoken. In my opinion, this makes it really arduous to get around without any assistance.

But could you travel around on your own? Sure — though very few people do, it’s totally possible to visit solo. But I think you’d need to be an experienced traveler, really OK being pushed out of your comfort zone, and in absolutely no rush, because getting around on a budget will take time. Since the roads are really bad, getting from point A to B is a challenge. In a public taxi brouse (small van packed to the gills with people), you’ll move slowly. Buses go when they are full. There’s no set timetable. Sometimes they show up; more often than not, they don’t.

(However, seeing the condition of the buses and how many people they cram in there, plus the number of accidents on the road, I’m not sure I’d even get in one. I wouldn’t want to spend 24 hours packed like a chicken in a van with no air conditioning (and sometimes not even windows). I have too much anxiety to whip around on narrow roads.)

Renting a car and driver costs $50 USD a day (or slightly more if you want 4WD) and is the most popular option for people looking to go on their own (and not wanting to wait for the buses). While you could drive on your own, most of the companies I looked at required that a driver go with you.

You can also fly around the island, but there’s only one airline (Air Madagascar), and most routes cost around 200 euros per leg.

Going with the flow is key here if you want to travel solo. You either have to pick a small area to cover or have a month or more set aside to explore Madagascar thoroughly.

So, what should you do? If you’re really looking for some rugged, old-school independent travel, Madagascar is the place to do it. If you have lots of time and are up for a real challenge, go solo but give yourself plenty of time to do so — and learn French! (I really can’t stress the need for knowing French. Outside the big towns and a few tourist areas, English is barely spoken.) You’ll cover slightly more ground and have a lot more freedom if you rent a car and driver.

If you aren’t looking for that kind of rugged experience and would like something more organized, a tour is the best – and really only – option. I wanted a tour to help me get the lay of the land and answer all my questions about the country. Additionally, I don’t speak French and didn’t have a lot of time. A tour was a great orientation to a country that was an enigma to me. It was a wonderful way to meet people in a destination with few independent travelers. (One thing to remember is that the clientele of the tours here is older and the tours cater to that in their itineraries, activities, and accommodation. The tours here aren’t designed for active backpackers.)

If I went back, I’d go by myself but I’m glad I went with a tour on my first visit.

Is Madagascar safe?

When I was wandering around, I never once felt unsafe. I was more of a curiosity than anything ,since they see so few tourists, especially those not ensconced in a bus. There are a lot of beggars, especially kids, and you have to just keep saying no and walking away. The taxi drivers here take no for an answer and no one really bugs you.

That said, crime is rife throughout the country, and not one local I knew recommended going out after dark. They don’t even do it. In fact, many hotels in the capital of Antananarivo hire escorts to take people from the hotel to bars or restaurants.

During the day and, especially in smaller villages, walking around is perfectly fine. At night, I would use a lot more caution, especially in the capital.

What are prices like?

Though getting to the country is expensive, once you are there everything is incredibly cheap. Your money goes a long, long way in Madagascar. I went to a local market and spent 100 ARY on a spring roll. After realizing that there are 3,000 ARY to the dollar, that meant I had paid just three cents. As I was still hungry, I bought 15 more.

Even when you are eating at the hotel restaurants the tours go to, most meals aren’t more than $4 USD. In regular, local restaurants, they are half that price.

Madagascar food is mostly chicken, zebu (a type of cattle), pork, stews, and rice. LOTS OF RICE. (Get the Zebu in a stew. It’s better that way.) There’s also a lot of surprisingly good pizza in this country. You’ll definitely need to know French if you go into the non-international places (or travel outside of the cities).

Even on the road, there are a lot of restaurants (again, knowing French is going to be key here, especially outside the capital Antananarivo). Hotels are $20-50 USD per night (on the cheaper range outside the capital). You can easily find accommodation on booking.com. Keep in mind that, again, there are no hostels in the country.

Here are some typical prices:

Meals at restaurants that cater to tourists – 10,000-25,000 ARY ($3-8 USD)

Meals at regular, local restaurants – 3,000-6,000 ($1-2 USD)

Street snacks – 10-200 ARY (up to 5 cents US) (Be sure to try the nem (spring rolls). They are incredible!)

Accommodation – 65,000-160,000 ARY per night ($20-50 USD)

Car with a driver – 160,000 ARY a day ($50 USD)

Grocery prices – 10,000 ARY ($3 USD) (This would get you a kilo of rice, some zebu, and a variety of vegetables.)

SIM Card – 3,100 ARY ($1 USD) for a SIM and 25,000 ARY ($8 USD) per gig of data.

Park entrance fees – 55,000 Ariary ($17 USD) and guides start at 20,000 AR ($6 USD)

Local mini buses – 10,000 – 20,000 ARY ($3-6 USD)

***

Madagascar was a beautiful, raw, and enchanting country. There’s no place like it on earth. Far off the tourist trail, this a destination where your inner Indiana Jones or Anthony Bourdain can be set free to explore. I’m so glad I went, and though the old traveler adage is “I can’t wait to go back,” I suspect that my visit to Madagascar will be the only one in my lifetime. I hope I’m wrong, but given the difficulty getting there, it really can be a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

And I hope you make it in your lifetime!

1 – Official stats are 293,000 but I’ve seen higher and lower figures so consider this an estimate. Links: Source and Source

Note: I went to Madagascar with Intrepid Travel as part of our ongoing partnership. They paid for the tour and my expenses during the trip. I paid for my flights to and from Madagascar. They offer 10% off their tours to readers so click the link and save on your next trip.

P.S. – Want to step up your travel hacking game? I’m speaking at Frequent Traveler University’s Expo in Chicago on November 18th. It’s the world’s largest travel, points, and miles event and there are some good speakers there. You can click here to get your ticket. Also, as a reader of this site, you get 75% off the ticket price with the code “NOMAD”.

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