#we would go to the beach or take the buss to have a stroll

[foxdandelion]

I hate how grief hits you again randomly, and now I am crying over a happy memory that becomes sad

[umichenginabroad]

Week 5 - From Sydney Poles to Mount Cook Strolls

G’day everyone!

My week started off with a confirmation and acceptance of our lease application, narrowly avoiding homelessness by a few days *big sigh of relief*. Our new home is a townhouse in Bondi Junction, an incredible location for most of the spots we want to be near. The junction is a grand central station for busses and trains that can take us to most parts of the city and surrounding beaches in around 20 minutes, oh and the campus is about 40 minutes away.

On Wednesday, all of the roommates and some friends from Surf Camp somehow coerced Joe and me into a pole dancing intro class. Pole dancing… so yeah, if you were to tell me I’d be pole dancing my first month into this Australian adventure I would have raised both eyebrows.

But it so happened that my roommate, and a recent friend of mine, went to a pole dancing class the week prior and wouldn’t stop recommending and at times begging for the rest of us to follow them to the next class. When in Sydney I guess… sorry Mom, I guess… 

For anyone interested, it was a tough workout at times and painful on the inner thighs. But ultimately the experience was rewarding and very humbling. 

On Thursday, we packed our bags and headed out to the streets of Sydney. Our townhouse wasn’t ready until the day after so we each called up our friends from Surf Camp and lodged at our friends’ places for the night. 

The next morning I went to my last Coogee sunrise as a resident of the neighborhood. Joe and I rendezvoused with the other three girls at the front steps of our new home.

That day was spent flipping coins for rooms and making several trips to the nearby mall to stock the house with necessities.

The next morning we packed our briefly unpacked bags and, as the flight attendant liked to remind us, “just barely caught” our flight to Queenstown, New Zealand. 

And WOW…

This place is breathtaking from the first sight of the shore out the plane window (get a window seat if you can). We moved through customs declaring anything that even resembled food and then started our 10-day New Zealand journey. 

Quick aside… This upcoming week at UNSW is called “O-Week'' where all the clubs and student organizations set up stands. It's a great opportunity for kids to check out and join whatever catches their eye. For us, it's more of a week to explore this side of the world. Also, of all the times to go, New Zealand in the summer seemed like our best bet, it's by no means sweltering but highs of mid-60s beat mid-40s or lower if we went later in the year. Also, the whole trip will be an exploration of the southwestern part of south island, for anyone who knows their New Zealand geography.

Anyways, we landed and headed to our first stop, PAK ‘n Save (NZ Costco), and shared a delectable parking lot sandwich with some of the items purchased in the store.

We also were shopping for all of the next day's meals because there were few outlets along the 3 hours of country between Queenstown and Mt. Cook. We made it to our hostel at the base of Mount Cook, the tallest mountain in NZ, around 1 AM to a sky full of stars. 

The next day was the most beautiful hike I have ever done, by far.

Before starting our hike, we talked with park officials who told us that the weather here can switch in a moment and to make a judgment call with each stop we take. Also, it was one of the windier days, so be careful “not to get blown off at the top”. 

Our friend Max informed us the hike was 2200 stairs, and then the hard part started…

Feeling a bit nervous but determined we slowly made our way to the summit and it was the natural views more than anything that kept our minds from the, at times, grueling elements of the hike. 

Here are a few of my favorite photos:

I'm writing this from our Queenstown hostel and cannot wait to share all the adventures that this next week has in store.

I hope you all enjoyed the blog!

Grant Touchette

Aerospace Engineering

University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia

[airporttransferservice]

Beautiful Places To Shop In Palma De Mallorca

With rich cultural heritage and iconic architectural pride, Palma de Mallorca, or Palma is a major holiday destination in Spain, attracting tourists from all around the world. Appearing magically from the honey coloured pebbles from the serene water of Balma de Palma,The city gives a lot of Rome vibe as it was initially inherited by the Romans who lived and ruled in Palma, The city bears a rich history and went through a lot of hooliganism during The fall of Western Roman Empire. The beautiful city is seen to be the capital of the Balearic Island and squats on the Bay of Palma. 

The flourishing culinary scenes and the picturesque views of the waterfront from almost any part of the city, Palma is home to the most renowned Cathedral in the world. White sand beaches and the tranquil atmosphere gives this place a whole lot of new levels of beauty. Whether you go out and flaunt your summer body on the Ca'n Pere Antoni beach and bond with strangers over cocktails and appetisers or you want to hop from one artsy sight to the other with a rich historical background. Palma has restored its beauty and is more attractive than it ever was, the high tourism rate and surge in demand for visiting ‘pearl of the Mediterranean’ has made this one of the most prestigious cities in the country. 

A lavishly shredded crown of historical sites, Palma is also seen to be a home to an array of galleries, architecture so fine that it can be found nowhere else and numerous cafes lines across the narrow street. From the beautiful ruins of the gothic Cathedral to the baroque churches, this city is bound to draw your breath away with its awe-inspiring beauty and vibrant boho neighbourhood. The city simply has so much to offer that it will surprise you with one underrated yet breathtaking place everyday even after you have explored it at its best, the moment you think you’ve got enough of the city, it dazzles you with something so breathtaking that you can’t get your mind over it. 

Best Time To Visit Palma 

Palma de Mallorca offers a good atmosphere throughout the year which is why it attracts tourists all round the world throughout the year. The best time to visit the city is from the months of April to June where the temperature is suitable and tepid (30 degree Celsius). However, one must be prepared to face the rush as most of the crowd visits the city during the peak time therefore the hotels rates are high and the streets are busy. September to November will also assure a reminiscing trip to its visitors. If you are looking to backpack and travel at a cost effective price, you can visit during the off season when the hotels are empty and are easily available at a cheap price. 

5 Shopping Streets In Palma De Mallorca 

1. Carrer de Sant Feliu

The moment when you step on the old streets designed in period architecture, you’ll be able to witness the modern commercial establishments in the form of some top-notch stores that can be found on this street. Squatting right in the centre of the old part of the city, this famous shopping street links Passeig del Born with Calle de la Paz. 

If you are looking to grab some souvenirs for your loved ones, this might be your place to visit. The remarkable art galleries and trendy boutiques are lined in the street, giving you a wide variety of options to choose from. The place is rather an old one but the items that you can grab from  Carrer de Sant Feliu are limitless. After you’ve done filling your bags with the rare antiques, you can quench your hunger by dining in Bon Lloc, serving the most mouth-drooling vegan items in the area, you can even go to the Cocktail bar if you want to have a refreshing drink. 

2. Carrer de Sant Miquel

The long narrow shopping area can be spotted right from the pedestrian street of Carrer de Sant Miquel, packed with quirky coloured buildings displaying different products for the travellers to get their eyes on. The market is best known for the local products it produces which makes Spain famous all around the world, while visiting the market, you can spot numerous shops selling jaw-dropping pearl and jewelleries crafted from them, classy leather shoes for men and women and it would be absolute injustice if we forget about the fresh bakery good that can be found in the market. 

3. Carrer dels Oms

Lying amidst yet another famous market La Rambla and Sant Miquel, the market is particularly known for its numerous shops entailing limitless items, lined across the streets. From the eye wear to the vintage stores, the market has it all. You can just stroll through the steer and enjoy the cosmopolitan vibe dangling in the air. 

Carrer dels Oms adds layers of beauty to it during the summer season when the cafes expand their territories to the pavements, filled with the tourists as well as the locals bonding over the draught beer of the market. 

4. Passeig del Born

If you are visiting Palma but missing out on Passeig del Born you better have a good reason for it. The tree lined boulevard streets is the most iconic part of the city as well as the busiest shopping streets in Palma who’s is why it is also referred to as the ‘Golden Mile’. Surrounded by the architectural prides designed in baroque style, the market also features chic outdoors and cafes to dine in. 

Roaming around the market would give you the liberty to shop from the top notch Spanish brands, you can also find Zara, Hugo Boss, Louis Vuitton and Carolina Herrera in the street. So pick whatever pleases you and go home with some rare collections from the high end brand showing it off like a pro.  

5. La Rambla

Tucked in the peaceful riverbed of La Riera, La Rambla is indubitably one of the most alluring and charming promenades in the city. Although in comparison to its flashier siblings which usually offer more items to shop, La Rambla majorly focuses on the beautiful tree lined avenues and colourful pedestrian walkway to make squandering fun. 

You might be able to find a lot of stalls lined up, selling local goods. Cafes and vintage restaurants can be found in La Rambla to dine in, the architectural treasures such as the supreme building of La Misericordia or the church of Santa Teresa de Jesús can be spotted in the market. Interior design shops and vintage/boho antique shops are hidden in the market so make sure to explore it thoroughly before you pick out from the first shop. Haggling is always a deal while visiting La Rambla, make sure to carry cash, preferably change in order to avoid getting overcharged for any product. 

There’s no joy as great as shopping, even the word brings a wide smile on your face and adrenaline rush. Now that we’ve already listed all the places that no shopping lover can resist, what's keeping you away from hopping around the market and grabbing your favourite jewelries and clothes? To travel is to discover and you don’t miss out on all the great stuff that you discover, so make sure to carry a lot of bags and keep enough cash to let the haggling game begin. 

How To Reach From The Airport To the City Centre? 

If you want to travel from public transport, you will find numerous facilities such as bus, trains in service. However Airport transfers with public mode can be filled with hassle and prove to be troublesome while travelling with a lot of luggage. Private airport transfer by a cab or a taxi will pick you from the door of the airport and drop you at your desired location. Rydeu provides exceptional services in budget to make travelling accessible for all. 

How To Roam Around In Palma? 

If you are looking to roam around without going too rough on your budget, you can consider taking a public transport, however, the busses and trains will not drop you off right at the market. If you are planning to shop for all your loved ones, try to avoid getting in a bus as it is usually very crowded, all the luggage will make your journey troublesome. Travelling around the city for shopping can be done in a tap with simple taxi hire which will save you from the trouble of changing vehicles everytime you stop at a store. Hiring a taxi will give you the liberty to decide your own route and enjoy riding from one market to the other. Sightseeing transfers will allow you to hop onto the next historical sight from the other without going too rough on your wallet. Book a ride today to have a trip worth reminiscing till eternity. 

[chrysaliseuro2019]

The Longest Day

Monday and we had to be on the ferry to Milos island by 9.30. The guys at the apartments were dropping us off to the ferry terminal at the Port about 4kms away and they were pretty relaxed about timing. We left just after 9.00 for the short trip. They were right, ferry was nowhere to be seen and took another 20 mins or so to roll up. The port was small but quite busy with people waiting for the ferry. The local fishermen on one boat displaying their catch and selling it to any interested parties ie individual fish. Liz noticed a large eel which unfortunately for it must have got caught in the nets. We hadn't noticed eel on the menu so not sure what they do with that. Also there were the ubiquitous cats hovering around looking for a feed. They seem to like and look after the cats in Greece (seen far more than dogs) though they need to do some serious doctoring of the male ones as skinny mother cats fending for several offspring are everywhere. The island ferry boarding routine is much more structured than at Piraeus. There was a place to queue and a policeman in attendance to make sure you were standing in the right area. Also time is money so when the ferry did roll up they hurry you off and hurry you on. Total turnaround time less than 15 mins. Anyway an uneventful trip of an hour ensued fairly calm and some good views of islands along the way. We were met at the dock by the delightful and friendly Panos from our new digs the Hotel Rigas which is a 10 minute walk from the centre of Milos town. We jumped in his old Volvo cramming the bags in for the short drive. Our room spacious with a very large balcony. There are sea (more Port) views but only from one end of the balcony at the side of the building. We essentially face backwards onto a vacant block of land with a few houses behind it. No prob though, we are lucky to have this large room and balcony. Panos in particular but also brother Christos could not be more different to our hosts at the apartment in Folegandros. Let's charitably say they were a bit diffident in Folegandros. Here, nothing seems too much trouble. All tinged with some good humour and, from both, though Panos in particular, superb and subtle English. He has passed the ESL teacher's stringent evaluation with flying colours. Panos is a football fan (nut) and of all teams supports Newcastle United in the UK (how many Greeks do that?). We swopped a few soccer stories. Rooms were not ready so by 11.30 we were on our way to the local beach just a few hundred metres up the road on a very warm day. Planning to return mid to late afternoon. This beach is essentially the town beach so not one of those delightful coves but not particularly crowded. A few people in the cheap seats sheltering under the sporadic trees along the foreshore and the same number sitting under umbrellas on beach beds. We did the latter for the princely some of 8 euros for the two beds. The pretty cheap seats. Compared to Sicily this was a saving of 20 euros. We settled in, swam of course, read books, blogged and snoozed on and off from around mid-day to gone 6.00pm. We were pretty much the last to leave our little area of beach beds. Two tavernas nearby for refreshments though we just went for the toasted sarnie. Very relaxing intro. Panos got quite a shock when we rolled back to the hotel around 6.30 given he had last seen us at 11.30 heading off. It was a good and enjoyable stint. Showers and some more downtime (as if we needed it) and it was off to dinner. Panos had recommended two restaurants - one for fish and one for meat. We fancied the fish restaurant which he also said was his favourite. As we we heading off so was he from the hotel his shift presumably over. He pulled over to ask if we wanted a lift which was not necessary as the restaurant was just a couple of hundred metres away but he did offer to pull over there and ask them to find us a good place in the line and a good table. We arrived a few minutes later and dropped his name but either we asked the wrong person or it didn't work as 4/5 ahead of us. We decided to wait and repared to the bar for a drink. Didn't take long, about 25 mins later we were in, partly because couple before us were no shows. Seats weren't ideal so the Panos connection had definitely not worked. The restaurant is by the sea but the early arrivals nab the seafront seats and we were 3 back. That wasn't so much of a prob except that was close to the road and also a bit drafty. We were feeling a bit cool, though had brought something to slip on. Cool on a Greek island in July - not what we expected. Anyway, Liz did her fish inspection and came up with a couple of corkers - common Bream and Common Pandora. They were out of the box. Absolutely delightful. Cooked closed on the charcoal grill and we filleted them ourselves (keeps them warmer for a start). They did offer to do that at the table but Liz declined and the maitre de agreed that if he was us he would do it himself as well. The fish came with vegetables and of course bread and we soon knew why the place was Panos' favourite. Rose wine, as ever, deplorable though. We strolled around town for a bit after that and found a place selling craft beers. First one we've seen in Greece though weren't looking hard. A couple of acquisitions for consumption on the balcony in the next few days. It had been a good day. Tuesday a measured start. Not too early as usual. Breakfast at hotel was a casual and enjoyable one. Fruit, yoghourt, pastries, cheese, ham, tomatoes. Again putting the Folegandros place to shame where breakfast was not part of the tariff though similar priced rooms. We caught a bus just after midday to a beach around 7/8kms away. Paliochori. Liked the place straight away in a nice largeish cove with beach chairs for 15 euros a set and a taverna right behind. We settled in for what turned out to be a 4 hour stay lazing basically. Liz did have a swim and we hauled ourselves the 15 metres or so up to the taverna for lunch. Taramoslata and fries. Odd mix but both were good. Crusty bread of course. Sitting beside us on the beach was a lady of Greek origin from Sydney who ran her own business selling handbags and luggage wholesale. She was here catching up with family in various places and then heading to New York to buy more bags. She was fun and interesting to chat to. Every now and then you get a real reminder that we just don't all do the same things. I thought everyone was in risk and compliance. Well of course in one way we are. Bussed it home. The bus entry was not a particularly dignified affair. Finite number of seats. Smallish bus and fair bit of manoeuvring if not quite jostling. We got a couple of the last two seats though only one guy had to stand as it turned out. We had a couple of drinks on the balcony before heading out. We now have the travelling vodka and a fresh lime and of course my draft beers. Dinner was a simple affair of grilled sardines and Greek salad. Both excellent. Post dinner on the recommendation of the lady from Sydney we wandered up to the top of town via some steps and found a pretty church. Closed and quiet at around 10.00pm. We kept walking and found a pretty chic but relaxed cocktail bar at the top of a small hill/cliff overlooking the docks including the fancy motor boats. A caipiroska x2 later and we were feeling pretty mellow enjoying the view and just chilling. Post drinks we did go for a stroll around the dock area looking at the multi million dollar boats and a few beautiful (and not so beautiful) people adorning them. The next stage of our trip partly unbooked at this stage had needed resolving. We had to decide where we wanted to spend the next 2.5 weeks (Istria in Croatia has been the plan). Liz had also been sussing car hire costs and they seemed cheaper from Trieste in Italy than Croatia though all sorts of permutations were considered including flying to Split and a range of other places. Of course also had to be sure if there was a loading to get the car out of Italy and use in Croatia which might make it prohibitive. Liz rang thrifty in Trieste to confirm the policy. Extra 40 euros - not too bad. That morning we had therefore booked the ferry off the island and a flight to Trieste from Athens. We could have caught a flight off the island which would have been tempting given only 45 mins to Athens compared to 4 hours on ferry plus taxi ride but it didn't quite line up with the flight to Trieste. Aggravatingly we had to catch the 11.25 ferry rather than one an hour earlier which would have made the journey to the airport more flexible (train or cab) as only 1 seat available on the earlier ferry. It's pretty busy over here. Again last minute booking caught us out slightly but that's the trade off for flexibility. Our leeway to the connecting flight now reduced and let's hope ferry on time unlike when arriving. After drinkies at the cocktail bar we arrived back at the hotel around 12.30-1.00am and got back into planning in earnest. We need to book a couple of nights in Trieste, a car for the 2.5 weeks pre-Riga and also book a flight from somewhere to Riga on 5/8 where we are meeting friends the Boxes. Various considerations eg needed a 24 hour front desk location ideally close to the centre in Trieste given late flight arrival and didn't want to have to trek into Trieste from suburbs on our 1 day there. Cost is also a consideration with a variety of options possible. The biggest conundrum really was the flight to Riga which was proving expensive and Liz investigated all ports of disembarkation in Europe it seemed trying to find a good deal eg. fly to Istanbul and then fly to Riga, fly back to London then to Riga. Catching various trains across the old Eastern Europe. Swings and roundabouts with all options and she was getting frustrated. Also car hire costs seemed to swing dramatically and the great deal of 1 day ago in Trieste seemed to have evaporated. Also car availability was diminishing the with some options no longer available (thrifty). ahhhhhhhh!!! We did book the hotel for 2 nights in Trieste but gave up on flight and car hire just before 4.00am, knackered. The next morning we vowed to complete this. Well not much choice really. Post breakfast the car was booked through Budget (via car rental.com) not as good a deal as the Thrifty one but not too bad and we drop it off at Rome airport where we also found a reasonable flight to Riga. It gets in late at night but seemed to be the only option from that destination timewise. Yeh! pretty sorted. The only decision left which we will make over the next few days is where we head to next. We are now thinking of heading down into Italy - Puglia which was always a possibility or perhaps a bit of Croatia and Italy. We will see but we both like the idea of drifting down the Italian coast and seeing what we can find. Weight off the mind to sort this out. It's no doubt easier travelling between more major cities where the flight options are more extensive. Pretty sorted for the next 3 weeks or so other than seeing where the road leads from Trieste which will be exciting.

[domhovasse]

Last night I dreamt of San Pedro.

I am so so blessed to have friends who are willing to do whatever it takes to have me attend the annual girls’ New Years trip. When Gaby generously offered to help me pay for my flights using her air miles, I couldn’t refuse. A week with my best friends in the Caribbean, to ring in the new year - how could I say no!

Quite honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect from Belize. The pictures of the beaches looked beautiful, but most people I had spoken to had only been to Belize City, and no one had anything particularly positive to say about it. From all the articles I had read, it was definitely a city to avoid at all costs. The fact that there are literally zero hostels there was an obvious hint that we should probably just fly in and head to the next destination as soon as possible. 

After a long travel day from Cancun (with a brief layover in El Salvador), we arrived in Belize City and caught a taxi directly to the ferry terminal. The first thing that caught me off-guard was the fact that everything was written in English, and only English and Creole were being spoken. I knew ahead of time that it was an English-speaking country due to the fact that it was a British colony for over 100 years before becoming independent, but I guess because of its geographical location, I was expecting the people to look Latino and be speaking some Spanish. 

We arrived to the island of Caye Caulker just after sunset, checked-in to our airbnb, and went for a little walk before finding a place to grab dinner. We found out that a lot of places on the island didn’t accept card, so we went to the only bank on the island, and to our surprise, it had ran out of cash. We ended up having to make due with Gaby’s USD she had brought until the next morning, when the ATM machines had been filled with cash. After dinner, we spent some time playing card games back at our airbnb (with some drinks, of course), before hopping from bar to bar, checking out some of the island’s nightlife.  

We spent the majority of the morning grabbing breakfast/lunch and then hanging out by our airbnb’s pool before heading back to the ferry terminal. From Caye Caulker we caught a ferry to San Pedro, where we met Lara, the last (and vital) piece of our crew. Our airbnb host picked us up from the ferry terminal, and we settled into our beautiful airbnb home. While some of us napped, Gaby and I went on a mission to pick up some beers and find a shop that wasn’t yet sold out of Golf Carts, which is the main mode of transportation on the island. It took us some time, but we finally found a shop that had 1 left! 

After a lovely dinner, we started our night off at our house with a classic game of Kings Cup, with the added bonus of playing while sitting in our jacuzzi. Once we were all dolled up and ready to go, we headed into the main square around 11pm, to join thousands of locals and tourist in ringing in the new year. Right after the countdown, we ended up running into a group of American guys that we had briefly met earlier at the ferry terminal, and then at the grocery store down the street from our place. We spent the rest of the evening bar hopping with them, singing karaoke and dancing the night away. It was honestly probably my favourite new years eve to date! 

After a much-needed New Years Day sleep-in, we motivated ourselves to get out of bed and spend an afternoon boating and snorkelling (with the group of American guys). We spent hours swimming around, looking at some incredible ocean wild-life, soaking up the sun, blasting music, and at the end of the day, enjoying the beautiful sunset with rum punches in our hands. We even got to swim with nurse sharks - it was so frightening, but one of the coolest experiences of my life! That night, we had a lovely ceviche dinner before having a “chill” night in with the guys. I had completely lost my voice, so I threw in the towel pretty early to get a good night sleep.

On our last morning in San Pedro, we made sure to wakeup at a decent hour, to drive over to Secret Beach, an isolated “not-so-secret” beach on the other side of the island. We spent a few hours there, wading in the water, eating lunch, and sipping on some piña coladas, before heading back to the airbnb to grab our things and catch a ferry back to Caye Caulker. I know it sounds like an awful lot of moving around, and I wasn’t in charge of the itinerary this time, but Caye Caulker is almost exactly halfway between the mainland and San Pedro, and it’s only a 45 minute boat ride between each.

After arriving back in Caye Caulker, we checked into our airbnb, which much to our surprise, was in the same building as our last one! We had a few hours left before sunset, so we wandered around the island, walking along the water, all the way down to “the Split”, which is a narrow channel caused by a Hurricane in 1961, which now splits the island into two. We sat down for a while on the docks and enjoyed some happy hour drinks, before our delicious, jerk chicken dinner. It was so so tasty, and the service was so wonderful. We ended up staying for a while, and our server even offered me a job (since I was the only unemployed one at the time). Not going to lie, it wasn’t an easy no! Our last night together was spent being carefree and having the time of our lives, dancing (and twerking) the night away.

The following morning, after packing up our things, Lara and I went on a walk/instagram photo shoot before sending her off on her ferry. (She had an earlier flight than the rest of the girls.) After checking out, the rest of us found a place to grab brunch before heading back to Belize City. Since my friends all had to go back to work, I had planned to go off on my own and visit the Belizian countryside for a few days. Once back on the mainland, we found a taxi driver who agreed to drop me off at the bus station first, on the way to the airport. He charged us all the same amount, even though my drop-off location was less than 1/10th of the distance, but I didn’t feel like being a cheapskate and trying to barter.   

When I got to the bus station there were no signs at all, or bus numbers, so I had to ask one of the workers to point out where my bus would be leaving from. Public busses in Belize are old school busses, with no seatbelts and horrible suspension. During the ride, the bus driver’s assistant makes his way down the aisle to collect payment, as the bus driver stops every 5 minutes to pickup passengers on the side of the road. I eventually arrived safely in the quiet town of San Ignacio and checked into my hostel just before grabbing dinner and going to bed early.

My alarm went off at 7am the following morning, I found somewhere to eat a hefty breakfast and then spent most of the day on an excursion to visit the ATM (Actun Tunichil Muknal) cave, where I hiked through the rainforest, crossing several rivers, eventually arriving at the mouth of a cave. We then spent several hours in the cave, swimming, climbing, crawling through crevices, and eventually, got to the dry chambers of the cave where we saw some (calcified) remains of ceramics and pottery used in that very cave by the Mayans during rituals and ceremonies. We even got to see actual skeletal remains of victims that were brought to this cave to be sacrificed between 650-900 AD! It was definitely one of the coolest things I’ve ever experienced. Phones were forbidden, so I unfortunately have no pictures, but you can find some on google :) After getting myself all cleaned up at the hostel, and hanging out for a bit, I went for a late afternoon stroll through town, before meeting up with the American guys we had met in San Pedro, for dinner. Our schedules happened to overlap a day, which was nice! 

I started off my last day in Belize by treating myself to a lovely breakfast, before spending some time at an old Mayan site called Cahal Pech, which was once the home of an elite Maya family. On my way back into the main part of town, I popped into the San Ignacio Resort Hotel to visit their Iguana Rehabilitation Centre, where I spent some time learning about the reptiles and even got to feed some! After slowly making my way back to the hostel, I hung out for a bit, got some of the best friend chicken I’ve had in my life, from a hole in the wall Chinese take-out restaurant, before heading to the bus stop. 

Bussing in Belize was quite the experience. You can find a very loose schedule of bus departure and arrival times online, but locals don’t even follow it because “busses come and go about every 30 minutes; you just need to wait.” Since it was a Sunday, I gave myself ample time to be able to make my connection in Belize City, and for once in my life, I got lucky, as the bus was just starting to pull away as I arrived. After the driver confirmed to me that they were heading to the City, I boarded the chock-a-block full bus. I stayed standing for a while before I was able to find a seat, and when I eventually did, I wasn’t able to take a nap because the driver was blasting some Belizian rap music through the speakers. I arrived in Belize City with a few hours to kill before my overnight bus to Cancun, so I sat there and waited patiently. I had read that the bus station in Belize City was in a bit of a seedy area, so at first I was a little worried about having to wait there alone at night, but it was actually quite safe, and there were several other tourists also waiting. 

[sally-annesstories]

Day 19 - Playa del Carmen to Isla Holbox, Mexico

And the solo adventure commences

1. I had popped by the ADO briefly on my own Saturday to get a ticket to chiquila and then onto Isla Holbox. I think if it was 3 years ago Isla Holbox would be relatively undiscovered. These days it more known but still gets less attention than the mainland. My intention for going here is to explore, relax and chill back reading a few books. Tours move so quickly and see so much (great!!) but I need some me time to regroup energy. I have another tour booked for the end of the week (my last one - this time to help get through the Belize and Guatemala border crossings). So after waking up I got all my stuff together and walked to the ADO. The intense humidity and being near the 30s and me very hot and sticky for my short walk. Once at the bus stop I asked about tickets to Bacalar (contemplating going for a day or two later in week. Even better is Salvador said the tour can pick me up rather than me travelled back to Playa. While it means missing a bit of the tour it also means more time to see more!). So will think on that overnight and can easily buy a ticket online. I also had headed to an ATM the night before. There’s only one on Holbox and it frequently is out of money. The bus had a scheduled departure of 8.30am so handed over my large bag and hopped on. The bus was only part full so I had two seats to myself which was amazing to stretch out. I split my time on the journey doing future research (found an app called Culture Trip which allows offline downloads), finished reading the subtle art of not giving a fuck, and writing this! The ADO busses all seem to have TVs which they show movies on. This one played the movie Minions first (I haven’t seen before) and then the fault in our stars. I know the general gist of the fault in our stars so was watching this to help with figuring out Spanish (no subtitles but good to hear the language). Just after 10.30am the bus arrived in Chiquilá!

2. Arriving in Chiquilá it was damn hot! Being on the bus with aircon it was overpowering getting off. I quickly located my bag and then walked towards the port. There’s a ferry on the hour every hour so after 5 minutes hanging round it was time to hand off my bag again and hop on! While every time you hand it off it’s more casual than the last it is kind of comforting having a luggage bag that matches my small one as easy to show both mine. On the ferry I had the option of the upper or lower deck but given the heat and intensity of the sun I went with the lower deck. Two girls sat next to me, both German (one living in San Francisco) so was nice to chat to people for a smidgen. Overall the boat ride took 40 minutes and we landed. There was another (speed) boat advertised but this had less sailing times and it was nice to take it slow. I had purchased my ticket at the ADO so I think my ticket wouldn’t have worked for that as well.

3. Arrived on Isla Holbox ! Very hot getting off here too. You can get a golf cart to where you’re staying really cheap but the language barrier can be tricky too. The walk didn’t look to bad so I decided to tough it out rather than wait in the heat! Backpacker experience numero uno. I must’ve looked like I knew what I was doing as I had a random girl come up to me and ask where I was going (she had arrived on the island with nowhere to stay - true backpacker!). I said where it was (Tribu) and if she wanted to follow me she could to see if it’s what she was after. A 10 minute walk later we arrived. It’s super cute, lots of yellow and bright colours with hammocks all in the yard. It was midday by the time I’d checked in and the room would be ready at one. My togs are in my pack and the heat is kinda debilitating so I just chilled on a hammock for the time till I could go to my room which was nice and relaxing. I attempted to use wifi but it seems below average here. Hence why these posts are a tad late with photos! Was nice sitting and doing nothing in the hammocks. Although that was a bit spoilt for the last 10 minutes as someone decided they needed a smoke. Given so uncommon at home for someone to smoke in close proximity you really notice it when it happens!

4. Once I’d checked in I got all my stuff to my room. I had seen a sign about a vegan and vegetarian eatery which sounded so good after my lack there of of late. So I wandered over and realised I’d left my water bottle on the way. I’ve been so good for the past 2 weeks (not misplacing anything) and then the past 24 hours I’ve left my sunglasses twice and water bottle twice. Obviously tired and I think the heat is having a good go at me. Anyway I sat down and ordered a tropical burger from chickpeas with a tropical salad. It was so good (see photo below) mainly because I felt like it was healthy and full of goodness. Even the chips were just oven baked. Not something I’d usually order (although I do like vege burgers at Kelly and Nic’s) but the food combined with the soundtrack at the cafe (limited to ABBA and Cher) was bloody good on a hot afternoon. After a stroll back along the beach I was at the hostel where my water bottle was waiting for me and the shade was calling. I’m not made to function in these temperatures! The place is amazing so don’t take this wrong but I did a little bit of research about leaving given nothing booked and I think I will take Salvador to on him offering to pick me up from Bacalar on the tour! Current thoughts are here till Wednesday (3 nights), then either Valladolid or Cancun before , Playa Del Carmen (meet new tour) then early bus ride to Bacalar Sunday morning and the tour will pick me up around 9am Monday. Still really impressed with Salvador suggesting this ! (Might say this over and over - you’re warned).

5. After looking online I was still just as clueless and it was still just as hot. I spent most of the arvo reading (onto The Lying Game - I remember watching the TV show online, it’s some kind of mystery but I can’t remember what happens) and took a couple of quick walks to the beach. I met some really kind hostellers who invited me to go to Coco Playa with them for sunset and also to walk to see the glowing plankton at night but I had to decline as I’m exhausted. The tour and all the moving really took it out of me. Despite me eating less lately due to it being so hot I had worked up an appetite for dinner. Found a spot for nachos (Mexican food I haven’t had yet) and sat down with a Jamaica - it genuinely tasted like Rivera! The nachos were really good but when the bill came it was 50 pesos less than I expected...turns out the guy hadn’t heard me right and I wasn’t eating steak. I decided I’d rather not know and left it at that. I walked back via the beach sunset before taking the coldest shower I could doing a bit of reading and hitting the day.

Tally:

Time spent travelling: 3 hours

Feels like temperature on Holbox: 44 Celsius

Tiredness levels: 197%

Backpacking life / Chiquila / lunch / Holbox & Tribu

[theolivechickken]

Spring Break pt. 1

March 8

Bussed to Salzburg airport, snatched the window seat even though my assigned one was an aisle, and flew EasyJet Airlines out to London Gatwick Airport! When we arrived, we spent a lot of time trying to contact Michaela to see if she wanted to ride the train with us into town. While we were waiting, we stopped inside the convenience store at the airport and picked up some salt and vinegar chips (crisps?) to snack on. She made it to the airport not long after we did, but got caught up in customs and passport check so we wished her luck and hopped on the train to head into the city. Helloooo expensive transportation (and everything else in general). We checked into Safestay at Elephant and Castle and unpacked our bags in our purple room.

Afterwards, we had a late lunch/ early dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant next door. We all ordered chicken pho and drank mango black tea with passionfruit boba. Super cozy for this rainy day. We explored the Asian market connected to the restaurant and I fangirled at any food that I recognized. There was still some light out, so we walked down the street of our hostel to see what was nearby. We ended up turning down East Street Market which was nestled in a black community. Several individuals were closing up their street shops, but a few were still opened for business. Aubree went in to see if she could find some natural hair products for her curly hair. Patrick and I continued down the street and eventually made our way back to the crew. He went on to visit Sharon across the river, so Raine and I stayed with Aubree as she excitedly went in to get her eyebrows threaded for a cheap price. Turns out the lady nearly ripped a chunk of her eyebrow hair out but hopefully it grows back quickly.

It was lightly drizzling outside, but the wind really made the rain fly at all directions. We went back to the hostel to rest and try to decide what we wanted to do for the rest of the night. It was a hoot and a half to find a place that sold oyster cards for public transportation. Finally, we hopped on a double-decker bus and rode it to the CLF Art Cafe. Raine discovered the place via google and was expecting live music/ a DJ with some good night life. But it was pretty dead in the area and the art club was located in a multiple story building tucked in an alley behind scaffolding. I guess we showed up too early but got free admission (??) to the art club lounge/bar area downstairs. We told Patrick to come through and waited around for him to show up. It was cool and lively in the room, and then people started moving furniture around to create a dance floor.

Definitely an interesting scene. I kinda liked that everyone was being weird and dancing to some off-brand 80s inspired synth music, but it wasn’t really the scene we were looking for tonight. Patrick eventually made it, but he couldn’t find the entrance to the place. Aubree went out to look for him and they both got stuck outdoors since you needed a wristband at this point for entry. Raine and I went upstairs to try and hear the kind of music the DJ would be playing, and we ran into two girls coming down the stairs telling us “IT’S SO DEAD DON’T GO but you should totally go in with us.” We had a quick conversation with these fellow Americans and then dipped to find our friends.

Chicken Soup McDonald's for the starving soul. We were on another level of being starving, delusional, and overall confused from the whole night, which lead to us dying of laughter in the McDonald’s and back out on the streets to the bus station. Don’t know why everything was especially funny, but I swear I nearly peed my pants from laughing so hard.

March 9

Why do our roommates hate us? They’re so loud in the morning :(( One guy was trying to pack his bag, and the other was blowdrying his hair IN THE ROOM while we were still trying to sleep. Oh well, I guess it got us to wake up and start our day. Hopped on the tube from Elephant and Castle and took it to Borough. Super excited to stroll through Borough Market for some free samples and street food! I love the hustle and bustle of this big city, and I absolutely love markets. Patrick and I got some hot tea with ginger, and Raine and I got prawn wraps. They did not hold back on the shrimp either. It wasn’t one of those sad seafood wraps where they throw in two pieces of shrimp and call it seafood. NAH. Oodles and oodles of shrimp (with lettuce and sweet-spicy Thai sauce) piled into this warm tortilla heaven. Also got some fresh cherries to share (which reminded me of home and the cherries that my Lola always puts out on the table).

Next, we rode the tube to Buckingham Palace. Our stop was right at Green Park, so we made ourselves comfy on the muddy grass (rip my jeans but I managed to save them by rubbing out the mud with saliva) before walking to the Palace to meet up with Amy and her roommate Victoria. We shared the cherries and sat in the company of some good ol’ Beatles tunes.

AMYYYY wow I missed you. We had fun walking around with our new additions to the squad. At the park, we squared up with a GIANT goose and also saw a majestic swan in the river. We made our way over to Westminster Abbey and Big Ben (but rip Ben since he's under construction till 2021). Aubree and Raine went back towards the hostel to meet up with Ollie and Tom (the Londoners we met in Prague). Meanwhile, Patrick, Amy, Victoria, and I spotted a telephone booth, a guard on horseback, and a police squad investigating a suspicious car. We paused by the London Eye and ventured out to the London Tower and London Bridge. The bridge was really neat! The floor had a section made out of glass, so you could see the traffic driving through underneath. Trippy.

We made our way back to Borough and had dinner at Honest Burger - honestly one of the best burgers and rosemary fries I've ever eaten. We all went back to our own hostels to rest for a bit before going back out to meet Aubree, Raine, Tom, and Ollie at Spoons. Later, Pat and I walked through Chinatown and joined Sharon, birthday girl Madison, and Michaela and her Redlands volleyball friends at O’Neills. Perks of being small at the club: no perks. Just elbows to your face or drinks nearly spilled on you, and you're too short to see anything half the time. All in all though it was a fun night, and then Sharon lost her phone so the mood turned sour. BUT then the girls found her phone since someone turned it in! It was a wild rollercoaster ride. We all walked to the tube and went our separate ways. Our connecting metro was closed, so Pat and I ended up walking the rest of the way to our hostel through the light rain and a quiet neighborhood.

March 10

Aubree and Raine came back to the room at 4am to discover Christmas music being blasted on Pat's phone and me drowning out the sound with my snore. Morning came with a hot mess and a crime scene: we think Pat's phone was stolen by the girl who slept in the bunk above Aubree and checked out early that morning. She also managed to leave her red panties in place of Pat’s phone. Weird flex, but okay. Pat was bummed, but he also handled the situation really well. We still went out to brunch at Spoons with Sharon and tried an English Breakfast. Unpopular opinion but it was kinda bland and sad.

Holy wind batman. Almost Vienna status but not as cold. Pat and I went to the British Museum and literally traveled through time and history. People are amazing and crazy and how did we manage to come so far in such a quick span of time? We viewed so many arts and artifacts in the 3 hours that we were stuck in a time machine. My feet are feeling it man but I'm still out here having a good time.

Took the Tube to Camden Market to meet Aubree, Raine, Matt, Cousin Sam, Jack, Will, and Milky. We went to a bar that had a DOG! And tried the somewhat citrusy Punk IPA. We also went to the Blues Bar for burgers and live music. Had a great time hanging out with this jolly group of guys. At one point, Milky was telling us the story of how he saved his fish that was swimming upside-down. The trick? "I feed my fish peas. But not a whole pea cause that’s too much.” Someone please test this out and let me know if this is true.

March 11

Checked out of Safestay Elephant and Castle and went down the street to Bagel King for breakfast. It’s definitely not not what we thought it would be. The bagels were weirdly fluffy and the cream cheese just didn’t seem right.. But the mango-guava juice was pretty tasty. Patrick and I said our goodbyes to Aubree and Raine, and headed to to the train station. We managed to pool our our coins together for one ticket (how was it exact??? AMAZING luck) and then paid for another with a card. Yay for getting rid of the pounds in my pocket.

Things seemed to be working out, but the train we needed to be on was delayed. Actually, all the trains are delayed??? We rushed to find a platform with a train that would take us towards Gatwick. Hopped on one train which detoured to East Croydon and hoped for the best. The cards were in our favor and the time was too since we had plenty to check in, get through security, and even eat lunch at Nando’s.

Barcelona we're coming for you :)))

So we arrived in the evening and waited around for Pat's bag to finally roll out to baggage claim. Managed to catch the sun setting as we rode the bus into the city. Barcelona makes me feel like I'm back home in LA. Maybe because of the smog, traffic, and large open freeways, or the desert scenery, trees, and beach?

Walked from La Plaza de Catalunya to HelloBCN Hostel. Hello major tourist street with people trying to sell you random souvenirs. Poor Pat has reached his limit. Apparently our hostel reservation never went through. Luckily the reception guy was really cool and they still had two beds open for us to stay for our planned days.

Stressed, but he still had the spirit to go out into the city for some food. We found a casual restaurant nearby that had tapas. Not the dinner I was really expecting, but it was still fun to try some tapas. We had Patatas Bravas (basically french fries with a creamy spicy dipping sauce), chips and guacamole, and Moroccan chicken skewers to share.

[visariga-blog]

A Visitor's Guide to Kurzemes Rajons

Meaning: Kurzeme Region (Kurzeme is the westernmost region of Latvia) Former Names: Jelgavas priekšpilsētas (Jelgava Suburb), Ļeņina rajona ziemeļu daļa (northern part of Lenin Region), Ļeņingradas rajons (Leningrad Region) Area: 79.04 km²(25.73% of Rīga's total area) Tallest Point: Z-Towers (Āgenskalns) Neighborhoods: Bolderāja, Daugavgrīva, Dzirciems, Iļģuciems, Imanta, Kleisti, Ķīpsala, Rītabuļļi, Spilve, Voleri, Zasulauks, and the northern part of Āgenskalns 2012 Population: 131016 (18.7% of Rīga's total population) 2008 Population density: 1658 people/km2 2012 Demographics:

Russian - 59 384 (45,32%) Latvian - 47 993 (36,63%) Belarusian - 5874 (4,48%) Ukrainian - 5648 (4,31%) Polish - 2438 (1,86%) Other - 9682 (7,39%)

Dates of Our Visits: November 18, 2015 — October 1, 2016

Introduction:

Aside from the 58 neighborhoods that city council designated in 2008, Rīga is divided into six administrative “districts,” a bit like boroughs in American cities. With the completion of Zasulauks, we have now been to all of Kurzemes rajons, Rīga's largest and northwestern-most district. We have decided that whenever we finish an entire district's worth of neighborhoods that we will put together a small, cheesy “visitor's guide” highlighting some of the most interesting places that we found in our travels. 

This guide isn't necessarily intended for someone who's staying in Rīga for just a layover or a weekend; in that case, it's probably better to stick to the more well-known attractions in the center. Instead, this is intended for more frequent or long-term visitors looking to see a different side of the city, or maybe even for long-time locals who hadn't ever thought to check these places out. I have divided the locations into a few different categories, with the most essential of each category being listed first. Each place’s name can be clicked on and contains a link to google maps coordinates, and the neighborhood names in parenthesis are links to the articles we have written about each one. The photos were all taken by Līga, myself, or our friends who have joined us on our journeys.

While we’re not pretending to be able to write a “definitive guide” to such a massive and history-rich area after just a few short visits, we hope that these favorite places of ours might provide a few ideas for your next weekend adventure!

Best Views:

Promenade near Saulesakmens (Ķipsala)

Less than a ten minute walk away from Vecrīga, this stunning view of the old city's skyline is visited every day by many tourists and newlyweds alike. If you want a world-class vista of the city easily accessible by foot, bike, car, and public transit, this one is a no-brainer. While you're here, you can also get fantastic views of the city's ports from the beach just a short walk away on the other side of the bridge.

Bumbu Kalniņš (Kleisti)

One of the city's best-kept secrets, many of my friends who have lived in Rīga their entire lives had no idea that there was an observation tower in Kleisti with stunning views of all of Kurzemes rajons as well as almost every tall building in the entire city. This wooden tower is designed only for a few people at once and is not recommended for those afraid of heights, but if you want a unique birds-eye vantage of some of the city's less-known areas then you'll want to check it out. The only downside is that while there is a bus stop just a five minute walk away from the tower, you will need to switch busses at least once if coming from Rīga's center. For those lucky enough to be traveling by car though, there is a parking area right near the tower's base.

Dzeguškalns (Dzirciems)

My personal favorite view of the city's skyline, this location is easily accessible by the #3 bus and will take just about 15 minutes to get to from the central station. I love it so much because nearly every famous tall landmark in Rīga’s center is visible from here but from an angle you never see in promotional material, with some beautiful old factory buildings in the foreground. This is a fairly peaceful and quiet area, although the best time for viewing is from late fall until early spring since at other times leaves on the trees block out the view of the city.

Best Nature Walks:

“Piejūra” Nature Park (Ritabulli)

Hidden away in the city's northwestern-most corner, this emerald gem is an absolutely essential visit for anyone interested in exploring Latvia's gorgeous nature without needing to leave the city. A few kilometers of well-maintained trails zigzag through forest, marshes, and the area's famous sand dunes. The park is surprisingly relatively unknown, so its possible that you might not see another person during your entire walk. You will, however, want to check carefully for ticks afterwards just as you would in any Latvian forest. During summer months, the #3 bus goes directly from the central station to the park’s entrance, but at other times you simply need to switch to a #36 bus to go the rest of the way. When you get to the western end of the park, make sure to enjoy the amazing stone sculptures by local artist Pauls Jaunzems.

Kleisti Meadow (Kleisti)

This large meadow is a nice place for a meditative walk through what feels like the countryside without having to stray too far from a major road served by a few bus lines. Although it’s most beautiful in spring when flowers are in full bloom, it was quite nice even when we visited in late winter. It seems to be a somewhat popular location for fishing and a few people we using a part of it as an ATV course, but nobody bothered us at all as we strolled through the trail.

Spilve (The entire neighborhood)

For the somewhat more adventurous, the areas just to the west and north of Spilves Lidlauks have a variety of forests, meadows, and small rivers that can make for a very pleasant nature walk. The only issue is that this area is not planned or maintained as such, so there are no maps or consistently maintained trails, and it can be easy to get turned around for those without a good sense of direction. Still, the outer edge of the old airfield is a very nice and easy 2.5 kilometer meadow walk that’s fairly similar to what’s found in Kleisti.

Best Picnic Spots:

Daugavgrīvas Baka (Daugavgrīva)

Though a bit inconvenient to get to, this lighthouse right at the mouth of the River Daugava is still perfectly accessible enough for more adventurous picnickers. To get here you must first walk a trail through a bit of forest, marsh, and beach surrounded by some very cool-looking abandoned Soviet-era factories, but you’ll have worked up a perfect appetite for some packed lunches. While there is a breakwater similar to that found in Mangaļsala on the other side of the river, it is in a state of disrepair that makes it harder to traverse especially if there is a sea swell. To get to the lighthouse, first go to this location, follow the path to the sea, and then turn right. After walking about a kilometer, you will be at the mouth of the Daugava. This might sound a bit more complicated than the other places in this list, but I promise there's no secret password.

Kleistu Ezers (Kleisti)

This peaceful location just a short walk away from the bus stop overlooking a pond and a horse track on the other side seems custom-built for picnickers. While the gazebo did not have seats or tables when we visited in late winter, there were a few benches by the pond and might be more in the summer months. There were also a few ice cream stands nearby which I could not tell if were closed permanently or only seasonal. The nearest grocery store is at least a 30-minute walk though, so make sure to bring your lunch with you.

Nordeķu Parks (Iļģuciems)

While heavily overshadowed by other locations in Kurzemes rajons, this former manor territory is easily accessible by a variety of public transit options and includes a playground, some open fields, a duck pond, a few old manor buildings, and some outdoor seating. If you're not feeling so adventurous and would like a pleasant and relatively quiet picnic spot that's fairly easy to get to, you could do a lot worse than Nordeķu parks. As an added bonus, there are a few supermarkets and grocery stores within walking distance if you do not feel like packing a lunch ahead of time.

Best Urban Exploration Spots:

Daugavgrīvas Cietoksnis (Daugavgrīva)

If you’re any kind of fan of urban exploration and you haven’t been here yet, that needs to change. This historic fortress, originally constructed in 1608 during the first Polish-Swedish War and then added to over the course of four more centuries of conflicts, is immaculately preserved despite almost no renovation thanks in part to its inconvenient hours of operation. The gates are locked except between 10:00-16:00 each Saturday and Sunday, but you will find very little graffiti or other vandalism compared to Rīga’s other abandoned locations. Fans of history can learn about the fortress through a few signs posted around the premises, and all but a few of the buildings are open for easy exploration by even the most casual of Sunday strollers.

Buildings around Daugavgrīvas Cietoksnis (Daugavgrīva)

Although these abandoned military buildings are only a short five-minute walk from the fortress proper, they are such a perfect spot for urban explorers that I felt that they deserved a separate post. While the fortress itself is open for just a few hours each week, these buildings (at least when we visited in late 2015) are guarded only by a sign telling you to enter at your own risk. On one hand this means that the buildings are far more dangerous and full of litter, but on the other hand its rare in Rīga for these kind of buildings to not be under lock and key and still be stable enough to safely walk through. Enter of course only at your own risk, but I doubt you’ll be disappointed.

Spilves Lidlauks (Spilve)

Although the beautiful Stalin-era airport is gated and attended by a security guard at most times, there is still plenty to see from the outside. Better yet, to the northwest of the airport building itself are a series of smaller buildings that have been weathered throughout the years and are completely abandoned and unguarded. The airport and its grounds are only about 20 minutes via #3 bus from the central station.

Best Swimming Spots:

Vakarbuļļi Pludmale (Ritabuļļi)

This golden, sandy beach might look almost exactly like the more famous resort of Jūrmala outside of the city, but getting here in the summer is as easy as jumping on a #3 bus and walking less than ten minutes from the “Pludmale” stop. While there aren’t as many touristy attractions such as stores and restaurants like at the more well-known Vecāķi beach in Rīga’s northeast corner, those looking for a more “pure” beach experience will find a clean and well-maintained swimming area complete with a playground, food and ice cream stands, benches, trash cans, toilets, and changing booths. For those interested in nature walking, there is a series of boardwalks and trails through the dunes of the forest that surround the beach.

Ķipsalas Pludmale (Ķipsala)

Though it personally freaks me out to swim so close to the city center, Rīga's city environmental board constantly declares the Daugava safe to swim in. The convenient location also simply can't be beaten. Even if you're not planning on swimming, this sandy spot is just a ten minute walk across Vanšu tilts (suspension bridge) from the city center and is perfect for sunbathing, beach sports, reading, or whatever you prefer to do by the water.

Places to Eat:

Kafējnica Iberija (Zasulauks)

If you're interested in sampling Georgian cuisine, Kafēnica Iberija's offerings are worth traveling to Zasulauks for. The food is fresh, delicious, authentic, and served by a friendly staff at reasonable prices. In warmer months, the outdoor seating will allow you to enjoy your meal in fresh air, although the restaurant is near a fairly busy road and you may elect to sit in the beautifully decorated interior. Come here for a unique and reasonably priced dining experience, just don't forget to order a disk of khachapuri!

Ciemakukulis (Dzirciems)

Perfect for a cup of coffee and pastry after a day at the botanical garden (just a five minute walk away), this gorgeous café offers some of the most unique and delicious sweet treats that we have seen anywhere in Rīga. On other days of the week, they apparently offer light lunch options such as soups and salads. The staff is extremely friendly, and they have apparently opened a location up in Bolderāja as well that we didn't see on our first journey there. 

Other Interesting Locations:

University of Latvia Botanical Garden (Zasulauks)

Best visited in the warmer months, the university's botanical garden contains a wide variety of flowers, trees, cactuses, and all kinds of other plants on the beautiful and well-maintained grounds of a former German manor. Non-students of the university will be required to pay a small fee, but you won't mind as soon as you see the incredible and worthy work that the staff of the garden does to provide the city with such a vibrant and colorful space. Butterfly lovers should also check out the “butterfly house” within the garden which requires a separate small fee to visit.

Žanis Lipke Memorial (Ķīpsala)

Due partially to the country's complicated and uncomfortable history regarding the Holocaust, this fearless dock worker turned protector of Jewish people is not the universally known hero that he should be. After first hiding communists from the pre-WWII Latvian regime, Žanis Lipke selflessly used his connections at the dock to smuggle at least 55 Jewish people out of Latvia. After the war, the Soviet government refused to believe that Lipke saved those he did out of altruism and must have been compensated with diamonds or gold. According to legend, during one of many times he was summoned by the KGB for questioning, he told his interrogators that they were just as bad bandits as the Nazis. Amazingly, he lived until 1987, and ten years before his death he and his wife were able to travel to Israel and receive the hero's welcome that they deserved. This memorial is only open Tuesday-Saturday, but you can find out more about it here.

Balasta Dambis (Ķīpsala)

This gorgeous cobblestone street along the eastern edge of Ķīpsala starts less than fifteen minutes away from the city center by foot and offers spectacular views of Rīga's skyline and ports. The other side of the road is nothing to ignore either: an architectural smorgasbord, the centerpiece of which is a beautifully restored former gypsum factory repurposed as shops, apartments, and restaurants. This is easily one of the city's most underrated walking destinations, make sure to check it out on a sunny day!

Rīga-Jūrmala Bike Trail (Imanta)

I strongly prefer walking to biking, which is why you rarely hear me discussing anything cycling-related in the posts about neighborhoods. If you’re the kind of person who prefers to roam the world on two wheels though, you might have already heard of the famous Rīga-Jūrmala bike path that runs along the southern border of Imanta and goes all the way to Jūrmala’s city center a few kilometers away across the Lielupe river. Though Tukums-bound trains pass from time to time and planes occasionally descend overhead towards the nearby airport, this fairly well-kept trail is a peaceful way for both walkers and bikers to easily travel to Latvia’s most famous seaside town. A full map of the trail can be found here.

Buļļupe (Bolderāja, Kleisti, Daugavgrīva, and Rītabuļļi)

This sleepy river which connects the larger Daugava and Lielupe rivers is a perfect place to paddle around without having the worry about strong winds, sea currents, or major boat traffic. Those feeling adventurous can even paddle all the way around Buļļsala, going along the Lielupe, Baltic Sea, and Daugava at times. If you're lucky enough to own a kayak, canoe, or similar small watercraft, there are endless locations on the Bolderāja/Kleisti side of the river to park your car and easily launch your boat. For the rest of us, there is a rental place on the Rītabuļļi side found here which operates during summer months.

Lāčupes Kapi (Kleisti)

Though it might seem a bit strange to suggest visiting a cemetery, I've known some people who truly enjoy exploring them. Of all the ones I've ever been to, Lāčupes kapi is one of my absolute favorites. It's situated in a beautiful forest on a series of hills that are rare for the area's geography, and is frequently cleaned and maintained by relatives of the deceased. The graveyard is easily accessible via the #39 bus from the center, but if you do visit please make sure to treat this area with the respect that it deserves.

And that's it for Kurzemes rajons! If you think we missed any great spots to visit, let us know either in a comment or by pressing the “questions” button at the top of the page. We’ll be back in a few days with our visit to Āgenskalns, the first of Zemgales Priekšpilsēta, with our friend Konstantin who gave us much more history about the buildings than we have had for any other neighborhood. Until then, enjoy the (almost) spring weather!

[mouseandhispals-blog]

Where To Stay At Disney

If you are going to Disney World you are going to have a great time wherever you stay. Disney and Universal will wrap their magic around you and fully immerse you in total escapism. I am lucky enough to visit Disney World regularly and I have done this many ways. Over the years I have become a Disney pro and I am going to tell you about different type of accommodation their individual positives and negatives. Villas: This is a great way to save money when visiting Disney. You can rent a large 4 bedroom villa in Florida with a pool for about £600 a week. On top of this you must factor in the cost of heating the pool depending on the time of year and the cost of cleaning the villa. This is a great option if you want to get away from the parks and have some peace. On the down side most villas are 30 minutes away from the parks. This time is generally when you arrive onto Disney property passing through that magical bridge. You still have a considerable time to drive to a park and park your vehicle. You then need to grab transport from the car park to the park gates. This time really adds up especially when you have had an active day walking and your tired. A hidden cost of a villa is all theme parks charge $20 to park your car. This really adds up. 10 days parking is $200, I would rather spend this on other things. Also villas generally do not have restaurants within walking distance so you will need to drive to for dinner if you're not cooking at the villa. For me a villa is just normal life picked up and put somewhere else. Florida is not a place for normality and humdrum. I have only stayed in a villa once in Florida, it was good but I would not do it again. Make of that what you will. International drive: International drive or I Drive is 11.1 miles in length. This is the main tourist strip in Orlando. To the north Universal Studios is located. There is a massive variety of hotels here to fit all budgets. Many of the hotels also run free shuttle services to the parks. This is great as you avoid parking charges and can enjoy and alcoholic drink without the need to drive. There are so restaurants on International drive, two of my favourite are Charlie's Steakhouse and Chili's Bar & Grille. I love the Margaritas at Chili's. There is plenty of shopping locations here such as Orlando International Premium Outlets. This is my favourite outlet mall and it's a must. Here you will find Bath and Body Works, Adidas, Nike, Diesel, Converse and Puma. Many shops are open late until 10pm including the outlet malls The negative of the I Drive is it will still take you a good while to get into the parks. It depends on how many days you are in the parks as to how much this will matter. On site at Disney: There are currently more than 25 resorts hotel locations at Disney World to choose from. Whatever your budget or whatever you have in mind from adventure to luxury, Disney has it. This is the hassle free option included with your stay at Disney is transfers to and from Orlando Airport on the Magic Express. This is the start of Disney wrapping its magic around you. The Magic Express is a comfortable air conditions coach that tells you about Disney as your driven towards it. Included with all onsite stays is free transportation around Disney World which ranges from busses, monorails, boats and soon to be sky track. Transportation is frequent and easy to use. It's a massive bonus not to drive while you are onsite at Disney. There are so many lovely cocktails in the parks and resorts, it would be a shame not to have a few! The hotel resorts are come in three categories Value, Moderate and Deluxe. Value Resorts are brightly coloured with larger than life iconic theming. These are family focused locations which have large food courts. They tend to be more on the outskirts of Disney property and as a result it takes a little longer to get into the parks. When free Disney dinning is offered a quick service package is included when you stay at a value resort and purchase a Disney park ticket. Quick service Dinning plans includes two quick service meal and two snacks for each night you stay. It also includes a resort refillable mug for the length of your stay. Below is a photograph from Pop Century Transportation into the parks is via busses that come frequently and service all park locations including Disney Springs. Disney's All-Star Movies Resort Disney's All-Star Music Resort Disney's All-Star Sports Resort Disney's Pop Century Resort Disney's Art of Animation Resort I have stayed at some of the value resorts when I am holidaying with friends. My best friend, Vicky is also Disney obsessed like myself. When she was getting married we headed off to Disney World for her hen do. We stayed at a value resort and we could not fault it for what we were looking for. Its basic and clean but if you're in the parks all day and out at night, its perfect. We didn't use the pool as we would go to the water parks instead. Below photograph is us at All-Star Sports resort heading off to Typhoon Lagoon. Our mutual love of Disney has grown into a Disney inspired clothing company, Castle Magic Collective. Follow us on Instagram and buy with us! Moderate Resorts: Moderate resorts have more muted colours with more work on the theming, room interiors and landscaping. The pools are a little more impressive than the value resort pools. They also offer bus and boat transportation to the parks and Disney Springs. Below is the boat at Port Orleans to take you to Disney Springs. Great way to arrive! When free Disney Dinning is offered a stay in a Moderate Resort with a Disney ticket will give you the Disney Dinning Plan. This includes one quick service, one table service and two snacks for each night of your stay. It again includes the refillable resort mug. This is my preferred dinning plan as I enjoy the table service meals. The next plan up is the Deluxe Disney Dinning plan with three table service meals and 2 snacks. On this plan you spend a lot of time sitting in restaurants and not exploring. A perk of a moderate resorts is its location. They are all positioned closer to the parks than the value resorts as a result all of the transportation times are a little bit shorter. Moderate resorts a below: Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort Disney's Coronado Springs Resort Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Disney's Port Orleans French Quarter The cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort Deluxe Resorts: This is the best of Disney and often come with a high price tag. The resorts are beautiful with fantastic pools. The theming and landscaping is detailed and fantastic. Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge Disney's Beach Club Disney's Boardwalk Inn Disney's Contemporary Resort Disney's Grand Floridian Resort Disney's Polynesian Resort Disney's Wilderness Lodge Disney's Yacht Club Resort They all have great restaurants that are well worth a visit such as the Yachtsman at Disney's Yacht club or the Kona cafe at Disney's Polynesian Resort where you enjoy the legendary Tonga toast. The pools in each resort at large and luxurious. Also these resorts are closest to the parks. I also found the transportation to the parks less crowded and more frequent. One of my favourite deluxe resorts is Yacht Club. The pool not only has a lazy river but the pool has a sandy bottom and island in the middle. Also great pool side cocktails to enjoy here. I love Beaches and Cream soda shop great milkshakes, icecream and Floats. Also with the board walk a shot stroll away there is so much to see and do. Animal Kingdom Lodge is great fun, I enjoyed opening the curtains every morning and seeing giraffes, zebras, bison and much more walking in front of my balcony. A cup of tea on the balcony watching the animals is a great way to start a Disney day. The resort is immersive and you really could be on an African safari. The only down side to this resort is its minutes from Animal Kingdom but very far from all other Disney locations. Above I am in the reception of Animal Kingdom Lodge and below I am in the jacuzzi at Animal Kingdom Lodge Summary: If you are going to Disney you're going to have a fantastic time! If you cannot decide on accommodation make sure you watch out for Disney deals and weigh up the hidden costs of not staying on site before you make a decision. I now only stay on Site at Disney as its hassle free, you don't need to drive and they think of everything! Have a great holiday Alyssa and Castle Magic Collective (Follow us)

[mindthump]

My Day With the Zombies Helping Airports Practice for Disaster http://ift.tt/2FMSuCt

The wounded are everywhere—young and old, with terrible burns on their faces, blood streaming from holes made by shrapnel, leg lacerations studded with what look like airplane parts. A young man in a blood-stained white T-shirt, with horrific facial burns, strolls past me. Yet, despite these terrible injuries, everyone's smiling and chatting, gulping down coffee and gobbling the danishes laid out on trestle tables in a white tent.

This gathering of zombies looks more like the Thriller wrap party than the end of the world.

That's because we're all participants in a disaster training and assessment exercise for the first responders who work at the airport and the neighboring district. We're about 60 people in all, some locals with a free Wednesday morning and a bunch of EMT trainees who get class credit for agreeing to a gruesome makeover. We're each assigned some level of injury. I'm told I'll be one of the lucky ones.

Before the "explosion," which will happen at 9 am and start the test for real (and after a safety briefing), we file into the old MD-80 fuselage that gets trailered from airport to airport for such exercises. The wings are gone but the seats and overhead lockers remain, and today it's sitting in a far corner of the airport, off one end of the runway.

“We activate as much as we possibly can without shutting down the airport,” says Michael Crane, assistant manager for operations at Burbank Airport. (Passengers in the terminal and approaching pilots are warned there’s a drill going on.) That's why all the prep work happens through a gate from the employee parking lot, where a pair of moulage artists pull latex wounds from ziplock bags and fix them to various body parts with plenty of adhesive.

“With fatalities, we’re leaving the body where it’s at. They're part of the investigation."

We board open-seating, Southwest style, and I snag a first-class window seat, overlooking the nacelle which is simulating our broken engine, about 20 feet away. After the door is closed, we wait for few minutes, nervously joking about getting free drinks, before someone calls out they see fire. I look at the nacelle just as the cans of pyrotechnics around it explode. After a quick series of four or five muffled bangs yields thick clouds of white smoke outside, I'm no longer sure what’s happening. Everyone is craning around the windows for a look. They seem more excited than scared.

“I think we’re supposed to panic,” says a lady in a nearby seat, joking. She's actually been told she's one of the dead, whereas I, in the row behind, will come off relatively unscathed. Once guy cries that he promises to be a better dad if he just gets out alive (he knows he will). The passengers are remarkably calm, and the smoke and fire are kept safely contained. But in a real plane fire, the cabin would have started filling with thick smoke. (That’s why it’s crucial to count how many rows you are from the exits when you sit down; you might need to find them later in the dark.)

Soon the airport’s fire trucks scream onto the scene and the firefighters get to work hitting the flames with water and foam. It feels like being in a very loud, very big car wash. A firefighter in a full yellow respirator suit appears at the front of the cabin, breathing like Darth Vader. He walks down the aisle, shouting “Can you walk?” People who've been given walking-wounded roles are urged off the plane. My neighbor—suffering from what looks like a nasty-looking compound fracture of his lower arm—and I get up and join the queue limping forward.

In these first few minutes, firefighters assess passengers quickly: Who can get off, who needs help, and who’s beyond it. “With fatalities, we’re leaving the body where it’s at,” says the airport’s fire captain, Mark Domingo. “They’re part of the investigation.”

I make it down the front steps and walk toward the flashing red lights of the assembled ambulances. Medics are treating the seriously wounded, laid atop tarps on the ground. Everyone gets a colored triage tag looped around their neck with a string. Minor injuries are green, wounds that need immediate transport to the hospital are red. Pink means contaminated, either by a fuel spill, in this scenario, or by radiation in a “dirty bomb” attack. Black is a ticket to the morgue. By ripping perforated sections off the bottom of the tag with a unique barcode, firefighters and worried family members can track who has been sent where. Improbable as it sounds, this is exactly how it works in real life.

I stop to take in the bigger picture. Fire trucks from nearby stations are still arriving. A green flag on a pole at the back of a white Chevy Suburban marks the command post, and it’s circled by red fire department SUVs, all with the tailgates open, exposing radios, maps, and charts. All told, there are 80 first responders, each doing their bit.

Walking between them are two men with orange safety vests marked “Evaluator.” Looking rather official and holding clipboards, they're here to judge how well the airport handles the emergency. “It’s all going well, with no major hiccups,” says Steve Spurlock, whose day job is managing safety and security at the nearby Long Beach airport.

By 11 am, things are winding down and the packed ambulances are pulling away. In total, 29 passengers were transported to the virtual hospital, 10 with no real injuries were bussed to a family reunification point, and 21 died. If the disaster were real, it would be uncommonly terrible: In the 2014 crash landing of Asiana Airlines Flight 214 in San Francisco, just three of the 307 people aboard were killed (one was hit by an approaching firetruck after being thrown from the jet).

Modern commercial aviation has a tremendous safety record, but drills like this one help minimize the damage when things do go terribly wrong. They give firefighters, airport managers, public information officers, mental health professionals, and others the chance to act out the plans they've studied on paper. “This is just one component of a series of exercises we practice often,” Crane says.

Once the drill's all done, after the adrenaline has worn off and everyone’s been fed again, an official calls for the wounded to make one more stop. They're to head back to the makeup station, so the makeup artists can peel off their faux wounds. Those will get used again at the next airport testing its emergency response.

Arrivals & Departures

[fuckyeahtommyflanagan]

5 Advantages Of Hiring a Vehicle In Montenegro

INTRO:

Hire a Vehicle in Montenegro to tour the sights on your own schedule.Simply enter your wanted area and travel days, as well as the website will produce a checklist of Car services offered from leading hire firms. The results web page also shows Car functions, review ratings, as well as rental advantages, making it very easy to get the full photo rather than just the ahead of time price, and Auto-travel.

 We offer Rent a Vehicle in Montenegro - Car delivery to any address in Montenegro, transfers of passengers from/to airport terminal Tivat, airport terminal Podgorica, hotel or other location. If you employ Car or lease a Car we provide you roadway aid at any type of time, affordable Car rental price with endless milleage and pick up/drop off service at Podgorica airport, Tivat airport terminal as well as all throughout Montenegro.

 ADVANTAGES OF HIRING VEHICLES:

 Drive right to the north of the nation, go rafting and drive back to the shore once more. Drive from Herceg Novi (the north coastline) to Ulcinj (the south coastline) and also back, stopping in the process. Browse Through Skadar Lake, Bar and see the Budva Riviera. You could additionally prepare a total Montenegro scenic tour as well as invest a couple of nights throughout the country.

 One of the very best features of Montenegro is you could obtain stunning lodging forgeting the sea with little however wild animals for neighbors. In this instance, I 'd suggest Car leasing. There won't be any type of sort of public transportation as well as a Vehicle will certainly be your only method of venturing out and also about.

 If you're remaining on the coastline, you'll possibly be very close to the sea. That does not necessarily mean strolling distance.Over right here, the hills jut right up from the sea all along the coastline and also inside the Bay of Kotor, meaning that there can be a high uphill climb to your accommodation from the coastline.

 Hiring a Vehicle in Montenegro suggests that you have the versatility of driving to the beach as well as discovering other beaches Car service you 'd have the ability to check out Skadar Lake and Bar in a single journey, which you would not be able to do if you were taking a trip by buss around the coast.

 Although a little business with 5 vehicles may have less costly rates, if you have any kind of accidents or break downs you don't desire to be out on the side of road in the middle of nowhere, with your family members in the summertime sunlight waiting for a Car to come rescue you. A company like Sixt or Avis have the sources and treatments in order to help the remainder of your journey go smoothly, also if your Car breaks down.

[arieltravels]

JULY/AUGUST 2017

This summer I had the incredible opportunity to live on a 40 foot catamaran for 7 days with 9 other people while we sailed, round trip from Sardinia, Italy to Bonifacio, France.  We were one of 6 boats on the St. James Maritima sailing trip.  This week was full of the best Ocean water I have ever seen, delicious Pecorino, fun in the sun and countless memories with new friends.

I was one of only a handful of Americans who joined this group of Europeans, mainly from Italy, France and Spain.  I heard so many beautiful people speak various languages, interchangeably, on a daily basis.  I even practiced a little French and Spanish while learning some Italian!  My new favorite word you ask?  Andiamo!

I paired this trip with a few days in Paris and Cannes.  More about that later…

About a month before departure, I met one of the members of St James Maritima and started researching the logistics.  I would highly recommend planning this excursion further in advance; however, if you are determined and have some airlines miles (or a bigger budget) short term planning is doable.  

St. James Maritima is a club of sorts founded by a few European guys. This trip was NOT an organized excursion through a company or business, just a bunch of friends.  Their goal is to have fun, connect like minded people and make unforgettable memories.

AIRFARE

My first big project was figuring out my roundtrip airfare from NYC to Sardinia. My pre/post travel plans depended on whether I could fly direct or what cities I could have a layover in.  While there really is no way to fly non-stop from the United States to the Italian Island of Sardinia, there are many cities you can chose to fly through.  Flights to Sardinia are available at both international and regional airports in Europe on low cost and regional airlines.  Some of the major hubs were London, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Dusseldorf and Madrid. I opted to use points on an airline part of an Airport Alliance to fly from NYC to Paris and purchased a ticket separately to fly from Paris to Sardinia.  The individual ticket from Paris to Sardinia was the most expensive purchase out of all the flights for my trip at just under $500, one way.  Had I flown from ORY instead of CDG, I would have enjoyed a substantial savings.  

Air France, Air Berlin, Air Canada and British Airways all offer mileage seats from NYC to major European cities starting at just 20-25k miles, one way.  I selected Air France as I could transfer my credit card points into Air France miles, they had a decent point redemption rate and because I liked the overall scheduling of the light options.  If you fly into LHR or CDG check the local regional airports for deals for your flight to Sardinia.  You will most likely have an eight to twelve hour minimum wait between your trans-Atlantic flight and your flight to Sardinia.  This means you will be probably go to a city center before returning to the airport.  I am still kicking myself that I purchased my flight from Paris to Sardinia through CDG instead of ORY.  Both airports are connected to mass transit!

FIRST NIGHT IN SARDINIA

Knowing that I would be starting my vacation mid-work week, I wanted to ensure I had a day or two to unwind before meeting up with the group to board the boat. I knew I would be stopping in Paris on my way to Italy to visit family, so it was important to me to schedule some me-time before meeting the group.

The group was staying at Costa Ruja in Portisco, enjoying quaint accommodations about a 20-30 minute taxi ride from the airport.  The reviews online were not stellar.  Since I was arriving into the city late at night and wanted someplace quiet to sleep, I opted to find a place in the city center just a short bus ride from the airport.

I went on Hotels Tonight and found the perfect place!  A 20 room hotel and spa with bed and breakfast charm, down a quiet street called La Villa Del Conte or Ospitalità Del Conte Hotel e SPA in Italian.

I arrived at OLB (Olbia-airport in Sardinia) around 8:45PM after a short flight from Paris on Meridiana.  The child behind me kicked my seat for most of the journey, free of charge. Immediately I saw lots of signs for various modes of transportation around the island in the baggage claim area.  The group organizers told us about organized shuttles and taxis for about 15 euro plus. However, I had read online that there was a bus for just one euro that could take me to the city center.  

I went to the information desk and asked for directions to the bus.  Google maps made it look like I had to take a 15 minute walk.  The gentlemen at the information desk told me to just walk outside and turn the corner. There was no signage, anywhere, for this bus.  I walked out of the airport as instructed and walked toward the rental cars.  I asked a few people who had no clue what I was talking about.  After walking past the rental car building I saw busses.  A small regional bus was waiting next to a row of coach busses.  I asked the driver where I could catch the bus to the city center and he told me to board his bus.  It was a clean, small bus the size of a sprinter van full of tourists.  As I boarded, I showed the driver my stop and asked him to let me know when to get off. I am so glad I had, otherwise I would have missed my stop.  The euro bus was relatively simple and I can't imagine it took more time than a shared shuttle or taxi.  Out of the buses in foreign countries I have taken after sun down, this felt like one of the safer ones, if not the safest.

I got off the mini bus in the city center.  There was a beautiful old church, many restaurants and bars, with people strolling through the narrow streets with large cobble stones.   I was finally in Italy!  I had downloaded an offline Google Map from the drop off point to my hotel while I had Wifi at the airport.  I knew my ten minute walk would take me through a few different streets. I had to ask directions as the streets converged in a funky way toward the end, near Villa Della Terme.  I was about to back track to gather my bearings when two kind, young gentlemen happened to be walking my way.  Turned out they were staying at the same place, and guided me to my hotel.  Had I not seen them, I would have back tracked and figured it out. 

I arrived at the hotel about two hours before the front desk was closing.  Reception is closed from midnight to 8:00AM.   When I booked on Hotels Tonight, I was warned I may receive a double bed; however, I was given an upgraded room, with, what I am pretty sure was, a queen bed.  At check-in I was told about their Spa promotion and am wishing I would have enjoyed the Spa prior to departure the following day.  Once I checked-in to my room, I went on a walk to the city center.  On my stroll, I found the cutest European restaurant right next to the hotel.  I wanted to keep walking to see the places with music but after a 15 minute meander around town, I realized the best, least touristy spot was the one right next to my hotel.  I am so glad I went back to eat there.  I had an appetizer and an amazing fried cheese dish followed by dessert.  

I highly recommend both the restaurant and the hotel, La Villa Del Conte to anyone visiting Sardinia.  I really want to go back for a romantic get-away. I did not want to check out in the morning and was wishing I could stay longer to indulge in their Spa offerings.  The hotel is definitely in the high three to four star category.  I'm harsh on hotel ratings, so the average person would probably consider this a four star hotel.  The hotel had many amenities of a full service hotel with the benefits of a bed and breakfast.  The rate was a great value and my upgraded room even had a private outdoor space.

SAILING TIME

In the morning I rushed to wake up to enjoy the hotel breakfast and pack to meet the group at the harbor.  I was going to take the bus from the city center to the Club.  By the time I found the correct bus, I would have had to wait almost 45 minutes in the sweltering heat.  In hindsight, I should have just taken a taxi from the hotel.  I took a taxi from the bus stop by my old school taxi driver stopped for gas on the way.  When I arrived at the port, I met the group and we hung out all day waiting for our boat to be ready.  Finally about an hour or two before our welcome dinner, we were able to board our boat.

The following 7 days of sailing were incredible.  The first night we spent on the boat was at a port in Sardinia.  The second night we sailed and spent the night out at sea.  We were near an empty island and watched the sunset.  That night we literally partied on a boat by starlight-it was an absolute dream.  On day three we sailed to Porto Pollo and spent another night at sea.  We took a small boat to the island for a BBQ and dancing. The following day, number four, we joined the group at sea during the afternoon.  We jumped into the water and swam around what seemed like another remote island.  By night we left the group, and docked at Port De Cavallo to refill our water tank and dispose of our trash.  We were the only boat out of the group that needed to refill water throughout the trip. That night, I went into town with the Italians on my boat for a beautiful multi-course dinner with wine pairings at La Ferme.  The views and the food were top notch.  We woke up earlier on day 5 to ensure we could find a place to dock in Bonifacio. By day six we sailed back to Sardinia, spent the night at sea and enjoyed Aperitivo at Phi Beach.  Unfortunately, a mega yacht nearby made the water choppy causing me to get sea sick.  I did not have a chance to fully enjoy Phi Beach but was better by the time we went to Ritual Club.  The last night was enjoyed in Sardinia docked at the port we started on journey on just a week earlier.  Every day was spent enjoying the sunshine and the fresh, clear blue water.  

Out of everything I brought with me, I am glad I had two self drying towels and plenty of swim suits.  We spent most of the time either in the Ocean or drying off coming out of the water. Sometimes we showered in our suits off the back of the boat and sometimes we showered on the boat.  I wish we would have purchased more food and snacks, as the heat made us not want to eat big meals.  We ate a lot of delicious Pecorino cheese, cherry tomatoes and crackers.

POST SAILING ADVENTURE-CANNES AND PARIS

After the sailing excursion I had a few days to enjoy.  I flew to Cannes to stay with a friend I had met on the trip, before heading back to Paris to catch my flight home.  I took a bus from the airport in Nice to Cannes and loved looking out the window.  After spending a week at Sea between Sardinia and Corsica, I was incredibly underwhelmed with the beach at Cannes.  The country side views were also stunning on the almost 6 hour train ride from Cannes to Paris through Marseilles. If you are making the trip to Cannes, I would recommend taking the time to visit Monte Carlo and/or Saint-Tropez.  Due to the heat and rain, my friend and I opted to stay in Cannes.

When I returned to Paris, I made it just in time to enjoy the last day of the Summer Sales.  After an informative tour of The Marais, I went shopping!  Our guide made some recommendations that I did not have a chance to enjoy.  She suggested Breizh cafe for their buckwheat crepes and Cafe de flore.

All and all I had an incredible trip around Italy and Paris.  I cannot wait to sail again and visit that cute little hotel in Sardinia.  Sailing on a small Catamaran with a group of friends really is the best way to enjoy the clean calm water, beaming sun and company of cool people.

[amsjournaltoshare]

South Korea!

Assalamualaikum and hello! It was mid-December 2016 when we went on a 10 days, 9 nights trip to South Korea. It was defo one of the countries in out bucketlist. Alhamdulilah, we get to go on a trip to South Korea. 

Okay as usual...flights. We bought our tickets like mid-august. So we took:

Brunei to KL (airasia), KL to Incheon airport (Malaysia airline)

and as for our flight back, we decided to stay for a night in KLIA.

Incheon airport to KL (Malaysia airline), KL to Brunei (airasia).

Our flght cost about BND700+ per person (both airasia and MAS). Fortunately, this year (2017) Royal Brunei Airlines (RBA) has provided a direct flight from Brunei International Airport to Incheon Airport, South Korea. WHEEE!!!! Seriously, we would definitely make a visit to South Korea again....and again! 

Below are just some information of our accomodation (where we stayed while in Seoul and Busan). Initially, the plan was to stay near Myeong-dong, Nam-daemun area and after our trip to Busan, we planned to change hotel and stay in Itaewon. However, we were just in love with out hotel so we decided to cancel out booking with our hotel in Itaewon and continue our stay in Nam-daemun. We make our bookings by Booking.com but you can also check Airbnb as there are also many options. 

So this is where we stayed, 8 nights in Hotel 8hours which is just 5 minutes away from City Hall and Metro station, one stop from Seoul station, 10-15 minutes walk to Myeong-dong, 5 minutes walk to Nam-daemun market, 20-30 minutes walk to Namsan.

At the end of this post, we’ll share the applications that we used for our trip for example Kakao Metro. We’ll share the summary of our itinerary and also suggested place to eat. Hope you will enjoy reading this and hope its beneficial!

Day One (Arrival, Myeongdong and Cheonggyecheon stream).

The first thing we did when we reached outside the arrival area, we went to look for prepaid lines for our phone, there were so many options for lines at the airport. There were also a modem (wifi only) but you need to pay using credit card. We decide to just buy a line with unlimited data for 10days. I literally forgot how much it costs but the staff at the counters could speak English really well and they are all so nice. 

On the Train from Incheon airport to Seoul Train Station. Express Train which costs 8000KW.

Behind: Glass building is the City Hall. 5 minutes from our accommodation. 

After settling with the hotel, our first stop in search for food is Myeong-dong. 

Busan Jib is a restaurant located in Myeong-dong. It’s Halal and you can check it our on instagrm @busanjib_myeongdong 

After that, we went back to the hotel and rest. At night, we went on a stroll to Cheonggyecheon stream. It was so beautiful with the wonderful lights and Christmas decorations. Below are just some pictures :)

Day Two (Namsan tower, Buchok Hanok Village, Changdeokgung Castle)

We went to different places in Seoul. We walked most of the time and used the subway. That “Kakao Metro” phone application was truly a life saver. 

First, we went to the Namsan tower, Buchok Hanok Village, Changdeokgung Castle (we bought all tickets on the spot), we suggest for you to check the opening and tour times online :) Buchok Hanok Village, Changdeokgung Castle and Insadong is just few minutes walking distance apart. 

Cable car tickets to Namsan tower :) (round trip)

We walked for about 10-15 minutes from Buchok Hanok village to reach Changdeokgung Castle At Changdeokgung Castle, we bought tickets to visit both the castle and secret garden, since the garden is a secret...we decided not to post pics on it. Well maybe just abit.

The building behind is the prince’s library, facing a beutiful lake (frozen when we’re there). 

UNFORTUNATELY, both out phone ran out of battery!!! You know how during winter battery would ran out fast. And we left our powerbank back in the hotel. So careless! 

Anyways, here is a pic of a restaurant in Insadong called Little India which served HALAL INDIAN FOOD. The chicken massala was so so good! Love the environment and ambience of the place. I felt as if you’re in mini India, outlooking the artistic street of Insadong, South Korea. 

Day Three (Nami Island, Petite France, Dinner at Itaewon).

Whee! Alright, from the city hall we took the metro to Yongsan Station where we bought tickets adn took the train to Gapyeong station, it was about an hour journey to Gapyeong station. You can check in other blogs for more information (because thats what i did), upon arrival we took the taxi instead of the bus because we’re just an impatient couple. It only took the taxi about 5 minutes to drive us and cost around 3000-5000won. 

Ferry to Nami Island :)

Here are some pictures of our day at Nami Island. We ate on the island, there was a muslim restaurant called Asian Cuisine with Prayer room on the first floor of the restaurant. But somehow I couldn;t find the picture of the place :(

Winter Sonata Statue :)

Next, off to Petitie France. You can use the bus as well but we decided to use the taxi. It took about a 20 minute drive frim Nami Island to Petite France with 18000won one way. 

Some pics in Petite France! It was a unique place, we prefer to just share few pictures and let you explore it by yourself! There was no halal restaurant or prayer room in Petite France, glad we brought snacks!

Back in Seoul, we decided to hvae a proper Korean Dinner so we head to Itaewon in search for a Halal Korean restaurant called MAKAN restaurant. From Itaweom station, it was about 10 minutes walk to the restaurant but....it was very very hilly. Cardio on point guys! But it was worth it. You can google up the restautrant or check it out in HHWT app. Here’s the bulgogi (beef) that we ordered. 

Day Four (Bears Town Ski Resort)

Our first ever ski trip! Super excited although the night before we’re still contemplating whether to go or not on day four or should we shift it to another day since we’re still tired after our trip to nami island. Transportation need to be book early via email. 

Transportation to Bearstown ski resort:

Option A: Ski shuttle bus for pick up.

From Seoul:

Kensington Hotel-6.55am

Sogang Uni Station exit 2- 7.05am

City Hall exit 4- 7.10am

Alive Museum Insadong- 8.30am

From Bearstown:

5.30pm- drop off at Insadong

7.00pm- drop off at Sogang University and Kensington Hotel

We took the bust from city hall and took the 5.30pm bus back. The ski shuttle bus fee: Round trip 4000won and One way 3000won.

NOTE TO SELF: THE BUSSES WERE ON TIME!!! XD

Option B: Take bus #1001 at Gangbyeon Station (subway line 2) and get off at Bears Town Ski Resort.

BEARS TOWN SKI RESORT FEE

Option A: 0900-1700 (inc. Lift, ski rental or board rental, ski wear rental) Total:KRW154,000 / BND 186.60 per person. 

Option B: 0900-1300 (inc. Lift, ski rental or board rental, ski wear rental) Total:KRW123,000/ BND 149.10 per person. WE TOOK THIS OPTION as we want to have our lunch and walk around the resort. 

So many people! But the ski area accomodates different level of ski peeps, the pros, children who we assumed is under the ski scheme? And then theres us, the newbies. 

There were no halal restaurants so we settled with snacks that we bought and some seafood and rice cakes. Also on a side note, no one at this resort speaks English so you need to be ready in understanding and explaining stuffs or if your korean is good then thats even better!. But no worries, luckly there were tourists who speaks both English and Korean language to help us out XD.

Day 5 and 6 (Train to Busan)

Note to self: Do not buy a last minute ticket to Busan as seats might not be available and you will end up standing like us for the whole 3 hours. But we got lucky because we did get to sit for like an hour XD

Transportation: Busan trip via KTX.

Seoul to Busan: KRW 59,800/ BND 72.50

Busan to Seoul: KRW 53,900/ BND 65.30

We stayed for a day in Busan at Beach Hotekl Haeundae! (Refer to the first part of the post for more information). Honestly, the was better than we expected. It was super clean. You can check it out more on booking.com. And its just 3 minutes form the streets for Haeundae. 

Busan Day One

Busan Train Station. Where we took the metro to Haeundae. 

First stop, star kebab restaurant because we were starving. It was a small restaurant owened by a turkish couple. The kebabs were not bad!! It defo made our tummy happy. 

After that, we head down to Haeundae Beach during winter!!! It was just about 2 minutes walk from the restaurant. 

Although, it was winter but there were still alot of people at the beach. Seagulls and performances. Super fun! Then we head and check in to our hotel to rest before heading to a wonderful temple by the beach via taxi, Haedong Yonggungsa Temple.

The Haedong Yonggungsa Temple:

For dinner we had Indian food (again!) at a restaurant called Punjab Indian Restaurant. It was quite pricy from our opinion but the food was great!

Busan Day Two

Since we only have about half a day before our train back to Seoul. After a quick breakfast at the hotel, we took a taxi to Gamcheon Culture Village (a must visit when you’re in Busan!). It was basically used to be a shanty area but they painted and give an artistic feeling towards it. Hence, the place became awesomely cute and pweety. 

After that, we head back via taxi to the train station and signed off from Busan and hello again Seoul. Don’t worry this time we bought the train tickets when we arrive to Busan hence we had seats. 

For dinner, we made our way again to Itaewon via metro from Seoul Station. We had our wonderful dinner at a restaurant called EID. (it’s around the same place as MAKAN restaurant). 

Day 7 (City Hall, Ewha University, Hongdae and Dongdaemun)

After a week in South Korea, we are ready stroll around Seoul and did some shopping. Thank you for Korea’s awesome Metro, really east to get by anywhere. 

City Hall: We just went in just to see whats up in the City Hall since we took the Metro mainly from there almost everyday. 

Then we took the Metro to Ewha Univerity Womans University as we heard the structure of the university was mind-blowing. Indeed it was. And it was where you can find stuffs for shopping besides Hongdae. 

The picture below: on the left and right are rooms to i guess lecture hall/ students union. How cool is that? 

Then we headed to Hongdae adn visit the adorable Hello Kitty Cafe!!! The original yogurt and sweet potato latte tasted really really good!!!

Then we walked around Hongdae to survey what we’re going to buy the day before we head back to Brunei. 

At night, we went to Dongdaemun Design Plaza to check out the LED flowers. Then we stroll around Dongdaemun and end our night at Myeongdong for a Seafood Party. 

Day 8 (Lotte World, Ice Skating and Yang Good BBQ at Yeoksam)

Lotte world is basically an Indoor amusemant park (half indoor). We had a wonderful time at Lotte world, the ticket cost about BND 80.00 but we somehow ours got discounted because it was close to chrismast. Like any other amusemant park, the queue for the rides were as well long. So we planned ahead on which ride we targeted. The Atlantis is a much! 

Behind was the atlantis, we queued for 50minutes for this ride...under the rain. But it was worth it! Most of the pictures of Lotte world are still in our other hard disc which...is MIA now :(

We also went Ice skating. Can you see that above the ice skating rink were the rides as well. 

Highly recommended place to east at Yeoksam (near gangnam). Yang Good BBQ.

Day 9 (Last day- Shopping and Souveneir hunting)

For our last day in Korea, we did most of our shopping at Insadong where we had our breakfast at one of the cafes. Cafes in Korea is a must try! They were sooo different and brought a different feeling in you. 

Then we head to Hongdae to continue shopping. 

So that we don’t have to carry out shopping bags to dinner, we rent a locker at the metro station and place our shopping bags there. It was really an easy access and convenient.

Then we to have our last dinner in Korea, we wanted to try the Korean Fried Chicken and we’re luck that there is a restaurant which serves that in Hongdae. Its basically a restaturant located at a resthouse. BOA HALAL KOREAN FOOD DOSIRAK, i found this on the HHWT app as well. 

We then head back to our hotel and start packing as our flight is on the next day. You might want to arrive at the airport early because it takes quite an amount of time at the immigration/scanning area. And Incheon airport is huge, you have to use rail to transfer to the next gate. 

Day 10 (Annyeong South Korea)

Additional Information

Apps for survival:

The first one was just simple guide from English to Korean (greetings, transport, food etc)

Kakao Metro is a must have as it guide to which metro station you should take and which exit. It also update you the time of arrival or if there were any changes in the time.

Halal Korea is where we search for a place to eat and prayer place.

Scan Halal is where we scan some of the snacks we bought and see if it contained any non-halal stuffs.

HHWT is where we search for place to eat and also place to pray.

Waze to look for directions when walking. 

Halal Restaurants that we went:

Busan Jib in Myeongdong (@busanjib_myeongdong)

Makan Halal Restaurant in Itaewon (check out HHWT)

Eid Halal Korean Food in Itaewon (check out HHWT) : 67, Usadan-ro 10-gil, Yongsan-gu.

BOA Guesthouse (Hongik University Station, Exit 4), 15, Sinchon-ro 1 gil, Seodaemum-gu, Seoul. Cross @ crosswalk infront of LG electronic, keep walking till Bizeun rice cake shop, turn left and just walk straight up.

Yang Good BBQ (Yeoksam Station, Line 2),  ( check out HHWT)

Little India in Insadong (check out HHWT)

Punjabi Restaurant in Haeundae, Busan 

Expenses (per person):

Pocket money: BND 1500.00

Food budget: BND 250.00

Transportation (include train fron Incheon and back, KTX, taxi rides, metro tickets and busses): BND 50.00

Admissions to places of attractions (including Bears Town Ski Resort, Lotte world, Nami Island, Petitie France and others): BND 350.00

Flight Ticket: BND 750.00 return

Itinerary Summary:

Day One: Arrival, Myeongdong and Cheonggyecheon stream).

Day Two: Namsan tower, Buchok Hanok Village, Changdeokgung Castle.

Day Three: Nami Island, Petite France, Dinner at Itaewon.

Day Four: Bearstown Ski Resort.

Day Five: Train to Busan, Haeundae Beach and Haedong Yonggungsa Temple.

Day Six: Gamcheon Culture Village, Back to Seoul, Seoul Plaza, Itaewon for dinner.

Day Seven: City Hall, Ewha University, Hongdae (Hello Kitty Cafe and shopping), Dongdaemun (Dongdaemun Design Plaza-LED flowers), Myeongdong.

Day Eight: Lotte world, Ice skating and dinner at Yeoksam

Day Nine: Shopping day at Insadong, Ewha and Hongdae.

Day Ten: To Incheon airport, Home time. 

It was defo one of the best trip that we have experienced together. We did alot of things that we have never thought we would ever experience (like ski and snowboarding). We hope to visit South Korea again and hopefully this time we have a chance to explore Jeju Island, In shaa Allah. Sorry for not sharing alot of photos but we hope you’ll enjoy reading this post! :) 

[talesfromafork]

This post is part of a five part City Guide series as I explore Europe as a brand ambassador for Bonwi. It has affiliate links to things I genuinely like.

I’ve always thought that Cannes was just for film festival goers and a playground for the rich and the famous, but I was wrong. It’s a fun city to relax on the beach, eat good food and even explore the outdoors. From shopping at the market to taking a ferry to Saint-Marguerite Island, there’s plenty to do for everyone. Read on to see what they are!

Click on a section to jump down the page.

How to Get to Cannes

How to Get to Your Hotel From Nice Airport

Where to Stay

How to Get Around

What to Do in and Around Cannes

Where to Eat

What to Pack

How to Get to Cannes

Flying is a great option because the closest international airport, Nice Airport, is only a 30 minute drive away from Cannes. If you’re already in France or Italy nearby, then you could take a train, drive, or even carpool.

Note: I flew with a budget airline that had a one carry-on limit. If you’re flying with a budget airline like EasyJet, Vueling, or Ryanair, make sure to check out the carry-on restrictions to avoid fees at the airport. Having a [amazon_textlink asin=’B00NW62PCA’ text=’travel scale’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’tafrafo-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’a4f26820-1b9b-11e7-9825-d30ec1e31f78′] is handy for those budget airlines who even weigh your carry-on to make sure it falls under their guidelines.

How to Get to Your Hotel From the Nice Airport

Rent a Car

2 1/2 Hour Drive From Cannes | Taken with a Nikon D90

I highly recommend renting a car to go to your hotel because there’s so much to do in the area. With our car, we were able to have a night out in Nice and drive up to the Verdon Regional Nature Park, which has a gorgeous river canyon that’ll seriously make you yell wow out loud.

Ride a Train or Bus

If driving isn’t your thing, and you definitely don’t want to drive 2.5 hours to the Verdon Gorge, then there’s absolutely no need to rent a car! Here are three ways to get to Nice without a car:

The 210 Express bus from the Nice Airport is a popular option. It takes about 50 minutes and costs €33 round-trip (as of 4/16/17).

If you don’t have much luggage on you and prefer to take the train, then you can walk 15 minutes from the airport to Nice-Saint-Augustin railway station. The train here will get you to Cannes in about 35 minutes for less than €6.

Not feeling up to public transportation? Then you can always grab a taxi at the airport, or call an Uber. An UberX will be approximately €56-73 one way.

Enjoy a Helicopter Ride

I’ve never seen so many companies offering helicopter rides at an airport so thought it would be fun to include this as a way to get to Cannes from the Nice Airport. A helicopter ride gets you to Nice in less than 10 minutes! But it’ll cost you at €160 a person (as of 4/16/17). At least it includes space for one bag and a car service to your hotel once your in Cannes.

Where to Stay in Cannes

Most of what you want to see and do in Cannes will be in the centre. Since it’s a relatively small area and easily walkable from one end to another, you don’t need to be restricted to picking a hotel based on location and instead can focus on how to stretch your dollar as much as possible!

Using Bonwi, a hotel booking site, I decided to pick a hotel in Cannes with the best rewards since all the hotels were roughly in a good location. While searching, the Novotel Cannes Montfleury popped up offering $222 in rewards if I booked their hotel. For three nights, the hotel costs $669 meaning I would be getting back 33% of that in rewards that I could use on a future flight, hotel, Amazon gift card, and more. Plus, it was only a 10 minute walk away from the beach, so it was a no-brainer. I booked the Novotel Cannes Montfleury on Bonwi, and by the time I got home from my trip, I had $222 in rewards waiting for me in my account.

This is the fourth time I’ve booked hotels through Bonwi so now I have these rewards built up from only four trips!

Bruges 3 Night Trip – $248 Berlin 3 Night Trip – $275 Barcelona 3 Night Trip – $237 Cannes 3 Night Trip – $222

Total in Rewards From 4 Trips = $982

Isn’t that awesome? I now have enough rewards to cover a completely free flight and hotel stay in Athens and Santorini, Greece, which has been on my bucket list for awhile. Compare this to Hotels.com, which is the hotel booking site I used to use. After 10 nights of hotels booked through them, I only got one night of hotel for free at a value of $80, which is not exactly rewarding. But now there’s Bonwi, which builds up points quickly because they give more back to the customer than any other online booking site.

 Check out Bonwi to build up points quickly like me. Better yet, get $15 in points just for signing up.

How to Get Around Cannes

Cannes is pretty small so you can easily walk around. Plus it’s fun to window shop and people watch as you stroll around town.

Tip: Even though Cannes is small, you may want a map to get around. If you don’t have data, then consider downloading an offline version of Google Maps and saving places you want to go on it before leaving your hotel.

If you’re not able to walk, then Cannes has public busses, or you can call an Uber.

What to Do in and Around Cannes

Relax at the Beach

Taken with a Nikon D90

Taken with a Nikon D90

The beach is such a wonderful place to relax and unwind. The sand is soft, and the overall mood is simply pleasant. If you hang out until sunset, you’ll be in for a treat as the orange hues glow over the coastline.

Shop for Local Produce at Marche Forville

Marche Forville is a wonderful indoor market that sells local produce, flowers, seafood, cheese and more. I highly recommend coming here to pick up meats, cheeses, pastries and bread to have a picnic at Sainte-Marguerite Island, which is a 15 minute ferry ride from Cannes.

Explore Sainte-Marguerite Island

Taken with a Nikon D90

Sainte-Marguerite Island and Saint-Honorat Island are two islands only a 15 minute ferry ride from Cannes. Sainte-Marguerite is the larger of the two, and the perfect place to have a picnic, enjoy an easy hike in the woods, or explore the royal prisons at Fort Royal, which once housed the Man in the Iron Mask in 1687. Saint-Honorat is the island to go to if you want to kayak.

Enjoy a Night Out in Nice

Cannes is small so if you’ve spent a night or two here already and want to switch it up, then you have the option of going to Nice for the night as it’s only a 30 minute drive away. If you like live music, then check out Shapkos Bar. The night we went, there was a fantastic trio playing live jazz music.

Take a Day Trip to the Verdon Gorge and Moustiers-Sainte-Marie

Taken with a Nikon D90

Taken with a Nikon D90

If you have a car, then you must go to the Verdon Gorge and Moustiers-Sainte-Marie. The Verdon Gorge is a river canyon with the most brilliant turqoise blue waters while Moustiers-Sainte-Marie is known as one of the prettiest villages in France!

Although it’s a two and a half drive away from Cannes, the drive itself is one of the best parts about the day trip as there will be tons of scenic outlooks to stop at along the way and back.

Discover More of the French Riviera

There’s more to the French Riviera than Cannes and Nice! For glitz and glam, check out Saint-Tropez, or to add another country to your ‘Countries I’ve Been To’ list, head to Monaco. For something different or low-key, head to Èze, a village on the sea with only 3,000 people!

Where to Eat in Cannes

Big Fernand

Being from New York, I scoffed at the idea of getting a burger when my husband found this place online. I said, “Seriously? We’re in France and you want to get a burger? Fine…” Well, it was one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. Take a burger, add French cooking techniques and love to it, and bam, you have a great burger, or what the server called, “a bur-JEHR.” Also, true to the French love of food, this place only uses high-quality ingredients right down to the ketchup.

Noisette

Being so close to the Italian border, you’ll find a mix of both French and Italian culture in the French Riviera. Because of that, we found some of the best pasta we’ve ever had right in Cannes! The owners of Noisette drive an hour everyday from Italy to Cannes to prep and serve their homemade pastas with love. The ravioli felt like little pillows melting in my mouth, the restaurant is adorably charming, and the chef is the kind of person who tells you how your food should be eaten. It’s a gem!

Where Not to Eat in Cannes

Do not eat at La Pizzaiola Chez Xavier. Despite the four stars across the board on Tripadvisor, Google, and Yelp, this is a must-avoid restaurant. I got fooled by the photos and the reviews, and you will too. It looks great in photos, but in person, it is one of the worst pizzas I’ve eaten at a restaurant. The quality of the cheese is poor and congeals with the dough into this weird texture as the pizza cools, and there’s not enough sauce. I also got a salad with iceberg lettuce and horrible commercial tomatoes, which confused me since we were right near Italy, home of the most delicious tomatoes I’ve ever eaten, and in France, a country who cares so much about the quality of their food. Sigh. Pizza, I tried.

What to Pack for Cannes

I always recommend bringing these products I own on any trip to Europe: a lipstick sized portable charger that holds 1.5x charges for your phone, a Sony A6000 camera that takes amazing photos and is very portable for travel, and a 4 USB port EU charging station, which can charge four devices at once! Also, since you’ll be on the beach or outdoors a lot, bring your summertime essentials and something cute to wear.

[amazon_link asins=’B01LSNOY86,B01K1RNR8I,B01HRRIM9Y,B005X1Y7I2,B00IZLZB96,B00I8BICB2′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’tafrafo-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’c42342eb-22f0-11e7-a331-0741b3044ca3′]

If you want to bring your hair straightener or curling wand and not sure if it’ll work abroad, then check out this post that breaks down everything you need to know about using your hair appliances abroad and which ones I own.

Want to relax on the beach or be a drive away from the most brilliant turquoise you’ll ever see? Then book a hotel with Bonwi and enjoy $15 in rewards just for signing up! 

Thanks for stopping by! xo.

[row] [column size=”col-6″][/column] [column size=”col-6″] [/column] [/row] [content_box type=”with-header” title=”Want more posts like this? Sign up for our ONCE a month newsletter.” icon=”icon-envelope-alt” text_color=”dark” color=”default”] [wysija_form id=”1″] [/content_box]

[New Post] City Guide: Everything You Need to Know About #Cannes, France This post is part of a five part City Guide series as I explore Europe as a brand ambassador for…

[cassandralyn]

  Our Mexico Trip

  I can’t tell you how old I was when my family traveled outside of the American board for my first time.  We took a trip to Canada, but it was before 9/11 and didn’t need a passport to exit or reenter the country from that border.  So when my husband first named the possibility of going to Mexico, I was a bit gobsmacked.

As the months passed and it looked like we were really were going to have the chance to go, I started the process to get us both passports.  It was a process.  But you don’t care about those logicists.  Frankly, I don’t either.  Just know that I was very nervous about getting it done and getting it done right.

When the hubby went on his annual company trip, it was confirmed that in January we would be traveling to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  I was excited, but it was also months away, so I tried to not think about it.  

Then January came, and I had to think about it.  We were going!  OMG.  Now first, let me explain, this was not just a vacation that we decided we were going on.  This was a reward for the extremely hard work my husband has put into his company and the great job he had done in the year for the company.  My husband went in early, came home late and busted his butt while he was there.  He took a store that was in trouble and turned it around to make it profitable.  He’s like in the top 20% of the company nationwide.  It’s pretty incredible to think about the work he’s done.  The pride I feel for him is overwhelming.  He is an amazing man.

So, he EARNED this trip.  An all expense paid trip to the Marriott Resort in Mexico.  The airfare, hotel accommodations, meals and drinks through the day.

  We left Friday morning, Roger was kind enough to be at our house 3:20 am to get us to the airport in enough time to check in and all that.  Mom was amazing and was already at my house to be with the kids.  After a round of kisses, we were off on our trip.  We got to the airport and I was super nervous.  One. I was going to a foreign place.  Two. I hadn’t flown over a decade.  Three.  I already felt sick to my stomach from lack of eating a proper supper.  The airport was the airport.  We left from Concourse A; which happened to be the concourse that I ran all over the summer after my freshman year working.  But man, it was different.  They have really upgraded the airport.  I mean, that was ten years ago, so I am not surprised, but whatever.  Finally, we had boarded the plane and were off.  Flying into Houston, Texas; a place I’ve also had never been to before.  We were flying before the sun had risen, so seeing the sunrise about the clouds, well that is a view that is just incredible.

  In Houston, we went to our next gate and hung out eating some snacks.  Boarding again, I knew when we landed we would be in a different country.  When we were coming into our landing in Houston, you could see all the roads and buildings.  It was the typical city from the air.  But when we landed into PV it was a different world. The roads we saw from above were primarily dirt roads.  Now they did have paved roads throughout the main part of the city, but the overall landscape showed dirt paths.  But what was amazing was the mountains.  Now I have seen the Great Smokies.  And they are large and incredible.  But the mountains as we came into land were just different.  They were more grand, larger, beautiful.  My pictures really don’t do it justice.

  The landing was easy, the flight hadn’t been as terrible as it could have been. And once we breezed through customs we were to head to the greeters who’d take us to the hotel.  But first, we had to pass through the Shark Tank.  This was the scariest part of the trip.  Phil had our suitcase, I had our carry on and we walked with our group into this room full of people who was trying to make a sale.  They were like a crazed and vicious dog.  They were yelling about having our travel arrangements and having to pay a tax for it.  And all this other crazy stuff.  No was not the answer they wanted to hear, and I felt tired after getting through to the room.  Once we were out, we loaded into the bus and took a ten-minute ride on the CRAZIEST road to the hotel.  They drive so differently.  People are cut off, speeding, changing lanes.  You think Ohioans can’t drive well, let me tell you they are saints compared to the crazy Mexican drivers I witnessed.

Walking up to the hotel from our van was a relief.  But it was weird.  Any hotel I’ve ever been to has had a door to walk through.  Not there, though.  It was an archway.  The lobby was open aired.  And from the second I was through it I could feel the ocean breeze hitting my face. The hotel was grand and wonderful and had all these beautiful flowers everywhere.  Once we got into our room, we took a stroll on the beach.  I finally have had my feet in the Pacific Ocean.

The beach was rocky.  It would have stretches of sand that were peppered with tiny rocks and then there were be these massive big rocks that the water hit.  I’d never seen that in my limited beach trips.  That night I started to feel sick (I assume from the travel and lack of eating proper meals) but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the dinner that Phil’s company had arranged.  Each manager that was there was recognized for their achievements.  But the organizers took the time to recognize the spouses for their part of it.  Which I had to say felt very nice.  I sometimes feel like I’m not that important because I only run the house.  But I run our family, while he runs his business. And that is important.  They were also thankful that we put up with them being gone for so long.  I liked that they did that.

***

On Day Two, Saturday,  I felt much better.  Thank God.  We got up and had an amazing breakfast.  It was buffet style and had a lot of choices I recognized.  It had some weird choices and I just avoided them.  I stuck with food I knew for that morning since I was afraid to tempt fate too much.  We traded our American dollars for Mexican peso and felt like we were rich.  Since $200 equaled over 4,000 pesos.  Then in a group of 8, we went to the boardwalk.  This place was very beautiful.  And had many shops where we spend those pesos.  Getting a small gift for loved ones.  There were all kinds of strange statues and nifty things to see.  The thing that really got me, was there was very few blocking.  It was all open, even when it was a straight drop down.  There was no fences or anything.  Like even with the statues there was no don’t touch type of deal.  There was one statue that was a ladder straight up, and people were climbing it.  I was like, seriously, why?

My favorite part of walking on the boardwalk was going into this cathedral.  It was gorgeous.  It had all these statues and carvings that were just impressive.

  I know, it’s a lot of pictures.  But it was a beautiful place.  Once we got back from town we hung out in the pool with a group until it was time to get ready for our dinner reservations.  We ate at Mikado, which was hibachi.  (We made a point to eat at all 4 resort restaurants.)  It was a fun evening we met up with another couple and just had a good night full of laughs.  It was good food, and it was so filling, but it wasn’t quite the hibachi that we are used to.  Since it wasn’t overloaded with soy sauce.  There was also no yum-yum sauce.  So that was crazy.  We spend the rest of the night sitting in the lobby bar hanging out.  They had a live duo playing songs and it was just a nice night.

***

Day Three, Sunday was a new experience we got up, had room service for breakfast.  The french toast was good, even with the raisins in it.  Then after a bit of indecision, we went off to the spa to have back messages.  I spent time in the steam, the sauna and the jacuzzi.  Then had my back pampered and it was perfect.  That night was the real treat.  A huge group of us, (24) loaded into two mini busses and took an hour drive up a mountain to a restaurant called Le Kliff.  It was built into the side of the mountain and made with the idea of a wonderful view at dinner.

This night was wonderful.   It was just great to sit around with other adults and eating fancy food.  The crazy thing was they gave you a cup and pour a bottle of water into it.  All fancy like, but they also put a random piece of fruit in it.  Some had cucumber, some had grapefruit and on and on.  They didn’t ask you want you wanted either, they just gave it to you.  I had beef medallions and they were yummy. There were these weird animals that I had never seen before coming into the restaurant.  A lot of our group went and played with them. Phil said they were like cats.  But others described them as possums.  So I stayed far, far away.  Though it was cool how friendly they were.    The ride back was insane because there were no traffic lights.  There were no street lights.  It was just lit by headlights.  I sort of just held on to Phil and tried to not worry.   That night was just chill time in the hotel lobby again.  We watched the BJ Penn fight on UFC on the TVs and that was disappointing.

***

Day Four, Monday was our last day there.  I spent the morning packing and then we went and had breakfast.  There was just a lot of downtime as we were prepping to come back.  We loaded onto a bus and went to the airport.  It was a much easier time to go into that airport.  Then we hung out forever until our flight.   That flight was the hardest flight of the entire trip.  It was long.  I was uncomfortable.  I was so fidgety.  I read over 200 pages to attempt to calm myself.  We were on time until we hit the Chicago then due to weather we were in a holding pattern.  Coming down to land was rough and it made me feel lightheaded.  Once we landed we literally had 30 minutes to go through customs, get our bag, recheck our bag, go to Terminal One to go through security, get to Terminal Two and board out flight.  And we made it JUST IN TIME.  It was very close.  Landing at the home airport was nice.  It was just good to be home.  Roger drove us back home.  Where my boys were still sitting up.  The trip was incredible.  It was a once in a lifetime experience and I’m so thankful that I was able to go.  I’m thankful to my parents for keeping my kids.  Knowing they were in safe hands, made it easier to relax.  I have to say, anyone who gets the chance, should go.  Go have a fun trip.

Here is a gallery of all my photos:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

And that is all.

Traveling Aboard Our Mexico Trip I can't tell you how old I was when my family traveled outside of the American board for my first time.  

[sally-annesstories]

Day 2 - Los Angeles, CA, USA

First full day!

1. I’m usually pretty good at combatting jet lag but after sleeping at 10pm I was wide awake at 2-3am and struggled with getting back to sleep so snoozed till about 8.30am. Given I’m getting no sleep tonight with a 4 hour flight leaving at midnight, arriving at 6am (2 hours lost in time difference) it seemed worth it. I had fairly chill plans for today anyway. Breakfast was included where I’m staying and they had tea!! I had meant to grab some before I left and didn’t so was yum having one for the morning (with milk even which can be less common in the US). Mild panic as I got ready this morning / I couldn’t find my underwear! I’m using packing cells and the small’s one was missing. Sent a message to Amanda because she’d helped my final pack (thinking it was either in the lounge or awkwardly left at Auckland airport) but luckily neither was true and it was hidden in a pack within my pack!

2. I was meant to head on a tour to Getty Centre but my sleep in and general slowness meant I wasn’t ready in time. Instead once I checked out of accomodation I made my way to the bus stop and ordered a ticket online. LA is massive so I had made the call I wasn’t going to try do Hollywood and all that as we did it last time. Instead the Getty Centre was my plan and then just enjoy the Santa Monica/Venice Beach area. It’s quite overcast today so heading to museum to start was a good idea. The bus ride was good as got to see the non-touristy parts of LA as it winded it’s way through the streets past UCLA and the sorority / frat houses. Once you arrive at the Getty Centre you aren’t allowed to walk up the hill and have to ride the tram. While I was looking forward to a good leg stretch the tram ride was nice just to see the city from above (no photos as wasn’t overly visually pleasing. Being an overcast day). Looking very much like standard suburbia.

3. After spending a fair amount of time in them, I should know by now that museums of paintings just aren’t my cup of tea. I struggle to stay interested in seeing the 59th vase that all looks semi similar. After about 40 mins at Getty Centre I googled the must dos. Realised I had already ticked off a few (eg was standing in front of the Centre garden at that moment) then went and saw Irises by Vincent Van Gough before making my way back to the tram. There’s no reception at the Getty but luckily they had wifi so I checked I knew my bus route as well.

4. It was two busses to get to Santa Monica and I realised the stopover was in a shopping district in Westwood so thought it would be rude not to have a gander. Spotted both Chick-fil-a and In-n-Out burger making the decision of what to have for lunch tough (In-n-Out won). It was glorious! I also hit up Target and picked up some odds and ends (this was optimistic of me as my pack is most definitely full). My optimism continued and when I went past Adidas I could resist a second pair of runners to see me through the adventure. Luckily when I got to my pack I managed to get everything in apart from my snacks and eyedrops. I think I’m still getting used to the unemployed backpacker life because I’m shopping at a faster rate than I should...I also definitely do not have any room to buy more now.

5. By the time I got to Santa Monica I had time for one last stroll to the beach and Pier before packing my bags and hopping on the bus to the airport. While yesterday getting from the airport appeared complicated (it wanted me to go all the way downtown and then to travel to Santa Monica; but turns out bus 3 goes straight from Santa Monica to the bus terminal outside LAX. From there I caught a shuttle and had 3.5 hours to chill before the flight. I found myself a wee seat and read my book till it was time to hop on the plane. I’ve just started reading Still Me by Jojo Moyes which Amanda had seen and thought looked good but ultimately I have the goal of reading 40+ books this year (tracking this in Goodreads) so send through any recommendations you have 🤗Also! Did you know if you take a bike on the bus in LA it doesn’t go inside - they have a bike rack on the front. This was new to me!

Tally:

Burgers: 1

New weight of bag: 15.8kg

Daily temperature: 16 degrees Celsius - I hope this picks up ASAP!

Getty Centre Gardens / In-n-Out burger / last look at Santa Monica Pier / my bags! / treated myself to Panda Kitchen’s Orange Chicken at LAX (last US cheat meal 😬)