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The Isle of Man and seven kingdoms
Contrary to popular belief, the Isle of Man has never been the part of the United Kingdom. It is one of the three Crown Dependencies alongside Jersey and Guernsey. While the UK is responsible for the foreign affairs and defense of these territories, each has its own parliament. The history of the island dates back to the 6th century BCE when it was colonized by the Celts. Due to its strategic location between Ireland and Great Britain, the island has often been a battleground. Over the centuries, it has been inhabited by Celts, Vikings, Normans, and Scots. The parliament of the Isle of Man, Tynwald, is over 1,000 years old…
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Northern Ireland: The Magical places from Game of Thrones
I remember it like it was yesterday, waiting with bated breath for the next episode of “Game of Thrones.” It was one of those series that I watched with full attention. Therefore, visiting Northern Ireland, I was determined to see the epic locations that served as the backdrop for this show. The Emerald Isle became one of the primary locations for this production. Personally, I can’t imagine “Game of Thrones” without the specific dark aura and rugged landscape of Ireland. So, what secrets of Westeros does this island hold? The first stop are the ruins of the 16th-century Dunluce Castle, which served as the inspiration for Pyke, the seat of…
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Isle of Man TT – the world’s most dangerous race
It’s hard to believe that on the tranquil Isle of Man, at the end of May each year, Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy) – the world’s most dangerous motorcycle race takes place. The air is filled with the scent of gasoline, and the roar of engines fills your ears. Racers certainly don’t come here for the prizes. The winner takes home only $30,000, which is not a large sum compared to other famous races. It’s the adrenaline, the search for extreme experiences, the challenge of testing their limits, and above all, the desire to make history in racing that draws competitors to the Isle of Man in droves. The…
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Belfast and (London)Derry – in short, The Troubles…
Belfast had been on my travel bucket list for a looooong time. My initial plans to visit the capital of Northern Ireland were thwarted by COVID, but as I’m stubborn as hell I finally made it there this year. So, why has Belfast intrigued me for so long? There are two reasons: one is quite significant, and the other is rather quirky. Let’s start with the significant one. The main reason for my visit was to witness the city’s transformation after nearly 30 years of bloody conflict. I wanted to see firsthand how Belfast had healed and evolved since the Troubles. Has peace truly taken root, and what does the…
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Northern Ireland – abandoned places
From the 19th century to the early 20th century, Northern Ireland was the center of the textile industry. A reminder of these times are numerous factories that have been preserved in relatively good condition to this day. What’s more interesting, although access to these places is easy, they aren’t demolished. The only factors shaping their unique appearance are the passage of time and nature, which takes control of these places from year to year. The first industrial complex I visited was built in the 1820s. In its heyday, the main product produced in this factory was linen. This facility makes an amazing impression due to its interesting industrial architecture. Tall…
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One day in Stockholm
I spent one day in Stockholm and it was certainly not enough to see everything that the capital of Sweden has to offer. Actually, the reason I was there was my birthday, which I simply wanted to spend traditionally, traveling ? I didn’t care about a long trip and I was considering a budget option. Stockholm doesn’t seem to be cheap destination, but for me it turned out to be the cheapest option. However, the cheapest does not mean the most convenient. To save on expensive accommodation, I went to Gdańsk. There, after a short evening walk around the Old Town, I went to the airport for the night. Next…
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Oslo – 10 hours in the capital of Norway
I was waiting for a long time to visit Oslo. Oslo is one of the most expensive cities in the world, so the options to buy cheap airline tickets didn’t persuade me to go there. The capital of Norway isn’t a large city and the tourist attractions are located mainly in the centre, so I thought that instead of booking the expensive hotel and staying there for a night, it would be better to spend a few hours instead. Unfortunately, as it turned out, flights from Warsaw were operated by Ryanair only in the late evenings. In theory, this fact wouldn’t be any problem for me, because I could sleep…
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England – Bristol
It was the beginning of November, I looked out of the window, it was cold, grey and gloomy day, so I decided to go somewhere. I started visualizing palm trees, sun and warm sea. I had to get out of here even, just for the weekend. After desperate search for any escape route, I booked the tickets to… Bristol. I can’t say that it was a question of conscious choice, because who in their normal minds is going to England in the middle of winter?! I can call it a momentary impulse, caused by a low price of the tickets… a month later, laughing at myself, I went to the…
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Malmö – very subjective narrative
We visited Malmö on the way from Copenhagen to Poland. We spent all day on sightseeing this city, and even we managed to go to Jakriborg (here is the post about this unique city). I’ve mixed feelings about this city. Usually, I try to assess objectively places which I visit and find differences which create a unique atmosphere. I do want to say that Malmö is an interesting city. Unfortunately, by and large it isn’t. Naturally I would be very unfair, presenting this city as a “tourist nightmare”. Generally you can find here some interesting, historic places, which I show you in this post. But overall impression is similar to…
