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Lucca, Tuscany – forests on the roofs, Girl on a Trail
Among the picturesque hills and vineyards of Tuscany there is a charming town – Lucca. At first glance, it looks the same as other Italian towns. However, there are some surprising places to explore. Lucca used to be a very rich city, inhabited by wealthy merchants. Its position was mainly due to the monopoly for silk production. Although silk clothes are still made here, Lucca is mostly famous for its excellent olive oil. Supposedly olive oil produced here is one of the best in Tuscany. Residents are proud of their city’s history and typical local dialect. Lucca maintained its independence as a city – state until 1837. Lucca’s unique attraction…
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Monaco and conrete houses… Girl on a Trail
The Principality of Monaco is one of the smallest countries in the world. Only there you can find the highest percentage of luxury cars and yachts per square meter. I perceived this place as full of splendour, wealth and it actually turned out to be like that. However, I must admit Monaco surprised me in several ways. NO TAXES ARE PAID IN CONCRETE HOUSES Monaco is one of the smallest countries, its surface is 2,02 km2, and at the same time is the most populous place in the world. For comparison, the density of the London population is around 5600 people per square kilometre, meanwhile in Monaco, there are more…
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Coney Island – spooky funfair and incubators on the promenade
Sometimes it happens that when being in New York, the only thing you just want is to quit this city and go… just to the beach. The optimal solution is just an hour trip from Manhattan (Q subway line) to Coney Island, located at the southern end of Brooklyn. Getting off at Ocean Parkway station I have only a few minutes of walk to the famous beach. First glance, it looks similar to other kinds of beaches – promenade, sand, water… However, I see a few things that make this place unique during low season:– it’s quiet,– there are no people,– it’s clean,– it’s bright, there are no skyscrapers that…
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New Year’s eve in Minsk – unexpected fireworks!
Originally, New Year’s Eve 2018/2019 was supposed to be nothing special. I’ve never actually put pressure on New Year’s Eve celebration, but this time I decided that I’d look for a nice trip option for a change. Unfortunately, I showed a chess player’s reflex, being under an illusion that at the end of November, I would find some accommodation in Poland at a reasonable price. Looking for possible options, I took a map. I glanced at the eastern part, I thought that after all, Brest is not that far from Warsaw… I checked the offers of accommodation: a lot of nice apartments at very affordable prices. Waiting time for visa…
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Ziemia Klodzka – the most interesting places to visit
Ziemia Klodzka is an incredibly interesting region of Poland, where everyone will find something for themselves. There is no shortage of interesting mountain trails and fancy rock formations. Numerous spas guarantee excellent relaxation. On the other hand, the Sanctuary in Wambierzyce, also called Silesian Jerusalem, is the main point of pilgrimage. ZLOTY STOK – A GOLD MINE It’s best to start visiting Ziemia Klodzka with the Zloty Stok Mine, located right next to road no. 46 leading towards Klodzko. Supposedly on 21 levels of the mine, more than 300 km of pavement, drifts and shafts were hollowed. During around 700 years of operation, 16 tons of pure gold were excavated…
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Pieniny – Love at first sight!
I’ve always avoided going to the same places. I love exploring new spots, and staying in a one I’ve seen just bores me. On the other hand, Pieniny is one of a few exceptions. I love them and every time I miss them enough, I jump into the car to see once again the characteristic pine tree at the top of Sokolica Mountain. Actually, I can’t explain why Pieniny are so special to me. Maybe it’s a matter of the diverse landscape of this place. The mountain trails are green here and aren’t as monotonous as in the Tatra Mountains. At the same time Pieniny is an excellent observation point…
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San Gennaro, Little Italia and Chinese vibes in SoHo NYC
It was a beautiful September morning, while eating breakfast I started checking Manhattan’s map to organise a sightseeing plan. I actually didn’t have any specific plans for that day, I just wanted to go around the city, watch people and take a couple of pics, okay, I admit, maybe not a couple, but at least hundred photos 😉 While browsing the google map, suddenly my attention was caught by a purple spot in place of some streets in southern Manhattan, more specifically around SoHo. Well, what is SoHo actually?SoHo is an acronym used by New Yorkers for the part of Manhattan located south of Houston Street. Obviously, this is not…
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Na Pali from the air – a story of two flights
How did it happen that I landed on board of a helicopter to watch the wonderful Na Pali cliffs, actually on board of two helicopters? The larger part of the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i is not available from land due to inaccessible mountains. That’s why a helicopter trip is the best option to see the whole island. When you look at photos from Hawaii, you can get the impression that there’s always a great sunny weather. However, the location of the archipelago in the middle of the ocean and the mountainous terrain make a specific climate that is characterised by high rainfall and moderate temperatures. A large amount of precipitation…
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Mostar surroundings – an idea for a day trip
Mostar is one of the most popular places in Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially thanks to the pictures of the famous Old Bridge. However, it’s worth visiting nearby tourist attractions, which in my opinion can even compete with Mostar itself. The most interesting thing is that these places usually haven’t been discovered by mass tourism yet, and until recently they weren’t even described in well-known guidebooks. They are slowly gaining popularity, yet they still retain their wild character. Just seven kilometres from Mostar, there’s an interesting military area, forged in rock and hidden in the lush nearby forests. It’s a huge hangar where fighter aircrafts were stationed during Tito’s regime. Unfortunately,…