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Podlasie – fabulous Eastern Poland, Day 1 – Girl on a Trail
I have to admit, I made a cardinal mistake about my past travels. I had been planning a trip to Podlasie in Poland for a long time, but cheap flight steered me away from visiting this place. Only recently I managed to go there. What I can say, I am disappointed that Podlasie is such an underrated tourist region, although looking objectively I contributed a bit to it myself. This place surprised me with a homely atmosphere, rich history, culture and excellent cuisine. So far I’ve imagined Podlasie as a gray and gloomy place, somewhere on the border with Belarus, meanwhile I’m impressed with the amazing number of colours and…
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Brno and mysterious Olomouc – weekend break in Czech Republic
I visited Brno and Olomouc in one day. I have a special sentiment for these cities because I visited them during my first solo trip 😉 My sightseeing plan was quite intensive. On Friday after work I got on Lux Express bus, which on Saturday morning brought me to Brno. In Brno I had a quick coffee and switched to a bus going to Olomouc. For 230 CZK, in an hour I found myself in this tourist-forgotten city. When I got there and saw the Olomouc train station, I thought time actually stopped there. However, when you go a little further from the station you can see a completely different…
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Phong Nha-Ke Bang – amazing, underground Vietnamese world
Phong Nha-Ke Bang is one of the most amazing places in Vietnam. Located about 500 km south of Hanoi, right next to the Laos border and the former Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone. It’s a huge complex which consists of around 300 caves. It’s estimated that underground corridors are 126 km long and a large part of them has not yet been discovered. Park was opened for visitors in 2010 and since then it has expanded its offer. I visited this place in 2014 when Phong Nha-Ke Bang was not as popular as it’s today. Can you imagine a cave that would house a 40-floor skyscraper inside? You don’t actually have to…
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Russian cuisine – what and where to eat in Moscow?
Russian cuisine consists of many different dishes. A large number of nationalities in the area of both the former Soviet Union and the current Russia have contributed to the culinary tradition of this country. Russian cuisine is influenced by European, Siberian, Caucasian or Asian traditions. Therefore, in the traditional set of recipes we can find simple potato pancakes or Uzbek pilav. Appetizers Appetizers are mainly composed of cold cuts, herrings, salads, caviar and pickled vegetables. Russians are well-known for pickling everything. I suspect that it’s no longer a surprise that they “pickle” even their former dissidents. But can you imagine, for example, a pickled tomato? That’s the idea! Soups Soups…
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Ostrava – Lower Vitkovice, an alternative way to explore
Just a short drive from the Polish border you can visit the third largest city in the Czech Republic – Ostrava. At first glance, Ostrava can even scare off tourists. Chimneys, mining shafts or large steel halls are certainly not a relaxing environment. However, the city authorities have turned all these disadvantages into an asset. The old mining and steel complex was turned into an interactive cultural and educational center. However, before we reached Ostrava, we decided to visit another place that also was closed some time ago. About 30 km from the border with the Czech Republic in Raciborz, you can visit an abandoned hospital. The hospital building is…
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Mea Shearim – far away from reality, Girl off the trail!
So far I’ve visited a few less tourist places, like self-proclaimed countries: Nagorno-Karabakh or the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic. However, if anyone ever asked me about a place where I felt uncomfortable and insecure, just one comes to my mind – Mea Shearim. Mea Shearim is one of the districts in Jerusalem, literally a stronghold of ultra-orthodox Jews. It was founded at the end of the 19th century and time has stopped here ever since. It was Friday morning, Mea Shearim was our last point in Jerusalem. We had to hurry to visit it before Shabbat that starts in the afternoon. We didn’t want it to be our last point to…
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New Yorkers – What is it like to live in New York City?
It’s only my second post about New York, which I visited over six months ago. Actually, it’s hard for me to say why, because it was one of my best solo trips. This time I will not write about tourist hotspots that are widely described in countless guidebooks. I will write about it another time 😉 This post will be about New Yorkers. I was in NYC around a week and it’s way too short time to know the life in this city, that’s why I will present my subjective observations. I won’t hide that the impulse to write this post has been photos from the deserted streets of NYC…
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Lisbon – from a different perspective, Girl off the trail!
Lisbon is mainly associated with yellow trams, breathtaking views and old district – Alfama. However, there’re many places in the capital of Portugal that are still overlooked by guidebooks. First of all, the streets of Lisbon are real street art gallery. Interesting murals can be seen in above mentioned Alfama and near Marim Moniz metro station. Painted in pink The colours of Lisbon aren’t limited to murals. Close to Cais do Sodré you can find a pink alley – Rua Nova do Carvalho. This place used to be the red lantern district, and now it’s the main party hub. Gallery on walls Furthermore, Portuguese street art is not an art…
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Germany, Bavaria – Neuschwanstein Castle
Neuschwanstein Castle is probably the most famous building in the world, especially in the age group from 2 to 5 years old. Presented in the intro to Disney fairy tales, it ignites everyone’s imagination. The Castle was an inspiration for Walt Disney to create Cinderella’s Castle in the Magic Kingdom. Not very subtle name – Neuschwatein, does not reflect its fairytale look, hence it is often called Disney Castle – then everyone knows what we are talking about 😉 The Castle is located on a high hill surrounded by the Bavarian Alps and resembles the old fortress. However, appearances can be deceiving, because its construction began in 1869, at the…
