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Rotterdam – the unreal city
Rotterdam, called also the „Gateway to Europe/World” is mainly associated with the biggest port in Europe and the third – biggest in the world (just after the Singapore and Shanghai). Another famous symbol of this city is Erasmus of Rotterdam. This famous philosopher matches perfectly to the multicultural character of this cosmopolitan city. During our visit there, we had an impression that in this second – largest city in the Netherlands, the Dutch are in the minority. It is said that there’re at least 160 nationalities in Rotterdam. But not only the biggest port and cultural diversity make this city an unique place. Nowhere in the Netherlands you will find such interesting…
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Thai pumpkin in a coconut
Ingredients: – medium pumpkin – can of coconut milk – lemon grass – 3 dried kaffir lime leaves – broth – medium onion – 3 garlic cloves – dried galangal or grated ginger (thumb-size piece) – 3-4 tablespoons of fish sauce or oyster sauce (I used oyster sauce) – 1 teaspoon of brown sugar – optional – lime juice, puff crouton, fresh basil or coriander leaves (for garnish) Grinded Spices: 1 teaspoon of: Cayenne pepper (you can add more), turmeric, coriander, cumin, sweet pepper Preparing: – chop pumpkin into small cubes, – fry finely chopped onion with brown sugar, – add pressed garlic and fry for a while (avoid burning it…
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Lychakiv and Cemetery of Eaglets – difficult History lesson
On the Lviv hills is a place which is the best History and Art lesson. It’s Lychakiv Cemetery. It was built at the end of 18th century and it’s one of the oldest burial grounds in Europe. The whole necropolis is somewhat a metaphor of the death embodied in sculptures which look like real figures which present grieved angels and sounded in eternal asleep or fossilized in mourning people. Beautifully decorated gravestones, tombs and shrines seem to struggle not only with passing time but also they fight a losing battle with overgrowing vegetation. But not only artistic aspect makes this cemetery exceptional. It’s an expression of multicultural character of Lviv…
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Tallinn – gloomy Patarei prison
Tallinn connotes mainly with a magical atmosphere of medieval town, surrounded by fortified towers and beautiful pastel townhouses. However our connotation of this city differs significantly from this picture. Our memories refer predominantly to barbed wires, dark corridors and hair – raising operating theatres/rooms of gloomy Patarei prison. This place hides nearly 200 years of Estonian history. It was built in 19th century as a fortress to protect harbor in Tallinn. In 1920 it was changed for a prison. During WWII, POWs were incarcerated here. After war it was used by KGB. It’s estimated that in peak time, more than 1000 prisoners were held in this prison. According to the…
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Temples of Bangkok
„One night in Bangkok and the world’s your oyster” Murray Head sings about the capital of Thailand. In fact this place attracts like a magnet a lot of tourists who want to experience unforgettable night. Famous district Pat Pong, illuminated by red lanterns, massage parlors (not only this traditional), ping pong shows or the sight of young, sometimes even juvenile Thais going arm in arm in the accompany of foreign tourists. Actually it’s hard to judge equivocally who is supported, girls who barely standing on a mountainous heels or old chaps. In a word every possible taboo in this Buddhist country seems to be broken. On the other hand in…
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Cappadocia
The value of Cappadocia for Turkey is the same as Rome for Italy. However in distinction from the Eternal City which was built by a man, this fabulous realm was created by forces of nature, especially volcanic processes. Varied Cappadocia landscape is made of tuff (volcanic ashes morphed into rocks), which has been being eroded by water and wind for a long time. The effect is surrealistic almost moonscape scenery. There you can see interesting rock formations, glens and caves. Popular Rose Valley, called also The Great Canyon of Cappadocia fascinates with its pastel colors. Early in the morning, a lot of balloons fly over it which makes this view unforgettable.…
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Christiania – utopia, social experiment or tourist attraction?
Copenhagen, the capital of the one of the richest EU countries is famous for beautiful architecture, picturesque canals and upmarket restaurants. On the other hand, there’s also Christiania – something like a “country within a country”. In the Christianshavn district, close to picturesque canals, there’s an inconspicuous gate which leads to another reality of self – proclaimed, independent city – Christiania. It was created in 1971 when first hippies seized the previous military base area. New inhabitants settled in abandoned military barracks and created city infrastructure such as nurseries schools, schools and cultural/artistic institutions. Christiana was a symbol of liberty and revolt against imposed social norms. At its peak it was inhabited…
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How much does 6-day trip to Denmark and Sweden cost?
Is it possible to organize 6- day trip to Denmark and Sweden on budget? In a fact the cost is a relative concept, what’s cheap for some for others is beyond reach. During our trip to these countries we tried to reduce the costs of transport and accommodation maximally. On the other hand it doesn’t mean that we lived there as hermits. We stayed in an apartment located in the city center, visited everything what had been planned, used public transport and tasted very good food. Was it cheap or expensive? Take a look and assess 🙂 Our trip was a little bit complicated because we wanted to visit Denmark…
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Only in Lviv!
We’ve been waiting for a trip to L’viv for a long time. This city is a part of long Polish – Ukrainian history. We hadn’t known what to expect there but our visit turned out to be a journey to the past. Having got off at local bus station at 8 o’clock, we saw another reality. This city brought us back to the old, pre-war Warsaw times and resembled Polish conditions around 30 years ago. It was a very important cultural center. Many famous Polish writers, scholars or artists lived here. A lot of Polish prominent figures were buried in the old Lychahiv Cemetery and in the city many monuments…
