12 posts tagged with "traveling"

The Odeon of Herodes Atticus.

But anyway, here I was, Syntagma square, baby.

Ever had that urge to just go some place, do nothing but eat, chill, have a few walks with some coffee in between. Well, folks, how about some Athens in February? After enjoying Madrid and Malaga in January and December, I developed quite a passion for Mediterranean destinations during winter. All I wanted was some place that was still warm, not that crowded but still offering relevant stuff to do. And Athens really hit the nail in the head on this one.

Also, as a side note, notice that I'm writing about my February trip at the end of September. I'm quite behind on this little travel blog I have going on, and I decided to cut my articles short. I'll focus only on the good stuff, throw some of the best pictures and I'll wrap it up sooner than expected. I'm not going aiming to turn this blog into the Song of Ice and Fire.

Athens Food & Walks​

So, Athens. A very short flight from Bucharest. The train from the airport to the city center takes longer than the flight, and it's even less enjoyable. That says a lot considering I travelled low cost. But anyway, here I was, Syntagma square, baby. I took my bags and went by bus to Koukaki, this popular neighbourhood right next to old town, with more restaurants, bars and cats than you can count. So, what's so special about the place? Well, it's the chill place full of stuff to eat and drink that I was looking for. Found the local coffee shop, Caffeine Dealer, and realised that Espresso Freddo and Iced Flat Whites are a thing. Completely changed my life, this. As for eating, hmm, I would probably say Karimino, Neratzia and Bite Box are quite nice, with both brunchy things but also late meals.

Building on the Acropolis	View of Athens from the Acropolis

There's also a nice Turkish place just next to Koukaki, Cappadocia Grill Cafe, where you can enjoy a good old Adana Kebab or some chicken if you prefer lighter meat. However, probably the best place to get something to eat is the city center. There's Usurum Brunch & Cocktails, with one of the best pancakes in the world. There's Choureal, with, well, you can figure this one out. And Dope Roasting, with coffee and some quick bites that are also healthy. This place is also quite popular to work remotely. Right next to old town there's also Coffee Joint, where you can eat the most civilized omelette, have an orange juice and be on your way, no fuss included.

But, Silviu, Athens is a great cultural spot, one of the most relevant cities of the Antiquity, with so much to offer in terms of culture and history and much much more. Yeah, I've been to the Acropolis, it was nice, quite well preserved. Oh well, visiting sights and museums was not the point, so I did not bother that much. Anyway, there was another sight, sort of, that I visited as a recommendation from a friend, and that was the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center. Apparently, some naval shipping tycoon built this place and, when I first saw it, I was not sure if I was still in Athens. It seemed like a building you would find more likely in Oslo. It's quite huge, with huge glass windows, and with greenery on top of it. Really fancy, I loved it. I also loved the walk from Koukaki to this place, all (ALL) the way throguh all (ALL) of Kallithea. It was refreshing to walk through a neighbourhood that does not probably make the top list of visiting.

View of the Acropolis from a nearby hill	The garden and a view of Stavros Niarchos

I had some other nice walks as well, like the ones in the Athens National Garden, next to the Syntagma square. Or the ones around Kallimármaro and Kolonaki. Overall, the city has that special something, you can feel it has personality and that it has been around for a while. And that brings me to the part where it's falling apart in many places, with so many ruined buildings, unkept streets and sidewalks. You can feel that, from the economical point of view, it's still struggling.

Even with the last downside, I loved my trip to Athens, it was exactly what I needed at the time, and I'm actually looking forward to return soon.

View over the lake in Parco del Rotiro.

If you think you know already the meaning of tasteful luxury, visit this place and reset your standards.

Today, damas y caballeros, we stay in beautiful Spain, but this time we leave the sunny South for Mardrid, the capital of football, culture and, well, Spain. It was a long time coming, and I was super excited to start 2024 travelling season with this one. I had high expectations, given the reviews I received from my friends, and, honestly, I was still amazed by what the city had to offer.

Royal Palace and Surroundings​

If you like your trips cultural, you're in the right place. We started the trip with the Royal Palace of Madrid, and, Dios mio, what a start. I've seen palaces and museum, and quite plenty, until that point, but the Royal Palace of Madrid exceeded my expectation by far. If you think you know already the meaning of tasteful luxury, visit this place and reset your standards. Every single piece of furniture, tapestry, design and artwork was exactly where it was supposed to be, and the level of detail for every single one of them was incredible, from engravings to finishing touches. They don't let you take pictures inside, and it's really a shame, as it's probably one of the most exquisite places you could feast your eyes upon.

Catedral de la Almueda	Room inside Royal Palace of Madrid

We left the palace exactly when it was closing time, so there was no more time left to visit the Almueda Cathedral unfortunately, but we did enjoy a very nice walk around Plaza de la Almeria, and took some pictures with Campo del Moro in the background. Quite close to the palace there's the Mercado de San Miguel, which is quite a great place to stop by for an hour or two and enjoy some empanadas and cervejas. Back to the hotel and ready for another day. We stayed at the Room Mate Alba Hotel, which is located in the city center, but in a very quiet area, and the hotel itself is quite nice. Between the Mercado and the hotel we passed through Plaza Mayor, which is another landmark worth checking out, given its surrounding buildings, coffee shops and vibrant atmosphere.

Prado Museum, El Rotiro Park, Food and Coffee​

Prado Museum is probably a must go if you're going to Madrid, and for good reason, since it boasts such a vast collection of art pieces from artists such as Francisco Goya and Diego Velazquez. You could spend a few days here without a doubt, but we also had some other places in mind so we were happy to be done in just a few hours. Outside, there's the beautiful park El Retiro, with its signature pond decorated with the colonnades of the Alfonso XII monument. It was a great walk to bask in the sun and forget that it's the middle of January for a few hours. Right next to the park there's also the botanical garden, which would have been a better pick in any other season, but we still enjoyed the impressive collection of bonsai trees.

Monument of Alfonso XII	Madrid Street at Dusk

After leaving the botanical garden we went for a stroll through the upscale Goya neighbourhood. It's nice over here. All buildings are very, very well maintained, and they are simply beautiful and elegant. The city is just amazing, I don't think I encountered anything that was either bad or at least "could be better". Maybe the coffee was not as great as in other places, but there were some coffee shops that were quite good, for instance the Norah Coffee & Brunch in Goya. Don't forget to try the sweets. Another great option is Pascal Specialty Coffee & Brunch, which was closer to the hotel, and features a brunch selection more on the healthy side. If the coffee could have been better, the food was actually amazing. Spain has great food, without a doubt, and other places we could recommend in Madrid are Los Porfiados, for a cozy dinner, or Fiaschetteria La Saletta, if you crave Italian. Other coffee options worth mentioning are Alchemy and Dale.

Santiago Bernabeu, Sorolla Museum and Gran Via​

I'm not much into football, but when I watch it's most probably a Real Madrid game, either in La Liga or Champions League. Visiting the Santiago Bernabeu was something I really wanted to do, especially now with the updates it received. From the outside it's quite a piece of art, I love the facade with its gray shiny blades. On the inside, well, it's huge there are lots of big screens everywhere and a retractable roof, letting you know that it's proudly representing the 21st century. We could not enter the locker rooms, which was quite a shame, but at least we saw the hall of trophies, and there are a lot of them. This team knows what winning is about.

Santiago Bernabeu Stadium	Gran Via

After we left the stadium we went back towards the city center by foot and we stopped at the Sorolla Museum on the way. It's actually the former house and studio of Joaquin Sorolla, who travelled throughout Spain in order to create a considerable collection of paintings. The art pieces inside the museum are organised in a timeline manner, so we could follow along his interests and favorite places as he aged, from his home city of Valencia, to the Spanish countryside and the capital of Madrid, where he was very passionate about his garden. The garden itself is a great place to relax on a bench, looking at the pond and enjoying the shade of the trees.

Sorolla Museum Garden	Sorolla Museum Interior

The last but not least landmark I would like to mention is the Gran Via, and I would not miss it especially during the night, when I believe it really shines. Both the buildings, the landmarks and the street itself are spoiled by huge amount of light and it's a great way to end the day with a stroll to the shops and just enjyoing the vibrant heart of this otherwise amazing city. It's trully a great city, and probably one of my favorites so far. It's amazingly beautiful, it does not seem to be that crowded, the people are friendly, the food is great, the weather is pleasant and there are so many things to do. I would definitely come back here one day, definitely on a Real Madrid match day. Looking forward, hasta luego!

View of Malaga from the Mirador de Gibralfaro.

Truth be told, I don't mind palm trees with Christmas lights. I could live with that.

Finally, the South of Spain. It took a while to get here, but here we are. It's December, sure, but not in Malaga though. Good thing I brought a couple of T-shirts, otherwise it would have been a tough time. Christmas decorations while the weather's so good is just out of this world. Truth be told, I don't mind palm trees with Christmas lights. I could live with that.

So far so good. It turned out that going to Malaga at the beginning of December is a great idea. That was the good part. The bad part was that also half of Spain thought it was a good idea, and the place was packed with visitors. I believe they also had a day off during the week we chose to visit, and everyone took advantage of it. Our apartment was in the center (Be Mate Malaga Centro, great place, check it out) and we had to park somewhere, but, really, there was absolutely no place to park a bicycle, yet alone a car. We finally found a payed multi level car park nearby, barely. Inside it, we found an empty spot on the last floor. Lucky us.

Malaga by Day​

I believed that using a rental car was the way to go, since we planned to visit at least some other town besides Malaga, but we did not leave the city eventually. However, the car was cheap to hire, and since I used it only to drive from the airport and back, I did not even bother to refuel. Anyway, we got to our apartment, super nice, way above what we got in Naples or Catania. Yes, it was a touch more expensive, but we got a lot for our money. Totally recommend the place, it was spacious, modernly furnished, right in the city center, but in a very quiet area.

Now the city itself. The historical city center is, I would say, a pretty standard Spanish city, and that's a very good thing. It's clean, it's very well maintained, the buildings are superb, and the amount of restaurants and coffee shops is insane. Spain does not offer the best coffee in the world, not even in the specialty coffee shops. It's not bad, by any means, but certainly not the best. On the other hand, the food, well, that's something else. From the standard brunch toasts, Benedicts and avocados to the seafood, meats and deserts, the food in Spain is just glorious. I think Portugal still tops it up, but Spain is definitely top 3 in my book. Definitely check out Next Level Specialty coffee, and you must, absolutely must, get the French Toast: toasted bread with cream, bananas, strawberries, blueberries and honey. Combined: magic.

Walkway to Alcazaba	Catedral de la Encarnacion

Obviously, there are some sights to absolutely deserve a visit. But just walking through the city center is pleasant enough, while going to the stores, getting ice cream, the usual stuff. As we strolled around, we got to the Catedral de la Encarnacion, which is Malaga's main church, and it's imposing both on the outside and on the inside. Definitely worth paying for the entrance. From there, the Alcazaba is just at "a stick throw" distance, and it's the main atraction of the city. For good reason, to be sure. The castle itself is very well preserved, and they are obviously very proud of their monument. And walking through the courtyards is a great experience, especially because of the many beautiful gardens and beautiful architecture. And, of course, the views over Malaga are simply gorgeous.

Right next to the Alcazaba there's the Gibralfaro Castle, and since we visited Alcazaba, we might as well do both simultaneously. Gibralfaro is not as special as the Alcazaba, but it has better views, especially from the Mirador de Gibralfaro. We could not see the Malagueta from there, due to the buildings around the Plaza de Toros. But we did, of course, enjoyed a great view over the stadium for the bullfighting shows.

Gibralfaro view to Malagueta	Alcazaba view to Malagueta

Another point of interest is the Malaga Museum, which definitely has a lot to offer. I found the painints from Moreno Villa particularly interesting, and there should be enough art for everybody. Actually, I think the Spanish museums are the best I visited so far, so if art is your thing, make Spain your priority. I enjoyed museums not only in Malaga, but also Barcelona, Madrid and Zaragoza. One thing that's actually a bit not so great is the fact that, when it's 15 minutes to closing time, they smiply kick you out, without any sign of politeness. It happened to us in Malaga and also in Madrid, and the fact that they insist for you to leave is just, well, not great. On the bright side though, once you exit the Malaga museum, there's a very nice terrace with palm trees that screams Instagram and Vice City, so we definitely took a few pics with the palm trees at dusk.

Malaga by night​

Remember the part when I mentioned half of Spain was in Malaga for the weekend? That was not immediately obvious by day, save for the parking situation. However, by night, it was a completely different story. The whole city center, from the Plaza del Constitution, all the way down the Marques de Larios and towards Malaga park, including it, was so crowded it was just impossible to move. It was quite scary at times since I was not used to these kinds of crowds, but apparently, in Spain, it's completely normal. Nobody was even remotely mad about the whole thing.

Every person in the crowd was happy, everyone was singing, there was a smile on each and everybody's face, and I realised just how happy people are over there. In lived in Bucharest and Prague all my life, and I am mostly used to seeing gloomy faces that were quick to snap and constantly one small second away from getting angry. And it felt good to see happiness, just randomly manifesting itself on the street.

Marques de Larios with Christmas Decorations	Historical Center Building

Probably the holiday also helped to create all this joie de vivre, and we were lucky enough to be in the city center when they blasted music through the speakers, along with a light show using the Christmas decorations. Everyone, obviously, knew the songs, so they were singing along. It was absolutely amazing, probably one of the best feelings I had for a moment, and I will always remember Malaga for that show and for how it made me feel.

One evening we also met with a couple of friends who happened to be around Malaga at that time, and we went for a walk towards the Malagueta and then back to the city center, where we went to a ramen place. I'm not a fan of the soup, but luckily they also served sushi, so it worked out well for me as well.

Since I am also watching games in La Liga from time to time, I know that Malaga has a very famous football team. Consequently, I could not leave before going for a walk to the La Rosaleda stadium. Sadly, it was already dark outside, and could not see much of the stadium, and since it was already evening, visiting it on the outside was not possible either. It did not seem to be as grand as the Bernabeu or the New Camp, but I was happy to see it anyway, as I'm also a fan of its name, La Rosaleda.

Wrapping up​

It was a very short trip, and I'm quite OK with the fact that we did not go other places we planned to, like the Caminito del Rey or Granada, but this leaves us with the opportunity to go back and make up for it. And, most probably, I will be back in Spain multiple times from now on, given its rich history, great Western architecture and Moorish influences, incredible museums, incredible food and good enough coffee. Next on the list was, obviously, Madrid, for a strong 2024 start in the travelling department.

View of Etna from the Ancient Theatre in Taormina.

The food was delicious, from the Tagliere di Salumi e Formaggi to the Pesce Spada a Siciliana.

I had Sicily in mind for some time, and going to Catania was definitely something I looked forward to. Initially, Palermo was the preferred destination, until I realised I bought the tickets for Naples instead. Anyway, Catania was supposed to be better as it was closer to Etna and Taormina, so off we went to this place full of history. And cannoli.

Catania​

After arriving at the airport and getting into the car, I realised that I'm about to drive in Siciliy and that came a bit scary. Oh, and the parking. Bad move. However, after leaving the airport and arriving into town, I realised it's actually pretty straightforward. People are actually quite nice, since I did not know the way and struggled at times. If I was doing the same in Bucharest, outward chaos whould have ensued. Parking was a bit of a hassle, due to the limited space, but once we found a spot, we payed at a nearby parking meter and went on with our business. Quite nice.

The apartment was near the Teatro Massimo Bellini, a very popular and charismatic place with a plaza in front. Apparently, we stayed in (or near, I did not quite understand) a building that was built by Mussolini. Yeaaah. Anyway, it was close to the center, where we could stroll on the Via Etnea and explore the shops and restaurants, and there were quite a few of them. The place was quite popular all day long, and we enjoyed the very lively atmosphere, as well as the nearby monuments of Sant'Agata church, University Square and the Elephant Fountain.

Basilica Cattedrale di Sant'Agata	Teatro Massimo Bellini

Near the Etnea we found a very good (quite excelent, actually) restaurant, Deliziosa, and we enjoyed it so much we went there twice. The food was delicious, from the Tagliere di Salumi e Formaggi to the Pesce Spada a Siciliana. Again, most excelent, would totally return. Also near the center is the fish market, and it's exactly what you would expect from a good ol' Sicilian market. If you're into fried fish, make sure to check out Scirocco. If you're into a coffee spot with a quite charming host that does magic tricks, go to Ciao. I must say, overall, the whole experience was pretty unique.

We also walked away from the center a few times, but the sights were not as impressive. Sure, the city does have its charm, and there's no denying that it has rich history and charm, but it does feel that it needs a little more maintenance. And it's such a shame, given the city's potential. We walked towards the waterfront then through San Cristoforo all the way to the Porta Garibaldi, and although it was a relaxing walk, there was nothing much to see. Also, towards the north, the Piazza Carlo Alberto di Savoia is, again, not the best of sights. We had a pretty standard Italian coffee at a nearby coffee shop, ate a brioche and went back towards San Berillo.

Taormina and Aci Trezza​

The weather proved to be better than expected, so we took the car one day for a trip to Taormina, which was top of the go-to list. Once there, we parked and went into town, and again, even though the place was undenyingly beautiful, it felt that that it was not as great as we had hoped. Maybe the fact that we went there in November did not help either, and many places and restaurants were closed. We did find the Ancient Theatre open, and it was a great sight to see the Etna from this impressive monument built by the ancient Greeks. The weather was sunny and we were lucky to see the wonderful volcano in the distance very clearly. And it was incredible, I could've stared at it forever. The trip was totally worth it, even though we could not find much to do in the town itself.

Taormina Building	Aci Trezza

Consequently, we went back in the car and drove towards Catania, only to stop on the way in Aci Trezza, a small town on the beach. We went for a walk on the waterfront, enjoyed the town'n port and took pictures of the Cyclops. Unfortunately, apart from this, there was nothing else to do, so we turned back and drove all the way to Catania airport.

Wrapping up​

I'm going back to Sicily for sure, and will try to visit Palermo and the surroundings next time, maybe even Syracuse, given its rich ancient history. I did like the trip, for sure, although it was not my favorite out of 2023. Maybe the Palermo option will be different, let's see, there's only one way to find out.

Praia de Vale Figueiras at sunset.

I deserved the pizza for dinner that evening.

Portugal in November has already become a tradition for me. It's the third time in a row when my friend and I use the Lisbon Web Summit as an excuse to go surfing in Lagos, visit Lisbon and its surroundings, and just enjoy everything that the south of Portugal has to offer. This year was no exception, and we had a blast of a time spanning a couple of weeks, full of surfing, visiting, hiking and just laying on the beach. Are we going to continue the tradition in 2024? Probably.

Lagos Surfing​

This is the main spot where we spent most of our two weeks, in the middle of the Algarve, one of the most beautiful areas I've ever seen, with spectacular scenery, eye candy beaches, the best food in the world (sorry Italy) and great weather. My priorities were, of course, surfing, hiking on the Fisherman Trail, eating the best pancakes in the world and reading on the beach. Not necessarily in that order.

This year, as in previous years, we chose the Surf Academy surf school for our surfing sessions during the weekends. They are great and provide a convenient way to organise the surf sessions, as they will know pretty well which beach to choose during each day. They also know which spot on the beach is better to catch waves, and during which times the tide is the best. I, for one, don't have such expertise, and apparently neither does my friend, as we both found out when we went one day on the beach on our own. It was terrible, we caught nothing, except huge waves straight to the face. Never again.

Since it was already mid November, we avoided the West Coast beaches, as the waves there were pretty huge. The surf school chose a couple of beaches in Lagos, Porto Mos and Meia Praia, where the weaves were a bit more calm and you could actually surf. I did catch quite a few green waves, and I think I improved my technique overall, so next year I actually look forward to be able to also steer on the wave, not just go straight on to the beach. Fingers crossed!

The West Coast​

Praia de Vale Figueiras View

If you're not drinking, then you're not playing. It's my favorite place in the Algarve. The beaches there are just out of this world. We went one evening the Vale Figueiras Beach, and we reached it during the sunset. Wow. Just wow. The lightning was perfect to take the best shots, and I took quite a few. First of all, the ocean put on quite a show for us, the spectators with the jaws dropped. It's probably one of the most relaxing experiences to gaze at the neverending lines of waves, and each and every one of them performing right down the beach. The sleepy sun rays made everything even more spectacular, and even the seagulls seemed to participate in the whole ocean choreography. It was perfect, probably one of the best experiences of my life.

Praia de Vale Figueiras Rocky Hills	View towards the Atlantic from the top of the hill

Another great beach is Praia da Arrifana, and this one was more surfing friendly, as when we got there it was quite full of people, most of them with surf boards. However, the beach is quite huge, so I did not feel crowded or anything. On the hill overlooking the beach there's a small town where we had lunch and coffee, at the Sea You Surf Café, and the whole experience was complete. My friend tried to catch a few waves there, but without much success. I settled just for some beach time and a few pictures on the left end of the beach, where I found a spectacular terrain with rock formations raising up from the shallow waters. It was time for some pictures.

Praia da Arrifana Rock Formations	Praia da Arrifana Steep and Rocky Hills

Trilho dos Pescadores​

The Fisherman's Trail was one of my main objectives for the trip. It's quite a long hiking trail on the West and South coasts, starting at Praia de São Torpes and ending in Lagos. It consists of 226,5 km of trail that takes you through breathtakin scenery on the Atlantic Ocean's coast. Theoretically, you need quite a few days to do it all, maybe 12-15, and pick accomodation in the towns along the way. It does not sound easy, even if it's not taking you through the high mountains, but next to the sea instead. I wasn't planning to go from start to finish, I'm not there yet, but instead I planned to hike specific parts of it, starting backwards from Lagos, march as much as I could until I ran out of daylight, and call my friend to pick me up with the car.

Ponta da Piedade near Lagos	Praia da Luz from near Rocha Negra

I did a couple of such trips by myself, and it was refreshing. Just being on the trail with only a small backpack full of water, sandwiches, sunscreen and oat biscuits is both exciting and relaxing at the same time. My first trip started in Lagos and I managed to go all the way to Praia da Boca do Rio, even though I was hoping to reach the town of Salema. Unfortunately I ran out of sun, and I was quite exhausted, so I called it a day just before the city. It's interesting that this whole trip involves different types of scenery, and no two parts of the hike were the same. I enjoyed steep cliffs and grottos from Lagos to Porto Mos and quite arid cliffs up until Praia da Luz. Starting from Luz and all the way to Burgau, the terrain is still quite arid, but I was delighted to see some beautiful gulfs, and it was quite something to just sit on top of the hills and rest while the ocean was throwing its waves towards the land, over and over.

Gulf near Praia da Zora	Uphill view of a climb near Praia das Furnas

I arrived in Burgau, a very nice town which reminded me of a typical Greek town on the sea, with similar white houses that exuded the salty air of vacation, surrounded by palm trees and paperflower vines. After exiting Burgau, the trail tood me through a field of cacti, and it was pleasant for me to see them out in the wild, as I also have quite a few at home. This part of the trail was my favorite, since it had more greenery and a few spots of forest. It also helped that, being near the end of my trail, the sun was setting and the light became perfect. However, it's also the time I realised that I need to finish the trail or at least go to some place where I could call my friend to pick me up, as ending on the trail during the night, without proper equipment was no joke. So I raced to the finish line, which was the town of Salema, but it was really too late, so I settled for Praia da Boca do Rio and called it a hike. I deserved the pizza for dinner that evening.

Praia das Furnas	Gulf near Zavial
Gulf near Zavial	Cactii in the wild near Burgau

A few days later it was time for part two, so I took the bus that left me in the middle of some road, and I walked from there to Salema and resumed the trail. The plan was to go all the way to Sagres, but I arrived simply too late to start the hike and I was unable to reach it. On the flip side, I did arrive to some great beaches that were absolutely fantastic to look at. The trail also became even better for my taste, as it was even greener and I started to also go through forests and shrubbery. Praia da Figueira was quite a sight, and afterwards the trail had to exit the seaside to go through some countryside instead. Quite an interesting change of scenery, I liked it. After that part of the trail I ended on the Praia das Furnas, and I had the chance to enjoy some art as well. There are some circles made of stone, overlooking a grotto, and the whole scene is picture perfect. Back on the trail and the scenery simply just did not stop amazing me. The highlight was Praia do Zavial, and I had to make a couple of stops to gave upon it, on each of its ends. The lines of waves were pefect, hence the number of surfers in the water.

Praia do Zavial	Uphill trail near Praia do Zavial

After the beach, I went back on the trail and I started to feel the overall exhaustion. I started to realise I was not going to reach Sagres, so I just admitted the fact and did not hurry up the pace, as I was content with the experience up until that point. Nevertheless, I found more spectacular gulfs, like the Forte e Bateria do Zavial, and more beautiful beaches like the Praia da Ingrina, where I raised the white flag and stopped for good. It was enough hiking for one trip, and I enjoyed every bit of it.

Sky seemed to be on fire at sunset, near Praia da Ingrina

Lisbon​

My friend, we meet again. There are some feelings in this wonderful city that are simply unique in the world. Driving on the Vasco da Gama bridge is one of them. Climbing to one of the many view ponints, or miraduros, and enjoying the view of the bay is another. With some pasteis de nata, it's even better. But the best feeling is enjoying them on the spot, with a dash of cinnamon. You can confortably skip the coffee, save it for later. It so happens that each time I'm in Lisbon I discover completely new things about it, and that makes me want to return again and again. This time, for instance, I used the bay area for jogging and it was a breeze. Dad joke out of the way, checked.

Since our apartment was located near the Pantheon, my walks were focused in that area, even though, this time, I did not spend as much time in Lisbon as I din previously. The Pantheon area might seem a bit strange, but it has one of the best places to eat in the city. Hear me out. I tried a couple of local, no fuss restaurants, and the food was delicious. When in Lisbon, always go for seafood and fish. I ordered octopus, shrimp and tuna steak, and all of them were fabulous. These couple of places I tried are called O Tasco do Vigário and A Parreirinha do Paraíso. The people were super friendly and I was treated really well.

Lisbon Pantheon	Lisbon alley

However, the cherry on top was actually nothing related to fish or seafood. When in Lisbon, you must, and believe me, you must go to Affair Restaurante & Bar and get the entrecôte. I never had one in my life, at least not a full one, I am not a fan of beef or fat. But this one, oh my Lord. It was pudding of magic in the mouth. A-ma-zing. The other things I ordered were really good as well. You must try this restaurant when you visit Lisbon, otherwise the trip is a waste.

Equally great about the neighbourhood were the brunch spots, and my favorite was Augusto Lisboa. Not that much to choose from, but everything was spot on. And the coffee, equally perfect. Try the iced latte. Thank me later. Quase Café is also nice, but not nearly as good. You'll figure this out when you'll see the queue.

Now, I did mention that I did not spend too much time in Lisbon this time. That's because I chose to visit a couple of towns near Lisbon that are equally famous and everyone recommended them to me previously: Sintra and Cascais.

Sintra​

Picture this. You are a noble. You have tons of money, lots of style, blue blood and you like castles. You also like going to the beach, get a tan, enjoy the waves. But you also like hiking through forests, maybe go hunting from time to time. You don't want your castle to be isolated either, you also want to go out from time to time, greet the crowds and whatnot. And you want some place to have all of this possible. Welcome to Sintra. It's a hilly landscape, surrounded by trees, 15km from the Atlantic Ocean. And it has, you guessed it, a lot of castles.

Fortunately, getting to Sintra is super easy. You just get the train from Rossio station, and it's a nice ride that lasts less than an hour. Once I got there myself, I quickly understood why it was such a popular place. It's gorgeaus. The town itself is not very big, but it's cosy, with stylishly decorated houses on curvy streets that hug the hills full of forests. The bad news is that the nobles who commissioned the castled did so on the very hilltops. And the train station is at the base of Sintra, so you kind of need to go up and climb a lot. Of course, there's the option of taking a cab.

The Park in Sintra on the way to the castles	The forest surrounding the Sintra Castles

But there's no fun in that, so I grabbed a bottle of water and went for the climb. The first part was the trickiest, since it involved trying to correctly pick the streets in town. I believe at some point the road went straight through a bar. I'm not even joking. But at some point I made a left and I was out of the normal roads and on the actual trail. This first part of the hike was very beautiful, as it went through a botanical garden, and I love them botanical gardens. Sadly, I could not enjoy the place that much, as I had to reach the castles as well, so I went further on the trail and took pictures for later. After a while, the park ended and I found myself in the forest. The trail was still there, but now the landscape turned out to be more natural, and it was equally satisfying. Imagine hiking through the woods, and from time to time you encounter a view point, where there's a clearing, and seeing the castles of Sintra in the distance. Quite a unique experience, if you ask me.

I reached the first of the two main objectives of the day, the Castelo dos Mouros. It's more like a fortress, capable of defending the area as it sits quite high and has great views of its surroundings. It's well worth the visit, not only for the views, but also for admiring a very well maintained fotress, built by the Arabs in the 10th century. It's incredible how well the site has been preserved, you could swear it was built just recently. I ended up doing a full castle circle and admired all the views, since all of them were both incredible and unique. You have a view of the Atlantc Ocean, which is right there, you can probably see Cabo da Roca. Then there are views over Sintra, obviously, and also towards the other atraction of the day, Palácio Nacional da Pena.

The Moorish Castle	View of the Atlantic from the Moorish Castle

Now, this second castle is indeed an actual proper chateau, built for the actual Portuguese royalty. On the exterior, the National Palace of pena is marvelous and it definitely gave me Disneyland vibes, given its architectural style and the rich combination of colours. It's also surrounded by a very large domain that acts as a park, and even though there is more climbing to be done, it's a very pleasant walk. Inside the castle it's nothign that special, but it's nice enough, as there are many rooms that belonged to king Ferdinand and queen Maria and display a generous collection of furniture and decorations. Unfortunately, I was in a queue of people that moves quite slowly during the whole tour, and that part was not exactly my cup of tea, but it's understandable due to the structure of the tour and the number of people wanting to visit.

A view of the Pena Palace from below	Pena Palance from its courtyard

With the tour done, I returned to Sintra by the same road, only this time it was downhill, and stopped at the local Starbucks for some late lunch and a glass of iced matcha latte. It was a very well spent day, I enjoyed the town so much, the castled were impressive and the views even more so. I took the train back to Lisbon and searched for dinner.

Cascais​

My second recomandation to visit near Lisbon is the coastal town of Cascais. The next day after the Sintra trip, I boarded the train from Cais do Sodré and enjoyed a similar trip to the one I had the day before. It was great to be able to use well thought transportation infrastructure in order to get around, so kudos to Portugal for that. In places such as the Amalfi Coast or Sicily, the lack of proper public transportation is pretty annoying, at least to me, but in Lisbon everything was spot on.

I arrived in Cascais and immediately felt in love with it. It's a place where you immediately feel like you're on a proper holiday, and start thinking only about laying in the sand, playing beach volleyball, surfing and long walks by the sea. The town is very pretty overall, and there's a lot of shopping to be done in the center. What I liked very much was the Marina, and I took my time to walk around it and admire the boats that were moored at that time. I continued my walk around the coast and eventually reached Boca do Inferno, which is a very beautiful display of oceanfront cliffs that were carved by the relentless waves into an open cave. A great spot to admire, but, to be fair, the whole coast is equally beautiful, so I exited the main road in order to hop on the cliffs and try to get closer to the water, so I could get a better view.

The Cascais Marina	Boca do Inferno near Cascais

After walking for some time on the coast, I reached Guia Lighthouse and decided to head back to town, as there wasn't anything else on the way to visit, at least not within walking distance. I rented a bike on my way back, parked the thing in a designated parking lot, and went to have a very late brunch. Afterwards, it was back to Lisbon, as I was already feeling a bit tired from all the trips I had during those two weeks.

The End​

Portugal is probably my favorite country to travel to, so far, even though I hardly had a chance to explore it further. On my list there's Madeira, the Azores and Porto at the very least, and I hope to travel to these places soon. It's a very beautiful country, with very friendly people, great infrastructure, the best food in the world (again, sorry Italy), impressive history and with so much more to offer. I love it, and I look forward to visit it at least once every year, kind of like a tradition. Thank you, Web Summit, for giving me the excuse to discover such a great place!

View of the old town from the Prague Castle.

So, picture this. Silviu, one protein bar, some water, 25% phone battery, no waterproof jacket, pink bike with a basket, soaking wet, in a God forsaken town called Roblín, where the only bus station was served at some point during that day, towards some destinations I had no interest in.

Prague is special to me. It's the city I lived in for almost 3 years, and in many ways, it has shaped me into the person I am today. It's a great city to live in as an expat, with a mix of eastern, western and central Europe, pretty much a melting pot of cultures. Some people choose Prague to be their home, others will move to a different city after a few years, and there are also some who choose to return to their home country. I met all of them, and I am not aware of anyone regretting their experience of relocating to the Czech Republic.

I am not going to focus on what Prague means to me as an experience, although there is a lot to say here. Instead, I am happy that I've visited the city 3 times this year, mostly because most of my team at work is based in Prague, and there have been quite a few occasions to visit. My first visit was in January, which is probably the least recommended time of year to schedule a visit. The subsequent trips were in June, which is way better weather wise, and the last one was in October, which turned out to be better than expected. All in all, I would probably recommend visiting Prague during the summer, as it's not very hot during that time, and you would get the most out of your trip. You don't want to be in Prague when it's cold, or when it rains, or both. Trust me on that one.

Prague City Center​

It's no surprise that the City Center is the main stop when going to Prague. Even when I was living in Prague, most of my walks were done in this area. The reason? It's gorgeaus. Almost all the buildings in Stare Mesto, but also around it, are old buildings that have been beautifully restored, and the result is incredible. Everything you see just looks as if it belonged there for a very long time, with a successful blend of many architectural styles, such as Gothic, Baroque, Art Nouveau and even Moorish Revivial. It's not just the monuments themselves, but everything really, including the streets and sidewalks, where they stubbornly insist in using cobblestone.

I try to avoid staying in the city center, given the constant noise, so most of the time I book accomodations next to the center, either around the I.P. Pavlova metro station, which is a great connection hub for public transport, or somewhere in Vinohrady, which is a pretty popular neighbourhood right next to the center, usually preferred by expats with better financial means. Consequently, my first stop on my way to the city center would usually be Václavské náměstí, with the Národní Muzeum at its start. It's a great museum to visit, with an impressive minerals collection, a prehistory collection with mammoths and all the usual art museum stuff. They shot the first Mission Impossible movie inside the building, then closed it for what it turned out to be a long time of restoration. It was still closed when I lived in Prague, so I only got to see it last year for the first time.

Narodni Muzeum	View of the Narodni Divadlo from the Vltava

After crossing the square, I usually take a right on the Jindřišská street, until the Náměstí Republiky square, and admire some impressive buildings, such as the Prašná brána, the Obecní Dům and the façade of the Palladium mall. Quite close to the square are some of my favorite places in Prague, such as the EMA Espresso Bar or the Vinograf Senovážné. If you go to EMA, make sure to also take a buchta along with your coffee.

Going towards the mall and then making a right on the Dlouha street, we are suddenly in the party part of town. Prague is a pretty famous party destination, especially for stag or hen parties, and most of them are happening in Dlouha, in places such as James Dean, Moonclub and others. After crossing Dlouha, you end up in the Staroměstské náměstí, probably Prague's point zero, with the famous Prague Astronomical Clock and the Municipal Library. It's also very close to the other point zero, which is Karlův most (Charles Bridge). There are so many other places to check out in this area, such as the Rudolfinum concert hall or the Klementinum library. The tour continues on the Charles Bridge, obviously, or if you already been there, I recommend also the Mánesův most, which is the next bridge across the Vltava and offers great views over the Charles Bridge.

Once we cross the river, there's again a lot to do and a lot to see. Welcome to the romantic part of town! If you're in luck, there's going to be swans in Park Cihelná, and that's probably on of my favorite places in the city. Once we're done admiring, the next most important things to see are the Waldstein Palace, which is actually the Czech Republic Senate building, and if you're not visiting during the winter, you will find the gardens open to the public. Don't miss the gardens as they are quite pretty, with Baroque statues, pools full of giant fish and pleasantly groomed shrubbery and flowers.

With this final checkpoint acquired, it's time to make the climb to the Prague Castle. Inside the castle there's nothing spectacular to see, so you could totally miss visiting it, but there are some garden views that make the tour worth it, and there's also the St. Vitus Cathedral, which is the actual attraction to see. After exiting the castle, I always like to take a few moments and enjoy the Hradčanské náměstí, as it's probably one of the most impressive places in the city, featuring the Šternberský Palace and many other beatiful palaces and churches all around the place. Also here it's my favorite view point in Prague, right next to the Starbucks, where you could enjoy a coffee in the garden if you happen to find an empty table, as the view is totally worth it.

Old Town View from the Petrin Tower	View of the Charles Bridge from below, in Park Cihelná

Going further on the Loretánská, we eventually reach the Strahov Monastery and the Brewery, and both of them deserve a visit, for different reasons. The monastery features an impressive library, but unfortunately you are not allowed inside, and can only just look at it from the door. Quite unfortunate. And you are probably aware that Czech beer is pretty good. There are many beer varieties in the Strahov Brewery, and all of them are worth trying. Maybe not in the same sitting, or hey, why not, be a hero. Supposing that you don't plan to be a hero, once we exit Strahov, the next point of interest is the Petrin Tower, which offers great city views, since it sits quite high and the tower itself is quite tall. And no, it's not shaking because of the wind. It's the beer.

Once we take all 100 Prague view photos, it's time to descent through the Petřín Gardens. There's also a tram that takes you down back to the city, but I would not use that, and instead just walk and enjoy one of the best parks in Prague. There's also the Kinsky Garden nearby, which is the park that was closest to my place when I lived in Prague and one of my favorite running tracks. Most likely, after the descent, we will end up in Ujezd, and here you must try the artic bakehouse, with the best pastry stuff in town. Don't miss my favorite, the Cherry Bomb. Also nearby there's Cantina, another favorite place, with the best Fajitas that I never manage to finish, and believe me, I tried. They also serve another personal favorite, the Strawberry Frozen Margarita. Try to book before going and have cash at hand. We can now cross the Vltava again via the Most Legií, and here we have the Střelecký and the Slovansý ostrovs. If you are lucky, apart from swans, you will meet a few cuddly river rats on the river banks. Once we cross the bridge fully, we arrive at the Národní divadlo, and from here, we could pretty much go anywhere. We just finished the essential Prague City Center Tour, congratulations! As reward, go for coffee and waflles at the SmetanaQ Café.

Around the City Center​

Prague has a lot to offer outside the city center as well. It would be a shame to keep your walks focused around the Charles Bridge. One of my favorite pastimes was to grab a drink and sit on the bank of the Vltava River, called the Naplavka. It's a great meeting spot for people especially in the summer, and all the ships that are docked are going to be open either as terraces or as bars. Sitting on the river bank is also nice, since the area is very lively. As we're in the area anyway, make sure to take a picture with the Dancing House, one of Prague's landmarks. After a small walk upstream on the Vltava, we will find another Prague landmark, Vyśehrad, a fortified castle overlooking the river, which offers great views towards the old city center, but also to the communist parts of Prague, to the south and southeast. If you like beach volleyball and happen to be in Prague for the summer, you're in luck, since the sport is actually quite popular in Prague, and you can play it right next to the river, in Žluté lázně. Oh, there's also a pretty large swimming pool right next to the complex, the Podolí swimming pool.

Charles University Botanical Garden	Vyšehrad

I did mention Vinohrady as the perfect place to book a hotel or an apartment, and it's true for many reasons. First of all, it's quiet. Second of all, it's right near the city center. Last, but not least, it's quite chic and very upmarket. This is one of the expensive neighbourhoods to rent, and your neighbours are probably going to be expats working in tech. It's also very well connected by tram and metro, so it's easy to reach I.P. Pavlova then you could go pretty much wherever you want. It's not just about having a place to stay and leave immediately, as the area is quite nice to explore for a few couple of days. You get one of the best parks in Prague, Riegrovy Sady and Havlíčkovy sady. Actually, to be perfectly honest, all parks in Prague are beautiful, and the city shines in the green area per capita statistics.

Apart from the parks, there are the coffee shops and restaurants. All the good places are here, whether you are craving for coffee, brunch, lunch or dinner. Some of my favorites are Happy Bean, Coffee Corner Bakery, Chilli & Lime and Per Te, for great Italian dishes. To the north of Vinohrady there are also the Žiżkov and Karlín neighbourhoods which are both worth exploring. The theme of great places to hang out continues here as well, although the neighbourhoods look a bit different from Vinohrady. Žiżkov has a more of a working class vibe, but it has more pubs per square kilometer than any other place in the world. Make sure to check out Tiky Taky Bar. Karlin, on the other hand, is a mix of old and new, since much of it is being redeveloped after it suffered from heavy flooding a few years back. Across the river from Karlinn is Holešovice, another neighbourhood that has a lot to offer, like the Stromovka park, the Planetarium or the DOX Centre for Contemporary Art. If you are in the area, make sure to go to Letna for another gorgeaus view of Prague, from the Prague Metronome. This one's another very good meeting place in the summer, with a lot of people gathering for a drink and music, sometimes with DJs performing.

Even Further from the Center​

The further you go from the city center, the more you realise that the city has gone through many years of communist rule. However, due to the rising cost of living, many people choose to live here or even further, on the outskirts of the city. It's not just communism towards the outskirts, however, and there are many places which are worth visiting. One of my favorite places is Troja, an upscale neighbourhood, where apartment buildings give way to premium houses and vineyards. Two of best places to visit are here, and I highly recomment both of them: The Botanical Garden and the Prague Zoo. Both of them are placed on large swathes of land and you will most probably spend the whole day in both, so be prepared for that. They are organised like parks, and it's a pleasure to walk and admire so many varieties of plants and animals that are very well taken care of.

Prague Zoo	Vltava near Zbraslav

Now, of course it's not just Prague. The Czech Republic has so much more to offer. It's a very nice country with an abundance of scenery and beautiful places, and the people take very good care of it, so it's well preserved. The most popular day trips from Prague include Kutna Hora, Brno, Karlovy Vary, Česky Krumlov and, the one I will ellaborate on, Karlstejn. This town is pretty close to Prague, at about 30km, and it's easily reachable by car, by train or, the best one in my opinion, by bike. I did the trip twice using the Rekola bikes, which you could rent in Prague like you would rent scooter. Once you reach the town and enjoy the scenery, you could come back by train, if you are pretty tired from the trip.

Once upon a time it was a not so beautiful morning of Monday, on the 5th of June, I had a gread idea of a bike trip to Karlstejn. I rented a Rekola for a full day quite close to the Karlovo Namesti. Armed with my phone, a couple of protein bars, some water and high hopes, I started my journey on the Vltava River upwards towards Zbraslav. I was too lazy to set up the proper bike map beforehand, and would was very soon to realise my mistake, since I was supposed to cross the river near Zbraslav, but I ended up in Vrané nad Vltavou, paused for a few minutes, and performed a Gandalf "no memories of this place". No biggie. I turned around, crossed the river at Zbraslav, but it seemed that it was a totally different road from the one I picked a few years back. The Gandalf feeling was still strong. Anyway, time was ticking, so I went on through some not so beaten tracks of countryside, like I was chasing a band of orcs on my pink bike.

I enjoyed a coffee, a cake and a proper Czech hospitality in the town of Černošice, and continued on the road to Karlštein. This road was properly called Karlšteinsk, but, as I found out in the meantime, it was a road actually meant more for agricultural purposes, rather than recreational ones, and I suddenly found myself in the middle of rural Czech country, still with a lot of road to cover. To add the cherry bomb on top, it just started to rain, and I was in the middle of the road with no waterproof anything. Not good.

So, picture this. Silviu, one protein bar, some water, 25% phone battery, no waterproof jacket, pink bike with a basket, soaking wet, in a God forsaken town called Roblín, where the only bus station was served at some point during that day, towards some destinations I had no interest in. And I had two options, to either continue on the normal road, or take a shortcut through the woods, on some sort of a hinking trail, that would shorten the way by quite a bit. It was still raining quite a lot, and, looking at the weather app, it was not going to stop until the next day. Maybe I should have checked the app in the morning, that might have helped.

Prague to Karlštejn bike trip which you should not take

But mom didn't raise no quitter, so I took the short route, through the woods. Everything was wet, I was on a pink bike, with a basket, on a slippery dirt road, riding downhill. Was it dangerous? It was outright stupid. I soldiered on through the woods, it was quite dark all around, the rain was not stopping, and I somehow reached Mořina, from where there was a straight road to Karlštein, surrounded by woods, a very nice road to ride on, if it wasn't for the rain. I was not feeling the rain anymore, actually, as I was wet all the way to my skin, and I really did not care for anything, except to reach the town and hope that one tavern would receive out of sheer mercy. I arrived in Karlštejn, after the most terribly planned trip in my life, in the most terrible state, and some nice people offered me a table at Karlštejn 34, where I enjoyed some hot soup, the best pizza in my life, and a cup of coffee that managed to ressurect my soul.

There would not be any sightseeing that day, since it was still raining quite heavily. I actually intended to visit the Castle and the Velká America pit, but that had to be saved for another day. I went to the train station, bought a ticket for me and my pink bike, with a basket, and went back to Prague.

Now, should you go to Karlštejn from Prague by bike? Absolutely. Should you be utterly careless about the trip like I was? Absolutely not. Set up the proper route beforehand, check the weather, and have a rainproof coat. You're in the Czech Republic, it's famous for it's rainy weather. I should have known better, but I survived, and what does not kill you makes you wiser. Or not.

Wrapping Up​

I will always be grateful to Prague and everything about it, and I will always return there with the warmest of thoughts. And if you hadn't been there yet, it should definitely be on the top of your list. It has so much to offer for everyone, and it's a great place to live abroad, if you're considering such an experience. It was life changing for me. It helps a lot that most of my team at work is based in Prague, so there will be plenty of opportunities to return in the future, but, honestly, I don't really need an excuse to go. And you shouldn't need one either. Happy travels!

View of Naples and Vesuvius from the Sant'Elmo Castle.

There's something about this town and football.

If you've read my travelling plans for 2023, I mentioned only a couple of places that have been on the top of my list. As 2023 went by and I travelled quite a lot until now, I added Sicily to the top of my list, so I started to look for tickets during the summer. Since both the tickets and the accomodation were great value for money, I decided to go ahead and seal the deal for the trip to Naples. Just as I was getting ready to pay, I realised that I wasn't actually going to Sicily at all. In my mind, Naples and Palermo sounded to be the same thing, and that sparked a great deal of confusion. After I paused for a few minutes, I realised "what the hell", and bought the trip anyway. Yolo.

Naples​

I was expecting the city to be a little different from the other cities I've been so far in Italy, and I was not disappointed. Naples is not boasting the same architectural wonders as Rome, and it certainly does not have the ritzy attitude of Milan. It's not very clean, either, and the traffic can become quite a nightmare, if you're not used to that. All things considered, I believe Napes is a city that should be on everyone's bucket list, with a small tip, which I will share towards the end.

I don't know about others, but when I choose to travel to Italy, it's not only for the sights or the history, even though there's a lot of that to choose from. I also go for the food, for the coffee and, overall, for the laid back lifestyle. A lifestyle filled with espresso shots, drank alongside a croissant con crema (if there's pistacchio, even better) in a busy coffee shop where everyone just orders pretty much the same thing, s a quick chat, and leaves after 5-10 minutes to handle their business. It's also about great local food, served alongisde glasses of Aperol Spritz and with a Tiramisu to top it off. As we left our hotel room in Naples, somewhere close the central train station, the first thing I did was to check out the nearby coffee shop, which was marked on the map ahead of our arrival. Caffeteria I Servino has great Italian coffee and one of the best croissants I ever had, which provided a great start to the trip. After this quick stop, we made our way towards the city center.

Staying near the central train station is very convenient if you consider taking the train to nearby destinations. For the Naples area, there are sp many places to choose from, like the Amalfi Coast, Capri and Pompeii. However, the neighbourhood itself is not really quite the most exquisite. It's nothing to be afraid when going out, anyway. On the other hand, the area between the central train station and the city center is maybe worse. There's garbage everywhere, many people on the street, and I've seen some buildings that could easily belong in the Ferentari. Not a great sight, to be super honest. We eventually found Via dei Tribunali, where things became a bit better.

Museo Del Corallo Ascione	Via dei Tribunali

This very long street sums up a lot about the city. It's quite narrow, so they made it a one-way street, although it could be easily be designated for pedestrians only. It's filled with bars, shops, and an array of flags, coats and signs of the local football team, Napoli FC. There's something about this town and football. Actually, Via dei Tribunali isn't the only street where you can see references of the team. There's football everywhere, it's just that Via dei Tribunali has way more. Naples is literally a Papal State, where the pope is Maradona and the council of cardinals are Osimeh and the Napoli players. The previous season they just won the championship, and they are really proud about that.

We followed Via dei Tribunali all the way to Via Enrico Pessina, and then went south towards the coast, through Toledo. The Spanish Quarter is definitely something different than the neighbourhoods we walked through so far, even though it was way too crowded. The main street, Via Toledo, is what you would normally expect from an Italian street with stores, and we stopped in a few places to check normal Italian things, like sunglasses. What we definitely missed along the way were the Murales Maradona, which would have been the icing on the football cake we had up until that point. Completely forgot about the place, but you always a need a reason to go back, right?

Eventually, we reached the Umberto I Gallery, which resembles the Vittorio Emmanuele Gallery in Milano, miinus the high end stores. After a brief photo session, we exited the gallery and went towards the San Carlo Theatre and finally arrived in Piazza del Plebiscito, with the Royal Palace right next to it. The square has quite a pretty view of the Basilica Reale Pontificia San Francesco da Paola *inhales, even though when we arrived there was a concert setup in place and it marred the sight a little bit. It was quite late when we got there and the palace was about to be closed, so we had to satisfy for the palace gardens. This park with a free entry is a welcoming green oasis in a part of the city that is pretty crammed with buildings, streets and concrete in general.

Naples Waterfront View over Vesuvius

As we left the park, we arrived in the San Ferdinando neighborhood, which is significantly different from the neighbourhoods we've seen so far. It's near the shore, its buildings are all beautifully restored and the streets offer great places to enjoy dinner or a few drinks at sunset. However, probably an even better idea is to just grab a few drinks from a supermarket and go straight to the shore. When we arrived there, the sun was close to setting and the light was absolutely gorgeous. We took a seat on one of the stones that were above the water and enjoyed the picturesque view of the Vesuvius volcano. Happy and quite tired, we walked back home by the waterfront and prepared for next day's trip.

Sorrento​

In order to reach te Amalfi Coast, things are not so straightforward, as you might expect from such a notorious place. There is the option of renting a car, although the road along the coast is said to not be quite narrow and full of twists and turns. Consequently, the remaining option is to take the train to Sorrento and, from there, take one of the boats to Capri, Positano or Amalfi. Apparently, there is also a bus that goes along the Amalfi Coast, but we lost quite some time trying to find it. In the end, we decided to take the boat to Positano. Since the train to Sorrento took an hour, and we lost at least another hour searching for the bus, it became quite late to reach Positano that day and come back to Sorrento, as each boat trip takes 45 minutes. As a result, we decided to stay in Sorrento for the day and visit Positano the next day. And it turned out to be a great call.

This small town on the coast, in addition to being a transportation hub for the region, is probably one of the most beautiful towns I visited so far, on par with Portofino and the Cinque Terre. Sorrento sits quite high on the coast but it also features a few beaches on its shore, so it can definitely be a spot to relax by the sea. Its streets are a joy to walk through if you like to lazily stroll around and enjoy coffee and ice cream along the way. You should also definitely try the Limoncello, since the region claims to being the birthplace for the drink.

Sorrento Vesuvius View	Sorrento Hills

We had a great lunch at the Fuoro51, went for an aimless walk through the streets, then headed towards the beach and enjoyed the views towards the town from down below. As we arrived on the beach, we bought drinks from a local grocery store, opened them on a bench and enjoyed the sea view with the boats. That evening, we happened across what seemed to be a formal event that took place right on a pier, in a place called Bagni Sant'Anna. The whole setup made the evening perfect, and we enjoyed it right until it was time to leave and catch the last train to Naples.

Sorrento is impressive, and since the town looked so good, you could imagine our expectations for Amalfi and Positano. But, make no mistake, Sorrento is a gem, and you should not miss it. Actually, given the views, the places and the transportation options, I believe that Sorrento is actually the better place to book accomodation when going to Naples and the Amalfi coast. It's conveniently situated in case you want to go anywhere, as you can take the train to Naples and Pompei, or the boat to Capri, Positano and Amalfi. It's also a great spot to just relax on the beach, enjoy the views and have a nice dinner on the waterfront. Our friends chose to stay in Sorrento instead of Naples, and it was a much better decision. On our next trip in the area, lesson learned, we will definitely do the same.

Positano​

Finally, the cherry on top, Positano. We were quite enthusiastic about the town, and our hopes were quite high, given that we enjoyed Sorrento very much. Even with these expectations, Positano did not disappoint. It's simply stunning. It's also quite crowded, at least around the harbour area, so the first objective was to escape and head up towards the hills, in order to find great viewpoints towards the sea. We found quite a few, really fast, and took great photos of both the city, the sea, the hills and boats. Everything matched perfectly and it was hard to take bad shots, honestly. We still went uphill, for even better views, but the shots were not as good, so if you're aiming for the perfect view, higher is not necessarily better here.

Positano Hills	Positano View from Above

The second objective was to have lunch, so we went to the Casa e Bottega restaurant, which featured a meanu that was quite brunchy for the location, but nevertheless it has probably the best Tiramisu in the world, so definitely worth going there. Re-energised, we resumed our uphill journey and headed towards the final objective, Le Tese di Positano, a hiking trail that starts in the Northwest part of town. We did not go very far on the trail, unfortunately, as we had to return back to the coast and catch the boat back to Sorrento, but I think it would have been a vey nice hike. We also did not have any water, which was quite a huge mistake, given that it was also quite hot during the day. Overall, not much more to say about the town, but it's definitely a great spot to relax for a few days, just like Sorrento, so maybe an option for the future. We took the boat back to Sorrento, the train back to Naples, and, needless to say, we were exhausted.

Back in Naples and Final Thoughts​

During our final days in Naples, we took it easy given our accumulated fatigue, so we went for some easy strolls throughout the city. We went to the Botanical Garden and then to the Royal Palace, since we missed it during the first day. Both attractions are pretty good, especially the palace, which has an impressive collection of art. For dinner, we went to Pizzeria Pavia, which is quite popular in Naples, although the place does not look flashy in any way. As we waited for our flight, we went to Caffè Sansone for some speciality coffee, and since we thought that we still had time until taking off, we visited the Sant'Elmo Castle, which was pretty close to the coffee shop. The castle has really great views over Naples and Vesuvius, and it's not very crowded. It does not boast any art collection or something of the sort, but the views are really worth it.

Overall, it was quite a long trip, and we visited quite a few places. We would still do it again, but next time we will heed our own advice and stay in Sorrento, since it's definitely the better option. There's still Capri on the list, along with Amalfi and Pompei, so there is still lots to do in the area. The flight from Bucharest is short, cheap and direct, so there's absolutely no reason not to return. So, until next time, happy travels!

Photo by Silviu Alexandru Avram

Who would have thought that Malta during August is so hot and humid? If you voted "not Silviu", congratulations, 10 points to Gryffindor.

I can't say Malta was on my bucket list this year, or for the next few years. But hey, I could say the same for Perugia and Oslo, and look how that went. For lack of better words, 2023 has been spontaneous in terms of travelling. And it's only just September.

But back to the island in question. For such a small place, Malta is packed with things to do. Wondering through narrow streets in the old towns of Valletta and Mdina? Checked. Eating seafood on the waterfront of Marsaxlokk? Checked. Going for a boat ride to ... anywhere, really? Not checked, but you always need a reason to come back, right? Well, I don't know, it may be so, since I never got to see the Last Supper and I've been to Milan three times already. The 4th time's a charm, as they say.

But back to the island in question, again. We only got to see a handful of places, true, but the trip was really short to begin with. And that wasn't actually the worst part. Who would have thought that Malta during August is so hot and humid? If you voted "not Silviu", congratulations, 10 points to Gryffindor.

And, just like that, my list has ran out of complaints.

Valletta​

The old city is just so beautiful, authentic and unique. I had a feeling that the whole scenery there just fits the place perfectly. The only other city where I had this same feeling is Venice. There was nothing out of place, the hustle and bustle seemed so natural, and it was so easy to blend in. I felt that everyone had something to do no matter what their purpose or personality. There were sights to see, ice cream to eat, Starbucks to enjoy, speciality coffee shops to enjoy arrogantly, stores to shop, restaurants to eat out and bars to drink. We did most of these things, as there was no more free space in our bags to buy and pack anything extra.

Valletta Sea View	Valletta Street

First things first. The entrance to the old city is spectacular. The Triton Fountain, followed by the City Gate, is Valletta's way of saying that it was worth the effort. And it's not just all mouth and no trousers. Once inside the city, you feel like you're in another world in another century. As I already mentioned above, it felt unique, and that everything blends in with the island. Our hotel was just between the city gate and the main attaction, St. John's Co-Cathedral. Sadly, we had to postpone going inside, since there was a queue already in front of the church when we arrived, and melting in the sun waiting was a bit extreme for us. From the outside, though, the cathedral is imposing, but it is said that the interior is way better. Top of the list for the next trip, I guess.

What the city lacks is the amount of trees and shade, given the general lack of real estate. Consequently, the Upper and Lower Barrakka Gardens feel like a couple of oases on the outskirts of the desert. There are some larger parks near the old city as well, like the Mall or the Argotti Botanic Gardens, just in case you need more greenery. There are, of course, more sites to visit in Valletta, but we tried not to rush for a full day of attractions, given the fact that we also planned to visit Mdina during the second part of the day. What definitely won our hearts was the Valletta architecture, with warm honey limestone buildings boasting ornamental balconies known as gallarija.

Upper Barrakka Gardens	The Triton Fountain

I strongly recommend a couple of places to go while in Valletta. Firstly, if you enjoy cocktails as much as me, definitely check out Kamy Cocktail Bar, and try some of their own trademark cocktails. The standard ones are not that impressive, or maybe my Margarita is just out of this world. The owner of place is a proud Liverpool fan and has a good taste in music, apart from the fact that he knows his cocktails. And secondly, if you're in love with coffe like myself, try Coffee Circus Lisboa, for great speciality coffee and Pasteis de Nata. Their cold brew is fantastic. The Pasteis, I've had better, but only in Lisbon. Which reminds me of my upcoming Lisbon trip, and I'm going to be all over those cakes.

Mdina and Rabat​

Famous for the castle, the narrow streets and the blue door on Instagram, Mdina is a must see. The nearby Rabat is also quite nice, as it shares the narrow streets theme with its fortified neighbour. We explored the cities during the second part of the first day and it was just so much better outside. I believe the air is not as humid there, otherwise I cannot explain why it felt significantly better than the capital. The towns are also a short ride by bus from Valletta, plus there is always the cab option. The buses have air con, and the Ubers are not expensive at all, which helps a lot if your itinerary involves a lot of moving around.

Mdina Street View	Mdina Blue Door

The famous blue door is not the only picturesque spot in Mdina. There are other colorful doors as well. And the buildings are also well maintained and tastefully built. It's the kind of place where James Bond would get away from his job with Madelaine. Just go through the gate with the Aston, drive casually by St. Paul's Cathedral, park outside the house near Wesgha Ta' Sant' Agata, grab ice cream, and enjoy life. Speaking of the cathedral, we happened across a wedding there, and we waited to see the bride as it brings good fortune.

The Three Cities and Marsaxlokk​

The second day was hotter than the first, so we made the obvious decision and went for a walk to the Three Cities. Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua are also a must see while in Malta, and they are only a short bus ride away from the capital, just across the Valletta harbour. We got off in Cospicua and went by foot towards Senglea until we reached its northern end and the Safe Heaven Gardens. There are quite a few scenic spots here, where we could admire Valletta in all its splendor. Senglea is particularly beautiful and has a romantic gateaway kind of vibe, with small boutique hotels, restaurants by the waterfront filled with boats, big and small, old and new.

The third city, Vittoriosa, is actually the peninsula next to Senglea, boasting the impressive Fort St. Angelo, the fortified city of Birgu and its harbour full of luxury yacths and super boats. The walk was very relaxing, and if the weather would have been cooler, I think it would have been absolotely perfect. Not sure if I mentioned this, but maybe not go to Malta in the summer. We went for a coffee break at the Cafe Riche and then ordered a Bolt to Marsaxlokk.

Senglea Harbour	Marsaxlokk Harbour

This small fishing town on the Western Malta coast is a great place to go for dinner and enjoy a fish or a seafood course right next to the sea. The harbour offers great views, but this time it's mostly filled with fishing boats rather than luxury yachts. There is also one of those big LNG ships anchored here, and it's quite visible from the shore. It's the first time I've seen one in real life, and I immediately recognised it, due to its recent popularity. As the sun set, we went for dinner, then took a walk to the beach, and in the end waited for the bus to Valletta and called it a day.

Final Thoughts​

Malta is a great place and I am super happy to have been there. Without a doubt it deserves at least one more visit, since it has so much more to offer. There's also the Blue Grotto, the town of Zurrieq, the catamaran ride to the Blue Lagoon, the megalithic temples and the list continues. Apart from the weather in the summer, there was absolutely no inconvenience whatsoever, there is always something to do, somewhere to go, public transport is great and overall it's not very expensive. Definitely a place worth checking out, by all means.

Photo by Silviu Alexandru Avram

• Q: Do you know what is better than the current trip?
• A: The next one.

It's a very catchy slogan by Delta, used in the commercial you are required to watch before the movie starts on the flight. The annoying part is that you have to view it every time a movie starts. The good part is that they are right.

My US trip was coming to an end and I was actually glad to be returning home, after almost 3 weeks of being spoiled by the American Dream. Snap back to reality, Marshall.

That being said, the magical date of the 1st of May was inching closer, and it's very common to celebrate it while on a trip. The most popular way is to do it is a trip to the seaside, but I was never a big fan of that. Instead, I am a big fan of city breaks, and even though I was expecting most people to chose the seaside or the mountains for their mini vacation, I also expected that the plane tickets to be sold out by that time. Still, it was worth a try, so I checked Skyscanner and, to my surprise, there were quite a few options with very good plane ticket prices, the best being Bologna and Oslo.

Both were places I've never been before, so that got me quite excited. But which one to pick? Sure, Bologna was going to be quite a sure shot, as Italy is always a good idea, as I've been there so many times and it never disappointed.

On the other hand, I've never been to a Northern country, not even Denmark. Consequently, the drive to try something new won, and we picked Oslo as the winner, bought tickets, and breathed easier, knowing that our 1st of May already planned for.

Oslo by foot​

I prefer walking when I'm on a trip, and Oslo was not going to be any different. The city is very convenient for walking, with wide sidewalks, coffe shops , quite a few parks, and a waterfront. The waterfront areas are very sought-out places in Oslo, both for walks, but also for living. There are quite a few of neighbourhoods that were placed directly next to the water. Some areas also had construction sites going on, with new apartment buildings about to rise tall.

As you would expect, these neighbourhoods have a very modern feel, with contemporary style apartment buildings and offices, underground parking spaces and restaurants on the first floor. I would probably not choose to live in these kinds of places, as they seem to me quite soulless, but that's just me. On the other hand, I do appreciate the architectural style of modern apartments next to water canals, like a Venice built in the 21st century. Or Hamburg, even though it has its own unique architectural flavour, which I found quite impressive.

Oslo Opera	Oslo Canal View

One such place is Tjuvholmen, and Tjuvholmen has quite a lot to offer. It has canals with parking space for boats. It has the modern apartments and offices, some still in construction. It has a museum. And it has one restaurant that serves great Norwegian salmon courses, from sushi to grilled. The restaurant is called, well, The Salmon. You wouldn't want to make any mistake when going there. We surely did not, as the food was amazing. They know their salmon very well, so if you're a fan, this should be a non-negotiable stop.

Another neighbourhood is Sorenaga, just behind the Oslo Opera building. It's a very nice place for a walk during sunset and enjoy the sea view at the same time. Turning around and going on the 162, there's the Microsoft building. Hello, dear employer. Turning left and going back towards the Opera house, we went through Oslo's office district, which, unlike most such districts in other cities, this one was conveniently placed next to the city center. The modern neighbourhood theme continues here as well, with a focus on office spaces, even though there were many apartment buildings as well. The perfect place if you feel like living right next to your office and and have your commute in your pijamas.

Sørengautstikkeren	Oslo City Center

Of course, there's also the city center, with quite a large number of bars, usually packed in the evening. Overall, it's your usual European city center, with an abundance of choices for walking, shopping and drinking. I particularly enjoyed the street leading up to the Royal Palace, Karl Johans Street, with Norwegian flags hanging everywhere from the buildings, left and right. I did not enter the palace, but did walk through the surrounding gardens and admired the various statues and monuments placed there.

Continuing towards the Northeast, through the Uranienborg, a very upmarket neighbourhood, there's Vigeland Park. Not surprisingly, I found the park to be quite unusual, given the sculptures laying around, showing different human feelings and stages of life. These sculptures are impressive, not doubt, but they may not be everyone's cup of tea, as they show things like people crawling on top of each other and screaming parents throwing away their toddlers. Life is beautiful, but it's not all raindows and unicorns, and the Vigeland sculptures serve as a artistic reminder of that.

Oslo Museums​

Even though we visited Oslo in May, the weather was totally not exactly May-ish. It rained quite a bit, and the evenings became pretty chilly. Consequently, we considered going to enjoy some of Oslo's museums, and, fortunately, there is no shortage of that. The first pick was The Norwegian Museum of Cultural History. It's the Norwegian equivalent of our own Muzeul Satului in Bucharest, displaying a large number of buildings that made up rural Norway. The building collection includes living houses, churches, stables and grain depots. In addition to the buildings, there is also an exhibition with religious objects, clothes, furniture and decorations.

Also very impressive is the Fram museum. No, it's not the polar bear, but it's probably one of the most interesting museums I've ever been to, as it includes the actual Fram exploration ship. The whole museum is actually build around the ship, which is restored beautifully on the outside and you can also check it out on the inside, with living quarters, cabins, kitchen, the main gathering hall and storage areas. It is probably the most important museum to visit in Oslo, as I don't believe there are many like it.

Fram Museum	Museum of Cultural History

On the more convetional side of museums, we went to the National Museum, which includes a very impressive collection overall, not just works of Munch. It include a large amount of paintings, architecture and design objects, and it's definitely worth its ticket money. Of course, there is also the Munch museum, but, unfortunately, we could not fit it in our itinerary, given the short stay. Next time it should be number one on the list.

Final Thoughts​

Overall, it has been a very short trip, but, to be honest, it was enough. Sure, Norway is definitely a place where I would return, but next time it might be more about nature and less about city breaking. I'm super happy with the trip, since it was something different and quite refreshing from my usual Italian city breaks. If you are looking for salmon special, definitely check out Oslo, and with that bad joke, it's time to end. Happy travels!

Photo by Silviu Alexandru Avram

We're back in Seattle, baby, and this time we're spending a full week here, not just some silly 3 business trip days. And the best part is: it's only vacation. A full week in tech heaven #2, the land of Amazon, Microsoft and, of course, Starbucks. I just wish I packed un umbrella.

Ballard​

Ballard neighbourhood was going to be my home for the week, and a change of scenery from Jersey City was to be expected. No more skyscrapers. No brownstones. Only houses, and lawns, and gardens, and more houses. And that presented a great opportunity to continue my burger-and-fries-burning morning runs, which, by now, turned from optional to necessity.

Situated on a hilly landscape, with Shilshole Bay to the west, Ballard is a nice and cosy place to live. I explored it quite a bit, reaching its outskirts with long runs and walks: the bay to the west, Whitman School and Golden Gardens to the morth, Carl S. English Jr. Botanical Garden to the south and Woodland Park to the east. The neighbourhood is a low density residential area, with many great looking houses. Most of them had thoughtfully arranged gardens in front, and none were identical. Because of the rainy temperate climate, the place is a greenery, with an abundance of cherry trees, magnolias, shrubbery, flowers and even succulent plants, where the soil became rocky.

Ballard House	Ballard Cherry Trees

In Ballard downtown I found a few places to enjoy a coffee or lunch out, even though the area is pretty small. There was no queue at the local Salt&Straw, to my surprise. Unfortunately, after I had my double scoop cone, I immediately understood why. It wasn't really like the one I had in LA or San Diego, or maybe gelato tastes better in California. I don't know. It was not all negative though, as I discovered a very good tea place, Miro Tea, and, most importantly, a local bakery, Tall Grass Bakery. As a result, mornings became very sweet.

Outside the center, there is also Ballard Coffee Co. with pretty decent coffee, and Un Bien, a Caribbean Restaurant, which is not really a restaurant, more like a counter to order food from, and a couple of wood benches where you could choose to "dine in". But the food was absolutely amazing. I ordered a Caribbean Burrito and only half of it was enough to make me feel full, which is not something that happens often. Also great is Mainstay Provisions for coffee, and The Dish, a classic American Diner but with a Central America twist to it. Blueberry pancakes with butter and maple syrup? Yes, please!

Outside Ballard​

Even though I was expecting to rent a car in order to get around, I found that public transport is actually good enough, both for going to the airport and for moving between the downtown and back home. However, most of the time, I chose to walk between Ballard and other objectives, especially when going back, since there was no need to rush.

Carl S. English Botanical Garden	Discovery Park

One of the places I enjoyed most is Discovery Park, which is bordering Ballard to the South, next to the coast. In order to reach it, I walked through the Carl English Botanical Garden and, since the weather was pleasant and the garden quite nice, I spent some extra time strolling its quiet alleys. Continuing the journey, I crossed Salmon Bay by Ballard Locks, then the train tracks by a suspended bridge, and headed through the woods towards Discovery Park. I was fortunate enough to pass through woodlands when, inevitably, it started to rain. Eventually, I reached the park and went for a very long and chaotic walk until I reached the coast. It stopped raining, for the moment, but the wind made it impossible to relax for more than 2 consecutive minutes. Nevertheless, the coast is a sight to see, with Mount Olympus in the background, and the lake in between. Equally beautiful is the West Point Lighthouse, which was used, as I later found out, as the logo for the Lighthouse Roasters coffee shop in Fremont.

Speaking of Fremont, I crossed it a few times on my way from Downtown or when I went to visit the University of Washington campus. The neighbourhood is pretty similar to Ballard, althouth a bit more hilly. Right next to it, there's Woodland Park and, at the end of it, there's Green Lake. The park itself is, as its name suggests, a stretch of woodland, without much human intervention, except some alleys. The lake is pretty big, big enough to be used as practice by rowing teams. I popped up just in time for such a session, and it was great to watch them train while the coach was providing motivation using a loud tone.

West Point Lighthouse	University of Washington Building

After a long walk westward through Wallingford, I eventually reached University District and the University of Washington campus. I was curious to see the difference between it and the Columbia campus back in NYC. Not surprinsingly, this campus was bigger, with plenty of space for buildings, dormitories and parks. Luckily, the cherry trees theme continued here as well, and I bet I was not the only imposter in the campus taking pictures. I made a relaxing round tour of the campus, decided I was too cool for school, and headed back to Ballard via the 45th Street.

Other places worth mentioning are the Myrtle Edwards and the Centennial Parks, both on the coast of Elliot Bay, and the Volunteer Park, where Bruce Lee is buried. Finally, there's Snoqualmie, where we went for a short road trip to the Snoqualmie Falls, a pretty popular stop outside Seattle for both locals and tourists.

Downtown​

Honestly, Seattle Downtown was my least favorite part of the city, but I enjoyed a few places nevertheless. Of course, there's the number one attraction, the Space Needle, but I have already been there in 2019, so this time I went straight for the museums. They are, without doubt, worthy of visit, as they display impressive art collections. My first visit was to the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum, and it was a blast. The colorful glass works are trully remarkable, and the level of detail for every piece of art is incredible. Luckily, I arrived just in time for a live demonstration, where a couple of artists were creating a glass in front of an audience. It wasn't a Margarita glass, but very good looking nonetheless.

The Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum	The Seattle Great Wheel

My second visit was to the Museum of Pop Culture, which features collections from so many areas that makes pop culture, such as rap music, horror movies, indie video games and rock bands. The horror movies section was pretty cool, since it contained props from many popular movies, such as the axe from the Shining and the Alien costume from, well, the Alien movie.

Last museum for me, but not least, was the Seattle Art Museum, with the good old established array of pieces such as paintings, pottery and sculptures, from different locations and time periods. My favorite piece was a painting from 1882 by Cleveland Rocknell, the Smokey Sunrise, Astoria Harbor. Probably the first painting, so far, that I wanted to look at for more than 2 minutes.

Smokey Sunrise, Astoria Harbor, by Cleveland Rocknell

Apart from the museums, there isn't much of Downtown that stuck into memory. Sure, there's the Pike Market, with the first Starbucks, and its queue that really made me how much did I really want the same cold brew that I could order from any other Starbucks that wasn't crowded. Talking about Starbucks, I discovered the Starbucks Oleato Iced Cortado, and though I was skepticap about the use of olive oil, it was one of the best drinks I ever had. Going back to the sights, there's also the Cal Anderson Park, one of the few small parks of Downtown. The area around the park is actually nice to go for a stroll, and Analog Coffee is a very good place to stop for a short break with a non-Starbucks Cortado.

Final Thoughts​

And that's all, folks. The end of my almost three week trip to the US. It was one of the best trips I took so far, with hundreds of kilometers walked or ran, many fascinating museums and parks visited, tens of cold brews, hopefully not as many burgers and donuts, and, most importantly, the feeling of being happy.

I'm happy to have chosen Seattle for this trip, and I'm considering coming back, but next time I will bring some hiking gear with me, since I'm thinking to try some trails. Looking forward to that, soon!