I met my now best friend Hanna a few years ago during my first visit to Helsinki, on a coffee date set up out of desperation. Without any acquaintances in the city, I just wanted someone to sit next to in public, and given our tenuous work connection, she fitted the bill. Our drink quickly turned into dinner, wrapping up four hours later after doing deep dives on politics, religion, sex and life, the kind of topics that usually take friends years to address. A year later, I flew back to be a bridesmaid at her wedding, still shocked at how fast we forged a connection.
“Laura,” she...
Nothing can compare to traveling to Africa for the very first time. It’s breathtaking, awe-inspiring, and, last but not least, revitalizing. If you’re heading to the land of Sahara, then make sure not to miss Uganda. Uganda is the most overlooked country in the East African region. It’s a shame taking into consideration that it’s the pearl of Africa. Uganda is better than Kenya, Tanzania, or Rwanda. What makes Uganda so special, anyway? This is a question that everyone is asking. Well, people are very friendly and the landscape is dominated by green emerald. If you’re traveling to...
Residents say that if you stare into the eyes of the Užupis Mermaid as you cross the bridge into the tiny, self-declared Republic of Užupis from the surrounding Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, you’ll never want to leave. Created in 2002 by sculptor Romas Vilčiauskas, the bronze figure welcomes visitors to the tiny republic – and locals claim that it is she who lures them here from all over the globe.
View image of The Republic of Užupis covers less than 1 sq km within the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius (Credit: Credit: Leonard Saw)
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It does not matter how much free time you have for travelling. Some of the best experiences in our lives happen in a single day. On the other hand, if you don’t feel like spending so much time on travelling, there are some good places you don’t need too much time to explore it. A daily trip is enough to just enjoy it, but never to forget the experience. We have made a list of the three most recommendable ones in Italy according to some researches.
1. Scilla
Scilla is a small town in Italy with a total population of only about 5.100 inhabitants. It is located in the province of...
A list of the most inspiring places on earth could be very different for each individual. So many places are beautiful enough to make your jaw drop. The following five places, including three beautiful cities and two natural wonders, may be ones you have not yet considered.
Matera in Italy
Matera in Italy is one of the oldest living cities in the world. Honey-stoned houses perch above a ravine and beneath the surface is a labyrinth of monasteries, cave dwellings and churches that go back over 9000 years. The city has been restored from near ruin and now houses some of Italy’s most...
Consider Dr Seuss. The writer and illustrator behind the most absurd books in the library, whose wordplay and neatly illustrated doodles are forever alive in the imagination of children. In Seuss’ universe, full of impossible creatures, eye-popping characters and memorable puns, cats wear red-and-white floppy hats, eggs have green yolks and foxes sport socks. Seuss’ tools were the building blocks of the alphabet, his lyricism the result of years daydreaming at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire and working as an advertising illustrator in New York.
There’s as much of...
Basking in the Bay of Naples, Capri is Italy at its most dazzling. Whitewashed villas burst with purple bougainvillea, yachts putter around the island’s glimmering grottoes and what was once an idyllic home of fishermen is now an exclusive glitterati haunt.
A machine can power a light, but it can’t watch the sea
But every evening in a modest apartment on the island’s remote south-western tip, a 64-year-old sailor named Carlo D’Oriano slowly climbs 136 steps up a spiral staircase to the lonely lookout tower of the Punta Carena lighthouse and peers through a pair of...
As I made my way through the meandering hallways of Tokyo Station, I felt like a pilgrim making a monumental journey, before my actual trip. I was headed to the mecca of ekiben – beloved boxed meals created specifically for long train journeys. Like the crowds bustling around me, I had a train to catch, and my last order of business was to find myself some lunch for the ride.
Ekiben (駅弁), an abbreviation of eki (station) and ben (bento), is a prized, and some would say essential, element of long-distance train travel in Japan. While eating in a local commuter train is frowned upon,...
California is nature’s secret closet. It is a land blessed with a diverse landscape that includes everything from lakes to mountains. It is just as well known for its lush valleys as it is for its rocky mountains. If you are looking for fun-filled nature adventures in California, you will never run out of options.
Plenty of choices, however, can be confusing. To simplify your decision, we have selected five of the most fun-filled ways to enjoy the natural beauty of California.
Hiking Adventures in California
If you want to walk right into the arms of nature, hiking is perhaps the best...