Paris Is Always A Good Idea

Guess what guys?! As I told you in my last post, I've been craving for a little getaway and sooner than expected I booked a trip to Paris!!! I was enjoying my morning brekkie when I bumped into this great deal that I found on the Internet. Spending three nights in one of the most beautiful cities of Europe right before Christmas.. Yes, yes, yes! I can't be more excited. I mean PARIS! It's been somewhat 5 years that I went to Paris for the first time and I think it's about time to make the second time happening! Back then it was Summer and I only spent one day in the city.. we did a hop on hop off tour bus ride and we basically got to see the biggest highlights, but we unfortunately didn't get to know the city that well. This time will be different though. First time in Paris during Winter.. I absolutely can't wait to explore the city that will be fully decorated by all the Christmas trees and lights. Oee I'm getting in the mood already haha, is that too early? 

Have you ever been to Paris? And what would you recommend to visit? I'm thinking about getting on top of the Eiffel Tower, visiting Le Louvre, strolling the streets of Paris and admiring the Christmassy window displays, drinking hot coffee or tea and eating macarons at Ladurée, having a typical Parisian breakfast.. and I could go on and on. But I need you help too! What's all worth visiting? And what should I absolutely not forget to do? What are the best lunch and dining places? Just tell me everything you know! :) Eeek, I'm so looking forward to it, I'm counting down the days! :)

Images found on Pinterest

A Little Getaway Dreaming

Good morning! I've really been craving for a little getaway lately, just a little city trip to somewhere in Europe. Last year right before Christmas I went to London and that was just so great! That trip absolutely got me into the amazing Christmas spirit. So I bet you can imagine that right now I've been craving for a right-before-Christmas-holiday again. But where should I go? London again? Or perhaps Copenhagen, Vienna or Paris? There're so many cities here in Europe I'd like to visit and I'm not even speaking about the all the other cities around the globe. But hey, we're still young and there's plenty of time left. Anyway, writing this post makes me want to search the Internet for this year's Christmas getaway.. and I think that's exactly what I'm going to do now! Tips are always welcome! :)

TACK SÅ MYCKET, STOCKHOLM!

On Sunday evening I already left Stockholm behind me, but since my head is still somewhere in Gamla Stan, I think it's time to talk about last week's city trip. Thursday morning, or better said Wednesday night - after 3.5 hours of sleep - it was time to wake up, pack the last couple of things and hop in the car to get on our way to Schiphol Airport. We had an early flight, so we got in Stockholm around 08:30 am. I've always wanted to go to Stockholm and I'm very glad I finally did. The city is beautiful and has everything you can imagine.. Old traditional houses in Gamla Stan, silent watersides, beautiful green parks, friendly and stylish people (which I'll talk about in my next post this Friday), trendy shops (amen to Lexington, Acne Studios, Tiger of Sweden, etc), good food such as Swedish meatballs, fresh smoked salmon, knäckebröd, cinnamon buns, etc. Ooh, someone take me back! Anyway, enough with the chatting, let the pictures speak for itself.

Oh, p.s. sorry for the photo explosion! :)

On our first day we took the hop on hop off tour bus. It's a thing we always do when going on a city trip. It's an easy and a great way to explorer the city. After that, we strolled around the city, visiting the shopping streets, Kungsträgården, the Royal Palace and other interesting things. After a little rest at the hotel, we had dinner at Jamie's Italian. We dined at one of Jamie Oliver's restaurants in London as well and since we liked the food so much, we just had to have dinner there in Stockholm too.

On our second day we visited the old town Gamla Stan, famous for its medieval houses, buildings and churches, and for the central point 'Stortorget'. I read that there was a very, very small alley in Gamla Stan that was hard to find. True that, because we couldn't find it either. After a fika (coffee break) at the Espresso House (must-visit) and a little help from my dear friend Google Maps, we finally found the smallest street of Stockholm. Mårten Trotzigs gränd is only 90cm wide at its narrowest point, funny to see. 

Stockholm has an untouched nature and we absolutely didn't want to miss that. On day three we got on a boat that took us through the archipelago in 2.5 - 3 hours. For me, this boat trip was the highlight of the city trip. There's nothing as tranquil as the archipelago in the morning. The silence, the untouched nature.. so peaceful. I already imagined myself living on an island there haha. No stress, no harm.. Can't get any better, right?!

On our last day we just walked around the city, you know just enjoying our last hours in this beautiful city. A little shopping here and there and having drinks including the famous Joe & the Juices which was so, so, so yummy! Couldn't complain at all!

All in all, Stockholm is a great place to visit. I could even see myself living here. Maybe next year? You never know what happens in the future. Anyhow, if you're thinking about traveling to this city.. just go! I'm sure you'll have a great time, this city absolutely didn't leave me disappointed! Tack så mycket, Stockholm!

NEXT DESTINATION: STOCKHOLM!

Good morning this sunny morning! I have some really exciting news! Very soon I'll be on a trip to the capital city of Sweden. Yes indeed, Stockholm it is! I've never been to a Scandinavian country before, but I've been wanting to go so badly! One day I'll fill my suitcases full with warm clothes, get on the plane and land somewhere in the northern parts of Scandinavia (Kiruna or so) to watch the northern-lights, to feel the real cold on my skin while being pulled on a sled by Huskies, and to end the day in a hot sauna after I jumped into the icy cold waters. Oh boy, those are dreams that hopefully will be fulfilled in the future. Anyways, a trip to Stockholm is already booked and I can't wait since it's on top of my European citytrip wish list! There're so many places I'd love to visit.. from NY to Sydney, from Dubai to Buenos Aires, from Bora Bora to Kiruna, from any other place in the world to you name it. The list just goes on, and on, and on.

But first, Stockholm! I've started to make a day-to-day program a couple of weeks ago, so in general I know what I want to visit, such as the old town Gamla Stan and all the city's sightseeing. But I'm sure the city has a lot more to offer and could use your help to discover that! Have you ever been to Stockholm? What are the must-sees and what is something I definitely can't miss? And what are the best places to eat? Let me know in the comment box down below. :)

Image from Pinterest

London Photo Diary

Hi guys! I'm so sorry I haven't been writing any posts for the last two weeks. I'm trying to find a couple of proper excuses, but I honestly can't come up with anything good. Guess I've been a bit lazy and had a little lack of inspiration. Not such a good start of the year, as I told myself to keep up the good work. But I'm back now and since I still owe you some pictures of my Christmas trip to London, I want to make it up sharing them with you today.

I already gave you a little sneak peek in this post and told you that I visited London for the first time. This city definitely didn't leave me disappointed. I could probably fill all the pages of my notebook about how much I love London, it is such a great moving city. It was quite hard to pick out the best pictures for posting since I took more than 400 (!) pictures. Felt like a true tourist haha! So I warn you for the photo bombing right now. I would say, let the pictures speak for themselves and go visit that city as soon as you can! :)

Wonderful London

As I told you in my last post I'm back from London! On Christmas Eve we landed safely with a big smile on our faces. We had such a wonderful trip, London during Christmas is amazing. I've dreamed about traveling to London for so long and it finally happened. I was really excited to visit this city myself instead of admiring the pictures on Pinterest haha. The window displays were decorated so beautifully and the streets sparkled from every side. I never visited London before and since the city is huge, we wanted to see as much as possible. I believe we've managed to do so, because we were on the run all day long, hopping on and off the subway from one place to another. Every now and then we took a little break with a spicy hot drink at a typical English pub, yumm! It was the perfect getaway to kick off the holidays!

I've plenty of pictures to show you, other posts will come up soon. Stay tuned! Have a lovely Sunday everyone! :)

London Dreams

London, the Christmas capital of Europe. I've been dreaming about spending a few days in London for so long now and it's finally going to happen! I think there's no better place than London to experience the magic of the Christmas spirit. Well okay, maybe one city which is - of course - New York, but I'm talking Europe now haha. I've never been to London before, so I'm very curious what the city has to offer. The stories I hear and read about this city are all beyond positive, so my expectations are high.

Have you ever visited London? How did you like it? If you have any recommendations for a place to have lunch or dinner or in case you have any tips about the things that I absolutely have to see, feel free to leave a comment down below. I would love to read your comments. I'm already imagining myself passing the shops and admiring the window decorations. I'm sure I need to control myself not buying everything I see haha. Oh, I just can't wait to enjoy the twinkling lights while warming up with a hot beverage in a cozy English pub where Christmas music is softly playing in the background. An imagination that will come true soon enough. I'm so excited, I hope there will be some snow falling too, but I have my doubts!

Images via Pinterest

Rome On My Mind

Oh boy, how much I miss Rome. Exactly today five (!) months ago, I waited for my flight to take off, to head back home to my family and friends. Wait.. what?! Five months ago?! Well.. yes indeed, I can’t believe myself either. The period of time that I’ve been back is the same period of time I spent my time abroad in bella Roma. This is yet another confirmation that time flies by so fast. I still see myself walking in the early evening after work - the sun still burning on my shoulders - passing the ancient Colosseum while I'm on my way to Campo de' Fiori, where I meet up with my friends to wine and dine Italian finger-licking foodies. For some Italians that's just the normal way of living, but for me that was enjoying life to the fullest. I still remember my last day and night like it was yesterday. Every day I think about my time there and I just can’t let it go. I barely can’t bear with anything that holds a memory and since my time in Rome consists of perfect memories only, I think you’d understand why this city is still on my mind Every. Single. Day. Wish I could snap my fingers and be transported back to Rome, back to my life there. But yeah, life goes on, I know that. We'll see what happens in the future... :)

Home Sweet Home

Hello again, this time from a little different scenery in the middle of some sunshine at home in the Netherlands. After a safe flight on Thursday, I was warmly welcomed by my family at the airport and shortly after arriving home I took a hot shower, wrapped myself in a bathrobe and slipped into the sheets of the most comfortable bed ever. I slept like a little baby.

After 5 months living abroad in Rome, I unfortunately had to say goodbye (for now, because I'll be back for sure!) to the beautiful city, my new friends and my internship company. This era can be considered as one of the best periods of my life so far. Rome has made me fall in love with its beauty, the food, the Italian culture, the people, the 'La Dolce Vita' atmosphere.. Everything was perfect. I already miss the city and my friends like crazy. I miss even the busy roads, the loud sirens of the ambulances and the irritated, but fashionable, Italians who keep pushing the horns of their cars. But most of all, I miss living my life there with the people I met and spent my time with. From the stress moments at work to drinking cocktails at a bar.. From enjoying Italian dinners to the crazy parties and the exciting World Cup games.. Without my new friends it wouldn't have been this amazing. I want to thank every single person I've met for making my time in Rome complete. Grazie mille a tutti!

Next week will be exciting as graduation is coming really close. In a couple of days I'll have to do my final presentation of my Bachelor thesis and I have to hand in my internship report. While awaiting the results, I'll probably relax and try to get used to my old habits. If that's even possible...

11 hours in Napoli

Yesterday my alarm clock went off way too early if you’d ask me, but it was totally worth it! At 07.30am me and my friends sat on the train on our way to Naples. I was so excited since the only Italian city I ever visited (and now living in) was Rome.. ok and Tivoli, but that’s just a town near Rome, that doesn't really count haha. Since I'm living in Italy, I wanted to see more Italian cities, so chop chop on our way to the city of laundry and pizza!

I always loved the idea of seeing narrow streets full of drying laundry fluttering in the breeze from just about every single balcony. When I saw those streets myself, it felt like I was in a different scene. I loved it! I also heard some less positive stories about the city. I was told that the city was old, dirty and scary because of the many pickpockets. Everyone warned us, so me and my friends walked around the city holding our bags like our lives depended on it. Locals must have thought weird things about us haha!

We wandered through the city, visited some churches and had a lovely lunch. After, we went to the boulevard. Ooooh how much I loved to see the sea. I even got more excited when I saw Mount Vesuvius and the island of Capri in the distance. I really want to go to that island one day, those caves with water bluer than blue. Mamma mia! One day, one day..

After walking around and eating a yummy Italian dolce called 'sfogliatelle', we headed to a little train that took us up to the hill from which we had an amazing view! After enjoying the city’s skyline and having a little rest moment from all the walking, we went searching for this certain restaurant to eat pizza. When in Naples guys, you just have to eat pizza, because pizza Napolitano is the best! We only had 30 minutes left to go back to the train station, so we were a bit in a rush. Luckily our pizzas were served in less than 5, I say 5, minutes! Good services and, most importantly, good quality. The pizzas were so tasteful!!

Napoli is a very lovely and vibrant city and is full of historical and artistic treasures and narrow, winding streets with small shops. It’s such a pity we went there for just one day, I wished to climb Mount Vesuvius and to visit Pompeii. And if I only had the chance to visit Capri.. I'll be back!