After four visits to Sri Lanka, I believe I have
gathered enough experience to write a short how-to-guide, hopefully
minimalizing your chances of getting swindled as it had happened to me on
several occasions.
So, here it goes:
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
2/09/2015
Soul Fishing’s Tuk Tuk Tips and Tricks
2/08/2015
Keeping up with Soul Fishing on Instagram
11/05/2014
The French Interiors
I thought about it for a long time and decided to write a post about the French interiors that I saw in Paris, it's where I draw my inspiration from and I really wanted to share this with you. I love pouring over pages of interior design magazines, such as Art & Decoration, HOME, ELLE Decor, etc. It gives me so many ideas on how to decorate my own apartment, which is a total work in progress, after almost two years, my books are still on the floor of my living room. Oh well...
Our home reflects our state of mind; how we perceive the world and how we see ourselves in it; and I honestly believe that every apartment, even the smallest, dingiest, one-bedroom apartment has the potential to be turned into a welcoming warm nest. How? Follow these simple steps.
8/19/2014
The Istria Diaries
The funny
thing is that up North, the weather is better than ever. Sunny and summery. And
down South, the weather is rainy and rotten. It’s like the whole world is
upside down, I don’t understand. Do you have any idea how many slinky summer dresses
I have in my closet that are just dying to be worn and don’t get out because it’s
too cold outside? It’s not fair!
This
weekend, I took a mini break from work, thinking I’m going to have a glorious
three day vacay in Istria, instead the weather Gods played a trick on me, and
decided to mess it up by first sending a strong gust of wind to unsuspecting swimmers
(that would be me) who climbed quickly out of water and rested on the rocks, goose
bumps covering my whole body. I then spent the rest of the day wrapped in a
beach towel, shivering from the cold, wishing I had brought a sweater to the
beach.
The next day, the weather Gods decided they
were bored and played even more tricks on us bathing suit-clad lesser mortals
and sent the rain. I spent the entire Saturday indoors reading a book with a
thick sweater on, while my friend was quietly snoring in the corner of the
room. Yay, we were on holiday!
In the
evening, the rain finally subsided and we heard through the grapevine that
there is a concert in town. We quickly got dressed and went out. The concert
was magical with all the floating lanterns, it was beautiful, fabulous… it was also really
really cold! 15 degrees plus wind. People were wearing parkas, while my friend
and I were freezing our tails off in light summer sweaters. Unbelievable!
Luckily,
the next day was pure sunny bonanza, the weather was perfect, the temperatures
were just right, I finally got a little bit of tan and the water was fantastic!
The water was so pleasantly warm and lovely, I just couldn’t get enough of
swimming. Is there anything better than floating in crystal clear water? I
swear I could feel my troubles just melting away with each stroke. It was well worth
the long wait! Gorgeous!
Note to myself: Next time, bring an even thicker sweater and bring it to the beach, that way, the weather is bound to be sunny and hot.
Love,
Teja xoxo
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8/13/2014
Shopping and Eating in Dublin
Hey guys, this post
is about one of my favorite activities when I go abroad which are shopping and
eating. I have to admit that I avoided most of the mainstream fashion labels,
such as H&M, Zara, Topshop, etc. because we have them in Slovenia and also
because I am getting fed up with them and was ready to discover something new
and fresh, preferably local.
I
discovered 9 Crow Street completely by accident as I was passing by the shop
windows. Looking back, I think I was drawn by the pretty pastel colors. Upon
entering I fell in love with the eclectic interior design, it’s sort of a
mish-mash of old and new which is also reflected by the goods: they are part
vintage, part brand new. Speaking of which, you should check out the 9 CrowStreet’s label Pretty Owls Drink Tea, it is a kind of homage to unicorns and
mermaids. I mean who doesn’t like unicorns? Or mermaids?
8/11/2014
The Cork Diaries: Part 2 a.k.a. In Ireland Drugs Go Cheap
After the
trip to the Cliffs, I noticed that my already a bit sore throat got much worse.
I could barely swallow food, and I had a bit of a pain in my ears as well, no
doubt due to the eternally windy Irish weather that I as a Southie was not used
to.
So I went
to the nearest pharmacy and got myself these kick-ass throat pills with ‘’anesthetic
to quickly numb the throat pain and antibiotic to help fight throat infection’’
end quote. I took one and lo – not only I didn’t feel any pain in my throat
after less than a minute, but my tongue felt a little… heavy. Turns out the
pills had enough numbing agent to numb a small pony! This would definitely not
be sold as an over-the-counter drug in Slovenia. Also, I could not believe that
I had to pay only 3.45 euros for 24 throat lozenges. It was a friggin bargain! I
wish I had bought more!
That’s when
I got an ingenious idea. Since the meds are so cheap in Ireland, I was going to
get a bunch of them and take them home, it shouldn’t be a problem, since both
Ireland and Slovenia are in the EU. So I got two packets of these things called
Lemsip, which is an equivalent of the
Slovene Lekadol - turns out they were
30% cheaper! Then, when my cold turned for a bit worse, I also got myself 1000 mg
Vitamin C pills, again, not available in Slovenia, as the Vitamin C pills in
Slovenia have the sissy dosage of 200 mg of Vitamin C! So, it was definitely a
good purchaseJ
The only
thing that I really really missed while having a cold in Ireland, was a steamy
hot shower. Turns out that up North, they don’t really take showers with hot
water up from 38 degrees Celsius like we do in the South. I was bitterly disappointed
since having a nice hot shower would be a perfect thing after the cold Atlantic
wind almost blowing me off the Cliffs. Instead, I ended up having shower with the
temperature of the water at pathetic 28 degrees, maybe even less, almost
wishing I had brought a sweater to the shower. I mean, what the hell, paddies,
can’t you take a decent shower with boiling hot water, like we do in the South?
I know it would be tough at first, but it would harden your spirit. I dare you,
descendants of bad-ass Vikings and Celts!
Putting the
topic of drugs aside – I met two really interesting Slovene guys while in Cork,
which is a miracle by itself since Slovenia is so small, there’s only two
millions of us. Anyway, they guys were jugglers, actual jugglers, and the members of the International Jugglers Association
(yes, there is such a thing). They were so sweet and even tried to teach me how
to juggle (the operative word being ‘tried’). We ended up hanging out, having
lunch at O’Flynn’s Gourmet Sausages – they were pretty good, I have to say. It
was really interesting from the observers’ point of view to see how the guys
were making money as street artists, how they chose a venue, approached the
people, working their charm on them. I learned a lotJ
(My sausage sandwich:))
After saying
goodbye to them, I went shopping and treated myself to a bit of retail therapy,
I bought this incredible lip balm and a gorgeous moisturizing hand cream from
the label called Lanolips. I swear, this thing is the best for dry skin! I am so
pleased with it.
I also
discovered a cute little boutique called Brocade& Lime where I found the cutest replica dresses in 1950s style with the
most amazing prints, like lollipops and ice-cream and tiny ships, OMG were they
beautiful! If you’re a vintage enthusiast and you’re in Cork, go to Brocade & Lime!
Also, one of my favorite places to shop in Cork was actually the English Market. I really like grocery shopping:)
A few more photos from the streets of Cork:
Hope you enjoyed this post,
Love,
Teja xoxo
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8/07/2014
The Cliffs of Moher Diaries
If you ever
decide to travel to Ireland, this is the place to visit. From my entire Ireland
holiday, the Cliffs of Moher were my personal favorite.
Since the
bus and train connections in Ireland aren’t that grand (notice me using the
local lingo?:)), I think the most elegant way for a tourist would be to go to
the local tourist office and book a day tour. I chose the Paddywagon Tours and
the cost per person was 35 euros. Since my hostel was also sponsoring (or being
sponsored by ?) the tour, it came cheaper, only 27 euros, which was a bargain!
So, my advice would be to ask at your hostel if you get a discountJ
Our guide,
Gavin, warned us beforehand that there are no rails or fences and that theCliffs of Moher are the cheapest way to get a divorce, since it is only one
push away (I have always appreciated the British-slash-Irish dry humor).
(Ever wondered what's at the bottom of the cliffs? Ta-daaah!)
Watching
the tourists, I have noticed many faux-passes in the way they were dressed or
the way they were acting, so I’ve comprised a hopefully helpful to do list:
So, if
you’re visiting the Cliffs of Moher, this is what you should do:
-leave the
skimpy skirts and tops and home and dress warmly with a windbreaker on top. A
really strong cold wind is blowing from the Atlantic and let’s face it, you’re
not a polar bear. Or Irish. Or an Irish polar bear.
-leave the
flip-flops at home. There are rocks and stones that become really slippery when
it’s raining (which is basically all the time in Ireland). Wear appropriate
(waterproof) shoes. (If you’re reading this thinking, well that’s common sense.
Well, my experience has shown that common sense ain’t common enough - quite a
few people were in flip flops climbing on rocks – and slipping on rocks).
-wear a
scarf around your neck to keep your throat warm. You’ll thank me once you get there.
-wear a
sweat-proof T-shirt under your sweater. Why? There’s a lot of climbing going on
there and you will sweat. Once you stop and pose for the latest selfie, the wet
cotton T-shirt under your sweater will feel cold against your back and you can
catch a cold later on. A sweat-proof T-shirt will absorb the sweat and won’t
feel cold against your skin. I really recommend it.
-have an
extra piece of clothing, such as an extra sweater or extra T-shirt in your
backpack ready to change.
-do not go
to the Cliffs if you have a fear of heights. Seriously. I’ve noticed a couple
of people freaking out and running inland towards safety. If you have a fear of
heights, why would you walk along the edge of the 218-meter-high cliffs that
have no rail? In my opinion, that’s just asking for it!
Hope you enjoyed this post,
Love,
Teja xoxo
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8/03/2014
The Cork Diaries Part 1
‘’Goodbye
Slovenia,’’ I thought to myself as I felt the plane take off, the houses and
trees getting smaller and smaller through the window. The connected flight to
Frankfurt wasn’t very long, mind you. Only two turbulences later, and I was
already at the Frankfurt Airport, waiting for the next plane to Dublin, which
proved to be easier said than done as a plane in front of our plane had broken
down and could not be removed from the landing strip, so all the passengers and
the crew had to patiently wait in the plane headed to Dublin for an hour. If
this had gone on for another half an hour, we would have been stranded in
Frankfurt as the airport closes down at 11 pm.
Luckily,
the guys at the Frankfurt airport managed to remove the broken down plane from
the landing strip, so we were free to fly off to Dublin. Two hours later, I was
roaming like a lost little lamb around the Dublin airport, looking for a
shuttle to Cork. Turns out that due to the plane delay, I had missed it and had
to wait until 12.30 am for the very last shuttle to Cork, which was one more
hour of waiting. It felt more like five! I just collapsed into the nearest
chair and waited patiently, caught somewhere between sleep and awake.
And one
hour later, I was in the bus to Cork, sound asleep. Three more hours later, I
was in the middle of Cork which at 4 am, was completely abandoned. I guess all
those rumors about the Irish being party animals weren’t so true after all. I
was half expecting the streets to be swarmed with drunk university students, or
people undertaking the walk of shame or… something.
Instead,
the streets were eerily quiet and so was the hostel I was staying at. I basically
just collapsed into my new bed and got high quality sleep for good four hours.
After that,
I couldn’t sleep anymore, as the hostel guests had slammed the doors of their
rooms so many times it would take a miracle to fall asleep again.
Oh well, I
was ready for Cork, anyway, but first – I had to find some grub. Luckily, right
next to my hostel, there was a really cute café called the Buttercup, so I
ordered a huuuuge sandwich and a huuuuge cup of Americano and I was good to go.
With no particular plan in my mind, just sheer curiosity, my first stop was the
Cork Opera, just for the fun of it. Turns out, there was an opening night that
very evening for the Hairspray Musical, so the tickets were cheaper. Did I get
them? You bet!
After that,
I was roaming the streets of Cork, just like that, stopping at whatever I found
interesting, and that’s how I came across the Kilkenny Shop, which held the
latest collection of Orla Kiely bags. If you’re ever in Ireland, make sure you
treat yourself to an Orla Kiely bag, they are a bit pricy, but well worth the
purchase as they are very high quality. I purchased an Orla Kiely backpack
mostly due to the practicality factor: I realized that the backpack I had
brought with me was way too big and clunky to take on sightseeing. And I
really, really liked the new backpack! J Besides, most of the women in
Ireland have at least one Orla Kiely bag, so you know… when in Rome… J
The streets
of Cork were lively with people, the weather was sunny (!) which was kind of
amazing, considering the fact that it’s Ireland! I fell in love with the cute
Irish houses, the old streets with pubs, and the relaxed city atmosphere and
after a while, I felt right at home in Cork. Just one of the locals.
The River Lee
An Old Sweet Shoppe:)
A Detail on My Way to the Black Rock Castle
The Wall with the Famous Irishmen Graffiti
Then, I had
to sit down again, as I had slept for only four hours that night and I needed a
new dose of coffee. And that’s how I discovered the Butler Café. They seriously
have the best coffee there and the best bit is that is comes with a
complementary chocolate! I chose the caramel and salt one, which was a total
win! However, the coffee in Ireland in much, much more expensive than in
Slovenia. In Ljubljana, which is the capital, a cup of cappuccino costs around 1.50,
in Ireland it cost 3.00, so circa 50% more. But on the other hand, everything
in Ireland is more expensive than in Slovenia. The food, the drinks, the
hostels, you name it.
In the
evening, I went to the Hairspray opening night, which was amazing. Mind you, I
was a bit worried about the dress code, as in Slovenia and Austria, where I had
also lived, there is a strict dress code in the Opera, which means no jeans, no
open toe sandals, everybody is really dressed up and then we watch the show in
reverend silence, occasionally clapping, even if the show happens to suck. So,
I got dressed in the only nice dress I had brought with me, just in case I went
somewhere fancy. Turns out, I really needn’t have bothered.
Boy, was I
in for a surprise when I got to the Cork Opera. Not only did everybody wear
jeans, the Opera was providing snacks, SNACKS, such as ice-cream and popcorn,
and other junk food that the Corkonians were happily munching down in large
quantities during the performance, as if being in the cinema.
All of this
was taking place in the Opera.
In the
friggin’ Opera!
This would
never happen in Slovenia; the Opera is practically sacred here! The same goes
for theater. Can you imagine an actor in the middle of the ‘’to be or not to be’’
monologue and there’s crunching and munching coming from the third row? My
point, exactly!
It was an
amazing performance though, and I had such a ball!
I feel
asleep with ‘’Good morning, Baltimore’’ stuck in my ear.
Hope you enjoyed this post,
Love,
Teja xoxo
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7/19/2014
The Ljubljana Fashionistas
The Mission: Find as many fashionistas as possible and photograph them for the blog.
The Instruments: a superspy SONY camera + raybans. I would have brought a panama hat with me, but this post is written by a very forgetful superspy agent.
But here it is - the best from the best, people.
7/11/2014
Graz, Austria
Do you know
what the first thing was that I did, upon arriving in Graz?
Really?
Honestly?
I had a
gigantic Wiener Schnitzel (The Vienna Steak) with French Fries. I was so hungry
after the long train ride, I was on that Wiener like a diabetic on chocolate
cake! And I relished in it! Even though I almost never eat fried food.
Then I went
sightseeing with friends in blistering heat of the afternoon sun, marinating in
my own juices, my brain turning into jello under the merciless Austrian sun, so
we had to make a stop at a street café. Now, the best thing to order in Graz
when you’re dehydrated like this is ‘’gespritzter Apfelsaft’’ which is mix of
apple juice with mineral water, very Austrian, very refreshingJ By the way,
if you have a sweet tooth, you must stop by at the Café Le Schnurrbart, they
have the best crepes! I had a Nutella and banana oneJ
After that,
it was time to conquer the Schlossberg, the little hill above Graz with a clock
tower, which meant walking all the way to top, again in heat and humidity, my clothes
sticking to skin. Again, this whole feat had made me hungry, so I thought I’d
order something light, like a chicken salad. Upon closer inspection of my salad,
I had noticed it came with an Austrian twist – with a layer of potato salad
hidden under the pieces of lettuce and again with fried stripes of chicken on
the top. It was good, but kind of heavy. I have realized that the Austrians
will fry any kind of meat you order and there will be potatoes on your plate, magically appearing out of nowhere.
The view from the Schlossberg
Das Grazer Kunsthaus, a renowned exhibition venue
Das Grazer Opernhaus - The Graz Opera
The next
day it was cloudy and less hot, thank God, and since dark clouds were starting
to gather, which meant only one thing – rain. And because it would rain – that meant
I couldn’t really go sightseeing – which meant only one thing – shoppiiiiing!
A detail from one of the many small streets in Graz
The best
place to go shopping would be the Kastler and Ohler shopping mall in the city
center or any shop around the Herrengasse. One of the cutest ones to check out
would be the Barenland gummi candy shop, opposite the Kasler and Ohler shopping
mall. They have such good candy!
Also, when
I was having a stroll around the city center, I also explored the little
streets and it turns out there were full of really cute boutiques I would have
never seen, had I stayed in the center.
In the
evening, it was time to go home. What a lovely two days it had been.
Hope you enjoyed this post,
Love,
Teja xoxo
Hope you enjoyed this post,
Love,
Teja xoxo
Love,
Teja xoxo
Follow me on:
7/05/2014
La Bella Italia
I fell in love with this cafe and its interiors. It was so homey with its original vintage pieces:)
I love this photo. The gentleman looked so Italian.
The original Italian pasticcheria. You can buy sweets, cakes and bread:)
Strolling around, I found this 1920s, perhaps even slightly older, shop with the original wooden panels.
Beautiful!
Love,
Teja xoxo
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