Postcards from Venice

With its historical canals, gondolas, and winding streets, Venice is considered one of the most romantic and visited cities in the world. Every corner you turn, you walk deeper into some real-life watercolor painting that a camera can never do justice. It’s like no other place I’ve ever been to.

We arrived there by train and it was really convenient for us since it costs only around 1,50 € and a train station was right next to our Airbnb. The whole city felt so welcoming and I find Venice a great place to get lost in.  However, the city is very expensive, especially on the main island. So if you want to save a little bit. I would suggest you to find less touristy places where the food is just as amazing as at those fancy restaurants on the main streets.

Venice is so beautiful that you can spend time strolling through the city seeing old buildings, churches, artists, and best of all, get a bit of people-watching because there are fashionistas everywhere! The island is small, so don’t worry, you can’t get that lost. Venice is my second favourite place from this trip (the most favourite was Cinque Terre) and I would definitely come back here.

Florence

If you love art, the amount of galleries in Florence can keep you busy for weeks and weeks. However, we had only couple of days here and it was really enough for us since this city was very touristy and it makes it harder to explore the Renaissance charm of this city. At this point of the trip I think I was the most tired so tourists started really annoy me.

I embrace the slow travel philosophy, instead of rushing to see every major site, just picking a few distinct places (and not always the most famous), and take my time to just soak in the atmosphere of any given place. After all, this is my vacation, and part of that is being physically and mentally, well-rested. Well, it doesn‘t always go like that but I try.

We really wanted to visit one particular park which is called Boboli Gardens. The park hosts centuries-old oak trees, sculptures, fountains and offers peaceful shelter from the warm Florentine sun. But our trip up to these gardens went really unsuccessful because we managed to pick one of the two days in the month when the park is closed… Apparently it is closed on the 1st and last Monday of each month. But instead of that, we had a success in the San Lorenzo Market which is actually comprised of two markets: an outdoor market selling souvenirs, clothing and leather products and indoor market for food. There I found my dream hat that I have been looking for three years!

Florence has it all and, while it is very touristy, don’t miss it!

Cinque Terre

The region around the Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore  (that’s how the five villages are called) is actually a national park which is the reason why private traffic is forbidden and the villages not approachable by cars. The day in Cinque Terre was the best one so far and I would really come back here to stay for longer than a day.

The access to these villages is really easy by train because they run regularly every half an hour or even more often.  The best deal would be to buy a pass for a whole day so that you can hop in and hop off as many times as you want. It is really exciting to get out of the train without not knowing what you are going to see next. Every village has it’s charm but speaking just for myself, I’d say Manarola is my favorite village among the five. It is one of the busiest and the scenery is breathtaking. There you can find the most beautiful and probably most famous restaurant of Cinque Terre, called Nessun Dorma. It serves a dreamy view of the village but if you’re looking for something warm for dinner, this is not the right place

However, we had a totally different experience in the other one called Corniglia. To reach this village we had to climb like billion stairs but it was so worth it because we found the cutest little caffee with the best view to the sea and hills. Also the prices were way lower compared to other villages.

I am in Florance at the moment, so stay tuned for more travel diaries. Ciao!

Travel Diaries: Nice and Monaco

As some of you may know, I am in Italy at the moment. But before that we had a couple of days in France.  Our first stop was Nice and I must say, it is way bigger than I imagined it. The city itself is amazing except the fact that there are dog poops on every corner so you have to really watch your steps.

After two days in Nice we went to Monaco. MONACO. Monte Carlo is my future home for sure. It is so so clean and has the feeling of luxury that I can quickly get used to. But until I save 8 800 000 euros, Vilnius is fine. See you in Italy! 🙂

It’s Time For a New Adventure

It is finally the start of our vacation and I’m super excited to leave tomorrow. We are going to visit south of France and also Italy during this trip. As it is raining all day and I can already feel autumnal vibes, it will be nice to have two more weeks of summer. So be prepared for loads of pictures from sunny locations. See you!

 

Sunglases – la belle boutique

 

Long Weekend in London

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Last week  I spend four days in London and here are some thoughts from places that we visited! I had an amazing time and would recommend it to anyone who’d like to go on a quick but memorable visit to another city (or country).

1. Notting Hills

I could spend the whole day just taking pictures and wondering around there. Different shades of rainbows and muted pastel colors filled many of streets of this posh neighborhood.

2. Parks

Cities can often be hard places to inhabit. They’re loud, busy, crowded, and those elements can make them overwhelming and stressful. A nice park is more than green space in the middle of a concrete jungle – it makes a city lovable and livable.

3. South Kensington

I really want to live here. It’s in the center of London but somehow looks quite calm, peaceful and luxurious.

4. Museums

I know there are lots of people who hate museums. But I love it. I was studying Culture information and communication so museums were one of the things I was enjoying studying about.  Although museums are mainly focused on showcasing the things of the past, their future is looking decidedly rosy. Museums are increasingly creating interactive exhibits as a way to increase audience engagement and it really works! We visited The National Gallery, Victoria and Albert Museum and Natural History Museum.

My legs were dead afterwards. But it was worth it.

5. Big City life

It’s like New York. Don’t think this city ever sleeps.

-Jurgita

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