A walk in Lisbon

 

Hi there!

Last week I had the chance to have a walk through the streets of Lisbon. It was the first time for me and I had a very lovely day, pretty sunny and warm for being fall.

The capital of Portugal offers some good food and extraordinary views of the sea and the dawn as I show you today. After wandering the boulevard and having a black risotto with vieiras and pasteis de belem for 1€ (a typical sweet of the country) in this fresh market products food court called Time Out Mercado da Ribeira I ended up walking to Bairro Alto and having a beer while the sun let the moon in and the sky was painted in orange. Beautiful. Very colorful.

Hope you get the chance to go there at least for a weekend and have a tasting of their famous bacalao, weather and charm.

 

Safe trips to you all! XX

 

Brunch in Casa de Tapas, Dubai

 

 

Hi guys! 

Last week was a busy one! On Friday I had the opportunity to go and celebrate a friend's birthday at a Spanish Style restaurant brunch and it was actually a very good afternoon!

For those who are not familiar with the term Brunch, a brunch is a combination of breakfast and lunch eaten usually during the late morning on Sundays. As the calendar in arabic countries is lunar, Friday is Sunday.

The location of Casa de Tapas and the food quality is quite good. Views to Dubai Creek and a tasting of the spanish traditional dishes: paella, gazpacho, manchego cheese, pork ham...everything was yummy!

It is now the best time of the year to come to Dubai and enjoy the weather and touristic attractions of this region of the Middle East: desert life and luxury spots combined together with activities such as safari, sky diving or indoor skying amongst others. 

I could go a long way talking about Dubai and what differences are there between what people expects and what they end up experiencing here. But if so many people from all parts of the world live here there must be plenty of reasons for it.

Hope you guys had a nice weekend and other plans ahead for the next one.
Happy and safe trips! X

Hola chicos!
La semana pasada estuvo completita! El viernes tuve la oportunidad de ir a celebrar el cumpleaños de una amiga a un brunch en un restaurante español y la verdad es que fue una muy buena tarde!
Para aquellos que no sepan lo que es un brunch, pues es una combinación de desayuno y comida que se hace normalment los domingos al mediodía. Pero como en los paises árabes se sigue el calendario lunar, viernes son nuestros domingos.
La ubicación de Casa de Tapas y la calidad de la comida està bastante bien. Vistas a Dubai Creek y una degustación de los típicos platós españoles: paella, gazpacho, queso manchego, jamón...todo estaba muy rico!
Ahora es la mejor época del año para venir a Dubai y disfrutar del tiempo y de las principales atracciones turísticas de ésta parte del Oriente Medio: la vida en el desierto así como sitios de lujo combinados con actividades como safari por las dunes, caída libre o esquí indoor entre otras.
Podría extenderme mucho más hablando de Dubai y las diferencias que hay entre lo que la gente espera y lo que se llevan una vez lo han visitado. Pero està claro que con tanta gente de todas partes viviendo aquí, tan mal no debe de estar...
Espero que hayáis tenido un buen fin de semana y que tengáis también muchos planes para el próximo.
Buen viaje a todos! Besos
 

Planning holidays

This month I have to do some homework regarding my holidays for next year. Yes, travelling the world requires planning ahead. Specially when you don’t go backpacking but you have to know how many days you will go where and when but most precisely with who: by yourself, with friends, family or boyfriend/girlfriend...

Well, we are talking about 2015! That looks way too far but when it comes to schedulling trips, making bookings, matching agendas, etc. It is not an easy task!

You know what?

On one hand, when you live abroad all you want to do when in holidays is to spend time with them. The people you always talk on whatsapp and skype to. The ones that are always missing you around. So you want to compensate being away for the small little things and then be able to do so when you’re about. Tea, coffee, picnic, gossips, drinks, night out, dinner, barbacue, throwing a party or celebrating a birthday!

On the other hand, having the chance to travel anywhere is also wonderful so I also want to take advantadge of it. Las Vegas, Florida, Philippines, Norwegian Fiords, Japan, Iceland, Cappadocia, Tuscany, Napa Valley, Chilean Andes...There are so many beautiful and promising places I can’t choose right now! I need your suggestions. Let’s do some Brainstorming!

I must confess that I do feel I live in a bubble sometimes. So you gotta be careful with bubbles! *Touch wood* For now I enjoy every single moment of it like if it was the last one because you never know if there might be a second time for the very same city or only that one time.

 

Today I share with you a few pictures of some of the most memorable moments I had in the last twelve months.

 

Safe trips! XX

Mauritius

Phuket

Dubai

Kuala Lumpur

Perth

My Amsterdam TOP 10

A few days ago I was in Amsterdam. It wasn't the first time I was there but there is always plenty to visit and have fun in such a plural and open city. I did not go out at night nor visited any coffee shop, but I went for a walk in the morning and had lots of fun and good food.
If you ever go let me give you my Top10 MUST DO:

1. Red Light District
   Let me tell you this beforehand: this is just a tic in the box. No fun, just curiosity. Because it is just out there. In the street. And it is surprising for all of us, tourists. Do not take pictures if you don't want to be in trouble...
2. Van Gogh & Rembrandt Museum
   Make a bit of an effort and visit a couple of Museums (there are so many!). Great and known artists with historical paintings. Impressive.
3. Anne Frank's house
   Very interesting walk through the house of a girl that hid during german invasion. Museum is open everyday. It is not adapted for wheelchairs.
4. Heineken experience
   I must admit I have never been but I have been told by some friends that it is worth going. We all know the brand but not everything related to it.
5. Bulldog coffee shop
   Another tic in the box. Been there, done it got the T-shirt...long time ago. Just because it's legal. Let me tell you this, I am not inviting anyone to go smoke but you can go and have a drink and see the ambience.
6. Rent a bike and/or walk by the canals
   And be careful! Get a map. Stay in the bikes line and keep it straight when going with others unless you want to be shouted at. They will do so if needed...
   Take a few pictures of the classical Amsterdam view and keep going.
7. Go out in the weekend
   Leidseplein is the busiest area of Amsterdam when it comes to bars, restaurants and clubs for a good night out plus many tram lines take you there easily.
8. Buy a couple of souvenirs
   Get a keyring with the Dutch Clogs or wooden shoes, a magnet or some of the random smoking stuff with the Amsterdam flag printed. Be a freak!
9. Eat bitterballen or kroketten and frikandel
   Okay, it is not the healthiest thing to eat, just the opposite. But everyone in the Netherlands has eaten them as fast food many times in their life. So you have to try.
10. Learn a few words
    Be polite and smart. It is not very difficult to learn a few expressions or words in dutch: thank you - dank je wel, you're welcome - graag gedaan, see you soon - tot ziens! However, most of dutch people speak good english and they don't actually mind.
    
    Hope you have fun! Safe trips! XX
    
    
    

A bit of Scotland

 

Hi there!
Last weekend I was in Glasgow and Edinburgh for a day. So when I landed on Saturday I was planning on going out for a drink to a pub but then I forgot my ID. People, do take your ID whenever you go out. Very important!
Next day I woke up early for breakfast and headed to the traint station in Queen Street. That day was the Great Scottish Run so the streets were packed in the morning. After fifty minutes trip by train I got to Edinburgh city centre and I was impressed by the fact that the city is built right beside the castle and the great medieval architecture of most of the buildings. Everything looks intact.
After getting to the top of the hill and admiring the views before us, I walked down the streets and then back to the train station.
Unexpectedly, it did not rain that day, which made it very much enjoyable.
Scoltand is green, very much. A good spring destination I'd say. Next time I'll go for the lake's excursion...
Safe trips to all! XX

Vietnam: My Tho River & Cu Chi Tunnels

Those who know me are well aware that I have been travelling for almost a year now. Well, out of the amount of countries you can visit and cities you can see in the World I will start showing you Vietnam as I had the chance to go there quite recently and I loved it. I stayed in Ho Chi Mihn City (Southern side of the country) and I spent two days there.
On the first day I took a tour that brought me to My Tho Mekong River and the nine little islands that are well protected in the middle of the ocean. A very intense excursion.
On the second day I took a tour to Cu Chi Tunnels, those that were built during war against US military. I have to say the amount of traps and equipment that vietnamese people created at that time are very impressive and probably pioneering in manmade crafts of that kind. The tunnels itself are basically claustrophobic. An experience to tick off the list.
I also had the opportunity to take a few pictures of the buddhas temple of Chua Vinh Trang. Huge and very well kept sculptures  with beautiful plants and flowers all over the place.
I strongly recommend taking a couple of weeks trip to this green asian country. In fact, my desire is to go back and to discover it in its fullness from bottom to top soon.
Safe trips people! XX

Aquellos que me conocéis sabéis de sobres que llevo viajando ya casi un año. Bien, de todos los paises que puede uno visitar y de la ciudades que puede uno ver en el mundo, empiezo por mostraros Vietnam, ya que tuve la oportunidad de ir allí recientemente y me encantó.
Estuve en Ho Chi Mihn City (en la parte sur del país) durante dos días.
El primer día agarré un tour que me llevó al río My Tho Mekong y a las nueve pequeñas islas que tan bien protegidas están en medio del océano en una excursión muy completa.
El segundo día agarré un tour a los túneles Cu Chi, que fueron contruidos durante la guerra contra el ejército de los Estados Unidos. Tengo que decir que la cantidad de trampas y de material que los vietnamitas crearon en su momento son impresionantes y probablemente pioneros en artículos  de ese tipo hechos a mano por el hombre. Los túneles en sí son básicamente claustrofóbicos. Una experiéncia para tachar de la lista.
También tuve la oportunidad de sacar unas cuantas fotos del templo budista de Chua Vinh Trang. Enormes y cuidadas esculturas rodeadas de plantas y flores por todas partes.
Os recomiendo mucho ir durante un par de semanas a este verde país asiático. De hecho, mi deseo es volver y descubrirlo en su totalidad de arriba a abajo pronto.
Buen viaje a todos! Besos