Sea, travelling and fun in Apuglia (southern Italy)

I still can't remember exactly how the whole "apuglian experience" idea started.

By the time I realized it, the whole trip was arranged (tickets bought and all that)... Still, it was my idea... Based on multiple good recommendations I just went for it - as they say - head first :) so, probably out of enthusiasm, I forgot to "do my homework", meaning to do a proper research on the spot. When reading more and more about the Bari region I discovered it's not really the best sea-side location (not even close to Greek beaches, by the way), but it's a good location to get around and visit some very original and unique locations.

In our attempt to make the best out of our one-week stay in Bari, we planned several day-trips in the region. Bari itself has a specific charm, one or two days should be suffice to feel the beat of this apuglian city. Although during the day it may seem deserted, the old town center comes to life during the evening and night: the beautiful night lights, the view of the sea, the very crowded streets and restaurants... On the one hand, there are the tourists looking for a fine dinner and a good night out; on the other hand, there are the cruise-tourists. What I did not mention, Bari is an important "gate" for the Apuglian region, due to the international airport and also due to the port. A lot of cruises arrive and part to / from Bari port, so most of the tourists are just by-passing trying to make the best of their half-day stay in Bari.

[Bari by night]

There is a very very long promenade by right by the sea. So, if you have time to spend, this is a nice location for a relaxing walk or a bike-ride :-) Also, at sunset the sky lights up in pastel colors... I only had my phone along, but there's no telling what a professional camera and an experienced photographer could come up with ;) The sea, the sky, the feeling on this sea-promenade reminded me of Venice and Venetian waters. Don't you think?

[Bari promenade]

Bari is not the best location for sun and sea bathing, it's waters are sometimes polluted and the public beach has red flag (bathing prohibited). So if you travel to Bari for sea-side you may be really disappointed. In the northern part of the city, there are however some sandy private beaches that look much more welcoming.

Once you've discovered Bari (and most opinions state that 1-2 days are suffice), it's time to further explore the Apuglian region; only by traveling around you can get the better southern-Italy experience and feeling. As we were to discover, there are some pretty impressive locations near-by.
Out of the many recommended locations, we chose a few that seemed worth seeing. Travel options go from rental cars to buses and trains. Ah... traffic there can be quite a stress... I'd go for the train :) though you don't have the full flexibility of a car-traveler...

Monopoli town is reachable by train, about one hour train ride south from Bari. The old town center, and promenade by the sea are quite romantic, but the beach is small and quite disappointing. Actually most of the recommended beaches in the region are quite disappointing, once you've seen any Greek or Croatian beach :-) ... so my advice is Avoid the beaches and stick to visiting!
We found a nice restaurant where I ate the best pasta... I don't really remember the name of the place, but it's probably listed somewhere on Tripadvisor.

[Monopoli]

An entry that should definitly be on your visiting list: the small town of Alberobello. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage and very famous for the "trulli houses". It's a great place for an afternoon walk. If you go from Bari to Alberobello, and if you like caves, perhaps a stop at Castellana Grotte will add a little fun and entertainment to the trip.
Once you reach Alberobello, you will be impressed by the crowded little streets packed with shops, restaurants and flooded by tourists.

[Trulli of Alberobello]

Also part of UNESCO World Heritage and clearly a must see, the city of Matera, know for it's historical town center, Sassi. I admired the cultural richness of the Apuglian region, the unique places to visit. Every place was different, impressive and fabulous in it's specific way, but Matera topped them all...

[Matera]

Southern Italy is home to some magnificent places so be sure to cover as much as possible when coming to this region.

For me, the most impressive location was Polignano a Mare. To sum it all up, it's a breathtaking scenery, a crowded beach with clean waters and cliff divers.

As breathtaking as it looks, the beach is quite rocky and very very crowded (like towel next to towel crowded), but the water and the waves are just great! You just can't get out of the water :)

Polignano a Mare is home to a very famous restaurant, called Grotta... We did not reach it during our trip, maybe some other time ;)
However, we found the cutest little place (Mint Restaurant) where we had this super-delicious detox meal... I remember all the restaurants on the main streets were crowded, full or tables reserved... It was quite a challenge to find a place to eat, but the search paid off because the little place on a side-road of the old town center, was just great!

[Mint restaurant]

[Polignano a Mare]

I'd like to end this post with a bit of last minute advice, if you're not familiar with the Italian way :)

If you choose public transportation, please have in mind the following: If nobody is descending from the bus / train, you usually have to wave your hand to the driver, as a sign that you want to get in... otherwise you may have the unpleasant surprise that they don't stop just pass by the station... [ just in case you are wondering, yes... it happened to us :-/ ].. 

My second remark is that English doesn't always do the trick.. (yup.. also learnt that-one when ordering something and receiving something totally different). So, be prepared with some Italian basic words or just stick to places recommended by Tripadvisor and English-speaking.

Except for some misunderstandings (mainly the stuff just mentioned above), we have a great time in southern Italy, Apuglian region... Probably we only got to discover a small bit of the region, but overall we were very impressed. 

5 "courses" of fun, in Timisoara!

It suddenly occurred to me that I've never (so far) promoted my home-town and it really has lots of fun stuff to offer tourists :)
So I guess it's time to do this; to try to bring out the best in the area, or what I see as the best means of having some fun in and around Timisoara (yup... time to look it up on Google, I don't plan on adding extra information about it's location :P)

Why 5?
Because it's... round? :D
Because all articles tend to start with numbers "10 ways to ..." or " 20 best vacation locations..."
I guess there's a certain philosophy to choosing the number... you can't just choose any number cause it doesn't feel right :-)

So... my goal is to find 5 fun activities, along the way (nope, I did not make a list in advance, to count them ;;) )
Here goes!

#1 For "breakfast" , the first course of fun - metaphorically speaking - I have in mind a wake-up & energizing activity: a bike ride in the "Green Forest" of Timisoara. It's situated in the north-west city exit. There are multiple bike-trails to follow (actually there are 4 makes trails, just for the sake of completeness ;;) ). So, quite enough to keep you busy for a couple of hours :-)
It you're just visiting and didn't bring the bike, there are several rental options in town. IVelo is one I surely know about. The city has 'evolved' quite much during the past years e.g. bike lanes, rennovation of old town center.
While you are in that area, don't miss a short tour of the Village Museum. During a pleasant walk on the it's alleys you will discover a large variety of old traditional houses from this region [called Banat] , including a wooden Church and a School. Every spring, this place hosts a very nice international music and art festival, called PLAI.
The city Zoo is also located in this area. This is only for your information because personaly I do not encourage visits where animals are caged and animal freedom rights are broken.

#2 As an "appetizer" , after enjoying the forest area (N-E end of the city), I suggest a tour of the Old Town. As you can guess, it's located in the heart of the city. You may read or hear from the locals that Timisoara is also known as 'little Vienna'. This is due to it's specific architecture, baroque style. Right in the heart of the old town, you can find the so called "Baroque Palace", that hosts a permanent art-collection and also temporary collections (Museum of Art). I've never been on an actual guided tour of Timisoara so I can't really recommend anything experience-based. I know there are some travel agencies and also some free-guided tours available. But if you're not really interested in the history and all that, just wondering around (with a map), can be just as fun as a guided tour... You can walk through the Union Square, Opera Place up to the Cathedral while at any point you can stop at a terrace for ice-cream or a cold beer :) the center is "crowded" with options :)
There's an impressive collection of images taken from the air, available via EyeInTheSky page [photo source].

#3 As we've finally reached "lunch", the most important "meal" of the day (still figuratively speaking :P), it's a very very tough battle on what to suggest... I've finally decided to suggest a combination of walking + eating :) Here's what I suggest, exactly... When you come to Timisoara, the Bega shore is an absolute "must see". Bega is a small river (more like a channel) with some very beautiful parks and gardens along it's banks. These are also very close to the city center. The Children's Park was renovated and 'refreshed' not very long ago. As a child, you can choose among the many attractions (most of them for small children). Very close to this park, there is the "Roses Park" that is also worth a walk, along the Bega shore, especially during the warm seasons when the beautiful flowers color the whole park. Walking along the Bega shore, you will find some very nice restaurants where you can enjoy "a lunch with a view" :) Places like "Riviere" or "Gradina Banateana" are just at one side of the "Roses Park", while down the river there is another nice place, "Porto Arte" and on the other shore you can find a nice (and more fancy) restaurant called "Flora".
The bike lane continues down the river, exiting the city and continuing up to the Serbian border.
If you've already got a bike for #1, you can use it to explore the outside of the city, up until you get bored and come back :-) There are about 35km till the border, from what I remember.

#4 It's been a long ride, but "desert" is finally here! What do people think about first, when it comes to a good meal? ...desert (some think about wine though ;;) but I'm gonna go with desert this time)... I knew what this would be, even before the others. Well, if it's fun you're looking for, let's go for the Room Escape Games. When I first discovered the room escape games (I've dedicated some articles also on my blog to this type of fun-activity), there wasn't any available in Timisoara. There were some in Romainia but in different cities.. So it was my dream last year to open a Room-escape game in Timisoara. But, seems that I'm not CEO material :P I just have a lot of ideas but putting them to practice proves to be very very hard :P (apparently that MBA didn't fix me much :P).
Anyways, my point is that a Room Escape Game opened up in Timisoara and I was more that excited to be among the first customers :) or players. Now there are 3 games in total, provided by ExitGamesTimisoara. All 3 scenarios are very interesting and quite hard (I've played over 14 games in the last year in several cities and I can clearly say that the ones in Timisoara are among the best half).
In case you decide this "desert" suits you, let me tell you Bon Appetit! or Good Luck! :)

#5 A beautiful day spent in Timisoara. The sun is preparing to set... and I'm thinking... the last course of fun in Timisoara... what should "dinner" - metaphorically speaking - consist of!? Hmm.. Still so many choices left :)  Well, I've give it some thought and I guess it's just fair to go with a "pub crawling" :-) We should start at the Theresia Bastion area, that offers - besides a very nice architecture - several bars, pizza-place, music clubs. The palette goes from Jazz club, to retro music, latin evenings to chill-out bars... And if this doesn't cover it, there are several other options nearby, in the Union Square or City Center. Timisoara has quite a colorful night life, the latin spirit :) I like to say that the locals are genuine party people :D
Have fun!!!

[source EyeInTheSky]

Top 5 activities in Bratislava!

Ever since my city break in Bratislava (a few weekends ago), I've been meaning to "promote" the city on my blog.
Why? Because - as the locals mentioned it - Bratislava is still a "transit" city, just a pit-stop between the well-known (what I mean is crowded with tourists :D) European capitals, like Vienna, Prague, Budapest.
However, as one of the four Capitals along the Danube river, it's a splendid view in the visitor's eye. It has a quite high touristic potential, I just want to point out what I enjoyed most, in my weekend trip.

So, below are listed my top 5 "must-see" / "must-try" activities. Here's what I would recommend to a friend traveler :)

#1 Free old-town walking tour
Among all the guided tours and mini-buses for city-visit, I settled for a Free Walking Tour, in the Bratislava Old-town center provided by befreetours. The tour has no fee, but the idea is to tip the guide at the end of the tour. The guides are usually students and I can say - at least from my experience - I enjoyed the tour very much. In a very relaxed and fun atmosphere, we discovered various information of history, funny facts, myth, local traditions...
You may also be interested on other tours they provide :-) also a pub crawling is available :-)

While you are visiting the old town, don't miss out a hike to the Castle. The view from up there is worth a trip during the day, but also one during the evening :D

#2 An 'ascent' to the UFO
unlike the Castle, this is reached by elevator :-) For about 6euro / person, the elevator will take you about 90m up in the sky, to the observation deck on top of the restaurant. I believe the restaurant itself is usually full, or booked for events, but there is also a very nice bar, where you can enjoy a drink and a some delicious desert... for a "sneak peak", take a look on the owner-group's page.
If you look for it in google maps, there's a nice description that pretty much sums up the experience :-) "UFO watch. taste. groove"

...view of the old-town, from the Ufo observation deck

#3 The challenge and intrigue of a Room escape (ore more :P)
Well.. it wouldn't be me, if I would not recommend a room-escape game :-) and in Bratislava, I must confess, that I was impressed and intrigued by two fascinating room escape games. This was valuable experience for me, because after you play a lot of room-escape games, some may seem a little "too easy" like..."That was all?" But it was not the case with these 2 games that we've played, both kept us up-and-running until the last minute!
I recommend them both :-)
The Da Vinci Room (by Paniq)
The room

#4 The Devin Castle
This is a "must see" next to Bratislava, in a near-by village (Devin). You get to see the fortress's ruins, hosting also a permanent museum. Sometimes, the castle walls are animated by Knights, shows, activities (for both adults and children). There are several festivals/events going on, all year round, especially during the warm season.

#5 Danubiana
Also situated out-side the city area, Danubiana is a modern-art museum situated on the Danube, close to the southern end of Bratislava.
The indoor wings are a nice walk along the Danube, because the river is visible through the huge glass windows... Also outside, there is a very nice Park animated with modern sculptures, a mixture of colors and shapes... See... I don't actually understand art (after years and years of technical studies :P) but even I enjoyed the museum very very much... so I can only imagine how inspiring those works would be seen by artistic soul...

All in all, Bratislava is clearly a little something to remember... and someday to come back to ;;)

Some ideas of "fun in Budapest"!

When visiting a new place, are you always in search of fun, interactive activities?
Are you an active person, that doesn't really like to follow the classic tourist paths when visiting a city?

Then perhaps some tips and tricks, from my recent Budapest visit, may be of your interest :-)

We don't usually do the <<group guided city visits>> and we don't always go for the classical "must see" sights. Usually we select the interactive & fun experiences...

Here's some of my favorite "to do's" in Budapest:

RoomEscape Games - Out of all the European cities, I think Budapest is home to most real room escape games. I heard there are over 100 games in the city... basically, there's plenty to choose from, for every visit :-)
This time we tried two of them, from different "providers": Claustrophilia and Trap

Both of them were interesting and each left an impression... Every room-escape game is designed in a different way so it's pretty hard to get bored from playing!
The goal [to get out in time] is the only constant for each real room escape game :-) During the first plays, it's most probably you won't get out in time, but after some games, "not failing" becomes a personal goal :-D
It's been a while since we've been playing these games and I must say, while playing the game @Trap, I had some doubts we were actually going to make it :-)
But, our 5 members-team managed to work together and ... successfully we got out with 5 more minutes to go ;;)

We played one game from each, so there are some "scenarios" left for when we come back next time :-) Besides, we collected Cards from other room escape games in Budapest, for our next visit.

Aquaworld - a collection of indoor and outdoor pools, hosting a great variety of water-slides... I'm usually not a great slide-fan, but you can find some also for the "weak-hearts" :-)
Thanks to a great friend, I got over my "slide-fears" :P and had a great deal of fun!
Overall, the indoor place is not so big, but during the warm season there are also a variety of outdoor activities.

Miniversum - a collection of interactive miniature worlds... saying more would spoil the visit, plus, I'd rather let some pictures describe it...

So, whether you're traveling with children, or just in the mood to feel like a child again :D , don't miss a tour of the Miniversum... A tour of miniature European sights that becomes even more lively during the evening when the lights go off and the miniatures "come to life" :-)  

While we're talking "miniature worlds", did you get a chance to visit the "Marzipan Museum" of Budapest? ... Some of the Marzipan art, left me nostalgic about the cartoons I grew up with... :-)
Enjoy!

So, for now I have only one thing left to say... Have fun, the next time you're in Budapest!

Enchanted by Gaudi's work, in Barcelona

I must say, Barcelona is, by far, the greatest place I've ever visited: colorful streets; the latin spirit feels spread everywhere; a ton of places to see, to visit, a lot of museums (per square meter!) and most important, it's located by the sea...  All in all, it has all the spices and flavors that a proper vacation requires :)
This colorful city, with a very strong beating pulse, is practically inviting you to discover it by foot: weather it's a long walk on the beach, or sitting in the port to see the vessels, visiting Las Ramblas, crossing the Gothic Quarter, or taking the Cable Car up on Montjuic, picking a museum to check out or simply eating out, to try some traditional dishes... At every corner you may find something a museum, a building, a store, a view, that will take your breath away and impress you to such a level that it will stay in your soul, long after the city visit is over... and silently whispering to you: when are we coming back? there is yet so much more to see, to do, to feel, to live. 

Though I ended up falling in love with this city, what actually drove me towards it in the first place, was the great curiosity I had, to see, live, Antoni Gaudi's works of art. His great name is liked to Barcelona and any tourist can feel the city's vibe through his creations.
I have been impressed by Gaudi's work just by reading about it (like anybody would probably be), so, seeing it all with own eyes, was truly amazing! I don't even know how to describe the mixture of feelings... It made me realize, more intense that any picture, the immense value of his unique work, the grandeur of his masterpieces. Those kinds of "things" that never fade away in time, that are yet as lively, as appealing and as impressive, as in the day of their creation...
                                       

Park Guell, Sagrada Familia, Casa Batllo and others, Palau Guell, each of them has a special story to tell... A vibrant story about shapes, about how a genius mind can imagine and put together shapes and concepts inspired by nature, by animals, in order to create a very natural and friendly environment.

From impressive, to strong, to warm, each building seems to be alive and project these feelings, depending on its nature.
Inside Casa Batllo I found the warmth of a loving home, that seems to breath along with you and the protection of the dragon or dinosaur on the roof. Up to that point, I never had the feeling of a home that it, itself, loves and protects you!

The feelings that the environment projects feelings, comes back stronger inside Palau Guell. This building is massive, impressive and protective, yet warm and graceful... whispering in your ears the sound of comfort and security combined.

Disneyland, the return to childhood...

"Yes! I do! :-) but only if you dare to waltz with me, here, in the crowd :-D !"
And so, I waltzed with my soul-mate (now husband :-)) in the crowd, in front of the beautiful show of light display and fireworks, projected on the Disney Castle, right after sundown and before closing time.

It was beautiful... the perfect ending of a pretty magical day...

Of course I'm aware of the strong contradiction between the idea of a "return to childhood" and "a wedding proposal", but that's just it! :-) Even as an adult, I did not loose touch with my inner child..
It's like a psychological bridge... when you go back to your childhood and then, at the end of the day, you have that strong feeling that now it's time to grow up! :-)  I sometimes believe that part of my soul never grew up and never will, thus loves to play board games, loves stories, loves to visit amusement parks and aqua themed parks and so much more...

This is why, he found the perfect place for us: Paris, one of the most romantic cities, still not a 'cliche'-place, but Disneyland - to show how well he knows me :-)

So, what is Disneyland all about? Kids would dress up as princesses, pirates, cartoons and would run around feeling part of the story :-)
Us adults must keep the "tourist" approach and avoid getting carried away by our childhood memories and dreams...

Still, we can get carried away... enjoy the mini-trains-rides that take you on a different journey for each story... feel like flying around in Neverland like Peter Pan; or find out Pinocchio's story from the paintings on the walls during another mini-train ride...

Then, after wondering on the magical streets of the park, you finally get to Alice's wonder land :-)

or take a crazy spin, in the Mad Hatter's Tea cups... if that's not suffice, you can take another crazy spin :D ... but have in mind that you have an entire park to see and you cannot do that when taking the same ride too many times!

When you are "sick and tired" of this dreamy and colorful display of fairy-tale (yeah, like that could ever happen!) take the road to Adventure Island... :-) and enjoy the boat trip

or - if you dare - just let the roller coaster take you for a spin, around Big Thunder Mountain!

Every corner of the park will surprise you with something new, something "Disney-authentic", every sight and every image of the park will trigger and will awake one or several childhood long-forgotten memories. 

Or, just to get you out of the comfort of your safe zone, make sure that the Haunted Manor is part of your Disney Park route :-)
Every gift shop, store, restaurant or fast-food is different... In Pirate's Cove you can enjoy an "in-door" restaurant, on the river-bank and see the river-trains scaring the tourists on the river falls :) or you can be on the other side, enjoying the Pirate's ride!

We chose a saloon for a coffee pit-stop, just because it sounds and looks fancy and glamorous ;;)

It's good to catch your breath from time to time :-) and fill your batteries... whenever there's enough energy left in your batteries, take a tour of the next-door park, Walt Disney Studios! Basically, this means jumping from the fairy-tale land to animated movies land :-) it's like jumping from one childhood dream into another!

Don't miss the opportunity to see the screaming tourists in the Tower of terror (the high tower in the picture above, seen from one side), or be one of them, if you dare! I basically turned around just before reaching the elevator and after I saw the whole picture from the outside, I kept telling myself that I had made the right choice :D

There are so many activities, games, short-movies, that will keep you busy for the entire day... what am saying, this will keep you busy for an entire week or even more! :-)

After we took a big big breath of Disney Park and a smaller breath of Walt Disney Studios (normally one day will only suffice if you run around from corner to corner :P) we came back to Disney fairy tale world, for the closing show...

There, in that 30 minutes show, with cartoons projected on the Disney Castle, fireworks and true shows of light, it was there where I really really found myself in the middle of a fairy tale love story... as I already confessed ;;) in the beginning. In my mind and soul, I felt like a Princess, like a modern Cinderella (that lost her sneaker :P), like a modern Snow White (dressed in jacket and jeans), but outfit did not matter, because what truly mattered was that, there, in Disneyland, I was enjoying that very special moment, with my Prince Charming :-) (also wearing jeans and a backpack :P)

Though we're nor prince nor princess... we can still think of ourselves that way ;;) because imagination has no boundaries... Imagination is what keeps us going and stories teach us to use our imagination and to know no limits... ;;) Leaving the Disney world magic... but still holding on to the magical world of fantasy and child hood fairy tales... below some pictures from our wedding dances...
The wedding was in real-land... but our souls where somewhere far far away, in a fantasy land where dreams sometimes come true...