Portugal - The Forgotten Countryside

One of my deepest passions is diving into the unknown, travel the world. I love to be photographed in the most unusual places and finding new paths, alternative routes, new culteres and people. Between my two month trip (that has taken me to middle east and southeast asia, with a hop on India in between), and a week in the South of Italy, I felt I should pay a bit of attention to my own country, Portugal. I've chosen Guarda region and the north of Castelo Branco, with their villages with almost milenar castles, that go back to the times of kings and bellicose borders, to spend three days.

Uma das minhas maiores paixões é mergulhar no desconhecido, viajar pelo mundo. Adoro tirar fotos em locais invulgares e de encontrar novos caminhos, rotas alternativas, novas culturas e pessoas. Entre uma viagem de dois meses (que me levou do médio oriente ao sudoeste asiático, com uma passagem pela índia), e uma semana no Sul de Itália, senti que devia dar ao meu país um bocadinho de atenção. Por isso escolhi a zona da Guarda e o norte de Castelo Branco, das suas aldeias e vilas com castelos quase milenares, que remontam a tempos de reis e fronteiras belicosas, para passar 3 dias.

What I found was unquestionably charming, well preserved castles, wonderful views, lovely villages, all in perfect harmony. The old facades are extremely well cared for. The attention to detail is incredible, even the house numbers and the signs with the street names are beautifully hand written on stone. These are the elements that create a whole, and they should definitely serve as a role model for other cities and villages throughout Portugal.

O que encontrei foi absolutamente encantador, castelos bem conservados, vistas maravilhosas, aldeias charmosas, com uma harmonia excepcional. As antigas fachadas são extremamente bem cuidadas. A preocupação estética chega mesmo a pequenos detalhes como os números das casas e a sinalética com os nomes das ruas, pintadas à mão sobre pedra. Pormenores, esses, que criam um todo e que deveriam servir de modelo para muitas outras cidades e localidades por Portugal fora. Pequenos reinos encantados. 

During the whole trip, I only encountered a North American family, a small group of Spanish people and an Asian couple. Where were all the other tourists? I was always exploring these places alone. And may I point out that the list of places to visit is quite long.

Durante toda a viagem cruzei-me apenas com uma família Norte Americana, um pequeno grupo de Espanhóis e um casal Asiático. Onde estavam os outros turistas, Portugueses e estrangeiros? Visitando sozinha estes locais, senti-me uma verdadeira exploradora. E note-se que a lista de sítios para visitar é bem extensa.

From Sortelha, with its little stone houses, guarded by the village's strong walls, at the top of a hill, to Sabugal's castle, with steps that lead to dizzying heights, and Almeida, a village inside a star shaped fortress. The list goes on, and in each stop there's a new castle, a new village, a new treasure, deserted, just for me. There's Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, Almendra, Castelo Melhor, Trancoso, with it's streets filled with blooming hydrangeas, Belmonte, birthplace of Pedro Álvares Cabral (the explorer that discovered Brasil) and Monsanto, 'the most Portuguese village in Portugal', a bit to the South. So, why were all these bright and perfectly polished gems empty during high season? Maybe it's because there's not a lot of offer when it comes to accommodation, we actually had to stay in a hotel in Spain, right next to the border.

De Sortelha, com as suas casinhas em pedra, protegidas por muralhas, no topo duma colina, ao castelo do Sabugal, com escadarias que levam a alturas vertiginosas, passando pela vila de Almeida, com a sua fortaleza de planta estrelada. A lista continua, e a cada paragem, um novo castelo, uma nova vila, um novo tesouro, deserto, só para mim. Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, Almendra, Castelo Melhor, Trancoso, com as suas ruas inundadas por hortênsias, Belmonte, terra natal de Pedro Álvares Cabral e Monsanto, "A aldeia mais Portuguesa de Portugal", um pouco a Sul. Então, porque será que todas estas gemas polidas e intensamente reluzentes estavam vazias em época alta? Um dos motivos poderá ser a oferta de alojamento, por ser verdadeiramente escassa e bastante obsoleta, o que fez com que acabasse por pernoitar junto à fronteira, em Espanha. 

I ask myself how long will it take for this beautiful region of Portugal to earn its due attention. Because not only are these places fascinating but they're also a great example of respect for our very old county's history. Though wandering around completely undisturbed was a fabulous experience, I hope that more people want to explore this part of Portugal that lies forgotten, as serene as a sleeping Volcano.

Pergunto-me quanto tempo faltará para que esta zona do país ganhe o seu devido reconhecimento. É que não só estes locais são fascinantes como também são um exemplo perfeito do respeito pela história do nosso antiquíssimo país. Apesar de ter sido uma oportunidade maravilhosa, poder deambular tranquilamente sem avistar vivalma, espero que mais gente queira e possa apreciar esta parte de Portugal, esquecida, tão serena quanto um vulcão que dorme.

The dresses I'm wearing are from the Indian brand Jovi.

Os vestidos que estou a usar são da marca Indiana Jovi.

<3

Ancient Turkey

After Capadoccia we hit the road towards Antalya. We didn't know how big it was and it is actually pretty huge. It has nice areas to hang out but it seems a bit crowded with tourists. Not only with foreigner but also with Turkish tourists as well. It looks like the perfect place for teenagers to party, and for families to spend some time at the beach followed by lazy nights at the restaurants and bars with live music at the city's old town.
From there we visited a pretty nice place called Kursunlu Waterfalls, with beautiful clear water. There was a Turkish wedding photo shoot going on, which we thought was pretty cool, the bride was so differently dressed from western culture brides, with her head and neck all covered in white and with glitters all over her huge gown.

Depois da Capadócia, voltámos à estrada em direção a Antália. Penso que tínhamos uma ideia pré-concebida de que seria uma cidade relativamente pequena, mas estávamos enganados! Sem dúvida há imensas áreas agradáveis para sair mas pareceu-me um pouco abarrotado com turistas. Não apenas estrangeiros, mas também turistas turcos. Não obstante, senti que o centro histórico da cidade é o lugar perfeito para adolescentes se divertirem e para as famílias que, depois de passarem algum tempo na praia, procuram noites preguiçosas em restaurantes e bares com música ao vivo.
Não muito longe de lá, visitámos as cascatas de Kursunlu, com água cristalina muito bonita. Durante o tempo que estivemos a absorver a beleza, esteve a decorrer uma sessão fotográfica de um casamento turco, a noiva estava tão diferente das noivas ocidentais, com a cabeça e o pescoço cobertos de branco e com brilhos por todo o seu imenso vestido.

That day was going well but it could not have ended better, as we drove up the mount Güllük to see what Termessos ancient ruins were all about. So, we were expecting ruins, but having seen so many in my life and a lot of them were top rated world heritage sites by UNESCO, we though that we wouldn't be very surprised. Oh, but we were so utterly wrong. Amidst the pine forests, the steepy hills and a lot of clouds there it was. One of those places you could only expect to see on an Indiana Jones movie. A true sleeping beauty, lying in the silence of the skies, waiting to be found. Some of the ancient Pisidian buildings (built around 23 centuries ago) still have their walls standing. There are fallen rocks and columns with detailed carvings lying everywhere. To access some of the city areas you actually have to climb these fragments of history. There are no restrictions about that and you can walk freely around. The gymnasium still has most of its walls with beautiful niches around it.

Depois das cascatas, podíamos dizer que o dia nos estava a correr bem, mas o que não sabíamos era que ele melhoraria ainda mais, enquanto subíamos o Monte Güllük, para conhecermos as ruínas de Termessos. Então, nós esperávamos ruínas, mas tendo tido a possibilidade de visitar tantas, muitas delas, as melhor qualificadas pela UNESCO durante todas as nossas vidas, pensámos que estas seriam só mais umas. Oh, mas estávamos tão enganados! No meio de pinhais, o monte íngreme e muitas nuvens, aí estava ele. Um daqueles lugares que apenas esperamos ver num filme do Indiana Jones! Uma verdadeira bela adormecida, descansando no silêncio dos céus, à espera de ser encontrada. Alguns dos antigos edifícios Pisídios (construídos há cerca de 23 séculos atrás) ainda têm as suas paredes de pé. Há rochas e colunas caídas com entalhes detalhados espalhados por toda parte. Para aceder a algumas das áreas da cidade tem-se realmente de escalar esses fragmentos de história. Não há restrições em relação a isso e pode andar-se livremente por todo o lado. O ginásio ainda tem a maioria das suas paredes com lindos nichos em redor.

As a wave of dense fog came upon us we reached the amphitheater. As the mist vanished, like a curtain being opened, we stood in awe staring at what was presented in front of us and below our feet. The most amazing Hellenistic amphitheater, so perfect, that one may think that it could be only a house for the gods. The dramatic landscape surrounding it is absolutely breathtaking and we wanted to just seat there for hours, watching the clouds and the sun coming and going at their will and soaking up all that beauty. The site has many other amazing arches, gateways and rock cut tombs (like the ones you'd see in Petra). For me it's bitter sweet to be exposing here a place that lies so authentic. It makes me scared to think about people disrespecting it, and I would wish for it to lie there, still, as it was the day I found it, for the whole eternity. Actually, the silence and absence of people in general made it all much more perfect. I think that this places must be respected and treated with gentleness. I was so glad that there weren't any buses coming and going and guides shouting to their crowds, waving their flags and umbrellas.

Chegámos ao anfiteatro enquanto um denso nevoeiro se instalava à nossa frente. Quando a névoa desapareceu, como uma cortina a ser aberta, ficámos estarrecidos, olhando para o cenário que se desvendava à nossa frente e abaixo dos nosso pés. O mais incrível teatro helenístico, tão perfeito, que se pode pensar que seria um lar perfeito para deuses. A paisagem dramática em torno dele é absolutamente deslumbrante e queríamos apenas ficar sentados lá horas a fio, observando as nuvens e o sol indo e vindo à sua vontade e absorvendo toda aquela beleza. A cidade tem muitos outros arcos surpreendentes, portais e túmulos de rocha (como os que se podem ver em Petra). Para mim é agridoce expor aqui um lugar que é tão autêntico. Isso deixa-me com medo de pensar que as pessoas o podem desrespeitar, sendo que o meu desejo é que a cidade ali permaneça, serena, intocada, como estava no dia em que a encontrei, por toda a eternidade. Na verdade, o silêncio e a ausência de pessoas em geral tornaram tudo muito mais perfeito. Penso que estes lugares devem ser respeitados e tratados com gentileza. Claro que fiquei super feliz por não haver autocarros indo e vindo, e guias gritando para as suas multidões de turistas, agitando as suas bandeiras e guarda-chuvas.

Nothing bet Termessos, in our stay in Turkey, but I can say that Phaselis (700BC) is a much humbler but lovely ruin of a harbor city that belonged to Greeks and Romans. We also visited Olympos Ruins, which has ruins from different historical periods, from Hellenistic to the Middle Ages. It has a river dividing it and the city ends in the sea, like Phaselis. This site is pretty big. Near Olympos there's Mount Chimaera, a rad place where there are constant fires burning, coming from holes in the rocky soil.

Nada bateu Termessos na nossa estadia na Turquia, mas posso dizer que Phaselis (700 aC) é uma ruína, muito mais humilde mas adorável, de uma cidade portuária que pertencia a gregos e romanos. Também visitámos as Ruínas de Olympos, onde se pode andar entre ruínas de diferentes períodos históricos, desde o Helenístico até à Idade Média. Há um rio que divide a cidade e este termina no mar, tal como Phaselis. Esta cidade é bem grande. Perto de Olympos, há ainda o Monte Chimaera, um lugar onde há incêndios constantes, vindos de buracos no solo rochoso.

We got to visit Kas and Fethiye. The beaches are beautiful and so is the whole coastal drive. You can see amazing islands and the water has the most beautiful Mediterranean shades of blue. Sometimes, going down the hills I would see a vast portion of land shining like a huge mirror that at first I though were solar power plants, but instead were hundreds of green houses, producing mostly tomatoes!!

Tivémos a oportunidade de visitar Kas e Fethiye. As praias são lindas e vale a pena fazer a estrada costeira, pois tem vistas absolutamente arrebatadoras. Podem ver-se ilhas incríveis e a água tem o mais belo tom de azul mediterrânico. Às vezes, descendo as colinas, via-se uma vasta porção de terra a cintilar como um imenso espelho, que a princípio eu pensava serem centrais elétricas de energia solar. Mais tarde descobri tratarem-se de milhares de estufas, dedicadas maioritariamente à produção de tomates!!

Pamukkale (Cotton Castle) can be seen a few kilometers away from its location as this bright white mountain rising from apparently nowhere. We arrived at sunset and we were afraid we wouldn't have time enough to see everything, but decided to go in nonetheless. Maybe you think I should be more informed before visiting some places, as I'm easily surprised, but I think that's the magic in visiting them. I read the basic info and wait to find out more while I'm actually on the spot. So, for my surprise, we had to take our shoes off because there's water running all the way down from the top of the hill. Cascading down the pools, these thermal springs' water is super rich in calcium that over time created these beautiful natural pools that are as white as snow! On top of the hill there's an ancient roman city and it is said that Cleopatra visited it to bathe in this whimsical waters herself!

Pamukkale (Castelo de Algodão) pode ser avistado a alguns quilómetros de distância, parecendo surgir do nada uma montanha branca e brilhante. Chegámos ao pôr do sol e ficámos com medo de não termos tempo suficiente para ver tudo, mas decidimos entrar de qualquer forma. Talvez quem me lê pense que eu deveria estar mais informada antes de visitar alguns lugares... Sei que parece que sou facilmente surpreendida, mas acho que o efeito surpresa faz parte daquilo que eu acho mais mágico quando viajo. Eu leio a informação básica e espero para descobrir mais quando estou realmente no local. Então, para minha surpresa, tivemos que nos descalçar, porque havia água imparável a correr desde o topo da colina. Descendo em cascata pelas piscinas que ela mesma formou, a água destas nascentes termais é rica em cálcio que, fator determinante para a formação destas magníficas estruturas, tão brancas quanto a neve! No topo da colina há uma antiga cidade romana e diz-se que Cleópatra a visitou para se poder banhar nestas águas milagrosas!

When we reached Istanbul, I've got to confess that we were very tired from all the driving and running around. It was freaking cold, which we didn't expected (after all, it's Spring), so I definitely have to give it another try in the future, preferably during Summer. Sure, we visited Hagia Sofia, which has mesmerising byzantine details. We went to the huge underground Basilica Cistern nearby, but it was half closed and there were so many disrespectful teenagers, just fooling around and touching and throwing garbage on the water that I wasn't able to concentrate and enjoy the wonderful subterranean construction. The Blue Mosque was also having some ceiling work done, so we only got to see a part of it. The city has a pretty cool vibe and there are nice coffee shops, restaurants and stores in Galata, very much like the ones in hype neighborhoods throughout European cities. I have to confess that the Grand Bazaar, although huge in size, is much more organised than what I expected and it's a super touristic place. So, although the building is pretty, if you get a chance to look at the beautifully painted ceilings, it is all covered up with ugly cables and signs. The shops look so clean and they try so much to make them look high end, selling fake designer bags and shoes (I think that they're so good looking that there are people that may think they're buying the real deal!), that there's no originality to it. For me, the place has lost its soul and for a spot with so much history, I feel that it's a pity and so, after that disappointment, I preferred visiting the hectic markets for locals, where you can really sense their true culture.

Quando chegámos a Istambul, tenho que confessar que estávamos muito cansados ​​de toda a condução e correria. Fazia um frio que nunca esperámos que fizesse (afinal de contas, é Primavera), assim sendo, tenho evidentemente de dar uma segunda oportunidade a esta cidade, de preferência no Verão! Claro que visitámos a Hagia Sofia, que tem detalhes bizantinos absolutamente hipnotizantes. Fomos à enorme Cisterna subterrânea, que fica apenas a alguns metros, mas estava meio fechada e havia tantos adolescentes desrespeitosos, a brincar, gritar e a mandar lixo para a água que eu não consegui concentrar-me e aproveitar a maravilhosa obra de engenharia onde me encontrava. A Mesquita Azul também estava com algumas obras de recuperação nos tetos, por isso também só conseguimos visitar uma parte. A cidade tem um ambiente bom e interessante e há cafés agradáveis, restaurantes e lojas em Galata, muito parecidos com aqueles que se podem encontrar em bairros hype em todas as cidades europeias. Tenho que confessar que o Grande Bazar, apesar de enorme em tamanho, é muito mais organizado do que aquilo que esperava e é um lugar super turístico. Então, embora o prédio seja bonito, se se tiver a chance de ver os tetos lindamente pintados, está tudo coberto por cabos e placas feias. As lojas têm um aspeto muito limpo nota-se que os donos se esforçam para que se pareçam sofisticadas, vendendo malas e sapatos de contrafacção (acho que há pessoas que podem pensar que estão a comprar os produtos de verdade!). Para mim, o lugar perdeu a alma e originalidade que suponho que tenha tido em tempos. E para um lugar com tanta história, sinto que é uma pena. Depois dessa decepção, preferi visitar os mercados para 'locals' mais caóticos, mas onde se pode realmente sentir a verdadeira cultura da cidade.

In Istanbul there are loads of Hammams (Turkish Baths), they look really decaying but there's a very peculiar charm to it. These places are, for me, the ones worth going to. We had the Turkish bath experience, a full body scrub and a foam massage for less than 10 euros!

Turkey was a huge surprise, all and all, and I have to point out how amazing everybody was to us, how humble and friendly! Oh, and I couldn't end this post without saying how their love for dogs made me like them even more. Stray (but tagged) dogs go on about their lives in the streets everywhere. They're so well treated. They always have food and water (you can see so many shops and other businesses that keep tins full of food and water for the street dogs outside (and sometimes inside)! They live in harmony and those dogs are friendly and lazy. I guess that these are the little details that most people don't notice but make traveling such an enriching experience to me. I'm sad to say that we didn't take a lot of good photos in Istanbul due to the cold. That only means that I have to come back soon!!

Em Istambul há montes de Hammams (banhos turcos), a maioria com um ar realmente decadente, mas para mim, isso até tem o seu charme. Esses lugares são, na minha opinião, os que valem a pena visitar. Tivemos a experiência de banho turco, uma esfoliação corporal completa e uma massagem de espuma por menos de 10 euros!

No fim de contas, a Turquia foi uma enorme surpresa, e eu tenho de frisar o quão incrível toda a gente foi para nós, tão humilde e amigável! Ah, e eu não posso terminar este post sem referir o amor dos turcos por cães, o que me fez gostar ainda mais deles. Cães aparentemente vadios (mas marcados) andam por todo o lado tranquilamente. Eles são muito bem tratados por toda a gente. Têm sempre comida e água (há imensas lojas e outros negócios que mantêm taças cheias de comida e água para os cães de rua do lado de fora (e às vezes dentro)! Eles vivem em harmonia e são muito amigáveis e preguiçosos. Acho que esses são os pequenos detalhes que a maioria das pessoas não repara, mas faz com que viajar seja uma experiência tão enriquecedora para mim. Estou triste por dizer que não tiramos muitas boas fotos em Istambul devido ao frio. Mas acho que é a desculpa perfeita para voltarmos em breve!!

<3

Shimmering Athens

Athens has been part of my imaginary since I was pretty young, firstly, because it was the center of a culture that worshiped beautiful and powerful gods whose names and stories always amazed me, and secondly because of their aesthetics. The way they lived and their love for creating beautiful things always impressed and inspired me, and thinking that it all happened about 2500 years ago makes me think about how society forgot that chapter of history and lived in darkness for so long.
So seeing all the treasures that Athens holds was a dream come true.

I was told by some people that visited Athens before that the roads were dirty and that it was way poorer than Portugal. I have to say that I couldn’t disagree more. The roads are full of fragrant orange trees (they’re in bloom at this time of year). The buildings have beautiful faded colors and all balconies have plenty of plants, which gives the streets a very tropical and exuberant vibe! For me, Athens it is a very original mix of Barcelona and Telaviv. We stayed at a cute neighborhood (Negri Fokionos) with lots of cafes and restaurants filled with locals and their dogs.

Monastiraki Square and all the Monastiraki neighbouhood is a lovely place to start exploring the old part of the city, which is bursting with life. From there, you'll be just a few meters away from Melissinos Art - The Poet Sandal Maker, a 3rd generation Greek sandal maker (open since the 1920’s), whose family has been making sandals for celebrities such as Jackie O, The Beatles, Prince Charles and Sarah Jessica Parker to name only a few. The sandals are made there at their workshop and after you select the model you want and the size that fits you best, they give them final adjustings like beveling the edges of all the leather in the sandals or making small adjustments like tightening or making some straps more loose. The natural colored leather comes from tanneries in Crete and is tanned using traditional methods. There are a lot of shops in Athens selling industrially made copies. They’re cheaper but not a lot compared to Melissinos but there you won't have such a genuine experience! I couldn't have left without my own pair - Maria Callas style!

The first sight we visited was Hadrian's Library, apart from the wonderful ruins we met some beings that made it their home: tortoises! Then there is lovely Plaka the most famous zone for chilling in street level or rooftop taverns, some streets that go up the hill have cafes and restaurants that have adapted their terraces to the stairways - perfect postcard scenario. Oh! And there are vases with plants and flowers everywhere, which makes the whole environment more heavenly alive! There we had some lentils with dried tomatoes and mint at Yiasemi while we drank some white wine and cold coffee (everybody was drinking it everywhere!). Near there's a very sweet and charming neighborhood called Anafiotika. Between the houses of the hills inhabitants there are winding and steep alleyways, full of secrets and sights waiting to be found.

Going up to Mount Lycabettus was a perfect choice for the end of the day. The views are totally overwhelming and we stayed there till dusk, absorbing all the beauty around us. Athens is a huge white city that glimmers day and night but the piéce de resistance in the middle of such eye catching shimmer will always be the Parthenon, that golden star, the ancient above modernity.

As it is said, the early bird gets the worm! Waking up early is far from being something I enjoy , but life has rewarded me several times for my efforts and this was one of those days, in Monastiraki you can find amazing views and guess what? We had a rooftop only for ourselves. We were expecting huge crowds up at the Parthenon and down at the Agora, where the Temple of Hephaestus is located (the best well preserved building from those times, made circa 460BC), but instead, the places were quite peaceful early in the morning (most of the sights open at 8am). I can't find the words to describe how wonderful those buildings are. I've already seen them from afar but being so close to them, transmitted me a lot of calmness. They're as ancient as it gets and all the things they've been through, all the people that passed inside or in front of them had their own story. So imagining the 'city' as it was since 5BC is a thought worth having while you're there. I like to think about the people that lived in those times: what they did, how they looked, where they lived.

We were so lucky to have visited all we wanted before a big downpour! On our way we got ourselves totally soaked in rain but we had some time during lunch to dry up our clothes and hair. As the rain wouldn't stop we decided to visit the Acropolis Museum, which has most of the ancient Athenian artifacts and fragments of buildings and temples that need to be preserved.

Next to the huge columns that are left from the Temple of Olympian Zeus there's the beautiful Panathenaic Stadium and the National Gardens with beautiful blooming flowers. After it all and a walk in the gardens we were starving so we had Loukoumades and luxuriously tasty but humbly made Souvlaki (at Lefteris O Politis).

All the food was so amazing! I’ve always disliked feta cheese but now I’m in love with it! Oh, and the yogurt... We had an amazing one with honey and walnuts at a place pretty near the Souvlaki one called Stani.

Athens was actually a city where we were only going to stop a few hours to catch a plane to Turkey, but I’m glad we stayed long enough to get to know it! I’m absolutely coming back to discover Greece further!

The German Wedding

Back in 2013, as an intern at Ann iDemeulemeester I was blessed to meet a lot of amazing people. One of them was my dear Katharina. She and her boyfriend Daniel came to Portugal twice since then and on the last time they were here, which was last Summer, he proposed! Of course we wouldn't miss their wedding for the world!Luis, Tim and Andreia came along and we spent the time that we weren't with the wedding party getting to know the countryside in the south of Frankfurt.As we were not going back to the hotel to change, we dressed up for the wedding in the morning though the party would only happen in the afternoon. I have to say that Portuguese people are not that used to attend to Winter weddings. But we got lucky with the weather.We met Katharina and Daniel's friends the day before the party and we had a blast. We were also so glad to see Ingo again (a friend of them who also stayed in Portugal before), and we were able to meet his lovely wife and baby! We couldn't be happier and we danced all night and laughed at german jokes even though we couldn't understand everything. I have to say that it's a shame that we never take pictures together, so this time, we took a lot but still weren't able to take one with the groom.There was a lot of dancing to 90's tunes and there was even a concert by Daniel and his friend Maurice! I was so touched when they played the song that Daniel wrote with my name on it! Daniel actually wrote it when they were in Portugal for the first time and the song title is pretty badass: Bitten by a Rottweiler! I just loved everything! On our last day, we came to Katharina's parents house to say goodbye and we spent the day visiting Heidelberg and then Frankfurt.Here are some photos that I found from our time in Antwerp, taken with my polaroid camera.On this last one I was crying because I was leaving on the the next day. Little did I know, back then, that we would keep on being friends and that we would share so many moment together. Hope that there are still a lot more to come! Love you guys! <3

From Oslo to NY

I've planned a trip earlier this year and I want to show you the wonderful places I've been. Me and my boyfriend sold everything, from our car to guitars, so we could have enough money to spend 40 days away from home. Our journey began with a stop in Oslo, Norway. I'm not very into super cold countries, nevertheless it's impossible to stay indifferent to their culture and politeness. We only had 6 hours to visit the city, so we tried to enjoy it the best we could.We were able to visit the Oslo Opera House, and walked our way to Slottsplassen, the square where the Royal Palace stands. All the way from the train station to there, there are a lot of smaller streets where you can find second hand shops. I fell in love with a traditional costumes shop called Heimen Husfliden. There you can find a huge collection of amazing jewellery and clothing made with the best materials.We went back to the airport by train. Next stop -> NY, USA! Stay tuned for what's next! :)Oh! I loved the psychedelic vibe on the plane!While we were on our flight to New York, I actually felt an urge to go to the window, because I had the feeling we were flying over Greenland and my instinct was right! The view was just mesmerizing. No photos can do it justice.