If there is one thing to admire about Warsaw, it is its tenacity to rebuild again and again after 98% of the city was destroyed during World War 2. The Germans had made it an objective to clean the whole city to the ground and not leave a single wall standing, piling the debris in a pyramid of ruins in the middle of the house to humiliate and punish the Varsovians for their uprising. And even under the Soviet rule and against communist philosophy, locals insisted to rebuild the old town exactly how it was historically, a massive project that is still ongoing over 80 years after the end of the war. Very inspiring to me… In This Article…1 Rebuilding a Capital after 98% was destroyed post WW22 Best 2 Days Itinerary in Warsaw3 Top 10 Things to do in Warsaw4 Top Rated and Recommended Cafes in Warsaw5 Top Rated and Recommended Restaurants in Warsaw6 Warsaw In Pictures7 Pin to Pinterest Rebuilding a Capital after 98% was destroyed post […]
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Visiting Krakow, the Most Beautiful City in Poland
For some reason, cities that have gone through traumatic experiences and intense stress will tend to rebuild in a more creative and imaginative way, resulting in a “special city”. Think about cities like Athens or Istanbul who have had their share of invasion through the past 3000 years. Or more recently how Berlin has become a center for subculture after all it went through during the cold war. Krakow is part of this victim group, and after all the horrific events it lived during world war 2 with the Nazi camps and massive destruction, it is now flourishing in a very interesting and special way. In This Article…1 The Magical Reborn Krakow Jewish Quarter2 Best 2 Days Itinerary in Krakow3 Top 10 Things to do in Krakow4 Top Rated and Recommended Cafes in Krakow5 Top Rated and Recommended Restaurants in Krakow6 Krakow In Pictures7 Pin to Pinterest The Magical Reborn Krakow Jewish Quarter Krakow is a must visit for anyone and a historical paradise for those passioned by […]
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Gdansk: Polish Jewel of the Baltics
The last piece of the puzzle in this year’s quest to travel all the Baltic coast, from Tallin to Poland passing by Kaliningrad. And what a way to finish this trip in Gdansk, one of the Jewel of Poland and the Baltic Coast. I’ve been waiting to come to Gdansk for years but wanted to do so on the perfect time during summer months as the weather is critical for me to enjoy in this part of Europe. In This Article…1 Poland’s Most Beautiful Old Town2 Outside the Old Town of Gdansk3 Best 2 Days Itinerary4 Top 10 Things to do in Gdansk5 Top Rated and Recommended Cafes in Gdansk6 Top Rated and Recommended Restaurants in Gdansk7 Gdansk In Pictures8 Pin to Pinterest Poland’s Most Beautiful Old Town Gdansk is beautiful! I can’t believe it took me so long to come here, even after visiting in Poland many times over the last 10 years and even living just nearby for a month in Poznan in 2015. […]
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Sochi: The New Pearl of the Black Sea
Sochi is the Biggest resort City in Russia. In fact, it has grown so quickly and well in the past few years that it is a great city in itself and in my opinion only second to St-Petersburg for the most beautiful city in Russia. Sochi was settled by Stalin where he had his private summer house (dacha). But Thanks to the constant efforts by Putin to host big events in the city like the Olympics Games of 2014, the Formula 1 Grand Prix and the FIFA world cup, it is easy to see how the city is important in the eyes of Russians. And you can definitely expect to hear more and more about Sochi as it transforms towards an international holiday destination. In This Article…1 The Miami of Russia2 A 3 Days Itinerary to Sochi3 Top 10 Things to do in Sochi4 Top 5 Restaurants in Sochi5 Top 5 Cafes in Sochi6 Sochi in Pictures7 Pin to Pinterest The Miami of Russia Sochi […]
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The Republic of Abkhazia: An Unrecognized Country That Has a Lot to Offer
Considered by many to be the most beautiful region of the Caucasus with its beautiful semi-tropical sunshine coast and some of the highest mountains in Europe, all packed in a tiny country, Abkhazia has had its share of drama in the past 20 years. No doubt that the beauty and strategic location of this land have played an important role in the long-lasting disputes with Georgia, which led to one of the bloodiest conflicts in the post-soviet area. Nowadays, the country still feels like it’s freshly out of war with destroyed houses everywhere, bullet holes still visible on building facades and very little rebuilt infrastructure. But its Natural beauty definitely compensates for the ruins left behind for the Visitor. In This Article…1 A bit of history2 Ruins and Luxury Cars3 How to get an Abkhazian Visa4 Wines of Abkhazia5 One Week Itinerary around Abkhazia6 My Opinion on Abkhazia7 Top 10 Things to do in Abkhazia8 Top 5 Restaurant in Abkhazia9 Top 5 Cafes in Abkhazia10 […]
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Visiting Paros in Greece: One of My Favorite Island in the World
The title of this article was chosen carefully. I wrote “island” as the capital, Paraika, isn’t anything that special. And “one of my favorite”, because Bora Bora or Tuvalu would take the crown, as “nothing can be greater than paradise”. But as far as the whole island goes, this is very close to perfection! Too many travelers make the mistake to rent a place in Paraika and stay there their whole stay. The best option on Paros is to rent a vehicle at arrival (there are hundreds of companies and many will fish you down at disembarkation of your ferry) and stay at various locations on the way. This island is incredible! I could imagine myself staying here and build one of those little White and Blue house around Naousa and live happy forever. For me, Paros is the perfect example of the “white and blue” towns of the Cyclades, much more than on other islands like Syros, Mykonos or Naxos. The closest comparison I can […]
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Top Things To Do in Syros – a 2 to 3 days Itinerary in a Greek Paradise
This year in Greece I wanted to try something different, a bit off the beaten track so I chose an island in the Cyclades which was not the usual stop for most travelers. Usually, tourists chose the usual 5 to 10 islands such as Mykonos, Santorini, Rhodes, Crete, or Ios for example. That was risky, because being there in springtime, it could end up being very quiet and most things shut down. But I happen to arrive on Labor day weekend, so I arrived in Syros with all the Athenians leaving the Capital to reach one of their favorite islands. Syros is in fact one of the smallest of the Cyclades, but has the biggest population of all, making it the capital of the Cyclades. I haven’t found much information online about Syros but the little I found stated a little paradise which is unspoiled by international tourists, mostly frequented by Greeks. And what a surprise. This place is stunning! The Capital, Ermoupoli is a […]
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Athens On & Off the Beaten Track – 3 Days City Guide
Athens is this city where you can spend endless time exploring every corner of every street and you will always find something interesting. It’s just incredible how much a single city can hold, its a playground for history lovers, having literally layers over layers of civilizations stacked on top of each other, dating back more over 5000 years ago. On top of this, Greek people happen to have an extremely refined sense of design and their creativity gave birth to tons of stylish restaurants, cafes and bars spread around the city. These places are focused more on the experience rather than only consumption. I’ve been to Athens several times, and usually the first visit to Athens is the same for everybody: Visit the same most important sights: the Acropolis, the Parthenon, at least 3 museums and enjoying the streets of Plaka in the center. All of that is time-consuming and takes 3 to 4 days which is about what most people have in one visit. But […]
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Top Things to do in Nafplio, the Ancient Capital of Greece
Known as a best-kept secret by nearby Athenians coming on Weekends, Nafplio, which used to be the capital of Greece one point after the independence, is one heck of a beautiful city. It is such a strategic point that it has 3 fortresses stretched on hills around the area. The Palamidi fortress is the biggest and makes a nice hike going up a set of stairs all the way to the top, where there are stunning views down to Nafplio, the Argolic Golf and the other fortress, the Akronafplia Fortress. the town of Nafplio itself provides a very nice walk around its incredibly beautiful streets lined up with little Greek restaurants, with nice Balconies along Amalias street and Vasileos Konstantinou Street. I really enjoyed going around the Akronafplia Fortress, a nice walk of about 1km that passes by Arvanitia Beach, a little stretch of pebble beach with crystal blue waters, providing an excellent base for a quick swim on a hot afternoon. The walk continues around the Akronafplia Fortress […]
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Visit Crete: 2 to 3 Days Itinerary in Chania
Ever since I came to Chania 15 years ago as a novice traveler, I’ve been bragging about it as my favorite city in Greece. So being here again after such a long time definitely brought excitement to rediscover it. Chania offers a different feeling of the typical islands of the Cyclades with their white and blue architecture. Chania has a Phoenician, Venetian and Ottoman background where many remnants are still visible today. But its history goes even further with traces that are harder to see, such as its Minoan roots that date over 3500 years. Some open-air Minoan Archaeological sites can be found in the center of the old town. The most scenic part is concentrated around the Venetian port, which ads an interesting taste of Ottoman occupation, especially with the mosque of Kioustsouk Hasan situated right on the port on the eastern side. For me, the Venetian port makes it the most pittoresque port of all Greece and one of my favorite of Europe! sitting […]
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