I’ve travelled extensively throughout Croatia over the years as it is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful countries in Europe. I keep coming back because I never get tired of the blue Adriatic Sea, Venetian fortified towns along the coast, the food, the people, etc… And to win the title of the most beautiful city in Croatia is a hard one to designate. Rovinj is just a masterpiece, like few there are in Europe! I can imagine Dubrovnik being this nice before tourism destroyed it, so be quick to come and experience it before Hollywood comes before you, followed by the masses! All the beauty of Istria in one single Venitian Town Istria has been under Italian rule for so long that it is still omnipresent everywhere on the peninsula. Rovinj, also officially known as Rovigno as it is a bilingual city (Italian/Croatian), […]
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Canadian Newspaper LaPresse Publishes my Travel Recommendations for 2019
Back in January, I was contacted by a Journalist from Canadian Newspaper LaPresse named Mrs Ballivy, concerning an article about experts recommendations for Canadian tourists to travel in 2019. Flattered by the trust and confidence giving by such a reputable newspaper, I accepted with pride! My recommendations appeared in two articles published by the newspaper, where out of my 9 recommendations, 3 were selected. You can find the link to these two articles, but I also thought I could share the remainder of my other recommendations with my loyal readers right here in this article. Two articles published by La Presse The two articles published by LaPresse were quite interesting and can be found in French at the following links. The first was published on the 12th February 2019 under the title Les destinations voyage de l’année where the authors kept Tallinn as my recommended […]
Read More...What to do in 3 Days in Sibenik, Croatia – An Underrated city soon to be recognized internationally
Halfway between the two Damlatian Stars of Split and Zadar stands Sinebik, a well underated city that still attracts a quarter of the attention as the others. This also means it is a great time to visit Sibenik before it catches up on the higer prices on food and accomodation you will find in most popular cities. But this is likely to change very soon so I would hurry up to get there as soon as possible if I were you. The City Surounded by Forts Sibenik’s setup is beautiful and perfect for yachties. It is located inside a bay which is garded by many forts, and makes it ideal to dock stright off the peer or at the marina for it’s calm waters. But Sibenik’s definit highlight is it’s Cathedral, which earns the title of the biggest 100% stone built cathedral in the world! […]
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Visiting Warsaw, Newly Rebuilt Capital of Poland
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… Rebuilding a Capital after 98% was destroyed post WW2 The majority of the construction has been concentrate on restoring the main part of the old town, which is pretty small […]
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Tartu – 3 Days in The Academic Capital of Estonia
A small university town set in the middle of the Estonian forest; this is how best I can describe Tartu! But who says university town says student life, and student life means a very active city full of Estonians students and international exchange students energizing the city with life and party! So Tartu definitely packs a lot for such a tiny place. A Small University Town Tartu has been the go-to university for Estonians for centuries, and its reputations has attracted international students from all over the world. The Erasmus exchange program in Europe has influenced a lot of new arrivals, but also Asians looking for a great education for a fraction of the cost. I came in the middle of the summer so there weren’t that many students yet. Instead, I arrived with 3 festival being hosted at the same time, filling the streets with fanfare […]
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Visiting Liepaja: a Wannabe Beach Resort Stuck Between Soviet and Western Times
Having been one of the most important military ports in the world where Soviets had stationed a massive fleet 3 times the size the what nowadays Fleet in Brittan, Liepaja is trying to detach itself from its military past and embrace a more baltic beach resort style such as Palanga, Parnu or Jurmala. But somehow, its struggling to get there. There is a definite feel of industrial military vibe all over which, to be honest, is not the most appealing… A Beach in the middle of a Soviet Past Coming from Palanga where I had spent a few amazing days, Liepaja had a hard task of impressing me after such a nice time on the Lithuanian coast. And as soon as I arrived I knew it wouldn’t quite be the same experience. First, Latvia has a much more Russian population, counting for about 39% of the country. But […]
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Visiting the Mouth of the Curonian Spit in Klaipeda, Lithuania
Set on a small stretch of coast on the Lithuanian Baltic coast, Klaipeda is truely set in an amazing location. The city is set directly on the Curonian spit which is a UNESCO protected area for its unique natural wonders. With a nice German flavor, this once important Prussian city is now Lithuania’s third largest city, yet keeping a distinctive town summer holiday feel. Its fame is only starting as cruise large cruise ships have included the Klaipeda onto their Northern Europe route along with Tallinn, Helsinki and Stocklholm. Visiting Klaipeda Klaipeda was actually called Memel in German times before it was renamed Klaipeda by the Lithuanians. The city was a nice surprise for me, as I didn’t expect such a beautiful little town since I hadn’t heard much from it in the past. It was peak summer season when I visited, but nevertheless, I […]
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Kaliningrad in Russia – In the Shadow of Konigsberg
Once a very important city in the Prussian empire and now an integral part of Russia, this little enclave to the baltic sea hold its share of history. Its strategic location between the Curonian spit was seen by several empires to be a must keep area, which explains why it is awkwardly separated from the Russian Mainland. A lot of Kaliningrad was lost during world war 2, which is sad because It was once considered one of Europe’s most beautiful cities. Even St-Petersburg is said to be built on the bases of Kaliningrad. The Missing Piece of the Baltic States It’s no secret that I consider the 3 Baltic States as one of my favorite parts of th world. And this is probably why Kaliningrad was so high on my list, as it shares the same attributes as its neighbors. With the Curonian spit north […]
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Visiting Krasnoyarsk, Siberian Nature at its Best
My last stop on this Siberian Month was Krasnoyarsk, the third largest city in Siberia and a highlight on my last trip 4 years ago. I had been curious to spend more time here and for the occasion, I rented a 10-day apartment in the center to be close to the action. Looking back at it, it was definitely a good move. The beauty of Krasnoyarsk is in its nature, with its parks all over the city and especially the Stolby national park just a few kilometers away. What I especially like about this city compared to other Russian cities is its compact center, situated between 2 rivers, appearing like an island. It helps to concentrate the points of interest in the center and not spreading over a large distance, making it a great pedestrian city. The riverfronts are covered in green parks and seemed to constantly fill […]
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Visiting Novosibirsk, Capital of Siberia in Russia
The Siberian Capital and third largest city in Russia, Novosibirsk is, in my opinion, the real Russia. Friendly and modern, yet having a distinctive Siberian feel, this is a city where travelers will enjoy friendly people and nature to its fullest. It’s definitely not easy to reach but if you happen to be on a trans-Siberian train or an intercontinental flight on transit, make a 2 to 3 days stop to see what I mean. Visiting the Siberian Capital At the peak of the Fifa Russian world cup of 2018 and just after my final match I attended in Rostov-on-Don between Uruguay and Saudi Arabia, I escaped the center of the action and the noise to hide in the middle of Siberia to enjoy a month of Nature and peacefulness. That was my plan this year after 2 weeks of crazy world cup frenzy in […]
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