I’m pretty sure that you’ve heard about Valpolicella at least once in your lifetime. It is the name of a zone full of gentle hills near Verona and it gave a name to the Valpolicella wine that people appreciate around the world. I am not a wine expert but since I lived in Italy I tasted a variety of white and red wines. I participated in a wine tasting before and I am probably an average wine fan: love it with whole my heart. When we left the Dolomites, we decided to expand our holiday and stay for a little bit longer in Italy. Verona and Valpolicella seemed to be just perfect. Last week, we participated in two wine tasting and here is my review, so you could pick up your own way. Valpolicella Valpolicella Classico is made from five grape varieties: Rondinella, Corvina, Corvinione, Oseleta and Molinara. For an amateur, it is pretty hard to distinguish the grapes seen on the grapevines but to the experts, this is a piece of cake. The location of Valpolicella is stunning and just perfect for wine cultivation. From the top of the hills on a sunny day, you can see the Adriatic Sea. The quality of the soil is outstanding as it is of a volcanic origin. Local microclimate brings a fresh breeze from the sea and from the nearby lake Garda. The cantina here is well ventilated which makes the drying process of grapes possible. Out of the variety of grapes grown in Valpolicella a series of red wines are produced: Valpolicella Classico, famous Amarone, sweet Recioto and Ripasso. Wine Tasting in Cantina Fratelli Vogadori Although we all prefer white wines, we could not miss the opportunity of wine tasting in Valpolicella. In a sunny afternoon, we started our tasting in a cantina called Fratelli Vogadori. We entered the building, crossed a cellar following the arrows and were seated at the table with five bottles or red wine. One of the owners was our guide. We got a list of wines that we should taste, bread with olive oil and a spittoon. One after another, the red wine filled our glasses and through the story told by one of the owners we did our best to taste vanilla, cherry, chocolate, and tobacco. Cherry was the easiest to spot. One of the wines we tasted was especially wonderful: it smelled fresh and fruity and after we tasted it, our mouths were full of vanilla. An amazing experience that involved not only our senses of taste and smell but also our memories. Our guide explained that what we sense in a wine depends on our personal experience and memories. We bought a few bottles of wine there and went back home completely satisfied. But this was not over. Next day we went to a different place and the wine tasting there was a totally different one. Wine Tasting in Tenuta Santa Maria Valverde After the first wine tasting in Valpolicella we expected a similar thing but we were completely wrong. This time, we got caught by the owners full of passion, joy and proud. We booked a wine tasting combined with lunch and arrived at noon, in a very hot day. The old buildings and well-ventilated garden welcomed us with desired fresh breeze. Ilaria and Nicola, a couple who owns the place, took us directly for a guided tour around their property. We started from a huge room dedicated to grapes drying process. All grapes, collected manually, are stored for at least 100 days from November to mid-February, depending on the weather and harvest. The room was empty but watching the wooden boxes we could imagine how hard it is to keep them safe from mold until they are ready for a fermentation process. Ilaria explained that each variety of grapes used in Valpolicella wine gives a different taste. Rondinella tastes like plums, Corvina and Corvinone like cherries, Molinara like green pepper, and Oseleta like mulberries. From the drying room, we went down to the cellar, where the smell of mold was overwhelming. Old wooden barrels and modern metal ones were laying there, working hard to produce the excellent wine. Ilaria, a charming woman who laughed a lot, explained the whole process of wine making, including all difficulties, obstacles, and unexpected events. Then, Nicola came and are told us a story of the family. His family has been making wine for the last three hundred years! The expertise in the matter is the air they breathe from the moment they were born. Fascinating. We finally got seated under the white umbrella in a tranquil green garden. The silence was only intermittent by the sound of cicada and gently running water. What a relaxing place! Nicola brought us the local cheese and sausages and the feast began. The taste of wines along with the local specialities was amazing but the final was mind blowing. To fully enjoy the last wine, Nicola brought a block of dark chocolate. It is impossible to describe how incredible it tasted. The whole experience was just fantastic! It took us more than three hours and we had to run before Ilaria showed us the grounds, which was a shame. The owners told us that we could stay with them until the evening and I think that next time I will dedicate the whole day to stay in this marvellous place. Which wine tasting to choose? These two wine tasting experiences were picked up randomly. I had no previous contact with any of these places nor asked for suggestions to any of my friends. Obviously, each of these places has their own way of showing the excellency of the Valpolicella wines. It is up to you, what you prefer. I’d say that I should probably go back to Santa Maria Valverde because of the whole experience. I think that I tasted not only the wine there but most of all, what this region and the family business is all about. I deeply appreciate the...

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We all love these stories, don’t we? A long and difficult journey with a high-minded target. More and more people volunteer abroad as it seems to combine two activities we are fond of: traveling and helping to the poor. Our collective imagination has been taken by a romantic impulse of helping those in need. The contemporary charities are not as strictly connected with religious beliefs and Christian ethos of mercifulness as in the past, thus, undoubtedly, one should ask an important question of how he or she helps? I consider this new trend very interesting. Therefore, I thought I will contribute the global discussion on volunteering by sharing few thoughts on the theme. Tibetan Foothold You might be surprised, but I will not share any personal stories here. Although I believe that helping people wherever you are is one of the most difficult activities, and yet, one of the most important ones, I will share here a review of an old book. Dervla Murphy, one of my favorite authors, published a book titled: “Tibetan Foothold”, which I believe is an important voice in the debate whether we should volunteer abroad or not. The book is a result of a four months stay in Tibet, in the late 60s, when Dervla cycled crossed a continent and arrived in India by bike. Her epic journey was described in “Full Tilt” book, one of the most entertaining and interesting diarys ever written. So, here we are, with young Dervla who had completed her first epic journey. She was proud with a sense of accomplishment, that her plan had been realized. She had a personal introduction to the staff of an orphanage in Tibet who she joined without a second thought. The Important ‘how’ What is striking from the first page of this book is Dervla’s inexperience in how the western world system of help works in the most disadvantaged areas of the world. And as a result of this, the reader is rewarded by as authentic description of this system. Right there, in, you may say, extreme circumstances, Dervla is faced with a dilemma that all volunteers are faced with: HOW do I help. What helping means to me? What is the best use of my time and skills? Quite quickly, she discovers the  numerous failures of the system, burdensome bureaucracy and lack of proper communication between funding bodies and volunteers on site. It gets only worse: not enough resources has terrifying consequences resulting in the death of some orphans. Dreadful living conditions and extreme poverty was not something Dervla was prepared for, facing this hardship she could have easily decided there was  little she could do and she could have blamed the system for not helping to the fullest. Instead, she asked herself HOW did  she want to help by making the best use of who she was and what her skills were. This is a precious testimony that whoever you are and wherever you are, you can make a difference. Make a difference In volunteering, we all want to experience the rewarding feeling that our actions resulted in something good for others. Dervla, after realizing that she couldn’t  help everybody, focused on one issue: the hearing problems of the orphans. On every day of her stay with the kids, she made an effort to screen their hearing condition and obtain medicine for those in need. It was not numbers nor statistics that she was after, but through a patient, methodical and regular effort she made a real difference. Before she left the orphanage, the percentage of children with hearing problems dropped significantly, which she noted in her book with extreme satisfaction. I’m not going to spoil your own reading here. The book is full of fascinating stories, incredible adventures, terrifying events, conflicts, triumphs, and personal struggles. It reveals a few dirty little secrets of international helping in the late 60s, and many important issues we should consider before we either support financially or engage personally in volunteering abroad. But the leading message of this book is an optimistic conclusion that irrespectively of the institutional problems of all organizations, it is up to you HOW do you help. Charity begins at home It is crucial to think about it before you go. I strongly believe in local charities. It is my personal view that you can understand the needs of others best, when you live close to them, speak the language, know their culture. You can use your judgment to assess the efficiency of the support provided. If you decided to travel far and volunteer then you need to rely on somebody else’s judgment. And then it all comes down to trust. Don’t get me wrong. This article should not discourage you to devote your time and effort to others. Nor it should discourage to travel and volunteer abroad. On the contrary, I think it can be a very positive experience. All I’m trying to say here is you should think it through, engage in local charity first and make a thorough research on the organization that you want to engage with. At the end of the day, all that matters is your individual attitude, strong will and clarity of intention.    

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I’ve been reading travel books by Dervla Murphy for quite some time now. I started in  chronological order with “Full Tilt” followed by “Tibetan Foothold“. The books  were a sort of novelty to me. I have never read anything so sincere, straightforward and honest. I was fascinated by her style and stories so when I received Dervla Murphy’s biography from Eland I started reading it right away. Here is why you should read “Wheels within Wheels“, too. Ireland It always amazes me how well people remember their childhood and how deep the events and emotions are hidden in our memory. “Wheels within Wheels” is a memorable journey in time.  The author invites us to follow her footsteps in her early years, to explore the history of her family and to discover the nature of relationships with close relatives. It all started in Ireland, before the 2nd world war, when three of them – mother, father and little Dervla – move into a small village Lismore. A remote location in rural Ireland with a beautiful landscape in the background which shaped Dervla’s personality and habits more than anything else. Except, perhaps, her mother’s illness and both parents’ love for books. Personal There is also a particular detail in Dervla Murphy’s biography that I find very powerful. My Mum, just like her mum, is disabled and thus my childhood has been influenced by caring for her. Although my Mum has been more independent than Dervla’s mother  it still influenced me and who I am today. Caring for somebody else, thinking about somebody else’s need and just getting the focus away from myself was my daily routine. I had a beautiful childhood irrespectively of my Mum’s condition, but I see many similarities between myself and the author. Bicycle I found it particularly interesting that an Irish girl, with no formal education, possessed such a curiosity for  other places, cultures, and languages, such a vivid imagination and, at the same time, her actions were characterized to a great extent by common sense. Her childhood in rural Ireland honed her material needs to a minimum which allowed her to travel the world in a very particular way. I hadn’t realized earlier that she stayed with her mother until the very end and only after her death Dervla’s plans to travel the world were realized. Enough to say she was thirty by then. When she finally began her first journey into the unknown, she felt the need to know the world quite urgently. And it was possible because one day her parents gave her a bike. It was love at first sight and soon, even though restrained by the home duties, she ventured out on bike trips. Every time she went further and further until she realized that there was no reason why she shouldn’t cycle wherever she wanted – even to India. Books It is fascinating to learn about her childhood and the way she was learnt about the world through books. Her father was librarian and grandfather a scholar so although she didn’t finish  school due to the hardship within her family, these two men influenced her greatly. Reading every book she found was her way of keeping her mind open, exercising her imagination, and in some years marked by extreme difficulties reading books also kept her sane. Choices This biography is a wonderful testimony that family matters and it marks us to an extent we would never imagine. It shows the author’s ups and downs, fulfilling friendships and school failure, ethical and religious dilemmas, and the everyday struggle to keep her spirits high. Furthermore, the book helps to understand that for Dervla the journey was not only just travelling around, discovering new countries or even talking to the people she met and sharing their reality for a while. It was a deep human activity she undertook out of a need to realize her dream and to fully develop what she believed she was called for. Typically for Dervla her difficult road towards independence in her own words was summarized as follows: “The school was hard, but the knowledge was priceless.” No regrets, no bitterness, no fuss. In her life, everything that should have happened, did happen. And it all made her an amazing person she is today. Wisdom Dervla Murphy traveled the world on her bike. You might think that through her journeys she became knowledgeable and smart but I think, who she is today, is derived from her difficult childhood and obstacles she was confronted with. She was smart before she ever started traveling. And her way of travelling is a result of who she is. Not the other way around. There is one certain thing about Dervla Murphy and her biography: they are characterized by sincerity and integrity, so precious and so rare nowadays. Apparently, formal education is not everything. My biggest regret after reading this book is the missing part of the second half of Dervla’s life. I would be very interested in what happened after her success, how did this change her life, whether she likes meeting her audience and how the international recognition influenced her traveling. Dear Dervla, if you are reading it part two, please!  

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My journey around the world is over. I returned home safe and sound. It will take me a while to bring you all amazing adventures I had, to share pictures and videos so let me just share some highlights of this journey. Slow travel Telling the truth, this was the best part of the whole plan: do it slowly, so as a result I stayed more than 2 weeks in the same place, with the exception of Hong Kong. It worked really well. Two weeks is enough to get friendly with people around, get your bearings, enjoy your stay, figure out how public transportation works, and, most of all, experience how people live in remote locations visited. I don’t know whether this would work for everybody, but I would argue that staying in the same place for longer than few days is beneficial to a general well-being and increases the quality of the journey. Small amusement Each journey, even if the most cost-effective, call for the small amusement along the way. It is really useless to travel around the world and limit yourself just to sleep and eat cheaply. Limiting yourself to the basic needs make the whole adventure stressful, money focused and, after a while, monotonous. Although my trip wasn’t neither budget nor luxury I balanced all my needs on an everyday basis. And from time to time I spoil myself with an evening at the cinema, sweets at Moomins’ Cafe and other things that I really like. It not only made my journey pleasant but also allowed me to experience the way people do things in places I visited. I often tried to capture their way of spending free time and relaxing and it worked pretty well. Meeting people This was one of the most rewarding experiences along the way: meeting people and listening to their stories. I am deeply satisfied with all new friends I met. It is always helpful to know the language so the most difficult and challenging country was Japan, as I don’t speak Japanese. But even there I met two Italian girls and one Japanese guy who were willing to share their stories with me. Keeping my habits This was a real struggle: keeping my jogging routine. I took running shoes and gear with me which was a sacrifice itself because it occupied literally half of my luggage. I tried to stick to jogging at least 3 times a week, but I must admit I didn’t make it. I run a lot on Rarotonga and Auckland, plus I cycled a lot but I was not able to run as much as I wanted nor needed. It was way too cold in Japan and way to hilly in New Zealand, but I was able to run little less than 100 km in these 3 months. After my return home I’m running every second day and feel much better. Sustainable travel I think that many of my colleagues from the blogging community pursue a lifestyle that is unsustainable in a long term perspective. After a year or two of traveling many of them are struggling with obesity, insomnia, being tired or even exhausted all the time. There are many reasons for that and traveling as an activity is really demanding. If someone is telling you it is effortless he or she is lying, because it is not. On the contrary: far from it! And although I think my way of traveling is still missing a bit of care for myself I consider it way above the average bloggers’ journey. Traveling is surprisingly similar to everyday life and if you don’t make an effort to do jogging or eat healthy food the travel will not make it for you. Best things Many people ask me: What was the best about this journey? And is it hard to reply in one phrase, but if you asked me what I consider the best element of this journey I would say: return home. Seriously! The moment I entered my house was the moment of true happiness. Does this make me a lousy traveler? On the contrary, I think. I’m having now time for digesting all information, emotions, impressions, tastes, smells, meetings, smiles, well literally everything I experienced. I need to stay with this for a while to fully appreciate it and enjoy all of my adventures. So although I’ll travel a bit next few months I’m going to focus on telling the stories that I brought with me. OK, true, second best thing about this journey was a stay in Kyoto with a book by Nicolas Bouvier in my hand. This is my favorite way of traveling: reading a book about the place I’m in. Truly fabulous experience! And highly recommended too. This long journey showed me how important it is to have a home. Surprise Last, but now least, I was writing a diary for the whole journey and it looks like a lot of materials to deal with but I’m really hoping to work on it and publish it as a book. I will keep you posted when I have more details. For now, please read my posts from a travel around the world and keep your fingers crossed!  

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This was a delightful day! Although in the evening I was very tired I had a great time. It is the middle of the summer here, in New Zealand so last Saturday I went to Waiheke. This is a popular recreational destination, not only for tourists but most of all to Aucklanders. It is easily reached by a ferry from downtown Auckland. A ride lasts about 35 minutes and a ferry goes every hour. Bike Not always, popular places are beautiful. It often happens I am disappointed with top touristic sites. But this was not the case of Waiheke. Although there was a crowd on the ferry the island is large enough to accommodate all visitors. First, I went by bike, which was a challenge itself. I’m not a great bike rider as you probably remember from my previous post on Aran Islands, but I enjoy recreational riding just like I did in Athens. Anyway, this was a different story because Auckland is very hilly city and Waiheke Island too. The great thing about this trip was that I could take my bike to a ferry for free. I was wondering why more people do not do this. After all I checked the price for bike rental on the island and 50 NZD daily rate seemed to me very expensive. But soon enough I knew why people rarely take bikes with them. Making the long story short: Waiheke Island is very hilly. I was not prepared for this! The first part of the trip – from Kingsland where I live in Auckland to harbour – was downhill but the moment I started my ride on Waiheke I thought I should get back home at once! First kilometer was uphill and I felt like my legs and lungs were burning. And it was no better further: up and down for next 9 km! Only because I was really determined I eventually reached my destination: a winery and restaurant “Wild on Waiheke”. Wine Waiheke is called the island of wine. There are as many as 25 wineries on this island and most of them offer wine tasting, restaurant, garden and a place to have your party in. I tasted few wines in ‘Wild on Waiheke’ and I can tell you this: if only for wine this trip would not worthy my effort. Now, I know this might be due to my previous experiences in Italy and my particular taste shaped by Italian wines (not luxury nor expensive but still). And I really understand people who go to Waiheke to taste wines. I do! After all, this wine was better than the one I had in Paris (shame on you!). What is really great about Waiheke and wine tasting is that you can have a very small glass with your meal for just 2 NZD. It allowed me to taste as many as 4 different ones and I did not have to spit! The more friendly version of professional wine tasting. Just for people like me and a million of Aucklanders who come here. Food and people If not wine than food! What else makes you determined enough to ride up and down for an hour? “Wild on Waiheke” provides high quality and very tasty food. Their garlic bread, salad and a variety of cheese and ham were excellent! Also, people who work there are friendly and helpful. When I arrived at noon all seats and tables were taken but they were still able to find a place for me. I had a look at ‘typical’ Kiwis having a great time. These people are chilled out beyond my imagination. They are not slobs, though. They keep their being chilled out well balanced so people who watch them do not feel embarrassed or disgusted. Kiwis chill out makes you relaxed and eager to share their state of mind. In this restaurant, I felt like being a part of a big party. Even though people did not know each other it still felt like somebody’s wedding. And let me tell you that the dress code was not wedding focused! Landscape The best part about this island is landscape. I was riding a bike and at some point I felt really exhausted but it did not prevent me from watching breathtaking views. Little bays, hidden beaches, gentle green hills, white boats on the water and blue sky over all of this was a reward for riding uphill. Just like elsewhere the middle of the summer makes a place colourful and smelly (in a good sense!). A variety of trees and flowers is delightful here and the whole island was like a big garden. New trend What I found most amusing was a popularity of this place. Yes, it is beautiful but often this is not good enough for people to come. Apart from a chill out of New Zealanders I can’t still well understand I think creating new trends works really well here. Wine has become a desirable and widespread drink recently. It is fancy to drink red wine instead of anything else. So people do. They have their favorite wines but also visiting a winery for a day became a great idea for a weekend. Waiheke would be still beautiful without wineries but for its beauty people would not come. If you are spending your summer in Auckland this is a great one-day trip. I think it is worthy to visit this island for its atmosphere, beauty and for people. I enjoyed my stay there very much and I hope to go back there soon. Travel Tip When you take a ferry don’t sit on the back lower deck. I did and after 15 minutes I was completely covered with salt and water. I looked like a wet chicken and for the whole day I had sticky hands. So make yourself comfortable inside the ferry.  

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Tbex conference is always packed with events. But there is always one of two days off to enjoy the place where the conference is held. This year we were very lucky to find ourselves in Athens – the capital of Greece. Although the weather was summer like only for 2 days we were still having fun laughing, drinking and dancing together. Once in a year it is great meeting all bloggers in the same place at the same time. Bike tour After one day trip with Jenny to Marathon I took part in cycling tour around Athens. No surprises here: I have always considered bikes the best transportation in big cities and also the best way to actually see the city. So when a company Travelncycle invited me and Susan decided to join them we didn’t have a second thought! Security first! We were a jolly group! Twins from Slow Spirit Blog, Franziska from Coconut Sports, Susan from VibrantIreland and Roni from TravelGuru were all invited to join Yorgo and Villy – locals from Athens who wanted to show us their city. Each of us got a helmet, highly visible vest and a bike. Now, I tried quite a few bicycles during my travels. If you remember my adventure on the Aran Islands you will surely know how hard and uncomfortable it was. Thus, I was shocked how easy this bike tour was! Even if we biked up and down the bikes provided by TravelnCycle were brilliant! Guys from this company also published few really nice pictures taken throughout the day: click here to watch them all. Around the city We started from main city site: Acropolis. The weather was perfect for a bike ride: no sun was shining and it was chilly enough to ride a bike without sweating. We biked through the main districts including famous Plaka and Psirri, less known Gazi with revitalized post industrial buildings, Greek Parliment to watch changing of the guard, Public Gardens and epic stadium called Panathenaic Stadium. The Stadium was pretty impressive especially because a finish line of every classic Marathon run in Athens each year is right there. Here are few pictures taken along our itinerary.         Fish Market One of the most fascinating attractions seen and experienced with all 5 senses was a fish market. What a place! Guys from TravlnCycle did great job taking us there so we could – at least for a short moment – see how locals live and do their daily shopping. This place was smelly and very very loud. Every seller shouted in Greek things we didn’t understand but surely they tried to catch the attention of the buyers, and they were very successful in that! I’m not a big fan of seafood but I loved this place! For its vibrant and unpretentious character. It gave us a grip on where and how Athenians buy their food. Chill Out The tour took us more than 4 hours so eventually, after seeing all beautiful byzantine churches, ruins of Hadrian Library, Temple of Zeus and million other sites, we headed towards an exceptional place called: Kerameio Cafe. All of us were tired and needed some regeneration before going back to a hotel so Yorgo and Villy took us to a brilliant place. The music, interior design and food was exceptional. I felt warm and peaceful in a minute. We sat around a table and started trying traditional greek food and drinks.  The tour around Athens by bike was fantastic. I had a great time not only visiting the famous sites but also interacting with our guides and other bloggers. I can tell you this: biking IS the best way to visit the city and with guys from TravelnCycle you can be sure to be well taken care of! Highly recommended! Tbex 2014 from Null & Full on Vimeo.  

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Two days ago I was having a typical Italian breakfast: brioche and cappuccino. And when I’m sitting in my office 1400 km further north it is really hard to believe. Especially when this morning temperature dropped below zero. But here I am. I got back after 2 weeks of a combined car, train, scooter and bike voyage. What can I say? Italy was awesome. As always. (Just like the last one). Drive The drive is long. It takes about 12 hours to drive through Germany, Austria and Italy, to cross from Poznań to Ferrara. And if the traffic is heavy or the road works are carried out then it can be 14 hours. So it is rather challenging in terms of driving. How to survive a long drive? Well, I found a good way to stay focused on the road: I listen to the audiobooks. This time I was listening to a book by Bulgakov The Master and Margarita. This is not my favorite book but you know what? I am still thinking about it. About the cat, Russia, Moscow that I have never visited and the main plot. I can tell you this: this book gets into you and it is very hard to stop analyzing it, remembering the crucial events, trying to imagine the main characters. Train Thanks to the book I drove safely to Ferrara where I joined some of my Italian friends and we went further south by train. With 2 changes – one in Bologna and one in Napoli – we arrived to Sorrento. This was a Frecciarossa train which meant it was a really short journey. The train goes with a galactic speed of almost 300 km/h and it crosses numerous tunnels. As a side effect of this fast journey and many tunnels you get your ears clogged. This is very similar to a feeling of being aboard of a plane that takes off. While on a plane it takes few minutes at most in the italian Frecciarossa it takes hours. So think twice before you decide to use this mean of transportation. My personal preference? Scooter, what else? Scooter This was one of my big dreams: to drive a scooter in Italy. So when I received a scooter as a gift for my birthday I was unbelievably happy. I was proudly driving it in Italy for couple of years and loved every minute of it. So when I went to Sorrento I knew I would love to do it again. Plus, there was my birthday. And the route from Sorrento to Positano is one of the most scenic routes in the world (Costiera Amalfitana was proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site). The weather was fabulous that day so I had an absolutely wonderful time! I had my GoPro camera with me and shot more than a hundred short clips. I will share them with you when a short movie was created (later, I mean…). Bike The final stage of this journey was done by bike. In one of the hotels I stayed in Ferrara the bikes were available to the guests so I took a long ride through my favorite Italian town enjoying the sun and the spring air. It totally convinced me that Ferrara is a bicycle town, very friendly to bikers. I participated in an extraordinary feast of the Hebrew literature (La Festa del Libro Ebraico in Italia) and joined a guided tour around the town, focused on Jewish traces, that are numerous and well preserved. So here is what I’ve been doing for last two weeks. I hope to share it with you in few episodes in next few weeks. Keep in touch! …and start from the first post about Sorrento. Have you ever thought about visiting Italy? Here is an alternative way on how to visit Italy and get really close to the Italian way of life. I created a project ‘I love Ferrara‘ so you could join me and experience how beautiful and tasty Ferrara is. If you wish to immerse in Italy book your holiday now!  

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It’s St. Patrick’s Day today! The whole world celebrates the patron of Ireland and so do I. Ireland is a wonderful country and due to its long and turbulent history it has very particular traditions, culture, music, language and feasts. Following this important tradition of remembering the saints and patrons I am sharing few impressions from my first stay in Ireland. It’s been almost a year since I went there for the first time so it is good to reflect a bit about it. My impressions from the Green Ireland were published on website of a local tour operator Tour Ireland. Read it right here and stay green in St. Patrick’s Day!    

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Christchurch is not just another easy place to visit. This city is extraordinary: first, because of its British heritage and second, because of its recent history marked by the earthquake. I found this city fascinating for many reasons. Mainly because my own personal traumatic earthquake experience (yes, I am an earthquake survivor!) but I think it is simply interesting to watch any city re-creating itself. So, if you’re a community enthusiast, ongoing construction fan or natural disaster watcher this is the place for you! Bicycle The best way to see this city is by bike. It might be very true for many cities around the world but regarding the earthquake detriment it is even more so here. I rented bike in a very special place called Vintage Peddler where literally old bicycles are available to be rented for couple of hours or days. The owners are charming and they provide helmets and lockers along the bikes rented. What I really appreciated was the fact that bikes were old, the helmet was used and so I could easily melt into the local environment. At least I didn’t look like a tourist from a 10 km distance! And felt a bit like a local. I was enjoying Christchurch and my bike for five days in a row. I could easily go to a Botanic Garden or public park in a minute! What is really nice about this renting place is that each bike has its own name and history. I was riding Blue Monday Bike so if one day you’ll visit Christchurch and will ride the same bike please let me know! We could become bike mates. See it from the distance Christchurch is flat. As flat as you can imagine. No hills whatsoever. What is beautiful about it it’s the location (Location, location, location!). Although the city is totally flat it is surrounded with a mountain range and with Pacific Ocean. To fully appreciate its location you need to see it from the distance. So, riding my blue vintage bicycle I went about 12km one way to enjoy a ride on Gondola. This was a sunny day so the first thing I did was that I burnt my skin. I used a sunscreen but apparently the UV filter was too low (lousy European one!) so in the afternoon my hands were burning badly. But before I realized that I enjoyed amazing panorama of the city and surrounding. The whole Gondola ride is really nice and the function centre at the top is impressive. It’s not only the views over Christchurch, Lyttelton, Southern Alps and the Ocean: it’s a very nice interior design. My favorite part were posters with Maori myths of the Sun and the Earth birth and explanation of “How to find south” using the Southern Cross in the night. I find it most astonishing that being in the Southern Hemisphere means that the sky changes. I mean, if you think about it, that’s awesome. Sky and earth are something I (we?) take for granted. They never change. They are stable and persistent. And here we are: you go out from caravan at night, you look at the stars and all is different! And in this particular case of Christchurch the earth is not as stable as usually considered. So many astonishing things in one moment! Gondola ride was a fabulous start of my holiday: sitting in comfortable armchair, drinking coffee and watching all of these wonders! Chill out OK, so here I am: I have a bike rented for five days and skin burnt after one day of riding it. Where should I go? International Antarctic Centre, where else? Riding a bike to the Antarctic Centre was weird. I mean, it is 12km from the city centre and there is no bicycle road at the very last part of it, but who cares? My question at the desk about the bike parking was confusing to the staff but- lucky me!- there were some places to lock my vintage bike. You might wonder why international antarctic center is located here, in Christchurch. Well, New Zealand is one of the closest countries to the South Pole (second to the southern shore of South America) so many antarctic expeditions are organized from the airport here. There are four things to see here: penguins, 4D movie, antarctic storm and hagglund ride. Starting with penguins I went to see the feeding ceremony, just like all other visitors. It is nicely organized as you can see it from 3 different angles, including underwater through the glass wall. All penguins are blue penguins and almost all of them are here to recover from all kind of mishaps. Some of them are limping, others have no wings or can’t swallow any food by themselves. The feeding involves caretakers and their individual help to each penguin. Penguins are cute. And very small, these little fellows. New Zealand is their natural habitat so their home here is in open air. 4D movie brings you to a short cruise in Antarctic Sea, including special effects of splashing water and shaking your armchair when a ship crushes iceberg. It is nice to see the penguins and the blue ice so close but I wouldn’t call it “extreme” at any measure. What really amazed me was an anorak worn in Antarctica by the researchers. I put such anorak on and this was the only cloth that warmed me spontaneously in my life! Two minutes I tried it on I was warm! This was extreme, I would say. The antarctic storm was somehow less impressive. They give you an anorak and put you in a large fridge and then they turn the wind on. It’s -8 degrees inside and with the wind the temperature drops down to -18 C. But hey, what’s the fuss? It might be impressive to someone who lives in a tropical climate but not for me. I’m from the north and here when it’s -25 and it is windy (which gives you feeling...

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The post-Tbex trip was packed with activities. We explored the west corner of Ireland with its wild coastline, endless pastures, picturesque hills and spectacular fjord (the one and only in Ireland). Apart of delicious local food we had an excellent opportunity to get a good sense of attractiveness of Wild West Coast. For me it was a perfect off the beaten track destination: it combines unspoiled nature with no crowds and impressive cultural heritage. The weather might be challenging but our example shows that despite lack of sun it is still an attractive place. Great Western Greenway To give a bunch of bloggers bicycles and a map with indications where to go is enough to ensure they’ll have a great time. In a cloudy afternoon we cycled a short piece of Great Western Greenway from Mallaranny to Newport. This is very short and easy piece of a 42 long trail that stretches along the old railway from Westport to Achill, along the coast of Clew Bay. Well, as they say in the UK: security first! It all started with helmets, high-visibility (HV) clothing and individual adjustment of bikes rented. When everybody was ready we started our short ride towards south. Regrettably, the weather was rather poor. Although it was not raining the view was limited by clouds and mist. Even though, the hills on our lefthand side and the bay at our righthand side were lovely. I can only imagine how beautiful it is when the sun is shining. The way is well prepared and fit to the needs of cyclists and walkers. We were not the only users of the way: every few minutes families with kids and individual riders were passing by. The way is used exclusively by cyclists and walkers and with good road signs is perfectly safe. It took us a while to arrive to the finish point of our ride mainly because every few meters someone was taking pictures. Well, that how bloggers work. It was an excellent idea to ride a bike after hours spent in a bus, to breath deeply, to feel the smell of the ocean, to watch sheep and cows having their meals, and to move a bit! Walking West The next day our outdoor activities continued. Each blogger could decide whether wish to sail the traditional boat called the Galway Hooker or walk to the Moyrus beach. I picked the walking option hoping for beautiful photos of the bay, beach and hills. Again, the weather was not good enough to do any spectacular pictures. I’m showing here how the beach looks like in a good weather, just to give you an idea (courtesy of Walking West). And the short walk near the local graveyard, between typical Irish stonewalls looks like this: I think that despite the poor weather the places like Moyrus are always interesting. First, the fog creates a mystic atmosphere, the sound is muffled, the colors are blurred and you feel like the nature cannot be managed. Then, walking along a tiny road framed in stone walls towards a graveyard and the bay is exciting. Our guide from Walking West was fantastic. He was telling the stories about great famine in Ireland, local religious conflicts and interesting anecdotes about people buried on the graveyard (sailor, singer, famine sufferers). The Moyrus beach as we saw it was more like this: Graveyard immersed in a fog looked like this: The sea was calm, the sand was wet and the beach was full of shells, crabs, seaweeds and spectacular rocks. At some point we saw people riding on their horses, which for some people might be their dream come true. The horses looked magnificent! And guess what I found on a beach? Yes, of course, the shells of St. James (again!). I have already given them to my friends, one of whom walks the Way of St. James next week. All in all, peaceful walk at the Moyrus beach was wonderful. Getting closer to the ocean, walking on the green grass, watching the abandoned church and school was something that I needed very much in our travel rush. Killary Adventures In a Sunday afternoon we had another amazing activity organized and it was a real joy to all adrenaline junkies among us! The Killary Adventure park filled the adrenaline need for the whole afternoon. Again, we could pick up the activity: Clay Pigeon Shooting or Giant Swing. Although it would be great to shoot a pigeon I chose the Giant Swing. It might be tricky to explain how it worked so have a look at the picture first (pictures are blurred because it was raining, dark and we were on the move, sorry). As you can see there were two seats that were taken up first, and then with a handle pull we suddenly dropped down and swung. It was awesome! I didn’t expect such a pleasure from a swing but it was really great! I shared this adventure with Nick, Johnny and Erin. After our swings (each of us got a chance to do it twice!) we could heat ourselves in a nearby base: the K2 centre. We were welcomed by one of the owners of the Killary Adventure and her daughter with Irish Coffee and warm fireplace. She was telling us the stories of her own travels and adventures: the honeymoon was spent on a cruise and it would not be wired unless you think that she and her husband crossed the Atlantic Ocean by themselves in a boat. I would say these people have a very good sense of adventure! Tired of adrenaline? Check this cutest museum in Dublin here!  

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