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Mexico city (Dec 2019, country #36)
As part of a month long holiday, my partner and I did a first stop in Mexico city, to finally visit my dearest friend Daniela whom I have met about 8 years ago. I didn’t have time to do much research about the city; however, I did ask a couple folks from my German class who are Mexican/have lived there about “must see” places, as we only had 4 days there (big thanks to Jaime & Andrea!). Generally, I would say that Mexico city is more of a cultural trip than anything else, especially for those interested in anthropology (Mayans & Aztecans, etc.); there is also a lot to see…
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Bangalore, India (Oct 2019, country #35)
I went to India for a last minute work trip so I didn’t have time to see as much as I wished, but I will share with you what I learnt from my experience and try to be helpful. I was also there during Diwali, which together with Holi are one of the two biggest hindu holidays in India and I highly recommend choosing such a period to visit. Diwali date varies each year, based on the moon cycle; (mid Oct to mid Nov) and Holi date (late February to March). If you want to avoid rain, March is better 🙂 I got lucky with a last minute invitation for…
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Puglia, Italy (Sept 2019)
I’m writing this article 2 weeks after the trip so I hope I can still remember it. Puglia is “the heel” of Italy. I really enjoyed this trip, it is more of a budget destination in comparison to other sea destinations in Europe. Besides having great beaches, good food, Puglia also has the nicest people I ever met and small towns with impressive architecture. Who is Puglia for? It is great for everyone, families, couples or group of friends. Is it expensive? As mentioned, it is more of a budget destination, esp. if we compare to Corsica (our previous sea holiday destination). I believe we paid for accommodation 2X more…
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Corsica, France (August 2019)
This trip turned out to have an unexpected timing due to some events in the last few days before we left. Besides being an exciting travel experience as with any new place I visit, it was also therapeutic for me. Overall, I was happy with the beautiful beaches of Corsica (that reminded me a little bit of Maldives) and I’m recommending it with an open heart. The only downside is that it is a little on the pricier side, esp. accommodation, so try to book in advance if you go in summer. Who is Corsica for? Short answer is: family and couples and maybe groups of friends who like a…
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Transylvania, Romania (June 2019)
We got invited to a wedding last weekend in Targu Mureș, Romania and we took the opportunity to tour a bit around Transylvania. My favorite places were by far Cluj and Sibiu and both have airports with low cost airlines. We rented our car from Klass Wagen in Cluj (book directly on their site!) and it only costed us 8 eur for 4 days (+25 eur for gas). We have previously used their services in another city of Romania and were equally satisfied. Day 1 & 2 Targu Mureș If you are around, make sure to visit the old town, as well as the largest zoo in Romania with a…
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Amalfi Coast & Naples, Italy (May 2019)
What kind of destination is it? Amalfi coast is mainly a romantic couples destination. The high nr. of stairs makes is a bit more challenging for those with mobility issues or families with kids, but it’s still doable if you prepare. It’s also not necessarily a beach destination, but there are beaches in many villages on the coast, like Praiano, Positano, Amalfi, Atrani, Amalfi, Capri. Also, Naples is a fast paced city where people drive like crazy, so don’t expect a French Riviera relaxed kind of experience; Amalfi coast, on the contrary is rather relaxed. When should I go? Best time of the year to visit the Amalfi coast is…
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Living in Dublin and visiting Ireland (2014-2018)
It’s a rainy day here in Zurich so it seems like the perfect moment to write that blog post about Country nr. 8, Ireland, where I spent the first 4.5 years of my life after finishing my Masters degree in The Netherlands. I’m also coming back to Dublin for work soon for a few days, after 6 months since I moved from there and I promised my new colleagues I’ll give them some inspiration for places to visit & food to try:) I’ll start with some pros and cons of my life there, the way I experienced it (working for an international tech company in my mid 20s). PROS: Dublin…
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Ticino – Switzerland and lake Como – Italy (April 2019)
Dear travel lovers, we spent last weekend in Ticino and Como lake area, which we very much enjoyed. I hope you find useful my travel tips below 🙂 When should I visit I would say April to October, as to many other places in Europe (unless you are going for a ski trip). You can of course go all year long. How can I get there The easiest way is to fly to Milan, then take a train (trenitalia.com) or rent a car (we usually use skyscanner.com or arguscarhire.com). How long should I stay I would recommend 4-6 days, based on your travelling style and how much you like to…
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Lyon (April 2019)
Lyon holds a special place in my life, as I did my Bachelor’s degree there, which brings some bitter sweet memories from my student life (will share more in my “Living in 9 countries by the age of 28” articles series). After 7 years, seeying Lyon through the eyes of a tourist brought only good impressions and made me appreciate it more. Regarding public transport, I recommend either buying 10 tickets that cost around 17eur and last for 1h each, getting a day pass for 6eur, and/or using the public bikes (velov) at 4eur per day (but you have to change them every 30min to avoid additional costs). Below are…
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Living abroad: United States (2017-2018)
I moved to the US in 2009 after having won an ASSIST full scholarship to study for a year (grade 11) in a private boarding school in the US: Northfield Mount Hermon School (1.5h from Boston, Massachusetts). It was the first time I left Moldova/Romania region, I was 17 and was supposed to fully immerse in the culture (haven’t seen my family for a year), so this circumstances had a huge impact on my impression of the US. I really enjoyed my year, met a ton of students from many countries and built skills that helped me achieve other successes later on it life. I very much enjoyed the educational…