Destinations Archives - Page 5 of 10

Serra da Estrela – That Other Portugal

If anything is common knowledge about Portugal, it's the country's phenomenal beaches. I could sing songs about how amazing Portugal's beaches are, and I'd advice anyone, who desires a perfect (affordable!) beach vacation, to travel to the Algarve. But besides beaches and beautiful cities with colorfully tiled houses and windings streets, Portugal also has rough, impressive mountains -- with a ski-lift! Wait, what, skiing in Portugal?! Yep, you heard that right. See?! A ski-lift in Portugal! This different Portugal is the mountain range of Serra da Estrela. Of course, these mountains are not the Alps, but since they are so [...]

By Julika|2014-09-22T23:58:10+02:002014/03/03|Categories: Destinations, Europe, Portugal|Tags: Europe, Portugal|14 Comments

Of Baguettes and History – Jardin du Luxembourg

Most of the time, it just takes a pretty picture on Pinterest or a scene in a movie and all of a sudden I'm not able to get my mind off of Paris. This city is everywhere -- in the movies, the commercials, the fashion magazines. And every time I see it, I'm reminded of how I cannot wait to go back. For me, Paris is the almost surreal contrast between picture-perfect movie settings and the edgy urban agglomeration. Its beauty is so out there and so subliminal at the same time, that it is almost impossible to describe Paris in [...]

By Julika|2014-09-22T23:52:36+02:002014/02/11|Categories: Destinations, Europe, France|Tags: Architecture, Art, Europe, France, Paris|12 Comments

Seven Free Geeky Things to Do in Dublin

Ireland has always been one of the many places on the (endless!) list of countries I needed to see someday. I wanted to go for the countryside and landscapes, for the green endless lawns, and steep impressive cliffs. But besides seeing a glimpse of Ireland's amazing landscape, I found an abundance of cultural highlights! I don't mean to do Dublin any injustice, but what I heard about the city before going centered a lot around whiskey and Guinness. Honestly, I had people telling me that there is not too much you can do in Dublin. They couldn't have been more [...]

By Julika|2021-06-16T18:44:59+02:002014/01/26|Categories: Destinations, Europe, Ireland|Tags: Art, castle, Dublin, Europe, Ireland, Museums|25 Comments

January Sunshine in Göttingen

I've only really lived in Göttingen for about five weeks now. I'm still discovering something new every day. I still search for coffee shops and restaurants on yelp and try to find my new favorite. I'm still getting used to the speaking melody of the people living here and I still have to learn all the insider shortcuts. But I’m also slowly starting to feel at home. Last year I realized (once more) that starting over somewhere new is never easy, but that it is worth all the struggles if you don't give up. I'm a stronger and more confident [...]

By Julika|2014-03-09T23:49:02+01:002014/01/12|Categories: Destinations, Europe, Germany|Tags: Europe, Germany, Göttingen|24 Comments

Ireland via Instagram

Ireland. Just wow. Sorry for the lack of descriptive adjectives (I really should know better by now), but I was most definitely just wowed by this country -- in the best possible way! I got back from Ireland less than 48 hours ago and already dream of going back. I pretty much expected to find mostly sheep, green meadows, and drizzle in Ireland, but what I actually got was amazing people, gorgeous landscapes, and impressive architecture. It will take weeks (and several posts and photo essays) to recap my wonderful time in Ireland, but for now I just want to [...]

By Julika|2013-10-27T14:18:15+01:002013/10/09|Categories: Destinations, Ireland|Tags: Architecture, Dublin, Europe, Ireland|17 Comments

A Walk Around Berlin’s Famous Sights

When I got to Berlin last month I wanted to find art, design, and hipster subculture. But somehow I got distracted by classical, historical, and beautiful Berlin. Berlin has experienced SO much history that you can't possibly grasp it during just one weekend, probably not even in a lifetime. But I wanted to stroll through the streets and find "the real" Berlin. While walking through Berlin, my mind was racing with images I remember from history books and TV reports: Swinging Berlin in the 20ies, shockingly impressive Nazi parades through the city's grand boulevards, entirely destroyed Berlin after the War. [...]

By Julika|2014-02-14T09:51:42+01:002013/08/11|Categories: Destinations, Europe, Germany|Tags: Architecture, Berlin, Europe, Germany|8 Comments

A Taste of Belgium

I already admitted that I'm not (yet) a foodie. Okay, so I might have turned into a part time foodie throughout the last months, but I'm about to destroy this reputation with the revelation of my dirty little foodie secret: I love French fries! To be exact: French fries are my favorite food. Seriously. In my perception of the world, fries cure headaches and hangovers. Fries can turn a bad day into a good one; fries are the perfect comfort food and the perfect reward food. But before I have to rename this post "An Ode to French Fries" -- [...]

By Julika|2022-01-05T15:20:03+01:002013/07/19|Categories: Belgium, Destinations, Europe|Tags: Belgium, Bruges, Europe|16 Comments

10 Places You just Can’t Miss in Portugal

Summer has finally arrived in Germany and I cherish every little second of sunshine. The other day, I was waiting for my bus home when I suddenly longed for a cold, fresh pressed orange juice. I sat on a bench in the sun sipping my juice and realized how much I miss Portugal. A country where you can sit outside in the sun year round. A country where every little pastelaria sells freshly pressed orange juice for less than a Euro. How much I loved the Portuguese for their sweet tooth that they even serve the most delicious orange juice [...]

By Julika|2013-10-02T10:46:27+02:002013/07/14|Categories: Destinations, Europe, Portugal|Tags: Algarve, Architecture, Europe, Lisbon, medieval, Porto, Portugal|62 Comments

A Birthday in Bruges

I think I'm a little weird when it comes to birthdays. Usually, I try not to care about my birthday and I rarely plan anything, sometimes even trying to pretty much ignore the date. In the past, I would rather take an extra shift at my part time job in a clothing store than throw a huge birthday party. Somehow, birthday parties never really worked out the way I planned them and so I stopped doing something special, because I think I'm just too afraid to be disappointed. Instead of throwing a party, lately I developed a habit of "not [...]

By Julika|2013-10-27T11:40:59+01:002013/07/06|Categories: Belgium, Destinations, Europe|Tags: Architecture, Belgium, Bruges, Europe, medieval|17 Comments

Utrecht’s Amazing Illumination Festival

My previous posts on Utrecht already revealed that I really fell hard for this gorgeous little Dutch city, but I saved the very best for last. Because among beautiful canals, delicious food and great museums there was one last thing that I loved even more than all of the above: The Trajectum Lumen Festival. These amazing outdoor installations are where the city's beautiful sights and landmarks meet incredibly creative light design. Illuminated Utrecht at night Utrecht's colorful lighting installations can be seen immediately after nightfall and all over the city. And the best thing about: It's free, it's absolutely unique [...]

By Julika|2013-08-03T18:30:49+02:002013/06/28|Categories: Destinations, Europe, The Netherlands|Tags: Architecture, Art, Europe, The Netherlands|6 Comments