Julika, Author at sateless suitcase

My Honest Thoughts on Solo Travel

I'm not a solo traveler. I never claimed to be one, I never used the label "solo female traveler" or the hashtag #wegosolo. Yet there were a few occasions I traveled more or less by myself, and my latest getaway to Vienna and Bratislava was even a classical solo trip. But honestly, I'm conflicted about solo travel. I know, many travel bloggers rave about the experience of traveling solo. They all live by the phrase "alone is not lonely" or "solo travel is the best way to travel". But you know what? I'm not going to write a post like that [...]

By Julika|2015-04-03T08:13:14+02:002014/08/31|Categories: Specials|Tags: Austria, Bratislava, Dublin, Europe, Lisbon, Paris, Portugal, Slovakia, study abroad, thoughts, Vienna|37 Comments

The Best Food Finds in Madrid

Strangely enough, I've written a lot about food lately. My story with learning to love food abroad (and in general) is long and complex, but the more I eat and the more I travel, the more I get obsessed with food abroad. From unexpectedly falling in love with the quality food in Utrecht, The Netherlands, and the French fries in Belgium last year, to myth-busting Berlin's food myths and discovering the best flavors of Rome this spring, my taste buds and I have definitely come a long way lately. And food was definitely one reason I was thrilled to travel [...]

By Julika|2014-08-27T23:45:55+02:002014/08/22|Categories: Destinations, Europe, Spain|Tags: Europe, Madrid, Spain|10 Comments

The European Capital Curse

For some travelers it's the one of the worst travel sins, but I'm absolutely guilty of it: Visiting (European) capital cities. Prague, Czech Republic Budapest, Hungary How often have I had a conversation with someone from England that went something like this: "So, have you been to England at all?" -- "Yes!" -- "Oh great! Whereabouts exactly?" -- "Only London, to be honest." -- "But you do know that London is not England, right?!" London, UK Okay, so besides my linguistic inability mimic a real Brit, these people are right. Of course I have no right to say I've been [...]

By Julika|2014-12-29T14:19:41+01:002014/08/13|Categories: Czech Republic, Destinations, England, Europe, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, The Netherlands|Tags: Europe, Germany, thoughts|31 Comments

My July via Instagram

Ever since I started working as a medievalist last fall, I've been struggling with finding balance in between being the busy art historian and the blogging part-time traveler. I admire bloggers who manage to be successful in their day-jobs and still stick to a regular writing schedule. But the thing is, my job is a job that is never really done -- I could always read more, study more, think more, question more. And in the past weeks I learned that if things get tough at work, I can't just hop around the internets, edit photos and write. However, besides [...]

By Julika|2014-08-14T11:00:01+02:002014/08/05|Categories: Destinations, Europe, Germany|Tags: Europe, Germany, Göttingen|4 Comments

Photo Essay: Art Lover’s Rome

A while back, I compiled a massive photo essay from my spring getaway to Rome, which did surprisingly well. Lesson learned: People love photos from Italy -- especially when these photos include a ridiculous amount of food and gelato images. I sure love those classic Italy impressions as well: When I go to a city like Rome I enjoy those little winding cobbled lanes, gelato and pasta, and every little bit of Italian cuteness, but to be honest: That's not what I travel to Rome for: I come for art, history and architecture. Because no matter if you want to [...]

By Julika|2014-07-30T15:53:24+02:002014/07/30|Categories: Art History, Photo Essay|Tags: Europe, Italy, Photo Essay, Rome|4 Comments

27 Things I have not learned in 27 Years

It was my 27th birthday this week and after my last post on turning older was filled with self-doubt, question marks, and worries about the future, I thought it was time for a little comic relief. Because no, I'm still not a proper grown up yet. Here are 27 things I still have not learned in 27 years: 1. How to not spill food while eating. Just look at my vast scarf collecting and you'll find a detailed summary of what I ate this week. A work friend even just gave me a baby bib for my birthday, because I [...]

By Julika|2014-12-29T14:01:06+01:002014/07/05|Categories: Specials|Tags: thoughts|21 Comments

On Wasting The Twenties

Maybe I'm a bit too dramatic about numbers, but I'm turning 27 in a week and I somehow I'm afraid of turning older yet again. It's not that I'm afraid of growing older in general, or getting wrinkles, but of the thought that I will soon be categorized as a 'girl in her late-twenties'. However, it's not the term "late-twenties" alone that makes me anxious, but comparing myself with others my age and younger: There are so many people out there who know what they want in their late-twenties, who have achieved things I don't even dare to dream of. Of [...]

By Julika|2014-06-30T22:57:53+02:002014/06/24|Categories: Specials|Tags: thoughts|27 Comments

Hamburg via Instagram

Although I visited three different European capitals this spring, I was a bit travel-deprived lately. My springtime travels were amazing and I was getting used to sleeping in another bed every other three days. Of course, I loved being in Germany to see it turn from grey and frozen to blooming and colorful during the lasts months. Being at home is really not too hard when the weather is nice and you find time to explore your new adopted home town as a tourist visiting farmer's markets and climbing medieval church towers. Nonetheless, I've really, really been wanting to get out [...]

By Julika|2014-06-11T23:09:50+02:002014/06/10|Categories: Destinations, Europe, Germany|Tags: Europe, Germany, Hamburg|12 Comments

Market Days in Germany

In my mind, I'm always traveling: I have photos from Paris and Croatian beaches on the walls of my room, and a picture of the Irish coast as my desktop background at work. My mind is always racing, looking for new places to dream of, planning trips I might take someday. It's not that I'm not happy with my everyday life, but I still like to dream myself away every day... For the first time in a long time though, I feel intellectually challenged with what I spend my days with: I get to read and study all day long, [...]

By Julika|2014-05-27T23:08:22+02:002014/05/27|Categories: Destinations, Germany|Tags: Europe, Germany, Göttingen|20 Comments

Photo Essay: Looking Down in Ireland

Despite how much I loved my time in Ireland last fall, I've written only rather little about my experiences yet. So the other day, I was going through my photos from the greater Dublin area and a few days in rural Tipperary and noticed that I apparently took quite a lot of photos with a recurrent motif: My feet. Taking a break in the sunny courtyards of Trinity College, Dublin When traveling by yourself, it is kind of tricky to get photo proof that you actually were somewhere, meaning photo proof with your face combined with something recognizable of the [...]

By Julika|2014-05-19T09:05:51+02:002014/05/18|Categories: Art History, Photo Essay|Tags: Dublin, Europe, Ireland, Photo Essay|10 Comments

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