Month: juni 2015

Warsaw – hipster is the new backpacker

The train from Krakow takes only a few hours and we arrive in Warsaw late Wednesday evening. We sit in a cabin of six with a girl and this strange guy. We first met him on the train from the salt mine. He has Long hair and a suit. We later meet him and sit in the same compartment as him. During the trip he pics up a magazine about trains which he studies the entire three hour trip, when he is not talking on the phone (that is when he manages to answer) and later when getting off he puts the magazine back in its plastic wrapper. Getting off the train we walk to where we are suppose to stay, Chmielna Guest House on Chmielna street. Getting here we realize that we missed that the reception is at Nowy Swiat and the New World Hostel. In a way it doesn´t matter since then we get to go down Chmielna street and it is kind of an adventure in itself. With vegan food, 100 % …

The salt mine of Krakow – Kopalnia Soli

In 1996 the production of Kopalnia Soli, the salt mine of Krakow stopped. Today some small scale mining take place and it is the water in the mine that have a very high dose of salt that is processed in to a pure product. Today the mine makes it’s money from tourism and considering the number of tourists when we were there that should be a good business.  Arriving we get a guide, the tours start every half an hour and we get the funniest polish guide I ever met. A girl with dark hair and the driest sense of humour telling stories with a dark polish accent on her English, a fantastic experience. Going down hundreds of steps below ground you shouldn’t be afraid of cramped spaces and spaces below ground because it is far down and it is tunnels, normal sized but not especially big. There are several kilo-meters of tunnels and without a guide it must be extremely difficult to find a way to the top. With the guided tour that takes …

Krakow – in the footsteps of WW2

I have been to Krakow before. I don’t remember much I admit, it was a long time ago. Monday we arrived in Krakow after night train from Venice to Vienna and then train to Ostrava and bus to Krakow. Arriving in Krakow we had half a day and headed for the jewish quarters and old town.    The jewish quarters of Krakow are well preserved and is an entire part of the city. It holds several synagogues and jewish cemeteries, an old well known pharmacy called Apteka Pod Orlem, monuments of the war as the chairs and the emalj factory of Oscar Schindler. When you arrive in Krakow you just go for whatever map and it is all marked out on it.  The synagogs are in use so it is possible to visit them but during jewish holidays they might only be open for those who celebrate the holiday. The Apteka Pod Orlem was held open by a German guy who sold medicines within the Krakow Ghetto and was aloud to be held open only …

Train from Venice to Krakow – sleeping like a baby, having breakfast as an Austrian

After spending a day in Venice we hop on the night train from Venice to Vienna. For the somewhat large cost of 354,60 euro we got ourself a sleeping cabin for four, two bottles of water, a pillow, blanket and breakfast. We also gpt an Austrian train attendant who made us breakfast and woke us up at 7.00. Oh the luxury! Train – from Venice St. Luzia to Vienna. In Vienna we changed train to Ostrava and then took the bus from Ostrava to Krakow.  When arriving in Ostrava we had to run to the bus though we were at least 15 minutes late. The bus is though very close and they also wait for those who are late due to late trains so it doesn’t turn into problem. Breathing and sweating intensely when we arrive at the bus we end up in front of two Englishmen so typical English that you start to wonder if you ended up in the wrong country.   Finally arriving at the station in Krakow, Krakow Glowny, we easily …

Cruise – Dubrovnik to Venice and disembarkation

Saturday the 20th 16.00 – Sunday the 21th 20.00 Our last port before the final disembarkation is Dubrovnik and after strolling the small streets of the old town we embark for our final stretch.  BACK IN VENICE We arrive in Venice early in the morning Sunday and wait disembarkation. The procedur goes that we stay in the big theatre of the ship and are called up by colour. Martin and I have the colour pink.  In Venice we hit the streets for one last day. We head for the train-station taking the people mover from the marina to Plaza Roma from where we walk. Buying train tickets to Krakow takes about five minutes since there is no line, thank god. We go directly for lunch. Having lunch a bit further away from the trainstation cost us 11,50 euros for two courses and I have another seafood pasta and fried calamari and fries. We book our hotel in the restaurant and then spend the day walking the streets and eating ice cream, talking about tourists and …

Cruise – Istanbul to Dubrovnik

Thursday 18th 16.30 to Saturday 20th 11.30 Sailing through the Bosphorus we cross the border between Europe and Asia. We continue or cruise towards Dubrovnik, a distance of 857 nautical miles. On our journey we pass many Greek Islands and the Peloponnese to yet again enter the Adriatic. After a hard day in Istanbul of 26 degrees startin with rain we get back on the boat. Martin fall asleep and sleep for 4 hours. During the evening it is white theme at the boat and people dress in the colour white. For dinner I have cod-pure, salad, shrimp risotto, filled aubergines and apfel strudel. We continue with the winning end of evenings by having an Irish coffee at the sports bar discussing our doings in Istanbul. AT SEA The entire next day we spend on sea – missing out on the Swedish holiday midsummer. Instead of celebrating the middle of summer we sunbathe, fill in an evaluation form and for some mad reason together with Maja and Josefin play and win a geography quiz. We …

Istanbul – the streets

I went a little crazy with the number of photos of Istanbul why I dedicate to posts with just photos of the streets in the city. Katarina Shot with Canon EOS M3 and 40 mm pancake lens, ed in lightroom                                                                                                                 

The Blue Mosque in Istanbul

Since photographing a mosque was new to me I took so many photos that I decided to make an own post of the photos I shot there. I come to find that I enjoy more and more shooting photos of people and that is what this post ended up being about. People, their laughter and feet. Katarina Shot with Canon EOS M3, 40 mm pancake lens ed in lightroom the app                                                             

Cruise – Izmir to Istanbul

Wednesday 17th 15.00 to Thursday 18th 16.30 Leaving Izmir the ship sails through the Aegean sea north west and along the shores of the Isle Lesbos. We later reach the strait of the Dardanells and go through the channel to the Marmara sea and continue towards Istanbul. Going through the channel, 39 nautical miles long, takes around 3 hours with MSC Magnifica. After getting back on ship in Izmir we do some sunbathing and then have dinner, salmon, greek salad and seafood pasta, and after dinner an irish coffee in the tiger bar. This bar must be the most amazing Italian place on earth with stripes and for a Swede, a bit tacky decoration a la Italian where te fraze ”a bit to much” rather is an understatement. The entire thing looks like a tiger walked into a bar and died on the floor. At 8 o’ clock Thursday we go of the ship to explore Istanbul. We start by walking to the blue mosque but not getting there until three hours of wrong directions. …

Cruise – Katakolon to Izmir

Tuesday 16th 13.00 to Wednesday 17th 15.00 MSC Magnifica continue it’ s journey towards Turkey and cruise the Greek islands. After getting aboard at In the Katakolon harbour Martin and I sleep for an hour and then have lunch. Making it to the ship 13th floor restaurant during lunch time is a plus since then a big and very good salad is served. We spend some time at the sun deck having a banana split and a mohito, yummie. The maintenance continue while at sea and during our sanbath the crew repaint the balcony. In the evening we have dinner with Josefin and Maja and it is theme gala, time for your nicest clothes. The food that is served is Italian or Mediterranean most evenings but the courses shift. The morning when going out in Izmir we wake up at 8.30 local time, walking of the ship at 10. At most stops Martin and I have walked to the city centre, and so also at Izmir. We start by walking to the Historical Coal Factory …

Cruise – Brindisi to Katakolon and the Olympia architectural park

Monday 15th 18.00 – Tuesday 16th 12.30 Distance Brindisi to Katakolon 250 nautical miles Getting back at the ship after some hours in Brindisi we take a nap. The weather is warmer than expected and leaves us tired and thirsty. It gets warmer the further east we travel, starting with a 27 degrees in Venice to a 34 in Izmir and hence the longer the nap. By now I have a tourist cold due to the AC making me a bit more tired than necessary with weird lung capacity. In the evening we have some Italian food and talk to our waiter Zuki. He tells us how the crew works and that he works on a MSC boat in Argentina in the winter.  During the night we enter another time zone and forward the clock an hour, making us wake up late, exiting the boat an hour after making port. We hop on one of the MSC buses to Olympia, this time costing us 23, 90 euros. On the way to Olympia we pass abandoned …

Cruise MSC Magnifica – Venice to Brindisi – the city of Brindisi

Sunday 14th 16.30 to Monday 15th of June 17.30 Our first day experience on a cruise was when Martin and I got on the boat MSC Magnifica in Venice Sunday the 14th of June. Our first impression were ”oh, so big” and ”oh what a nice room”. When ordering we paid 3690 sek / around 350 euros per person, an upgrade from the standard package to include a balcony and view towards the sea, now after being at sea for a while, very glad that we made this choice. Falling a sleep with an open balcony door with the sound of the Mediterranean must be my new favourite thing.  Leaving port the 293,8 m long ship pass St. Marcus square exiting the lagoon and then entering the Adriatic sea with is blue waters. The 973 crewmembers and it’s captain Marco Massa setting course towards the city of Brindisi. When the view sinks in you start to check the different parts of the ships and also, ”what cost and what don’t”. So our second impression was …

The islands surrounding Venice 

When growing tired of Venice there is more to explore outside the small city. To the north you have the islands San Michele, Murano, Burano, Torcello and San Fransesco del Deserto. And to the south there is very many small islands but also Lido which hold the public beach of Venice. My partner and I visited Lido and Murano in one day where the public beach of Venice being the target. Before going we packed our bathing suit and had lunch at a random square for around 30 euros. From our hotel we walked to the St Marcus square and the busboats that take of from there. We bought a one day ticket 24 hours for all public transport in Venice and hopped on.         LIDO Arriving in Lido you just have to walk across the island. Since Lido is long and small this isn’t a problem, a five minute walk and you are there. On the way you find water fountains typical for Italy to fill your bottle with fresh cold water.      …

Venice – a quick guide including photo tips

Arriving in Venice the 27 degrees Celsius hits me in the face quite hard, even though it is only around 9.00 in the morning when the night train from Munich come rolling into the St. Luzia station at the Venice island. At first Martin and I almost disembark at the wrong station, Maestre, which also is Venice but main land. After a short stressful moment the island of Venice appear, and that is where we are going.        the SERVICE Even though we are not checking in to the hotel until 14, we head for the hotel Bargarin at Campo. S Marina. With sweat dripping everywhere, smelling, we drag our assess into the Italian hotel. The receptionist looking suspiciously at us. ”Name, please”. After giving the name the service start to flow and such much better service. The guy gives us water, breakfast and repeatedly say ”You room will not be ready before two” and we answer the same number of times ”We know, we just want to sit here”. After 20 minutes he …

Street photos in Venice

So much people! The thought hits me when I enter the city of Venice. As a break from the ramble on about our trip I give you some photos of people in the streets. Do you recognize piazza St. Marco? Katarina Shot with canon eos m3 and 40 mm panncake ed lightroom                                                                                                                                                                  

A Harry Potter night train from Berlin to Venice

The worst smell ever, is what hits you when entering the six people cabin at the night train from Munich to Venice. Martin disappears into another cabin after meeting an entire Indian family and not making it through. How odd start of a train trip. The train departs Thursday the 11 th of June and me and Martin are an hour early at the Berlin main train station. After an announcement of ”tricksters” in the station we are told to look out for our bags and take extra precautions and notice anything odd we depart in DB- bahn train ICE 1515 from Berlin to Munich at 16.40. After 6 hours in train, flying pass German villages and old industry cities, wine yards and train station upon train station as Nurnberg we arrive in Munich around 23 in the evening. Picking up a late snack we head for the night train and it is dark around the tracks by now. Entering the train it is like time travel. The carriages that are used are much older …

 Pauly Saal – how it feels to eat a star in Berlin

To please the mr in the family a visit to a one star Michelin restaurant was necessary. The choice fell on the restaurant Pauly Saal, a Beelin restaurant situated at the street Auguststrasse close to Oranienburger Tor. We visited the restaurant Wednesday evening after a long day of doing touristy stuff.  Before going we booked a table for 21.30 and the restaurant actually called to confirm the table. Maybe that was good since we had a time accident on the way. When going we added a 30 minutes to the schedule to be sure to make it but when getting to the station where we were to change tube the purple line was closed for maintenance. Oh no, we ran for the extra buses but no bus came so we ran back into the subway and had to go around to get to a station close by Auguststrasse but on the other side. This took forever. 15 minutes late we stumbled into the old jewish girl school and into the restaurant (the old gym hall) …

Hotel Rheingold – cute cats, big windows and a cool bar

The small old hotels are generally those who holds the biggest heart. When Martin choose the hotel for us when going to Berlin my first thought was that it looks fresh but has no own bathroom, and I like my own bathroom. So we continued to look and found hotel Rheingold. With varying reviews it didn’t look that cool to begin with, typical Berliner was one thought about the hotel, but since it was cheap and we got our own bathroom we went for this hotel anyway. The bathroom was fairly newly renovated, not by any means high standard but sufficient. And was it typical Berliner? Oh yes it was! but is that such a bad thing?  For typical Berliner I give you a old early 20 th century house with 4 m to the ceiling rooms with double doors that didn’t even fit into my 40 mm lens. The shot of Martin standing by the door is a shot of him looking out on our own balcony, like a boudoir dream.  The restaurant or …

the berlin wall.

After doing the classic round we ended the tourist day by visiting East Side gallery, which is street art on the eastern side of the Berlin wall. Here you can find the crying Einstein (probably have fancier name) as well as Picasso look a like street art and locks with names in them in many colors.  Walking from the S bahn station Warschauer Strasse to Ostbahnhof – you find the street gallery on Muhlenstrasse. We liked it so much that we returned the second day, Thursday the 11 th of June, so we could scout some more art but mostly just hang with the other cool kids by the water. During the day the sun was intense and what better than to find a nice spot in the shadows and just hang, feeling Berlin grow on you and making imaginary plans to move here some day. The best thing about traveling must be to dream.   Katarina Shot with canon eos m3 and 40 mm pancake lens ed in lightroom