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I'm not sure how long I'll be able to keep this up, but for now I'm trying to avoid trips that require getting on an airplane. Which means that if I do want to travel abroad, I look for places just across the border. So when I received an invite to visit Essen and...
I'm not sure how long I'll be able to keep this up, but for now I'm trying to avoid trips that require getting on an airplane. Which means that if I do want to travel abroad, I look for places just across the border. So when I received an invite to visit Essen and Duisburg in the Ruhr Region in Germany, I couldn't say no. The Ruhr Area is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when you're planning a city trip to Germany. But it's really worth it. What makes it especially interesting is that there are many places to visit only a short distance away from each other. Essen to Duisburg is only a twenty minute drive. And also cities like Cologne, Dortmund...
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With a group of friends from so many different countries, each with their own traditions, you get to celebrate a lot of new holidays. Two weeks ago I was celebrating the Swedish Midsummer, and this weekend I joined my American friends Jess and Jo for 4th of July....
Since we were already spending enough money in Iceland, we decided that we would splurge on one night at a luxury hotel. And I knew exactly which one: the ION Hotel. With its interesting, modern architecture in the middle of Iceland's typical moon-like landscape, it...
If there’s one thing I was expecting from my trip to the Dordogne Valley, it was to eat great food and drink amazing wine. We’re talking about France after all. And I wasn’t wrong. In these four days I was surrounded by an overload of du pain, du...
It's easy to fall in love with the Corrèze region when all villages have that typical 'France in a Hollywood movie' charm. Only a couple of hours ago I was still in bustling, busy and noisy London and even though the flight to Brive airport took only 1.5 hour, it...
With all the traveling I've been doing lately, you'd think I want to sleep in my own bed when I'm in London. True...But then, I don't get breakfast in bed when I'm at home. And even though I've been living in this apartment for over a year, my bedroom just doesn't...
Before this trip, I always associated the Dordogne with memories of summer holidays with the family. Swimming in the river, fresh croissants and baguettes with Nutella for breakfast, barbecuing in the evening, singing along in the back seat with the same cd...
Once upon a time there was a politician / writer - also known for being the son of Britain's first Prime Minister - who wanted to build a summer villa in London. Not just any villa, but a Gothic castle that would be a theatrical experience to visit. Sir...
There’s fashion. And then there’s Alexander McQueen. There are art exhibitions…And then there’s Savage Beauty at the V&A in London. Savage Beauty has raised the standard for all future V&A exhibitions to come.
It’s now been two days since I visited the hugely popular exhibition and I still can’t get over how brilliant it was. If you’re only going to make one visit to a London museum this year, you want to make it this one.
After Reykjavik and our journey along the South coast we arrive at Nesjavellir for the last part of our road trip: The Golden Circle. This is probably the most touristy part of Iceland. Located conveniently close to Reykjavik, this route covers some of the country’s most impressive sights.
The moment I see Reykjavik disappearing in the rearview mirror of our rented car, I’m starting to feel different. The landscape is changing and our road trip has now officially started. You can’t compare a capital like Reykjavik to any other capital in Europe. It often feels more like a village than a city. But you don’t go to Iceland for its urban life, you come to explore its extreme and magical landscape. And that’s what we’re doing now. We’re hitting the main road (route 1), pressing play on our Iceland road trip playlist, still not knowing exactly what’s waiting for us along the way.
I’m not gonna lie. When I travel I appreciate a bit of luxury. Well, let me rephrase that, I like to travel in style. I love design boutique hotels and they often come with a certain price tag. But at the same time I don’t want to spend my entire travel budget on a place to stay. So what if you could find an accommodation that’s both stylish and affordable?
When I heard that KEX was a hostel, not a hotel, I was a bit hesitant. Me, in a hostel? Does that mean I won’t have my own bathroom? But then I saw the pictures on their website and I knew this was exactly the kind of place I wanted to stay at in Reykjavik.
It’s impossible to describe Iceland in just a few words. As we were driving through the country I realized that you can’t compare it to anything else. It’s so unique, so beautiful. And of course super photogenic.
I’m working on my photos which I hope to share with you very soon. But I also tried to capture our road trip in a little video, which will give you a nice preview of the upcoming stories and photos.
I was not going to miss it this year! The first time I heard about it – I had just moved to London – it was after the fact. The next year I had already booked a trip to Madrid. So no, no matter what, I would not miss it this year. For someone who wishes there would be such a thing as a leisurely bike ride in London but at the same time loves everything else that comes with living in this city – including all its quirkiness – what better event to attend than The Tweed Run?
I never seem to have enough time to really explore Berlin. And this weekend was no different. But what kind of travel bloggers would we be if we didn’t try to get the most out of the little time we had. I’d done my homework – I may even have created a little map – and knew exactly what I wanted to see, eat and drink. So here’s my Berlin ABC: Attractions, Brunch & Coffee for when you only have about one day to be a tourist in Berlin.
Ever since I started sharing my travels on this blog, I’ve become more selective about the places I want to stay at. If the hotel doesn’t inspire me to take nice photos, then I’d rather spend my money on something else. By now I kind of know where to find great hotels that won’t break the bank. (Although admittedly I’m no budget traveler either). So finding a room for one or two people, that I can do. But what about a room for four people in Berlin?
Extravagant royal parties and the execution of one of its hosts. That’s basically what the Banqueting House in central London is known for. Since I’m a sucker for a happy ending, I wasn’t really interested in the death part, but more in seeing where the Stuarts used to party like it’s 1699.
One word of advice: if you’re going to treat yourself to an afternoon tea at Sketch, skip the brunch, food market and dinner plans. It was all a bit much. But when foodie friends from Holland are visiting, you just have to be a big girl, stop complaining, and start eating.
So after starting the day with a delicious brunch at The Modern Pantry and a visit to Broadway Market, we continued our way to Conduit Street for an afternoon tea in a room that can best be described as…pink.
If there’s one thing I love doing on a sunny Saturday in London – well, apart from having brunch obviously – it’s combining a visit to Broadway Market with a walk along Regent’s Canal. There are many farmers’ markets I like in London, but Broadway Market is the one I keep going back to. It’s less touristy than Borough Market, but a lot bigger than Maltby Street Market. Plus it’s the best place to casually observe hipsters in all shapes and forms.
I’ve blogged about this market before, but what I hadn’t shared yet is what comes next: walking along Regent’s Canal.
Some people compare notes about where to shop to get the best discounts. What the latest shows are that you have to see. Or what books to read. My friends and I compare notes about brunch places. Which one has the best coffee, the best poached eggs, pancakes…And let’s not forget the best interior and lighting. We’re talking bloggers here after all, so taking photos of your brunch (#onthetable) is a given.
During these ‘the best of’ conversations, several people mentioned The Modern Pantry in Clerkenwell as one of their favorite brunch spots in London. I knew exactly where it was, but always had to admit that I still hadn’t been there myself. Until this weekend…
The Victoria & Albert Museum is one of my favorite museums in London. Their collection is incredible and every time I visit, I discover a new floor or wing that I hadn’t seen before.
This weekend I walked around the museum with my camera for a couple of hours. But instead of photographing the art, I decided to focus on the contrast between the antiquity of the pieces and the fleetingness of their visitors. Which is why I used a long shutter speed in most photos, to reduce the visitors to anonymous, temporary ghosts or dark silhouettes.
Old houses fascinate me. I wouldn’t necessarily want to live in one, but I love to visit them and pretend for a moment that I do. Walking down the grand staircase, reading a book in front of the fireplace in a library filled with books… It’s not often that you can visit and walk around houses like this.
But for only three months a year you can at 2 Temple Place, just outside Temple Station. It’s the most amazing experience and now tops my list of favorite hidden gems in the city. How could I not have known about this place?!
It had gotten to a point last year where it seemed that all I was doing in London was drink coffee. Of course that wasn’t really true, but I got a bit overly excited about sharing my latest coffee discoveries here on the blog. So I decided to focus on other things for a while, but that doesn’t mean I stopped exploring the London coffee scene. Especially when I need a break, I love sitting in a cool new coffee place, sipping my flat white and reading a paper or do some people watching. Okay, okay, and sometimes take some photos too. Only sometimes, really…
I’m starting to run out of ways to describe a London afternoon tea. Seriously, does anyone have a food writing for dummies book they can recommend? After so many tea blog posts last year, I decided to wait a bit before sharing my afternoon tea with Chiara at The Rose Lounge. True, all the photos with Christmas decorations now don’t really make sense anymore. But hey, see all these rose petals? And our table was in the shape of a heart (which I totally missed by the way). It could just as well be a Valentine’s theme, right? So let’s just go with that.
I realize that I’ve been focussing more on the ‘where to eat’ than the ‘what to do’ in London. What can I say? I’m one of those people who are always hungry. Anyway, this weekend I felt I needed to make more of an effort and cross some cultural things of my huge London to-do list. Starting with the Churchill War Rooms. Last week marked the 50th anniversary of Winston Churchill’s death, so the timing couldn’t be more perfect.
If I’m being honest, the real reason I wanted to eat at the Corner Room is because of its interior. It’s one of those places that kept popping up on my Instagram feed and I just wanted to see (and photograph) it myself. Visiting friends and family are always a good excuse to try new places, so before my sister had to fly back to Amsterdam I took her to the Town Hall Hotel for lunch.
Happy New Year! I took a little break from blogging at the end of the year (who has time for blogging anyway when there’s so much food that needs to be eaten?). But I’m excited to start 2015 and make plans for all the trips I want to take and things I want to do in London.
I was in the Netherlands to spend Christmas with my family and even though we didn’t have a white Christmas (never gonna happen), we did get some snow a few days later. It actually turned the streets into one huge ice rink, but it still looked pretty. So I decided to visit Delft to take some photos.
There are so many different things to do in London. Which means that when you’re here just for a short visit, you’ll either need to leave some things out or be super efficient. Such as combining an afternoon tea with a sightseeing bus tour. Which is what I did a few weeks ago when iDBus invited a group of bloggers for the BB Bakery Afternoon Tea on a real vintage 60s London double decker bus. Don’t expect white tablecloths, fine china or waiters walking around to serve you more tea. No, this is all about a fun, unique – and let’s not forget – tasty experience.
After living in London for almost two years I can tell you all about the best places for an afternoon tea, the most trendy food markets or coffee places. And I have a long list of dinner recommendations. One thing I don’t know much about however are places to stay in London. To change that I’m planning some staycations to see for myself what the best hotels in the city are. The first one was last weekend at the brand new Artist Residence in Pimlico. And if this experience says anything about the staycations to come, then I’m in for a treat!
It’s great when you get to travel a lot. But flying home from New York on a red-eye flight and then leaving that same day for Vienna is not something I would recommend. After struggling to keep my eyes open during meetings on the first day, I did eventually find some time to explore Vienna before flying to Prague. (Yes, I’ve been busy). So now two months later I figured it’s about time I shared how I spent my birthday in Vienna this year.
There’s no way around it. When in England… You will have afternoon tea on a regular basis. Add some London bloggers to the mix and you might find yourself having one more often than most Brits. I realize it was only a couple of weeks ago that I wrote about the last #LDNBloggersTea (that admittedly took place in September), but with so many afternoon teas to choose from in this city we need to keep up the pace. So forget about quitting carbs and sugar to fit into that fabulous party dress (never gonna happen) and lets just indulge ourselves with a delicious afternoon tea at the Lancaster London hotel.