My favourite Tallinn moments

*brushes off cobwebs*

Hello? Is anyone still here?

So I'm back at work tomorrow after having four (yes, four!) weeks off to travel and move flats. And in a shameless bid to avoid thinking about it, and cling on to the last few hours of holiday, I've come back to my poor, neglected blog to tell you about some of my favourite moments from my most recent trip.

I was in Tallinn, Estonia, a with a friendly population and a history that's been upset more times than the tea cups at the Mad Hatters tea party. I could hardly believe that, despite being inhabited for hundreds of years, as a country, Estonia is only 26 years old! I was in Tallinn with my friend E- for 4 nights and we managed to cover a LOT of ground - I kid you not, that girl made me cycle almost 40km! I was very sore the next day, I can tell you that much. Anyway, its easy to get lost in the what & where of travel but for now, here are the moments that stand out.

Sunset in Toompea

E- and I were lucky enough to find an AirBnB in Toompea - the older part of the old city. One evening, after the crowds had gone home, I stepped out for a wander around the quiet cobblestone streets with nothing but my footsteps echoing and the faint sounds of an old couple painting the corner building before tourists arrived the next day. I found one of the lookouts and watched the deep blue sky blur with the tangerine and crimson horizon at sunset. It was a moment of peace in the hectic exploration of Tallinn that really let everything sink in for me, not least that I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to travel and see such a city.

Exploring Kalamaja

While I loved Tallinn's Old Town, it was great to explore the Kalamaja area. Part creative city, part old wooden fisherman houses, it paints a different picture of Tallinn. Throw in lunch at a disused train carriage (not quite basement galley but just as cool), a market and E- and I giggling as we staged typical instagram photos using some of the street art and old houses and you have the makings of a great afternoon.

Door spotting

Tallinn has this thing about doors. Really. E- was on a mission to 'collect them all' and so in exchange for my helping her spot them, she's kindly let me borrow her collage. Isn't it awesome? It was a little bit of the 'everyday' Tallinn that was fun to see.

Cycling to Rohuneeme

Call me crazy but the marathon cycle from Tallinn to Rohuneeme and back actually made it onto my list of favourite moments. Why? Because the route took us along the coast line, through residential streets and natural parks - places that most tourists wont see. It was calmer, simpler and it was a nice escape from the beaten track. I loved seeing the new residential developments, the 'grand design' type homes, the shared gardens, people stepping out their homes for a hike, hearing 'you're welcome' when saying thank you to a pedestrian who gave way to us and a multitude of other little things. It helped that the cycleways were separated from the road and drivers stopped for you at crossings.

Finding the secret drawer

A drawer full of notes from travellers over the past few years covering everything from what to order, to what to see in Tallinn, to advice on life and a few drawings. It was under our noses at a little restaurant we went to and E- and I spent a good hour or so going through every last note, and of course, adding our own.

 

Waking up to bells and tour groups.

Some sleep lovers will hate this but in Toompea I woke up to bells ringing almost every morning. There was something so 'old world charm' about this that I loved - despite the sleep deprivation. I'd wake up and have a coffee while watching the cruise ship tourists walk down our street from our window, the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in one direction and St Mary's Cathedral in the other, and to me, all of that combined to make one unique and memorable picture.

I may be forgetting others but those are it for now. I'll be back with a 'things to do' in Tallinn blog post in case I've inspired you to add this place to your travel list, and if I have, do let me know!

Have a great week!

Read More

The 10 phases of flight delays

My arrival time into Heathrow Airport yesterday was meant to be 6.55am. I landed at roughly 3.30pm. Enduring a 9 hour delay in Dubai, after a 14 hour flight from Sydney is not fun. Things happen, strange things, float-y out of body experience things, things cross your mind that, in your sleep deprived state, make perfect sense but you really just should not do. And coz I'm trying to fight jetlag at the moment and not sleep before 10pm, I'm going to tell you about them in the hopes they may help you maintain sanity should you ever experience a flight delay.

Taking it in your stride
You're a seasoned traveller, its fine, whats a short delay? You can live with that. Better they check out any issues on ground than when you're in the air. It'll be fine.

Breaking the unwritten rule of travel and speak to your neighbour
Its not fine. The engineers don't actually know whats wrong and might need to replace a part. It might take a while. You glance at the person sitting next to you, he doesn't look crazy and his smile is as incredulous as yours, maybe chatting will help pass the time? You strike up a conversation and find that it does really help.
*Or you could crack open that book you've been dying to read - I hope you packed one!

Despair and Resignation
Nope, that's not the part that had the issue, they need to replace another and it will take even longer. You groan internally as you realise you have already been travelling 20 hours and this is just going to be one of those flights.

Pleading and Relief
"Please, please, please let us off this plane for a while". You bargain with the travel Gods. "I'll do anything, I'll even go through the security checks again". Released from the confines of the cabin back into the departure lounge you could skip if you had the energy. Don't feel bad, skipping would look weird right now and you'd probably float to the ceiling if you left the ground.

Strategising
Meal voucher in hand, you are simultaneously not really hungry, would love some Maccas (McDonalds) and cleverly strategise to eat something so when you get back on the plane, you don't have to wait for the meal service and can just go straight to sleep. It doesn't matter what you do, your body will do what it wants and you will just go with it, but by all means strategise, it will pass the time and give you some semblance of control over the situation.

Weird thoughts
- In your sleep deprived state the floor will start to look alluring. "Come lie down, you can lie flat, not at a weird upright angle" it will call to you. Do not listen to its sirens call. Resist. Resist. Resist...but it looks so comfy...
- You get jealous of anyone who isn't travelling alone. They have someone to lean on/cuddle up to, a soft shoulder to rest ones head. You look at your neighbour and wonder if you could cuddle up with a stranger - don't be creepy. Just, no.
- You have never loved or missed your bed so much. You think of its softness, the pillows, the cosy quilt and the horizontal-ness of it. Its underrated & should have more recognition. There should be a 'International Bed Day' in its honour.

Fuzzy brain syndrome
As if the weird thoughts weren't bad enough fuzzy brain can set in at any time. You cant really think straight, coherency goes out the window, you cant remember what you were talking about a few seconds ago. If you are chatting with someone, this can be both hilarious and embarrassing. Focus on the funnier side.

Never, ever say, or be in the vicinity of, someone who says 'nothing else can go wrong'
These people should be shot. I mean, whats wrong with them? Haven't they heard of Murphy's Law? Why are they tempting the travel Gods? I blame my neighbour* for the additional delay back on board the plane because two passengers went MIA and their luggage had to be offloaded.

Disbelief, hilarity and pillow hugging
Taxiing to the runway you have to turn back to offload another passenger, this is one who has developed a heart problem. Better they get attention now than later when we're in the air. But you cant believe it, a combination of disbelief and hilarity combine to make the whole thing dreamlike.You regress to a childlike state and hug your pillow while rocking in your seat trying to maintain sanity. I blame my neighbour* for this too.

Landing at your destination at last
You survived! You made it! You'll celebrate in two days when you have the energy! No flight will ever seem long to you again. You bid your neighbour a farewell at the airport and pass out the second your head touches the pillow when you arrive home.


* I was actually quite lucky, my neighbour was really nice and honestly, having his good company during the delay made all the difference.

Read More

Recap of 2015 in photos

Ive been looking back at 2015, all the things I was lucky enough to see, do, experience. And when I see all these photos, it is really easy to see what a wonderful year it has been. Then again, its highly unlikely that a year, which starts out with furry purrers, to turn out badly right? ;)

*Warning: This is going to be a long post!! Grab a coffee or popcorn!

January started with my first visit to Lady Dinah's Cat cafe where I fell in love with the teddy bear of a cat called Petra followed by a massive bloggers afternoon tea at the Browns Hotel.

February was a quieter month with a quick escape to Cambridge, one of my favourite day trips from London.

March took me to Spain to see Valencia's Las Fallas festival. I was stunned and amazed by the often towering paper mache sculptures and the level of detail and care put into them. It was wonderful to see all the festivities accompanying the sculptures such as the Falleras parading down the streets, the music, street food stalls, street lights, daytime fireworks, Flower Offering, all culminating in the Crema - the burning of the sculptures.

In April I discovered a time portal in London, checked out the awesome stage adaptation of 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime', made another trip to the cat cafe and sampled delightful macrons while discovering London's beautiful Mews.

May was a bit of a busy month. It threw me down Alice in Wonderlands rabbit hole where I became part of the Red Queens guard with the lovely Emma. I also managed to squeeze in a trip to Amman, Jordan and a jaunt to Margate and the mysterious shell cottage. Such a busy month demanded coffee and both a brunch at Beany Green and the London Coffee festival were happy to provide the requisite caffeine. I also voted in a UK election for the first time!

June was time for more theatre; A night at Shakespeare's Globe to see a Comedy of Errors, and the immersive kind, thanks to Punchdrunk's collaboration with The Maritime Museum.

July saw my dressing up in blue for my friends wedding in  Dole, France. It was brilliant to be part of such a special occasion and I fell in love with rural France. Back in London, I found my way to a cute little park with a memorial for everyday heroes and joined a tour of hidden treats in Piccadilly.

August was like May, but hopped up on caffeine. There was an abundance of good food, from finger licking slow cooked ribs to the zing of a Peruvian brunch, even Sushi Samba saw a repeat visit. I dodged Enigma Escapes Killer thanks to some quick thinking from my team and did a taster session at the Heartbreak Hotel. Bloggers were out in force too, with two trips to amazing sites, Eltham Place and the original home of Downton Abbey - Highclere Castle.

Crab Churros - Pachamama

 

Sushi Samba

Eltham Palace

Highclere Castle

The same day as Highclere Castle saw me make a mad dash back to London and the airport to fly to Dublin. I spent that long weekend checking out Ireland's Cliffs of Moher, Galway, driving along the Wild Atlantic way, traipsing back to the UKs Northern Ireland for a Black Cab tour of a troubled Belfast, walking in a giants footsteps at the Giant's Causeway and crossing a rope bridge to the site of the Iron Islands from Game of Thrones. Ireland's natural beauty is breathtaking, I'd love to hire a car and drive around at my own pace one day. And Dublin, what a fun city, live music, friendly people, and of course the bookworm paradise of Trinity College library, I'm still mega bummed that it was so touristy that they shuffled you around the ground floor and you couldn't reach the books or the upper level :( boooo!

Cliffs of Moher

Dublin - Temple Bar

Dublin - Trinity Collage Library

Diner en blanc launched for the first time in London in September. Thanks to the lovely Emma, I joined 1200 other guests in a sea of white for the most elegant picnic I've ever been to! Absolutely stunning. Later on I tried another cool cafe with decent coffee in Shoreditch and discovered London's second kitty cafe! September brings with it London Open House weekend and I was lucky enough to get a freebie ticket to see INSIDE the St Pancras Apartments - the clock tower one to be exact! I also managed to finally book myself in to the backstage tour run by the Theatre Royal and then walk across to see 'Heartbeat' by Charles Pétillon consisting of 100,000 white balloons floating above Covent Garden. The totally sweet Mandy invited me to join her at a private viewing of the Science Museums 'Cosmonauts' which was brilliant, really fascinating and I have been so remiss in not blogging about it yet, especially as we were given the privilege of taking photos inside! Lastly, for a change of pace, I did a bit of bird and otter spotting at London's Wetland Centre - it was so odd to see such a place in the middle of London!

Diner en Blanc in London

October involved brunching and exploring Exmouth Market, trying 101 Thai kitchen (the most authentic Thai restaurant I have come across so far in London) and my first work trip to Wroclaw, Poland where I got to see a real Lamplighter! Some very organised bloggers arranged a charming country outing filled with Autumn colours, fallen leaves, noisy ducks, a silk mill and idyllic countrysides vistas. I also finally got to see Austentatious, a brilliant improv theatre company, one that had me laughing weeks later.

I chose to escape to Seville in November for a few days to celebrate my birthday. It was great to walk around in warm 25 degree weather with crystal clear blue skies, dine al fresco and buy delicious biscuits from cloistered nuns. A lovely new brunch spot (Restaurant 34) was on the menu along with a repeat visit to 101 Thai Kitchen for a birthday dinner. Oh and Stomp, a West End percussion production high on buzzing energy - it really is amazing what you can do with the smallest items to make music.

December brought a whirlwind trip to Beirut, a beautiful lunch at Clos Maggiore, work xmas parties and all the festive decorations and atmosphere in London. It also was my first Chambers of Flavour experience, another one I have been remiss in blogging about. And lets not forget my trip home for the holidays :)

Quite the year! Part of me hopes 2016 will be bigger and better. Part of me wants to nap the whole way through to recuperate from 2015! Either way, it'll be another year in London and I'm sure, no matter what, I'll love it.

Read More

A charming Seville tradition

I must look suspicious as I walk around, glancing intently at doors, looking at signs I can't read, stopping to look at my phone, circling again. It's hard to know if I should knock, press the buzzer, if the door is open and I should just let myself in or if it was open, the door would be open. I check my watch again, it's definitely the right time. I give up and head to the next one. I try 4 different locations that day and have success only at one.

There, thankfully, the door is wide open and there is a clear sign above it not requiring any of my non-existent Spanish skills to translate. But that’s all the help I get. I enter a very unassuming courtyard and have no idea where to go next.

Terrified of wandering where I shouldn’t be, I slowly look around looking for clues. At the back of this courtyard is a dark alcove which, eliminating all other options, I slowly walk towards, eventually spying a dumb waiter. I exhale, happy to finally be in the right spot.

Again, thoughtfully, I have been provided with English notices. I scroll through the options, check the Spanish equivalent, make up my mind and ring the buzzer. A voice floats to me from beyond the wall, saying something in Spanish that I can't understand. But I don’t need to really. With my awful Spanish pronunciation, I ask for what I've come for and wait. There is a rustling from the other side and slowly the dumb waiter turns to reveal the packages. I place the payment in the dumb waiter and it turns again.

A huge smile plays on my lips. Success! For some reason I feel exhilarated.

To be honest, I've never felt like that buying cinnamon and chocolate shortbread biscuits before. But these biscuits are hand-made by the convents cloistered nuns. Between that and the whole honest and simple transaction, it makes them that little bit more special. It's such a charming tradition in Seville, that, if you know where to look and are there are the right time, you might be lucky enough to experience it for yourself. But I can help you there.

The best way to find the Real Monasterio De Santa Ines on Google is to locate Calle Doña María Coronel, 16, 41003 Sevilla, Spain, the entrance will be directly across the road.

Apparently there are other are convents where the nuns sell cakes, pastries biscuits etc, to support their living, but this convent was the only one I had any luck with. The opening hours of the Convent De Santa Ines are 9am-1pm and 4pm-6.30pm except Sundays and public holidays. Do stop by if you are ever in Seville.

What charming traditions have you come across?

Read More

Wroclaw by Dwarf

Editor note: Madness has ensued at Globetrotter Postcards, the dwarves of Wroclaw are staging a takeover, guest posting and showcasing their favourite parts of their city.

Before I let them loose however, lets just get one thing sorted so you don't cause any offence to these Wroclaw residents...just how exactly do you pronounce Wroclaw? Honeslty, it was one of the most difficult things I had to wrap my head around while I was in Wroclaw! Seriously. Up until I went I'd been saying 'rock-law'. Erm. Turns out it's pronounced v-rots-wav. How on earth was I supposed to guess that? The W is a V, C is a TS and the L is a W - so nice and simple ;) Now we've gotten that out of the way, on to the dwarf guides!

Wroclovek, please, keep these guys in line won't you?

Wroclovek Dwarf

Greetings! You, with the abnormally bulbous nose, come closer, you will not want to miss this once in a life time opportunity to be guided around our fair city of Wroclaw by its mischief making inhabitants. First up is our flower-snorting, head-in-the-clouds, Friendly dwarf.

Friendly Dwarf

Wroclaw with the sun out makes everything shiny and pretty and sparkly and wonderful! There is nothing I love more than sitting in square chatting with everyone and admiring the pastel colours of the buildings. But for a really pretty view, on a clear day I'll magic myself up to the top of St Elizabeth's Tower. Everyone else has to take the 300 steps to the top...hahaha...its good to be a dwarf. But like it said, its so pretty, and you get a nice view of all of Wroclaw. Anyway, stop by when you're here, I just might give you a flower to sniff too.

St Elizabeth's Tower

View of the main square fro St Elizabeth's tower

View from St Elizabeth's Tower over the Odra towards Ostrow Tumski

Wroclaw Old Town Hall in the Rynek (square)

The Rynek (main square)

Looking for flowers? The smaller Plaza Solny next to the Rynek has loads. Sniffing is free. But all flowers need good homes.

Arcik the Traveller Dwarf

Arcik the Traveller dwarf here, I've been to my share of places. Travelled the world, been high and low eaten more weird things than I'd care to admit and let me tell you, despite what the other dwarfs say, I'm not a jaded traveller. Sometimes I just like to go places where I can relax, and I don't have to run around seeing things. There's nothing wrong with that is there? Mmm...yum, those Pierogi have my name on them...Speaking of which, Gourmet dwarf...get over here.

Gourmet Dwarf

*buuuurp* 'scuse me! The food here is oh so rich. But oh so yummy. It might not be your thing, not many salads here but your find the pillowy deliciousness of pierogis that Traveller Dwarf was talking about. They come in all sorts of fillings, mushrooms, cheese, beef and peppers, even sweet fillings too, you can have them steamed baked or pan fried, you can have a mix, order 3, 5 or 9! And oh, there is perfectly cooked duck, delicious lamb cutlets in a bean sauce that is both barbecue-y and tangy and rich and potato dumplings and smoked goats cheese and fat juicy steaks...you like food don't you? Who doesn't really. They'd be mad, MAD! Those taste-bud teasing, tantalising, tempting morsels of food...*drool* 'scuse me! *giggle* There are a number of places to eat here, the best I've had is at Piwnica Świdnicka - its actually really interesting on the inside, different sections with different themes. Quite the place to have a delicious meal.

One of the sections of the Piwnica Świdnicka restaurant

Piwnica Świdnicka

Pod Fredra restaurant

Pod Fredra restaurant decor

It's a fascinating book, really. You should read it sometime, its called the "Merits of floppy hats in Education". But I suppose you're not here about my book. You want to know about Wroclaw. Well, when I don't have my nose stuck in a book, I like to go for a walk along the Odra river. I start from the northern side of most Pokuju (Pokuju bridge) and walk through Ostrow Tumski (the old town), sometimes stopping at the Garden Cafe overlooking a lovely...garden, or spotting a lamplighter, before continuing my walk across the bridges and islands back to the university. I don't quite tire of seeing the view of the college lit up at night and reflected in the water.

Wyspa Piasek

Tumski bridge

But sometimes I wont go that far and stop by the market (Hala Targowa) to pick up some fruit or something sweet. Occasionally I might have a cheeky drink or filled potato at the Targowa Craft Beer bar next door.

Fruit and Veg stall at the Hala Targowa (market)

Inside the Hala Targowa

I haven't done it yet, but I bet that in the summer it'd be nice to take a cruise along the river too. In the meantime, I settle for walking the city at night. It really is quite charming when aglow with amber light.

St. Mary Magdalene Church

St Elizabeth's Tower at night

Wroclaw Rynek (main square) at night

Tourist Dwarf

Hello there! I'm Tourist Dwarf, by name and nature. Gosh I love meeting new people! How are you? Are you a tourist too? What have you seen so far? Are you interested in Wroclaw? Of course you are! So let me tell you a secret. The real attraction of Wroclaw is us Dwarves. There are around 300 of us! You can spot us dotted all over the city going about our business. But we're always happy to stop for a photo, we are not camera shy at all. Finding us is a fun for the kids and the whole family. Here are a few more of us...

Well that about wraps it up for now, I hope you enjoyed us guiding you around our city, and you haven't minded us taking over Sam's blog this week. If you have any questions about Wroclaw just ask us in the comments below, in the meantime, I hope to see you in Wroclaw soon!! Do widzenia!

Read More