tourist &#8211; Lannie's Food & Travel

Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone. She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night! She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.

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Chasing James Bond to the Alps

Lannie — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 21:00:42 +0000

Let’s continue to chase James Bond to the Alps! If you love the combination of movie and travel, especially with James Bond, this post is for you! To visit 007 Elements, cinematic exhibition of James Bond films, you’ll go deep into the Alps. And it’s one of the most beautiful James Bond filming locations out there!

Following from my last post, where we visited the epic operatic stage where James Bond & Mr. White meet in Quantum of Solace, let’s continue to chase 007 in and around Austria. This next location brings us to Sölden – located in the Otzal Valley of the Austrian state of Tirol, high in the Austrian Alps. It apperas that James Bond loves Austria. We must share that in common.

During the winter months, Sölden is known for it’s skiing – and in the summer, mountain biking and hiking trails. Everyone walking around town in the summer is carrying a bike or hiking sticks, and I presume ski poles replace those when it turns cold.

For the duration of this post, although Sölden is spelled with an umlaut over the o, I will refer to it as either Soelden or Solden. All three are commonly used. I am doing it because my keyboard does not have such a key and constantly copying and pasting one ö is silly… Thank you for understanding!

1. James Bond filming location: 007 Elements in Spectre

Now. Back to James. James Bond.

In 2015’s Spectre, James travels to a health clinic in the Austrian Alps, to look for Mr. White’s daughter – Dr. Madeleine Swann. She gets kidnapped and Bond pursues them in a prop plane that bursts through a farmhouse.

It is there that Q analyzes Mr. White’s ring, and they first realize the existence of Spectre.

The location of Dr. Swann’s clinic is actually ice Q, a restaurant located around 3,000 meters up in the Alps.

Gaislachkogl, the peak where ice Q and 007 Elements is located, is reachable by cable car or on foot from Solden. ice Q’s modular, modernist design stands out from the alpine peaks surrounding it.

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2. Visit 007 Elements

In July 2018, 007 Elements was unveiled in the building adjacent to ice Q, as a “cinematic installation” dedicated to the James Bond films. I visited 007 Elements in the first few days after it opened. Being in July, you’d probably forget that it is actually really cold that high up. Most of the 007 Elements staff were wearing large winter parkas inside the exhibition.

Honestly, I would have appreciated if someone offered or warned me about how cold it would be inside the exhibit. But, besides that, it was a fun exhibit, moving through various aspects of the films or the character.

You’re guaranteed amazing views when you visit 007 Elements

Admission to 007 Elements is 22 EUR | $24 USD for adults, which does not include the cable car / gondola ticket. With the round-trip gondola included, that increases to 49 EUR | $54 USD. Of course, you can always hike from town up to Gaislachkogl – I know that people definitely do. From my calculations, it should be about a 1,700 meter ascent…. So, either way, it will take money or effort to get to the top.

However, I think the price tag is a little steep for what it actually was. For example, in the early movies, there was a ski pole gun that James used while skiing away from bad guys. The ski pole gun is in the exhibit, but it’s not like you can play with it. So looking at it from afar, while watching a clip of the scene where he uses the gun, is not super exciting. It’s not 007 Elements’ fault – it’s just not that exciting to see it up close.

While you’re at the top, and since you’re spending boatloads of money anyway, you might as well stop in ice Q for a coffee and an apple strudel, with a view.

cappuccino and a view
apple strudel and fresh cream

Visit 007 Elements for strudel with a view.

3. Parting Thoughts on this James Bond filming location

Part of what makes the James Bond movies so fun is the exotic filming locations. Imagining James Bond in the Alps and other far flung places gives your trip an exciting flair.

Visit 007 Elements if you’re a die hard James Bond fan. For mediocre fans, it was fun, but was it worth chasing James Bond to the Alps? The scenery was stunning and makes it worthwhile!

If you’re thinking to visit Solden, you absolutely should! Solden is beautiful, and there’s lots to do in the vicinity besides 007 Elements.

If you’re in the area, which I was, it’s worth it to stop by 007 Elements. However, it’s definitely not the main attraction of your stay in and around Otztal Valley.

For another James Bond filming location in Austria, check out my post on the Bregenz Festival!

Embed from Getty Images

4. Information to Visit 007 Elements

007 ELEMENTS | map
Otzal Valley, Austria
Daily 9:00 am to 3:30 pm

Phone: +43 (0) 5254 508 0
Email: 007elements@soelden.com

Online Tickets
Adult admission 22 EUR | $24 USD
Adult admission + gondola 49 EUR | $54 USD
Prices updated 22 December 2019

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The Sheraton Cook Islands – not your average resort

Lannie — Sat, 13 Oct 2018 10:14:47 +0000

The last thing you’d expect to see in the Cook Islands…is a derelict, abandoned 5-star hotel. Well, in fairness, it’s not 5-star anymore, nor technically, was it ever. The story of the Sheraton Cook Islands in Rarotonga is an interesting one, full of complications.

The story begins with Italian developers in the late 1980s. The Sheraton Resort was to be the crown jewel of the Cook Islands tourism industry and the island’s first 5-star resort. With the resort almost 80% complete, construction stopped abruptly following allegations of mafia involvement and money laundering in Italy. The Cook Islands government was left with $120 million in debt and almost bankrupted. From talking to local Cook Islanders, this large debt would shape the trend of Cook Islanders immigrating to New Zealand that continues to this day.

From then, other people and companies tried developing and completing the property. However, something always prevented the completion. According to the rumor mill, old tribal rivalries led to the land being cursed and recently, re-cursed. In this day and age, who knows whether curses are really true or not?

Today, the structure stands on a large, open property. Instead of hotel guests, you’ll find company in a group of cows and goats roaming freely across the land. Some locals do actually live on the property. We understand that they struck a deal with the local government to stay there for free, in return for maintaining the lawn and the property.

I went with my tour friends, E and J. When we pulled up in E’s car, a woman greeted us and said it was 5 NZD to visit. E and J were all about to prepare 5 NZD each, when I stuck out my arm to stop them. I didn’t say a word and handed the woman 5 NZD. She took the money and then pointed where we could park the car.

E and J were a little stunned, but I later explained that this was not a sanctioned tourist site. It’s not like we are paying an advertised, public admission fee, which taxes on the fees would later be paid back to the Cook Islands government. No no. This was a woman, living in an abandoned property, and as part of her agreement to maintain the property, she can charge admission fees for whatever she wants. I may be simplifying the scenario, but that was how I read it. So remember, don’t always be so quick to take out your money!

In addition to the abandoned buildings, there is also what looks like a well-groomed BMX track.

Depending on how much you like poking through old, abandoned things, you could probably stay 20-30 minutes here, but probably not more than an hour. If you’re in the area, and want to see something truly unique to the South Pacific, the Sheraton Cook Islands is for you. (Incidentally, if you do the cross-island hike from N to S, you should cross through this toward the end…)

However, if you want your image of Rarotonga to be an untainted, gorgeous paradise, then take a pass on this one.

Background information provided by: The Guardian Newspaper

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Rarotonga’s Greatest Hits: Captain Tama and the Progressive Dinner

Lannie — Thu, 20 Sep 2018 16:23:51 +0000

There are tons of things to do in Rarotonga. Rarotonga, or Raro for short, is the main island of the Cook Island and is a great place for a variety of experiences. There is probably something for everyone! From snorkeling to scuba diving to jet blasts to hiking, or even just hanging out by the pool or the ocean.

Most tours and dinners include hotel pickup/drop off, which is really convenient. If they don’t pick up on time, the island is a small circle. Trust that they’ll be along shortly, because they always are. (same with the bus!) Everything is on island time. So relax, sit back, and enjoy the awesome things to do and eat in Raro.

But first, if you haven’t read my post on Cook Islands food, I suggest you start there!

1. Captain Tama’s Lagoon Cruizes

For my first full day in Rarotonga, I scheduled a BBQ Lunch and Lagoon Cruise with Captain Tama. It was NZ$79 | $52 USD, which included snorkeling, lunch, a coconut demonstration and sarong show. The ship was crewed and the tour hosted by a few, young Cook Islander men. Good humored and full of fun, they took us out from Muri Beach to a beautiful area of blue seas for some snorkeling. I went in for a bit, but it was a bit cloudy under the water from the current, and man… that current was insane!

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After snorkeling, we headed back towards the Muri area, and docked off of an uninhabited island across from Muri. Captain Tama (and maybe another tour company) set up a small dining area with facilities on this island for use during the day. The crew were busily getting lunch prepared, and were grilling fresh fish and bananas.

One of the best things to do in Rarotonga: EAT LOCAL FOOD!

From the paw paw (papaya) up top and clockwise, grilled banana and grilled onions, fresh grilled mahi mahi, bread, cole slaw, potato salad, and a sliver of a coconut slice.

I won’t give much else away, but here are a few photos from their coconut demonstration. No photos of the sarong show. Why? I was selected as the model for an introduction to how to tie sarongs or pareos. shrug..

Really fun time with the crew that took us out that day. It’s a warm welcome to the Cook Islands and an introduction to their fun loving personalities.

2. Progressive Dinner

After a few hours of rest and relaxation on my patio lounge chair, in the evening, I set out for what’s known as the Progressive Dinner (NZ$99 | $66 USD). This is a dinner tour, where each of the three courses are eaten at a different family’s house. Each course came with lots of stories and an introduction to their family and land.

It was a really busy night for the Progressive Dinner… there were probably close to 40 people there. I guess that’s a bit unusual, and it’s normally a much smaller group, which is how I imagined it.

At dinner, I met a nice Australian couple on their honeymoon, and an interesting retired New Zealander, Polly. Polly has been coming to Raro since the mid-1990s, and lives for a few weeks or months there every year. She’s been coming to the Progressive Dinners for at least the last 5+ years when she’s in Rarotonga, and she keeps coming for the great food and lovely people that host and take part in it. I wish I talked to her more, because I think she must have great stories to tell.

Without further ado… the progressive dinner.

2.1 First Course

2.2 Second Course

What do you recognize on my plate from my earlier post, introducing food in the Cook Islands?

iSpy list:

paw paw
poke
umu
rukau

One of the best things to do in Rarotonga, in my book? Eat with friendly locals and hear their stories about life in the Cook Islands.

2.3 Third Course

Parting thoughts on the best things to do in Rarotonga

For my first full day on Rarotonga, not bad, right? Captain Tama and the Progressive Dinner were both GREAT introductions to the warm and fun-loving spirit of the Cook Islanders. Definitely, if you’re looking for two of the best things to do in Rarotonga, consider Captain Tama’s Cruise and the Progressive Dinner. You won’t regret it!

– Useful Information –

Captain Tama’s Lagoon Cruizes – NZ$79 | $52 USD, daily, 11 – 3 pm. Pick up, drop off, and lunch included
Progressive Dinner – NZ$99 | $66 USD, Mondays and Thursdays, 5 – 9:30 pm. Pick up and drop off included

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Cook Islands Food: an Introduction

Lannie — Sun, 09 Sep 2018 01:25:25 +0000

I thought it’d be fun to introduce the Cook Islands through its food and cuisine. After all, this is a food and travel blog! So, welcome to Lannie’s food intro of Rarotonga.

1.Staples of Cook Islands’ Food

1.1 Coconut

Let me begin by saying that the coconut is one of the most central aspects of Cook Islander cuisine, taking form in fresh coconut cream and milk, grated coconut, the “coconut marshmallow,” coconut juice from fresh nu, and of course, the coconut meat itself, usually eaten in sliced wedges.

freshly grated coconut and coconut slices

coconut marshmallow

1.2 Ika Mata

Raw fish and chopped vegetables in coconut cream and lime juice. Not to be confused with Hawaiian poke or Cook Islander poke…(and since I brought that up)

Ika mata at the Tuakata Cafe, in Rarotonga

1.3 Cook Island poke

A looser, mochi-type tapioca concoction, usually made with local bananas and topped with fresh, grated coconut. Not considered a dessert, and is served with the main dishes. It also has nothing to do with raw fish, despite what you may have thought because of its name. (Apologies for the awful photo of the poke – the lighting was really bad. Plus, it’s not that photogenic of a dish anyway, usually a gelatinous blob in varying colors. This one in purple, made from taro)

a blurry pic of the unphotogenic poke.

1.4 Paw paw

Papaya fruit (and/or local, firm bananas) with grated coconut in a coconut cream base.

paw-paw

1.5 Cassava (or tapioca) and arrowroot

Although cassava and arrowroot are different plants, they are similar in consistency. Both are of a starchy consistency, commonly used as thickeners. In Cook Islander cuisine, it’s mixed with local ingredients, in a variety of dishes, including the famous Coconut Delight. From what I can gather, it is a mixture of grated coconut and cassava, which is then pan fried for crispiness. The cassava gives it a chewiness, similar to mochi. Served at the Tuakata Cafe, a short walk from the bus terminal in town and down the street from the Office of the Prime Minister.

Coconut delight at Tuakata Cafe in Rarotonga

1.6 Umu

Traditional roasted chicken or pork, made by digging a hole and burying the food in an underground oven.

chicken umu

1.7 Rukau

Rukau, or “Cook island spinach”, is actually young taro leaves. They’re typically boiled and cooked in a cream sauce. The running joke that guides love to tell is …

Rukau has a lot of iron and helps men put lead in their pencils… if they have someone to write to.

Unlike other tourist or foodie destinations, there isn’t one specific restaurant that is known for their ika mata, paw paw, or umu. That’s not quite how life works in the Cook Islands. Instead, most tours include a traditional lunch, with ika mata, grilled fish, probably some poke, likely some umu, and a variety of coconuts and fruits. All of the food I had on various tours and at dinner shows were all high quality and extremely fresh. So don’t worry! You’ll have amazing food, pretty much anywhere!

2. Places to Eat

If you have some spare meals in between your tours, here are a few places I would highly recommend to eat at.

2.1 The Muri Night Market

The Muri Night Market, is held…most* nights. (Sun, Tues, Wed, Thu). It starts around 5 pm, and be sure to get there early as vendors will stop once all their food is sold. One of the famous stalls sells banoffee pie, which sadly was too aggressively large sized for me to try, being already full from umu and heavy coconut creams. Other stalls have local Cook Islander fare… umu, coconut cream curries, fresh juices and noodles. It’s a must-visit, and if you have time, go back and try other stalls!

Umu plate at the Muri Night Market

2.2 The Moorings Fish Cafe

Benefits of a small island is that peoples’ recommendations for the best food is often the same places! So many people recommended the Moorings Fish Cafe! It is a local and tourist favorite. The restaurant is situated a few minutes from Muri lagoon, with lots of outdoor seating and smiles to go around.

The Moorings serve fish sandwiches, salads and legendary smoothies. For me, I visited twice and first had the ahi tuna sandwich, and then their more famous breaded mahi mahi sandwich. Their menu can be found here: here … and OMG – THE CIABATTA BREAD. THE SUPER FRESH FISH.

This is the Mocos – seared tuna with lime mayo

This is the F.O.B. – crumbed mahi with lime mayo

2.3 Trader Jack’s

Another both local and tourist favorite is Trader Jacks. A restaurant and bar near Avarua, Trader Jacks is great for a relaxing drink by the sea, followed by an amazing seafood dinner. A nice sit-down restaurant to enjoy with friends! Don’t trust the picture to do it justice – it’s amazing!

2.4 Tuakata Cafe

I’ve already briefly touched on the Tuakata Cafe, with their famous coconut delight. I went there a few different times, having felt so welcomed by them each time. Besides the coconut delight and, of course some fresh nu, I had an acai smoothie bowl one morning, and an ika mata for lunch a few days later. Don’t forget the coconut delight!! They’re open on Sunday, which is super rare on Raro! (And here are the pictures again, because you can never have too many photos of food)

Coconut delight

Ika mata

2.5 Cook Islands Coffee Company

For your morning cup of joe fix, might I suggest Cook Islands Coffee Company. Located on the East side of ring road (you can find it with an orange traffic cone that says COFFEE with an arrow), it is only open during morning hours (7:30 to 10:30). On M,W,F from 7:30 am, you may be lucky enough to try one of their famous croissants, made by the proprietor’s son. I heard they were amazing, but beware! They sell out quick!

Parting thoughts on Cook Islands Food

I truly believe you can’t have a bad meal on Rarotonga. It’s possible to have a mediocre meal. However, locals prepare each meal such care and respect for the food. Each ingredient is the freshest it could be. Just because I’m not listing a ton of restaurants, it doesn’t mean there isn’t a food scene on Rarotonga. It just means that I had limited free meals, and the tours I took, fed me very well. The food in Rarotonga is amazing and I hope you’ve come to see that too!

And now that you’ve made it to the bottom of a drool-worthy post, I will reward you with a “standard” Cook Islands photo:

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If you love Cook Islands food, maybe you’re interested in having a traditional Cook Islands meal, with each course at a different local’s house! Hear stories, learn about their families and land, and eat amazing food on the Progressive Dinner Tour. For more info and an exclusive discount code, click here!

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Zagreb to Plitvice Lakes National Park – an Incredible Day Trip!

Lannie — Fri, 06 Jul 2018 12:25:55 +0000

Croatia is a stunningly beautiful country, home to pristine beaches and gorgeous lakes and waterfalls. If you start your Croatian adventure in Zagreb, consider going to Plitvice Lakes National Park for a day trip!

There are many tours that will take you there or renting a car is certainly an option. But going from Zagreb to Plitvice by bus for a day trip is completely doable, quite easy to do, and incredibly cost effective! So, if you’re up for an adventure, read on! I’ll give step-by-step instructions on how to go from Zagreb to Plitvice by bus.

1. Zagreb to Plitvice Lakes by Bus

Buying bus tickets from Zagreb to Plitvice is easy enough. A roundtrip ticket on Arriva, was 112 kuna | < $18 USD | 15 EUR. My 5:45 am departure (which arrived shortly after 8 am) meant that I’d have to leave my Airbnb around 5 am, in order to arrive early enough to figure things out…just in case. My ticket was emailed to me as a PDF and included the platform number (#405), and sure enough, there it was. Large luggage will cost you 10 kuna to put underneath the bus. My large 50 L backpack was fine as a “carry on.” And then we were off! From Zagreb to Plitvice by bus!

There are 2-3 ten minute stops along the way, but I never left the bus fearing a) losing my seat, and b) the bus leaving without me.

Along the way, you drive through small villages and if you look closely, you can see sprays of bullet holes covering the village houses. Rising ethnic tensions between Croatians and Serbs sparked with the death of a Croatian army commander. The result was the Croatian War for Independence, which began in Plitvice, late March 1991. Both sides had only 1 death each, during the “Plitvice Incident” or the “Plitvice Bloody Easter”, with over 20 wounded and 400 tourists evacuated.

2. Arriving at Plitvice Lakes

After a little over two sleepy hours on the bus, we finally made it from Zagreb to Plitvice Lakes. So excited!

Plitvice Lakes has been a national park since after WWII, and became a UNESCO world heritage site in 1979. After the Croatian War for Independence, the parks were swept for mines and all of the remaining mines were removed. Over 1 million people visit the park annually.

When I went to Plitvice in June, the cost of admission for adults was 150 kuna | < $24 USD | 20 EUR. In July and August (the country’s high season), that jumps to 250 kuna | $40 USD | 34 EUR if you enter before 16:00.

2.1 Entrances to Plitvice

There are two entrances to Plitvice, smartly named Entrance 1 and Entrance 2. The bus driver will call out the entrances to the passengers. Depending on what you want to see in the park, different entrances lead to different attractions. The side of the road where you exit the bus is the same side of the road as the entrance to the NP.

And remember, that means at the end of the day, when you’re waiting to catch the bus back to Zagreb, the bus stop is on the opposite of the road.

2.2 Hiking Plitvice Lakes – Choose your walking program!

You can go hiking in Plitvice Lakes either for a leisurely walk, or an immense (almost) 20 km hike! The national park has 8 different “lake tour programmes”, with the “K” programme being the longest at 18.3 km, with an estimated completion time of 6-8 hours. I was able to finish in about 5 hours, with breaks in between.

Hiking in Plitvice, the full K program – glorious 18.3 km

EXPERT TIP: MAKE SANDWICHES AND BRING YOUR OWN FOOD AND WATER.
There are long stretches with no food or water.

3. The Long Hike – “K programme”

It’s always strange going on a long hike on your own. Granted, there were other people around, because most of the various lake programmes criss-cross each other and overlap. But I guess not many people wanted an ambitious “Hiking Plitvice Lakes Day.” There were very few people on the “full K programme.” Most of the trail was on wooden planks along or over the water, and when the K goes off into the green wooded area, there are easy to follow paths.

From P3 (around the middle of the map), I had to take off my shoes and cross over a small section in the water.

And from there towards where it continues well into the green, I met one person and one dog on the K trail. (The dog did not belong to the person).

4. Not alone at Plitvice anymore!

At some point, hours later, I met C and K, who were two travelers from Canada and they graciously agreed to let me walk with them. They were also doing the K programme, but started at Entrance 2. Hiking Plitvice Lakes alone – mmm, ok on the fun level. Hiking Plitvice Lakes with fun people – even better!

Me, with K and C – hiking Plitvice Lakes. I’m the shortest, everywhere I go.

5. Thoughts on Hiking Plitvice Lakes

The hike ended with a short 5 minute ferry across the water (gushing towards the finish line!) Ok, maybe not such an exciting finish. But, I will say hiking Plitvice Lakes was an amazing way to see so many of the waterfalls. Plus, being off the beaten path was a great way to avoid the mass of tourists.

Small warning, though… every time you are about to come across a waterfall, the crowds increase and the pace slows, as everyone tries to pose for a picture. It can get mildly overwhelming.

I finished the hike around 13:30, and was able to catch an earlier bus back to Zagreb. In the morning, the bus from Zagreb to Plitvice dropped me off next to the entrance. The bus going back is on the opposite side of the road.

Luckily, I had some time to buy an ice cream before the bus arrived. The bus left around 14:45, and I was able to make it back in Zagreb for a shower and amazing dinner.

So in the end, if you love to walk, enjoy waterfalls and crystal clear waters, PLITVICE IS THE PLACE FOR YOU. Especially if you’re alread in Zagreb, the bus to Plitvice is easy and a completely manageable day trip!

Add it to the bucket list!

6. Resources on going from Zagreb to Plitvice Lakes by Bus

Bus tickets and schedules
Sample Zagreb to Plitvice bus departure/arrival times (weekend schedules differ):

5:45 am – 8:08 am
6:30 am – 8:40 am
7:30 am – 9:45 am
8:30 am – 11:07 am
9:15 am – 11:30 am

Sample Plitvice back to Zagreb bus departure/arrival times (weekend schedules differ):

2:45 pm – 5:05 pm
3:45 pm – 5:55 pm
5:18 pm – 7:50 pm

Information on Hiking Plitvice Lakes National Park and entrance fees:

REMEMBER BRING YOUR OWN FOOD AND WATER

Recap on my Zagreb to Plitvice Day

5:45 am Bus leaves from Zagreb to Plitvice Lakes
8:10 am: Arrival at Plitvice, Entrance 1
<< walk walk walk walk walk walk walk >>
1:30 pm: Make it back to Entrance 1
2:45 pm: Bus to Zagreb
3 pm: Rain, and feeling thankful to be on a bus and on the way home. The man I encountered on the K trail, with the dog that was not his, went back to Zagreb on the same bus.
5:15 pm: Arrive in Zagreb
6:30 pm: Finish shower and eat amazing food at Pri Zvoncu
8:30 pm: Sleep.

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Visit the Gorgeous Lake Bohinj

Lannie — Sat, 23 Jun 2018 10:05:24 +0000

My wonderful Airbnb host, who knew that I liked hiking and great views, recommended that I visit Lake Bohinj (boh-HEE-nee), part of Triglav National Park, or Triglavski narodni park. I invited J along with me, and she was more than enthusiastic to join me.

1. How to get to Lake Bohinj from Bled

The buses leave from the Bled bus station at 20 minutes past the hour. We took the 9:20 bus, on another charter bus, over to the lake which took about 45 min. The price of the bus depends on where you get dropped off. Our stop was Ukanc (pronounced, I think, like oo-CONCH), which cost us 4,10 EUR | $4.75 USD. Normally during high season, July and August, the bus runs once an hour and drops you off near most of the main sights. It being not high season, meant that there was more walking involved. Way more walking.

There is an extremely complicated, yet accurate bus schedule here, from Bled to Bohinj. There legend is extremely detailed, so make sure you are looking at the right column, for the right season, and the right day of the week.

2. Ukanc and uphill to Savica Waterfall

We stopped off at Ukanc, which was the closest stop to the Savica Waterfall, in low season. And by closest stop, it was still a 50-minute uphill trek, along the side of the only road going up there. If you’re lucky enough to go in high season and take the bus to the closer stop, obviously it would not take this long. So off we went.

I’m so thankful that J was a good sport and trekked everywhere, without any real complaining. I say real complaining, because part of the amusement during our walk was semi-complaining. Semi-complaining that people who passed us by in their cars never offered to give two random women a ride. Even considering we were obviously going in the same direction, to the same place. But never mind.

After about an hour (considering breaks to catch our breath and stops for photos), we finally arrived at a parking lot, two restaurants, and a sign that said the waterfall was another 20-minute walk. More uphill, but this time, with stairs.

3. Savica Waterfalls

Along the way, there is a little hut to pay the entrance fee (shown below), which was 3 EUR for adults. All things considering, not a bad price, and definitely worth it.

When we finally reached the falls, there was only 5-10 people up there. I guess since it was still the low season, it was to be expected. Near the top, there are also viewpoints out across Lake Bohinj, where you can obviously see the valley formed by ancient glaciers.

Bohinj Glacier Valley

Savica Waterfall

Quick facts about the Savica Waterfall (from its brochure that I picked up):

Height above sea level, at base: 894 m | 2,934 ft
Two-part waterfall in the form of the letter A
Height of the large waterfall: 78 m | 256 ft
Height of the small waterfall: 25 m | 82 ft

a smiling Lannie with the Savica falls

4. Lunch stop at Koča Pri Savici

After the falls, we stopped by one of the nearby restaurants for some lunch. Traditional Slovenian sausage and fries, served with the biggest ketchup and mustard containers known to mankind.

The sausages were delicious and the server was so friendly and talkative.

Exterior of Koča Pri Savici, where we had lunch. Postcard was from back in the day, before the parking lot and other restaurants were built in the area. The stamps are like a national park passport stamp.

He asked if we had walked up here via the road or the back path. We came by the road. He encouraged us to take the back path on our way back down, which was shorter. In reality, it may have been shorter, by mere minutes, but we took more photo breaks and of course, this was downhill. J was smart enough to ask the question, “Will we get lost?” He laughed a little and said

“Not a chance. Keep following the sound of the river.”

And it’s true, we definitely did not get lost. But the sound of the river dissipated after time. But there was really only one way to go, and after another hour, we had arrived back near Ukanc and the banks of the lake.

fresh water along the way

4.1 Pause and marvel at Lake Bohinj

5. The long meander to Mostnica Gorge

The next destination was the Mostnica Gorge. Again, we could have taken the bus. However, it only runs once an hour. So we decided to walk, since it would take about an hour get there.

From the very west bank of Lake Bohinj (where Ukanc is), to the very east bank of the lake, we walked. We made some stops along the lake, at a beach and then a pier where we sat for a few moments to rest and enjoy the scenery. We finally arrived at Stara Fuzina, a small village, which is more or less the gateway to the Mostnica Gorge.

5.1 Stara Fuzina

5.2 Onward to Mostnica Gorge

There were some confusing signs at times. If you followed them, I’m not sure where you would have ended up. Very likely, you would have ended up at the gorge. However, we decided to follow Google Maps, which had not led me astray thus far. We were not entirely sure what we were looking fo. The word gorge really only tells me it’s a very big hole in the ground. We finally arrived at a booth. The entrance fee was 3 EUR, but the booth was unmanned. So free entrance it was! At the booth, there was a fork in the road.

After much indecision, we decided to fork right. There were some other travelers following us and they forked left. Let me tell you, forking right was the right decision. Because of this, we accessed large rocks and took some amazing photographs, while they painstakingly looked for a way to cross to our side. They did not do in the end. I would not have recommended anyway, for safety reasons. Views below, when you fork right.

The Little Elephant

We kept walking, trying to figure out where this gorge was. When we arrived according to Google Maps, there was nothing. We walked on another 20 minutes, but then we realized that the path we were on was no longer marked by a yellow circle and was now a red square. At that point, we decided enough was enough, and we turned around. In the end, we realized that the gorge was right inside of the unmanned booth, on the bridge when we forked right. Suffice it to say, the scenery along the way was absolutely gorgeous and well worth the additional trek.

What we think was the Mostnica Gorge…somebody tell me if they know for sure

6. The bus back to Bled

The bus that goes back to Bled leaves at the :47 after every hour, except for at 5:47 pm. Obviously, this is right around the time when we arrived at the bus stop. I think most people were surprised that there was no 5:47 bus. But not me, thanks to the trusty yet confusing bus schedule. After some relaxing and a well deserved Magnum ice cream, we hitched the 6:47 pm bus (for 3,40 EUR | $4 USD) and was back in Bled by 7:30 pm.

According to my Apple Watch, I walked 33,000 steps that day… a personal best. That amounted to about 16 miles or 25 km. Exhausting, doable, and extremely worth it. This beautiful day trip to Lake Bohinj is a must for those wanting to reconnect with nature and those who love exploring foreign national parks like I do!

Resources for Lake Bohinj, Slovenia

If you’d like to visit Lake Bohinj from Lake Bled, check out the bus schedule

Other things to see, in the Bohinj region, which we didn’t have time for:

Cable car up to Vogel
Hike up to Pec (about 45 min)

Approximate Schedule for the Lake Bohinj Day

8:20 am: Bus from Bled to Ukanc
10:10 am: Arrive at Ukanc bus stop, begin walking
11:30 am: Savica Waterfall
<< walking >>
1 pm: Lunch at Koča Pri Savici
<>
4:30 pm: near Mostnica Gorge
6:47 pm: bus back to Bled
7:30 pm: arrive back to Bled
8 pm: I’m asleep.

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Calm, with a side of sea urchin, at the beach

Lannie — Sun, 17 Jun 2018 10:06:40 +0000

I’d say that I have mostly active vacations. It’s definitely a rare moment for me, though it does happen, where you’d find me in a resort or by the beach. I’m sure you’ve noticed this by now.

The other day, the original plan was to go on a boat to visit a national park. However, due to choppy waters, the boat was cancelled at the last minute. The boat was scheduled to leave at noon, and I didn’t have a Plan B for the day. So, I decided to ask my Airbnb host whether she could recommend any good beaches around.

1. Selecting a Beach outside Pula

Now, Pula is on the coast. But the coastline is more or less industrial, due to its large shipbuilding industry. There aren’t any beaches in Pula itself, but there are some just outside of town. In order to figure out the right beach for me, she asked two questions: crowded or quiet beach? Rocky or pebble beach? The first question was obvious and of course, I chose a quiet beach. The second question, however… rocky or pebble? I wasn’t really sure how to answer. I know that pebbles on a beach were annoying, so was a rocky beach the right choice? It was the only other alternative, so sure. Rocky beach it was.

Fazana Beach, a short trip from Pula. This is obviously a pebble beach.

For 50 kunas | $8.50 USD, my Airbnb host offered a roundtrip ride to the beach, so away we went. And after a few minutes ride outside of town, we arrived at Lungomare.

2. Lungomare, the Rocky Beach

Now I get it… a rocky beach.

There was a small ladder, like in a swimming pool, leading into the water. And although the water was brisk, at best, I decided to go in completely. Go big or go home, right?

And wow. The water was choppy. But not only that, because it wasn’t a sandy beach that I was used to, the surface below was uneven, at best, and of course, still large rocks. I was in the water no more than 5-7 minutes being tossed about, and even scraped the bottom of my foot at the surface of one of the underwater rocks. Enough was enough. I was here to relax, and sometimes listening and watching the sea are more relaxing than being in it.

As soon as I stepped foot on land, I knew something was wrong. A stinging sensation from my right foot as I made my way over to my towel. As soon as I sat down, and wiped the debris off my feat, I could see the spikes. It wasn’t a scrape at all. It must have been a sea urchin.

WARNING:

there are ugly pictures of my feet coming up… stop now if that grosses you out

after I removed the spikes from my foot…

I spent the next 20 or 30 minutes removing the spikes. There was about 10 of them, no larger than a mechanical pencil lead. One had gotten underneath my pinky toe. That one hurt to pull out. But the rest of them came out relatively easily. But there was still something left underneath the surface. A black dot where each spike had once been. I sat there squeezing and scraping, as if it were a small splinter underneath the surface, until I could do no more without any tools. I was googling sea urchin spikes and what to do, and there is a reason the black specks were left.

This is the site I referenced, and if you ever step on a sea urchin, READ THIS SITE.

You only see the sea urchin spike as a spike, but the tip of it is actually more like a barb. Although you can pull out the spike itself, the barb is still left in there. I decided to leave it be and to enjoy the warm weather and sounds of the sea. Whatever venom was pumping through my body couldn’t have been much due to the small nature of the spikes itself and the fact that there were only 10 or so of them in my feet. But, as a fair warning, people have known to die from being stung by sea urchins. I guess if I were truly honest, I didn’t want the Airbnb host to think I was a dumb tourist, for being stung by sea urchins within the first 5 minutes of being dropped off at the beach.

another photo of the beach, so you’re not so grossed out by my feet.

After about an hour and a half or so, I texted my Airbnb host, told her what happened and asked her to pick me up. I asked whether she could bring me some vinegar or take me to the market to buy some. From what she told me, almost everyone in Pula has been stung by sea urchins at some point. That made me feel exponentially better. And honestly, mine was not bad compared to some of the stories she told me.

3. Vinegar foot bath

When I got home, armed with a giant vat of vinegar and hot water, I began my foot bath.

vinegar and hot water foot bath

For those who know me, know two things: One, I hate vinegar and everything to do with vinegar. Two, I get very squeamish when there are injuries related to feet. So this foot bath is literally my worse nightmare. And the smell… Awful.

Soak your feet 30-45 minutes and the remaining spines should dissolve from the vinegar. (Side note, this is also true if you accidentally get a fish bone stuck in your throat… which, ironically has also happened to me. You should drink vinegar or something extremely acidic to soften the bone, so it will go down…). Anyway, wanting the maximum effect from the vinegar, I soaked my feet for an hour.

4. Foot Surgery

The black specks were still in my feet after the vinegar bath, and I was getting conflicting advice on whether the skin would eventually push it out on its own or if I should continue my efforts to try and remove it. I decided better safe than sorry, and thus began the “surgery.” After disinfecting a needle and my nail file, I first filed off a layer of skin and then began removing the black specks one by one. After a few hours, I finally removed them all (or so I thought). Gross, I know.

So gross. Sorry.

In the next few days, as more of the spine came to the surface, I had to go back in with a needle and remove some of them. So now, for the most part, it’s all gone. I will say that the spines definitely go in deep, and you have to use the needle to get under the spine and push it out.

5. Recovery

The next few days, I slept more than normal, not sure if that was effects of the venom coursing through my body or just physical exhaustion recovering from an injury like this.

another photo of the beach, because there have been too many feet photos …

In the end, I survived. I think the important lesson to remember, especially when traveling alone, is that you have to remain calm. Google is your friend. You’re not the only person in the world that has undergone such an ordeal, and panicking will do no good. Searching for a solution to solve it yourself is easy, if you can manage to stay calm. Maybe it wasn’t such a great idea to stay at the beach, with the venom coursing through my veins, but that was all I could do to remain calm given the circumstances. In the end I survived, and if this ever happens to you, you will too.

windblown, with sea urchin venom through my body, but keeping calm, carrying on, and mildly smiling.

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A sunrise hike and some rain in Lake Bled

Lannie — Tue, 12 Jun 2018 09:11:54 +0000

Sunrise hike, Lake Bled? Yes, please! Especially if you love natural beauty and are a sucker for crystal clear lakes and lush forests like I am! If you like all of the above, then Slovenia is the place for you.

A few years ago, your average American would likely not have heard of Slovenia or considered it as a holiday spot. However, with the rise of Instagram, Lake Bled has become a magical destination – even for destination weddings! You could even be like my friend Steven, who had a magical wedding at Lake Bled.

As a part of the former Yugoslavia, Slovenia is nestled between Austria, Italy, Croatia and the Adriatic Sea. The landscape has rugged mountains (as part of the Julian Alps), glacial lakes, and beautiful wooded areas.

1. Train from Vienna to Lesce-Bled

Vienna is the perfect base to take a long weekend in Lake Bled. I began my journey in Vienna, where I took the 8:20 am train from Wien Hauptbanhof to Villach. There is a quick and easy switch from Villach to Lesce-Bled. Truthfully, I almost missed the stop at Lesce-Bled. Too busy admiring at the beauty out the window! I arrived at Lesce-Bled around 1:50 pm. From the Lesce-Bled train station, I took a bus into Bled town.

1.1 Bus to Bled town

I didn’t realize it at the time, but public transportation buses in Bled, and perhaps Slovenia, are actually what we would consider charter buses. While there was a luggage compartment below the bus, I didn’t know this at the time.

Lugging a rolling luggage (with backpack and purse) onto a charter bus is the most miserable thing I can think of. If you find yourself in this situation, do yourself a favor and just open the lower compartment yourself before you board. There is an unforgettable, unusual, “Dino Park” on the way into town. And yes, it is everything your imagination thinks it would be. I couldn’t take a picture of it, as I struggling with my luggage and half-sitting in my seat.

In three words, my Airbnb is

Beautiful, quaint, and perfect.

Bled itself is a small town that surrounds the beautiful Lake Bled. Lake Bled is more or less famous for the island, with a church, in the middle of the lake. For 10 EUR, a tourist boat can take you onto the island so you can tour the church. During my time there, I did not end up doing that, more or less because my purpose was to photograph the island and surrounding areas.

2. Ojstrica – Sunrise Hike Lake Bled

There are several hiking trails in and around Bled, which can offer you views of the lake and the island. Most easily accessible is the Ojstrica, which is on the southwest side of the lake. I went up to this viewpoint one morning for sunrise. Sunrise was scheduled for 5:15 am that morning. According to Google Maps, it was a 45-50 minute walk from where I was staying on the opposite of the lake. Before 4:30 am, I was out the door. I was in Bled in late May, early June, and it rained quite a bit. Be prepared! Accuweather said it would rain at 7 am, so I had some time.

I mostly followed Google Maps. The path is mostly flat, around the circumference of the lake. Towards the end, you veer off into a wooded, forested area, where a slight incline begins. There are a lot of eroded and slippery stones (slippery from the rainfall the night before) along the way, so be careful. Before Google said I arrived, I found this sign.

Stop following Google Maps and veer right, up the hill.

This is where you stop with your app and follow the sign. This is where it begins to get steep. Basically, you begin to climb upward, but only for less than 5 minutes, until you reach the peak.

uphill battle, and careful, the rocks are slippery from years of erosion and rain.

2.1 Sunrise

I arrived right around 5:17, and though shrouded by clouds, daylight was about to break. There were a few people already enjoying the sunrise, and in a strange irony, the 6 people up there, including myself, were all Americans – one couple toasting with champagne, part of a family, and then me.

I would have said that it was peaceful up at the top, but for some reason, somebody down at grown level was doing some heavy gardening. All we could hear was the revving of a weed whacker, from about 5:30 to 6 am. Things don’t always turn out exactly the picture-perfect way you want it to.

View from the top of Ojstrica, overlooking Lake Bled.

smiling through the rain

I stayed until about 6:45, when I realized I should get moving because of the aforementioned rain forecast. And as a testament to the greatness of the Accuweather app, at 6:56, I felt the first drops of rain. I rushed to grab my rain jacket and put the rain cover over my backpack to protect my camera.

Getting caught in the rain is probably one of the more lighthearted things in life. Everyone I passed along the way gave each other an acknowledgement and a little chuckle. Basically, “Yep, I’m caught in the rain too.”

I got back around 7:30 am, exhausted and starving. Why didn’t I stop along the way to get food? Because when you pack your bag at 4 am, you think to yourself, “Why do I need money? I am going to be in a forest.” You bring money because you’ll be starving on your way back otherwise.

3. Well deserved breakfast

Luckily, Bled town is small. From my Airbnb, I can reach everywhere within five minutes. I stopped by Caffe Peglez’n, which has a very adorable indoor area and an outdoor seating area. The interior was decorated with a kitchy, vintage vibe.

peanut and olive dispenser at Caffe Peglez’n.

I had a simple ham and cheese panini. It was simple but bigger than I imagined, and perfect for refueling. Things happen slowly in this part of the world. By 9 am, I finally finished and headed back. After a shower, I took an amazingly long nap. I haven’t done many sunrise hikes in my day. Even after my nap, I couldn’t recover from the exhaustion of the day.

4. Dinner and rain…again…

Later in the day, I agreed to meet J. I met her the day before at lunch, when both of us sat alone at neighboring tables. And we decided to eat together.

The following day, J and I decided to take a day trip to Lake Bohinj, in the Triglav National Park.

Read all about the fantastic day full of waterfalls, glacial valleys, and stunning hikes!

Of course, I knew it was going to rain (thank you, Accuweather). But silly wardrobe choices. My rain jacket wouldn’t match with the dress I was determined to wear. Therefore, I was woefully unprepared for the inevitable downpour that came. Why a dress you say? I’m a firm believer that if you feel terrible, but you look nice, you will start to feel better… unless you are caught in the rain, and then … well, I’m just stupid.

Although J and I both ate almost an entire pizza while waiting for the rain to subside, it never did. After about an hour, enough was enough. Don’t get me wrong, the pizza was delicious. However, my energy level was declining. I desperately needed to get back to my bed. So, thank you to the tourist shop next door, and the 5,50 EUR umbrella that I bought. There was a foreign woman looking at umbrellas too. When we made eye contact, we both started laughing both at ourselves and at each other.

Rain can bring good humor, if you let it.

And for an existential note on rain to finish the post, rain brings life, but it also takes away.

5. Information on your Sunrise Hike, Lake Bled

Train

OBB: One-way, second class ticket: 39 EUR | $46 USD
Wien Hbf to Villach Hbf: 8:20 am to 12:46 pm
Villach Hbf to Lesce-Bled: 12:53 pm to 1:50 pm

Bus

Lesce-Bled to Bled main station bus fare: 1,30 EUR | $1.50 USD

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A relaxing walk in Budapest (Episode 2)

Lannie — Mon, 04 Jun 2018 08:27:26 +0000

<< Continued from Episode 1, Budapest, the Relaxing Way >>

After having the most amazingly, relaxing day, my friend and I had an easy going Sunday with a walk in and around Budapest. We started our walk by the Hungarian Parliament, en route to our breakfast destination, Piknik.

1. Breakfast at Piknik

Piknik is a small cafe, with a nice outdoor seating area, and serves mostly baguettes, tarts, and fruit smoothies. I had a delicious prosciutto baguette, with cucumbers. The cucumbers were a welcome addition.

2. Walk along the Danube River

After breakfast, we strolled along the Danube River, in search of a memorial I missed the last time I visited. The Shoes on the Danube Bank. Located almost in front of the Hungarian Parliament, this memorial, conceived by director Can Togay and sculpted by Gyula Pauer, is made up of 60 iron shoes of the WWII era.

As the plaque states, this is a memorial to the victims of the Arrow Cross Militiamen. The memorial pays tribute to the over 3,500 people (of them, around 800 were Jewish), shot with arrows on the banks of the Danube. They were instructed to remove their shoes and their bodies were washed away by the river after being shot.

To me, traveling is not just about seeing the beautiful and Instagram-worthy. There is much to be learned about the history of a place, and recognizing that we can learn from the mistakes of the past…

3. St. Stephen’s Basilica

From there, it was a short walk to St. Stephen’s Basilica, named for King Stephen, first King of Hungary. You can also go inside for a guided tour and, if you’d like, go up to the top for views across the city (for a fee). We didn’t go in, since it was Sunday, there was mass being held.

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A post shared by Lannie (@lannietravels) on Jul 15, 2013 at 4:00am PDT

4. Dohany Street Synagogue

We also passed by the Dohany Street Synagogue, or the Great Synagogue, which is the largest synagogue in Europe and the second largest in the world. It also houses a museum and cemetery, well as a Heroes Temple.

a bit of the Moorish architecture of the synagogue and the Jewish memorial in it’s courtyard

5. Szimpla Kert, a ruin bar

There is so much to see, walking around this city. But our actual destination was Szimpla Kert, or the first ruin bar in Budapest. Ruin bars began around 2001, when a group of men were looking for a cheap place to drink. Old, derelict buildings and abandoned spaces were transformed into casual places to hang out and drink. Szimpla Kert, in addition to being a bar, also hosts farmers markets in this quirky and fun space. When we went on Sunday, the market was being held there and it was overrun with tourists clamoring to take photos. There’s plenty of places to sit, and a little restaurant upstairs, with more seating there as well.

We decided to buy some cheese and fresh strawberries from the vendors, and sit and people watch for the better part of 2 hours.

LOOK AT HOW BEAUTIFUL THIS STRAWBERRY IS. So shiny and healthy. Sweet and red. Unlike strawberries in America, they may be smaller in size, but they make up for it in their burst of flavor. Also, has anyone ever noticed, strawberries in America are white on the inside??? Hungarian strawberries, amazing! American strawberries, needs work.

6. Parliament Building

And then, it was back to the Parliament building, where we had parked the car, and back to the bus station as my weekend came to a close. My apologies for not taking photos of everything I ate this trip. I was really trying to live in the moment, which I will discuss in a later post. It was a beautiful weekend, with a beautiful friend!

Day 2 recap: a relaxing walk in Budapest

8:30 am: Breakfast at Piknik | map
9:30 am: Walk along the Danube and view Shoes on the Danube Bank | map
10 am: Walking by St. Stephen’s Basilica and Dohány Street Synagogue
11 am: Strawberry, cheese, and people watching at Szimpla Kert | map
1 pm: Enjoy the parks around Hungarian Parliament again | map
2:30 pm: Bus back to Vienna!

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