... Paris

You’re allowed to be corny in Paris.

Paris means a great deal to me, especially today. Not only because I think is an exquisite city packed with historical attractions, interesting streets, tons of entertainment spots, but also ‘cause I fell in Love there.

Corny right?... but as I said you’re allowed to be corny in Paris! But I’ll leave that story for another time…

Paris is home of my favorite museum – Musée d'Orsay –  it has a superb range of impressionist paintings from Pissarro, Renoir, Cézanne, Le Sidaner, Monet, Manet, Van Gogh and many more.

I am moved by these canvases since I was a little girl: I still remember my Dad, underneath the massive clock on that old train station, telling us (my brother and I) how great these Men were and some of their stories. Now, thanks to him, I love them and try to head back to the museum whenever I can!

There are so many other things that I love about La Ville d’Amour.

La Basilique du Sacré Cœur is where you can get the best view of Paris. Sure that the Eifel Tower’s view is wonderful, but this one is just stunning! And it’s located in one of my favorite quartier – Montmartre.

The first time I went to Montmartre, at least since I can remember, I ran all around with my mother, in the slim mazed streets where people share the joy of a tasteful glass of wine with a cheese board, not looking for wine but for fabric. We used to buy fabric for all sorts of things, from clothing to curtains, just for the fun of it!

                                                                              

This former village inside Paris was characterized by its many mills that were used to grind grain. There aren’t many left, apart from the famous overly explored Moulin de la Galette or the equally famous cabaret Le Moulin Rouge.

Montmartre is also known to be where many artists, by the end of the 19^th century, worked and had studies such as Van Gogh, Matisse, Derain, Valadon, Renoir, Degas and many others.

It’s my favorite neighborhood, the versatility of building dreams, ideas, hope, but above all, LOVE.

I found mine, right here, in the heart of Montmartre.

TO...
...SEE: Basilique du Sacré-Coeur
...EAT: Babalou, Miroir, Coquelicot de Abbesses
...DRINK: Le Progres, Le Potager, Le jardin d'en face


Key object of the trip: 
















B.

... La Libertad

El Salvador,

After a long trip from Tikal, Guatemala, through San Salvador I finally arrived to the beach (the remaining part of my trip). It was time to relax and surf.

The taxi left us (a pack of tourists all wishing the same – beach, sun and coconuts) at La Mopelia restaurant (really good by the way).

I went up to the owner to ask which of the 4 hostels would he recommend, being such a small town, the owner of the hostel he recommended was having dinner right on the next table.

He was a very kind man. He left his meal at the table and walked with us to the rooms, telling about all the wonders this little town had to offer, and the surf off course!

The rooms: little cabanas with AC (super luxury), a mini terrace with wooden chairs and table, and the best of all, an hammock right in front of the room, on top of that we had access to fast internet (awesome as well!), snooker table, super kitchen, a full range of films and a comfy TV area for perfect lazy nights!

The fourteen rooms were full with young people from all over the world. You could surf with one, jam with the other and cook with another! After a couple of days we were all a big happy family.

We had a Canadian couple (he gave her wife a chicken for her b.day, so we had a chicken running loose for a couple of days before hitting the pan), a super nice Australian couple, two really funny guys from Australia travelling around the world playing gigs, a well travelled American with so many stories to share, a kinda crazy half Ukrainian half Canadian, and two Israelis!

 

The kitchen ended up being our best friend, where we’d all meet. In the morning someone would go up to the big town and buy some big fat shrimps and mini lobsters, or just a bunch of really yummy vegetables for a great dinner!

In the morning I woke up with the sound of the waves! Since I made friends with some local guys who owned a “surf store”, they lent me a board so I could surf! In the weekends the beach would get very crowded: a lot of people from San Salvador come here to run from the busy city, so the sea looked like an ant farm! Luckily, the best thing of being friends with locals was that they always let me get a wave from the set! It can get pretty wild in the water when there are too many surfers for one wave.

When the surf was down, there was not much to do besides sleep, eat, drink and read!!!

This two weeks were perfect to get ready for Nicaragua but that’s another story!          

TO...
...SEE: El Tunco beach, EL Sunzal beach, Fish market
...EAT: La Mopelia, Punto Roca, Super Selectos
...DRINK: Horizonte Surf Resort, La Curva de Don Jere

Key object of the trip: 

B.

... Moscow

I had just quitted my job.

I was moving to another country.

 I was leaving everything behind and starting a new live…

…and I was going to Moscow to celebrate it, that and my B.day!

After 6 long hours travelling, from Lisbon to Frankfurt and then from Frankfurt to Moscow, I had finally arrived to the Russian Capital. It was cold as I suspected…

Moscow takes its name from the Moskva river, this river passes right by the Red Square, which I dare saying is the symbol of Moscow. And, obviously, I was dead curious to see.

We made our way from the hotel, through old churches, big plazas and all the ostentatious displays of wealth parading everywhere, to the Kremlin.

You enter this huge fortress into a mini village, very clean, where you cannot pass beyond the thin white marks on the floor without being yelled at in Russian – Уже Идет В Очередь  – which means – GO RIGHT BACK TO THE LINE!

After we visit the amazing museums, including a show off of Catherine the Great treasures and dresses, the funny shaped churches and all the wonders the fortress has to offer, we went down to the gardens for a walk.

The gardens, right in front of the Kremlin, are the place to be if you just got married. You can easily play “where´s Waldo?”, but instead of Waldo you had brides, and you´d be winning all the time!

There is a little bridge where the brides and groom’s queue to get the perfect album picture.

You see all kinds of brides from the poorer – freezing in their half torn dresses – and the richer – with dazzling furs and diamonds.  

Moving on to the Red Square, and I must confess I was somehow disappointed with St’s Basil Cathedral (the big psychedelic spiky colored Cathedral): I really thought it was bigger! The square is really big so when you stand at the far end it looks really small. But without any doubt an outstanding architectural wonder.

Facing the red square there’s this massive building that looks like an old train station, but is actually a shopping mall. But not just any, it’s a girl’s dream… there’s everything you may want from diamonds to furs to a LV or a Chanel bag. (I got lost in it!)

For my B.day feast we went to Café Pushkin, it’s a haute-russe cousine (a mix of French and Russian) in a cozy high class bistro. Afterwards to shake things up we went to Soho Rooms which is considered the coolest club in Moscow, a uberexclusive nightclub. We end up having a surreal night with crazy mafia taxi drivers, and after finding a friend from London, we went on hitting a couple more clubs (which names I don´t remember), to finally getting home to some vodka and caviar that were waiting for us in the room!!

In the following days we went on exploring the many galleries and museums that Moscow has to offer - Modern Art Museum, Winzavod – which means wine factory - , Museum of Aviation and Astronautics and the State Tretiyakovskaya Gallery (my favorite).

Unfortunately the Bolshoi Theatre was closed; I would have just killed to see a Tchaikovsky piece at the Bolshoi.
5 days it’s too long just for Moscow, as you can always take a one day trip to the countryside and visit some wonderful castles and old villages. Looking back, one of the greatest surprises of the trip was the kindness and helpfulness demonstrated by the Russians, they are lovely and very easy people.

TO...
...SEE: St Basil’s Cathedral; Kremlin; Kitay Gorod; Upper St Peter Monastery
...EAT: Drova; Botinika; Mayka; Café Pushkin    
...DRINK: Road House; Soho Rooms, Petrovich, Probka 


Key object of the trip: 



B.

... Annapurna Base Camp

You may not know but Annapurna stands, 8,091 m high, in the heart of the Himalayas, Nepal.

 It is among the biggest mountains in the world and I trekked my way up to the base camp!

Day 1 - I packed as light as I could: I was to carry the backpack. Got my walking sticks and joined my little guide – Tek, tiny slim dark coloured ageless man with the energy of a teenager – in the petite agency on the beautiful town of Pokhara (if you go to Nepal you must visit!).

 I set my mind for a 7 day journey with nature and tiny Tek who spoke 3 works of English! We got along great, I would say something and he would nod, just like a gal wants it!

Tek and I jumped on the first bus to Naypul, a 2hour ride in the middle of the mountains, from Pokhara. By the time we got to the register (they register everyone that treks in those mountains) it was 11 am, we walked for 3hours before stopping for lunch. Then, up on your feet, and 4 more hours up the snaky rocky mountains through little villages and cereal fields.

When we finally arrived to where we were to sleep, I noticed something spongy stuck to my hand – IT WAS A LEECH. Oh, by the way, Tek forgot to tell me to be careful in shaded and moist places where there are hundreds of them. Then again, this was not my first....

Days 2, 3 and 4 were filled with climbing half destroyed stairs, going over landslides, being attacked by crazy donkeys and their own set of leeches, stopping at local “food houses” to have beans, rice, cabbage and bread for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and meeting all sort of different people along the way.

Then, the air began to feel heavier: it was not so easy to climb anymore.

By the end of day 4 we arrived to Annapurna Base camp, I made it! I was on the top of the world surrounded by the biggest and most impressive rocks that I ever saw. It was foggy, I couldn’t really see a thing, so I had to wait for the next morning hoping it would be clear enough so I could enjoy the view!!

It was so much cold that I had to sleep with all the clothes I had, dirty or not. On top of it, there was no hot water so I didn´t shower either. It was a stinky adventure!

The next morning began at 5.30 am. It was bright and sunny, and obviously cold! There are no words for what my eyes could see, and the emotions that overwhelmed me, so I’ll just leave you with some pictures to tease you...

 Now that I reached the top, I had to come back down. And so it began the ride back down the mountain! I felt completely energized and so made it to Pokhara in just two days. In hindsight, I reckon that I should have done it an extra day, since my knees were killing me afterwards!!

 

Despite the swollen knees, holes from the leeches, the lack of any modern comfort (and by this I mean proper bathing!), and all the cold I could stand: it was a journey of a life time!!




Key object of the trip: 

B.

... Macau

Macau, a little packed city on the southern coast of China, that once belonged to the Portuguese Empire. 

It consists of the Macau Peninsula itself and the islands of Taipa and Coloane, which are now connected by a man-made landfill forming the famous Cotai Strip, as you may know, the biggest casino strip in the world.   

It is also home of several major casino-hotel chains, including the MGM Mirage, the Venetian -  the world's largest casino with over 550,000 sqm  of gambling space (it would fit about 77 football fields!) - and the very exquisite Mandarin Oriental that opened grand hotels on the Cotai Strip - providing the exotic Oriental Las Vegas experience. 

However, if you’re not a gambler, you can still enjoy the wonders that Macau has to offer.

Macau Peninsula, the oldest and most populated area, is probably the most interesting region of the territory as you will see remains of the Portuguese colony time - carefully restored squares with the traditional Portuguese pavings, the Ruins of St. Paul, one of the most sought  historical place in Macau, a cathedral built in 1602 that was destroyed by fire in 1835 leaving  only the southern facade which is still standing today .

 

 St. Paul's Ruins

Taipa is a modern residential island, home of  Macau's University and a lovely downtown bursting with Portuguese restaurants, Pubs and Chinese shops. 

There are also several tourist friendly temples and a church, highlighting Macau's diverse cultural and religious background. These include Pou Tai Un Temple, Small Kun Yam Temple, Tin Hau Temple, Sam Po Temple, Pak Tai Temple, Four-faced Buddha and the Church of Our Lady of Carmel.

Coloane, the last island, or as I would put it: the Jungle Island, was formerly a haven for pirates who sought shelter in its many coves. I haven't, however, found any treasure there...

Despite being home of the two best beaches in Macau - Cheoc Van and Hac Sa, I still prefer the comfort of the pool right next to them, where I won't find any sharks nor muddy water.

Many people enjoy a break from the crowded and busy Macau Peninsula, feasting from Portuguese cuisine and seafood on the beautiful Coloane Village colored by Portuguese-style houses and narrow streets.

B.