Posts Tagged ‘wanderlust’

Finland

Finland
 

Finland for the first time in my life 

Finland was not on my favorite countries to visit list for the simple reason that I generally avoid countries where temperatures are low for most of the year. By saying this I am actually referring to all the North European countries. But then of course, I wouldn’t miss a chance to visit Finland if the opportunity presented itself. And it did!

Finland
Finland
 

Last week I spent 5 days in Finland. I was invited by Ping Helsinki, the leading digital marketing event in the Nordics. The first two days were spent in Helsinki, exploring the capital city and attending master classes around the topic of online marketing and content creation.

finland
Tampere
 
Tampere

The day after the event, we took the train and went to Tampere. Tampere is a little town in southern Finland. It is also known as the Finnish sauna capital, the favorite activity of the Finns! I thought it was a great idea that the Ping Helsinki festival was combined with the post tour, because that gave us the opportunity to get an idea of how the countryside of Finland looks like.

Finland
Tampere
 

I invited my friend and travel buddy Pauline to join me on this trip. Pauline flew in from Athens and I flew in from Vienna. We met at the Helsinki airport and went to the hotel together. And guess what! The weather forecast was for blues skies, warm temperature, and lots of sun for the entire week.

Finland successfully convinced me that I was completely wrong! Yes, the weather can be warm in Finland too! I was such a fool to believe that it wouldn’t.

Finland
Tampere
 

A welcome party was scheduled to occur a couple of hours after we touched down in Finland. It was to take place at Löyly, a restaurant located in a unique section on the seaside of Helsinki. They couldn’t have chosen a better place to welcome us to Helsinki.

I loved this place! We did sauna, some of the bold and beautiful people jumped into the freezing cold water of Baltic sea. After that, we had a great first dinner in Helsinki.

For the post tour, we got to pick amongst four destinations: Tampere, Turku, Bomba in Koli National Park, and Ruka-Kuusamo. After a lot of discussion, we decided on Tampere because we thought experiencing sauna in Finland was something that we had to try at least once in our lifetime.

Finland
Tampere
 
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Finland
Tampere
 

A few general thoughts regarding Finland: I found it to be a very peaceful country with very kind people. Also Helsinki was very easy to explore. Grab a city map from your hotel and go explore the city on foot. All the photos of this blog post were shot at our beautiful hotel in Tampere, which happened to be the highlight of the whole trip for me! I just love small boutique hotels that pay attention to detail, and that have beautiful interior designs.

Many thanks to Steve and Chanel from How Far From Home, Urlaubsguru, Ping Helsinki, Visit Tampere, and Lillan boutique hotel for making this trip happen! The people in Finland did an excellent job organizing all this and we were very happy to be part of it! Thanks again for having us!

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*Disclaimer: The trip was an invitation by Ping Helsinki. However, all words, comments and thoughts in this post are my own. This blog post contains affiliate links.  I get a commission if you make a purchase through the links which comes at no cost to you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for using my links.

Rome

Rome

I’ve been to Rome a million times. So many times that I’ve lost count! It has been a favourite destination of mine for many years – a city that has always felt like my second home. Visiting Rome feels familiar – I suppose not only because of my numerous visits, but also speaking fluent Italian helps, too.

Rome

Despite all of these trips to the Eternal City, I have never been in Rome to see actual snow on the ground. On Monday morning, after two hours of exhausting flight delays, I landed in an Italian capital blanketed by snow, everywhere. Locals told us that this is very rare. The snow only lasted one day and afterward, the sun finally came out to melt it away. Nevertheless, the wintry chill remained lingering in the air.

Rome
Rome
 

This time I was invited to Rome by Relais Rione Ponte, a boutique hotel which partnered with Emmeotto Gallery to present the exhibition “Contemporary Experience”, a project designed to expose guests of the boutique hotel to stunning pieces of contemporary art.

Rome

The elegant location and refined rooms of Relais Rione Ponte on the second floor of a seventeenth century building were the ideal spot to showcase works of art by Italian and international artists in a sophisticated atmosphere. Click here for more.

Apart from the Siberian cold, that we obviously disliked, everything else was delightful.

Rome

Rome
Rome
 

Rome

During our three days stay, here are the restaurants and cafes we visited and loved: Ditirambo, Trattoria Lilli, Pizzeria Emma, Brassai Roma and Angelina’s cafe. If you find yourself in Rome, I strongly suggest you pop in for a visit; indeed, just the thought of spaghetti alla carbonara makes my mouth water.

Rome
Rome
 

Rome

Rome
Rome
 

Rome

Rome
Rome
 

Rome

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If you make a booking with BOOKING.COM with my link or a purchase on AMAZON.COM with my link, I earn a small commission at NO additional cost to you.

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Thank you from the bottom of my heart for using my affiliate links! Helps a lot!

Rome

And then, it was time to depart the Eternal City, to fly across the Atlantic ocean to the City that Never Sleeps — New York — followed by another trip to Berlin for the ITB and Hamburg with Pandora, the famed jewelry brand. Hopping from one international flight to the next, soaring over oceans and across continents, and checking in and out of hotels was all quite thrilling to say the least.You can say that March was quite adventurous— and my latest Instagram posts should be proof of that!

Rome

Rome hotel recommendation: Relais Rione Ponte

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*Disclaimer: My stay at Relais Rione Ponte was hosted. However, all words, comments and thoughts in this post are my own. This blog post contains affiliate links.  I get a commission if you make a purchase through the links which comes at no cost to you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for using my links.

Hôtel Le Strato Courchevel

Hôtel Le Strato Courchevel

Although I am not a huge ski fan, I wouldn’t turn down an invitation to visit the 5 star Hôtel Le Strato in Courchevel 1850. Because deep inside, I knew that this would be a dreamlike winter getaway, and that I would need a break from the busy city life. After all, Courchevel is not only for ski lovers…

Hôtel Le Strato Courchevel

With that in mind, I hopped on a train that December morning, from Paris en route to Gare de Chambéry. From my very first day at Hôtel Le Strato Courchevel, I could recall the warm welcome by the reception. It started with a welcome snack, which was very much needed after a 3 hour train ride. I was also given a tour of the hotel that helped me orientate myself with the premises and felt excited for what was about to happen in the next days.

Hôtel Le Strato Courchevel

On the first day, we visited the village and took photos in front of a huge Christmas tree, then we returned to the hotel to enjoy the heated indoor pool, followed by dinner. The next day, we ventured out to the mountains.

Hôtel Le Strato Courchevel
Hôtel Le Strato Courchevel
 

SUPPORT MY WORK!

If you enjoy my content and you’d like to support this channel, so that I will be able to continue offering you that kind of content for free, please consider using the below AFFILIATE LINKS (Booking & Amazon).

If you make a booking with BOOKING.COM with my link or a purchase on AMAZON.COM with my link, I earn a small commission at NO additional cost to you.

Click here for Booking.com

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Thank you from the bottom of my heart for using my affiliate links! Helps a lot!

Hôtel Le Strato Courchevel

Hôtel Le Strato Courchevel
Hôtel Le Strato Courchevel
 

Here are a few of my favourite moments and things

Hôtel Le Strato Courchevel

If only life could always be like this…unfortunately after 3 nights of staying at Hôtel Le Strato Courchevel 1850, I had to say goodbye and get back to my busy city life again.

Hôtel Le Strato Courchevel

Hôtel Le Strato Courchevel

I hope you enjoyed these photos and inspired you to visit this charming property at the foot of the slopes in Courchevel 1850.

Hôtel Le Strato Courchevel

All photos taken by me

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Disclaimer: The Viennese Girl visited Courchevel 1850 in partnership with Atout France and IF Communication.This post may also contain affiliate links. I get a commission if you make a purchase through the links which comes at no cost to you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for using my links.

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