wanderlust Archives - THE VIENNESE GIRL

Posts Tagged ‘wanderlust’

Folegandros

During this past winter, I asked some of my friends whether they’ve been to Folegandros or not. And the answer I got from most of them was a no. Neither have I. My immediate thought was, “we should change this”.

This was how a carefully planned trip to Folegandros got started. From a simple question.

One reason why I think none of my friends have visited Folegandros yet is because of Santorini, Greece’s most popular island. Santorini is very close to Folegandros, and if people have to choose between those two, people mostly choose to go to Santorini. I personally didn’t mind going to a less popular island. I was actually intrigued by the idea of exploring Folegandros and 100% sure that I would love it from the very first moment we touched ground. And I did.

Folegandros Greece photography

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The Viennese Girl travel blog photography lifestyle Travel guide to Folegandros Greek island

Folegandros

I can still recall in my mind the moment we arrived at the port Karavostasi. We were super exhausted even though the trip on the fast ferry lasted only 4 hours and a half. We were exhausted because we had an early morning wake up call, as the ferry’s departure was set at 7am. But once we arrived, the magic power of the white washed houses in combination with Folegandros’s natural beauty had made our fatigue fade away and turn it into a state of excitement and euphoria.

We spent one week in Folegandros, ignoring what people had told us that one week would be too much. My answer to them is: “one week is enough to see the island, but if you want to really enjoy it, then you need to stay longer”.

Folegandros

If time and money were not an issue, then I would suggest: stay, relax, enjoy.

Folegandros

Three things I noticed during my stay in Folegandros:

June is a wonderful month to visit Folegandros. The island is not jammed, which makes your stay on the island very enjoyable.
The island offers high quality accomodations to the most discerning travelers. It has a great variety of amazing boutique hotels.
Also, the little fashion stores host incredible pieces made by Greek fashion designers. I fell madly in love with the Kori collection.

Folegandros

Here is a list of some cafes/tavernas that we visited, in other words, a few things you shouldn’t miss:

Try the traditional dish “matsáta”, which is handmade noodles with rooster or rabbit

Mama’s Pita, Souvlaki House in Chora. We paid a daily visit here!

Chrisospylia restaurant for shrimp spaghetti in Chora

Breakfast/brunch at Pounda in Chora / Traditional cafe “Lontzia”

Eva’s garden restaurant / Pancakes at Parasagas

I want to remember this small rocky and longish island as a place I want to return to. Hopefully it won’t be long before I return.

Folegandros

Hotel: Folegandros Apartments

Rent a car: Evo rent a car

Outfit: 2 the little store

The Viennese Girl visited Folegandros island in partnership with the Greek Tourism board.

Special thanks to Mrs. Christiana Papitsi, Mrs. Efthalia Papadopoulou and Mr. Konstantinos Magkas.

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August 25, 2018 by silia | 0 comment

Finland

Finland, Travel

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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.

May 21, 2018 by silia | 0 comment

Rome

Italy, Travel

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.

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

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

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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.

April 16, 2018 by silia | 0 comment

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