When Amsterdam freezes
Walking on Amsterdam’s frozen canals gives you the same adrenaline of jumping from a helicopter with a parachute on your shoulders.
As I put my foot on the ice I heard a crackling sound. A small crack was forming under my feet.
My heartbeat increased as I started to panic. I quickly walked my way back to the safe ground making sure to walk as softly as possible despite the heavy Dr. Martens at my feet.
After a quick and clumsy walk, I was finally back on solid land. Why did I even consider doing such a stupid thing?!
When Amsterdam turns white
I…
Exploring Greek nature
Today, my partner and I decided to spend some extra time outside the busy Athens. Our last visit to the Temple of Poseidon made us realise how much we miss nature. We want to explore the Greek wilderness. Lake Vouliagmeni seems the perfect option and this is where we are going today.
Reaching the lake
Lake Vouliagmeni is a beautiful natural reserve that can be reached in about an hour of public transport from Athens.
We decide to reach this destination attracted by its thermal water and by the small fish that inhabit this place.
After about one hour of public transport, we…
Sleep deprivation, fighting housemates and a good dose of anxiety
There are two types of cities: the ones in which you arrive, you find a nice apartment and you settle for a while and the ones in which you spend weeks trying to find a room for a decent price… to then despair because there’s none left.
I happen to live in the second. Despite the pandemic drastically hitting the housing market, finding a decent room in Amsterdam is still a challenge.
Changing apartment… again
At the beginning of the pandemic I had to leave my spacious shared house in the middle of Irish nature and move to Amsterdam. This is when the…
6 books you need to read to your children
Books populate some of my first memories. When I was young, my brother and I used to spend the last hours of our days in my parents’ bed, while my mum read us a book. I remember the fights over which book to start next, the struggle to stay awake and the vivid interest for all the stories our mum used to read us. My favourite days were characterised by a visit to our local book store. …
The time our things were washed away by a mysterious anomalous wave in Tropea
When travelling was still possible, in the distant 2019, one ordinary day, my partner and I woke up with a weird feeling. We both knew that feeling very well, it was the way our body used to tell us that it was time to leave for a zingarata.
Zingarata is an Italian term that refers to the need to leave for an adventure, not knowing where to go or to sleep. Simply driving your car to a new destination.
This is how we ended up in the beautiful city of Tropea, in the south of Italy. Tropea is one of…
3 incredible inventions from the XV century
Leonardo da Vinci is mostly known abroad for his paintings, such as the Monna Lisa, the Last Supper and the Lady with an Ermine. Only a few know that da Vinci was not only an incredible painter but also a talented inventor.
Born in the middle of the XVth century, da Vinci was able to design objects that are nowadays considered precursors of modern vehicles, such as cars and helicopters.
Despite being perfectly functional based on da Vinci’s sketches, most of these inventions were never built and tested during their author’s life. …
The complete guide on how to travel smartphone-free
Smartphones have become such an essential part of us that we barely remember how life was before them.
I bought my first smartphone in the summer of 2019 at the age of 22. It has been a year and a half since I started to use it and my life has completely changed. Like everybody else, I now check my phone multiple times a day and whenever I have a doubt or question, I immediately ask Mr. Google.
However, I still remember how my life was without a smartphone and sometimes I miss it. …
The books that inspired my travels
I love travelling, discovering new places and cultures. Travelling has always been my favourite hobby, however, it’s an expensive one, especially for a teenage girl without a job.
As a young student, I would read books which would bring me, just like a plane, to unknown lands to discover new traditions and cultures.
My teenage years are now an old memory and I can finally travel the world. However, last year Covid-19 put an end to my wandering days. Not knowing how to satisfy my thirst for travel I decided to immerse myself in books once again.
These are the…
A day-trip outside of Athens
It’s our third day in Athens and my partner and I are starting to feel the urge to explore the rest of Greece. Our destination for today is the Temple of Poseidon.
The Temple of Poseidon is a wonderfully maintained site overlooking the Aegean sea from the top of Cape Sounion, a promontory situated in the South of the Attic peninsula. It’s the perfect place to take a break from the overcrowded Athens and immerse yourself in Greek nature.
But before leaving Athens, we decide to spend an hour of our time visiting another temple, the Temple of Olympian Zeus.
The Temple of Olympian Zeus
…
Travel and Italy
12 rules you need to follow when eating in Italy
When Italians move abroad, the most difficult challenge they have to face is neither leaving behind their beloved mum nor the warm weather. The biggest challenge for all of us, no one excluded, is food!
My first shock happened when I was served pasta as a side dish, next to my second course. Was I supposed to eat my second course first or the spaghetti? Or even worse, was I supposed to eat them… together???
The problem is that growing up in Italy, you internalize a whole set of rules that must be followed at the dining table. As everybody…
Cristina Miceli
A 23 year old freelancer trying to figure out what to do in her life. Spoiler alert: the answer is traveling.
