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On the Atlantic coast of Ireland, hit by strong gusts of wind and with a blue sky, when of course there is the sun, there is the city of Galway. 
Every time I have opportunities, I like to discover new places in the country that has hosted me for a couple of years now. Galway was one of the first stops I made in the tour of Ireland, and I must say that I was very impressed with it in a very positive way. 

I went to Galway a couple of times; the first time was an August Bank Holiday while the second time was for Christmas markets. The experience was very different both times because I found three days of full sun that is not too hot but warmed up to the right point to enjoy the day in August. While at Christmas we say it was not one of the best weekends; heavy rains and a lot of wind accompanied almost every day (the wind was so strong that waiting at the traffic light even moved me one step further). ​

Galway, in my opinion, is very different from other Irish cities that I visited and I loved it for that. The town is formed by the main road that then branches off to the left and right with other more or less large streets until you get to the most medieval part of the city. A  beautiful avenue of cobblestones with crafts shops, art, restaurants and street artists that make it very picturesque and beautiful.

Galway is also famous for the many events and festivals they organize throughout the year; the first time I visited the city, its streets were full of food trucks that prepared different types of food and artisans who sell their creations. ​

Galway is the third big city in Ireland and with its, anonymous bay is, in my opinion, the most beautiful city that I visited in Ireland, for now. Getting to Galway, from Dublin, is very simple; the car is the first solution, but where you can not use it, the train from Heuston Station or the bus are an excellent solution as they take you in about 2 h 40 minutes to the city centre.

The city itself does not offer many activities to do, and if like me you are not a fan of museums there is not much to visit, but I think it is the streets, the very friendly people and the atmosphere that make Galway a destination not to be missed for a tour in Ireland. It’s especially during the evening when the streets fill up that Galway gives the best of himself. I was impressed as in the streets of the city there were so many street games. I remember one, in particular, there was a man with a bicycle, and you just had to pedal, I thought, piece of cake but no, no one could do a simple pedalling because they could not hold the bike straight.

During the three days on the Atlantic coast, I also decided to make some stops in other places to visit. The first stop was in Kinvara. Kinvara is a small village reachable in about 1 hour by bus from Galway; the town is small with a couple of pubs, a couple of restaurants, a beautiful harbour, a castle open to visitors and sheep. After visiting the castle and taking pictures with the sheep, the best thing was an aperitif looking at the port and the bay with many boats and nature all around.

Another stop were the Mini Cliff. 

Last and best stop of all: the Cliff of Moher. I was particularly lucky, I visited the Cliff on a Sunday of sun and 20 degrees, and it is thanks to these weather conditions that the day at the Cliff was beautiful. The Cliff of Moher is a spectacle of nature; these expanses of cliffs plunging into the sea are covered by the emerald green of the Irish grass. You can take a pleasant 8 km walk along the Cliff, observing the nature overlooking the ocean. 

You can get to the Cliffs by car, with organized tours or like me with a bus that takes you directly to the parking lot of the Cliff of Moher. The only precaution to take if you want to go by bus is not to take the last bus of the day because you risk being stranded without a way to return. For the rest, enjoy every moment because they are the most famous cliffs for a reason; they are spectacular. 

Personally, I do not recommend visiting the Atlantic coast with an organized tour that departs from Dublin. When my parents came to visit me in Ireland I took them to the cliff and we used an organized tour. The one we used wasn’t organized at all well. They had planned too many attractions to show and so the time spent on each place was little, too little to enjoy the landscape at best. Also, to keep the schedule set, the bus driver was very anxious and threatened to leave you on foot even for a minute late. After a while, all passengers began to arrive at least five minutes early at the bus so that the time to visit the coast has become even less.

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OMG so beautiful Marrakech! Didn’t you read my post about this beautiful city? Check it out here Marrakech in the meantime I go on telling you about the incredible tours of Morocco that I did.

I decided to arrange my tour days with a local agency. I thought to rent a car and go on my own but honestly drive in Morocco is crazy not for the streets because they are good but for the number of people, cars, buses, donkeys and horses and everyone moves so fast, it is mental. At least, I am delighted with this decision because the tours have been unique, I saw a lot of exciting things, and the guy that brought me around was excellent, always ready to answer my questions and pleased and proud to show me his land.

During the ride to Essaouira: It takes almost 3 hours to reach Essaouira from Marrakech, but there are also some stops-over to do. The first is absolutely an Argan Oil Cooperative (they are different from the Cooperative in the Atlas Mountains) where you can see the ladies of the Cooperative while producing Argan Oil cream, shampoo and even peanut butter. For the second stop, you have to be lucky because not every day you can see the goats climbing the Argan trees and try to reach the fruit to eat them.

Essaouira was one of the three days trips from Marrakech, I heard and read a lot about this blue city, and I have to say that it is fantastic. The town is authentic and traditional inside the wall of the Medina and more touristic outside, thanks to the enormous beach and the cold and blue ocean. With my tour included a local guide, the guide is not necessary to visit the city, but essential if you want to learn something particular about this place, something that only local people can know. My visit began from the port with the typical blue little boats, that day it was full of people selling the catch of the day, very chaotic but everything was peaceful looking at a fantastic view of the ocean and three islands. The most famous is the island of Mogador because it is a natural reserve with many species of protected animals; indeed, it is not possible to access undisturbed the environment.

After the harbour, we moved into the Medina, just entered the Medina, in small streets we found the fish market, the fantastic textile shops, the spices… and evly one door open. It was a shop where this older man creates the typical musical instrument the Gnaoua. He showed me how he builds them, and then he started to play it, and the sound was so lovely that it is still in my head. After a proper fish lunch, I decide to spend the rest of the day at the beach. It was very windy, so I stayed at the bar in front of the ocean to just chill out and watch the people enjoying the wind and the cold ocean water. As you can imagine, Essaouria beach is home to windsurfing and surfing, but not only there is also the possibility to ride a horse at the beach, or dromedary and even a quad. It is a nice place even to do a relaxing vacation at the beach. . Thanks to my guide, we arrived in this small street with on.  ​

Another day trip has been Ait Ben Haddou and Ouarzazate. It is a little crazy going for just one day, they are far away, almost 4 hours from Marrakech but all the trip from the beginning to the end worth every single mile. The Grand part of the street is up and down to the High Altlas Mountain until we reached the highest point of the mountains, then we started to go through the crucial valleys, like the almond valley or the prickly pear region. These valleys are stunning all these green and big trees between red mountains without any kind of shrub, it was surprising. 

The first stage has been Ouarzazate. Ouarzazate called the door of the Sahara desert because it is only a few hours from the desert. The city is famous for the Taourirt kasbah, but also the cinema; indeed in this city, a lot of movies were shot like the Mummies or Gladiator and many others. Why a lot of filmmakers decided to recorded at Ouarzazate? Well, especially for two main reasons: first it is a very cheap city even to make a film and second the environment, this place has everything for every kind of movie, like mountains, rivers, valleys and the desert. ​

The second leg of this trip brought me to Ait Ben Hoddou. This place is important for the huge and well-kept kasbah. The kasbah was important because it was in the middle of the only commercial street from the north to the south and it was used principally for collected taxes from passing caravans full of salt and dates. The kasbah was built at the top of the mountain and surrounded by giant walls. You can walk around the kasbah up and down the hill and if you kindly ask and paying something you can also visit the inside of the kasbah at seeing how they look like. 
I liked this trip especially at Ait Ben Haddou, the small village was nice and the kasbah so particular and interesting, but the best part for me has been the ride with a dromedary all around the kasbah with a hilarious guy that took almost 50 pictures of me from every angle.

During the ride back to Marrakech: As I already told you I was so damn lucky with my guide that during the way back to my Riad he proposed me an extra stop and since I love discovery I accepted it. I went to a Berber village in the High Atlas Mountain called Telouet. Fortunately, I said yes to the extra stop because there is not only a wonderful kasbah but the history behind is even better. The kasbah belonged to El Glaoudi a wealthy pasha family that conditioned the history of Morocco; they became famous when they saved the sultan life from a blizzard, they gave him food and a safe place for many days until the snow was gone. The Sultan decided to thanks El Glaoudu for the hospitality. He gave him the command of the High Atlas tribe, some arms, a lease, and in few times they expanded their borders significantly in the south of Morocco. During the years all the family became more and more important and influential principally the son Thami El Ghaoudi, he had a power greater than the Sultan himself, that, according to the conventions of the protectorate, was deprived of all his ministers. In 30-40 years the pasha was at the top of his glory, he was known all around Europe and started to manipulate the principal market to permitted his luxurious and full life; he died in 1956 after he tried a coup against the king that wanted the Independence form France. The kasbah belonged to this pasha, and the interiors are lovely, colourful and particular. Worth seeing it. 

My last day trip and also my last full day in Morocco was at the Ouzoud waterfall. Even on my final trip, I went with a tour, and I had a guide, I was fortunate with the tour and guide because even here I did a non-tourist walk around the mountains before arriving at the waterfall. I walked around a single mountain from the top to the base, crossed a river and then reached near a small waterfall, and after a few more steps, I arrived at the great waterfall. The walk was fascinating; my guide explained to me a lot about the villages and the people around these mountains. I remember particularly well about the "Mexican village". It is called Mexican because it is all day in the sun, and the citizens use big caps to cover themself. My guide explained to me also that the village was significant for the minaret school and a lot of young men travelled here from all over Africa to learn the jobs.
While I was walking around the mountains, between the olives trees, he also explained to me how important is this cultivation for the people, every winter all the people of the village start to collect the olive in a way very organized. Indeed every family has their own space that has to manage, usually, the man shakes the tree with a stick, and the women gather fruit from the ground, and after that, they can move into another, but always in an orderly fashion; more than one village, this one, in the Atlas Mountains, is a cooperative where everyone has a job to do for the good of the community.

The environment along all the walking was fantastic to take your breath away. Big and green trees, small olive trees, Carrubba trees, the sound of the water falling from the top of the mountains, the blue water of the waterfall and the jangle of wild monkeys have made all the ride very lovely and absorbed in nature. What to do in Ouzoud?? Chill out listening to the sound of nature (so don't go where there are all the people), take a bath, if you have the opportunity, take pictures from every single different view and must to do, search for the wild monkey. ​

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My adventure to discover other places in my region Veneto led me to the Sigurtà Park.
I’ve always seen a lot of advertisement about Sigurta Park, but, you know, when something is near us, you never really have the trouble to go and visit it because, at least in my case, I think it will always be there ready for when I want. Anyway, let’s say that thanks to the lockdown and the fact that I could only travel in my region (Veneto) I decided to finally visit this fantastic park.

The park is between two regions, Lombardia and Veneto precisely in the municipality of Valleggio Sul Mincio; around 30km from Verona and 25km from Mantova.

The history of the park dates back to 1407 when the owner was the Contarini family. The park, at that time, was a farm with crops, animals there were also houses for farmers, a Domus for the family and a secret garden for the family to relax. Over the years the property has changed a lot of owners and everyone has made changes to the park. The most significant change was the use of water from the Mincio River to irrigate the fields and the park that each year became larger. Around 1902 the park suffered a bad degradation due to internal disputes of the family owner. In 1941 the park was sold to the Sigurtà family. Thus began a great work of redevelopment of the park; thanks to the irrigation of the Mincio (the previous owner forgot this right)  the hills returned green, the flowers began to bloom and the buildings, now ruined, were renewed and brought to their own glory. The original park of 22 hectares has become 60 hectares like what we see today.

The actual owner of the Sigurtà park is still the Sigurtà family and it became one of the most beautiful parks of Italy and Europe winning many awards. The park each year host many visitors from all over the globe and it is a perfect stop for a relaxing day inside this beautiful and majestic park.

Finally, in June 2021 I decided to drive over to Valleggio Sul Mincio and visiting the beautiful park. Since the park is very big there are many ways to visit it. 

You can: 

• Rent a bike. An itinerary of 10km surrounded by green trees and colourful flowers.
• Rent a golf car. 
  
• Taking a little train that will bring you around the park also explaining some interesting points on the way.
  
• Walking up and down the hills and the streets of the park.
  

Personally, I like to walk so I decided on the last option but be prepared because if you want to see every corner of the park is a really long walk. I arrived at the park around 11:30 and spent the whole day inside snooping, sniffing flowers and taking pictures. As soon as you enter the park you are immersed in the colours and scents and it seems to be in another place. With the ticket, you will also have a map of the park where the places "not to be missed", "historical places" and places for children are emphasized.

• ​The labyrinth. The labyrinth was inaugurated in 2011; it is a geometric structure of plants with a tower in the centre that you can reach solving it without getting lost in the streets. Once you reach the tower you have a wonderful view not only of the labyrinth but also of the many trees and flowers of the park.

• The avenue of roses. Beautiful street with roses on both sides of it perfect for some photos accompanied by a breathtaking scent.

• The didactic farm. It’s time for lunch and what’s better than a quick sandwich at the farm with typical local animals such as hens, goats and donkeys. I ate my sandwich in a barn, obviously no longer in use.

• The panoramic road. Do not miss the beautiful walk with breathtaking views of the river Mincio.

• Water gardens and ponds for turtles. Beautiful water gardens with water games made from fountains in the middle of the pools and water lilies with colourful flowers. Not too far from the water gardens, there is a pond with lots of turtles swimming free.

• Historical places. Around the park, we can also find some historical places such as the "Eramo", the "Castelletto" and the stone of youth.

• In 2020 the park won the prize for “ The Best Attraction 2020”.

• The World Tulip Society awarded the park Sigurtà with the World Tulip Award in 2019. Prize for the best tulip blooms and for those who excel in promoting this flowering.
  

• Around 410 thousand visitors every year. ​

• More than 27 different flowers blooms. 

• During the year the park host many events with different themes. If you would like to check out more about the event follow the link https://www.sigurta.it/tutti-gli-eventi 

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The answer to " Is Marrakech worth visiting? " is an absolute yes! 

​I decided to go to Marrakech in July, I know it is not the best period for the very high temperature, but I needed sun and a good summer with high degrees; my bones were cold living in Dublin. I had an amazing seven days in the magnificent city of Marrakech; I chose to stay in the same Riad for all the week, and I did some days trip around Marrakech.
​
In the end, I visited: Marrakech, Essaouira, Ait Ben Haddou, Ouarzazate and Ouzoud Waterfalls

Something to see is the Jardin Majorelle. It is a botanic garden and a place of arts. It was built for a French artist, Majorelle, in 1923 and bought in 1980 from the famous style artist Yves Saint-Laurent and Pierre Berge. They worked to restore the garden, and the result is fantastic, walking throw seems to enter in a sort of paradise; across particularly plants from all over the world, lakes with big fish and blue building in Oriental style that gives to all the garden a nice colourful atmosphere. Some water-retaining plants are shocking for how big they are.

The only royal palace that can be visited is El Bahia Palace; it was built in the 1860s for wants of Si Mussa grand vizier of Morocco, and It is one of the best palaces for architecture in Marrakech. Bou Ahmed, another Grand Vizier, lived in here with his four wife and 24 concubines. After his death, the court became an official residence for the general of France after the protectorate. El Bahia Palace is in the old Jewish quarter in the southern part of the Medina, we can say that it was a vast Riad, indeed after the first step inside seems to be in another city without all the chaos of the souk; the inside of the palace is in Arabic style with colourful tile, luxury courtyard with fountain and a fantastic garden with orange trees, banana trees and jasmine trees. Some rooms are really nice and still in beautiful conditions like the apartment of the first wife. Unfortunately, they are not so many because when Bou Ahmed died his wife, the concubines and even the staff stole everything from the palace, furniture and interiors ornament... Today Bahia is part of the Royal Palace, and some of the rooms are still used from King Mohammed VI especially for guests, and only a small amount of them can be seen from tourist; a small part but lovely that must be seen.

Close to the Kasbah mosque, we can find the Saadian tombs. They are around 160 tombs and two main mausoleums all in the same unique Oriental style, with colourful tiles, white walls and wood roof. The Saadian arrived in Morocco around the 16th century and chosen Marrakesh as their capital when the dynasty collapsed the tombs were bricked up but not destroyed, and they were rediscovered only in 1917 after a France air parade lap. Now we can admire the amazing Carrara's marble and cedarwood decorated with minimum details. You are not going to spend a lot of time here, but it is a must for the beauty of the place with all the gorgeous decoration. ​

Another must-see in Marrakesh is absolutely the Badi Palace, today you will see only the ruins of the palace, but with some imagination and the complete photos and description, you will see the great court that was in the past. The palace was built, by the Saadian sultan, in the 16th-century; it took 25 years to finish its construction and some years later arrived sultan Moulay that destroyed the palace and stole the material to build his palace. At the beginning of the visit, you will see some remains of the guests' rooms with the always unique coloured tile floor. After some areas, you will arrive in a massive courtyard with a big fountain in the middle, pools at the corners and all around orange and olives trees. I found it a suggestive place because when you walk into the door, you change entirely landscape, many ruins but also beautiful trees with lemons and orange that gives a lot of colour and the best thing, herons. A lot of white herons with big nests in the walls of the palace or at the tops of the tower, it was a spectacular show.  

I arrived in the Jewish cemetery by chance, I was walking through the souk, and at some point, I checked the maps, and I realized that I was in the Jewish neighbourhood and after few steps, I found the cemetery. The cemetery is the largest in Morocco, and an Arabic family guards it; all the area is close to the Royal Palace so that Jewish could benefit from the royal protection. Indeed, King Mohammed VI is still dedicated to protecting Jewish heritage. After the first step inside the gate, you will find an expanse of white decorated and simple tombs all close together. ​

The heart of Marrakesh is, without a doubt, Jemaa El Fna; it is a vast square where all the people from other parts of Morocco, in the past, used to meet to sell spices, slave and all their products. The first time I arrived in the square was during the daylight. I was a little bit disappointed because I always saw amazing photos of Jemaa El Fna full of people and very lively. Instead, I found juicy vendors, water vendors with a fantastic costume (they wear a red outfit with small bells and a red hat as well), women doing henna tattoos and also some dentists that sells teeth on a table. I realized that it is in the night that the square became crazy. When the sun goes down a lot of people arrived at the square with their little vans, and in a couple of minutes they started to cook delicious food, and all Jemaa El Fna started to smell of meat, fish and other delicious typical food. I ate here only one time because, yes it is strange and different and it is something to do for the delicious food and in particular for the atmosphere. In my opinion, they take benefit from the position in the square to increase the price, especially for the tourist but, of course, it deserves a try at least one time. All around the square, there are a lot of restaurants and a Caffe with a terrace where you can enjoy the sunset and the view of Jemaa El Fna and all the people that crowd it with a mint tea. 

Well, I can say that it is not a visit to Marrakech if you don't walk around the souk at least more than one time. The souks are something indescribable, a real labyrinth of streets in the oldest part of the Medina and each route is full of shops and peddlers. You can find unique colourful shops selling typical shoes or dresses or also leather bags, ceramics, of course, spices and a lot of other sensational items. I liked walking among the souk, some stores are beautiful, and some things are wonderfully decorated. You have to prepare yourself because everyone will try to sell you everything from his shop and after a while can be annoying.

A fantastic tour that I did, in the city of Marrakech was the Food Tour. I was a little bit sceptical about this because I booked the tour with a big company that operates all the world and I thought that wasn't good, but I found an exceptional and very prepared guide that not only spoke about food but also explained other exciting things during the tour. The tour started in the main square Jemaa El Fnaa, and we moved around the city; first of all, we went to see a shared bread oven where people are used to bringing the bread dough in the evening and come back in the morning to take the bread now cooked. Then we moved, and I ate the best things I tried in this holiday: Moroccan doughnut and a kind of crepes with onions and peppers inside, it was my first time consuming these specialities because the place where we were is frequented mainly by locals, but the taste was subline and a shocking discovery. After the sublime "starter" we moved for the main course in a small and friendly restaurant, we were on a terrace with Jenna El Fnaa view I ate a succulent and delicious Tajine of meat simmered for 5,6 hours. The tour takes three hours. We not only spoke and discovered food but also some curiosity about the city life and finished in the principal square drinking a decoction based on roots of galanga, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, star anise, black pepper: a digestive after dinner with also aphrodisiac powers.

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I decided that, until I am living in Dublin I want to visit most of the cities close to it and Edinburgh is one of this. When I booked my flight for Edinburgh I was delighted, I don't know for which reason, but Scotland always fascinated me. Unfortunately, two weeks before the departure I received some bad news, I was sad, and I didn't want to go. I was almost there to cancel everything and spend a tragic weekend at home; fortunately, my friend told me, screw everything, we are going to Edinburgh! I am so happy now to have been in this city because it is not only amazing, but I also spent a fantastic fun weekend.

In my opinion, Edinburgh is the most beautiful city I saw in the UK and for the first time, even if it was raining (weird), I enjoyed it. We arrived in the town on a very early flight on Saturday morning, not the best decision because at 8.30 am we were already in the city centre, and everything was still closed. After a long breakfast, we started to walk around the city. We hadn't any plan ready; we just wanted to enjoy the city, have a relaxing weekend and of course some funny days. I recommend visiting Edinburgh at the end of August (like I did it) because there are a lot of beautiful and interesting events.

I fell in love with Edinburgh; after a while, the sun appeared, and the city took a fantastic light,  it became even more beautiful with illuminated dark Victorian palaces, bright green grass and drops of water everywhere brighten by the sun, a lovely spectacle.

Edinburgh is composed of the Old City at the top of a hill and all around the New City. Both of them are, from 1995, part of the UNESCO world heritage. In my opinion, the Old Town is the best part of Scotland capital. It is in Medieval style, and it seems to still to walk in an ancient city with big, high palaces of bricks, a labyrinth of cobblestone streets, small and characteristic shops, charming and particular cafes and, of course, many pubs. Around 1700 the population started to grow up a lot, and there wasn't space for everyone so, in 1766 was decided to build a New City to host all the new population. The New Town is in the Georgian style and the Old City more in Victorian style. They are linked from the principal street Royal Mile Street that exactly connect the Edinburgh Castell to The Holyrood Palace; it is called Royal Mile because there is precisely one mile between the two crucial building.

At the top of the hill, at the end of the Royal Mile in the Old Town, we can find the Edinburgh Castle; it is situated in a strategic point and guards the whole city against above. I didn't visit the inside of the Castle, there were too many people, the queue was huge, and I didn't want to waste too much time; I decided to skip it but for my next time in Edinburgh will be perfect.  The Castle is one of the oldest fortified places in Europe, and it has a very long and turbulent story behind it due to conquests by the British and after a short time regained by the Scots. During the Steward dynasty, the Castle became the royal house until they decided to move in another residency and the fortress remained unused for 40 years. When was decided to re-open the Castle, it became a military fortress until 1829. When it was open to the public and became the most crucial attraction of the city. If you plan to visit it, well let me know how it is!

We were walking in the city between the streets and pubs when we arrived at the Greyfriars Cemetery. I am not a fan of visiting cemeteries, but I immediately saw some tour guide dressed up as Harry Potter, and I thought that I needed to see what happened. We passed the gate, and we immersed ourselves in a gothic and mysterious air framed by green grass and a lot of tombs of famous Scottish people and prominent families of Scotland. I honestly have to say that some of these tombs were very creepy; some of them were almost abandoned with climbing grass and skulls. As you probably know Harry Potter author, J.K. Rowling is originally from Edinburgh, and it seems that in this cemetery she took inspiration for some characters names. After a while of searching, I found the tomb of Thomas Riddle, in the book Tom Riddle and also the famous poet William McGonagall that inspired the surname for the  Minerva McGonagall. In that period, I was obsessed with Harry Potter because I started to read the book in English, this time, and it was very nice found pieces that connected you to the book.

My curiosity brought me to the Britannia the Royal Yacht. The Yacht was the British Royal Family's house for over 40 years, it was launched in 1953 and brought the Royal Family and the many staff to over 135 countries, in 1997, after the last trip the Yacht has been anchored to the port and now tourists can visit it. The tour starts at the Visitor Centre where you can see pictures of the family in the boat, staff's uniforms and also the photos of the captains who led the Britannia. Before visiting the Yacht, you will receive an audio guide that explains every single step during the visit, from the Queen's apartment to the Engine Room passing through the quarters of commanders and simple sailors. The best part in my opinion, as a travel lover, has been the dining room used for special occasions, because there were a lot of relics that had been given to the Queen or King by other countries and tribes.

My first stop, to enjoy the city from a strategic position, was at Calton Hill. The hill is located in the New Town and to reach it there are some steps to climb, but when you get to the top, the panorama will make you forget the steps. On one side the old town with all the Victoria palace, the Scottish parliament and on the other hand the city of Leith. Calton Hill is not only a panoramic point, but in here you can also find The Observatory, the Nelson Monument and the National Monument of Scotland that seems like an Athens Pantheon and it is a tribute to Scots in the Napoleonic Wars. As I'm not too fond of museums so, for me, the best thing to do here is to take pictures of every single corner of the city because from up here, the view is impressive.

Always in the Old Town behind the Castle, we found Grassmarket an amazingly lively and colourful area with pubs, restaurants and that day there was also a lovely market of jewellery and food. Close to Grassmarket, there is the most beautiful historical street, Victoria street. It is a nice street with a  line of colourful palaces with small windows. I did dozens of pictures, of course. I recommend this area for a beer break during your trip and why not for dinner. ​

• In medieval to avoid people playing smart or stealing a Tron (the meaning is balance) was installed. It was used to weigh salt and if people cheated they were hung from the scales with their ears and when the levels were moving…well, imagine what was happening!

• In the Old Town, there is a pub called "The end of the world" because, in the past, the population thought that after the pub there was nothing else; the end of the world indeed.

• It seems that Victoria Street has been the inspiration for Diagon Alley in Harry Potter.

If you would like to book travel insurance for your trip to Edinburgh, I recommend checking out Travel Insurance Master!

Looking for activities and tours in Edinburgh? I suggest you check out Get Your Guide. To find out more follow the link below and be inspired :)

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I went several times in Rome when I was child, with the school and other association I was in but I didn't remember a lot of it, for this reason, I decided to come back for a couple of days to visit Italy's capital. ​

Rome is one of the best city in Italy, in my opinion. It is chaotic, big, noisy, crowded, majestic, lively, ancient and beautiful. Rome has a long and prestigious history, I studied a lot in school and still see standing many things that books told is fantastic.

Historical sources attest that Rome was founded in the 8th century B.C. by Romulus. According to the legend, along the Tiber's banks there was the city of Alba ruled by Amulius who had deposed his brother Numitore. The daughter of the latter fell in love with the god of war Martha and from him had two sons, Romulus and Remus. Amulius, fearing that his throne was stolen, ordered the twins to be killed, but the soldiers abandoned them along the banks of the Tiber. A she-wolf attracted by the crying of the two children fed them until they were adopted by a copy of shepherd who found them. When they became great, they killed their uncle Amulius and restored the throne to their grandfather Numitore and founded a new city in the Palatine Hill, in fact, Rome. Romulus eventually killed Remus and became the first of the seven kings of Rome.  ​

Roman Colosseum. Called also Amphitheatre Flavia in the full city centre there is the Colosseo. Work began around 72 B.C. at the behest of the Flavian dynasty. It was then called the Coliseum because nearby there was an immense statue of Nero 35 meters high that is a colossus. Il Colosseo was used for games between gladiators and animals, shows and exhibitions. When these games were prohibited, the Amphitheatre was abandoned and used as a storehouse. Today, we can see only 1/3 of the Colosseo because the marble of the façade and some internal parts were used to build other building like the St. Pietro' Basilica. I always found the Colosseo incredible because not only it is full of history and shows how in ancient Rome, they liked to have fun but also because it is enormous and still standing, amazing.

Near the Colosseo, we can also find the Fori Imperiali. In this part of the city, there was the centre of the politic activity of the city. The many ruins make thinks that there were Temples, squares, Basilica and market. The Fori where destroyed and brought to light between 1924 – 1932. This is one of the places that I remember from when I was a child because they have a particular: cats everywhere. The cats with the ruins of Rome are amazing; they are in harmony and together are perfect.

Can you see the differences?

On the left summer 2005 no Covid and many people. On the right, summer of 2020 no people and a lot of Covid.

One of the most visited attractions in Rome is the Pantheon. A legend says that has been chosen this place to build the Pantheon for a reason; seems than in this exact place Romolo was taken from an eagle and brought in the sky with other divinity when he died. It was built around 27 A.C. as a small temple dedicated to all gods of Rome. During the years its structure changed as a result of many fires and this last form we owe it to Adriano that added, also, some Greek columns. The Pantheon is particular because it doesn't have windows, but all the light comes from a hole at the top of the Dome. The myth says that from the aperture the rain doesn't go inside, but it is not true; the floor is a little bit convex to allow the water to flow away. In 608 the Pantheon became a catholic church and was decided (1878) that all the kings of Italy would be buried here.

Majestic and imposing between small street is the Fontana di Trevi. I think that this is the best-known attraction of the capital for its beauty and also for the ritual of the coin thrown inside  The fountain was wanted by pope Clemente XII and it is the unique example of a Roman aqueduct still in operation. The Trevi fountain is unique and imposing with this gorgeous decoration of statues and ornament. A legend says that throwing a coin back to the fountain makes you lucky; better to try, you never know maybe it’s true.

A very famous square and the most photographed is absolutely the Piazza di Spagna In this square we can find many important palaces, a fountain and the most beautiful thing the grand staircase towards Church Trinità dei Monti. The staircase counts 135 stairs, and during some celebration, it is decorated with beautiful flowers. This square amazes me every time I see it, and my passion for photos here goes crazy. ​

Between the small streets, always in the city centre, with the shape of a boat, there is Piazza Navona. Navona Square is loved by everyone, tourist, Romans and street artist; at every time of the day the square is crowded, the restaurants are full and the square lively. During the antique Romans, this square was used for games for aristocrats and also for the entire population. An interesting game I’ve heard about are the naval battles, the Romans filled the square with water and reproduced the battles. There is another very particular and interesting fact about this square; in Navona square, there is a church built from Borromini, and in front of it a fountain with four statues symbolize the four-country made from Bernini. The two hated each other and, since the fountain was built before and Bernini knew that his rival would build the church, the two statues in the fountains in front of it seem to cover their eyes as if to say that sucks. ​

I didn’t visit the Castel St. Angelo inside since there is a museum, but it is a must to see, even only, from outside in Rome. The castle was built on the outskirts of Rome by Emperor Hadrian who wanted this place to bury himself and his family. During the years it changed many times its functions from mausoleum to fortress against the invasions until 1367 when was donated to Pope Urbano V to solicit the return of the pope and catholic church to Rome from France. From this moment the castle became a residence of the pope.

Piazza del Popolo is another famous square in Rome. It is situated at the intersection of three famed shopping street, and It is well known for the fountain with lions, the twin churches and being close to Villa Borghese. The two churches were built by Carlo Fontano and wanted by Pope Alessandro VII; they seem identical, but they are not because there wasn't the same space available on the right and left. I didn't spend much time in this square because I took the scooter and I arrived in 10minutes of climb at Villa Borghese where I admired Piazza del Popolo from the top. 

A few steps away from the Fori Imperiali there is the Vittoriano better known as Altare Della Patria even if the last one is just a piece of all the building. The Vittoriano was built around 1885 to commemorate Italy’s Unit and the first king of Italy instead the Altare Della Patria has been constructed in 1925 to celebrate the unknown soldier of World War I. I like this part of the city because it is something outside the other monuments; all its grandeur made of pure white, prominent statues and huge Italian flags illuminate the capital. ​

The ancient Romans were famous not only for the significant conquests but also to give more importance to games and body care, and the Baths of Caracalla are a perfect example. Emperor Marcus Aurelius also called Caracalla began the construction of the baths around 216 B.C. Today we can find only the ruins of the baths, but you can still admire the prominent structure and some walls that help us understand that this was the most significant and well-studied complex made in antiquity.

Moving a little further away from the centre we find near the Appia Antica district the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano and the Scala Santa. This Church is one of the Papal Church, and he is the only one that can celebrate services.  San Giovanni in Laterano is a masterpiece of Borromini that built it around 312 d.C., by the will of pope Melchiade. The church from the outside seems a miniature of San Pietro even if it was built before; this makes San Giovanni the oldest Catholic church in the world.

Just a few steps from the church we can find the Scala Santa destination of many pilgrims because considered an important holy space. The stair is made of 28 steps, and it can be travelled only on knees; at the top, it is possible to look through a window inside the Private Pope Chapel (one of the most sacred spaces in the world). The story goes that the mother of Costantino dismantled the ladder that Jesus crossed to get to the Sanhedrin in Holy Land and had it transported to Rome. If you don’t want to take the stairs, just take a look at them and also the pilgrims praying.

If you have a half-day free and you would like to visit something different, I recommend the EUR. Eur is a neighbourhood around 20 minutes by car outside Rome. For the majority is a business quarter (The City of Rome) but it is particular because it has been made during the fascist era; It was a project of Mussolini to welcome the Universal Exhibition of 1942 (EUR= Esposizione Universale Roma translate as Universal Exposition Rome). With the outbreak of war, the event did not happen, but the neighbourhood has continued to grow years after years, and today is a mixture of modern skyscrapers and construction of fascist style. Everything it is beautiful but the best thing, in my opinion, is the squared Colosseo; today it is the headquarter of Fendi, and It stands out from the rest because it is a squared and imposing block with arches reminiscent of the Colosseo. Curiosity?? The square Colosseo is composed of six arches in horizontal and nine arches in vertical like the number of the letters in Benito Mussolini.

I love when a place is surrounded by mystery and legend, and Piazza Bocca Della Veritá is perfect; placed under the arches of the Santa Maria in Codmedin’s church we find the Bocca Della Veritá (Mouth of True). It is a colossal marble mask representing a face that screams and takes its name from a mediaeval legend. The mask was used as a lie detector indeed the person, accused of something, had to put the hand into the mouth and if he was saying the false the mouth closed and cut off the hand. Instead, it appears that an executioner was hiding behind the mask with a sword ready to strike.

What I love more in Rome? The panoramic points allow you to see all the city from the top surrounded by the Romans hills. One of my favourite panoramic views is Il Giardino Degli Aranci (Orange’s Garden), also called Parco Savello. It is a small but lovely garden with many orange trees with a majestic terrace that overlooks a breathtaking view of Rome. It is situated close to the Circo Massimo above a hill and, even if you don’t spend that much time because it is small, I recommend visiting it because it is relaxing. ​​

After the garden, a little further on, before a church there is the most beautiful, hidden and surprising thing that you have to see; San Pietro seen from the lock hole. The hole is the lock of the gate of the Priory of the Knights of Malts and spying inside you can see a tunnel of trees that leads to the Dome of San Pietro.

The last time I went to Rome I was lucky enough to be driven around, and this allowed me to visit particular places and outside the capital so one Sunday afternoon I went to Villa d 'Este in Tivoli. Tivoli is a pretty town with narrow streets surrounded by ancient buildings, very characteristic but the best part is the Villa that from the outside does not look anything special but when you go inside there is a hidden world. Villa d'Este was commissioned by Cardinal Ippolito II d'Este around 1550 and includes the residential building and a fantastic garden decorated with tree-lined avenues, hedges, statues and numerous fountains and water games, real works of art. Inside beautiful frescoes and outside hidden places, huge fountains, secular trees and the most beautiful garden of Europe become part of the UNESCO World Heritage.

The must that makes Rome famous in all the world is absolutely San Pietro. I love the idea that for visiting the most majestic church and square I have to go literally to another country even if they speak the same language and there is no border. I recommend the visit of the St Pietro Church, the square, the Dome and the Vatican museum to see the beautiful and amazing Cappella Sistina painted by the most famous artist Michelangelo. ​

As soon as you enter the door of the Basilica di San Pietro, you find yourself inside this large and imposing church with beautiful decorations and statues that make you want to stare at them for a long time. I particularly remember a statue; he was holding a kind of cloak, and it was as if he was waving it because the folds on the mantle were so well made that it seemed real. 

Just to make you understand the size of the Basilica I give you some sizes: 218 meters long, 134 meters high contains 46 altars and 233 windows and could accommodate the beauty of 60 thousand people. It is still classified as the largest Catholic church in the world.

Inside this colossal church, we find some of the most fantastic pieces of art painted or sculpted by famous artists of the time. I think that the most important is La Pietà Di Michelangelo; it is situated on the prompt on the right under a glass case this stupefacient statue depicting the Madonna with Christ died in his arms. After a man attack that destroyed the face of Our Lady in 1972, the Pietá has been restored and put under the glass case. ​

I spent a lot of time observing the Basilica all the altars are different from each other and the decorations are always essential and carefully designed to give a masterpiece, the painting are colourful and fantastic made. When I visited all the Church, I moved under it at “Le Grotte” (The Caves). They are not right caves, but they are the gap between the old Basilica and the present Basilica di San Pietro, and you can also see the line of the old floor and the new one and even pieces of columns of the precedent Basilica. The Caves are important because many previous popes are buried here. The first time I visited the caves was in 2005, four months after the death of Pope John Paul II. I remember that it was impossible to walk near his tomb because it was crowded with people praying all around and I could see the massive devotion of these people to this great pope; I think that this is a  thing that I will never forget.

Last but not least La Cupola (Dome).  After visiting the Caves, you can decide to go up to the Dome and, in my opinion, it is a must to do because the view from the top it is breathtaking. There are two levels, in the first, you can decide to do around 560 stairs or take the elevator to arrive while for the last there are about 300 steps to do; I did both and the lift is much much better! After a few steps, directed to the top, ad after a door you arrive on the terrace that from inside the Basilica, where you can see not only the interior from above but also admire the fantastic frescos that surround it. Continuing, after 300 breathless steps and with a head that turns (for several spiral stairs) you get to the top where you can have a 360º view of St. Peter’s Square opening up to all of Rome.

Last time I was in Rome for the first night in town I went to Frascati for dinner. Frascati is a city around 20 km from Rome and part of the Roman Castles. Frascati is famous for the beautiful aristocratic villas, for the productions of wine and of course for the delicious food. 

I enjoyed dining here because not only the food is great, but also for the locations. I ate in one of the many "Fraschette" ( Fraschetta is the term to call taverns typical of the area) in the middle of a road with a table in precarious balance because of the slope of the road, but everything, crowned by a friendly and helpful waiter, was absolutely incredible, so special and folkloric that the table never bothered me.

Another dinner was held in Trastevere. Trastevere is a district of Rome and is famous for its typical restaurants and narrow and characteristics streets. This part of the city is always lively and full of young people ready for an aperitif, dinner or even just to be outdoors together. I went to early summer 2020 so, because of Covid there were not many people and I found almost immediately a restaurant otherwise be patient because it is always crowded.

I hope you enjoyed this post, feel free to share it on Social Media. Share your pictures on social media using #tastravelnow or tag me so I can see them! You can also follow me on Instagram and subscribe to my email list so that you will never miss a new post!

If you would like to book travel insurance for your trip to Rome, I recommend checking out Travel Insurance Master!

Looking for activities and tours in Rome? I suggest you check out Get Your Guide. To find out more follow the link below and be inspired :)

I am not a huge fan of museums but I discovered that I really enjoy visiting interactive museums so I couldn't miss the M9. 

M9 is a museum in Mestre. If you don't know Mestre is a city near Venice. It takes around 15 minutes by train, by bus or tram from Venice and it's the perfect location if you are looking to spend the night close to Venice but not on the island. Mestre has also many restaurants, shops and some attractions that you can visit. ​

Back to the M9. In 2018 was opened in the city centre of Mestre, in an old but regenerated location where now you can see a combination of the historic palace and beautiful and modern building, this beautiful museum. More than just a museum! this polo in the heart of the city offers much more, it offers a place where you can enjoy a meal, a coffee or some shopping with its café, restaurants and shops. 

As you can read from the website another important fact about the M9 is sustainability; indeed it has been built with low environmental impact materials and technologies for energy production. Fondazione di Venezia intends also to make M9 the largest Italian museum with zero impact. ​

M9 explains the Italian history of 900 in a funny and interesting way. The entrance cost 8euro, they give you a map, the instructions, now with Covid some protection device and you can go and explore the two floors of this amazing museum and with all the activity available you can spend a lot of time inside. ​

It is interactive because it is a museum where it is prohibited not to touch.

You can:

• touch screens and decide what to learn;
  
• listen to audios about stories; 
  
• ​use 3D reality;
  
• play fun games that are related to the historical moment you are in; ​
  
• press buttons around all the museum and see what happen. 
  

The M9 extends over 2 floors and on the third, you can find temporary exhibitions. The first floor is all about daily life; you can learn how society changed from body image to the new technologies that changed everyday life to new jobs opportunity with a particular eye about the immigrations of Italians in other parts of the world. 

The second floor instead explains how Italy has changed so you can find the political history of the country, the growth of public service as electricity, the railway... and how general culture has changed from religion, music, movies, to songs throughout the century.

I really liked M9 because it gives us an idea of how Italy changed over the years in all the aspect of the life moreover every section have different activity from each other so it is never boring and you learn with fun.

• ​On the first floor, almost at the beginning of the visit, you can see how people have changed their appearance and the way they dress over the years. Why do I like it so much? Well, the activity is called mirror gallery, you are standing in front of a screen that will take a picture and by commanding the screen with your hands you can see your face in a body, which changes clothing and physiognomy as the years change.

• 3D reality. We are always on the first floor after learning how the medicines have changed we arrived at a table with a couple of visors and some joysticks. Each visor shows several years. Start from the first and move until you see each of them. The 3D reality will show you how the kitchens of the Italian house have changed over the years and not only the change of furniture but also the electronics and food for example the arrival of coca-cola.
  

• Games. On the second floor, we can find many different games and at least you should try one. ​

• Dance floor. Almost at the end of the visit, on the second floor, there is the dance floor. It is a room with big buttons and a huge screen. Every button plays the music and video that was in vogue that specific year that you pressed. ​

I also really liked, on the second floor, all the history part beginning with the war and arriving at the more recent history and I also really enjoyed the part showing how Italy progressed with the rail, the electricity, the motorway because it shows how much this country developed in things that nowadays seem normal to have.

After three hours, my visit is over. I think I could stay there much longer because there are a lot of things to do, but I really liked it and I know that I can come back whenever I want and discover new things that may be the first time I lost. I absolutely recommend visiting the M9 because you will learn with fun and activities that you can not do anywhere. ​

I will leave you here the website of the M9 where you can find additional information such as opening times, cost and contact. https://www.m9museum.it/en/​ 

 
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Paris is, in every season, amazing; my favourite time to visit the French capital is spring because the days are sunny with a well-balanced temperature, not too cold and not too warm, the perfect weather to enjoy the city. The capital city is always beautiful and full of activities to do, the distance from one monument to the other is very long, so prepare to walk a lot but the view will repay all the many steps. 
​
I went to Paris two times and below I collected the best of both tips.

The Basilique du Sacre Coeur stands at the summit of Montmartre Hill, the highest point in the city.
It is a Roman Catholic church dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus; the church has been built around 1873 and 1919, and for this, it is the oldest church in Paris. An interesting fact about this building? You can find the giant bell in France, which weight is around 18.835 kg.
The first time I was in Paris, I visited the inside of the Basilique, but the second time I decided to do something different. II went above the dome. It is not too hard to reach the top because even if there are 300 steps, they are scattered in a sort of itinerary between small domes and the roof. If you are lucky like me to find a sunny day, the view of Paris will be fantastic, and it will repay all your effort. 

Montmartre is a small village famous mostly to be close to the Sacre Coeur but also as the artist's neighbourhood; walking through the street of this village you can find painters selling their fabulous painting or always ready to make you a portrait. It has always been a place for artists like Picasso, Modigliani and other important painters that gave Montmartre the fame that it has today; there is also a cemetery with influential artists buried in it. I love to walk around this neighbourhood because the atmosphere is fantastic, with all the artist and typical small restaurants and cafe very particular and with delicious food, I recommend to try the creeps in here. Honestly, I took, you know the mini train in every city? Yes, that one to see the whole neighbourhood because, first of all, my mother loves the mini train and then because it was boiling and played a good alternative instead of walking around; there was also the audio guide in Italian (and other languages). I think it was a good idea after all because it allowed me not only to see the whole neighbourhood but also to discover many exciting things comfortably seated.

Everyone has heard about the Arc de Triomphe also just one time. It is a colossal Arc in the middle of the Champs-Elysees ordered by Napoleon to celebrate the battle of Austerlitz. 
Napoleone told the French soldiers who had fought with him: "we will return to your homes only under arches of triumph"; indeed an imperial decree dated 18th February 1806 ordered the construction of a triumphal arch dedicated precisely to the victories achieved by the French army. At the base of the arch, there is the tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the First World War built in 1920 and a  perpetually burning flame guards the tomb. The monument commemorates the soldiers, never identified who died during World War I, and since 1945 is also dedicated to the memory of the fallen during the Second World War. Of course, after the Arc De Triomphe you can't miss a walk in the Champs-Elysees through giant trees, famous and luxury shops and, if you like shopping, why don't you go to Lafayette?

The most famous monument symbol of France the Tour Eiffel. It was built in 1887 for the Universal Exposition event and never removed. Some curiosity about it???

Who doesn't like the Eiffel Tower? Surely not me, I fall in love with this big piece of iron; thinks that my first time in Paris I had a new camera and to inaugurate it I took more or less 50 pictures only for the Eiffel Tower because in every position the prospective and the photo were different. ​

I honestly never been inside the museum Louvre. I heard a lot of people said that it deserves a view, but since I am not a big fan of museums, I prefer to concentrate on the area around it. In 2019 my second time in Paris, the Louvre museum celebrated 30 years from its construction. Today it is a symbol of Paris, but when was built a lot of people didn't like it.
The pyramid construction started around 1874-1990 under the initiative of President Mitterrand, with the plan of renovating the entire area. The project was created by Leoh Ming Pei, a famous American-Chinese architect. It included a glass and steel pyramid positioned in the Cour Napoléon, to illuminate a sizeable underground atrium that would be used as a new main entrance to an underground city with shops, bars, services, auditorium, a large library and a temporary exhibition hall. The project raised many controversies, but the pyramid and the underground atrium were still inaugurated on 15th October 1988 and completed in 1989. The second phase of the plan, including the Pyramide Inversée illuminating the Carrousel, was completed in 1993, on the occasion of the museum's bicentennial.
The strong symbolism of the pyramid has inspired different beliefs and fueled questions about the hidden meaning of the inverse pyramid. The pyramids, according to some people, are full of mysteries concerning Masonry and Antichrist due to their form. I don't know about this; for me, it is just a must to see in Paris. 

Versailles is incredible. I was amazed by the inside but also the outside. It shows the French splendour back in history but also the fantastic job did to recover the villa that was almost destroyed. The Royal Palace was built for willing of William XIV. He wanted to live outside the capital to step away from the citizen because considered too challenging to manage. From 1682 Versailles remained the seat of the political power of the France Kingdom, but at the beginning of the French Revolution (1789), the royal family was forced to return to the capital. The king needed the royal palace of Versailles, also, to show to other European kings their greatness, indeed they realized huge rooms, the most famous is the mirrors room, organized big parties and dinners but also they built the first zoo. Few people know that once here there was a menagerie, where it was possible to find wild and exotic animals and birds from all over the world. In 1979 the palace become well-protected by UNESCO thanks to its history, its beauty, and its vast and colourful garden.

The garden is enormous with many fountains, statues, flowers and even a small lake with a gondola that you can use (of course, for a cost); I went in summer but obviously, the best period is spring so you can enjoy the flowering. Versailles, for me, has been a one day trip, and I spent all the day there because after had seen the spacious and unique rooms I spent the rest of the day wandering in the garden and why not bring a blanket? ​​

I went to Paris with my parent as a middle meeting point from Italy and Dublin. Since the following month would have been their marriage anniversary, I decided to do something special for them, and why not also for me? So, I decided to buy a cruise in the Senna with lunch. We started the sailing trip in Pont Portofino, near the Louvre museum. We sailed for, more or less, 2 hours, enjoying the panorama we also a superb lunch. The lunch included a starter, main course, dessert and a fantastic bottle of French wine; the best thing was sipping that excellent wine looking at Paris from a completely different point of view.

The vertical garden is a funny and pleasant thing that I found walking around Paris. It was invented by Patrick Blanc, who made him famous all over the world. Blanc is a Parisian botanist that discovered some plants that do not need much ground and can grow in dangerous places like bricks, walls or rocks. His idea was to give to the city expanses of green, even where there is no space. One of the large green walls is at the Quai Branly Museum, located near the Seine and the Eiffel Tower; it is a museum dedicated to primitive arts and "non-western" civilizations, four continents to explore, Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas. Mr Blanc built a wall of 800 square meters of plants from Japan, China, Europe and the United States on the facade of this museum.

If you would like to book travel insurance for your trip to Paris, I recommend checking out Travel Insurance Master!

I hope you enjoyed this post, feel free to share it on Social Media. Share your pictures on social media using #tastravelnow or tag me so I can see them! You can also follow me on Instagram and subscribe to my email list so that you will never miss a new post!
​
Looking for activities and tours in Paris? I suggest you check out Get Your Guide. To find out more follow the link below and be inspired :)

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

I bought my first home! Yuppy! I’m so excited that I can’t describe the amazing feeling I have.

Anyway, after almost four months of renovation, I have a beautiful kitchen, a fantastic and extravagant bathroom and a colourful bedroom and now I just need some wall decorations.

I didn’t want to buy photos or posters that had already been made, but I wanted things that I had done personally and that would transmit something to me when I look at them, so the obvious choice was, of course, the photos that I had taken during my travels. I started looking on Pinterest for some ideas to take inspiration from; I found a lot of good ideas, but the most beautiful in my opinion was a wall full of photos with different sizes and colours.

I started by buying frames. I bought 19 frames of different sizes and colours and used the inner paper (the one that should show you the photo as it goes... I don’t know if I’m clear or not and I apologize for that) to create a composition on the wall before making any holes for the hooks.

After that, the hard part: choosing photos. I have so many photos that it took me two days to decide which ones I wanted to hang. Personally, I don’t like having photos of people on the wall except myself, because they seem to look at me ?? so I opted for landscapes and some of my photos. I chose the size of each photo and sent them to print. After a couple of days, I received them and they were amazing, just like I wanted them.

For a wall of almost 2 meters the photos had the following dimensions:

• 9 photos 10x15 
• 1 photo 15x20
• 5 photos 20x25 
• 2 photos 18x24 
• 1 photo 30x30 
• 1 photos 30x40

While for the frames I bought some of the same sizes as the photo while others larger to give a game effect to the wall.

Added the photos in the frames, made the holes and hung them on the wall! Do you like the result? Let me know in the comments!

For my bedroom I decided on a map, but how to do it? I’m not really good at painting so it wasn’t an option so I found a sticky map on a website. The map was really complicated to attack and the result was not great at all, a real mess actually! So for a while, I had given up the idea because the sticker had ruined my wall painting but after, I found another map on Amazon and this was amazing. Simple to put on the wall even if it takes me 3 hours and really nice. Here the link if you want to check some maps ideas on Amazon.

If you want to know more about my decorations just leave a comment and I will be happy to show you more!

 I hope you enjoyed this post, feel free to share it on Social Media. Share your pictures on social media using #tastravelnow or tag me so I can see them! You can also follow me on Instagram and subscribe to my email list so that you will never miss a new post!