Autumn in Bulgaria – the second day

Posted on 02/04/2025 by ainarsbl

Morning in Plovdiv

As I mentioned in my previous blog post about our 2024 trip to Bulgaria, we returned to our hotel around midnight after a relaxing walk through Plovdiv centre and went to sleep. We had booked a room without breakfast, so in the morning, first thing after waking and dressing up, we headed straight into the city. Before continuing our journey to the Black Sea, we wanted to experience the city’s historical and cultural heritage in daylight.

Sightseeing

Plovdiv is like a living museum. As we walked through the pedestrian-friendly centre, we were immediately captivated by the city’s relaxed atmosphere. One of the sights we were determined to visit was the ancient Roman amphitheatre, one of the best-preserved in Europe. Built in the 2nd century AD during Emperor Trajan’s reign, the amphitheatre could seat up to 6,000 spectators.

view from plovdiv old town — View from Plovdiv old town

Although finding the amphitheatre wasn’t easy due to the narrow maze of small streets, the effort was well worth it—the view from the top was impressive, offering a panoramic view of Plovdiv and the surrounding mountains.

Wine Tasting

The first part of our day in the city passed quickly, and by noon, we had to head further along our journey. On our way to the Black Sea coast, we had booked a wine tasting at the Zagreus Winery, located a bit outside the city. Bulgaria has a long history of winemaking, and Zagreus Winery is a testament to that tradition. The winery is situated in a picturesque location and offers excellent high-quality Bulgarian wines.

zagreaus winery in bulgaria — Zagreus winery in Bulgaria

Upon arrival, we were greeted by a guide who shared insights into Bulgaria’s wine history and the local grape varieties grown in their vineyards. An interesting fact was that our guide’s name, when translated from Bulgarian, means “grape.”

Bulgarian wines

The most popular variety they grow is Mavrud. We were given a tour of the wine production and storage facilities, during which we learned more about the winemaking process at this estate.

Of course, the highlight of our visit was the wine tasting, where we sampled four different wines. The tasting was accompanied by local delicacies, creating a very pleasant, relaxed, and informal atmosphere. Before leaving, we bought a few bottles to take with us.

Journey Towards the East of Bulgaria

After the wine tasting, we continued our drive eastward toward the Black Sea coast. After a brief detour through local roads, we joined the A1 motorway, where the dynamics of the drive were completely different.

Not far from the Black Sea lies the port city of Burgas, though we didn’t enter the city centre, as we turned southward. The Burgas region is known for its fertile agricultural land and proximity to the Black Sea, but even before reaching the city, we passed many vineyards and other agricultural plots.

A little after Burgas, we stopped at a Lukoil gas station to refuel and take a short break after the long drive. We also grabbed some snacks and relaxed before the next, significantly shorter leg of our journey.

The Mountains of Bulgaria

As I mentioned earlier, we were driving on the A1 motorway, which runs from Sofia to Burgas. Throughout the journey, it felt as if we were winding through a valley surrounded by mountains from at least three sides. The mountain ranges are one of Bulgaria’s most striking features, so here’s a brief overview of them.

Bulgaria is often called the Balkan country, but in addition to the Balkans, the country also has other mountain ranges that contribute to its impressive landscapes. Bulgaria boasts four major mountain ranges: the Balkan Mountains, the Rila Mountains, the Pirin Mountains, and the Rhodope Mountains.

Balkan mountains

The Balkan Mountains, also known as Stara Planina (the Old Mountain), stretch across the country from the Serbian border in the west to the Black Sea in the east. This mountain range divides the country into northern and southern parts. The highest peak in the Balkan range is Mount Botev, which reaches an altitude of 7,795 feet (2,376 metres), although it’s not the tallest peak in Bulgaria.

Rila mountains

South of the Balkan Mountains lies the Rila mountain range, home to Bulgaria’s highest peak, Musala, which rises to 9,596 feet (2,925 metres). Rila is renowned for its dramatic landscapes, including high-altitude lakes, the most famous being the Seven Rila Lakes, which are a popular hiking destination. The Rila Mountains also host the famous Rila Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Bulgaria’s most significant cultural landmarks (I’ll write a separate post about our trip to the Rila Monastery).

Pirin mountains

The Pirin Mountains are located in the southwestern part of Bulgaria and are known for their rugged terrain and striking granite peaks. The highest peak is Vihren, which stands at 9,560 feet (2,914 metres). The Pirin Mountains are also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to their exceptional biodiversity and unique landscapes. Popular activities in Pirin include skiing and mountaineering.

Rhodope mountains

The Rhodope Mountains are situated in southern Bulgaria near the Greek border. The highest peak here is Golyam Perelik, which reaches 7,188 feet (2,191 metres). Hiking and rural tourism are the most common activities in the Rhodopes.

First Evening in Primorsko Resort

We arrived in Primorsko in the evening, just before sunset, right in time for dinner. We had booked rooms at the Park Hotel & SPA Les Magnolias in Primorsko seaside resort, located on the Black Sea coast, just a few minutes’ walk from the beach. The peaceful atmosphere of the hotel, surrounded by trees and greenery, was the perfect place to relax, especially after a long drive.

hotel decorations in bulgaria — Hotel decorations in Bulgaria

After settling into our rooms, we headed to dinner, which was very generous. Although we don’t usually opt for all-inclusive holidays, this time we chose this option for the convenience so we wouldn’t have to waste time and energy searching for food. During our whole stay at the resort, the food was consistently excellent and quite varied. There were seafood dishes and, of course, various types of meat, which are definitely the most popular products in Bulgaria. Perhaps there could have been more variety of fruits and vegetables, which we had hoped for.

End of the day

The day had been filled with so many impressions that we lingered in the hotel’s restaurant for quite a while as we had many emotions to share. The following day, nothing was planned except for a lazy rest by the hotel pool.

Plovdiv had impressed us with its historical charm, kindness, and daily calm, while the Zagreus Winery had captivated us with its high-quality wines. Everywhere we went, we felt welcomed and experienced positive attitudes. Even though it was mid-September, the evening was warm and peaceful.

A video of this journey is also available on my YouTube channel.

Autumn in Bulgaria – 2024

Posted on 30/03/2025 by ainarsbl

Autumn Adventure in Bulgaria

This was our second adventure to Bulgaria, a destination that had piqued our interest since our first visit in 2007. Back then, we drove through the country in early spring, admiring the stunning Belogradchik cliffs, the serene Bachkovo Monastery, and exploring the picturesque Black Sea coast. The memories remained, but we were eager to return for a deeper exploration in the fall of 2024.

There is also a video about this trip on my YouTube channel.

A different way to explore Bulgaria

Unlike our previous journey, this time we flew from London to Sofia, ready for a weeklong adventure. No more long drives from Riga to Bulgaria, we were here to savour every moment. After landing in Sofia, we rented a car from CarRent Bulgaria, a local company we booked through DiscoverCars. Having used DiscoverCars for car rentals in Riga and Greece, we knew we’d get a great deal. Their service was reliable, and the pricing was better than other platforms like Booking.com.

view around plovdiv — View around Plovdiv

It should be noted that we do not receive any money or other benefits from any of the companies mentioned here for referring to their websites. The references we give, good or not so good (we usually try to avoid publishing bad reviews), is based on our own experiences.

Car rental

Local car rental companies may have some drawbacks – their offices are often located outside the airport area. This was the case on this occasion too, but we had our own person in Sofia who took me to the car rental office in just a few minutes, so there was no inconvenience at all. The walk would have taken about forty minutes (about two and a half kilometres to walk from the airport).

We had made the right choice, the car was practically new, the car rental company employee took care of everything quickly both when we picked it up and when we returned the car. When we returned the car, we had washed it thoroughly (it was in the terms of the contract), so we even earned praise for it.

A look at Bulgaria’s past and present

Bulgaria has long been a favourite vacation spot, especially during the Soviet era, attracting vacationers to the Black Sea coast with its affordable prices and sandy beach resorts. However, in recent decades, other destinations, such as Turkey and Spain, have overshadowed the Bulgarian tourism industry. Despite these changes, Bulgaria remains a very good choice for those looking for an authentic experience and hospitality.

Bulgaria borders Greece, Turkey, Serbia, North Macedonia and Romania. It ranks 103rd in the world and 16th in Europe by area, with a land area of 108,489 square kilometres. Bulgaria is about half the size of its neighbour Romania, Cuba, the largest island in the Caribbean, is a similar size.

Bulgaria has a population of almost six and a half million, similar to neighbouring Serbia, although Serbia is about a quarter smaller. The population density in Bulgaria is about the same as the world average (61 inhabitants per square kilometre, the European average is 72).

The country’s capital is Sofia, with a population of almost 1.2 million. Other major cities are Plovdiv (321,000 inhabitants), Varna (311,000) and Burgas (188,000), these data are from 2021. It should be noted that the population of Bulgaria continues to decline quite rapidly. It peaked in 1985, when the country had over 8.9 million people. Since then, the population has been declining, falling to less than almost two and a half million between 1985 and 2021, although this is a fairly well-known and not too surprising story for Eastern Europe.

Bulgaria today

After 17 years, we were eager to see how Bulgaria had changed. Our goals for the trip were simple: explore more of Plovdiv and enjoy some downtime at a Black Sea resort.

Let me start by saying that the overall impression of the country was positive from the very first moment. We were greeted by a warm and welcoming atmosphere, the food was excellent – high-quality, tasty and reasonably priced. Regardless of whether we dined in roadside taverns or elegant restaurants, each meal was special and it seemed that each next one surpassed the previous one. Although the prices of the restaurants were higher, the quality of the food and the size of the portions were definitely adequate for the price. I can’t say anything about the offer and prices of the grocery shops, because we didn’t cook anything ourselves during this trip.

If you want to visit local wine producers, in Bulgaria you can taste and buy high-quality wine for a very good price. Wine tastings are organized at a fairly high level and snacks are also offered. What was especially surprising was the fact that a lot of local Bulgarian grape varieties are grown widely and producers who specialize in them were able to offer excellent products. If you’re a wine enthusiast, Bulgaria is still an undiscovered treasure.

Plovdiv – the heart of Bulgaria

After arriving in Sofia, we took a private car and headed towards Plovdiv, but on the way we had planned to visit the Chateau Copsa winery. It is located near the road that leads from west to east along one of the northern Bulgarian mountain ranges.

Wine tasting in the afternoon

Since Chateau Copsa is literally in the middle of a field, there is no point in mentioning the address. You can see the location on the map or simply Google Chateau Copsa Bulgaria. They offer both wine tastings and accommodations, hotel is located in a stylish old fortress-like building, which was actually built recently, but looks quite impressive.

The wine tasting took place in a charming cellar beneath the fortress, where we enjoyed a selection of high-quality local wines. The Bulgarian guide who led the tasting added to the experience with fascinating stories and a warm, welcoming atmosphere. If you plan to visit, we highly recommend booking in advance, as Chateau Copsa can get quite busy.

Evening walk in the city

In the evening we arrived in Plovdiv, where we quickly checked into the hotel and went to explore the city. We had booked the Hotel Ego, which is located a few minutes walk from the central city pedestrian street, so in a very good location.

The hotel itself was also very good for the price (about 45 euros) we paid, so I can definitely recommend it to other travellers. The hotel address is 2 Eliezer Kalev Str., Plovdiv Center, 4000 Plovdiv, their website is here. Although the number of places is limited, the hotel also offers free parking. We were lucky with parking too, because we got the last free space. We had booked a more expensive and larger option, the Deluxe Studio, just in case we wanted to use the kitchen, which was in one corner of the room. Since we wanted to have dinner in the city, we didn’t use the kitchen to cook though.

Food in Plovdiv

The charm of the city is undeniable, with cobblestone streets, lots of squares, fountains and ancient buildings. The most important thing was to have dinner, so we went to a restaurant with good reviews we had spotted while preparing for trip (Restaurant Diana-1, address Plovdiv Center, ul. Knyaz Al. Dondukov-Korsakov 2, 4000 Plovdiv Bulgaria), which is located within walking distance of the city centre.

As you can see from the photo, the portions in the restaurant are large and the variety of dishes is fantastic.

After a hearty dinner, we went to explore the city centre. Surprisingly, even though the tourist season was already over, there were quite a few people on the streets. Mostly they were local young people who were walking around the city, chatting, enjoying life and the nice evening. And all this was done in a very polite manner. This is one thing that surprised us in Bulgaria – people are in a good mood and know how to relax, having fun and not disturbing others. This was the case not only in Plovdiv, but also in other places we visited.

Only around midnight, tired but having enjoyed the night-time Plovdiv, we returned to the hotel. I will write about the next day in the next blog about this Bulgarian trip. Click on the link to read about our second day in Bulgaria.

Easter in Poland

Posted on 20/04/2024 by ainarsbl

Poland is a big country, one of the largest in the European Union. Usually, we have been crossing it as a transit country, however, there are many places in Poland worth visiting. One day, we decided to see how people celebrate Easter in Poland.

Here are notes of our trip made during the Easter Holidays in 2010. This time for the trip was chosen because the majority of Polish people as very active Catholics and visit churches and celebrate Easter according to their traditions every year. Some sites we visited for that reason were of religious character.

City of Krakow

We went to Krakow which is one of the oldest cities in Poland and is located in the Lesser Poland region famous for its architecture, and religious and cultural heritage. Since 1978, the old town of Krakow has been on the list of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites.

Also, Krakow is the second largest city in Poland with many beautiful sites for visitors. For example, Old Town (Stare Miasto), Wawel Castle, St. Andrew’s Church and the district of Kazimierz. Kraków has also been the royal capital of Poland for many centuries.

Although Easter is a very busy time in Krakow, we managed to get an apartment for short-term rent in the heart of the old town, just two hundred metres from the Main Market Square.

To book our apartment, we used the services of booking.com as usual. I am mentioning this here because shortly before arrival, we found out that our booked apartment was already occupied.

I immediately contacted customer services at booking.com and after a few hours this incident was solved – we got even better rooms and conditions than initially! This was the first incident of such kind with this company and I am really satisfied with how quickly it was handled.

Easter Celebration

Our main goal was to see how they celebrate Easter. On Saturday afternoon we went to a church. There were lots of local people. It was interesting to see that, according to the local traditions, people carried to the church small baskets with eggs and other components of breakfast (they call it a “blessing basket”). The basket was put down on the table in the church and consecrated by a pastor.

After the service, people took their baskets and went home waiting for Easter morning to consume the content of the “blessing basket”; the family breakfast is an important part of the Easter celebration in Poland. To be honest, I never saw this kind of action before and it was really amazing to experience. Just to add that the taste of our breakfast basket eggs was excellent.

During those two amazing days in Krakow, we enjoyed the festive atmosphere on the Main Market Square, booked a horse cart for sightseeing, tasted many different sweets, and local beer (for sure, it was better than fermented grape juice known as wine which is offered in local pubs), visited Wawel Castle and other sites of historical centre of Krakow.

Travel around Poland

Posted on 25/03/2024 by ainarsbl

Wielicka Salt mine

This is one of the episodes of our travel around Poland during the Easter celebrations, although we have visited this country many times. On Saturday, after a night spent in Krakow, we visited Wieliczka salt mine which is one of the world’s oldest operating salt mines – it is in operation since the Middle Ages. The salt mine is also on the list of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites since 1978. This site represents the progress of mining technology, the development of work organization and management. Over more than 700 years, 7.5 million m³ of post-excavation voids were drilled in Wieliczka.

Raps field in Poland

The mine is normally open for visitors from 9am to 5pm, adult ticket costs approximately 22 Euro per person. Visitors should be aware that the route includes approximately 800 stairs the temperature underground in the mine is about 17–18ºC. During one of the stops, it is even possible to buy cold and hot drinks and snacks. Town Wieliczka is located in the Krakow metropolitan area and can be reached easily; cheap parking spaces are available all around mine close to its entrance.

Area around Krakow

Before coming back home, we continued our travel around Poland and wandered around another surrounding area of Krakow. That’s how we found a small town decorated with “palms” made from pussy willow twigs during Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday is a commemoration of Christ’s entry into Jerusalem and people in Poland follow these traditions every year. Some of these creations were really tall, even up to 35 meters high!

Easter decorations in Poland

Near Krakow there also is a famous religious object listed as UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site since 1999 – a monastery, landscape and pilgrimage park in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska. We went there for a moment to see how the monastery looks both from inside and from outside. If you are somewhere near there, this place is worth visiting.

Jasna Gora monastery

On the way home we booked a hotel in the Polish city Czestochowa. It was a good reason to visit the famous Pauline Monastery of Jasna Gora. Millions of pilgrims every year visit the monastery to see a painting of Black Madonna. This is the only available icon of Black Madonna in Poland; there are about 21 paintings of Black Madonna in France, although this one in Czestochowa is also well known abroad.

The monastery itself looks fantastic on the top of the Jasna Gora hill, especially in the evening during the golden hour before the sunset.

Monument in Poland

It is possible to park the car near to entrance of the monastery. If you are passing Czestochowa, visiting the monastery may be a very good idea. The whole complex is really visitor-friendly. You can spend a few hours relaxing and, even if you are an atheist, enjoying the creations of humans made to praise God.

Other great Polish sites

According to my experience, I would also recommend visiting other interesting sites in Poland, for example, the capital city of Poland Warsaw, the old town of Poznan, medieval castle in Malbork, which has been UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site since 1997. Southern and south-western parts of Poland are known as ski resorts. Especially nice is the area around Zakopane located in the Tatra mountains.

Easter in France

Posted on 10/12/2023 by ainarsbl

During spring, after a short rest in the Baden-Baden baths in Germany, we decided that it would be nice to spend part of Easter in France; we decided to visit one of the most famous cities in the Alsace region, Colmar.

Alsace

Alsace is the fifth smallest of the 27 regions of France, at the same time one of the most populous – 220 people per square kilometre. By comparison, the population density in Latvia according to 2020 data is less than 30 inhabitants per square kilometre, while in the United Kingdom, it is 270 inhabitants per square kilometre. The Alsace region has historically even had its Alsatian language, which could be a German dialect of French; about a third of the population is still able to communicate in Alsatian. As is common elsewhere in Europe, many settlements have German names alongside French names.

Alsace’s largest city is Strasbourg, home to many European Union institutions, including the Council of Europe, the European Parliament and the European Court of Human Rights. It is also interesting that Strasbourg is the second largest port city on the Rhine River.

Easter market in the old town of Colmar

We had read before that there is a market in the old town of Colmar for Easter in France, where you can buy a variety of French country delicacies. Besides, this market is largely aimed directly at the people of neighbouring Germany, because Colmar is only a few dozen kilometres from Germany – just cross the Rhine and you are there.

We found one of the few free parking lots less than a 5-minute walk from the old town of Colmar and headed for the city’s central square. In the very centre of the old town, next to a large church, there were mobile stands with a variety of groceries. What is not quite typical for France – most of all sellers spoke German; more precisely it was probably not German, but Alsatian. Quite a few also understood English, so before buying something particular, it was possible to find out more about it.

Homemade cheese and bird liver pate

We had already bought Alsatian produce in Germany, so at the market we found good things for snacks – homemade cheese, poultry liver pate and dried ham; Italians have a very similar to it called prosciutto.

dairy display in france — Dairy display in France

A little about bird liver pâtés: for the first time in France, we couldn’t understand why there is such a big price difference for the same products – duck or goose liver pâtés, known as special French delicacies – really good stuff for celebrating Easter in France.

It’s quite simple – the price depends on what percentage of poultry meat is added to the liver pate. The more meat, the cheaper the pate; the higher the proportion of liver, the more expensive the pate. Of course, the prices of goose, chicken and duck liver also vary. If we want clean delicacies, then we take a clean liver plate, but if we want to eat a lot, then the liver should have more meat. Like any other delicacy, pure liver pate in large quantities is not so enjoyable.

A bit more about Easter in France. Of course, the celebration of Easter in France was not nearly the same as the celebration of this holiday in Poland, however after various open-air exhibitions and decorations, one could sense that the city has a festive atmosphere. The lively activity in the city centre also testified to that. It should be noted that lunch in France is pleasantly cheaper than in Germany. In Germany, there were many beautiful holiday decorations near private houses, however in the cities we did not observe any common holiday events. To be fair, it must be said that in small towns, however, many Germans attended churches.

Strasbourg

We returned to Alsace about a week after our Easter in France experience to spend there another night before going home and having a little sightseeing around Strasbourg.
It was a complete coincidence that we found and pre-booked the Hôtel Au Couvent du Franciscan, built by ancient Franciscan monks, located almost in the heart of the city. This hotel has not been associated with the church for some time, however, it has retained the ancient charm of the monastery. It was pleasantly surprising that the triple room consisted of two separate bedrooms. The hotel only had one star, although the location and price were very good value for money. The continental breakfast was also unusually generous for France.

Strasbourg Old Town and Cathedral

After several weeks of rain all over Europe, the weather in Strasbourg was finally sunny and very suitable for exploring the city. The grass was green, and chestnuts had already started to bloom. Strasbourg’s Old Town is located on one of the islands. There are a lot of canals in the city in general, although we had not enough time to sail with one of the boats that ran along them.

The whole of Strasbourg’s old town, located on the Grand Island, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988. One of the most impressive buildings in Strasbourg is the Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg. Its construction began in 1176 and was completed in 1439. For a long time, from 1647 to 1874, Strasbourg Cathedral was the tallest building in the world and today it is still the sixth tallest church in the world, with a peak height of 142 metres. Another interesting fact about the cathedral – although it is believed that the cathedral was originally built in the style of Romanesque architecture, it is also mentioned as one of the best examples of Gothic architecture.

Shopping in Strasbourg

There are other beautiful buildings in Strasbourg, many canals, squares and simple dwellings. The city has a good public transport infrastructure, low-floor trams of modern design run through the old town. The Galleries Lafayette department store is also located in the city centre. These French stores can also be found in Berlin, Casablanca, Dubai and New York, although they originate in Paris. However, small shops and cafes along the streets may seem even more interesting.

So, the first half of the day flew away and we had to leave France. Before ending our Easter in France trip, we had lunch and once again had the pleasure of eating a lot more food for the French euro than we would get in Germany for the same amount of Euros. Another important thing for visiting the old town – we took advantage of the fact that in our hotel parking lot, it was allowed to park our car until afternoon free of additional charge.

This Easter in France trip included two other destinations for which separate descriptions are available on this blog – Baden-Baden and the island of Mainau in Germany, and a trip through the French and German parts of Switzerland.

Abbotsbury Swannery

Posted on 08/12/2023 by ainarsbl

Visiting Abbotsbury Swannery in Dorset

We have visited Abbotsbury Swannery in Dorset, England twice. The first time at the end of March and the second time at the beginning of May when new swans and other birds just had the first new babies born. Either of the visits were nice and we would go there again even just to have an amazing walk around and enjoy this peaceful relaxing place in the company of these amazing creatures.

birds nesting place — Birds nesting place

The Swannery was established by Benedictine Monks in the 11th century where they farmed the swans to produce food – how practical! They say that the Abbotsbury Swannery is home to the world’s only managed colony of nesting mute swans, although that is not the only thing you will find there. From the entrance gate, you will have to walk almost one kilometre (about 2,400 feet) to reach the colony of swans; free car parking is located in front of the entrance. On the way to Swannery, you will find other attractions such as a labyrinth and a small ricing arena where usage of pedal-driven means of transport are available free of charge.

Swannery

There is something else you benefit from visiting Abbotsbury Swannery – you may buy a ticket with a huge 25% discount to also enter another site located nearby – Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens. At the time we visited the Abbotsbury Swannery, there was an option to also enter another site designed very well for visitors with kids. However, this has been changed, hopefully temporarily, since the pandemic began in March 2020 (there still are some restrictions for visitors in 2020 due to the coronavirus).

Feeding swans

One of the most exciting things about Abbotsbury Swannery was feeding swans. At the time we visited the swannery, the feeding was at noon – keep this in mind when planning your trip and booking tickets.

It was allowed for volunteers, especially kids, to enter the feeding area and feed swans with the food they provided on-site. This process was long enough to take a lot of photos and shoot videos. All swans from the surrounding area were gathering together to get food. Before and after feeding you may walk around the territory using convenient paths and many other birds living in the area. There is also a small museum providing more information about swans and the history of the site.

Usual swannery opening times are from 10 am to 5 pm all week, with the last entry at 4 pm; online ticket price for an adult is £10, for a child £5. Be aware that dogs are not allowed to enter the swannery. The minimum time for the visit might be two to three hours, although you may spend even more time easily.

Abbotsbury subtropical gardens

After visiting the swannery, we went to Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, a site located two and a half kilometres away by car. And again, there is a huge free-of-charge car park across the road just in front of the entrance to the gardens.

abbotsbury tropical gardens — Abbotsbury tropical gardens

About the history you may read on their website, the information provided is comprehensive. Amazing place both for adults and children to enjoy. All I may add is that gardens are really beautiful, especially during spring. There is a viewpoint where you may observe the coastline and even see a bit of Abbotsbury Swannery; getting there is quite nice physical exercise though.

Opening times of the gardens are from 10 am to 5 pm all week, with the last entry at 4 pm. Advance ticket costs £10 for an adult and £5 for a person aged from five to fifteen; children up to five years enter free, buying tickets on-site would be more expensive. Good news – dogs are allowed to enter the gardens!

South of Norway

Posted on 02/12/2023 by ainarsbl

Arrival in Oslo

To have a short break in June, we went to Norway for a few days to look around and visit Norwegian fjords. After landing at Oslo airport, we picked up our pre-booked car from the airport car rental office and started our trip. We were lucky that instead of a smaller car, we were upgraded for free and got an excellent Volvo V40 – very nice welcome to Norway!

We were thinking about visiting the south of Norway for a long time and finally did it. And, here is the first tip – be prepared to pay for the toll road immediately after leaving the airport if you go to Oslo (there are other toll roads as well).

You can pass control points without paying (what we actually did without a previous intention), however, surveillance cameras are in operation and you will be detected and charged anyway.

The second tip – if you see a parking place for a charge somewhere in the middle of nowhere – make your best effort to find a place to pay for it to avoid penalty charges (still wondering how they managed to recognise that our car was in one of these places). So, visiting the south of Norway is not cheap, however, you may get charged even more if you are not careful enough.

The capital of Norway Oslo is the largest city of Norway. Its metropolitan area has a population of more than 1.4 million people. In addition to this, Oslo is the third largest city in Scandinavia and the most expensive city in the world (according to data from the last decades).

Stave church in Heddal

We didn’t have plans for Oslo and just went through it to reach our destination – the south-western coast of Norway. After a few hours of driving the first stop we made was to look at some old stave church in Heddal. A stave church is a medieval wooden church with a post and beam construction related to timber framing.

hedal church in norway — Hedal Church in Norway

The wall frames are filled with vertical planks. All of the surviving stave churches, except one, are in Norway (the remaining one is in Sweden). The church itself was an interesting, impressive wooden building and it really was worth to see it. I still remember the smell of the surrounding area – it was a very heavy smell of tar all around.

Camping in Norway

Camping rather than staying in a hotel saves a lot of money in such an expensive country as Norway. Almost everywhere in Norway is allowed wild camping (you should not even ask permission from a land owner if you stay on uncultivated land for a couple of nights), although we were travelling with a child and for that reason were not considering that option.

We decided to stay near the fjord. To find a campsite anywhere in Norway, you can use a multilingual camping portal. (there are some 13 languages available to choose from).

You may search by region, camping chain, city, attraction etc. At the time we were in Norway it was not that easy (we did not even have a booking in advance, relying on fortune), however finding campsites nowadays is much easier.

sheep on a road in norway — Sheep on a road in Norway

If you are travelling in July, the weather is good enough to stay in your own tent. There are comfortable bungalows available as well, though they are not cheap at all. But you know – there is nothing cheap in Norway, especially food. However, the emotions you get from visiting Norway and enjoying nature there are even more impressive than you could imagine before. There is another blog from this trip about fantastic Norwegian waterfalls and nature.

Lithuanian dessert sakotis

Posted on 28/11/2023 by ainarsbl

Bakery near Ignalina

This is another part of our trip around Lithuania. On the morning of the second day of our trip, after a coffee and light breakfast, we went to Ignalina. Our destination was bakery Romnesa, where Lithuanian desert sakotis (šakotis, šakočiai or raguolis), what is a national delicacy, is produced.

Sakotis is a special muffin in the shape of a tree with a hollow in the middle prepared by monks since the 15th century. A similar kind of muffin is also popular in Germany, Poland, Sweden, Hungary and Japan.

However, every country has its own specific traditions of preparing them. Variants of preparation may vary but just for an example here is one sakotis recipe (keep in mind that the same importance as ingredients also is a technology of sakotis preparation). In this case, sakotis was made on open fire. We were also told about the history of sakotis (there is a small museum inside the factory’s premises) as well as made our own.

The size of sakotis depends on the amount of eggs used for its preparation.

Components of Lithuanian desert sakotis

1/2 cup butter;
1/2 cup sugar;
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel;
1/2 teaspoon vanilla;
6 egg yolks;
2/3 cup flour;
1/3 cup cornstarch;
6 egg whites;
1/4 teaspoon salt;
1/4 cup sugar

Preparation of sakotis

Cream butter until light and gradually add 1/2 cup of sugar, lemon peel and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla.
Add yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Mix flour with 1/3 cup of corn starch, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and stir into butter mixture.
Beat egg whites until soft peaks form, gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, and beat till stiff peaks form.
Stir a small amount of egg white into the flour mixture, and fold the flour mixture into the egg whites.
Bake on a rotating cone.

Serving

Do not forget to remove your sakotis from the cone before serving – it looks so tasty that anyone would like to try it straight away.

cooking lithuanian sakotis — Cooking Lithuanian sakotis

You can also read a blog about another delicacy of Lithuanian cuisine – Lithuanian dumplings Cepelinai.

Marrakesh

Posted on 26/11/2023 by ainarsbl

The capital city of Morocco is Rabat, which is located 324 kilometres northeast of Marrakesh. It would take three and a half hours to reach Marrakesh by car from Rabat, it is the fourth largest city in Morocco.

Instead of coming from Morocco’s capital by car, we landed at Menara Airport in June. It was a direct flight from Glasgow by EasyJet. The cost of the return flight per person at that time was about £145 and pre-arranged taxi pick-up from the airport to the city was around £15.

We spent about a week in Morocco at that time. In 2015, Marrakesh was named by TripAdvisor as the No.1 travel destination in the world (winners of the 2015 Travellers’ Choice award for Destinations), leaving such popular destinations as Czech capital Prague at 5th position, UK’s London as No.6 and Rome as No.7 – impressive, isn’t it? The major part of this trip we spent in Marrakesh.

Accommodation in Marrakesh

Marhabbah Murrākuš! It is a norm in Morocco that you would rather find a privately owned guest house ‘Riad’ for your stay than a hotel. We decided to try two of them in Marrakesh; the first one was simple and thus cheaper but the second riad had large rooms and an impressive decorated private pool.

Both were located in Medina (old town) near Bab Doukkala Mosque. One of the most useful things we did during preparation for our visit was to ask a representative of the Riad to meet us after arrival near a mosque. You may ask why? Because even a detailed investigation of Google Maps sometimes would not help to find accommodation just after the first arrival to Marrakesh.

The old town is like a spider net and even taxi drivers may not be able to find the address you are looking for.

Getting around Marrakesh

The area around Marrakesh area has been inhabited since Neolithic times; at that time those were Berber tribes. Marrakesh was founded in 1062.

During the 60s and 70s of the last century, such famous people and groups as Yves Saint Laurent, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Jean-Paul Getty spent significant time in the city, attracting many more tourists to the city. Medina of Marrakesh is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (wow – again, we lived at least a few days in a world heritage site!

Places to visit

There are two major options to travel around the city – either on foot or by taxi. Walking is almost the only way you can move around Medina, although walking bigger distances may also be a nice way of spending time there. If you have gone too far away, you can always catch a taxi to get back home – will not need to spend a fortune on your trip back.

For example, we visited Jardin Majorelle. The Jardin Majorelle is one of the most visited sites in Morocco, open every day at least from 9am till 5pm). We enjoyed walking both ways from and back to Medina – around 4 kilometres altogether.

London – first quick look

Posted on 25/11/2023 by ainarsbl

Visiting London

The capital of England and the United Kingdom London has many interesting and even unique sites, but I will start with bridges. There are 24 bridges across the River Thames in London.

The oldest is London Bridge, which was made from wood initially, but afterwards rebuilt in 1209, 1831 and 1973. Probably, the most famous is Tower Bridge, which was built in 1894 and is known around the world.

tower bridge in london — Tower Bridge in London

One of the most interesting bridges, in my opinion, is the Millennium Bridge which is a pedestrian bridge, connecting St. Paul Cathedral and the Tate Modern Art Gallery.

A very beautiful scene appears if you look at the bridge from the art gallery to St. Paul Cathedral. However, you can cross the river using any of the other bridges (except a few railway bridges) and every time panoramic view will be different and equally interesting.

Parks and gardens

Despite being a large city, London is very green. There are lots of small gardens and large parks even in the city centre. The largest parks in the central area are The Regent’s Park (166 hectares), Hyde Park (142 hectares) and Kensington Gardens (111 hectares).

Those are also called Royal Parks because initially they were created for the recreation of the royal family. Many people are using parks for running and walking every day.

Birthday of the Queen

If you decide to visit London, every year there is a big public celebration of Queen’s or King’s Birthday. A crowd of people watch the parade. It is called Trooping the Colour – a tradition coming from the 17th century. It is held annually in London on the second Saturday of June.

After a parade of the British Army, the Queen travels down from The Mall to Buckingham Palace in a Royal Procession. It is very interesting to watch Mounted Troops and Horse Guards. At the end of the event, Royal Air Forces fly over the palace.

Pubs and events in London

In my opinion, English pubs are something special. You can enjoy excellent beer having lunch or without it. You can get a very special traditional dish on Sundays – Sunday Roast. But the most amazing picture you may see on Friday evenings. Before coming home from work, lots of people after working week are gathering, making crowds outside centrally located pubs.

This is like a forecast that the weekend is coming and people start celebrating the end of the hard-working week. And this celebration often ends only when pubs are closing around midnight. Every weekend, during summertime, there are events and various celebrations all around the city. One of the most popular and populated events is Notting Hill Carnival. This event is held each August Bank Holiday since 1966 and is the largest festival celebration of its kind in Europe.

There are lots of costumes, lots of noise from sound systems all around and much more public watching these activities. Altogether, around one million people are participating in this carnival. One of the most interesting attractions during this event is the steel band competition.

London sightseeing

Visiting London offers a huge amount of different attractions. For example, the River Thames is a very busy public transport route. If you wish to have a river trip, it’s worth choosing Greenwich as a destination and using the very comfortable services of Thames Clippers (they are now called Uber Boat). These high-speed catamarans are fast and services are frequent, have many stops and you can watch from the river many sites during the trip. Greenwich is one of the last stops of the Thames Clippers.

After visiting the Royal Observatory and surrounding area in Greenwich, you can return to the city centre using DLR – Docklands Light Railway. This is one more thing to be experienced – DLR is one of the first light rail systems in Britain and has one of the world’s most advanced automatic train control systems.

All DLR trains from Greenwich arrive at Bank Underground Station. These are just a few tips on how you can spend your time in London for an extended weekend. In reality, even 10 years of living in London might be not enough to get familiar with everything that offers this city.