Spring in Bohemia

Posted on 18/12/2023 by ainarsbl

At the very end of April, we went for a quick trip to the Czech Republic. Perhaps, the most famous destination of the Czech Republic is its capital Prague, however Nord-Eastern part of the country, the region of Bohemia, is very exciting and attractive because of the mountains and local traditions.

The whole Bohemian region covers about two-thirds of the Czech Republic. We had plans to visit a factory producing glass and crystal according to the old traditions, a local brewery (Czech beer has been always tasty and of high quality), spend some time hiking in the mountains near Adrspach and to find something else interesting in the area.

Camping near Trutnov

Before arrival, we found on the Internet and booked a camping Dolce Vita near the town of Trutnov (address: Dolce Vita, Oblanov 37, 54101 Trutnov, Czech Republic). Camping offers apartments in cottages located near a lake.

Camping is located about two kilometres away from the main road, however, it is easy to find it. The cottage itself was not very well maintained, however, the price was good for value and the surrounding area of camping is quiet and, as we found afterwards, very beautiful providing a relaxing atmosphere.

National Park Adrspach – Teplice Rocks

The next day after arrival, we went to the National Park Adrspach. Adrspach is a village in the Hradec Kralove region; the Giant and Eagle mountains of this region have been widely known from Roman times and even before. The village is divided into the administrative areas of Dolni Adrspach (Lower Adrspach) and Horni Adrspach (Upper Adrspach).

National Park Adrspach and the area around it is well known for Adrspach-Teplice Rocks (also, Adrspach Rock Town or Adrspasske skaly in Czech language). We planned the whole day to spend there.

Bohemian Paradise

As we had our pet (dog) with us, it was nice to find out that it is allowed to visit this site taking pets with you (ticked, however, should be purchased for your small companion too).
The rocks are really impressive! They are very popular for rock climbers; we saw some of them on the top of rocks. This area is among the most beautiful natural features of the Czech Republic, also called the Bohemian Paradise.

There is the main entrance near Teplice Rocks, although Rock Town in reality begins about two kilometres from the entrance. Before visiting Rock Town, we went to the nearby lake to enjoy the beautiful landscape around it. There are good trails everywhere in the park around the lake but in the rock town, most of the pathways are even covered with asphalt.

If you are not too lazy to climb up the hill using a steep rocky trail and wait a bit in a queue, there is a short but attractive boat trip available in the park (ticket should be purchased separately before boarding, although it is worth trying it).

Adrspach Rocks has the status of a national nature conservation area, and guided tours are available as well. An adult ticket for entrance costs about 2.5 euros, a child ticket half of it, and a family ticket (2+2) costs about 6 euros; entrance for a dog costs a bit more than 1 euro.

Dinner in a guesthouse

After a whole day spent in Adrspach, we went back to camping but before arrival enjoyed a nice supper in Trutnov. This was a very family-friendly restaurant in guesthouse Penzion Porici, which is located just outside of the town centre.

I can recommend this restaurant if you want to have a tasty meal without rushing in a quiet atmosphere. We even came back for the second time there and were completely satisfied again with their food and service delivery.

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.

Sahara desert

Posted on 24/11/2023 by ainarsbl

The Authentic Morocco tour

A couple of days after our arrival in Marrakesh, we went on ‘The Authentic Morocco’ tour to see the highest and most spectacular sand dunes in Morocco and to experience a camel ride in the desert.

We booked the tour with a local travel company well in advance. The duration of the Morocco tour was three days with two overnight stays as all included for a total price of EUR 120 per person (we paid in advance a deposit of EUR 70 per person). This was before pandemic, so prices, most probably, may have gone up since then.

To sum it up, this Morocco tour was very good value for money and we were completely satisfied with this trip. Below, are more details about this trip.

Day one – crossing High Atlas mountains

We met our driver-guide near the hotel at 8 AM and boarded Toyota Land-cruiser where other people were waiting for us to join the trip; there was a driver and six passengers in total, including us – just enough space for such a long trip.

The destination of our first day was Dades Gorge, a small village in the middle of nowhere. We travelled over the impressive Tizi n’Tichka Pass (2260 m), observed the Berber Villages on our way, stopped for lunch and sightseeing at the World Heritage site of Ait Benhaddou, which is famous for being used for filming more than twenty widely watched films. I even do not know how much time we spent there, however, that was enough to have lunch, walk around enjoying stunning scenery and visit the famous village.

Before arriving at the hotel, we went through Ouarzazate, continued towards the Valley of Roses, the Dades Valley, Skoura oasis, the Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs and reached the Dades Gorge. The hotel was very quiet, the hosts provided good food and we were able to relax before continuing our trip on the next day.

Day two – camel trip and dinner with nomads

After breakfast at the hotel, we continued our trip and stopped at the Todra Gorge, which is one of the most impressive rocky creations of nature I have seen – a massive fault, rising to 300 m in a narrow valley. After lunch, we continued our trip to the final destination – the great sand dunes of Erg Chebbi; the town is located in the East of Morocco, only about 20 kilometres away from the Algerian border.

After arrival, we had a short break and left our baggage at the hotel. Before sunset we got our camels to continue the trip to Nomadic Berber tents where dinner, campfire, drum party and overnight stay were organised for us. The camel ride took about two hours with a break halfway. It was exciting, although that long ride on camel was a bit exhausting.

The evening party in the desert was amazing. We got a chance to play drums ourselves, although those only looked easy to play. In fact, you should practice a lot to be a proper drummer. Among many other things, dinner was outstanding.

Day three – back from Merzouga to Marrakesh

Early in the morning, we went back to our camels and returned to the hotel in Merzouga. After a short stay there, we started our way back to Marrakesh, stopping for lunch in Ouarzazate.

I believe that was the only occasion during the Morocco tour when we paid for our food, everything else was included in the price. We continued by driving over the High Atlas Mountains and arrived in Marrakesh in the evening.

On our way back, we asked the driver to stop at a local cooperative shop to purchase some Argan oil and other local produce for taking those back home. Our request was kindly accepted. I have to mention that the organisers’ promise to avoid souvenir shops was kept and we did not have to face annoying salesmen during our whole trip.

This adventure happened during our first ever trip to Morocco, you can read many more on this blog as we visited this beautiful country quite a few times afterwards.

Italian cooking classes in Rome

Posted on 23/11/2023 by ainarsbl

This experience was part of our trip to Italian capital city Rome. After returning from our one-day long trip to Vesuvius, we had one more major attraction booked – cooking classes in Italian restaurant.

small restaurant in rome — Small restaurant in Rome

Almost everybody around the world knows Italian food. Italian cuisine has been developing since ancient times and has spread around the world until nowadays. One of the main characteristics of Italian dishes is that it is usually simple to prepare a meal because just a few main ingredients (often two to four) are normally used. However, Italy is large country and the same dish may be very different in different areas of the country.

Some very well know ingredients of Italian cuisine are olive oil, pesto, pasta, tomatoes, peppers, olives, garlic, artichokes, eggplants, zucchini, all kinds of meat, fish, seafood and cheese (parmesan, pecorino, ricotta etc.).

There is a huge range of pasta used in Italy as well as in other countries around the world – macaroni, spaghetti, linguine, fusilli, penne, lasagne, ravioli and tortellini. Pasta differs from each other with various lengths, widths, and shapes but, for example, ravioli and tortellini are filled with other ingredients.

A while before coming over to Italy, we booked cooking classes at Le Fate Restaurant (Le Fate means fairy). In this privately owned restaurant, Italian Chief Andrea Consoli was teaching groups of 4 to 6 people about preparing excellent Italian dishes.

We were really enjoying this cooking class and I would recommend it to anyone who likes to enjoy free time acquiring some new knowledge mixed with just having fun. However, I was checking for availability of this cooking class in 2019 and it appears that this restaurant has been closed – what a pity.

There is another blog about finding good restaurants in Rome for eating breakfast, lunch and dinner – this may save your some time in finding those as I can recommend all of them after my own positive experience.

So, this is it about our cooking classes in Rome but there also are travel notes about another trips to Italy, for example, to Italian Alps.

Oxford and Brighton

Posted on 21/11/2023 by ainarsbl

English cities

The United Kingdom is a country, which you can visit many times and every time you will discover something new. The same applies if you are in London. Just to mention that London contains 4 (!) UNESCO World Heritage Sites – the Tower of London, Kew Gardens, a complex consisting of the Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey, St. Margaret’s Church, and Greenwich.

On this page there are just two very short episodes from many visits outside London, although we have visited many many more – check this blog for other places.

Oxford

Oxford is one of the most beautiful cities in the UK. The city is widely known for its medieval Oxford University. Buildings in Oxford demonstrate an example of every English architectural period since the arrival of Saxons, but especially impressive are the buildings of the University of Oxford.

There are roughly 100 major academic departments, which are overseen by the four academic divisions: Medical Sciences; Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences; Humanities and Social Sciences. There are 38 Oxford colleges, which are financially independent and self-governing but relate to the central University in a kind of federal system.

The best way to get from London to Oxford is by Oxford Tube bus company, it takes less than 2 hours from central London. A bit more expensive option is using a train. If you travel by train to Oxford, you have to leave from Paddington station by Great Western Railway or from Marylebone station to board Chiltern Railways.

Brighton

Brighton is a very popular seaside resort town located about 90 kilometres (50 miles) from London. Brighton is a festival town with many attractive events during the summer season.

Brighton has a 5.4-mile-long shingle beach all owned by the city council. Each year during May, the city hosts the Brighton Festival and Brighton Fringe, which is the second largest arts festival in the UK after Edinburgh (Scotland).

To visit Brighton from London, there are very many frequent train services (Southern and Thameslink) and it would take about one hour to get there.

To the south-west from London there is another, perhaps, even more popular resort town Bournemouth. The best way to travel from London to Brighton and also to Bournemouth, might be by train, however ticket prices during the holiday season may get very high. For example, a return ticket to Bournemouth may cost more than one hundred pounds.