Resetuj wyszukiwanie
Europe Summer 2023
  • Ella Balagula
  • Ella Balagula

Europe Summer 2023

110-dniowa przygoda według Ella Czytaj więcej
+10
ObserwujPodsumowaniePodsumowanieKalendarzKalendarzZdjęciaZdjęciaDzielićDzielićLista postanowień
Najpierw najnowszy
  • Ella BalagulaEurope Summer 2023Podróżnik
    University courtyard

    Vilnius city walk

    1 lipca 2023, Litwa ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    This weekend we were dancing 6-8 hours a day at the magical Encuentro, but in the morning we did a VoiceMap old Vilnius tour. It started at the cathedral square and then we walked around the famous Vilnius university, which had 13 connected courtyards. We were only able to find 5 or 6, as often it’s a small inconspicuous doorway that leads to the next courtyard. We saw some beautiful churches and then it was time for some more dancing! Czytaj więcej

    Zobacz tłumaczenie
  • Ella BalagulaEurope Summer 2023Podróżnik
    View from our hotel room
    Part 1 of our hotel breakfast - Banochki!Part 2 of our hotel breakfastSteak tartare is very popular in PolandDelicious trout filetAmazing duck with rhubard sauce

    Zakopane

    4 lipca 2023, Polska ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    On Monday morning, after the Encuentro, we flew to Krakow, and from there took a bus to the nearby mountain resort Zakopane. It’s part of the Carpathian mountain range, called Tatras, on the border with Slovakia. We stayed in an amazing mountain spa resort, with saunas and scrumptious breakfast, consisting of many delicious “banochki” and a choice of egg breakfast. On Tuesday, we went on a hike to the 5 lakes, but even though this hike was mislabeled as easy, it was actually quite long and strenuous, and we ended up seeing only 3 lakes, which were nevertheless gorgeous. It was very nice to get a bit of fresh mountain air, in contrast to all the intense cities we have been visiting. In the evening, we had a delicious dinner at our hotel restaurant. Czytaj więcej

    Zobacz tłumaczenie
  • Ella BalagulaEurope Summer 2023Podróżnik
    All tbe horses were gorgeous, albeit contributed a touristy lookSt Marys churchLike in Prague, they used house signs - this one is naturally, the house under the peacockFamous Krakow dragonThe marathon of Polish pierogi starts

    Krakow Old City

    5 lipca 2023, Polska ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Today we took a bus from Zakopane to Krakow and did a VoiceMap city tour. Amazingly, Krakow is the only city in Poland that did not get destroyed during the WWII. We stayed right by the old square with beautiful St Mary’s church, old market passage and gorgeous medieval buildings. In the afternoon, I went to the Krakow castle and walked around it’s beautiful churches and palace buildings. In the evening we went to a local milonga and were a bit intimidated by the amazing level of dancers. Czytaj więcej

    Zobacz tłumaczenie
  • Ella BalagulaEurope Summer 2023Podróżnik
    Our tour guide
    The only remaining synagogue - because it was used as a storage and was useful.Some doorways in tbe old jewish quarter have signs of mezuza in their doorwaysBeautful art on the bridgeThe interior of St Mary churchSt Mary church has the largest wooden altar in EuropeI couldnt resist a local hot chocolate tastingMilonga on the boat

    Krakov Jewish Tour

    6 lipca 2023, Polska ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Today we took a Jewish Tour of Krakow with the free (pay what you wish) company Walkative, which is very big in Europe. First, when I saw our tour guide with the tshirt saying “cute, but psycho” I was a little worried, but he actually turned out absolutely amazing. The Jewish history of Poland and Krakow is heartbreaking, as the place was really a huge center of Jewish culture before the Holocaust, and most people perished. It is a large part of Polish history too, because 25-30 % of population was Jewish. We walked the site of Jewish ghetto and a few remaining sites. Now, it’s a bustling tourist area, full of kosher stores and restaurants. After the tour, I went to listen to live Chopin piano concert, as Chopin is such a huge figure in Poland. He lived there for the first 20 years of his life, before moving to Paris where he died from tuberculosis at only 39. I then spent a long time at the main market square, marveling at the beautiful light around dusk. And afterwards, I went to Nuevo milonga, on a beautiful barge boat! Czytaj więcej

    Zobacz tłumaczenie
  • Ella BalagulaEurope Summer 2023Podróżnik
    Royal Castle - rebuilt
    Monument to a child resistance fighterMonument to Warsaw ResistanceSome buildings have old part of surviving walls incorporated in the reconstructionMonument to the Unlnown SoldierParlament building where Warsaw agreement of Solialist countries was signed as a counterpart to NATO

    Warsaw WWII City Walk

    7 lipca 2023, Polska ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    This morning we took a train from Krakow to Warsaw and did a VoiceMap World War II walk. Warsaw’s story is fascinating and unique - the city was occupied by Nazi, but put up significant resistance in multiple uprisings, starting with Jewish ghetto uprising. After squashing the resistance, Nazi punished Warsaw by destroying 90% of the city. As a result, the entire city for laying in ruins and rubble after the WWII. And yet, it has been completely rebuilt, often using the same bricks and almost always, using the same designs. So, today it’s a beautiful city, with rebuilt old town, and an interesting mix of architectural styles. Czytaj więcej

    Zobacz tłumaczenie
  • Ella BalagulaEurope Summer 2023Podróżnik
    Famous polish bublikiTaste of childhood - chocolate kielbasa

    Warsaw Historical City Center

    8 lipca 2023, Polska ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    This morning Tanyuha arrived to join us for the weekend! We started the day by having delicious breakfast and in the afternoon, joint a Walkative city tour. It was a light and interesting walk, where we learned many interesting stories and walked around a beautifully restored city square, which used to be old market square. There is a fountain with the mermaid in the center. We had another dinner of pierogi, this time fried. We finished the day by listening to another beautiful Chopin piano concert. Czytaj więcej

    Zobacz tłumaczenie
  • Ella BalagulaEurope Summer 2023Podróżnik
    The only remaininv synagogue
    The remains of ghetto wallMemorial to Warsaw Jewish ghetto resistance fightersMemorial to the resistance leadership above the bunkerOne of the most iconic Chopin statues

    Warsaw Jewish Tour

    9 lipca 2023, Polska ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    We started our morning with delicious breakfast in one of the cafes and then we took a Jewish tour with Walkative. The Jewish community of Warsaw before the war was 380,000 and it was over one third of the entire Warsaw population. All of them, plus another 80,000 Jews from nearby towns were squeezed into several streets of Jewish ghetto, which in 1942 became shut. We learned heart wrenching facts and statistics - such as that the food rations were 250 calories per person. The sheer scale of the murders and atrocities was very hard to comprehend. By late 1943 there were only 60,000 left Jews and there were 800 of them, who under the leadership of 24 year old boy, launched the Warsaw ghetto uprising, which lasted a month. Of course, they couldn’t have succeeded fighting with smuggled weapons, and as modern day Masada, they committed suicides. We saw the recent excavation to their bunkers. We then had lunch and walked in the Warsaw main park, where there was a summer Chopin concert in the park. Czytaj więcej

    Zobacz tłumaczenie
  • Ella BalagulaEurope Summer 2023Podróżnik
    Danish Royal TheaterThis kiosk used to be a telephone booth for 2-3 peopleFamous Nyhavn areaCurrent Royal residenceHans Christian AndersonFountain depictinb mythical dragonCity HallBibliotecaThere are many parodies on famous Little Mermaid.

    Copenhagen Day 1 - city tour

    10 lipca 2023, Dania ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Today we took a quick flight to Copenhagen from Warsaw. And first thing, of course, we did a VoiceMap tour of the city. We started at the main city square established by a king and finished at the queens square, where there are residential palaces of the current monarchy. The architecture is very beautiful and the history very interesting and engaging. Like many European cities, Copenhagen burned down in medieval times, but has largely been untouched in WWII. We learned that all the Danish kings were names either Frederick or Christian conveniently rotating between the two. We also walked along the famous beautiful canal street, lined by picturesque Dutch looking colorful houses In the afternoon, I took a VoiceMap tour about Danish myths and took lots of pictures of trolls and various creatures. Czytaj więcej

    Zobacz tłumaczenie
  • Ella BalagulaEurope Summer 2023Podróżnik
    Stunning design on the public libraryThis is blood stained shirt of some king (either Frederick or Christian, i dont remember).Double sided portrait- on one side the kingAnd on the other side, the queenRoyal Thrones which are still used todayBeautiful ivory carvingsWine from 1615!!! Apparently tastes like dry sherryRoyal crown with giant sapphires

    Copenhagen Day 2 - Castle Island

    11 lipca 2023, Dania ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Today we did VoiceMap tour of the castle island, where naturally the kings castle is located. We walked by and went inside the new house public library building, which had some beautiful design. Then we walked around the castle grounds and then went to the food hall market for a quick lunch of traditional open faced sandwiches. They were quite delicious, especially the one with the fried fish. In the afternoon I went to explore the inside of a kings palace, which had some beautiful origination furniture and decorations, as well as many interesting objects, such as wine from 1615, which is now only being consumed by the Royal Family on New Years dinner. There was also fascinating Royal Treasury collection of Crown Jewels. Czytaj więcej

    Zobacz tłumaczenie
  • Ella BalagulaEurope Summer 2023Podróżnik
    The egg chair
    Art Nuevo city hallInteresting monument, protesting the construction of underground garage in a parkOne of displays in tbe Design MuseumBeautiful mermaid

    Copenhagen Day 3 - Design tour

    12 lipca 2023, Dania ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Today was dedicated to exploring the famous Danish design. We first took VoiceMap design tour, which took us to an interesting hotel lobby featuring furniture by the famous designer, such as the “egg chair” - the shape that is quite mainstream today, but was considered groundbreaking the first time it was introduced. We then went to the Copenhagen Design Museum, and learned about the evolution of design, and the various elements, such as shapes, textures and colors. In the afternoon, I went to see the famous Little Mermaid statue, and despite the reputation of the common touristy complaints of “is that it?”, I was absolutely enchanted by its grace and simplicity. We finished the day with delicious Nordic dinner. Czytaj więcej

    Zobacz tłumaczenie
  • Ella BalagulaEurope Summer 2023Podróżnik

    Arriving to Stockholm

    14 lipca 2023, Szwecja ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    In the morning of Wednesday, July 13, we took a 5 hour train from Copenhagen to Stockholm, passing through endless beautiful scenery of lakes and forests. When we arrived, in the afternoon I walked around the old city, Gamla Stan, took a few photos and sat in the cafes. In the evening, we went to the pre-encuentro milonga of Luz Del Norte. We stayed in the residential area, near the encuentro venue of modern beautiful church, and discovered amazing neighborhood bakery, where we ate every morning the next three days - “egg and fish caviar” sandwiches and delicious cardamom buns. Czytaj więcej

    Zobacz tłumaczenie
  • Ella BalagulaEurope Summer 2023Podróżnik
    Starting the Swedish meatball adventureUnique 15 century sculpture of George killing the dragonThe narrowest street in StockholmInteresting sculpture outside of shopping mall

    Stockholm Vasa museum and more walking

    17 lipca 2023, Szwecja ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    The 3 days over the weekend were spent dancing - for over 30 hours! Then, on Monday, we moved to another hotel, closer to city center, and started the day with the visit to Vasa museum. It’s a unique museum that consists of the 17th century sailboat, that sank in its inaugural voyage, and then was found and lifted in 1960s. The story of its retrieval and preservation is incredible - they were dosing it with preservation chemicals for 17 years and then dried it for another 9! The sheer size, and carving details are awe inspiring. Then I did some more VoiceMap walking around the city, and went to the Nobel Prize Museum. Czytaj więcej

    Zobacz tłumaczenie
  • Ella BalagulaEurope Summer 2023Podróżnik
    Adorable traffic lights of couples
    Royal clothesThe three crowns of SwedenOne too many cardamom bunsRoyal palaceSubway stationMetro station carved right in the rock

    Stockholm Royal Palace and Fotografiska

    18 lipca 2023, Szwecja ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    In the morning we went to the Royal Palace for a self guided tour - this is the largest functioning royal palace with 608 rooms! We only saw a fraction of those, of course, and saw t w Royal treasury with many crowns, and royal clothes. We then went to Fotografiska museum and saw amazing exhibit of fashion photographer Peter Lindbergh, called Lightness of Being, featuring his groundbreaking shots of making models look strong, natural and confident, instead of highly staged and made up. In the evening, I walked some more in the old town, and then went to see some metro underground art. 90 of Stockholm’s 100 stations feature work by more than 150 international artists. Each station has a theme, and often incorporates natural bedrock that the station is carved into. Czytaj więcej

    Zobacz tłumaczenie
  • Ella BalagulaEurope Summer 2023Podróżnik
    Leaving Stockholm harbor
    CanalsOne of the beautiful Sandhamn housesA view from the islandWalking quiet country laneEnjoying delicious wild blueberriesPassing by the amusement park

    Stockholm Archipelago

    19 lipca 2023, Szwecja ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Today, we took an 8-hour boat tour to the archipelago - 3 hour ride each way and 2 hours spent on Sandhamn, one of the outer archipelago islands. We went through some narrow canals, and through some open waters as well, and the scenery was really beautiful. The island had a vibe of a mix between old fisherman village and summer cottages of the city crowd. We had delicious lunch on the boat and arrived to Stockholm. In the evening, I went to visit ABBA museum, which was a bit touristy and just ok. Czytaj więcej

    Zobacz tłumaczenie
  • Ella BalagulaEurope Summer 2023Podróżnik
    Theater near our hotel
    Vienna CathedralBeautifully carved pulpitDelicious mini sandwichesRoyal PalaceNeue Berg musem - Hitler announced from this balcony Austria annexation into GermanySisi was famous for her beauty - here she is at 16, when she married her cousin Franz JosefFranz Josef adored Sisi, snd his desk was occupied by her numerous portraitsSisi was obsessed with exercise and dieting - he bedroom is full of workout equipment!Main staircase of gbe Art Kunst museumVelazques painted Spanish infanta, so that her portraits could be send to potential royal suitorsSpanish infanta at 2, 5 and 8 years old. She was engaged to an Austrian prince at birthRafaels madonnaFascinating 15th century paintings that look like Surrealism

    Vienna Day 1 - Rick Steves and museums

    20 lipca 2023, Austria ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Today, we took 6 am flight from Stockholm to Vienna, and first thing, embarked on Rick Steves tour. It gave us a basic overview of the city. Vienna is simply stunning - perhaps, due to the renaissance of the 1900s, and wealth of Habsburgs dynasty. We went to the St Stephen’s Cathedral, the main cathedral of Vienna. We then had a quick lunch or tiny delicious sandwiches - Trziensky is an institution that has been around for over 100 years. In the afternoon, I first went to the Sisi museum and Royal Apartments, all in the Hofburg palace. I was fascinated by the story of Emperor Franz Josef and his wife Elizabeth, or Sisi. She was a strong independent woman, and the love of his life. Their Royal apartments felt much more alive than other palaces. I then went to the main Art Museum and marveled at incredible collection of the Old Masters. Czytaj więcej

    Zobacz tłumaczenie
  • Ella BalagulaEurope Summer 2023Podróżnik
    Monument to the largest destroyed synagogue - the pillars indicate where the pillars of the buildingIt is now a memorial site and a Hebrew School - and i was able to snap this picture of resilienceHolocaust memorial - walls consists of books turned inward - as unfinished stories of lost livesBuilding where headquarters of Nazi hunters wereFamous Life and Death by KlimtSchielle was famous for his bold self portraitsAnotner Schielle self portraitPortrait of his loverAnotner bold Schielle nude

    Vienna Day 2 Jewish tour, Leopold Museum

    21 lipca 2023, Austria ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    We started the day with breakfast at a cafe where we ended up eating every day. We then did an amazing VoiceMap tour on the Holocaust - it’s tragedy and the subsequent quest for justice much of the tour is dedicated to the story of Simon Wiesenthal, the famous “Nazi hunter” who found and brought to justice numerous Nazis, hiding after the WWII. It was the best tour we have done - poignant, engaging and fascinating. In the afternoon, I went to the Leopold Museum and enjoyed many Austrian painters, including some of the Klimts and a large collection of Kokoshka and Schielle. Czytaj więcej

    Zobacz tłumaczenie
  • Ella BalagulaEurope Summer 2023Podróżnik
    Early, Klimt was a successful portraitistKlimt skills xan be seen in beautfil play with color and textureAdam and Eve by KlimtThe most famous Klimt painting - The Kiss

    Vienna Day 3 - Schloss Belvedere

    22 lipca 2023, Austria ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Today we went to Schloss Belvedere - a beautiful palace turned into an art museum, with the largest collection of Klimt. It’s a stunning 19tb century palace, and a fascinating curation of the evolution of art around Vienna in 1900. At that time, it was golden age for Vienna, with many breakthrough in every discipline - Freud, Einstein, Curie, among others, which also influenced new movements in art. We spent a long time immersed in the famous Klimt The Kiss. Pictures definitely do not do it’s any justice. It might well be one of my all time favorite paintings. Czytaj więcej

    Zobacz tłumaczenie
  • Ella BalagulaEurope Summer 2023Podróżnik
    Beautiful Monet Lily GardenAmazing ChagalOpera theaterOpera interiorAnother view of BelvederOne of fhe colossal paintings

    Vienna Day 4 - Albertina museum, Opera

    23 lipca 2023, Austria ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    We started the day with the Albertina museum, which houses an incredible collection of Impressionists and later styles. The permanent collection is arranged from Monet to Picasso. We loved the audioguide (pretty much at all Viennese museums they have been amazing) and the curation - it makes such a huge difference! I loved a few pieces of Chagall the most. We then went to the guided tour of the Opera building, which was a bit underwhelming. It’s built by the same architect who built Odessa Opera House, but in Vienna, large part of the building has been destroyed in WWII and later rebuilt, and the interior is a bit lackluster as well. We then went back to Belvedere, to see a temporary exhibit called “Colossals” focused on extra large paintings, which was quite interesting. Czytaj więcej

    Zobacz tłumaczenie
  • Ella BalagulaEurope Summer 2023Podróżnik
    Schönbrunn has huge incredible gardens
    Palace from tbe distanceBirthday boy and his schnitzel - tbe best in our Vienna experienceBeautiful rainbow for the birthday boy

    Vienna Day 5 - Schloss Schönbrunn palace

    24 lipca 2023, Austria ⋅ ☁️ 34 °C

    Today, we were planning to go to Salzburg, but in the morning we realized that the next two days there would be constant heavy rain, and we quickly changed our plans and decided to go to Madrid for 2 days instead. That left us with a free morning in Vienna and we decided to go and see one remaining too sight that we haven’t visited - Schloss Schönbrunn, the summer palace of the Habsburg dynasty. It was very interesting audio tour, concentrating on the lives of Franz Josef and Sisi, with whom I already was quite familiar. The palace didn’t allow photos of the rooms, but they were exquisite and alive with stories. We then had a quick birthday dinner and I went to see rather heavily touristy classical music concert ( could have been skipped) Czytaj więcej

    Zobacz tłumaczenie
  • Ella BalagulaEurope Summer 2023Podróżnik

    Madrid - Day 1

    25 lipca 2023, Hiszpania ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    We were planning to go to Salzburg this morning, but the weather forecast showed all rain, and we made a quick decision to go to Madrid for 2 days instead, to continue our immersion in arts, inspired by Vienna. We arrived in Madrid in the afternoon, and I went to the Thyssen Bornemisza museum. It was a beautiful collection of various periods of classical art and I also saw a great exhibit Occult, featuring interesting art related to alchemy, spiritism, astrology, etc Czytaj więcej

    Zobacz tłumaczenie
  • Ella BalagulaEurope Summer 2023Podróżnik

    Barcelona Gaudi first house

    28 lipca 2023, Hiszpania ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    We started our day with amazing breakfast where we met Leo and Coco, two very independent pups of the restaurant’s owner. We had breakfast at his place every day we were in Barcelona! We then accidentally stumbled upon a beautiful Gaudi house that was the first house that he built, as a young and creative architect. It was restored only a few years ago, so we have not seen it on previous visits to Barcelona. Czytaj więcej

    Zobacz tłumaczenie
  • Ella BalagulaEurope Summer 2023Podróżnik
    Best tomatoes ever and amazing food!Old taverna with the nail column - bachelors would leave nailsBeautifil main square

    Sibiu

    1 sierpnia 2023, Rumunia ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    After the Lolita encuentro, we flew to Romania, to travel around Transylvania. We flew to Sibia and were planning to rent a car there, to go to Brasov. However, there were some minor twists in the story. Lufthansa forced us to check in our bags and they did not make a connection in Munich. So we ended up staying in Sibia for a day, waiting for our bags to arrive the next day. We also could not rent a car because Igor did not have an international driver license. This was a blessing, as we actually loved Sibia! We walked around this beautiful medieval town. Czytaj więcej

    Zobacz tłumaczenie
  • 2025© FindPenguins
  • Strona główna
  • O nas
  • Śledzenie grupy
  • Wciśnij
  • Warunki
  • Prywatność & Cookies
  • Centrum pomocy
  • Odcisk