Archive for the ‘travel photos’ Category
The national dish of Scotland is haggis. This hearty dish consists of minced sheep’s liver, heart, and lungs, mixed with suet and oatmeal and seasoned with diced onions and spices. All this is then cooked in the sheep’s stomach. It’s also served with neeps and tatties, or puréed turnips and mashed potatoes, respectively.
Buenos Aires is filled with colorful street art. Everywhere you turn buildings have been tagged, and much of it has been elevated to an art form. You’ll find street art across the city, signed by the artists themselves. These images encompass bold graphics and painted characters, as well as classic typography and iconography. Some of the best street art can be found in two of B.A.’s trendiest neighborhoods: the up and coming San Telmo historic district and the stylish Palermo Viejo neighborhood.
Buenos Aires is an exciting city. For starters, it’s home to the sultry tango. Its buildings seem to have been splashed with all colors of the rainbow and turned into open canvases for some of the world’s best graffiti art. There’s a whisper of European flavor to the city, with strong Italian and Spanish roots that have produced great things, among them top notch helado. Plus the city is packed with steakhouses and everywhere you turn are steaming empanadas. Here you can watch a tango show in the park over cold cervezas, shop in street markets for hidden gems, stay out till dawn in the city’s many hopping nightclubs, and just wander about enjoying the relaxed vibe.
Most people have heard of Zurich, the Matterhorn or Geneva. But St. Gallen? The name generally draws blank stares. Yet Switzerland’s northeastern capital is charming, foodie focused, relaxed, and blissfully tourist free.
I rode the train from Lucerne to St. Gallen, which turned out to be an incredibly scenic journey. It cut through green expanses of fertile valleys filled with grazing cows below big fluffy clouds in a brilliant blue sky, all surrounded by mountain peaks crowned with snow. Crossing rivers and curving past multiple lakes, this has got to be one of the best ways to see Switzerland, especially since traveling from one end of the country to the other doesn’t usually take more than a few hours.
Wanted to share some photos from my first fondue here in Switzerland. Switzerland is a land of great cheeses, and fondue is no exception. This communal classic is the perfect bonding ritual, and great for sharing with friends and family on a cold day. Although there are endless variations as far as fondue staples go, like veggies or chocolate fondue with fruit, the classic Swiss tradition is all about bread and potatoes.
Nestled beneath the Alps in northern Italy’s Lombardy region, the beauty of Lake Maggiore is legendary. Here you’ll find a lakeside getaway filled with flowery villas and gardens, perfect for lazy days of aimless wandering. Boat rides and sunshine are obligatory. Seafood and relaxation mandatory.
Merry Christmas from all of us at Culture Vixen!
Zagreb? Where the hell is that? Words that I’ve heard countless times about the narrow alleys and side streets that lay hidden just outside of the regular tourist’s tunnel vision. If you ask the average person, they probably have no idea where Zagreb is. In fact, they probably have no idea where Croatia is, and the only Dalmatia they’ve heard of comes in the 101 variety. Zagreb is not the standard issue city. It does not drown in the web’s bucket list. Even the name sounds fairly strange and distant.
This is a living city first and foremost. You won’t see the roving, multicolored gangs of tour bus riders. Instead, you see Croatians living their lives. You see them lounging in the park with their friends, or enjoying the numerous free nightly music performances. You’ll bump into them as they flood the quaint main streets for happy hour, and you’ll stumble across them watching a free movie in an old town square while drinking wine and eating popcorn. And while the city has seen its share of war and bombings and death, the Croatian people are resiliently carrying it forward into the modern age. And while you can feel the history throughout the city, Zagreb belongs firmly to the future.
