Travel: Italian mountain getaway or in a seek of a "Green" plant Cathedral

It's been a while since I last time managed to run away from Milan and it was not for a work.

Lately I have been travelling like a flight attendant and working day and night that's why I said to myself (and to my boyfriend): " That's it! you and I need a break!and we need it now!"He completely agreed and on a sunny Sunday morning we headed North to find a place called Catedrale Vegetale - a Green tree Catedral somewhere in mountains which was suggested by a friend . Sounded mysterious but I did not mind - in contrary was happy to get some little dose of Italian mountain beauty and have a small adventure.

The Green Cathedral

Finding the cathedral was not as easy as we though even with a navigator and GPS, so we used old fashioned way and just asked locals. (Which is actually a lot nicer way to learn about the place and get some good references and tips). the road had to cross Oltre Il Colle mountains-region to get to our destination.

Travel: A Glimpse of Japan - Part III - Osaka and Universal Studious

Time has come to finish up third and last part of my Japan's adventure which takes us to Osaka and Universal Studious.

Universal Studious Japan

Boy, it was something unbelievable! For a big kid like me it was like a paradise!

The first thing we did - we headed to newly opened Harry Potter part of the park to enjoy the 4D ride.
And I must say it was really impressive! All the part of Harry Potter was crowded with fans lining and queuing for souvenirs and rides, attractions or food. (As it was Sunday the part was crowded, luckily we were on a " mission" and we could skip the lines!

Travel: A glipse of Japan - Part II

My London trip has come to an end so it is a time to continue with my Japan story so can catch up with timing and switch to my European adventures.

The second part of my Japan unexpected meeting took us to Kyoto - an ancient Japan's capital a city full of UNESCO heritage objects. Indeed it is an amazing city even more beautiful than I have imagined from the movies and books. 

Couple dressed in kimonos at Kyoto

(One of my all time favorite books is Memoirs of a Geisha which gave me a small preview of a life of a geisha back in 30ies, strolling down the narrow streets heading to a fancy dinner party and life back in than in general). Actually Kyoto is still an active geisha district where, if you are lucky, can see a real geisha heading for a dinner appointment).

On our free time we started our sightseeing (2 hours) tour with old part of the town and than heading to temples and shrines.

Travel: A Glimpse of Japan - Part I

It's been over a week that I have been back from Japan but the impressions are still live and vivid like it was just yesterday.

Welcome to Japan

This trip came as pretty big surprise to me as it was kind a last minute announcement from my company to join our company's bi-annual Expo in Tokyo (Sanrio Inhouse Expo)  and an offsite meeting in Kyoto.. So you can imagine HOW excited I was. Like a little girl before Christmas or Kevin from Home Alone.
What a thrill was to go to see the land where Hello Kitty was born with my own eyes and to see Tokyo with my own eyes. I must say it is even more colorful, crazy, hectic and advanced than I could ever imagine. but the same time so safe, so clean and organized.
The flight was long and tiring and didn't even manage to close my eyes for more than an hour therefore arrived at my destination pretty destroyed, but after hotel check in, quick shower and outfit change I was ready to hit the city. With which I mean I was ready to go for first meetings and Store check.

Hotel Check in and checking myself out before hitting the town

In late afternoon and after all the blinding city lights, colors, people I started to get pretty tired and sleepy but still could resist and continued my store check cheerfully.

Tights and stocking paradise is in Tokyo

 The ones who knows me are aware of my passion of cute, colorful, trendy and fun socks, tights and stockings I have in my collection so you can only imagine my thrill seeing all these lines of socks in department stores - ahhh a Paradise.

socks paradise as well

 The same for the socks. So colorful, fun, cute and playful. just you want them all and want to make your feet happy and show off.
Of course as a culture where the shoes comes off at the house doors right before entering a nice pair of socks is an nice idea for a conversation starter.

Luckily dinner was scheduled pretty early as we were kind a starving after the long trip and working all afternoon.

Traditional style Japanese restaurant

We were taken to a quite but trendy street right near of Shibuya (the district where we had our hotel) where we could have a nice peace of mind and enjoy our traditional Japanese dinner.

After a delicious dinner we were heading back to our hotel - Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel. On our way we had a glimpse of an Japanese socialising after work and side walk bars.

Traditional Japanese bar at Shibuya

Even if I felt like walking dead and sleep walking the curiosity to see the view from our hotels 40th floor was stronger than me. 

..and I was right - the view was definitely worth seeing. Pity that couldn't manage to sit down at their famous restaurant on 40th floor as it was too late but still managed to catch a glimpse from above.

view to Tokyo from above in the night

Tokyo at night from above

My room was at 23rd floor and I can say that my view was not bad at all.

The next day we were off and running to our in-house Expo, meetings and some more meetings.

Sanrio Expo 2014

A nice review of the Expo you can also find here.

Blending in

I tried to blend in in the Expo as a mannequin but unsuccessfully but turns out I shouldn't move and stop smiling to make it more believable.

rice triangles

 Even when travelling I am trying to stick to my diet therefore for lunch I looked up for a healthy food store and got myself a nice rice triangle and salmon with seaweed to get my daily protein and good carbs. and in top of that managed to save money + ate clean. Really proud of myself.

Salmon with seaweed

 Luckily half of the food packaging is transparent and I was able to spot and choose things without finding someone who would translate it for me as in Japan is pretty tough to find someone speaking good English.

 Before dinner we had two hours free to see near district so we went to near Yoyogi park.

Yoyogi park selfy

Yoyogi park

 already getting closer to the entrance in the park we instantly felt the serenity and silence that isolated all the sounds from the street and the city and made you feel like you are in other dimension - more calm and peaceful.
Heading to the shrine we found a wall of Sake barrels from typical brewers as an exhibition and reminder for keeping alive Japanese traditions.

Sake Barrels

Sake barrels

 Coming closer to our destination we stopped at a place where you can purify your soul with a clear water by washing hands and drinking a sip of the clean and running water.

purifying water

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The place for me was something amazing, relaxing and just so great. we were even lucky with the lovely afternoon sun that shined above us making everything even more magical.

Meiji Shrine

 I kept on having feeling and imagining how it was centuries ago when people really lived there, worked and prayed there. something that makes you travel back in time and put yourself in their shoes.

wall of prayers

 For a good fortune and getting hopes come true there are a wall of prayers where everyone could put their own good thought or prayer to get it fulfilled.

Even if I would have loved to stay there for hours and get my mind relaxing I knew the time is thick but Tokyo is so big, so tried to managed as much as possible and headed to near Harajyuku shopping street where you can see various styles, colors and cos-play costumes. eat and shop till you drop.

Harajyuku Takeshita street art

Takeshita street 

Cos-play Costumes

As two days before there were a grand opening of a Sunday Jam X Mister Man cafe than we headed also there to see it for ourselves and have a quick rest with a cup of coffee to share our impressions.

Sunday Jam in Harajyuku street

Sunday Jam X Mister Bump pancakes offer

wouldn't be nice to have a breakfast there with nice pancakes on this lovely organized plate? if heading to Tokyo make sure you stop by there and than tell me how it was as i did not manage to try anything but a nice cup of coffee from Mr.man mug. Which you can buy also there.Neat!

Little Miss Sunshine table

You can not not love the interior - so playful, colorful and fun!

And this, my friends are end of first part of my trip. Stay tuned and Kyoto part will follow up - even more colorful and beautiful..

Travel: Exploring Calabria from East to West and inbetween

Hello from South of Italy!

Benvenuti al Sud (Welcome to South) - a restaurant in Castrovillari, Calabria

I finally managed to escape the city and head South - to Calabria where I will be spending another week (one is already done) trying to catch up with sleep, get tanned and stay in shape. However, it has been really difficult as the cuisine is just divine and you wan't to try everything and the constant heat is not letting you to work out either... not even mentioning that all gym's has been closed down already.

Travel: Tips for a short trip to Bavaria's Capital - Munich

During my business trips it's hard to get to know the place you are going to, so I always try to make best out of the both, combining work and private life squeezing in some picture,note or reference about the country and people, mixing together with my personal impressions, feelings and discoveries.

This time was Munich. The mother of beer gardens, beer fests and class.

This is my impression of capital of Bavaria.

So here are some pictures caught on running from one meeting to another and from hotel to dinner without a map.

I stayed in this small but fashionable boutique hotel Falkentrum . It is right behind the main shopping street - Maximilianstrasse, where you will find all the big brands : Guchi, Dior, Chanel, Rolex, etc.etc.

Hotel has a lovely touch in each room combining houndstood pattern and having some small accents here a and there like orchid tied together hand and fingertip towels in bathroom and a small candy on a table.

Hotel Falkentrum doubble room design

Travel: Things you must try, see and do in your first trip to Paris

Paris mon amour... I fell in love with Paris long before I went there for my first time many,many years ago and I never get tired coming back there as every time is something new to discover, see, try and feel.

It's enchanting by night and full of surprises by day and definitely it is not only the city only for lovers, romance and haute cuture with an expensive shopping but also city with art, culture and adventures and you will never get bored there - trust me! 

couple of weeks ago I organized a Paris getaway for my bf birthday. as he had never been there than tried to make as compact list of "must do, see and try things" list for him to make to make best out of this trip.

and as I already had done all this than decided that maybe someone else could take an advantage and spare some hours googling things to see and do while there.

as for me Montrematre is the "real Paris" where you can have not only typical croissant or pain au chocolat  and coffee for breakfast in a small street- side caffee but also have some pretty fun nightlife this is why i strategically chose staying near the Central Station (Gare du Est) so can stroll for breakfast there and have a real Parisian start of the day.

Travel: Heading South - Naples review PART II

Second part of my trip leads us to the famous Naples - the capital in South of Italy.

Something you must live yourself to catch the feeling because they are so different depending on the people, expectations and experience and what pictures cannot describe is how the city makes you feel.

if you like busy life, nonstop movement, voices, sounds and unorganized things - you will feel like fish in the water. for me it was a chaos which was hard to adopt to at the first place as i was not imagining the city to be like not even close.

See for yourself some things that caught my and Wall-Egi eye :)

Neapolitan traditional mask

Travel: Heading south - Amalfi coast - PART I

It's been a week I am back from my Naples adventure and finally I have all my pictures converted and ready to share with the world and give you some insight through my Wall-Egi lens ^_^

 As someone might know - I have a thing for poppies. I just can't resist - love them. so here is some lovely poppy field I saw near my friends place.

Poppy field

The general summary of this trip would be

Don't Worry, Be Happy - summer is coming

1,2,3 Naples here I come - My Naples To-do lst

as sings  The Pointer sisters - I'm so excited, I just can't hide it!

(here is the link, just in case you want to sing it with me)  :) it's just 2 days away 1st may and that means all workers are having a day off (or at least they should)! and i am going to Naples! can't wait to see it! already mixing and matching my outfits for my long weekend there! and surely keeping fingers crossed not to rain! but as I am a girl from Sun Coast than the sun is following me, so no worries for that! :) 

I already have done my check in and ready to leave, just need some 48h to pass and I am off! 

So my biggest aim is to see the beautiful Capri island and get some great shots on my own, this is just googled one

1. Capri

Capri, Naples

Travel: Photo review - Orta San Giulio

As promised here comes a short picture-post about my Sunday getaway to Orta San Giulio.
Must say the place looks even better than in pictures! Really, it was a breathtaking experience with all that charming mountain and lake combination in addition to that all there was also a small island  where in Medieval times used to live dragons and snakes but luckily a saint name San Giulio came and saved the place and built a church afterwards (that's at least what legend of San Giulio's life tells us).
and above all the sun was shining and birds were singing so my Wall-Egi Nikon went wild taking pictures ^_^ . see for yourself and PAY A VISIT while in Italy or Milan (just 1h drive away). trust me - definitely worth it! just adorable!

Orta San Giulio island

Exclusive Swap Party Milan - 2nd edition

Yep, yep! we are back! and we are ready to swap again! just this time we are: more, we are better and we have more things to exchange and sell! moreover we have some new designers with their one of a kind hand-made accessories taking part! and trust me - you don't want to miss this!

soooo, if you are in Milan on 19th of January (this Sunday) feel free to come and shop or swap away some of your fashion items! need some more information, comments? don't know what to bring? - just post me a note or write me in FB and see you on Sunday!

So come all!

Some of my Stockholm reccomendations

At least 4 times I year I go for work to Stockholm and during my trips I have observed and learned some tricks and tips that must be obeyed once you are there! so why not share them with you?

usually i do not have time for long strolls from one island to other ( however must say it is wonderful, especially in July), but I do have picked up some nice things from Swedes, like afternoon tea time - coffee brake - FIKA (pronounced fee-ka) usually it has been accompanied with a cinnamon sweet. my preferred is always cinnamon roll or bun. (it's pretty easy to make and will post a recipe  ASAP). Cinnamon is my winter's BFF. Sweds like to pop in a nice Cupcake and Bakeries to enjoy it properly. so did I. :)

here are some Cinnamon rolls on a special edition Swedish designer trays ( Åry Trays )

Ary Trays for Hello Kitty

Ary Trays for Hello Kitty

Recommendation number 2: If you like to see famous Nordic design and designer products, just even to get an inspiration: Must visit this fashion department store called PUB   They have some amazing in store exhibitions as well as product placement which usually is themed and changed often. 

here are some preview. Enjoy a small preview of some Swedish design.

young artist works

Designer's guild - love their colors and patterns

Ary Trays

                                                                       Superliving

Designer's guild room corner

typical room concept in regular Swedish house

 Recommendation nr.3
Swedes are really practical and they love home parties, dinner gatherings etc. as general in Nordics it is unwritten rule to bring a gift to the host - a.k.a not to go with empty hands to somebody's house, even if it is just a dinner. as practical people they prefer some decoration element or kitchen utensil that can be used in practice rather than some weird ornament without practical use. so once invited to somebody's place - think about something practical like some nice Candle holder (which is really popular in Nordics ) or some nice vase, cushion or stay with the regular - a bottle of a good vine.

To Sum up - Stockholm is a place you should visit if want to live some real Nordic experience, soak up some creative inspiration and enjoy some good Fika time with your pals.

ReWELCOME TORe

WELCOME TOÅRY