Image produced by: Javier

The first part of the trip started from La Coruña, a busy harbor city occupying a small peninsula that protrudes out into the Atlantic. La Coruña was established thousands of years ago and is very famous for the ‘Tower of Hercules’, a Roman lighthouse from the 2nd century which has been operating for over 2000 years. To avoid the unpleasant walk along the main city roads they took a bus to the Alcampo hypermarket, from here on out the initial leg of their journey would bring them to Hospital de Bruma. Into their first hour of the trek the team of three began to recognize the unreasonably hot heat therefore slowed down the pace, and hydrated often while winding along the ancient path. The slower speed gave them the opportunity to appreciate their surroundings and to take in the never-ending country side with its spiritually unique history.

Image produced by: Christine

After a restful night’s sleep in rustic little hotel in Meson do Vento (a neighboring village to Bruma) they refueled their bodies, laced their shoes and headed back out to the pilgrimage trail. For thirty kilometers they cantered on along a trail that passed by various small farms, basic villages and wooded areas until they reached the small Spanish town of Sigüeiro. This night they stayed in a basic cottage rental were they cooked some warm food, shared a few laughs and had a long nights rest. The following morning, they persevered on to their final destination Santiago de Compostela. During this last 16 km of this journey they were engulfed by a remarkably noticeable spiritual feeling as they took in the beautiful surroundings. This was their concluding destination, so they had booked a local apartment rental through wimdu.com and spent the following days exploring the cathedral and well-preserved historic city center. The remains of Apostle James are what make this city so famous within religious circles and attract spiritual seekers from all corners of the world take part in such a pilgrimage that finalizes in this remarkable destination.

Image produced by: year of the dragon

For many this expedition is done as an opportunity to seek religious connections, however for this group it was only curiosity and adventure that drove them here, enabling them to partake in an unforgettable experience!

Lifecruiser Love Spain
 

Around Visby there are a lot of cobblestone streets and shopping streets, it’s very popular among all tourists as well as the people living here, though they avoid the most tourist times.

©Lifecruiser Love Visby Old Town
 

Just one of the charming old cobblestone streets. If you look closer at the photo, you can see stripes on the sky above the church tower. Visby is said to be the best-preserved medieval city in Scandinavia and is on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.

©Lifecruiser Love Visby Old Town
 

We had a tour bus booked for 3,5 hours starting at 8.30 in the morning, which was an unusual thing for us – we don’t like tourist buses – and especially not at that time in the morning when not sleeping well, but also since we can’t photograph properly on buses. This day though it suited well to get a fast glimpse over the city without walking.

When you haven’t got enough sleep for 9 nights (very bad sleep before we went on the cruise too!), you don’t exactly have the brightest brain activity, so even though it was easy to understand our guide, I didn’t get a thing of what he said… At least I succeeded to have my eyes open and actually see everything!

We were told that after the bus tour that we could either go back with the bus to the ship or stay in the city by ourselves. We did choose to go back to the ship since we wanted to enter the Spa before dinner. (I know, we’re idiots that not wanted to see more of such a rare city!)

We were dropped off at the terminal and after a long waiting, we were told that we could board the cruise ship, but everything would be closed and we were not allowed to leave the ship again! This was not the first time we had got the wrong information at this trip or the first time something had gone wrong with it, so we were not surprised. We now had to take a shuttle bus (with a very rally-inspired driver!) BACK into the city center again.

We decided together with another nice couple to go somewhere to sit down, have a light meal and relax. We had a quick look around, but didn’t find anything local to eat. They had gotten a tip about the restaurant "The Idiot" – (yes, it’s really named that!) and an address. It should be nearby. We started to look for the street, not finding it. We asked people on the street and actually got totally opposite directions from everyone we asked!

I was joking saying that: "Maybe there is no restaurant that is named The Idiot, it’s we that are the idiots being fooled to think there is one… Maybe it’s something they’re fooling dumb tourists with?!! Ha ha…"

We even got some young girls to look up the street on the GPS in their phones and they still pointed us in the opposite direction of the street than we should take! I thought it looked like we should go in the opposite directions than they said, but I was tired and hey, they should know, they live there!

We were actually going back and forward all the way through the same long streets looking like complete idiots! What a long sightseeing walk to end up in almost the same spot all the time! Ha ha… At that time though I was determent to find the place, I’m that stubborn, I refused to give up and viola! there we found it – in the opposite direction!

If you don’t want to look like an idiot, but would want to eat at one, be sure to look up the address: Moika 82 by yourself at a GPS navigator in advance… And if you want to eat with a real idiot: just call me!

It sure is a very special place, it’s feels like coming home to someone – in an old home with books – and we got a complimentary Russian vodka on the house as a welcome drink. Very clever of them, getting guests (the idiots) in a good mood. They’re stating that "Dostoevsky loved this place", but I think we’re idiots that buys that, since they haven’t been open that long. You can read more about them at idiot-spb.com.

We did order the Idiot Lunch Special, with Borsch soup / Sauercraut soup with sour cream as starters and pel’meni – with potato / plov, since we wanted to test different dishes as usual. Then we ordered a Russian vodka for the other leg too… Ha ha…

So what did we think about the Russian vodka? It was surprisingly good. Lets put it like this: suddenly it was VERY easy to walk around until it was time to take the shuttle bus back to the ship!

The Historic Center of Saint Petersburg is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and you can truly understand why when seeing all those golden domes, statues and gorgeous architecture as well as passing bridges and canals. Stockholm has a rival there for the name of "The Northern Venice".

The top attractions we did see was: Saint Isaac’s Cathedral, Peter and Paul Fortress and Cathedral, Church of the Savior on Blood, The Palace Square, The Alexander Column, The Winter Palace, The Hermitage art museum, The Bronze Horseman, Old Stock Exchange, Rostral Columns and the summer palace of Peter The Great.

You can see all Lifecruiser photos of St Petersburg at Flickr. Our photos did not turn out as excellent as we hoped for, maybe we should blame the Russian vodka! Ha ha!

©Lifecruiser Love World Heritage Sites

Related Baltic cruise posts by Lifecruiser:

How we escaped from a cruise and ended up in jail… Part 1
How we escaped from a cruise and ended up in jail… Part 2
Our night in Katajanokka Jail
Baltic Cruise Stop Tallinn – UNESCO Cultural Heritage
Saint Petersburg Souvenirs
 

The Palace of the Popes was built 1335–1364 on a natural spur of rock and is located in Avignon historic center surrounded by ancient preserved ramparts.

We were naturally impressed by this big tourist attraction and tried to take photos in all kind of angles, but it was difficult…

We were too hungry, so we went for dinner instead!

©Lifecruiser Love Avignon

Some other Provence related posts by Lifecruiser:

French Riviera One Way
French Riviera Beach Peace
French Riviera Portal Wall
French Riviera Photo: See Tree – that is not there
Travel Photo: Monaco Yachts
French Riviera Boat Fleet Meet
Bandol Provencale Market
 

This cruise route is actually following the Vikings footsteps in the Baltic Sea – it is one of the famous Vikings most frequently used trade routes. The Vikings are an important part of Scandinavia’s history, so no wonder we want to follow along, even though we have no plundering in mind… lol.

St Petersburg – formerly perhaps most known as Leningrad and being a World Heritage Site – Russias second largest City with it’s simply gorgeous architecture (not many skyscrapers!), is perhaps the one thing we look forward to the most on this cruise.

The cruise is Visa-free for us, making it very easy for us to visit without any fuss, though there are some limitations with it too and I’m sure we will probably not think a cruise there will give us enough time to explore, just give us a glimpse.

We ordered an A-cabin with windows, I always want windows on cruises, not other cabins are any alternative for me. We will mingle with the other 2 thousand passengers the Anastasia Cruise ship can take. Expecting to have at least one very special birthday dinner in the ships restaurants.

We will also use the available aqua-zones, oh my – better get a sun-tan before going – and not to forget to pack the bathing trunks/bikini! *keeping a pack-list*

I’m not sure that we will buy so many things in the ships shops though (because we’re trying to save up some money for our Europe tour later this year), even if we of course are going to check out the tax free opportunities.

The performance aboard are the exclusive show programs by St. Petersburg Music Hall ballet theater, so that we will enjoy very much, I’m sure.

Neither one of us have been in Saint Petersburg before and I have not been in Tallinn either, so we found this to be an ideal cruise to do and to a very reasonable or even bargain price of 1244 SEK (186 USD or 140 EURO), aqua-zone and shuttle bus tickets included.

Of course, there will be other costs, such as food and drinks and sightseeing costs that is not included in that price.

I have been cruising to Helsinki numerous times as a child and once earlier as a grownup, but remember my *cough* seasickness experience? OK, that time we had a snow storm, not expecting one in May! (keep your fingers crossed!)

See you in the Champagne Bar aboard, right…?

©Lifecruiser Love Baltic Cruises

Some other cruise related posts by Lifecruiser:

Cruising is the Perfect Gift
Top 5 Pacific Cruises For Your Next Getaway!
Mediterranean Dream Cruises
Top 5 Cruises for family’s on a budget
Luxury Dream Cruises
The Worlds Oldest Gun Ship: A Medieval Cog Ship
Bargain Cruise Ships Tips
 

Sometimes spelled as Agia Napa and called the Cypriot Riviera by others – not surprising at all since it has gorgeous sandy beaches with crystal clear water. A perfect beach travel or snorkeling destination.

Photo by Claire Taylor

As so many other travel destinations around the Mediterranean even this place was from the beginning a small fishing village – with a few monasteries and fishermen families. Later on it has developed to a big tourist destination.

When traveling to Ayia Napa, we will land at the Larnaca airport, so I would like to spend at least a couple of days exploring Larnaca too before heading to Ayia Napa, the part of the island which is suitable for the younger generation (uhum!).

Most often the tourist office’s has a kiosk in the baggage reclaim area at the airport, where we use to get free maps of the destination and other attraction information worth having. Often as good as the tourist guide books!

Nissi Beach (blue flag awarded) is perhaps the most popular beach in Ayia Napa and has restaurant & shop and offers a lively nightlife – when there in high season I presume. Beach parties are mostly there or at the Makronisos Beach.

Grecian Bay seem to be claimed to be closest beach to the city center, a quiet beach ideal for families with young kids, but Nissi beach seem to be equally close to me.

Another beach I want to visit is Agia Thekla Beach – another blue flag beach which is located about 3 kilometers west of Agia Napa. It is a small beach, only 300 meters long and about 25 meters wide, but it has fine golden sand and calm sea with crystal clear water.

We will probably even visit Fig Tree Bay (also blue flag awarded) in Protoras too, which is claimed to be more calm, perhaps for others than the youngest party-animals.

The main cultural attraction would be the monastery of Ayia Napa which dates back to the Venetian era – for us architecture admirers for sure. At least it will be a big contrast to all the clubs and bars…

We want to make excursions to the walled city of Famagusta, go hillwalking to the Kaledonia Falls in Troodos mountain range and to see The Neolithic settlement of Choirokoitia – a World Heritage Site. There are also a lot of churches which is Unesco world heritage list monument’s.

Also check our other post about another World Heritage Site: In Aphrodites footsteps – Paphos Holidays.

May-October is the warmest weather periods to go there, so we will aim for May or September-October when going there I think, since we don’t want it to be too hot and crowded. Perhaps heading to one of the golf courses too.

Lifecruiser ♥ Beaches

Cataratas del Iguazu in Iguazu National Park, from the Brazil side, South America. Photo taken in the middle of November 2005.

It is really difficult to describe that overwhelming feeling when you watch all that water falling! So enormously powerful and so beautiful that there is absolutely no word for it!

What a sound! Everywhere is the powerful sound of the pounding water cascades! Incredible! No wonder that the most powerful fall is called Gargata del Diablo – The Devil’s Throat.

The waterfalls are situated on the border of Brazil and Argentina and has 275 waterfalls (!) in an 3 km long half moon. At one point a person can stand and be surrounded by 260 degrees of waterfalls! All the waterfalls are in Argentine territory and reach an average height of 40 and 80 meters.

Iguazu falls were discovered by the Spaniards in 1541. I wish I had been with them, what a discovery – it must be the worlds most beautiful waterfalls and certainly beats the Niagara falls thousands times!!!

We were so impressed of the arrangements around the falls, very well done. Everywhere there were bridges and walking paths so that we could come extremely close to the falls.

At some places we were standing on the very edge of the fall looking down, almost with a bit of vertigo from the stunning heights. Even though we both are afraid of heights, we found this very exciting and totally forgot about our fear.

Our blogger friend Tor did enjoy Iguazu falls just as much as we did, but I tell you: no one can help falling in love with Iguazu falls!

Oh, and do NOT miss the fabulous opportunity to get showered by the three musketeers (falls name) by going there with the speedboats with 2×100 horse power engines!

We did and I remember my clothes getting soaking wet – and transparent! Ooops… We also have a wet kiss memory from one of the vantage points!

Besides the falls there are also a lot of animals to discover around the area. The most colorful might be the free Toucan birds around the falls. There are also a special bird park, Parque des Aves, to visit if wanting to learn about the different species.

Plus there is a special dance show in the evening, so do stay in the area for several days and see the falls from both the Brazil and the Argentina side!

Make sure though that you get the right stamps in your passport when going over the borders – we did not and got a very suspicious penalty later on in Paraguay, but that is another story…

Here you can watch Lifecruiser Flickr photo slidehow of Iguazu Falls, since they are best seen in bigger format!

Lifecruiser ♥ Iguazu Falls

Photo by Gordon Tarpley

One route you may want to travel along is the Pensacola Scenic Bluffs Highway. A trip here takes you through Escambia and Pensacola counties and while it is not particularly long – it measures just 11 miles along Highway 90 and should take less than 30 minutes to drive from start to finish – there is plenty to catch your interest.

Some amazing plantlife can be viewed here, from beautiful magnolias to moss-covered oak trees. You can also drive over the bridge spanning the Bayou Texar stretch of water to take in magnificent views of Escambia Bay, the highest point of the Florida coastline.

Photo by Jeff Mason

Afterwards, head to the Green Mountain Scenic Byway. This is a great way to experience some of the state’s mountains and as the road follows the western and southern shores of Lake Apopka’s you slowly ascend, you will be afforded stunning vistas of central Florida, including the Orlando skyline.

Photo by Scott Akerman

This part of the state is also home to Sugarloaf Mountain, which at 312 feet is the highest point in peninsular Florida. Following an afternoon spent behind the wheel, why not stretch your legs and go for a climb?

Exploring the region by foot could also give you the chance to see some amazing wildlife – for example, bald eagles can often be spotted soaring above Lake Apopka as they search for prey.

Photo by Charles

You should also make sure that the A1A Scenic and Historic Coastal Byway forms part of a driving holiday in Florida. A designated National Scenic Byway, the 72-mile stretch takes in a range of brilliant attractions, including the Washington Oaks Gardens State Park where you can enjoy hiking and cycling.

Driving along the A1A Scenic and Historic Coastal Byway can also give you the chance to stop by the city of St Augustine.

Photo by Jon Dawson

Founded in 1565 by Pedro Menendez de Aviles, it is the oldest continuously-occupied city in the United States and evidence of Spanish colonial buildings can still be seen to this day.

Stop by the St Augustine Alligator Farm where you can see a range of creatures from herons and komodo dragons to monkeys and – of course – to pet an alligator. Yikes!

Photo by Steven Beger

As you drive along, stop off at the Kennedy Space Center, the base where numerous missions into outer space – including man’s first landing on the moon in 1969 – have taken place.

Visiting the facility can provide an insight into NASA’s previous missions, as well as the work it does today, while you can also go on a simulator that recreates the sights, sounds and sensations of a real-life space shuttle launch!

Photo by NASA Goddard Photo

Once your space mission has ended, take the Florida Keys Scenic Highway and head south. We found this historic view from 1960.

Photo by Jeff Brodhead

Driving along this route – which stretches for more than 106 miles – across the Florida Keys islands gives you the opportunity to take in stunning ocean views. As you drive, you may be able to catch a glimpse of dolphins swimming in the sea!

Stop by the Everglades National Park, which at 1.5 million acres in size is the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States, but be sure to watch out for the alligators smiles…

Photo by Stig Nygaard

Fishing and kayaking are just some of the other activities you can do at the site, which has UNESCO World Heritage status.

The highway ends at Key West, a town famous for being home to iconic writers such as Truman Capote and Tennessee Williams. It is also here where Ernest Hemingway wrote his classic novels For Whom the Bell Tolls and A Farewell to Arms and you can visit the house where the author spent several years working.

The Key West Shipwreck Museum is just one of the many other attractions to be found here and is a mandatory stop for the true ship lover – like us.

With so many cool things to take in during a driving holiday to Florida, you can be sure of finding something for you as well as your whole family.

Lifecruiser ♥ Florida

He is not traveling full time yet, but he’s doing serious travel writing, even real books. Besides that, he lives in Scotland, which I think gives enough material for some really interesting stuff!

Sit down, relax, have a Scotch Whisky, read and enjoy….

When did your passion for travel started? What do you think triggered it?

I grew up in a very small town, so my first “long haul” holiday was to the Caribbean island of Aruba. Relaxing in the sun, riding motorbikes across the sand dunes, and eating up delicious foods from around the world while our friends of the same age were sitting at home, I was hooked.

I think perhaps it came from growing up in a very conservative and poorly-travelled family, so when I first had those international experiences they were so rich and powerful, I was overcome with an incurable travel bug.

How many countries have you been to? What country or multi-destination trip is your absolute favorite among your trips?

Good question, I had to count: 35 (using the Wikipedia list of sovereign states, just to be clear). It doesn’t seem like a lot, actually, but when I close my eyes and think back to all those wonderful experiences, it is a tremendous amount of “stuff.”

Spending a number of weeks wandering around Australia and New Zealand is without a doubt one of my fondest trips in recent memory. In Australia, it was disappointing to see so much and yet have only covered a tiny strip in the south-eastern corner of the country. I must go back and explore further. Melbourne really struck me as a spectacular place – when the silver skyline of the city appeared shimmering in the distance as the airport bus sped through the heat of the countryside, my heart swooned. But it wasn’t just a pretty façade; I found the Melbournians (is that what we call them?) so friendly and nice. The food was some of the best I’ve had in the world – a terrific fusion of European and Asian influences. And I think the gorgeous shoreline in St Kilda speaks for itself…

Do you have some special memory from a trip, something special that happened or a special photo to share with us?

When I think about all those miles travelled, there a two specific things that come to mind:

- Sitting on the cobblestone terrace outside Restaurant Salzamt in Vienna, one of my three favourite restaurants in the world. It was a warm summer night, a special experience in itself, and we could hear the gentle hum of the violin of a street artist playing nearby. The red wine was somewhat fruity and quite refreshing. The streetlights in the courtyard were dim but gave just enough light to our table, and if you looked up you could see the steeple of the neighbouring church lit perfectly. Each course of food was better than the next – it was truly a meal to remember.

- In New Zealand, I went to Fox Village specifically to experience a sunrise at the mystical Mirror Lake. The hotel I was staying at offered me the use of one of their bicycles to get to the lake early that morning, since I wasn’t travelling by car. However, I’m probably one of the only people in New Zealand history to actually lose his bag on the bus service! They had dropped it off in the previous town by accident. So I went one night without my bag. Normally this would not be a big deal, but this meant that I awoke at 4:30AM in the dark to jump in a bike in shorts and sandals and pedal my way in the freezing morning air to then walk a couple of miles around a lake in the dark – muddy paths and mosquitoes included – to see this sunset. It was a rough ride, needless to say. But the scene I witnessed unfolding by Mother Nature herself was unreal, and I was one of only a couple people there to see it. It was definitely worth it.

You’re based in Edinburgh, one of our favorite capitals, since we love Scotland almost as deep as we love Champagne *giggles*. What do you recommend to see and do at a visit?

I’d definitely place Edinburgh and Champagne in the same category – a lot of people think they’re only good for special occasions, but in fact you should treat yourself to them whenever possible! Yes, Edinburgh is such a charming and wonderful place and I am so pleased to call it home.

I’m actually publishing an “Edinburgh Historical Walking Guide” next month (watch my blog for details) which will have all of the best things to do and see in Edinburgh. My top tips would be – in no particular order:
- Go for a walk along the Water of Leith. It’s such a refreshing new perspective on the city. The most scenic bit is between Roseburn Terrace and Stockbridge.
- Do the night tour of Greyfriars Kirkyard. It is pretty spooky, but the guides are excellent and offer factual insights that you don’t often hear on other tours.
- Eat. Edinburgh has the highest number of restaurants per capita in all of the UK, and a huge array of cuisines – from Polish to Modern Scottish to Greek.

How about the rest of Scotland, what do you say are must-see locations or attractions besides searching for Nessie and trying to look underneath the Scots kilts?

Those are two obviously good first choices, indeed. I personally love Pitlochry which has some great walks and is a picture postcard village in the autumn when the leaves change colour. Isle of Skye is good but very busy – try another one of the village/islands on the west coast and get some peace and quiet.

You have been to Sweden, what did you think about our cold country and cool people? Honestly, I won’t be offended if it isn’t your absolute favorite!

I’ve always loved the Scandinavian countries, and Sweden in particular. I’ve not explored much – mostly Stockholm and its surroundings – but it was a good taster and look forward to coming back soon. In our grade school we had a Swedish exchange student, so I had exposure to the Swedish food she would bring in and had heard some of the presentations she gave about Sweden, and the country lived up to the expectations she gave it! Stockholm is so stylish and the locals all look so happy and full of life. The streets were spotless and the food was tasty. Obviously there is more to Sweden than ABBA. :

What do you want to see next time you’re coming back here again? Besides from us I mean…

Well yes, we’ll be catching up over a few drinks, by beyond that, I’d love to go see:
- the colourful houses and towers of Visby
- the Midnight Sun and the Northern Lights
- the castle in Landskrona
- the harbour in Mölle

Lifecruiser comments: You can find a lot of information about our favorite Visby at Gotland.net. The midnight sun is awesome and we too want to catch the northern light, such a magnificent phenomena! Landskrona Castle Citadel is awesome too and if going there this year, go the 29th or 30th of August when they’re having Medieval days with tournaments. (Use Google Translate to translate the Swedish pages). About Mölle we don’t know much. Very interesting choices!

What is your upcoming travel plans?

I’m sure you heard, but I’ve just left my 9-to-5 job and now I’m doing my travel stuff full time! So I am taking some time to get my business set up properly – I’ll still be doing plenty of writing but I’ll also be helping small businesses in travel and tourism take advantage of online technologies. You can read more about my services on my website – I publish a monthly newsletter with online tips and tricks for businesses and if you signup now you can get a free copy of my ebook, Preparing for Takeoff: “7 Common Mistakes Businesses Make when Going Online”.

So once I’ve got that setup I have my sights set on a beach holiday – we’re looking at Fiji. I’d also like to spend some time in Eastern Europe, such as the Baltic states where I haven’t seen much. And as silly as it sounds, I want to head up to the very north of Scotland and just spend some peaceful time up there where it is nice and quiet.

For further reading about my travels, a couple of my most favourite blog posts are Touring France with Julia Child and Sensory Overload in Hong Kong.

Lifecruiser comments:

Andy has lots of very interesting articles and a great portfolio (not to mention gorgeous photos!), so this really was an honor for us to return the favor, since he did a wonderful interview of Lifecruiser a while ago!

This actually was Lifecruiser’s first interview victim…. *giggles*

Simply go there to explore more and enjoy!

Lifecruiser ♥ Interviews

PS. Don’t miss Andy’s free stuff!!!!