My third day in Malta was dedicated to exploring the tiny country’s capital city. At around 9 am this morning, I and my friend Lee, we were getting on that bus in Sliema. Soon later, there we were: downtown Valetta city. I have been to countless different cities throughout my life and I’m not generally a great fan of them. I never expect to be left open-mouthed upon … [Read more...]
A stroll along the coast of Sliema and St Julian’s in Malta
The first day on Malta, a halcyon day it’s been, I decided to dedicate it to exploring the towns of Sliema and St Julian’s. As I usually do when the sea is within smelling distance, I left my hostel early in the morning and headed coastwards. Soon I was standing in front of Marsamxett Harbor, facing Fort Manoel and the lofty building-tops and church domes at the opposite … [Read more...]
Things to see and do in Minsk, Belarus
Belarus recently changed its visa policy, allowing for the first time EU citizens to enter the country without a visa. Given this opportunity to remove one more of the very few remaining European countries from my bucket list, a chilly autumn afternoon I boarded that plane heading to Belarus for the first time. I spent one week there exploring this disremembered city. And here … [Read more...]
First time entering Belarus: the last European Dictatorship
Belarus was one of those very few European countries I’ve never been to... that until a few hours ago. Now I’m sitting and having a beer in this vacant hostel in downtown Minsk, writing my first impressions of this new country. This mysterious little country, hidden in the heart of Eastern Europe, whose name will sound to most Americans like a … [Read more...]
One day in Khabarovsk
Getting back from Kamchatka to the Russian mainland, I was in need of a way to reach back to Moscow in time to catch my flight out of the country. This happened to be a fairly cheap flight from Khabarovsk to Moscow. So, although I wasn't originally planning to visit Khabarovsk this time, I found myself boarded on that night train heading thither from Vladivostok. Early next … [Read more...]
What to See in Central Vladivostok
It was gloomy, rainy daybreak I, finally, after five straight days and nights on the train, was setting foot in the city of Vladivostok for the first time. For some reason, the prospect of visiting this city was always deeply charming for my adventurous reveries; perhaps because I thought of it as the end of the world: the most distant place I could get to. My long-craved-for … [Read more...]
My Stay in Novosibirsk
On my way east from Saint Petersburg to Vladivostok, after Kazan and Ekaterinburg, my third stop was Novosibirsk. My main reason for stopping by was to head for a trekking trip to the Altai Mountains. Before and after this trip, however, I got to spend a few days in this city, too. So far throughout my life, upon hearing the word Novosibirsk, I would always imagine a … [Read more...]
What to see in Yekaterinburg
On my way east along the Trans-Siberian Railway, after Kazan, my second stop was the city of Yekaterinburg. Yekaterinburg was founded in 1723 and got named after Catherine I, wife of Peter the Great. Due to its strategic position between Europe and Asia and its rich mining resources, it quickly gained prominence and grew to become one of Russia's principal urban centers. … [Read more...]
Two Days in Kazan
It was on a warm summer afternoon I boarded that train in Saint Petersburg, starting on my way east, from Europe towards Asia. It was a long trip through the endless Russian plains. In the mostly occupied by adolescent soldiers third-class carriage, there wasn't much opportunity for talking. Leave aside some short conversations with an old lady heading to her hometown in … [Read more...]
What to see in Moscow in 2 days
Moscow, home to well over 10 million people, is the largest city in Europe. The city is so vast that one would always have the potential to discover new things in it, even after having lived there for an entire lifetime. I recently happened to be there on a brief, two-day visit. The given time was way too limited to explore the city as much as I'd have liked to. Choosing … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- Next Page »
