Category: Travel

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Travel/

Walking into a fairy-tale: Strasbourg – Colmar – Eguisheim

January 2019 – I had to be in Paris for work and thought to myself, I need to combine this with a short adventure. I reached out to a good friend of mine and asked her whether she would join and she said yes. That’s how this mini escape started and turned out to be an amazing trip.

Strasbourg

Located in the Alsace region (the German region of France; next to Germany and Switzerland), Strasbourg is a mesmerizing destination. If you ever choose to visit Strasbourg you definitely need to stay in “Petite France (Little France)” area. It’s literally like walking into a fairy-tale. The streets were still decorated for Christmas. A perfect wintery scenery! It was a bit freezing for us (being Mediterranean and all) but breath-taking. There was only one thing missing from turning this into the perfect winter get-away… Snow. That’s what we kept discussing with my friend and just our luck, the last day of our trip we woke up and everything was covered in snow. It was 6 am and I begged my friend to get out and start taking pictures of the fantastic scenery. Luckily she said yes, and to tell you the truth it was totally worth it, we were ecstatic.

But why don’t I show you.

Petite France – on a snowy day

How to get there

By train: We took a train from Paris to Strasbourg, booked it online to make sure there are available seats via https://en.oui.sncf/en/ouigo

By plane: You can fly there to Strasbourg Airport if it’s convenient to you. Use skyscanner.net to identify flights that are most suited for you and your itinerary.

By car: You can always rent a car and use it to explore the near by towns as well.

Where to stay

We booked our stay at this fantastic boutique hotel “Hotel Suisse”. Cute and cozy, those are the words that come to mind first. If we are ever back in Strasbourg it will definitely be our number one choice.

What I bought and absolutely loved

Well of course the handcrafted German wooden Cuckoo clocks. My grandma used to have one in her living room and I always wanted to get one myself. When I walked into a local store with handcrafted wooden clocks, right in the centre of Petite France, I couldn’t resist.

Worth seeing in Strasbourg

  1. The iconic Petite France Area
  2. The Strasbourg cathedral
  3. The covered bridges (“Les Ponts Couverts de Strasbourg”)
  4. Vauban Barrage (“Vauban Dam”)

Colmar

We jumped into a train and in just 30 minutes we were in Colmar. It was absolutely freezing for us so we had to make a short stop to a local store and buy an additional sweater to wear. But it was worth it, Colmar was as beautiful as Strasbourg. Amazing narrow little streets, wooden houses, fairy-tale vibe. We walked into a local coffee shop and enjoyed our coffee and tea gazing at the beautiful view. 

Eguisheim

Despite the really cold weather we decided to walk there. It was a 2 hour long pace walk that gave us the opportunity to take lot’s of pictures and walk through the vine yards. I would suggest to go the in Autumn if you want to see the vine yards, the town will be a bit busier and you will also get a chance to visit local shops, eat and taste the local wine. By the time we got there the town was empty, mostly because we were there off-season but we didn’t mind at all. We started walking around the centre of the town… and there it was the street Eguisheim is mostly known for. Trust me in real life is much more beautiful.  Just grab a map or use your phone and get yourself lost in the narrow streets of the old centre of Eguisheim.

We wanted to go back to Colmar and the only way there (besides walking) was a taxi. We walked into the information centre and asked a kind lady there to call for one as considering the small size of Eguisheim taxis are only available from Colmar.

Interesting fact: The Alsace region has long been associated with White Storks (Ciconia Ciconia). They represent tenacity, loyalty and fidelity of the region’s inhabitants.

Petite France on a snowy morning

P.S. I loved all three destinations I had to go back. But I’ll tell you about this story later on.

Travel/

Kanchanaburi – Our unique stay at a floating hotel

August 2018 – There are literally no words to describe our experience at River Kwai Jungle Rafts a floating hotel or floatel in Kanchanaburi – Thailand. How did it all start? Well we decided to spend 3 weeks in Thailand. The first 2 weeks we explored Thailand through an adventurous holiday we booked via Shoestring, a fantastic travel agency. It offered a very well organized itinerary through which we got the chance to meet our amazing local tour guide, Wan and other likeminded wanderers. But let me tell you a bit more about the floatel.

Key facts to know

Facilities – When we arrived the hotel we realized that as the name suggests, it floats on the river Kwai. The coolest thing about this floatel is that it is ecofriendly, which means that throughout our stay there was no electricity! The rooms were made of local bamboo and decorated with wood, the shower was outdoors facing the river bank for more privacy and our porch was equipped with a veeeery comfortable hammocks. They also have wellness facilities and and a local restaurant where you can enjoy the delicious Thai local food. In the evening we enjoyed a live traditional and Mon tribal performance. This was definitely a unique experience.

The River Jump & other activities – When we got there (a 20 minute ride from the Phutakian Pier via a long-tail boat) they told us that we could actually swim or float in the river if we wanted to. I was trying to figure out how exactly we were going to do that. Well the hotel provided us with lifejackets and instructed us on how to stay safe while jumping from one end of the floatel to the other. The so called “River Jump”! We enjoyed “swimming” or “floating” in the river so much that we kept going in again and again. From a point onwards we literally couldn’t stop laughing. Other activities you can enjoy at the floatel include boat trips, canoeing, paddling, you can even participate in cooking classes.

Our morning surprise

The day after we had to go! We kept wishing our stay at this floatel would last longer. While getting ready to depart from the floatel I saw a group of people (tourists probably) approaching the river bank and speaking in a language that I couldn’t understand! ( So far I can only speak fluently Greek and English). That’s when I asked my cousin Leda to go over there and check out what was going on. And so she did, standing by the crowd, trying to figure out what everyone is staring at.

She said to me “Tati, I can’t see anything. Everyone is staring at the river bank but I honestly can’t understand why!”. That’s when I decided to join her and try to solve the mystery. And then I saw it…a huge elephant bathing in the river. I started laughing and I couldn’t stop, I completely forgot that Leda did not have her eye lenses on. “It’s an elephant, I can’t believe it. But Leda mou, it’s huge I can’t believe you couldn’t spot it” (mou means my dear in Greek).  We immediately crossed the bridge that was connecting the floatel with the local village and went there to take a closer look. The elephant was friendly and a guide was escorting it so we got the chance to get even closer. We were ecstatic! I took a picture let me show you!

Honestly that’s it one of the funniest and concurrently most fascinating moments I’ve experienced travelling abroad.

And that is why I definitely recommend staying at a floatel if you are ever in Kanchanaburi!

Travel/

Gems in Japan: Takaragawa Onsen (Hot Springs)

August 2017 – One of the highlights of our trip to Japan was the Takaragawa Onsen (hot springs), located in the wider Minakami area. The Onsen has a unique touch which gives a feeling of traditional Japan as soon as you arrive. The energy of this little piece of paradise made me feel like a weight was lifted off my chest when I walked in. The staff was very welcoming, respectful and polite! If you have visited any part of Japan you know exactly what I mean. I wouldn’t expect anything less. When we checked in we were given yukata (a casual version of kimonos) and zori (Japanese sandals) to wear throughout our stay there. Truth be told that was the first time during our trip we had a chance to feel like locals.

The baths

Lush, mesmerizing sceneries, breathtaking views. We decided to visit the baths very early in the morning (6 a.m.) so we had them all for ourselves. The Onsen has four outdoor baths, three mixed gender and one for women only. There are also separate indoor baths for men and women. The Onsen staff will give you instructions as to what to wear in the baths. From our experience there, women wear a dress robe in the baths (provided by the Onsen) whilst men are not required to wear anything in the baths. They can, however, cover themselves using a small towel (provided by the Onsen).

Tattoos

It seems that the Onsen is tattoo friendly, it would be a good idea to cover your tattoos, however, prior entering the baths. Generally in Japanese hot springs access is restricted to customers with tattoos. The reason for this, is that people with tattoos are associated with members of Japanese organized crime (Yakuza) so before accessing any other Onsen be sure to do your research for any restrictions.

The rooms and the food

The rooms were very comfortable and traditional. People always ask me about the food and local cuisine. Those of you who know me well enough you’ll know that I am clueless when it comes to food tasting. Luckily, I had an amazing crew that absolutely loves Japanese cuisine, thus I can confidently say that the food was amazing. Being a vegetarian was not a problem at all, we enjoyed a tasty traditional buffet dinner.
If you want to feel the lifestyle of traditional Japanese this is your answer.

How to get there

From Tokyo get to the Jomo-Koegen train station (takes approximately 1.5 hours). From the Jomo-Koegen station you can get by bus to the Onsen. We bought the Minakami 3-days pass (costs ¥2100 approximately €15) and in approximately 1 hour you will get to the Onsen.

Tip no.1: Contact the Onsen in advance as they may offer a free ride from the station to the Onsen and back.

Tip no 2: To check the availability, pricing and timing of trains and other transportation means in Japan use the site hyperdia.com. We were impressed by the punctuality of all transportation means so be there on time.

When to get there

We visited the Onsen during August and the weather was just perfect (not cold and not hot either). If you love winter sceneries though you can definitely visit the Onsen during Autumn or Winter as well. Judging by what my friends said when they visited the Onsen in April, it will definitely feel like walking into a fairytale as everything will be covered in snow.

Sincere thanks to my cousin Leda and my friends Maria and Stefania for providing some captures from this wonderful adventure. Together with Ashley and Qeoni you made this a very unique adventure for me. Special thanks to the welcoming locals that shared their stories and made us feel like home.

Thank you ” Arigatōgozaimasu” in Japanese- (ありがとうございます)

What are you waiting for, book your stay at Takaragawa Onsen, you won’t regret it. The video below has been published on the Onsen’s official website.

But that’s not all we did in the Minakami area, we also did Bungee Jumping in a river near by. I will tell you more about this story later though.

You know what? I want to go back and explore more aspects of the Minakami area. I’ve done my research and it’s at the top of my bucket list.

Hint: Snow monkeys