Traveler Stories — page 18

Svetlana Discoverer

Spain · September 29, 2026

Barcelona to Valencia

After a few days in Barcelona, I went to Valencia. I especially liked this move, because after the hustle and bustle of Barcelona, Valencia feels a little calmer, although you can't exactly call it sleepy. In general, it seemed to me that the cities of Spain are very different in mood, and that's why the route with several stops turned out to be much more interesting than just a week in one place. The Gates of Valencia In Valencia, the first thing I did was go to the Barrio del Carmen quarter to see the Gates that were built in Valencia in the 14th-15th centuries. I felt so small against their background, but I didn't care, I was admiring the attraction in person, not in a picture from some blogger. It's funny, it turns out that I'm the blogger now. Then I walked without a specific goal, and along the way I constantly came across beautiful, in my opinion, streets, old buildings, small cafes and those same orange trees that for some reason make you stop every five minutes and take pictures of the street. I also liked the City of Arts and Sciences. After the old architecture of the center of Valencia, this place looks like someone decided to move a piece of the future right in the middle of the city. I walked around these white buildings for a long time, photographing reflections in the water and trying to make that perfect frame that I could then show my friends. City of Arts and Sciences Of course, the perfect shot didn't work out the first time. First, a random passerby got into the lens, then I somehow managed to press the wrong button myself, and then I discovered that I was standing on the wrong side from where I wanted to take pictures. As a result, there were a lot of photos, but the real victory was that among them there was one where everything finally looked like I had planned it that way on purpose. Valencia is a city where you want to slow down If Barcelona was associated with constant traffic, then Valencia seemed like a city where you want to slow down a little. Here, I allowed myself to sit in a cafe longer, didn't try to mark a new attraction on the map every hour, and could easily spend half the day just walking. And, of course, you can't talk about Valencia and not remember paella. I decided in advance that I would definitely try it here, because I wanted to compare real Valencian paella with what is usually offered in tourist places. In the end, I chose a restaurant, studied the menu for a long time, confidently ordered a dish, and then sat and thought about why the portion was designed for about a small Spanish football team. But these are the moments I love most when traveling. You can create a detailed route in advance, save dozens of places on the map and schedule every day by the hour, but then it's a random dinner, a lost street or an unexpected stop that turns out to be what you remember months later.

#Spain #trip #journey #Valencia

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Svetlana Discoverer

Spain · September 29, 2026

Madrid is the finale of my route

From Valencia, I went to Madrid, and here the mood of the trip changed again. After the more relaxed Valencia, Madrid seemed to me huge, energetic and very lively, and in a good way: people are going somewhere, cafes are full, some kind of life is constantly happening on the streets, and in the evening the city seems to decide that no one is going to sleep tonight. The Royal Palace I started exploring Madrid by walking through the center and gradually reached the Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor and the Royal Palace. I liked that many places here can be combined into one big walk, so I didn't feel like a person who runs all day between points on the map. Although, of course, the kilometers imperceptibly turned into kilometers again, and by evening my legs clearly wanted to apply for dismissal. I left a separate day for museums, because it would be strange to come to Madrid and not get to know its artistic side at least a little. After a few hours in the museum, I realized that the human brain also has a certain limit to art perception, so I decided to just walk around the streets and look for a place to have dinner. Catalan cream And here Madrid proved to be very convincing again. In the evening, I sat in a small cafe and ate Catalan cream. I liked the delicate Spanish dessert. People were talking around, someone was laughing, someone was having dinner with friends, tourists were passing by, and at that moment I didn't want to rush anywhere at all. I found myself thinking that it was for the sake of such evenings that we carry suitcases through train stations, look for the right platforms, get confused in maps and sometimes completely do not understand where the navigator has led us once again. Barcelona, Valencia and Madrid – three different moods After this trip, I especially liked how different the three cities turned out to be. Barcelona has remained for me a city of architecture, the sea, walking and a constant feeling that there will be something interesting around the next corner. Valencia is remembered for its calmer rhythm, old center, orange trees and the feeling that there is no need to rush somewhere. Madrid turned out to be completely different – big, energetic, noisy and very evening, when after sunset the city seems to be just beginning to really wake up. And that's why I liked putting it at the last point of the route: after the sea and the more relaxed Valencia, I ended the trip on a maximum urban note. How many days should I set aside for this route? If I were planning this trip again, I would have planned for about 9-10 days : four days for Barcelona, two or three for Valencia and three days for Madrid. Of course, you can do everything faster, especially if you just want to tick the boxes in front of the main attractions, but I don't really like this format anymore, because at some point the journey turns into running with a camera. Puerta del Sol It's much more pleasant for me to leave some free time between required places. That's when you can accidentally turn onto a beautiful street, linger in a cafe, go to a small store, buy something completely unnecessary, and then spend half the evening explaining to yourself why I definitely couldn't return home without this thing. What I took away from Spain This trip turned out exactly the way I like to remember traveling: with beautiful places, delicious food, long walks, small everyday failures and periodic moments of "so, where am I anyway?". Route Barcelona – Valencia – Madrid is good because it allows you to see completely different Spain in one trip and not get stuck in the same mood for the whole week. And I also once again became convinced that there is no such thing as an ideal trip, and there is no need. You can forget to charge, confuse the exit from the subway, get tired after another walk, accidentally order a huge portion of food and discover that the navigator sent you to the wrong place, but it is from such small things that the real memory of the trip develops. And if after a few months you remember not only Sagrada Familia, the City of Arts and Sciences and the Royal Palace, but also that very evening when you were sitting in a cafe and thought "how nice it is here", then the trip definitely turned out.

#Madrid #Spain #trip #journey

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Gilyana Guide

September 29, 2026

What to take with you on a trip for a week

Previously, packing for a trip for a week looked to me like I was going to move to another country for permanent residence instead of having a vacation. I packed clothes "just in case" in a suitcase, three pairs of shoes, cosmetics in quantities that would be enough for a small beauty salon, a first-aid kit the size of a suitcase, and for some reason I always took things that I hadn't even taken out during the entire trip. As a result, I had to cover the suitcase with my entire body weight, and at the airport I looked hopefully at the scales every time, as if they could show a couple of kilograms less out of pity. Over time, I realized a simple thing.: I don't need to take half an apartment with me for a week of travel . It's much more convenient to put together a small, thoughtful set of things that will really come in handy, rather than dragging along everything that theoretically might be needed if ten unlikely circumstances coincide at once. Therefore, now I'm going to be much calmer and try to adhere to the principle: it's better to take universal things that are easy to combine with each other than to fill a suitcase with clothes for all occasions. Clothes: smaller is better, but so that everything fits together For a week, I usually take a few T-shirts or tops, a pair of comfortable trousers or jeans, one more elegant thing for the evening, and a light sweatshirt or shirt that I can throw on if it gets chilly in the evening. If the trip involves the beach, I add a swimsuit, a light dress or a sundress, and if I'm going to walk a lot, then I think in advance not so much about beauty, but about how comfortable it will be to spend the whole day in these clothes. It helps a lot to choose things in one color scheme in advance, because then in the morning you don't have to stand in front of a suitcase with the expression of a person who has just lost the meaning of life. Almost every item should be combined with at least two or three others, then a small number of clothes make quite a lot of options. And yes, I still sometimes take a thing solely because it's beautiful, and then I discover that it can only be combined with another thing that I didn't take either, but this is my personal travel genre. Shoes: this is where I learned to stop myself. Shoes used to be a separate story, because it seemed to me that for a week you definitely need sneakers, sandals, shoes, another pair of sneakers "in case of rain" and something beautiful for the evening. As a result, half of the suitcase was occupied by shoes, but I was still walking in one of the most comfortable pairs. Now I usually take one basic comfortable pair for long walks and the second one is lighter or more elegant, depending on the direction. If I'm going to the sea, I add shoes for the beach, and if I have to walk around the city a lot, I don't do any experiments with new shoes before the trip, because the memories of the trip should be associated with beautiful streets, not with patches on the heels. Cosmetics and care: no need to take the entire closet I also try to collect cosmetics without fanaticism, although it is especially easy to start saying to yourself: "Well, this is a small jar, it weighs almost nothing." Then it turns out that I have fifteen such small jars, and together they somehow weigh like a good brick. For a week, I usually have enough cleanser, cream, sunscreen, shampoo and conditioner in small packages, a toothbrush and paste, deodorant and a minimal set of cosmetics. If the hotel provides shampoo, shower gel, and other basic products, I don't see the point in lugging my huge vials, especially if I'm traveling with hand luggage only. First aid kit: small but useful A small first-aid kit is mandatory for me, because sometimes the body likes to arrange surprises precisely when you are a thousand kilometers from home and plan to walk all day. I take only the usual tools that I have already used before, as well as what I may need on the road: patches, first aid supplies, medicines that I personally need, and basic things in case of minor troubles. At the same time, I'm not trying to assemble a mobile hospital department, because pharmacies are easy to find in most popular tourist destinations. The main thing is not to forget the necessary medicines, if you really need them regularly, and check in advance the rules of their transportation in the country where you are going. Documents and money: this is more important than the fifth dress This is where I prefer to be safe, because a forgotten T-shirt is much easier to experience than a forgotten document. Before traveling, I check my passport, tickets, hotel reservations, insurance, and other documents that may be needed on my trip, and I store important data not only on my phone. I also don't put my money in one place, because I don't like the idea of being left without all my funds because of a lost wallet at all. It is usually convenient to have a bank card and a small cash reserve, and also check in advance how well the usual payment methods work in the destination country. And I always charge my phone before leaving home, because a modern traveler without a phone sometimes feels like he was dropped off in the middle of civilization, but forgot to give out a card. Technique: only what you will actually use My phone, charger, and power bank are almost always on the mandatory list. If I take a laptop or tablet, I ask myself an unpleasant but useful question in advance.: "Am I really going to use it or do I just want to feel like a very organized person?" If the answer is the second, the equipment stays at home. When traveling without it, there are enough things to remember, photograph, search and charge, so an extra gadget easily turns from a useful assistant into another item that needs to be dragged around museums and cafes. What to put in your carry-on bag I try to put everything in my carry-on luggage that is unpleasant to stay without even for a few hours: documents, money, phone, charger, necessary medicines, headphones and the most important little things. If I'm flying with my luggage, I can also put in a basic set in case of delayed baggage – for example, a change of T-shirt and necessary personal hygiene products. After several trips, I especially loved the rule "the most valuable and the most necessary are nearby." Because a suitcase can get lost, get delayed, or suddenly decide to live your life at another airport, but it's better not to let your passport and phone out of control at all. What I don't take on trips anymore The most useful part of my list is, perhaps, the list of things that I stopped taking. I no longer pack clothes in a suitcase for every possible scenario, several identical things "in reserve", huge bottles of cosmetics and shoes that are uncomfortable to wear. I don't even take half of my first-aid kit if it's not necessary. I also stopped taking things just because I "suddenly feel like it." During a week of travel, you usually want something completely different: to walk, eat something delicious, look around, take pictures of beautiful places, and sometimes just sit in a cafe and watch people. And the lighter the suitcase, the more enjoyable it is to do all this, especially when you have to drag it up the stairs in an old European hotel and it turns out that the elevator exists only in theory. My universal list for the week If we put everything together in one simple list, then for a week-long trip I would check something like the following: documents, money and cards, a phone and charger, a power bank, necessary medicines, personal hygiene products, several sets of comfortable clothes, underwear and socks, outerwear for the weather, comfortable shoes, a small cosmetic bag and everything you need for a specific destination. And then I add things according to the situation: a swimsuit for the sea, a raincoat for a rainy city, warm clothes for a cool climate, an adapter for sockets, if needed, or something special for hiking and outdoor activities. The main thing is to first look at the weather, the program of the trip and the features of the country, and only then open the closet and start throwing everything in there under the alarming "well, suddenly it will come in handy." As a result, my ideal suitcase for a week looks rather modest, but it can be lifted without involving relatives, a neighbor, or a random passerby near the entrance. And, perhaps, this is the main sign that I have finally learned how to get ready for a trip normally.: I take everything I need with me, but I leave enough space for new experiences, and sometimes for a small souvenir that happens to be half the size of a suitcase.

#journey #lifehacks #Luggage #vacation

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Svetlana Discoverer

Türkiye · September 28, 2026

How to choose a hotel in Istanbul: my experience and mistakes

When I first started looking for a hotel in Istanbul, it seemed to me that the most difficult thing was to choose between a beautiful view of the Bosphorus, a cozy room and a good price. Naive as I was, I didn't realize at the time that Istanbul had a separate quest called "figure out exactly where this beautiful hotel is located, which in the photos looks like you can walk to all the sights in five minutes." View of the Bosphorus As a result, I quickly found out that in this city, the location of a hotel is sometimes much more important than the room itself, because you can settle in a beautiful place, and then heroically conquer hills, stairs and roads every day, cursing your own choice. I choose the area first, and only then the hotel. My main conclusion after my trip to Istanbul turned out to be very simple: first you need to decide on the area where you want to live, and only then open the list of hotels. When I did the opposite, my eyes wandered away from the beautiful interiors, terraces with views and photos of breakfasts, and the map was quietly ignored somewhere, although it should be the main person in your company in Istanbul. Hagia Sophia If you want to be closer to the main historical sights, I would look at Sultanahmet district, where Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and many other famous places are located. It is convenient to start walking there directly from the hotel, especially if the trip is short and you want to see as much as possible without spending half a day on the road. At the same time, Sultanahmet will not seem to everyone to be an ideal place to stay, because in the evening some streets become quite calm, and the tourist atmosphere is felt literally at every step. For example, I like it when, after a busy day, you can leave the hotel and just take a walk among the ordinary city life, so I would not limit myself to this area only. Beyoglu – when you want to not only see Istanbul, but also feel it If you want a more lively area, I would look at options in Beyoglu, especially near Istiklal and Taksim Square. The atmosphere here is completely different: there are many cafes, shops, people, old houses, small alleys and the very places where you can accidentally turn around the corner and discover a nice cafe that was not in my plan at all. However, there is also a small trap here, which I did not immediately find out about. Istanbul generally does not respect the concept of a "flat road" very much, so a beautiful hotel, which on the map seems to be located very close to a subway or a landmark, in reality may be at the bottom or at the top of such a rise that after walking with a suitcase you start thinking about buying real estate right on the sidewalk. Levent station on the M6 line Therefore, now I definitely look not only at the distance to the subway, but also at guest reviews, where people write about ascents, stairs and the condition of the road. If several people independently complain that they have to get to the hotel by stairs with a suitcase, I take this as very useful information, even if the hotel itself looks great. Galata is a beautiful option, but we still open the map. Another area that I like to live in is Galata. There is the very Istanbul atmosphere that many people come to the city for: old buildings, narrow streets, cafes, small shops and the constant feeling that you are inside a beautiful movie, but for some reason you are always late. Galata, the Golden Horn in the foreground But when choosing a hotel here, I pay special attention to the exact location. It's one thing to live next to the Galata Tower and walk around the neighborhood in peace, but it's quite another to drag shopping and tired legs through steep streets every evening. The relief of Istanbul is usually not very noticeable in photographs, but the legs remember it very well after the first day of the tour. A hotel near the metro is really important Previously, I could choose a hotel just because I liked the interior, and then figure out how to get to it. Now I first look at transport accessibility, especially if I plan to travel a lot around the city. Line 7 station platform It is convenient in Istanbul when there is a metro, tram or other public transport nearby, because the city is large and the sights are scattered in different areas. This is especially true when you want to go not only to the historical center, but also to see other parts of the city, cross the Bosphorus, or simply not spend your entire vacation in one area. At the same time, the phrase "10 minutes to the subway" now needs to be deciphered for me. Ten minutes on foot on a flat road and ten minutes on foot up a hill are completely different ten minutes, and Istanbul is very good at proving this. I'm not just fooled by the beautiful photos of the room When I choose a hotel, I like the beautiful photos of the room, of course, but now I try not to trust them too much. Especially if the picture shows a huge bed, a marble bathroom, a panoramic window and some kind of cup of coffee, which was obviously placed there specifically for the photo. I always read the latest reviews and look at photos of the guests themselves. That's where the most interesting things usually turn out: is the room really that spacious, how well it's cleaned, is there hot water, is it convenient to use the shower, can you hear the neighbors, and does reality match the photos of the hotel. I'm looking at the comments about noise insulation separately. After a day of walking, I don't want to listen to someone talking on the phone behind the wall, but calmly take a shower, drink water and go to bed. This is especially true in Istanbul, because the city is quite noisy and lively, so I don't need any extra noise inside the hotel. Breakfast: is it needed at all? I used to perceive breakfast at the hotel as a mandatory part of the reservation, but in Istanbul I began to treat it much more calmly. A Turkish breakfast is, of course, a separate pleasure, but sometimes it's much more interesting for me to go outside in the morning and find a small cafe where I can have a quiet coffee and try something local. That's why I wouldn't overpay just for a beautiful breakfast photo. If breakfast is included in the price and it looks fine, fine, but if it makes the room significantly more expensive, I would first look at what is around the hotel. Besides, I like to start the day not according to the schedule of the hotel restaurant, but when I woke up myself. On vacation, I generally try not to turn myself into a person who runs to breakfast at 7:30 a.m. solely because it will be closed later. But I would be more careful with the view of the Bosphorus. The view of the Bosphorus is wonderful, I will not argue here at all. But when the description of the hotel says something like "partial view of the Bosphorus", I already open the map and carefully study the photos, because sometimes this partial view means that there is a neighboring house, roof, air conditioning and a few more architectural surprises between you and the Bosphorus. If the view is really important, I would look at photos of a specific room or room category, not just general photos of the hotel. Because the hotel may actually be located next to the water, but this does not mean at all that the very picture you imagined will open from your window. What else do I look at before booking Before making a final choice, I check a few things that I used to consider small things for some reason. It is important for me to understand if there is an elevator, especially if I am traveling with a large suitcase, how easy it is to get to the hotel from a bus stop or station, whether there are shops and cafes nearby, and how far away are the main places I am going to visit. I also look at the cancellation policy and carefully check if everything I need is included in the indicated price. Sometimes an attractive price at the first viewing turns into a completely different amount after adding taxes or additional conditions, and this is where my love for profitable offers usually ends. And I always read the latest reviews, not just the overall rating. The average rating may look great, but the latest reviews will tell you much more, especially if the hotel has recently changed its owner, repairs have begun or some problems have appeared. My little formula of choice Now I would choose a hotel in Istanbul according to the following scheme: first the area, then the transport, then the reviews, after that the room, breakfast and a beautiful view from the window. Because a good interior can please me for the first ten minutes after checking in, and the convenient location will please me every day when I return to the hotel after another walk. And I also try not to choose a hotel just because it looks luxurious in the photos. When traveling, it is much more important for me to wake up in the morning, calmly go outside, quickly get to where I want to go, return in the evening without incident with a suitcase and feel that I am really resting, and not passing a daily orientation exam. In general, my advice is simple: in Istanbul, choose not the most beautiful hotel, but the one in which it will be convenient for you to live along your route. And if you manage to combine a convenient area, a good price, a beautiful room and a view of the Bosphorus, take it before someone else does it before you, because Istanbul knows how to fall in love with itself even when you just left the hotel for water and accidentally returned three hours later with a bag of sweets, a magnet and I felt like I was lost again, but I found an amazing place.

#Istanbul #Turkey #choice #journey #hotel

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Vlad Discoverer

Spain · September 28, 2026

Where to eat cheap in Barcelona

When I was going to Barcelona, for some reason I was sure that the main expense item would be housing, and food would turn out to be something secondary. It's a very funny thought, especially considering that after walking around the city for a few hours, I start looking at food displays as if I hadn't eaten in the last three days. In Barcelona, this is especially dangerous: around tapas, jamon, pastries, seafood, pizza, sandwiches, markets, cafes with beautiful terraces – and all this seems to have been specially created so that my budget starts coughing nervously. So pretty quickly I decided to figure out where in Barcelona you can eat properly and not give half of your daily budget for every meal. I must say right away that I did not completely abandon restaurants, because coming to Spain and eating exclusively bars from the supermarket is already some kind of gastronomic austerity. But if you choose places wisely, eating in Barcelona is really delicious, satisfying and without the feeling that the waiter has just sold you a piece of Catalonia along with real estate. Breakfast: Coffee, pastries, and some common sense I usually started with the simplest option – a small cafe, coffee and some baked goods. In Barcelona, it is not necessary to look for a restaurant with a huge menu to have a good breakfast, because a simple coffee with a croissant or other pastries often costs significantly less than a full breakfast in a tourist establishment. Tomato toast with olive oil and coffee One day I went into a small cafe literally because I couldn't go any further without coffee. I ordered a drink and pastries, sat by the window and watched the street for twenty minutes, pretending that this was how I planned to start the day. In the end, it turned out even better than in an expensive establishment with a beautiful interior, because I had a quiet breakfast, looked at Barcelona life and did not feel like a person who came on vacation solely to pay someone else's rent. The menu of the day is my main gastronomic life hack If you want to eat normally during the day, I would definitely look at menú del día , that is, a comprehensive daily menu. This is one of those options that allow a traveler not to choose between a normal lunch and the safety of a bank card. Usually this menu includes several dishes, such as the first, second and a drink, and sometimes dessert or coffee, and the final price may be much more pleasant than if you order everything separately. The main thing is to look at the menu from the outside before sitting down, because after you have already settled at a table overlooking a beautiful street, it can be psychologically more difficult to refuse lunch for a sudden twenty–odd euros. Tapas bars: you can try a lot and not order a mountain of food Another option of mine is small tapas bars, especially if you travel alone. I like this format precisely because I don't have to order a huge portion of one dish and then sit over it with the expression on the face of a person who accidentally signed a mortgage. You can take a few small snacks and try different flavors, and with a reasonable choice, it may well be more budget-friendly than a full-fledged dinner. I usually first look at how much each position costs, and only then I start to portray a connoisseur of Spanish cuisine, because a traveler is a traveler, and arithmetic is an international thing. Markets are a great option for those who want to grab a bite on the go. In Barcelona, I would definitely visit the market, especially if you want to try something local rather than have a formal lunch. There you can find fruits, pastries, ready-made snacks, sandwiches and other products, from which it is easy to assemble a decent lunch without going to a restaurant. I generally like this format when traveling: I bought something delicious, went outside and continued walking. However, there is a small risk – at first you tell yourself that you will take only one small snack, and ten minutes later you are standing with a bag of food and trying to figure out how a person who wanted to save money managed to spend more than planned again. Pizza, burgers and other simple options Sometimes, after a whole day of walking, I didn't want to understand the local gastronomy at all. At such times, I chose a simple meal: pizza, burger, sandwich or something similar, and I tried to look not for the most popular tourist spots, but for small places where locals come. Yes, this is not the same romantic dinner with a glass of wine on the terrace, but sometimes after twenty thousand steps you do not want romance, but food. And here, an inexpensive cafe next to the subway or an ordinary residential street suddenly becomes the best restaurant in Barcelona, especially if the portion is large, the table is free, and my body has already stopped negotiating. Nobody canceled the supermarket either If the trip turns out to be long, I calmly go to a regular supermarket and buy water, fruit, yogurt, pastries, cheese, ham or anything else that I can take with me. This is especially convenient for breakfast or a snack, when you absolutely do not want to sit down in a cafe every time. One time I got so carried away with saving that I bought groceries with a reserve, and then realized that I didn't even have a proper knife in my room. I had to eat everything as civilly as possible, but with such an expression on my face, as if I was participating in some kind of gastronomic test. Since then, I've been trying to remember that saving money is great, but first it would be nice to find out exactly what you're going to open the package with. Where I wouldn't save money With all my desire to reduce costs, I would not try to make absolutely the entire trip as cheap as possible. Barcelona is a city where food is part of the journey itself, so at least a few times I would allow myself a normal dinner or good tapas, especially if I really liked the place. My principle turned out to be quite simple: save where it doesn't spoil the experience at all, and don't save where for the sake of a few euros you will later regret that you didn't try the local cuisine at all. After all, I didn't come to take the Spanish survival exam, but to travel. How much money is needed for food If you choose simple cafes, daytime menus, markets, supermarkets, and inexpensive snacks, you can keep your food budget under control. Of course, the exact amount depends on the area, the format of the institution and how strongly at a certain point you start to convince yourself that "well, since I'm in Barcelona, I have to try." I noticed a pattern behind me: the biggest expenses did not appear when I was really hungry, but when I was just passing by a beautiful place. So now I have a rule – first look at the menu and prices, then sit down. This simple action has saved my budget much more often than any complex financial strategy. My conclusion It's quite possible to eat cheap in Barcelona if you don't try to have dinner every time on the most touristy street with a beautiful view. I would alternate between small cafes, menú del día, tapas bars, markets and supermarket products, and leave money for those dishes and places that I really want to try. And perhaps the most important thing is not to turn saving into a separate sport. When traveling, it's always more pleasant to save a little on an occasional coffee or snack, and then sit down somewhere in the evening, order a good meal, look at the lights of Barcelona and think: "Well, that's why I came here."

#Spain #Barcelona #meal #journey #lifehack

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Jimmy Smith Photo Hunter

Mexico · September 28, 2026

Chichen Itza: I finally saw a Mayan pyramid with my own eyes

I had seen photos of Chichen Itza dozens of times before coming to Mexico. The pyramid was familiar even before I arrived - one of those places you recognize instantly. But standing in front of it in real life was completely different. The first view of El Castillo I entered the archaeological site in the morning and walked along the paths surrounded by trees. There were ruins and stone structures everywhere, but I was looking for one particular building. Then the trees opened up and I saw it. El Castillo, the Temple of Kukulcán. For a few seconds I just stood there. The pyramid looked much larger than I had imagined from photographs. Its perfectly symmetrical shape, enormous staircase and rows of stone steps were incredibly impressive. The structure is about 30 meters high and was built as the main monument of Chichén Itzá. What struck me most was the feeling of being in a place that had existed for centuries before any modern city around me. Chichén Itzá was one of the major centers of the Maya world and developed over almost a thousand years. The city also shows a mixture of Maya and Toltec architectural traditions. More than just a pyramid After spending some time near El Castillo, I continued deeper into the archaeological zone. That was when I realized that the pyramid was only one part of a much larger city. I walked past the Great Ball Court , where ancient ceremonial games were played, and then reached the Temple of the Warriors with its rows of columns. I also saw El Caracol, the famous circular structure traditionally associated with astronomical observations. Everywhere there were details carved into the stone - serpents, warriors, animals and geometric patterns. The longer I walked, the more difficult it became to imagine that these were once parts of a living city rather than simply archaeological ruins. A city built around water There was another interesting connection with the previous part of my trip. The name Chichén Itzá is associated with the cenotes of the area. The ancient city was established near natural water-filled cavities, which provided access to underground water. One of them, the Sacred Cenote, also had an important ritual role. After visiting the cenote a few days earlier, this made the history of Chichén Itzá feel even more connected to the landscape around it. By the time I left, I understood why this place had been on my list for so long. Photos can show you the pyramid, but they cannot show its scale, the heat, the silence between the ruins or the feeling of walking through a city that was already ancient long before our time. Chichén Itzá was not just a place I came to photograph. It became one of the moments of my trip that I knew I would remember long after leaving Mexico.

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Adam Discoverer

Italy · September 28, 2026

How to save money on traveling in Italy

I've wanted to go to Italy for a long time, but every time I started counting the cost of the trip, the numbers looked like I wasn't going on vacation, but to buy a small villa in Tuscany. What scared me the most was not even the accommodation or the flight, but how quickly the money disappears on the spot: I drank coffee, had a snack, bought a ticket, drove somewhere, decided to just sit on the square in the evening - and now the wallet has noticeably lost weight. On this trip, I decided to test on my own experience whether it is possible to see Italy, eat a balanced diet, live in a decent place and at the same time not return home with the feeling that, together with the Colosseum, I accidentally financed half of Rome. I started saving before the trip. The first thing I did was stop looking for a trip based on the principle of "where I want to go right now." Usually, I first imagined myself with a glass of wine somewhere in a beautiful square, and only then I opened the prices and began to suffer quietly. This time I did the opposite: first I looked at the dates, the cost of the flight and accommodation, and only then I decided which route would be more convenient for me, because Italy is beautiful in almost any direction, but I absolutely did not want to overpay for the right to be there three hours earlier. I also took my time with the tickets, because sometimes the difference between neighboring dates turns out to be quite noticeable. If it is possible to move the vacation a little, I would definitely check several departure and arrival options, and also look not only at the direct route to the main city of the route, but also at neighboring airports. However, it is important here not to fall into your own savings trap: if a cheap ticket takes you to the airport, from where you then need to get to the city for half the cost of the flight itself, there is no special victory. I didn't choose a place to live in the very center In Italy, I quickly realized one simple thing: the word "center" can sometimes add a completely obscene amount to the cost of living. Of course, it's convenient to live near the main square, especially when you can leave the hotel in the evening and find yourself among the beautiful streets in five minutes, but sometimes you pay for this walk even before you put on your shoes. Therefore, I began to look at areas a little further from the most touristic places, but near the metro, train station or a good bus stop. As a result, sometimes it took ten to fifteen minutes to walk, but the room rate was noticeably more pleasant, and at the same time I saw ordinary Italian streets, small shops, locals, and cafes where no one tried to sell me pasta for the price of a good lunch. It turned out to be a pleasant discovery for me: sometimes a place that is a little further from the tourist center leaves much more impressions. I almost stopped buying breakfast at the cafe. I started my first morning in Italy beautifully: I left the hotel, sat down at a table outside, ordered coffee and something to go with it, looked around and felt like a hero in a movie. The second morning, I did about the same thing, but I was already beginning to wonder why a few minutes of a beautiful life were so confidently reducing my budget. After that, I began to alternate the options. If breakfast was included in the room rate, I used it calmly, and if not, I bought something from a supermarket or a small bakery and made my own breakfast. At the same time, I did not give up Italian coffee and pastries at all, because savings should have reasonable limits, and depriving me of the opportunity to drink a normal espresso in the morning would be some kind of wrong punishment. I had to rethink the relationship with the restaurants a bit The most dangerous phrase in Italy for my wallet sounded like this: "Well, since we're here, let's go to a beautiful place." Usually, a menu appeared after it, followed by several dishes, drinks, dessert, and at the end a bill that made me study the ceiling very carefully and remember all my life decisions. Therefore, I began to pay attention to the places where Italians themselves eat, and did not strive to have dinner next to the main attraction every evening. For a full meal, it was often enough to choose a simple local place a little away from the tourist square, and sometimes I took pizza, panini or other takeaway food and went to the park or square with it. It turned out to be cheaper, but the atmosphere didn't suffer at all, because sitting with a slice of pizza somewhere in Italy is, in my opinion, a completely independent cultural experience. I stopped buying water and snacks on every corner. This is where I realized how imperceptibly money can disappear. When you walk all day, you're constantly thirsty, then suddenly hungry, then more coffee, then ice cream, and every time it feels like a few euros is just a small thing. And in the evening, you put everything together and realize that your little "trifle" has quietly turned into the cost of a decent dinner. That's why I carried a bottle of water with me and bought small snacks in the store in advance. In Italy, drinking fountains or public water sources can be found in many cities, so a bottle becomes quite a useful thing, especially in summer. But I bought ice cream anyway, because I came to Italy, not to attend a financial seminar. I compared the train and the bus between the cities. If the route involves several cities, I would not automatically buy the first ticket I see. There are different transportation options in Italy, and the cost of a trip can greatly depend on the time, type of train, and how much the ticket is purchased in advance. Sometimes a fast train is the most convenient solution, especially when it comes to popular destinations between major cities, but sometimes a slower option or a bus can significantly reduce costs. I was just comparing several options before buying, because an extra couple of hours on the road for me was a perfectly acceptable payment for the opportunity to leave money for a normal dinner, and not for transportation. In museums, I looked at the conditions of my visit in advance Previously, I could come to the attraction and only find out the ticket price on the spot, after which I stood in front of the ticket office with the face of a man who suddenly realized that he had already seen the architecture from the outside today and maybe that was enough. In Italy, this approach is especially dangerous because there are many attractions, and the desire to see absolutely everything can very quickly turn a vacation into an expensive marathon through museums. The Colosseum Therefore, before the trip, I checked the official websites of the places I was interested in and saw if there were free hours, special days, or combined tickets. As part of a government initiative by the Italian Ministry of Culture, admission to some museums is free. There are certain hours when you can view the exhibition or other exhibits for free. Among the participants are the Colosseum in Rome, the Capitoline Museums, the Uffizi Museum in Florence and other objects . However, I would not rely solely on free days, because sometimes so many people gather there that saving turns into queuing training. I stopped trying to see absolutely everything. Probably, this solution turned out to be the most economical. When I first made up the route, I wanted to be everywhere in a few days: Rome, Florence, Venice, somewhere else along the way, preferably to capture the sea and somehow accidentally end up in Tuscany at sunset. Then I looked at the map and realized that I was going to spend a significant part of my vacation on trains and at train stations. Therefore, I chose several places and left a normal amount of time between them, so as not to run around Italy with a suitcase and the expression on the face of a person who is late for his own life. As a result, I not only spent less on moving, but also felt for the first time that I was really resting, and not fulfilling the tourist standard. How much can you save in the end I would not promise any universal amount, because the budget for a trip to Italy depends very much on the city, the season, the duration of the trip, the level of accommodation and how much a person likes restaurants with a view of the main attraction. But even without extreme savings, it is quite possible to reduce costs by doing a few simple things: looking for flights and accommodation in advance, looking at areas a little further from the center, using public transport, comparing options for moving between cities, buying some food in regular stores and checking prices for attractions in advance. At the same time, I realized one important thing: saving money on a trip does not mean constantly denying yourself everything. I quietly drank Italian coffee, ate pasta, bought ice cream, went to museums and sometimes chose a beautiful cafe just because I liked it there. It was just that now I understood how I could avoid paying too much, so that I wouldn't have to stand in front of the last pizza on vacation and not count in my mind whether I still had enough money for the return train. Italy has generally turned out to be a country where reasonable savings do not prevent you from having fun, if you do not try to turn the trip into a competition "who will spend the least". You can live not two steps away from the Colosseum, but go out for a walk around Rome every morning, you can have dinner at a beautiful restaurant once, and take a pizza to take away another evening, you can travel between cities in a way that is not the most expensive way and at the same time not feel like a second-class tourist at all. After all, I went to Italy not to proudly show my friends a photo of my empty wallet, but to return home with photos, memories, and at least a small amount of money for my next trip.

#Italy #lifehacks #journey #trip

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Stanislav Discoverer

France · September 28, 2026

How much does a trip to Paris really cost?

When I first started calculating how much a trip to Paris would cost, it seemed to me that the most expensive thing here was Paris itself. The city is beautiful, romantic, with the Eiffel Tower, croissants and so many beautiful cafes that the wallet starts to get nervous even before boarding the plane. As a result, it turned out that the main problem is not how much Paris costs, but how quickly I can spend money myself when I see another cafe with beautiful tables on the street. I decided to count the entire trip so that there would be no classic tourist surprise in the style of: "How did it happen that I spent so much when I didn't seem to buy much?" I got a week-long trip, and I tried not to turn it into either a budget marathon with supermarket sandwiches or a vacation for a person who eats breakfast exclusively in restaurants with white tablecloths. It turned out to be quite a common option when you want to see Paris, eat normally, use transport and sometimes indulge in something pleasant. Flight and journey to Paris Of course, the price of tickets affected the cost of the trip the most. I bought them in advance and chose a regular economy class, because I am not yet mentally ready to pay for business class as much as half of my trip costs. Depending on the departure city and dates, the cost may vary greatly, so I would not focus on one specific figure here, but I put about 150-250 euros on a round-trip flight. You also need to get from the airport to the city, and that's when I first remembered that Paris knows how to collect money for literally every move a tourist makes. You can take public transport and spend relatively little, or you can see the queue for the train after a long flight, look at your suitcase and decide that a taxi is a great idea. I chose a more economical option and put about 25-40 euros on the way from the airport and back. Housing: the most serious expense item With housing, everything is a little more complicated, because Paris knows how to surprise. And sometimes it's not the beauty, but the size of the room, when you open the door and realize that you can only put your suitcase in one place, and you'll have to negotiate with him about living together. I was looking for a small hotel or apartment in a convenient area, but not necessarily right next to the Eiffel Tower, because I'm not ready to sell a car for the opportunity to see it from the window every morning. During the week of my stay, I got about 700-1000 euros , and with early booking, you can find cheaper options, especially if you move a little away from the most touristic areas. As a result, housing turned out to be the part of the budget that is the most difficult to save on. You can reduce the cost of food, transportation or entertainment, but if you want a private room in a good area and without adventures with plumbing, you will have to accept that Paris will regularly look into your wallet. Food: here I realized that I don't have the willpower I originally planned to save money on food. In the morning, coffee and a croissant, in the afternoon something simple, in the evening a regular dinner, and no spontaneous restaurants just because they have beautiful chairs. It was a great plan, but it lasted until about the first morning, when I saw a display case with pastries and realized that my financial strategies were over. On average, I spent about 35-50 euros a day on food and coffee, if without any special restaurant frills. This is about 250-350 euros per week, although it can be cheaper if desired, especially if you buy some of the food in the supermarket and do not turn every meal into a gastronomic event. At the same time, I would not recommend coming to Paris and trying to save on everything. Sometimes it's much more pleasant to buy an ordinary baguette, cheese, fruit and a bottle of water, have a small snack in the park and just look at the people around, than to spend all day looking for the cheapest menu and end up spending more effort than money. Subway and walking I mostly explored Paris on foot, because otherwise, it seems to me, it is impossible to feel the city. You can take several metro stops, or you can walk the same couple of kilometers and quite accidentally discover a small street, a beautiful courtyard or a cafe, which for some reason you remember more often than the main attraction of the day. Paris Metro I have allocated about 30-50 euros per week for public transport, depending on the number of trips and selected tickets. But I walked a significant part of the route, so my transport budget did not inflate. Traffic on the Champs-Elysees For me, a taxi is expensive, but I decided to go by car and see the Champs-Elysees. It is one of the most famous and iconic streets in Paris. The avenue is 71 meters wide. After paying the taxi driver 20 euros, I realized that walking around Paris can be a great workout. After a few days, I stopped wondering why my legs reminded me of themselves in the evening, but I could calmly say: "Yes, it's only twenty minutes on foot." Then I would open the map and discover that twenty minutes had somehow turned into seven kilometers. Tickets and attractions You can count on free Paris too, but I still wanted to see more than just the streets. Therefore, I invested money in advance for museums and several paid attractions, including those places where I really wanted to go. Fondation Louis Vuitton Museum It took me about 100-180 euros per week for tickets, museums and entertainment. Everything depends on the program here: if you only go to free places and walk around the city areas, the costs will be small, but if you buy tickets somewhere every day, the budget will start to grow quite quickly. I made a list of places I really wanted to see in advance, and it turned out to be the right decision. Otherwise, in Paris it's easy to fall into the trap of "well, since I'm here," after which the banking app starts looking at you with condemnation. Souvenirs and small purchases At first, I didn't consider this expense item at all, because I sincerely believed that I would not buy anything. Paris, as it turned out, was also aware of my plan and just calmly waited until I entered the first store. As a result, I spent about 50-100 euros on small purchases, souvenirs, postcards, some small things and gifts. And it's also quite modest, because Paris knows how to explain very convincingly why you absolutely need this cup, notebook, box of sweets or magnet, even though there is already a collection of things at home that I once also intended not to buy. How much does a week in Paris cost in the end? If you put all the expenses together, my trip for the week turned out to be something like this: 150-250 euros for flights, 25-40 euros for travel from the airport, 700-1000 euros for housing, 250-350 euros for food, 30-50 euros for transport, 100-180 euros for sightseeing and about 50-100 euros for small purchases. As a result, I would focus on about 1300 to 1900 euros per person per week, if traveling is comfortable, but without luxury. With a very economical approach, the amount can be reduced, especially due to housing, food and flight costs, and if you choose a good hotel in the center, often go to restaurants and do not look at the prices for excursions, the budget will easily go much higher. Is it possible to travel to Paris cheaper? Of course it is possible, and I would even say that Paris does not require a huge fortune if you think about the route a little in advance. The most tangible ways to save money are to buy tickets in advance, choose accommodation not in the very center, walk more, use public transport, buy some food in stores and book popular attractions in advance. Eiffel tower But personally, I realized one thing.: Don't turn your trip into a competition to save money. If I came to Paris, walked twenty thousand steps, looked at the Eiffel Tower, looked into the Louvre, sat with coffee in the evening somewhere on a cozy street and ate a normal croissant, I want to remember that, not that I saved three euros for breakfast. My advice is very simple: before traveling, it is better to determine the amount that you are really willing to spend, add to it a small reserve for unforeseen expenses, and only then go quietly. Because Paris is beautiful precisely when you can walk through its streets and not count every five minutes how much is left on the map, and if there is still money left after the trip, consider that you have completed a separate Parisian quest.

#Paris #Travel #France #journey

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Svetlana Discoverer

Georgia · September 28, 2026

Kutaisi: a place I didn't know anything about before the trip

If someone had told me a few years ago that one day I would end up in Georgia thanks to a friend's bachelorette party and would accidentally fall in love with Kutaisi, I would probably have just laughed. I knew about Tbilisi, I had heard about Batumi, I imagined Georgian mountains, wine, khachapuri and feasts, but Kutaisi was practically absent from my tourist dictionary. So when a friend wrote to our shared chat one day: "Girls, I've thought of everything, we're going to Georgia for a bachelorette party," I immediately imagined a beautiful hotel, glasses of wine, photos in dresses, and an obligatory table that would look like we hadn't come for three days, but decided to feed the whole area. To the question "Where exactly?" My friend replied quite calmly: "In Kutaisi." I honestly started looking for it on the map right away, because I didn't want to pretend once again that I knew the geography perfectly well, and then it turned out that I couldn't tell anything about it except the name of the city. However, it didn't upset me at all at the time, because I had a feeling that the main thing in a bachelorette party was company, and the place could be opened on the spot. Kutaisi turned out to be completely different from how I imagined it. The first impression was very pleasant, but I still waited for some time for that Georgia of my expectations to begin, with endless feasts, noisy streets and the feeling that now someone would definitely invite us to drink wine. Kutaisi turned out to be much calmer than I imagined, and that's what surprised me a little at first. There was no sense of a large tourist city, where every second person was in a hurry, and every first person was trying to sell you a magnet with a local landmark. We walked through the streets, talked about everything, took pictures literally near every beautiful building and periodically stopped to eat, because in Georgia it is generally difficult to pretend that you are not hungry. At some point, I realized that while we were talking, I had completely stopped looking at my phone and checking what was interesting nearby, because the city itself turned out to be interesting enough to just walk wherever my eyes looked. However, after a while it became clear that "where your eyes are looking" is not always the best way to navigate, especially when your eyes are busy photographing. The bachelorette party almost turned into an excursion The next day, we decided that one city wasn't enough for us, and we started discussing where we could go. The friend who organized all this had already found several places in advance, and we all pretended to be listening attentively, although each of us was thinking mainly about breakfast at that moment. As a result, the conversation ended with the fact that we decided to see the surroundings of Kutaisi, and I still believe that it was then that our usual bachelorette party finally turned into a small trip. We saw a completely different Georgia – green, mountainous, a little wild and very photogenic, and so much so that the phone gradually began to turn into the main participant in our company. We stopped every now and then to take pictures, then returned because "the view was even more beautiful there," and then got back in the car and promised ourselves that we would definitely make the next stop the last. Of course, she has never been the last one. I finally understood why it's worth coming here. What surprised me the most was that before this trip I did not perceive Kutaisi as an independent tourist destination at all. In my head, it was just some kind of Georgian city that exists on the map and is probably needed by someone, but why exactly to go there, I did not understand at all. And then I found myself there myself, and suddenly I found myself thinking that I liked the lack of a sense of a "mandatory program." I liked walking through the streets without a clear plan, looking into small cafes, sitting at a table with my friends and discussing everything in the world, and then suddenly discovering a beautiful old house or a cozy courtyard nearby. In Kutaisi, for the first time in a long time, I felt that a trip does not necessarily have to consist of ten sights a day to be remembered, sometimes just good company, a beautiful city and the feeling that you are not in a hurry are enough. And, of course, there was a small failure. Our bachelorette party wouldn't be our bachelorette party if at least once things didn't go a little wrong. One evening, we decided to walk to the right place on our own, because, of course, why would we need a taxi if we have legs, a phone and the collective mind of four women. The collective mind lasted for 15 minutes, after which it turned out that each of us was sure that someone else knew the way. We walked for quite a long time around the Chain Bridge spanning the river Rioni. By the way, we found out later that archaeologists found the remains of a 5th-century stone bridge in this area. Chain Bridge We took a few wrong turns, then started arguing with the map, and then we just stopped and started laughing, because it was too late to go back, and no one could explain exactly how we managed to get lost on a fairly simple street. As a result, we were saved by a local woman, who seemed to understand from our confused appearance that tourist navigation had officially failed today, and showed the way. I left Kutaisi with an unexpected thought. When it was time to return home, I caught myself in a completely unexpected feeling.: I was a little sorry to leave. I was on my way to Georgia for a bachelorette party, thinking mostly about my friends, beautiful photos, delicious food and a few fun evenings, but in the end I took with me the memories of a city that I didn't know much about until recently. It's probably these trips that you remember the most, because you don't have time to figure out in advance what the place should be. Kutaisi didn't have to meet my expectations, because I had almost no expectations, and perhaps that's why he surprised me so easily. The Rioni River Now, if someone asks me what I know about Kutaisi, I won't silently open the map like the first time. I'll tell you about our endless walks, Georgian food, green surroundings, the Rioni River and our attempts to navigate on the phone, and the very bachelorette party that was supposed to be just a fun trip with friends, but in the end introduced me to a place that I had hardly thought about before. And, perhaps, this is one of the best things that can happen on a trip: to arrive there, which you know nothing about, and leave with the feeling that you have found a small piece of the world, which now for some reason has become yours.

#Kutaisi #journey #Georgia #friends

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Gilyana Guide

Morocco · September 27, 2026

Marrakech: How I got lost in an unfamiliar city

I got lost in Marrakech by accident, although now, remembering this story, I realize that the word "accidental" here describes my actions too affectionately. I decided to turn off the usual tourist route myself, because it seemed to me that if everyone goes in one direction, then the real life of the city is probably somewhere in the opposite direction. At that time, it seemed to me that this was a great idea, because I was walking with my phone in my hand, the card was open, the charge was almost full, and my confidence in my own abilities to navigate the terrain was off the charts. For the first twenty minutes, everything was really going great, and I even managed to praise myself several times for not just walking along the central streets with a crowd of tourists. There were narrow alleys of the medina, small shops, doors behind which some completely different life was taking place, the smell of spices, fresh bread and something fried, which I could not come up with a name for. I took pictures of everything and thought that it was for such moments that you came to an unfamiliar country, and then I took another turn, then another, and at some point I realized that I had no idea where I was. The map decided to confuse me completely The funny thing started when I took out my phone and opened the card with the expression on the face of a person who can easily solve any problem now. The map showed that the street I needed was literally a few minutes away, but for some reason there were several walls, closed passages and alleys between me and this street, which on the screen looked like completely normal roads. I went to the right, then came back, then decided that I should go to the left, and after a few minutes I found myself again near the same bench with copper lamps. Menard Gardens At that moment, for the first time, I suspected that Marrakech had just decided to play with me a little. I was particularly struck by the fact that I could walk forward for several minutes without changing directions at all, and then find a familiar door in front of me, which I had already passed by. The phone confidently showed the arrow, I also confidently followed the arrow, and only one small circumstance prevented us from succeeding – I did not understand at all where this arrow was leading me. I wanted to see the Menard Garden, but it took me a while to visit the historical landmark. And then I remembered the "Clone" At one point, I stopped in the middle of the alley, looked at the walls surrounding me, at the people who were quietly going about their business, and suddenly, quite unexpectedly, I remembered the TV series "Clone" . Apparently, my brain decided that if I was already in Morocco, lost among the oriental streets and everything around me looked so unusual, then it was time to get the old TV classics out of my memory. I even imagined for a second that I was the heroine of some episode, who now had to walk beautifully down east street in a flowing dress, mysteriously look into the distance and know where she was going. The reality, however, looked much less romantic: I had a bottle of water, a backpack, slightly disheveled hair and a completely confused expression on my face, because the heroine of "Clone" would at least roughly understand where she was going. At that moment, I could only say one thing for sure: I was definitely somewhere in Marrakech. I was saved by a man I didn't even ask for help. I was about to admit defeat and call a taxi when an elderly man appeared nearby, who, apparently, had long been accustomed to watching tourists trying to defeat the local alley system. He looked at me, then at the phone, then back at me and asked me something in French, and I explained with the most serious look that I needed to get to the Menard Gardens or one of the mosques. Qutubiya Mosque He smiled as if he had heard this phrase a thousand times before, waved his hand and motioned for me to follow him. At first, I was a little doubtful, because my mother's inner voice immediately turned on in my head: "Don't go anywhere with strangers." But the man just led me through several alleys, turned off near a small shop, then turned again, and after a few minutes I saw a familiar street. The stranger pointed to the Qutubiyah Mosque. All the locals know where it is, it is very difficult to get lost in this place. It took me a moment to believe that we had really got to where I needed to go. I thanked him, but he just smiled, waved his hand and calmly walked back, as if every day he rescued lost tourists armed with phones and absolute confidence in his navigation abilities. It turned out that I had found more than I had lost. The most interesting thing happened after I returned to a familiar street and saw several sights and ate. I realized that if I hadn't gotten lost, I would never have seen those small workshops, quiet courtyards, benches and completely ordinary corners of Marrakech that would not have been included in any of my pre-planned routes. Sometimes we try so hard to plan everything, open the map, mark the sights and calculate the time, that we forget to leave a little room for accidents. The ruins of the first Qutubiya Mosque Now that I think back on that day, I no longer think about how long it took me to find my way and how many times I passed by the same door. For some reason, I remember the ruins of the first Koutoubia mosque, the smell of spices, the sun spots on the walls, that same unflappable man, and the moment when I suddenly thought of a "Clone" in the middle of Marrakech, even though I hadn't thought of the series in many years. That's probably why I'm much more relaxed about small failures now. If you get lost in an unfamiliar city, you should first check the map, phone charge, and direction of travel, but sometimes you can just stop and look around, because it's the next wrong turn that may turn out to be what you came to this country for.

#Marrakech #Morocco #journey #trip

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