A Photographer's Heaven: Havana

Cuba. I cannot even begin to describe the love I developed for this stunning nation in the short 8 days my feet touched its soil. In fact, I think we could even rank the intensity of this Cuban love somewhere towards my love for Boots meal deals (that got me through many a lunch break during my time living in the money-sucking city of London), or even my holy-grail concealer by Estée Lauder, that saves my face from looking like a stepped-on tomato each morning.

To discover Cuba as a solo traveller, I opted to do a G Adventures tour, aptly named Cuba Libre (after the signature Cuban cocktail of the same name! Delicious, but strong...)

Cuba is one of the most breathtakingly picturesque landscapes I have ever laid eyes on, with something new for even the most seasoned traveller. Cuba's main city, Havana, boasts an eclectic architectural mish-mash, with beautifully restored Neoclassical, Baroque and Art Deco buildings, juxtaposed with the crumbling façades of others just around the corner.

The most charming area of Havana, by far, is Habana Vieja (Old Havana), which showcases the history and beauty of the original city, characterised by tiny side streets lined with overhanging balconies, ferns sprouting from every crevice and plenty of colour. This area is reminiscent of old European cities and their streets, so, if you're like me and you melt at the mere thought of strolling down romantic side lanes, this city is for you.

The main street of this area is Calle Obispo, bustling with people and appeasing both the eyes and the tastebuds, with its busy scenery and array of restaurants, cafes and bars. Turn down any side street to nab some fantastic snaps of chaotic, inner-Havana life (read: laundry strung out to dry between apartment windows, rickshaws lined up waiting for fares and local kids running about).

An interesting attraction to visit in Old Havana is Camera Obscura; a camera on the top floor of a building in Plaza Vieja, which uses a periscope to browse over all of Havana in real time. After the 'show', you can step out onto the rooftop to soak in the stunning views over this magical city.

A common question I get asked, when I travel alone, is: "did you feel safe?" As a solo female, I probably would not have felt completely at ease walking around alone, especially at night. However, Havana and Cuba in general were much safer than I had anticipated. The people are friendly and welcoming, if not still getting used to the idea of tourists after a long time being closed to tourism as a nation. In this sense, it is best to approach Cuba with patience and an open mind; don't expect standards to be as high as in a Western country. As my guide, Pablo, said: "Nothing works in Cuba, but we always do our best."

Whilst Havana is a fascinating city, I unfortunately did not get to explore as much as I would've liked; we jetted off to another town the morning after we arrived and only had one night there at the conclusion of the tour. But guys. GUYS. In my next post, I simply have to talk about the town we stopped at first, after Havana, for two nights: Viñales. Small town hospitality and hot Cuban boys, what more could you want?

And now, pictures!

Un Séjour Provençal: Provence's Southern Charm

No visit to France can be complete with just a few days in Paris. In fact, while Paris is a beautiful and historic city and is one of my all time favourites, it simply doesn't provide you with a well-rounded experience of the country.

That's where Provence comes in as the hero of the hour. One visit to this picturesque and authentically French region will have you completely under its spell. The main city, Aix-en-Provence is a highlight, however there are many quaint (I use that word far too often) and typically French towns surrounding it that can provide a lovely experience, away from the hustle and bustle of Aix; at a cheaper price too.

That was our main reason for choosing to stay in Salon-de-Provence; economic value. It ended up working beautifully, as we checked into our modest hotel, Hôtel du Midi, situated near the centre of Salon. Hôtel du Midi provided traditional, friendly French hospitality and while the rooms were rather dated, this only added to the charm and was a pleasant change to typical, soulless hotel rooms one encounters in many modern accommodations.

Luckily, we had a car we had hired in Montpellier, so getting around was easy. However, there is a bus service which allows you to transit between the Salon and Aix.

Aix was beautiful. Small, original streets and historic architecture with a distinctive sandy colour made for a picturesque experience. Cours Mirabeau, the main, wide avenue of Aix with its spectacular fountain and trees was a breeze to stroll along, with plenty of cafes, shops and restaurants to choose from.

Navigating away from Cours Mirabeau, was a maze of streets, littered with various boutiques, more cafes and open squares holding weekend markets, with fruit, vegetable, meat and cheese stalls showcasing Southern France's excellent produce. I don't think any strawberry will ever compare to the strawberries I picked up from one of the stalls that day; they were the size of my palm!

No visit to Provence would be complete without popping into a L'Occitane En Provence store and checking it out in its element. It's located at 21 Rue Espariat, Aix-en-Provence!

Then there's the fabulous Place de l’Hôtel de Ville, one of the most famous squares in Aix, bordered by the Town Hall, Corn Exchange Hall and the Clock Tower. Inside the Town Hall, the architecture is breathtaking and we even snuck into one of the conference rooms, which I don't think was supposed to be open... However, it was lavishly decorated with gold-framed portraits and paintings of various scenes; a sight to behold. One of the most memorable moments of my visit to Aix, was sitting on the steps of the fountain in this square and munching on some saucisson, cheese and baguette from the markets, taking in the sun and beautiful surroundings.

It's easy to wile away the hours wandering the streets of Aix, finding new, hidden gems around every corner and finishing the night with a dinner at one of the many traditional restaurants. Definitely the place to come for a relaxing, typically French getaway!

And now, pictures!

Get to know me!

So you wanna know more about the girl behind the blog? You came to the right place.

Hi, I'm Tilda, although that's not my real name, I just thought it sounded catchier! To find out my real name, talk to me and get to know me!

I'm a 20 year-old girl with a severe case of wanderlust and I blog my experiences to not only chronicle them, but perhaps help or inspire others to travel too. Travel is honestly one of the best things you can do for yourself, don't let anything stop you!

I currently live in Sydney, Australia but it has not always been my home. I was born in Melbourne and then my family and I moved to Vevey, Switzerland when I was 5. We lived there for 4 years before moving back to Australia, but this time to Sydney. And that's where I lived up until April 2012, when I moved to London for a year after deferring my second year of university and deciding to set off on an adventure.

I am now back in Sydney completing my university degree, but I still save every penny to fund trips in my breaks!

Apart from my passion for travel, I like vintage clothes, hot weather, pizza, Nutella crêpes, people-watching on trains, reading pointless articles on Wikipedia, Ancient Egypt, fountain pens and the movie Anastasia.

If you'd like to have a chat, hit me up in my Tumblr ask or my Twitter!

xxx
Tilda

Bavarian Charm: Lindau and Füssen

My first taste of Germany was Bavaria, the south-east state which is renowned for its many stunning royal castles and also the city of Munich (but we'll leave Munich for a later post.) On a road trip of sorts with our Montpellier-attained hire car, we ended up in Lindau, a quaint town on an island in Lake Constance, the Bodensee.

I immediately fell in love.

While we were only there for 1 night, as a place to rest our heads in transit, I only wish we'd had extra time to soak in the simply wonderful atmosphere Lindau had to offer. With a maze of streets winding throughout the island, you could tell this was a town where everyone knew everyone. With every turn of a corner, we were met with another selection of restaurants, cafes and boutique shops, as well as plenty of traditional architecture.

As we wandered, we stumbled upon the edge of the island and the waterside promenade with picturesque views out to Constance herself. The promenade, Hafenplatz, is lined with the poshest of Lindau's accommodations and dining establishments, including the fancy schmancy Hotel Reutemann, lit up like a Christmas tree at night. Being September, it was still mild temperature-wise and I had no problem strolling along in a long sleeved top with no cardigan during the evening hours.

While we drove into Lindau, over the bridge, a train also runs straight in from the mainland and takes about 3 hours to get there from Munich for around AUD$70. Click here to look up times and prices!

Next stop on this Bavarian extravaganza was Füssen, a town I had been itching to get to throughout the entire European trip. Basically, it has a castle. A FAIRYTALE CASTLE. My inner 6-year-old was screaming at full volume (check out my post on China for the other time this occurred.)

Neuschwanstein Castle is a palace commissioned by Ludvig II of Bavaria as a personal retreat and sits majestically on a hill near Füssen. Background/folklore/rumour: Neuschwanstein was the inspiration behind Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle and you can certainly tell why. Featuring the signature coned turrets and the typical 'princessy' aesthetics, this palace was/is truly royal.

Entrance tickets are bought from the ticket centre in Hohenschwangau village, below the castle, for about 12 euros (under 18's are free!), and after that there are 3 ways to begin your ascent to the palace. a) on foot, however this is not for the unfit; a very steep, long climb, b) by horse-drawn carriage for 6 euros uphill or 3 euros downhill, or c) by bus which leaves from one of the village hotels and costs 1.80 euro.

The castle itself was stunning, although highly touristic, with audio and guided tours followed by the obligatory walk through the gift shop on the way out. However, each room available to the public was even more lavishly decorated as the one the before, demonstrating the sheer amount of wealth these Bavarian royals had at the time. Unfortunately, pictures were not allowed inside, but trust me when I say it is definitely worth the visit.

Füssen itself was a charming town, much like Lindau. The town was quaint, with plenty of small streets and souvenir shops dotted around. I stayed at Hotel Sonne, which was by far the best hotel for the price I paid in my life. Rated #1 in Füssen on TripAdvisor, Hotel Sonne is 4-stars and was clean, ideally located in the centre of town with beautiful rooms, decorated uniquely. If you stay at one hotel, make it this one.

And now, pictures!

A Fleeting Chinese Experience

My most recent trip back to London was definitely one of the extreme budget kind. With little money due to only having been working again for about 2 months before I left, meant there wasn't many funds available for anything other than a no frills visit. Luckily, staying with someone very special to me meant I saved accommodation-wise, however, when booking the flight there I basically whacked in my dates and clicked determinedly on the lowest numbers my eyes fell upon.

What I ended up with was a flight with Air China, said country's national airline. Not really caring as long as it got me from Sydney to my destination, I grimaced at the 8 and 10 hour stopovers and pressed 'book'. Searching for a way to potentially fill the gap during my hours in Beijing, I stumbled across Beijing Airport Transportation, a company that provides both airport transfers, as well as layover tours to some of Beijing's most famous attractions. After extensive research, I decided to book the Mutianyu Great Wall tour. It was 1240 RMB (or about AUD$210), not a bad price. You need at least 6 hours stopover to complete the tour in time when you factor in getting through customs, and getting back on the other end in time. I was initially sceptical, worrying about perhaps missing my flight and the legitimacy of the company but I must say I was very pleasantly surprised!

My lovely and talkative guide, Aida, met me with a sign bearing my name at the arrivals gate at Beijing International Airport, and being very early in the morning, the Great Wall was not open yet so I went to freshen up. We decided to get on our way and I was led to our car with a private driver who drove us the 45 minutes/1 hour to the Mutianyu Gate of the Great Wall, one of the most popular. The drive was fascinating in itself, providing an insight into the lives of some of the outskirt-dwelling residents of Beijing, as well as some pretty landscapes.

Finally we pulled up at the Great Wall. The entrance area was just opening up and was practically empty (yay!), along with the strip of tourist markets selling various souvenirs and other wares near the ticket booths. The cost of the entrance fee is included in the tour price, but is usually 45 RMB for any travellers visiting independently. Thanks to my tight budget, I chose to hike up instead of pay the extra fee for the cable car, but I feel like this gave me a more authentic and rewarding experience anyway! Thankfully, being the early morning, it hadn't reached the hottest part of the day yet, although the humidity was intense! Definitely wear a comfortable pair of walking shoes if you plan to climb, there are plenty of stairs and it's a steep walk.

We finally reached the top of the mountain, tackling the last few stone steps on to the Wall itself. The view was breathtaking, as you can see in the below pictures. Early morning mist lingered on the mountainous landscape, creating an ethereal and mystic atmosphere, completely removed from the bustling city that was only an hour or so away.

There were plenty of excellent photo opportunities, thanks to hilly nature of the Wall, providing great views of it stretching off into the distance from a raised point. There was also a lack of other visitors on the wall which was brilliant; I would definitely recommend visiting in the early hours like I did for a better experience.

I didn't end up walking too far, being knackered from the climb up and the walk along the Wall being challenging as well. But I saw plenty and it was one of the most beautiful and humbling experiences I've had on my travels, as I imagined the thousands of workers who built the Wall with no modern technology, dragging the colossal blocks of stone up the mountain. My guide, Aida, was extremely informative and answered questions as well as spoke about historical facts and information with expertise.

After sufficiently tiring ourselves out, I decided to 'splash out' and pay the extra RMB to ride the toboggan back down the mountain! I was like a kid back in a theme park, admittedly probably going faster down the metal track than I should have...

On the drive back to the airport, Aida took me to a small factory/workshop of traditional Chinese pottery, where a guide escorts you through each room, showcasing a different step in the detailed moulding, painting and firing process of the exquisite pottery. At the end was a gift shop, where you could buy the items made on the premises. While they were beautiful, my budget did not allow for it. I'm not sure if this visit was part of the tour, however I assume not, I think they just took me there because we had some extra time.

Some last comments on Beijing airport:

• They have free wifi and you can get a login from any information desk by showing your passport. However, it's unreliable and often cuts out then doesn't let you login again. Try asking for a new login!
• If you're in the international terminal and you have some time and want to relax or perhaps sleep, look for signage to 'reclining chairs.' It's a section of reclined seating down the end of the terminal in front of huge glass windows that look out onto the happenings of the airport!
• If you want a nicer meal, eat before you go through security at one of the outlets in the main part of the airport, around the check-in desks. At the terminals, choices are limited and are mostly just souvenir shops and coffee shops.

And now, pictures!