Travelling
“To Travel is to Live.” – Hans Christian Andersen
In winter, when the diving season in Gozo is over, I travel. Normally I take a backpack, book a flight and a cheap hotel and go. The best part is always planning to do it on my own, never with a travel agency.
For me travelling is all about having new experiences. That is why every year I try to go somewhere I have never been. You will never develop if you stay in one place all the time and do the same things. If you want to open your mind, you need to move and see other places and cultures.
My favourite places
“Not all those who wander are lost." – J.R.R. Tolkien
I like visiting cities as each of them is unique. A great pleasure for me is to go around, discover the atmosphere of the place, observe people, try new food, get lost and find my way again. It is a great opportunity to discover new places and learn new things.
So far I have visited over 20 countries and I am adding more and more to the list. For now these are my five favourite cities that I would like to visit again.
DUBAI
It is the most unusual city I have ever been. Golden Souk, the biggest shopping mall in the world and a sky-scraper district of Marina is what most people think of this city. But Dubai is also a cheap hostel with the most friendly owner, a super tasty meal in a street restaurant and the best coffee for 2 dirham from a Pakistani lady, a ride in a small boat through a creek and the feeling of calm and safety. I was there on my own and I loved every minute of it.
ISTANBUL
Exotic, charming and colourful. I have only seen a small part of it as it is so big. I loved the atmosphere there and the food is excellent – it is the first time in my life I ate chestnuts. I even managed to get lost in the biggest bazar in the world! Incredible adventure.
VENICE
I was there in the winter, which is a blessing as the canals do not smell bad. The best city to stroll around and get lost. There are no cars so you need to go on foot anyway, unless you want to take a water tram, which is a great experience. Lots of tiny streets, small shops, cute cafes and restaurants.
BUDAPEST
It is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Not many people know that it is sometimes called “Paris of the East” – and it fully deserves this name! I was quite sceptical when I was visiting it the first time but I quickly changed my mind and was walking around in absolute awe. Apart from the famous Parliament building it has the most beautiful panorama across the river I have ever seen. The funniest thing is the currency, forint. I felt rich having 70 thousand forints in my pocket until I bought my first meal and coffee and was 7 thousand forints lighter…
BERLIN
It is my favourite city in Europe, I feel totally at home there. It is an amazing place, full of painful history but so lively and so greatly restored it is hard to believe it was divided by a wall for decades! The centre of Berlin is a huge park – how cool is that! I have been there several times and I come back every now and then to stroll around, listen to the language, visit Alexander Platz and eat breakfast in a brilliant “water” café in Europa Centre.