Buenos Aires | Eating Choripan at La Boca | Since I knew that I was gonna travel to Argentina I wanted to visit La Boca. It is a little neighborhood w

just - Fernwayer Travel Stories & Experiences

Argentina

Since I knew that I was gonna travel to Argentina I wanted to visit La Boca. It is a little neighborhood where you can find some of the most famous landscapes of Buenos Aires. 

At the time I arrive, via bus or “bondi”, as it is said there, it was full of people; eating, buying souvenirs, taking photos, etc.

I loved this experience so much that I don’t want to spoil anything to you, just take the chance and visit that amazing place!

Eating Choripan at La Boca

Colombia

Australia

The best thing about visiting Australia is that scenic views and spectacular nature are just a stone's throw away, no matter where you are. If you're in Sydney, you won't get a better view of the ocean than walking through Royal National Park and taking Bundeena Drive to Marley Walk.

Passing through scenic heathland with small trees, you'll soon come to a bushwalk through a denser forest. We saw many native bird species, including the famous cockatoo, had a dip in one of the pools along the way, and took stunning sunset photos as you look out over the wild ocean. The tourist highlight is Wedding Cake Rock, but our personal star was Marley Beach, a dreamy, hidden sandy beach where you can relax and dip your feet in the refreshing water.

You can rent a car and drive directly to Bundeena, but we decided to take the train from Sydney to Cronulla and from there take the ferry to Bundeena.

Day Hike: wedding Cake Rock

United States

If you're looking for an unconventional neighborhood with art galleries, parks to hang out in, and lots of young, trendy people, Newtown is the place for you. I basically spend all my weekends there, drinking coffee, going to book clubs, working at the community kitchen Lentil as Anything, and having a beer at one of the lively bars at night. 

Australians love vintage – which makes Newtown the heaven for vintage clothes, cameras, vinyl records, and much more. I’ve got some new sandals, a polaroid camera, and jewelry, all unique pieces at an amazing price. Worth the hype!

You can easily get there by train, it's just a ride from Town Hall, or simply stay a few days in one of the hostels in Newtown.

Bohemian dreams in Newtown

Belarus

Summer flowers

Faroe Islands

None of my map apps seem to work. After years of relying on a mechanical voice to navigate me in strange lands, I am back to poring over paper and asking for directions. I actually like driving here! 

Except when negotiating a one-lane tunnel. Then I am terrified! Unless I have right of way, I have to duck in - at just the right moment - into one of the spaces marked M, and stay there till the dark tunnel ahead is clear of oncoming headlights. This game needs nerves of steel! There are two such tunnels to get to Gásadalur, the waterfall that tumbles recklessly into the ocean.

The best photos require descending down the cliff to the beach below. There is a helpful set of concrete steps, and a big signboard in Faroese that can only be a warning, since it has a lot of exclamation marks. 

I hold on for dear life to the wobbly rusted handrail and descend half way before I realize that the rail isn’t connected to the cliff wall! The view, however, is just perfect.

Tumbling Recklessly

France

Thousands of winter sports enthusiasts (like me) visit the French Alps every year – and for good reasons. Whether you're an experienced skier or a rank beginner, there are many different slopes for every level and preference (and you can rent your gear there as well). 

Since I go there every year, I can tell you my favorite region: Serre Chevalier. There are many tight, open trees, gullies, canyons, and some long steeps. This makes Serre Chevalier a paradise for skiers and snowboarders, which means you can go in a huge group and take everyone’s preferences into account.

On most of our stays, we sleep in bed and breakfasts in Villeneuve, as from there, it’s just a short ride to the slopes! And there are some excellent French restaurants in the village – an essential part of skiing is eating well to recover the energy spent on the slopes. Recommended time spent: At least 3 days!

Skiling in the Alpes

This city known for its wine is just gorgeous. Though hot in summer, it is stunning! Definitely worth a visit and if you have time the surroundings small town also known for their wine. 

In Bordeaux, be sure to walk down rue sainte Catherine, the longest pedestrian street in Europe! There will be plenty of shopping to do, and the main square with the cathedral is also a must see. The bell tower is not attached to the church and is able to be climbed for gorgeous views.

Bordeaux

Greece

The perfect way to view the red pumice layers of Santorini is to walk from Oia to Ammoudi. Just 214 steps down, the going down part was easy since the reward is a meal at one of Ammoudi’s legendary fish tavernas by the sea. 

🐙,| 🦑 | 🐡 

We buy fresh seafood by weight - the classic order of octopus and calamari along with some fish -  and it’s grilled right then and there. The sights and smells of the sea are so familiar and similar - whether in this hidden Santorini cove or at home in San Francisco.

[🧗]

The walk back up to Oia is challenging on a more than full stomach. As we reach the top, we see the setting sun and that makes it all worthwhile.

Fish Tavernas

Greenland

Disko Bay is the Iceberg Factory for 10% of Greenland's icebergs. Sadly, production has increased in recent years, with Spring melts as early as April.

Nothing prepares you for the disorientation - and wonderment - of the brilliance of a midnight Sun. Especially when surrounded by massive icebergs that reflect and mirror the sky and the sea.

I don't remember seeing this yesterday, I tell the boat captain, is this a new work of art? He laughs, and tells me that everyday is  a bit different. 

The midnight boat trip in end-July - as the sun sets just for a few minutes - is the best time to see the sky’s amazing colors reflected on the icebergs.

Iceberg Factory

Iceland

On the epic Ring Road drive (A1) in East Iceland, there’s a black sand beach called Stokksnes, just a few kilometres from Höfn. 

A gravel road gets you to a tiny cafeteria - where you can pay a small fee to drive further in till the edge of the water. 

Volcanic black sand dunes, Tall green grasses. Waves breaking on the rocks. Wind. Reflections in the water. Incredible beauty. Pure zen.

Pure Zen

United Kingdom

Italy

Driving from Salerno on Autostrada A3 and picking up SS163 at Vietri sul Mareon, we catch our first sweeping views of Amalfi Coast with its cliff-edged promontory. “The road with 1,001 turns” is a vertigo-inducing experience. 

🚗

We keep asking - Is the ocean supposed to be this blue? New skill: we can now pick out the color Amalfi Blue in a set of paints.

There are lemons everywhere, and the locals claim their lemons are ‘as large as watermelons’. When life gives you giant lemons, you make Limoncello. 

🍋 

Amalfi town is perfectly positioned right on the water - food, beach and gelato - all at convenient walking distance to each other. We hop over to quieter towns (Ravello) and more stylish ones that levitate over the ocean (Positano), but Amalfi has the perfect sense of place. 

⛱

The Sirens in Homer’s Odyssey lured sailors to their doom on a rocky island that lies just off the Amalfi Coast. Watching the sun set over the town of Maiori … we embrace la dolce far niente.

Amalfi Town Hopping

A slow-paced night photo walk. On foot over odd shaped cobblestones. 

It does not start well as it starts raining even as we take a cab to Pantheon to meet our local photographer and lose a wallet in the cab. We miraculously get It back (another story) and we start our walk .. lethargic, in deference to summer, but still aware of art and life.

We walk from the Pantheon through Piazza Navona to Ponte Vittorio Emmanuel for views over to the Vatican.  The streets are wet, and Piazza Navona is teeming with Romans doing la passeggiata, an evening ritual I wish we could reapply in other cities. 

Later, joining the locals in their celebration of Summer along River Tiber (Lungo il Tivera Roma) well into midnight, it is easy to forget all about work and settle more definitively into a vacation frame-of-mind. 

Afterwards, a stroll to Campidoglio for priceless views of the illuminated Roman Forum, seems like just the thing to do.

To Rome, With Love

Mexico

Laguna Bacalar, a pristine lagoon in the state of Quintana Roo, just a few hours from Tulum, is one of the most beautiful places in Mexico. The place is known for its delicate ecosystem, and I recommend you stay in one of the eco-lodges and learn more about the unique flora and fauna while you're there.

Due to a complex, ancient oxygenation process, the lake's sedimentary structures shimmer in seven different blue colors, and the crystal clear water invites you to jump right in. There are several ways to explore the lagoon:
- Swimming in the tepid water
- Hiking around the lake
- Taking a sunrise tour on a stand-up paddleboard

You can easily stay 5 days in this small town, eat Mexican food, get take-out pizza, try mezcal (a liquor made from the agave), and take a free walk to the town's cemetery, small art galleries, and tiny souvenir stores. If you’re tight on time, two nights will make it as well.

Ecotourism to the 7 color lake

Norway

What does teetering on the edge of the ocean feel like? 
🌊
The Atlantic Road is an 8-kilometre roller-coaster stretch of road between Kristiansund and Molde. 
🌉
It skips nimbly from island to island, across seven curvy bridges. The tallest of them, Storseisundet, has a dramatic rise/fall and an impossibly artistic curve. At the highest point, I can actually see the other bridges connecting the tiny islands ahead. 
🎣 
In contrast, the bridge nearby - from where I take this photo - is flat, specially constructed for anglers - and the woman standing next to me comes here every day to catch her meal fresh. She demonstrates how she is only finding small pollock this evening - and calmly proceeds to slash the just-caught fish’s throat before dropping it into her nearly-full bucket. Too much Information, I tell her. She laughs. 
❤️ 
On the hillock opposite the bridge, I count seven pairs of people holding hands and looking out to the water. 
🎢
It is that kind of view.

Roller Coaster

Spain

Whether you're a beginner kite surfer or an experienced surfer – Southern Spain is one of the best spots in Europe to practice all kinds of water sports. We spent a whole month on the beaches of Cadiz, jumping waves and visiting nearby tourist attractions. Tarifa is a bohemian town of shabby charm, with a lot of bars and nice places to eat Spanish bocadillos. Our host told us that the city is blessed with wind about 300 days a year, making it perfect for kitesurfing. There are many affordable surf schools for those who still have to learn – just walk around and ask for the weekly price. If surfing is not your thing, you can also go stand-up paddleboarding – or relax on the sandy beach, drink a fruity cocktail, and read a book about Spanish history.
 Also, Morocco is just a day trip away. Tangier, the fascinating city within 30 minutes of Tarifa, once populated by artists from all over the world, is worth spending a day or two there.

Tarifa Surf Mecca

Finding a green oasis in a big city like Madrid is always a treat for the soul. The Retiro Gardens are not just any park but an elegant garden that was royal property until the 20th century.

You'll find all sorts of exciting monuments and gardens in it, including the Jardín de Vivaces, the Jardines de Cecilio Rodríguez, the Rosaleda Rose Garden, and the Parterre Francés, which features a 400-year-old cypress tree (named after Montezuma, the Mexican Aztec king). 

Among locals, El Retiro has a reputation as the best place to exercise, take a Sunday stroll after lunch, or just hang out with friends and family. If you've had enough of walking (which we for sure had after 4 days in Madrid), you can go rowing on the lake in the park, or sit down and enjoy the beautiful view.
The park is also home to some excellent restaurants and cafes – during summer in Madrid, there’s nothing better than a refreshing iced tea.

The place to be for Madrileños

If you are interested in rare natural phenomena and want to learn more about marine life, you should head to Mexico's Pacific coast. One of the best spectacles is the annual whale migration, where you can catch unique glimpses of humpback whales. 

The largest mammals on earth have earned their reputation as the most beautiful, intelligent, and impressive creatures. If you watch the ocean at migration time (either from the shore or on a boat tour), you'll see baby whales leaping and maybe even hear mother whales calling their families together. The baby-whale season is from January until the end of April.

But the Pacific coast is not only known for whales. It's just as beautiful to watch sea turtles hatch. If you come at the right time, you can witness mother turtles laying hundreds of eggs overnight in the soft sand on the coast, and much later, those hundreds of babies hatch and crawl toward the sea. Come between late August to early October.

Witnessing whale migration

Svalbard & Jan Mayen

On a rainy day, at 78°N, M/S Polar Girl sets out from Longyearbyen to Pyramiden. Even in dreary weather, there is joy in watching the puffins swimming alongside the boat.

Then we step on to the most surreal of ghost towns, Pyramiden, a Russian mining settlement with the northern-most statue of Lenin. 

The decision to abandon in the 90s was sudden. People were given just hours to leave. Signs of a hasty departure are everywhere. Dried up plants. Rusted playground swings. Utensils and stoves left in disarray. Hand-drawn artwork taped on the walls. 

The guide points out the men’s and women’s dorm buildings, euphemistically called London and Paris. Everything is trapped in a 1970s time-warp. A blast from the Soviet past. 

Trust Arktikugol (Arctic Coal), a Russian state owned coal mining company, continues to run this, now as a tourist destination. Perfect for filming a James Bond movie.

Back on the boat, we have views of the glacier and freshly barbequed burgers to cheer us up.

Mining the Past

Tanzania

On a cool morning drive in Ngorongoro Crater, we meet a pride of eleven hungry lions —  lean and menacing. We stay with them for five hours through several hunting attempts . 

🦁

One of the lionesses spots a herd of zebras. She masterfully rounds them up and sends them in the direction of her waiting pride. At the last minute though, the zebras, finding new energy or a brilliant leader, take a united front and flee. The zebras will live another day. 

Well, hello there! - say the lions to a group of wild buffaloes .. and quickly dissolve into the grass. The buffaloes can smell the lions. They start backing up and eventually escape. 

Next, the younger lions eye an ostrich In the distance. But it fluffs up its feathers with a disdainful air, and runs away.

- P  A  T  I  E  N  C  E  -

Mobile food is awfully hard to get your paws on. The lions decide to lie in the grass and wait it out. Someone will come by. It’s just a matter of time.

A Matter of Life

My sister and I flew into Las Vegas to then see the Grand Canyon. We woke early to get picked up at our hotel and the tour took us to the Hoover Dam, a stop on Route 66 (where the Cars movie took place), and finally the Grand Canyon. We did an easy hike but it took about 4 hours. We stopped multiple times for pictures. It was amazing. The pictures don’t do it justice. 

My sister and I wish we had spent more time there and maybe hiking a different trail.

Grand Canyon Excursion

Staying at the Inn at Death Valley, we thought we would be able to get up just before sunrise and make a dash over to Zabriskie Point. In hind sight, we should have woken up a good 60 minutes earlier, since the viewpoint was packed with people as we got there. 


The stunning views of the badlands slowly fill up with yellow, orange, purple and brown colors - and every hue in between - as the sun comes up, totally makes up for the early rise. Once the sun has finished painting the badlands, it reaches out to color in the Panamint Range across the valley with gorgeous pinks and purples. If you want to avoid the crowds, do the 2.5 mile Badlands Loop hike. Right after the walk, you can drive the short 3 mile Twenty Mule Team Canyon loop drive before returning to Stovepipe Wells for breakfast. 

We had been told that the Death Valley National Park is all about extremes - and the Zabriskie Point is a visual representation of that.

Painting with Light

The Bonneville Salt Flats are not to be missed! A slight detour off I-80 near the UT/NV is a moon-like alternate universe not to be missed. Go for a quick run through the salt flats or just stop for a quick photo op or picnic!

Running On The Moon (UT)

I have traveled to Moab, Utah on more than one occasion and every time it has been an absolute blast! This small, more local town is home to some amazing things that you can’t find anywhere else. 

There is a place there that I travel to every time called Mill Creek Canyon. It is a short hike to a watering hole that supplies the river you will have to cross more than once. Once you reach the watering hole, you will find an amazing view and usually many friendly people depending on what time you go. 

Now, it can get pretty hot in Utah so don’t forget the water and the sunblock, as well as a swimming suit!

The main attraction there is the cliff jumping! You can climb up the small waterfall and there will be a small ledge where you can jump from into the freezing water below. Let me tell you, it’s an absolute blast that you will never forget! 

I highly recommend this location to all people, even if you’re just passing through

Hope to see you in Moab!

Living it up in Moab

Narrows hike in Zion is a fun and challenging hike that people of all ages can try out.  Just take the free shuttle bus from the Zion visitor center to the final stop (Temple of Sinawava) and hike the riverside trail until it ends.  Great views of Zion Canyon from within!

Narrowly Trailblazing

I often drive the two hours to catch the sunrise in Virginia Beach. Rudee’s Inlet is a favorite spot because of the contrast of the rocks.

Argentina

Buenos Aires

Eating Choripan at La Boca

Australia

New South Wales

Day Hike: wedding Cake Rock

Bohemian dreams in Newtown

Belarus

Minsk Region

Summer flowers

Faroe Islands

Vága Municipality

Tumbling Recklessly

France

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Skiling in the Alpes

Nouvelle-Aquitaine

Bordeaux

Greece

Decentralized Administration of the Aegean

Fish Tavernas

Greenland

Qaasuitsup Municipality

Iceberg Factory

Iceland

Eastern Region

Pure Zen

Italy

Campania

Amalfi Town Hopping

Lazio

To Rome, With Love

Mexico

Quintana Roo

Ecotourism to the 7 color lake

Norway

Møre og Romsdal

Roller Coaster

Spain

Andalusia

Tarifa Surf Mecca

Community of Madrid

The place to be for Madrileños

Witnessing whale migration

Svalbard & Jan Mayen

Svalbard

Mining the Past

Tanzania

Arusha Region

A Matter of Life

United States

Arizona

Grand Canyon Excursion

California

Painting with Light

Utah

Running On The Moon (UT)

Living it up in Moab

Narrowly Trailblazing

Virginia

Just past sunrise