The Travels of 2015

There have been quite a few destinations explored this year...some planned and some very spontaneous.

So far, and posts will follow focusing on each location, this year I've been lucky enough to explore around:
Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague- Netherlands
Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Oita, Beppu- Japan
Dublin and the Cliffs of Moher- Ireland
Rio de Janeiro- Brazil

& tomorrow we are off to explore Athens, Mykonos and Santorini, Greece!

By the end of this year, I'm hoping to make it Dubai and Abu Dhabi- United Arab Emirates; Istanbul- Turkey; Venice- Italy and head back to South America (Brazil, Argentina, Peru) for two or three months before I need to present my bachelor's thesis and take my state exams in February. Has anyone been to these places and give me some recommendations? I'm always trying to find the best coffee shops in any new city I travel to as I am an extreme caffeine addict...or maybe it's just that I love latte art from around the world!


A few of my favourite travel quotes, which I like to remember right before going on an adventure:

"Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller." – Ibn Battuta

"We travel, some of us forever, to seek other places, other lives, other souls." – Anais Nin

"To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted." – Bill Bryson


This one is especially important:

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.” – Mark Twain

Yes, I'm a student and money is usually tight but if you REALLY want to travel, you will make it happen someway. I'm a firm believer in that. I have worked numerous jobs or gone to the United States for my summer holidays to work as a nanny for two wonderful girls in order to save some money and be able to travel to these places. I've spent countless hours in my university lectures with my mind wandering and thinking 'why the hell am I sitting here when I could be out there somewhere exploring?'

I told myself long ago that I will not be one those people to sit in an office job for the next 30-40 years of my life, from 9-5pm, Monday-Friday. No matter what happens, I will find a way to travel around the world and live a life full of adventure, happiness and bring back wonderful stories and have unforgettable experiences. That being said, this quote is spot-on: "I travel a lot; I hate having my life disrupted by routine." – Caskie Stinnett

Travel on wanderlusters!

Whoa...New Name?

So...you may have noticed a slight change (okay, a big change! in TWW: the NAME. Yes, I decided to change the name to La Vie Bohème, seeing as now it won't only be a travel blog but a travel and lifestyle blog. I felt that the name would be a little deceiving to new readers. Plus, changes with TWW mean it's okay to change the name, right?

I'm working on getting the URL changed so it will be lavboheme.com instead of travelingwithwanderlust.blogspot.cz.

The name was inspired by the fact that I mostly reside in the Bohemia region of Czech Republic and life truly is quite 'Bohemian' there. A little ironic that the name is French and the region is in Czech Republic, eh?

I hope the new name and newness of everything else won't retract old readers and if so, drop me an email at travelingwithwanderlust@gmail.com and we will see what can be done :)

Have a lovely evening wanderlusters (yes, I will still call you all that) and travel on!

For All You Book-Worms Out There

Gooooood morning wanderlusters and happy Tuesday to you all!

Today's post is going to a little dull, especially for those of you who aren't book-worms such as myself, but I'm still going to write about some incredible books I've recently read.

I've been reading non-stop since uni ended for the winter (we have about two months off). I seriously could not focus during finals week because I was in the midst of finishing several phenomenal books.

Here's what's on my bed-side table as of now:

100 Years of Solitude- Gabriel García Márquez
Orphan Train- Christina Baker Kline
Memoirs of a Geisha- Arthur Golden
Marie Antoinette- Antonia Fraser
The Alchemist- Paulo Coelho

Recently, though, I've read (or re-read):

The Goldfinch- Donna Tartt
The Kite Runner- Khaled Hosseini
A Thousand Splendid Suns (my absolute favorite novel)- Khaled Hosseini
And The Mountains Echoed- Khaled Hosseini
Harry Potter (books 1-5)- J.K. Rowling
Anna Karenina- Leo Tolstoy

I've always loved reading and I did it for pleasure but I never felt that I got anything significant out of it. However, once I read some of these novels, I was amazed on how it provoked my thoughts and beliefs towards certain things. These are such phenomenal reads and I would recommend them (and more) to everyone.

Have any of you wanderlusters read these novels? One of my favorite things to do is buy a brand new book and read it on a long plane ride (like the one I will be taking in 6 days back home to Prague).

Travel on wanderlusters!

P.S. Tomorrow's post will be about a recent New York City trip I took upon arriving in the United States this winter. We went to various cafes, restaurants and tourist attractions so I'll share them + some photos with you!

It's Monday!

Good morning and happy Monday!
Now, I know that Monday is probably one of the worst words out there but you can either:
a) Be grumpy and sour all day
OR
b) Make this Monday the start of something new; see it as a 'fresh beginning', so to speak.

Today, instead of choosing choice a)- which I usually do- I decided to go with choice b).
So, just what does choice b) entail?
Well, this morning I woke up feeling productive. I honestly have not felt productive since mid-May, so the last several months were spent just being lazy and not doing much at all except sleeping and catching up on TV shows. Today, however, I decided I am going to begin posting regularly on TWW again.

I guess it's a good day, eh?

Also, some friends and I are going to explore a park outside of Prague called 'Velka Amerika', which in English translates to 'Big America'. Why is it called this? Apparently, from what I have heard, it is because the park resembles the Grand Canyon in Arizona. I suppose we shall see, hmmm.

Of course I will post pictures and write about it, so expect that post tomorrow morning (well, morning in Europe).

I'm off to explore, travel on wanderlusters!

MY DREAM IS COMING TRUE

Ever since I was a little girl I have dreamed of someday interning with a big name fashion magazine. Well, that dream is finally coming true on Tuesday! I am going for an interview with InStyle magazine and just in time for Mercedes Benz Prague Fashion Week!

Eeeeeep! My excitement cannot be contained :)

More to come but in the meantime, travel on wanderlusters!

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!

Yay, my favorite holiday of the year! I hope you guys are all celebrating too!

I get to spend the day with my lovely, wonderful friends at a picnic in a beer garden then we are getting drinks by the river followed by a night out. So excited! Plus my friend made a delicious carrot cake that I am so excited to dig into tomorrow. There's no other place in the world I would rather spend my birthday than right here in Prague.

I hope everyone's day is lovely and that you enjoy this beautiful Saturday!

Travel on wanderlusters!

HAPPY SUNDAY

I am about to be a hermit for the next few days because its crunch-time!

Final exams are this week, my best friend comes to Prague, I am moving to a new flat (YAY!) and we are going to Switzerland for the weekend this Friday.

I will write a post sometime this week and if I can, maybe even two posts, as well as a Switzerland recap that'll go live on either Monday or Tuesday of next week.

Have a lovely Sunday and coming week!

Travel on wanderlusters!

THE PRAGUE GUIDE (WELL, A COLLEGE STUDENT/TRAVEL-ENTHUSIASTS)

As promised in the Czech Republic post on Saturday, here is the Prague exclusive guide!

You already know that the Czech Republic is the #1 beer drinking country in the world, home to one of the world's best Christmas markets and all that other good stuff. You may also be surprised, when coming to Prague, to see that one second you will see someone driving a Bentley, Maserati, Rolls Royce, Maybach, Audi sport cars or some other mind-blowingly expensive car and then in the next second you will see someone digging in a trash can for food.

So let's get to it!

There are 3 metro lines: a yellow, green and red line; probably one of the easiest metro systems in all of Europe. The main stops are: Karlovo Namesti,, Mustek, Staroměstská, Malostranská, Namesti Republiky and Florenc is the bus station. If you are coming from the airport, take bus 100 (that's the one I take) to the Zlicin bus/metro station and you can take the yellow line to any of the above yellow. Prague is also split up into different districts, so to speak, so expect addresses to be located in say Prague 5 or Prague 3 or Prague 7 or Prague 2. The main tourist area is located in Prague 1 and Prague 2; Old Town (Staroměstská) and New Town (Nové Město). The closer you are to the center and main tourist destinations, the more expensive you will pay for accommodation, even though Prague is pretty stinkin' cheap compared to other travel destinations throughout the Europe and well, the world.

Just a quick note, try to learn how to properly say where you are staying when it comes time to hail a taxi because usually if you speak English/sound like a tourist, they WILL rip you off BIG TIME.


The national language is Czech; there ARE English speakers but mainly only in the tourist areas and amongst the younger generation or the 100,000+ expats living in Prague.

The currency is Ceska Koruna (Kc). Bills come in 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000 and 5000. Coins come in 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50). In terms of US dollars, 20 kc is about $1.

It would help to know a few basic words before coming to Prague, so you can feel somewhat immersed in the culture (I like to think that makes the whole travel experience that much better).

So, let's start with the basics:

Hello= Ahoj--- ah-hoy

Good day= Dobry den--- duoh-brie-den

Thank you= Dekuji---deck-wee-you.

Please= Prosim--- pro-seam

No= Ne

Yes= Ano--- ah-no

My name is= Me jmeno je--- meh-neh-mo-je

I am from= Jsem z--- je-sem-z

Where is__= Kde je--- grey-je

How much= kolik--- koh-lick

Places to eat in Prague:

1. U Vejvodů
Jilska 4
110 00 Praha 1

2. The Globe
Pštrossova 6
110 00 Praha 1

3. Cafe Louvre

Národní 22

110 00 Praha 1

4. Cross Cafe

5. Mama Coffee

6. Loving Hut
7. Lehka Hlava
Boršov 2/280
110 00 Praha 1

8. Orange Moon or Yam Yam
9. Cafe Slavia
Smetanovo nábřeží 1012/2
110 00 Praha 1

10. Triton Restaurant
Václavské Námesti 26
110 00 Praha 1

11. Buddha Bar
Jakubska 8
110 00 Praha 1

12. Můj šálek kávy
Křižíkova 105
Praha 8

13. Francouzska Restaurant

Náměstí Republiky 5 

110 00 Praha 1

14. Dobrá čajovna
15. Celeste Restaurant

Tančící dům, Rašínovo nábřeží 80

Praha 2, 120 00 

Nightlife in Prague...ladies and gentlemen, please, please don't go to Karlovy Lazne every night. It's okay to go one night or not even at all but broaden your horizons and go elsewhere. Also, the pub-crawls are fun but quite expensive when it comes down to it; you will meet tons more people and even the bar-crawlers if you go to these places, which I highly recommend: 

1. Deja Vu
Jakubská 6
110 00 Praha 1

2. Chapeau Rouge
Jakubská 2
110 00 Praha 1

3. Drunken Monkey

4. Propaganda-Vodka Bar
Michalska 12 
110 00 Praha 1 

5. Harley's
Dlouha 18
110 00 Praha 1

6. James Dean
V Kolkovně 1
110 00 Praha 1

7. Zlaty Strom
Kaprova 52/6
110 00 Praha 1

8. Lavka
Novotného lávka 1 
110 00 Praha 1

9. M1
Masna 1
110 00 Praha 1

10. Duplex
Wenceslas Square 21
Praha 1

11. SaSaZu
Bubenské Nábřeží 306
170 04 Praha 7

12. Mecca
U Pruhonu 3
Prague 7

13. Cross Club
Plynární 23
170 00 Praha 7

14. Retro Music Hall
Francouzská 75/4
120 00 Praha 2

15. Roxy
Dlouha 33
110 00 Praha 1

16. Radost FX

Bělehradská 120
120 00 Prague 2

Some other things to do/places to see in Prague include: 

1. Of course, walk across the Charles Bridge and take hundreds of pictures.
2. Climb up to the Prague Castle.
3. Go up to Petrin and look out from the Petrin tower for spectacular views of Prague.
4. Spend a day shopping in the 4 story mall, Palladium.
5. Grab a beer and relax at one of the many beer gardens, Letna is one my friends and I go to.
6. Walk through the tourist-filled streets of Old Town until you reach Old Town Square. Make sure to see the astronomical clock and the little puppet show in the tower at the ring of every new hour.
7. Walk on the main street before Charles Bridge at Malostranska Namesti. Walk down and around Charles Bridge as well.
8. Take a paddle boat ride on the river for an hour with a cold beer in hand and happiness in your heart.
9. Have a picnic at Kampa Park and view the various statues/art they have there.
10. Take a thumbs up (or thumbs down) picture with the Kafka Statue.
11. Wander over to the Jewish Quarters.
12. Get holy at the Spanish Synagogue.
13. Sit on the wall of the Vysehrad Castle and hope you don't fall.
14. Aimlessly wander around the beautiful Vinohrady neighborhood.
15. Go vintage, go second-hand at one of Prague's many vintage and thrift stores.
16. Ride on Europe's (well, for the countries in the EU) longest metro escalator at Namesti Miru.
17. Smell the beautiful Czech nature at Stromovka park.
18. Visit a strip club...Prague loves these.
19. Spend a few hours Antonin Dvorak Museum or the National Gallery.
20. Shop a little, grab a coffee, sit in a tram cafe, take some pictures at Wenceslas Square.

Hope this helps all you wanderlusters coming to Prague anytime soon. Enjoy my city for it's the Golden City aka one of the world's most beautiful! 

Travel on wanderlusters!

CZECH REPUBLIC

Ah, my motherland!
Well, half of my motherland (the other half is Denmark/Germany/Wales/Ireland...but mostly Denmark).
Also, it is the country known for coming in first place for global beer drinking and of course for it's beautiful architecture, red-roof buildings, artsy-fartsy youth, overall freedom, where public drinking is approved and where people are almost always happy!

I have been eagerly waiting to write a Czech Republic post because so many people come to visit this marvelous country but they only go to see Prague! They all are missing the beauty in this country that lies just outside of Prague.
Also, when people come to Prague and I meet them, I ask them:
"Oh, where have you gone? What nightclubs/bars have you been to?"
They always say the usual tourist traps and end up wasting their time and money going to places that are just sub par.

No more, no more of that nonsense! Be sure to read this post if you are coming to the Czech Republic any time soon.

I'll first start with Prague since that is the tourist destination of the Czech Republic (by the way, it is NOT called Czechoslovakia, just Czech Republic- I think that's most important to know before visiting).
There are 3 metro lines: a yellow, green and red line; probably one of the easiest metro systems in all of Europe. The main stops are: Karlovo Namesti,, Mustek, Staroměstská, Malostranská, Namesti Republiky and Florenc is the bus station. If you are coming from the airport, take bus 100 (that's the one I take) to the Zlicin bus/metro station and you can take the yellow line to any of the above yellow. Prague is also split up into different districts, so to speak, so expect addresses to be located in say Prague 5 or Prague 3 or Prague 7 or Prague 2. The main tourist area is located in Prague 1 and Prague 2; Old Town (Staroměstská) and New Town (Nové Město). The closer you are to the center and main tourist destinations, the more expensive you will pay for accommodation, even though Prague is pretty stinkin' cheap compared to other travel destinations throughout the Europe and well, the world.

Places to eat in Prague: 

1. U Vejvodů (I like to think it's one of Prague's best for authentic Czech food, great pub area and downstairs level with fantastic 20 kc Czech beer or dark brew). 

2. The Globe (mainly English speakers employed and great food + authentic American cuisine).

3. Cafe Louvre (my favorite and one of the best in Prague).

4. Cross Cafe (cheap and good coffee or snacks). 

5. Mama Coffee (a coffee house with an assortment of desserts and natural foods).

6. Loving Hut (vegetarian buffet in Andel Novy Smichov Mall or right by Palladium shopping center).
7. Lehka Hlava (Clear Head in English is a truly hidden gem with amazing dishes, desserts and drinks).
8. Orange Moon or Yam Yam (Thai cuisine- DELICIOUS pad thai, fresh lemonades, tapioca dessert and hot mint teas).
9. Cafe Slavia (one of Prague's most famous restaurants by the river).
10. Triton Restaurant (in Wenceslas Square).
11. Buddha Bar (Asian cuisine).
12. Můj šálek kávy (one of Prague's best coffee houses).

Nightlife in Prague...ladies and gentlemen, please, please don't go to Karlovy Lazne every night. It's okay to go one night or not even at all but broaden your horizons and go elsewhere. Also, the pub-crawls are fun but quite expensive when it comes down to it; you will meet tons more people and even the bar-crawlers if you go to these places, which I highly recommend: Deja Vu (downstairs), Chapeau Rouge (three levels- Dubstep Wednesday is the bottom floor), the Drunken Monkey and Propaganda-Vodka Bar. These are where a majority of tourists go so there is always people there. I also love Harley's, which is a rock n' roll bar and always a good time. If it's your birthday, they handcuff you and "male stripper-like bartenders" pour drinks into your mouth; table-dancing is also common and highly encouraged. James Dean, which is just down the street from Harley's is also another good bar and Zlaty Strom (a club/bar inside a hotel), Lavka (by the river and Charles Bridge) and M1 (there's a Burrito Loco right across the street for those middle-of-the-night drunchies). If money isn't a problem, Duplex is a club/bar/restaurant in Wenceslas Square where you can party on the roof. For the actual club experience, try: SaSaZu, Mecca, Cross Club, Retro Music Hall, Roxy or Radost FX.

Some other things to do/places to see in Prague include: 

1. Of course, walk across the Charles Bridge and take hundreds of pictures.
2. Climb up to the Prague Castle.
3. Go up to Petrin and look out from the Petrin tower for spectacular views of Prague.
4. Spend a day shopping in the 4 story mall, Palladium.
5. Grab a beer and relax at one of the many beer gardens, Letna is one my friends and I go to.
6. Walk through the tourist-filled streets of Old Town until you reach Old Town Square. Make sure to see the astronomical clock and the little puppet show in the tower at the ring of every new hour.
7. Walk on the main street before Charles Bridge at Malostranska Namesti. Walk down and around Charles Bridge as well.
8. Take a paddle boat ride on the river for an hour with a cold beer in hand and happiness in your heart.
9. Have a picnic at Kampa Park and view the various statues/art they have there.
10. Take a thumbs up (or thumbs down) picture with the Kafka Statue.
11. Wander over to the Jewish Quarters.
12. Get holy at the Spanish Synagogue.
13. Sit on the wall of the Vysehrad Castle and hope you don't fall.
14. Aimlessly wander around the beautiful Vinohrady neighborhood.
15. Go vintage, go second-hand at one of Prague's many vintage and thrift stores.
16. Ride on Europe's (well, for the countries in the EU) longest metro escalator at Namesti Miru.
17. Smell the beautiful Czech nature at Stromovka park.
18. Visit a strip club...Prague loves these.
19. Spend a few hours Antonin Dvorak Museum or the National Gallery.
20. Shop a little, grab a coffee, sit in a tram cafe, take some pictures at Wenceslas Square. 

Now, I BEG you to visit the other parts of the Czech Republic, not just Prague!

Plzen, Cesky Krumlov, Karlovy Vary, Brno, Jihlava

I like to call these places the Czech Republic's hidden gems: 

1. Plzen

(Got beer? Home to one of the world's best beers, Pilsner Urquell; Go to the beer factory, one of the Czech Republic's most famous!)

-Take a 1-1.5 bus ride from Florenc.

2. Cesky Krumlov 

(A town straight out of a fairy tale book, surrounded by a river you can canoe in!)

-Take a bus from Florenc or rent a car and drive to the eastern side of Czech Republic. 

3. Karlovy Vary 

(a quaint spa town that attracts tourists mainly in the summer and winter seasons for a little R&R)

4. Brno 

(CZ's second largest city)

-Take a Student Agency bus from Florenc or a train from Hlavni Nadrazi.
-My family lives here and we have a family flat here...but for some reason, I am not a huge fan of this city. They do have my favorite restaurant in the entire world: Pohadkova Hospudka (Fairytale Pub; I called it the fairytale restaurant place as a kid); if you go you MUST get the fruit dumplings or ovoce knedliky. They are too delicious for words.

5. Ostrava 

(Colors of Ostrava is this summer, anyone going?! Also, the home of Stodolni Street- a popular party street in the Czech Republic)

-Take a bus from Florenc or a train from Hlavni Nadrazi train station.

6. Jihlava

(A cute Moravian town/city)

-Take a Student Agency bus; it will say Brno is the final destination but they stop in Jihlava.

7. Kunta Hora
(A town outside of the capital that was established in the year 1142 when the Cistercian Monastery).

8. Pisek
(The home to: Czech Republic's oldest bridge/Europe's second oldest bridge, several famous figures in the past and the present and home to well-known higher education institutions)

A little comment about Pilsner beer: I HATED beer before trying this beer and now I am a fan of beer,  mostly this brand and dark beer. If you do not like beer or even if you love beer, most definitely try the Czech beer. I would argue and it's actually a known fact that Czech beer is some of the best in the world! 

The next post will be on: Guam!

Travel on wanderlusters!

P.S. I will post a Prague guide for new-comers this week! It will be some of the same stuff as above with a few extra tips/places to go/etc.