June 16, 2026
It was a serendipitous find, really. While crafting a walking route to maximize my day in Vienna with a mix of sightseeing and whimsy, I stumbled upon photos of the Hundertwasserhaus on Google Maps. Its colorful, eccentric façade instantly captivated me. Designed by the visionary artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser, this architectural […]
June 16, 2026
I was seven months pregnant. Since that moment I had a hunch I might be expecting during a solo trip through Ljubljana and Bled Lake in Slovenia and Trieste in Italy, I made this quiet pact with myself to keep moving, to meet somewhere new every month. Solo in Strasbourg, […]
June 16, 2026
When I learned that Vienna has a Shakespeare and Co, I knew I had to visit. As someone who fell in love with its Parisian counterpart, stepping into its Viennese location felt like revisiting an old friend in a new city. Nestled in the heart of Vienna, this cozy bookshop […]
June 15, 2026
As someone who grew up surrounded by waters, I thought I’d seen every kind of blue – but then came Lugano. It was my first taste of Switzerland, and let’s just say… it left a lasting aftertaste of awe. My German-Swiss partner, ever the meticulous planner, mapped out a week-long […]
June 15, 2026
Having roamed over 15 European cities since planting roots in Munich, I can tell you—Vienna didn’t just waltz into my heart, it strutted in like it owned the place. Sure, Prague’s right up there, giving me moody romance and cobblestone poetry, but Vienna? She’s the full symphony. This city along […]
June 14, 2026
When I still lived in Hanoi, we played guess the word game over food and alcohol. I was with my group of friends, the usual ones. I badly wanted our team to win. When it was about cities, I knew it was my turn to shine. They gave me the […]
June 13, 2026
Paris, like to many of us, first came to me as an idea. Its images conjured in my head were the ones fed by the literatis who lived in this city, from Victor Hugo to Simone de Beauvoir. Hmm, okay, I majored in literature. Before there is Emily in Paris, […]
June 13, 2026
You’ve probably heard the saying: “You can take the person out of the island, but you can’t take the island out of the person.” For me, born and raised in the tropics, this rings especially true. Since relocating to Munich, Germany, one of my greatest challenges as an island creature […]
June 13, 2026
Venice isn’t my ultimate European love story (Vienna already swept me off my feet), but it’s hard not to respect a city that wears age like a velvet cloak. Aside from a quick coastal flirtation with Trieste, Venice is the only Italian city I’ve spent real time in—so no, I […]
June 13, 2026
Vienna in winter is like stepping into a snow globe someone gave a good, loving shake—buildings dusted with powdered sugar, streets glowing like they’re lit from the inside out. For someone raised in the tropical hug of the Philippines like me, winter always sounded like a heavy coat I didn’t […]
June 13, 2026
Let’s not dance around it – my three-night fling with Vienna as a solo female traveler was pure magic. Even in winter, when the city wraps itself in extra scarves and the trees look like they’re wearing sheer gowns stitched from breath and frost. Honestly, Vienna in winter is just […]
June 12, 2026
I surely love Venetian architecture and the endless and labyrinthine waterways, but personally I can barely stand the crowd. We visited in early September, and the crowd was maddening. Even the locals mumbled under their breath, “Fottuti turisti.” 😳 But despite the crowd, there is no doubt that Venice is indeed […]