March 2016

The time has stoped long ago in here. Ingrid Bergman was walking down the streets together with Alfred Hitchcock few years ago and now Maria (or Anna) walks daily to the supermarket, where she works, and Lars (or Eric) drinks his morning coffee with pastry before going fishing. Names change, but nothing really changes. Every day in Fjallbacka is just like it was yesterday: slow, sleepy and provincial. Tomorrow, in a year, in 10 and probably even in 100 years. And you suddenly don’t care about all your plans at all, when you only get to the balcony of Stora Hotellet Bryggan hotel, bouncing into a picturesque rock on one side and into the sea – on the other. You now understand, why 859 locals are not looking forward any changes. And all you’re doing till the end of the day is sitting there and imagining your delicious dinner with 4 or 5 types of cooked lobster (fishing season!).

I’m pretty sure, it’s impossible to not miss snowboarding during the summer period after only 5 or so winter months. Well, personally I definitely failed even after visiting 3 different ski resorts in 2016:) Luckily, there is no need to wait, because you can also return to the snowy mountains even in summer. First of all, thanks to the glaciers, that are located in Switzerland, Austria, Italy and other countries. And secondly, because when it’s summer in here, on the other hemisphere of Earth is a perfect winter. In my opinion, a feeling of actually going into the winter and not only into a cold weather, makes this experience even more exiting. So where to go for summer skiing and snowboarding?

Sightseeing in Helsinki is, hmmm, interesting, but far from being really exciting. To explore the pure beautiness of this place, you will have to take a 15 minutes ride by a ferry to seven islands of Suomenlinna forthress, that faces cold waters and is situated on a rocky cliffs. Funny, that one its name (Suomenlinna) translates as “Finnish fortress” and the other (Sveaborg – official as well) – as a “Swedish forthress”.

I can hardly believe, that at least four of my friends do have their own books now! But only "Stylish travels" by Anna Sharlay was literally born in a real time. I’ve followed all the process on Facebook:) Without too much enthusiasm, freankly speaking, cause was quite convinced, that there’s nothing new about travels and packing to be told to me and Alesha. But even with that attitude, I’ve read "Stylish travels" twice before sharing my emotions! 

District of Antonias, Albert and Strelnieku streets has many names: ambassadorial, Art Nouveau, Jugendstil. But the name doesn’t change the meaning – it’s one of the most beautiful places in Latvian capital (probably, after an Old City). That district is a place, where most of the buildings are decorated in Art Nouveau style and also where an Art Nouveau museum is located.

I was really surprised to understand, that we have already visited this district once. The thing is, I had no idea it was it:) But this fall, inspired by my Jugendstil hotel Mercure on Elizabetes, 21a, I decided to have a look around once again.

Best moment of the last winter? An opportunity to see the real winter. White fairy tale of Lapland. Honestly, before our trip to Finland I couldn’t even imagine, that snow level can be higher than a human. Just imagine, walking a narrow path in between, seeing nothing except for the snowdrifts around and a tiny piece of the world ahead.