'travel'

Dubai

October 8, 2015

Honestly, I don’t know if I’m ever going back to Dubai. I think, for me, it was probably a once in a lifetime experience. But that doesn’t change the fact that Dubai is a spectacular place, one of a kind. It was overwhelming, mind-blowing, thought-provoking and definitely over the top — exactly how I had imagined it. And of course it was much more than that, because there are always two sides to every story, city and people.

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As my Instagram posts stated, I was invited on a press trip by Visit Dubai. During these past months, I’ve had to say no thanks to a few of these kinds of trips (Hong Kong hurt the most!) because of the last stages of my master’s thesis. So when an email ticked in with this trip taking place just a week after I’d handed in my thesis, I jumped at the opportunity. Perfect timing! And even though Dubai is indeed a disputed destination, I am glad I went. Because I have never seen the sun that huge and red before, I have never sat in a Jeep cruising through sand dunes in the desert before, and I have never seen such an impressive man-made city that rose from the sand only a couple of decades ago. Nor have I experienced such a welcoming people anywhere in the world — in this regard, what they say about the Emirati culture is true. Dubai is a city of details, and even though the many luxury hotels, restaurants opened by international Michelin starred chefs and out-of-this-world-malls mainly attract the deep-pocketed visitors’ attention, it was a huge experience to visit this crazy city.

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The sweet Eva from Visit Dubai’s Swedish office had arranged an itinerary that showed us the high lights (or at least some of them. Dubai has many sights!) and also left us some time for a couple of relaxing hours by the beach of our hotel One&Only Royal Mirage, where we spent the first few days. We were a small group of Scandinavian Instagramers and bloggers (hence the #ScandisInDubai hashtag) and I had the pleasure of hanging out with my Copenhagen based friend Allan of the blog Bungalow5, the lovely Rebecca Fredriksson from Stockholm (on the morning of our first encounter, we were invited to experience a traditional Hammam at the hotel. That sort of broke the ice between us!) and Mårten and Malin Nylen (two Swedish fitness gurus – they got up at 5am every morning to do hand stands and exercise at the beach; that’s dedication).

Together, we experienced the city wide-eyed. We were given a royal treatment, and I almost felt like we were celebrities or movie stars (not just Instagramers and bloggers!). We had lunch on top of Burj Al Arab, the most luxurious hotel in the world, with a view to the ocean where ever you looked. I felt pretty sea sick, which was probably my fault since I hadn’t been drinking enough water that day; temperatures rose to 40ºC (110ºF), but the food was absolutely outstanding as it was on the entire trip. We also went to the top of Burj Khalifa, the highest man-made building in the world (yes, a lot of superlatives can be used to describe Dubai!). It wasn’t at all frightening as expected, and a thing to check off the bucket list, I guess!

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The wealth of the city is definitely showing, and Dubai comes off as being very polished. The money comes from the oil they found back in 1966, and now they live happily ever after of said oil. At least, that’s what I thought. But apparently, the Sheikh quickly learned that the amount of oil found in Dubai wasn’t going to be enough for longer periods of time, so they invested in tourism, infrastructure and technology. Which is why the tourism board treated us like VIP’s I guess, why the highways have seven tracks and why smart internet whizzes move to Dubai with their start-ups to receive all sorts of benefits in Internet City. In this tax-free part of the city, the standard legislation about assigning a local with 51 percent of your company to grow your business here does not apply which makes the city admirable for the tech industry. For the record, no one pays taxes in Dubai. For real. Coming from a Scandinavian welfare system, that is completely nuts to me.

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In many ways, Dubai reminded me of a mixture between New York City, Las Vegas and Marrakech. Skyscrapers, malls built as pyramids and beautiful mosques in the old part of the city — or rather the ‘older’ part of this new city. This part of town was definitely my favorite, and when sailing the traditional ‘abra’ on the Dubai creek into the old town, I experienced a charm I had been missing a bit. We discussed it for a while, Allan and I. What is ‘authentic’, ‘real’ here? I think we were expecting a more traditional Middle Eastern city, and thus had a hard time finding this kind of charm in fancy hotels or shiny malls. As a person we met there said, Dubai is not traditional in any way. It’s a world of its own, and the ‘real’ and ‘authentic’ here is the clash between beautiful traditional ceramic mosaics decorating the mosques, the desert sand and the skyscrabers in the horizon. Whilst there, I asked a lot of questions, got a few answers and left the city in awe but also in a contemplative state of mind. I wouldn’t move there tomorrow, but as always when traveling, I learned something new  — this time about a city whose identity is charaterized by ideas and dreams very far from the ones I know of. And that’s a huge part of traveling for me. Experiencing, learning, meeting. New cultures, new perspectives, new ways of doing life. I might not agree with every political or enviromental decision being made there, but I am glad I was given the opportunity to experience it. Because one thing is certain: Dubai is a extraordinary experience, in every sence of the word.

STAY | Vida Downtown (Central Dubai) + One&Only Royal Mirage (beach resort)
EAT | Qbara (amazing modern Middle Eastern food)
DO | Burj Kalifa + desert safari

— Invited to Dubai by Visit Dubai, which means they covered all expenses in relation to the trip —

Road trip in Central Italy

September 27, 2015

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A few months ago (yes — this blog post is long overdue), we took a road trip around Central Italy, driving through the three regions Umbria, Tuscany and Marche. I hadn’t been to Italy since going to Rome with my high school class, and I had forgotten how much I that country — the light, the people, the language and the food, of course. Pasta, pizza and white bread are some of my favourite things (very politically correct nutrition, I know!) so I was pretty much in heaven.

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Our vacation started off in Cinque Terre, the five picturesque villages on the Ligurian coast, and after spending a few days in Lucca, a charming medieval town in Tuscany, we rented a Fiat 500 and set out for four days of road tripping with not much planned. This is by far my favorite way of traveling — I love the freedom of having a car and being able to go anywhere you wish. This might have to do with the fact that I am always on the passenger seat, and thus able to just enjoy the ride and ask the chauffeur to stop when ever a good photo op appears. Which happens quite often when driving around these parts!

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From Lucca, we headed towards Florence to catch the SR222 towards Siena. This road took us through the Chianti region, which you have probably heard about if you have the slightest interest in wine. I really don’t and neither does Esben, so after a quick lunch in Panzano, we continued south. Having driven just an hour or so from the Florence area, the forest like feel of the roads sort of reminded me of the landscapes we have here in Denmark which was a little disappointing (I was expecting sun flowers in abundance, enormous fields and Tuscan vineyards in the middle of nowhere). But then, suddenly, the surroundings changed and it was even prettier than I had imagined it.

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For our first night, we found a bed&breakfast on Airbnb that fitted its name ‘Welcome to Paradise’ perfectly. Located just a few minutes drive from Assisi in Umbria, an absolutely beautiful town which I would definitely recommend visiting if you’re ever in the area, this bed&breakfast had lovely decorated rooms and a pool with the most amazing view of the area.

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We were kind of sad to leave this little gem, but with just a few days on the road, we wanted to see more of the area. So we headed east via roads so deserted and windy it seemed like no one before us had passed them, and we reached the coast in Marche. We stopped in the two coastal towns Fano and Pesaro, hoping to find a nice place to spend the night, but we didn’t — and with a desire to see more of the countryside instead of staying in a town, we searched for a new b&b on Airbnb, ‘pool’ checked off in the filters, and found this great place in the countryside near Tavullia that had availability that same evening. I really am a huge fan of Airbnb when traveling like this. Italian websites seem to be from another decade, and the Airbnb app provides a fast and easy way of finding great places to spend the night on a spontaneous trip without having booked beforehand (just for the record, this post is not in collaboration with Airbnb).

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We spent our last night in beautiful Florence. With only half a day here, we still managed to squeeze in a walk over The Arno with a view to Ponte Vecchio, sipping Aperol Spritz on the charming square Piazza Santo Spririto south of the Arno (an area my research told me was the hipster hip-and-happening part of town) and a view of the city from Piazzale Michelangelo. All of a sudden, the skies opened and it thundered severly, so we found a cozy restaurant and enjoyed a great meal while the water masses practically flooded the restaurant floor. Our waitress smiled apologetically, and served us Limoncello, the spaghetti carbonara was the best I’ve ever had and it was the perfect imperfect end to the trip. And here, just a few highlights:

Drive | Strada statale 444, Marche
Visit | Asciano, Lucca, Assisi
Stay | Welcome to Paradise, Umbria
Eat | Osteria Pozzo della Mensa, Assisi

Paris

May 4, 2015

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I love Paris for many reasons. I love that the city is so picturesque and not just in the touristy parts of town. I love that the Parisians’ English is still generally so bad it forces me to speak the French I’ve almost forgotten. I love that Paris has been the world’s most fashionable destination for hundreds of years but still kept its charm. I enjoy sitting at a café or boulangerie that are everywhere to be found, just watching the classy men, women and children as they enjoy life all day, every day. I love the bright tones in the architecture, the streamlined parks and the cobblestone streets. The monumental buildings, the speciality shops and the loud French arguing in the streets. But mostly I love Paris for the memories.

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Since I spent six months studying French in the city back in 2011, I promised myself to go back once a year. Up until two years ago, I’d kept my promise, but then other dreams (read: NYC) came in the way. And I actually thought I had found a new favorite city. But then, going back and staying near the Canal Saint Martin as I did back then as well, I learned that I am far from over the French capital. This area in the 10th arrondissement will always be my favorite one with all of its cafés and restaurants in abundance, its enormous chest nut trees, beautiful blue bridges and boats sailing up and down the canal. Definitely a must when visiting Paris! A good starting point is taking the métro to République and just walk your way around the docks and side streets by the canal where where you will find many hidden treasures.

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There are a million beautiful travel guides and blogs about Paris out there, so I won’t make a full description of all the different neighborhoods since you probably know these already (but if you read Danish, do check out the site Parisertanker.dk I made after returning home a few years ago – that one will give you the full story!). What I will tell you is that we had great coffee at The Broken Arm in the Northern Marais and at the hipster friendly Ten Belles by the canal, a flavorful lunch at the food market Marché des Enfants Rouges nearby, amazing New York-inspired brunch at Ellsworth in the city center, the best drinks I’ve ever had made solely from French alcohol at Syndicat and delicious and exciting ‘nouveau bistro’ food at 52 Faubourg Saint-Denis, both on the very trendy street of the same name (Rue Faubourg Saint-Denis) in the 10th arrondissement. For African beer and a great atmosphere, we went to Le Comptoir Général one evening and the morning after, we enjoyed a nice and simple breakfast at Boot Café in Northern Marais followed by a perfect coffee and pastry break in the beautiful courtyard belonging to The Swedish Institute in Marais as well. Actually, we spent most of the time on Rive Droite (The Right Bank) although I did venture down south one morning to meet the two very sweet and talented ladies Carin Olsson running the blog Paris In Four Months and Marissa Cox blogging at Rue Rodier for breakfast at the beautiful Rose Bakery in Le Bon Marché (check out both their blogs for gorgeous photos and great tips to Paris!)

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Even though eating great food is one of my favourite activities when traveling (and Esben’s as well – thank god for that!), we did also manage to squeeze in a museum or two and just stroll around the Parisians streets in some of my favourite areas. There is so much to do in that city, and I will share some of my favourite places to visit that does not involve food in a second blog post – and if you have any questions, please just leave a comment. Paris definitely did steal my heart all over again, and it was so nice to revisit the city has meant so much for me. Because I do believe it really is as Hemingway once put it: ‘There are only two places in the world, where we can live happy: at home and in Paris”.

Swiss alps with Olympus

March 25, 2015

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A couple of months ago, I received an email asking if I wanted to go to Madeira for a weekend to shoot with a new Olympus camera and share some of the photos on Instagram. Beautiful weather, sandy beaches and Portuguese specialities during what feels like the longest Danish winter in a long time? Yes, please! However, just a couple of weeks before departure, our destination was changed to the Swiss Alps. And I was just a tiny bit disappointed that my chance of Spring was now replaced with ice colds winds (plenty of those here in Denmark!). But of course, the trip was nothing short of amazing and the Alps turned out to be the perfect destination for a bunch of photo and film-nerds playing around with the Olympus OMD E-M5 Mark II for a couple of days.

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The trip was organized by Olympus and Helsinki-based design agency and production company KAUAS. They had invited Swedish Instagramer Julian Castaneda, Finnish filmmaker and photographer Markus Kontiainen, Norwegian cinematographer Espen Gjelsten and myself to spend a couple of days with the sole purpose of snapping away and having fun with the new camera. These guys were all super talented, and as soon as the cars stopped somewhere with a scenic view (which basically meant everywhere) they scattered all over the place to get the perfect shot or footage. Espen on his skateboard whenever the road allowed him to, Markus disappearing into the woods, Julian snapping away very (very!) close to the water. Their results were great as you might have seen on the hashtags for the trip #SWISSMYOLYMPUS and #KISSMYSWISS and after the photo sessions, we got back into the cars, turned on the camera’s wi-fi and transferred the best photos to our smartphones, edited and uploaded. It doesn’t get any easier than that!

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Being a food and travel writer, I can’t go anywhere without having done a lot of research beforehand. However, this trip was different, and it was actually nice to just lean back and let someone else be in charge of everything. The guys had planned our schedule perfectly, and in just three whole days, we got to experience everything from walking around the snow-covered Mount Titlis at 3000 meters above sea level, exploring water falls peeping out through mountains walls, taking portraits by small lakes so clear you just wanted to dive right in and visiting the tiny and idyllic village of Quinten by Lake Walensee with a micro climate full of fig and lemon trees.

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Obviously, taking photos is a big hobby of mine, which has also in some ways turned into a profession of some sort. Still, I am not a photographer, and I have a lot to learn. I usually shoot everything with my iPhone 6 for Instagram and this blog as well, but this new Olympus friend of mine will definitely change that. The wi-fi feature (which works perfectly) is a huge plus and this compact mirrorless camera has just the right size in my opinion. Luckily, the camera is mine, so I won’t have to go back to iPhone when shooting for online features and articles. Quite excited about that!

Check out Espen’s cool video from our trip here, shot entirely on Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II (makes me want to practise and start shooting film!).

– Invited to Switzerland by KAUAS x Olympus, camera sponsored by Olympus –

 

Stockholm

January 15, 2015

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I’m not sure if it’s the beautiful forest lakes surrounded by red-painted houses, the fashionable Swedes or just that our neighbours always seem to be on the forefront of a lot of things, but Sweden has always fascinated me. Whether it’s in politics, design, or food trends, the Swedes know what they’re doing, and even though the political correctness is somewhat of a running joke here in Denmark, I often find it quite admirable. So, ever since I got lost in Knausgård’s books about his life in Sweden this past Summer, I have wanted to go to Stockholm, the epicenter of that Swedish coolness (that Knausgård pretty much despises the Swedish political correctness and polished attitude is another story, and I’ll leave that to him!).

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This weekend, we finally went and I had teamed up with Visit Stockholm who were kind enough to set us op in the nicest hotel (more on that further down) and provide us with a Stockholm card giving us access to a bunch of museums and sights in the city. As always when traveling, I had done my research from home, and considering that we only had three days in the city, I feel like we managed to squeeze in quite a lot! Because let me tell you this: Stockholm sure has loads of pretty cafés and beautiful restaurants serving mouth-watering meals.

One of my favorite places was Färgfabrikens Kafé (photos above), a beautiful café in an exhibition space showcasing experimental art. No exhibitions were on when we visited, but we had a great brunch in the café (I had the eggs benedict with the best cold smoked salmon!). We also had an amazing dinner at Svartengrens, a cool restaurant in Östermalm and a perfect place for meat lovers. They only serve high quality local meat and organic vegetables sourced from the Stockholm archipelago, and their barbecue styled menu combined with beautiful decor made for a great evening. Another place to highlight is Speceriet, a perfect place for an affordable and low-key dinner full of flavors. In the kanelbullar-section (a Swedish must try!) Fabrique had some delicious ones, and if in the city center, don’t forget to check out Snickarbacken 7, a hip café/shop serving lunch, pastries and selling well curated fashionable items and interior designs.

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We stayed at Hotel Skeppsholmen, and if you ever go to Stockholm, you must promise me to stay here! The city is pretty amazing because of the waters constantly surrounding you, and Stockholm is basically built on islands. One of these is called Skeppsholmen, and staying at this modern hotel on a tiny island was like being in the quiet nature in city center. Just a few minutes’ walk from Gamla Stan (quite touristy, but a walk through the narrow streets is a must) and just a quick boat ride from Södermalm, Stockholm’s trendiest neighborhood. Imagine that, taking a boat everyday to and from your hotel! I was in heaven. A freezing cold heaven, but still. Our room had the most amazing view to the sea, Södermalm and Fotografiska (definitely worth a visit!) and the hotel breakfast buffet was the best. During summer, the patio outside the hotel fills up with beach chairs, and Stockholmers come the island to enjoy a meal in the café/restaurant or to jump right in the water from the wooden pier.

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All in all, I really enjoyed our weekend in Stockholm. The city was absolutely beautiful covered in snow, and it more than lived up to my romantic ideas. Stockholmers are super friendly (despite some langauge difficulties.. My Swedish is terrible, and even though conversation in English with next-door-neighbours seemed foolish, I learned that this was the best way to go about it. I did manage to make Esben laugh a lot when I tried in Swedish, though) and this pretty city should have anyone travelling for good food, great shopping and loads of culture feel more than satisfied. After a lovely couple of days, we checked out of the hotel with one last kanelbullar in hand, and walked past a music studio located the hotel’s garden where one of the ABBA guys was rehearsing. Joachim, the managing director at the hotel had told us about the extra bonus of a free ABBA concert in the backyard, and when we later got on the bus with a blond guy, the most hipster-like bus driver I have ever seen who dropped us of right next to an IKEA shuttle bus, I felt my Stockholm experience was pretty complete. I’ll come back a Summer before long though, so I can jump in the water from the small islands and enjoy some more of that special Swedish charm.

– Invited to Stockholm by Visit Stockholm –

Upstate NY: Spruceton Inn

September 15, 2014

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You know that feeling when you wake up on a Monday morning and could almost cry because the weekend just ended? That’s me today and I really have no reason to complain because I’m in NYC and life’s pretty great. But still, our weekend at the Spruceton Inn was amazing and I already miss waking up in the most comfortable bed ever with a view to a meadow of wild thyme (it smelled heavenly out there!) and the tree-covered mountains. Located in West Kill in the Catskills area of Upstate New York this inn is the perfect weekend getaway whether you’re a nature loving hiker or just want to replace the hustle and bustle of NYC with some peace and quiet and fresh air for a couple of days.

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In December 2013, Casey and her husband Steven (two former Brooklynites; one’s a writer and designer, the other’s an illustrator and writer) moved out of the city, bought an old inn and proved everyone who thinks coolness doesn’t exist outside of NYC wrong. Because seriously, this place is the best. Have you ever stayed at a b&b and felt as if you were sleeping in an old woman’s bed with too many personal things and lace curtains in horrible colors? That’s very far from the Spruceton Inn. The rooms here are simply and beautifully decorated with everything you need and nothing more, every room has a private bathroom with a shower and some of the rooms a kitchenette, where you can prepare dinner for the Weber grills outside.

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That’s exactly what we did on our first night; grilled salmon and corn for dinner (someone was very happy he got to prepare a home cooked meal for us for the first time since we came to NYC a little over than a month ago!) and enjoyed it by the camp fire in the pitch dark under a sky full of stars.

Casey and Steven only opened up the place in August this year and they’ve already gotten a lot of media attention (from The New York Times and Vogue just to name a few). Cool New Yorkers seem to go on a pilgrimage to the Catskills every weekend, and it’s easy to see why everyone loves this place already. Casey is the perfect host, chatting with guests in the bar and Steven is the Outdoor Expert, who will help guide you in the direction of the good fishing holes and hiking trails. And if you’re just here to relax (which was our plan) that’s totally cool too! You can hang out in Room 1 where you will find everything you need; The Canteen serving Cafe Grumpy coffee, tea and pop tarts for breakfast; the bar serving wine and beer for both guests and locals passing by and the wifi spot, where you can get a fix of normal life when needed (wifi only works in Room 1 but as it turns out, waking up in the morning with no reception at all is pretty great!). Or you can chill in the hammock, go for a swim in the creek, enjoy a snack with a mountain view, meet new friends over a beer whilst barbecuing or go for a drive to one of the cute little towns in the area (and of course, there’s also the possibility of going hiking and maybe meeting some black bears, if you’re into that sort of thing!).

It all sounds pretty great, doesn’t it? It really is and there’s a lot more praise to give to the Spruceton Inn. I am already planning on going back for a day or two before we leave The States in end October, but I might have to hurry up since word on the street is that weekends are pretty much fully booked for a while! If you are planning on going, you probably have a ton of questions and you will find all answers (plus Caseys lovely graphics and writing) over at their website. Just some quick facts: it’s simple luxury and there are nine rooms ranging from $69 to $229. For food, Room 1 sells frozen burger patties and buns, supplies for hotdogs, s’mores and charcoal for the grills (you can also grocery shop on your way up there or visit one of the cafés and restaurants near by – Phoenicia Diner was great!). Bringing a car is a good idea (but taking the bus is an also an option), there’s no TV but a lot of pretty nature right outside the window and the inn is open year round.

The Spruceton Inn kindly let us spend two nights free of charge in exchange for a couple of mentions on my Instagram-profile. As always, I only feature places I really like on this blog (and on Instagram) and all opinions are my own. 

Spruceton Inn
2080 Spruceton Road, West Kill, NY