Colours and textures of Burano

Burano is a tiny island in the Northern Italy, just 45 minutes boat trip away (vaporetto 12) from Venice. 

I was dreaming of visiting it for a few years as I was constantly seeing photos of it's colourful houses. Finally my dream came true!

An ancient legend says that fisherman painted their houses in different bright colours so that they could see them from long distance when they were far away for fishing.

If someone wishes to paint their house nowadays, they need to get approval from local government.

Even umbrellas are matching with the houses!

Did you notice acqua alta (high water) on the right hand side of the photo? Water flooding from canals to the streets is very common in Venice during winter time.  All locals wear rain boots to be able to get where they need to. Tourists can buy special knee high boot covers that are not very durable but can save your feet from getting wet!

Locals having a chat

Even cats in Burano are cute!

Burano is also known for lace workmanship that dates back to 1500.

How about colour of your boat matching colour of your home?

I'll share some tips and photos from Venice in the next post (I've got so many!).

France Christmas trip Part I: Etretat, Honfleur, Le Mont Saint-Michel

Our trip to France started with crossing the channel and driving to Etretat, most known for the white chalk cliffs - similar to the ones in Eastbourne and Dover in England.

We didn't stay too long as you can see from this photo - a storm was approaching.

Next stop was at Honfleur. It is especially famous for it's old port, painted many times by a few artists including Claude Monet. I loved it's narrow streets and wooden houses - so many beautiful details!

Le Mont Saint-Michel is a place I wanted to visit for a long time. It is an island located 0,6 miles off the French coast. The island has held strategic fortifications since ancient times and since the 6th century AD has been the seat of the monastery from which it draws its name. Nowadays more than 3 million people visit the island each year.

A group of people slowly walking around the island. It may get quite dangerous as the tide can get very high.

Narrow cobbled streets and a population of just 50 people. 

Same group as seen from Mont Saint-Michel.

Check out the shadow!

New bridge that connects the island with the mainland was opened very recently - in 2014.

Columbia Road Flower Market in December

I love coming to Columbia Road Flower Market any time of the year. If you are visiting London in December a visit to the market would be at the top of my list. Even if you are not looking to buy anything just having a stroll around will get you into festive mood!

It's only open on Sundays though (till 3 pm) so you have one last Sunday before Christmas to go there!

Instagrammer's guide to Copenhagen. Part 2.

This is the second part of my guide to Copenhagen (have a look at the previous post for more tips). I've realized that I have much more to share than just food :-)

Nyhavn is super touristy but you can't skip those pretty houses and boats!

Copenhagen is also a bike paradise. Especially addictive for fans of solo bike parking :-)

It's a really green city with lots of roses everywhere!

Magstraede is the oldest street in Copenhagen and it's extremely pretty too. Definitely one not to miss.

A few more architectural details that caught my eye.

The Little Mermaid is one of those touristy places that are not necessary to visit. If you have time it's a nice walk along the water, if not - there's not much to see. The statue is quite small and always crowded with tourists.

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art is not in the city centre but is worth the trip. Nice permanent collection of modern art + exhibitions. We were lucky to visit it during Yayoi Kusama's exhibition. 

Paludan Bogcafe - it's not only a cafe but also a bookshop. Lovely interior details + great brunch options. Located right next to the Round Tower so don't miss it.

Parterre is a cute little coffee shop in Christianshavn - perfect for lunch or just a cup of coffee.

Atelier September seems to be featured in all Copenhagen guides and it can be easily explained - central location, big windows and friendly staff. I found it a bit pricey but still nice for breakfast.

We've discovered Warpigs by chance. Located in an old slaughterhouse in the middle of the Copenhagen meatpacking district it serves the best authentic Texas barbecue and American-Danish style craft beer. Perfect for meat lovers.

Vi moedtes gennen ruden (google translate says it means 'we met through the window' - if anyone Danish is reading this - please leave a comment if it's correct! :-)). One more coffee shop for a quick lunch/breakfast/coffee. Located close to Superkilen park (see previous post).

Original coffee Illum - coffee shop with a terrace on the top of the department store Illum.

Last but not least - restaurant Hoest. It offers 3 course set menu but there are a few surprises in between. Modern Nordic cuisine + excellent service. Better to book in advance as it's really popular. It may sound like nothing special but I recommend to go for the experience.

Copenhagen is a city where I definitely want to come back! Hope you'll find my tips helpful when planning a trip.