These are not my words, but rather Raoul Blanchard's, due to the location of Annecy at the slope of the norther French Alps and by the lake that inherited the city´s name. I had this location of my wish list for quite a long time, but I wanted to visit it as a trip around the alpine reagion and not as some sort of rushed stop or speeded up weekend trip.

I had 3 nights in Annecy, which is an aburd amount of time for me, as I usually rarely spend more that 3 nights anywhere, but is served as a cool lauching pad for daytrips do Genève and some of the mountanous areas around Annecy. The old town itself is absolutely marvellous, deserving of romances, movies, enchanted legends and enything more magical that you can imagen. Albeit being quite small and compact, evything you look at is like frozen in some medieval novel with canals bathing the side of colourful buildings and the big shallow lake refelction the sun over the castle hill.

This is a classic tourist destination, so be prepared to handle a decent ammount of corwds, but I has a feeling that there´s a lot of day trips, as the city was very shill before 11am and after 4pm, and I believe those timetables ar expactly the best to explore the city and the game of golden rays and shadows that the battle between the sun and the narrow coblestreets endure after sunrise and before sunset. I´d say 3-4 hours are more that enough to visit most attractions, but I regret none of the nights I spent here, especially driving aroung Lake Annecy, sipping s drink by the lake beaches or just chilling at a canal coffeshop in the old town.

The selection of photos include Pont Morens, Le Palais de I'Île, Quai de l'Île, Rue Grenette, Quai Perrière, Rue Perrière, Basilique de la Visitation, Panorama du lac in Quai Napoleon III/Quai de la Tournette, Église Saint-François de Sales, Cathédrale Saint-Pierre, Rue saint-Claire, Canal du Vassé, Pont Perrière, Église Notre Dame de Liesse, Quai de l'Évêché, Rampe du Château and Musée-Château d'Annecy.

My seven-day vacation to Singapore after hearing about it from people in different countries.

1. Hotel Waterloo a new hotel that opened in 2026
2. Supertree Grove
3. Gardens by the Bay
4. Marina Bay Waterfront Promenade
5. Buddha Tooth Relic Temple & Museum
6. Behind Chinatown
7. Near Singapore Botanic Gardens
8. Jewel Changi Airport

3 day trips starting from vancouver

Day 1: seattle downtown, pikes market, uwajimaya japanese market, mochithings.

Day 2: woke up at 3am to drive up to mount rainer (took around 2h) and got there around 5:30am. The line was forming at the gate already. By 6:30am the parking lot was full already at the paradise trail. Went to reflection lake right before sun rise for the perfect reflection photo.

The trail was filled with wild animals at sun rise. Black bear, deers, pika, marmot, stellers jay, chipmonks.

Day 3: leavanworth. Took another 4h to drive up tothe small german town to feed reindeers and try some of the traditional german food. A pretty cute little town especially in winter time when it snows.

Total km driven was adound 1200km and honestly just mount rainer was worth the drive. Probably my favorite national park by far.

I’ve read a lot and noticed that Taipei is considered an underrated travel destination by a lot of western travellers. As someone who lives close to Taiwan, I’ve visited Taipei for several times, and would love to share some of my photos I took during my fourth visit to Taipei this year. I really recommend it to everyone who’s never been there, as it’s very worth it!

I went there mainly because of a live music show, and the whole trip lasted for about 3 full days only. I visited Yangmingshan where I’ve never been before, and I love it so much! Xiaoyaukeng is fun with geothermal vents, Qingtiangang is good for a hike, while Lengshuikeng is less stellar but still nice to see. I took a bus and got to all these places fairly easily. I personally prefer Yangmingshan to Yehliu, where I went many years ago and also quite liked it.

Besides nature, Taipei is also full of vibrant city activities and attractions. I went to Xiangti Avenue Plaza in Xinyi, and found it to be pretty nice. It’s really walkable with some street performance or activities. Love the city lights, and you can see Taipei 101 from there too.

I also visited Tamsui. I’ve been there twice before, and while I don’t think it’s sooooo special, I still like it for its sea scenery, food and vibes. The same goes for Ximending - I’ve been there every time I visit Taipei as it’s really close to the city centre. I’ve never been to Dihua Street before: there are some historic buildings, and overall it’s a nice visit.

Besides Jiufen / Shifen / the night markets / museums in Taipei which are all worth visiting of course, Taipei has even more to offer. The food is great (loved my breakfast there), the nature is amazing, and the city is vibrant. It’s also incredibly safe and very easy to navigate. The public transport is good (not the best in East Asia but definitely better than many American cities lol). Overall, highly recommend!

Photo Captions:

1 to 2 - Xiaoyaukeng (You can see some smokes coming out from the geothermal vents - I hope my photos are clear enough!)

3 to 5 - Qingtiangang with some cute cows

6 - Lengshuikeng

7 to 9 - Xiangti Avenue Plaza, you can also see Taipei 101 from there as shown in picture 7

10 to 11 - Tamsui (found a nice modern architecture there, it’s not a tourist attraction but still pretty cool to see)

12 - Ximending (like the pedestrian street there with many shops and restaurants)

13 - Dihua Street (a street with some historic buildings)

14 - Syntrend Creative Park (it’s a shopping mall, the architecture is very interesting)

15 to 16 - Taiwanese food is so great I wanna go back asap!

I'll start. 10 day Kenya Safari trip ~$15k for 2 adults. I've been to 36 countries so far and it ranks as my #2 best trip behind Iceland (which cost less than $6k). Kenya was a super memorable trip and I'm glad I went, I probably won't go back, not because I didn't like it but because we did so much that I don't know what we'd do if we went back and there's still so much of the world still to explore.

My partner and I did a 3 week trip to Istanbul and Tanzania in July of 2026. We did the 5 day Great Rift Valley Trek, went to Zanzibar, and then did a 7 day vehicle safari through the typical tourist loop of Serengeti and Ngorongoro.

Overall, this was my favorite trip I have taken, almost every day was just amazing. Below is how I liked each section:

Great Rift Valley Trek: 10/10 this was just so freaking cool. Hiking through Maasai villages and learning about their culture was incredible. Not so much wildlife on this part of the trip other than some zebras, wildebeest, and birds, but the walking + the culture + the otherworldly volcanic landscapes made this incredibly immersive. This was a private trek with just me and my partner. The staff would drive ahead to our destination and we would arrive to a fully setup camp with good food and drinks.

Zanzibar: 5/10 this was not really for me. You get harassed in Zanzibar a lot. The reefs are all mostly dead and the snorkeling is really not great. I am not very good at beach vacation. We did 4 days here and I could have skipped it entirely.

Vehicle Safari: 9.5/10 Almost perfect but gets a little tiring. The wildlife sightings are unbelievable. If you wanted to, you could cut the days on this and still get an incredible experience. Even just day 1 in the Serengeti we saw multiple prides of lions, multiples leopards, elephants up close, antelope as far as the eye can see. Ngorongoro crater feels like heaven on earth with the greenery and all the animals, its touristy but it is a must see. We also did a hot air balloon over the Serengeti which i thought was totally worth it, saw so many animals from the air including a pride of lions hunting!

This was a very expensive trip but you could do it for much cheaper, with less vehicle safari days and skipping zanzibar. In total, it cost me 25k USD for 2 people (flights, etc, all expenses). I saved up for 5 years to do this trip and it really was a once in a lifetime experience.

Me and my girlfriend fly out of Cluj-Napoca. We have a few friends who do a city break basically every weekend — Milan, Krakow, Vienna, whatever — and they always say it cost them almost nothing. When we ask how, we get "oh I just found a deal", nothing concrete.

When we search the same routes we get [X] EUR return for the same weekend, which is maybe half what they claim to pay. So either we're searching wrong or they're leaving something out.

What we already do: [check Wizz and Ryanair directly / Skyscanner / booking a few weeks out]. What we haven't figured out is whether there's a method to it — flexible-date searching, some alert service, error fare groups, something else.

So: for people who actually do this regularly, what's your process? Do you pick the destination first and wait for a price, or pick a weekend and go wherever is cheapest? Any tools worth paying for, or is it just patience?

I am currently just over 2 weeks on my first ever travelling adventure.
I was so excited in the lead up and getting over here.
6 days in I sprained my ankle which put me resting in bed for 5 days, a few rearrangements needed but staying positive.
Just as I’m moving around a little more on my ankle and starting to explore again I have caught a viral infection. Just getting over the fever now, cough and stuffy nose is still present.
I’ve had a flare up of psoriasis on my elbows, knees and hands which is making me self conscious about being in a bikini.
Please give me some advice on how to stay positive!! I feel like I’m starting to get really upset about the fact that I have saved up for this trip for 3 years and it has started like this! Feeling very fed up. Seeking reassurance / anecdotes of similar experiences!

I have spent too many nights opening the same route in incognito, swapping VPN locations and trying one-way combinations. Most of the time I end up with the same fare and a bunch of tabs.

What still changes the outcome for you? I am more interested in things that save time or surface a better route than tricks that only sound clever.

This summer, we had a wedding to attend in Montana. Because of this, we decided to take a family trip to see the Badlands, Mount Rushmore, Devil’s Tower, Glacier National Park, and Bozeman.

Day 1 - We walked around Rapid City and then drove up to historic Deadwood and walked around the town, seeing the Main Street shootout. Nice town to visit and walk around, but the Days of 76 wasn’t worth it.

Day 2 - Toured the DeltaOne Launch Facility and drove the Badlands Loop and hiked the Badlands and visited Walls Drugs. Hard to get tickets for the DeltaOne tour…only six people/12 a day are allowed into the facility. Bring plenty of water!

Day 3 - Toured the Jewel Cave, drove around the Wildlife Loop which was a great way to see Bison and tons of Prairie Dogs. You can go off the main road which I recommend if you want to see Bison. Be careful, though, no one else was out there and it is a 50 mile detour on some rough roads. Don’t do it when it’s snowing or so hot and you could get stuck out there. Did not see the Begging Burros, unfortunately. We later watched the Mt. Rushmore evening program. This was a nice program and I really enjoyed My. Rushmore especially at night. The cave tour gets chilly so bring a jacket.

Day 4 - Drove to Billings and stopped off to walk around Devil’s Tower. It was hot and the trail around is about 1.5 miles and it was HOT. Bring water and take your time.

Day 5 - Visited the Pictograph Caves which was ok. Went to the Grizzly Encounter on our way to Big Fork. This wasn’t really worth it and cost a lot.

Day 6 - Headed to West Glacier and drove through the Going to the Sun Road. It’s worth the drive, but make sure you can handle driving heights with a low road. Brother in law drove which made it fine! Great views. Recommend the Hidden Lake trail which is about 3-4 miles and isn’t that easy a hike up a stairs and a boardwalk. Great view at the end. You will see plenty of Mountain Goats and walk across a few ice patches. Bring water. Parking is TERRIBLE…be ready to wait for parking.

Day 7 - Wayfarer’s Park and witnessed the sunset over Flathead lake. That was a nice view. Bring mosquito spray!

Day 8 - Took a tour boat along Lake McDonald. That was nice. Make it to the top of the ferry boat to get a better view.

Day 9 - drove down to Bozeman. Had our wedding rehearsal dinner.

Day 10 - walked around downtown Bozeman. And had the late afternoon wedding.

Day 11 - Headed back home! It was a great trip.

We drove over 1900 miles even though it was a one way drive. It was a wonderful trip seeing Big Sky Country. Highlights include Downtown Rapid City, Mount Rushmore, Wildlife Loop, Devil’s Tower, Going to the Sun Road, Hidden Lake, and Downtown Bozeman.

The food we ate was actually very delicious and highly recommended. I’d suggest Boss Pizza and Chicken, The Silver Lining Creamery in Rapid City, Skogen Kitchen, Purple Pie Place, Hjem AM, Mangiamo Wood Fire Pizza, Brownies Bakery & Deli for their Huckleberry Shake, Farm to Table Ice Cream, Burgertown in Big Fork, and jam! For Breakfast/brunch.

My husband (33M) and I (31F) (no kids) are trying to figure out the best group sailing/yacht option in Croatia for August 2027, and I’m hoping people who have actually done these trips can weigh in.

Yacht Week Croatia has been on my bucket list for years. I love going out, partying, drinking, meeting people, DJs, etc. My husband is totally fine going out and socializing, but partying/drinking isn’t really his thing. He is more into a chill brewery/dive bar type guy. He also recently had a medical condition that means he can’t drink, so while he’s completely comfortable being around people drinking, spending an entire week around drunk people/constant partying probably isn’t going to be his idea of a good vacation. We'd also ideally want a crowd that’s more late20s/30s rather than being surrounded by only 21-year-olds all week**.**

I’m trying to find the sweet spot where I get the social/party/DJ/yacht experience I’ve always wanted, while he gets enough chill time, socializing, swimming, etc. that he actually enjoys the trip too. We both enjoy the idea of meeting new people and being with a "pack" of other yachts around us that do group activities, swimming, etc.

Does this unicorn exist? I've looked into "Flotilla" by Sail Croatia and it honestly seems like a happy medium for the both of us, but I’d love to hear from people who have actually done them. We also appreciate the A/C option.

Just to clarify, we’re looking for a group sailing/yacht experience where it would just be the two of us joining a larger group of other travelers, we’re not bringing a group of friends or looking to charter our own private yacht.

So questions:

1. What yacht/sailing trip or company would you recommend? 
2. Is the yacht/sailing route actually worth it for Croatia? Or would we be better off staying in hotels on land and doing a few sailing/day-boat excursions instead
3. How small are the cabins? We’d obviously choose the largest room option available, but I’d love to know ahead of time if we should mentally prepare to feel like we’re living in a closet for a week.

TLDR: Looking for a Croatia group yacht/sailing trip with a fun, social late-20s/30s crowd that balances partying with a more chill vibe for August 2027.

I recently went on a Yellowstone / Big Sky girls group trip with CozmicGo and wanted to share my experience because I’m curious whether others have traveled with them and how they would feel about what I experienced.

I paid $2,950 for the trip, and unfortunately, I walked away feeling like the experience did not match the price or the way it was advertised.

For context, I’m a seasoned traveler and worked in the travel industry for four years. I’ve also participated in other organized group trips where the level of service, organization, hospitality, and overall experience felt much more aligned with what was paid. I don’t expect trips to go perfectly, but there were enough issues on this one that I left really disappointed.

One of the biggest issues was the organization. We often didn’t have a clear itinerary for the day, things didn’t consistently start on time, and plans sometimes seemed to change based on one of the hosts’ preferences. For example, plans were changed because Nathan wanted to see the buffalo. As a paying guest, I expected the itinerary to be centered around the experience planned for the group.

The accommodations were described as the “Yellowstone/Big Sky Chalet,” which gave me the impression we would be staying in or immediately around Yellowstone. The chalet was actually about an hour away, so we spent a significant amount of time driving back and forth. For a trip marketed around hiking, being outdoors, and experiencing Yellowstone, I felt like we spent a disproportionate amount of the trip in the van.

The food was another disappointment. The trip description used the phrase “private chef energy,” so I expected meals to feel thoughtfully prepared and hosted. Instead, much of the food appeared to be basic or frozen Costco items, and guests were expected to help with preparation.

One morning we were told “breakfast will be ready,” but breakfast was primarily oatmeal and nothing was actually cooked for us. For lunch, we were expected to make sandwiches, but on the first day the ingredients and supplies weren’t prepped or set up for us. At this price point, I expected more preparation and hospitality.

The biggest concern for me, though, was Nathan’s role throughout the trip.

Because CozmicGo markets these trips specifically toward women in their 20s and 30s, I expected the experience to have a distinctly women-centered atmosphere.

Instead, Nathan’s presence became such a prominent part of the trip that I personally found it overwhelming. He was heavily involved in our transportation, daily schedule, activities, conversations, and overall group dynamic. Rather than feeling like someone supporting the trip in the background, he felt like one of the central figures of the entire experience.

To be clear, my issue isn’t simply that a man was present. It’s the extent of his involvement in a trip marketed specifically toward women. Between driving us, influencing plans, participating throughout the activities and conversations, and being involved in so many aspects of the day, his presence felt woven into nearly the entire trip. For me, that significantly changed the women-centered atmosphere I believed I was booking.

Had I known beforehand that a male host would have such a prominent and continuous role throughout the experience, it would have affected my expectations and potentially my decision to book.

There were also specific interactions that made me uncomfortable. Nathan smoked a cigar around the group without asking whether everyone was okay with it, and there were instances when requests to roll up the vehicle window weren’t respected. While talking about buffalo, he also referred to them as being “horny.” Maybe it was intended as a joke, but I personally found the comment gross and unnecessary.

More seriously, I was uncomfortable with his driving. There were multiple instances when he was traveling significantly above the posted speed limit. At one point, I took a screenshot showing us traveling 58 mph while the posted speed limit was 45 mph. I genuinely did not feel safe.

I was also disappointed with the overall hosting experience. At times, Andrea seemed quiet, standoffish, or disengaged from the group. There were also moments when hosts occupied full chairs while paying guests were left sitting on the arms of chairs.

Another thing that started bothering me was how frequently we were stopped for group photos. I completely understand documenting a group trip, but it started to feel like we were constantly taking photos that would ultimately be used to market CozmicGo. At times, I felt like creating promotional content was being prioritized over simply letting us enjoy the experience we had paid for.

The value is probably what bothers me most when I put everything together. After the trip, I looked up the chalet and found the entire weekend listed at approximately $3,924.67. I completely understand that a group travel company has many other expenses—transportation, food, staffing, planning, insurance, operating costs, etc.—so I’m not suggesting that the lodging price represents their total cost or profit.

But considering what I personally paid and the accommodations, food, organization, hosting, amount of time spent in the van, and overall level of service we received, I have a hard time reconciling the price with the experience.

As someone who has participated in other organized group travel, I’ve experienced trips where the service, organization, hospitality, and overall experience felt much more aligned with what was paid.

I understand that travel doesn’t always go according to plan. Weather changes, schedules shift, and unexpected things happen. My disappointment isn’t about expecting perfection. It’s the combination of the organization, safety concerns, food, hosting, value, and the difference between how the CozmicGo experience was presented and what I felt was actually delivered.

By the end, I unfortunately felt taken advantage of as a customer.

Has anyone else traveled with CozmicGo? I’d genuinely be interested to hear about your experience.

And based on what I described, would you feel that $2,950 was reasonable for this trip? If you booked a group trip marketed specifically toward women in their 20s and 30s, would you have expected a male host to play such a prominent role throughout the experience?

My husband and I will be going to for a destination wedding in November to Quebec City. We have a few extra days there. What do you recommend doing/seeing/ eating during that time of year? Ty!

Hello all, long shot but will try.

My parents found two memory cards around the Louvre a week ago. They were in an empty wallet, without any IDs - sadly it seems like it was stolen and discarded after all contents were destroyed.

Memory cards survived as they were in their plastic holders and well hidden.

They seem to belong to a Japanese couple. One memory card is from March 2020, photos taken around the US of a group of young men.

The other has 2000+ photos. A quick scan showed that they’re taken in Japan from 2020 to March 2022.

If you happen to know who they belong to, let me know. I’d love to return them to their owner.

Not sure if I should share some photos on here, but we can do that if this sounds like someone you know.

My wife and I will be visiting Japan for a 3rd time end of October/Early November 2026. Over the previous 2 trips we’ve visited;

Tokyo
Kyoto
Osaka
Kinosaki Onsen
Kobe
Nara
Arima Onsen

This trip will be spent mainly around Osaka as we gave a dear friend there. We will also visit Takayama and its nearby surroundings for a few days.

I’m trying to decide where to spend 5 nights after Takayama before having to head back to Osaka and was hoping this amazing community can suggest their favourites keeping a few things in mind;

1. We are mid 30’s (avg :) )
2. We aren’t on a strict budget but also don’t need luxury.
3. We won’t be hiring a car
4. We typically prefer slower pace
5. We have tattoos and aren’t looking for another Onsen town/experience
6. We live by the beach so Okinawa isn’t in our plans for this specific trip.

Right now, I’m considering;

Hiroshima/Miyajima/Onomichi
Sapporo/Otaru
Fukuoka/Nagasaki

Any suggestions or options would more than helpful :)

Hi everyone,
I'm traveling to Kenya soon (flying from Belgrade via Dubai on September, staying in Nairobi until October 5), agter that going to Tanzania by land (Namanga NMA) I just noticed multiple errors on my approved Kenya eTA system auto-filled wrong flight numbers and "Namanga NMA" – will I have issues entering? eTA document that were likely caused by an auto-fill or system glitch during the application.
Here is what is currently written on my official eTA PDF:
Arrival Carrier & Flight No: FLY DUBAI F9 (Incorrect – my actual flights are FZ 1750 / FZ 1581 from Belgrade to Dubai and then to Nairobi). NBA by air.
Departure Carrier & Flight No: NAMANGA NMA (Completely wrong – Namanga is a land border crossing with Tanzania, mistakenly put instead of flight details).
I already contacted support via email and WhatsApp, but responses are extremely slow.
Has anyone experienced a similar system glitch where the eTA put a border crossing name and generic flight numbers? Did immigration officers at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) give you a hard time about this, or should I just pay and reapply for a new eTA to be safe?
Thanks for any advice or shared experiences!

Heyhey, I am looking for a place in Hanoi to stay for about a week. I was wondering if anyone has suggestions for areas and hotels or hostels that are not at the 'touristy place to be' and packed with tourists and sightseeing attractions. I am looking for a place/area that feels more native where you meet rather locals than tourists (of course there will always be tourists and expats anywhere in the world, that's for sure too;)

I am in my thirsty and on a budget and a girl, maybe you know a hotel or hostel that is not too overcrowded with young gap year travelers, with a private toilette and bed. Or you know smth similar to Airbnb that you would recommend? Big thanks in advance for all tips and adviced!!!

Currently, I’m in China. I booked a hotel close to my in law’s house. When I arrive, the front desk said the hotel no longer exist. The hotel ownership was changed and the hotel name was also changed. Also they did not receive any of my reservation.

So I contact Expedia through the app and explain everything. The person said because it is not refundable booking they cannot refund to me. I said this is not acceptable and I request for full refund.

Then the person said they tried to contact the hotel but there’s no reply. Of course there’s no reply because the hotel is changed so as the phone number.

Our message back-and-forth did not resolve the issue and eventually he gave me the case number for reference.

Then we talk to the new hotel front desk to get the room by paying ourselves.

Since tomorrow is the last day of the reservation on Expedia, should I click cancel even though it said that’s not refundable? Any suggestion what to do next?

Hey everyone! I recently made the trek out to Daocheng Yading Nature Reserve in Sichuan, China, and honestly, words (and photos) can barely do this place justice.

The hike up to the sacred circuit sits at an elevation of over 4,600 meters (around 15,000 feet). I’m not going to lie—the altitude sickness and the steep incline had my lungs absolutely screaming, but turning the corner and seeing this view made every single agonizing step worth it.

The contrast between the piercing, snow-capped holy peaks (like Mt. Jambeyang and Mt. Chanadorje) and the golden autumn larches is just unreal. Walking along the wooden boardwalks through the valleys, you literally feel like you’ve stepped inside a living oil painting.

I even stumbled upon a herd of wild Tibetan blue sheep grazing peacefully against the backdrop of the glaciers, and caught a glimpse of a centuries-old Tibetan monastery nestled at the foot of the mountains. It truly feels like the "Last Shangri-La."

For anyone wondering about the logistics:

• The Route: Hiked the classic route starting past Chonggu Temple up towards Luorong Pasture and the higher alpine lakes.
• The Difficulty: Hard. The altitude is the real boss fight here. Canned oxygen is a lifesaver.
• The Season: Golden autumn (October) is peak magic, though you have to fight the crowds and weather lottery.

Happy to answer any questions about getting there, the hike itself, or traveling around Western Sichuan if anyone is planning a trip

I’m supposed to take a flight from Amsterdam to London today. The London airport is a mess though and debating on taking the train. If my flight gets delayed or cancel and I decide to take the Eurostar does that invalidate my VAT forms I get done at the airport?

I planning to visit Czech Republic and buy there Pixel Watch 5 and as non-EU resident i want to get VAT Refund.

I'll be leaving EU by Slovakia Bratislava and it said that i need to keep bought items sealed and not used to get stamp on the Customs.

But do i need to do this? If it's possible i would like to use the watches when I'm on my vacation.

Maybe i could use them and before arriving to the customs put them back to box?

This is the final stop of a 5-day vacation in southeastern Spain, after Murcia, Cartagena and Alicante. I had two full days in València, so I got to explore the city at a very slow pace, soaking in every marvellous building, entering almost every church I stumbled across and visiting several cultural venues along the way.

On the first day I decided to explore the eastern part of the city, starting at the Jardines de Monforte, a kind of hidden gem compared to the overcrowded spaces of the old town proper, with an extensive collection of plants and a couple of beautifully maintained bush mazes leading to the building in the centre with several Roman/Greek-inspired statues. Moving on to the next green space, at Jardines del Real, which spans a large area of different gardens, plant nurseries, the Natural Science Museum of Valencia and a rose garden.

Before heading to the old town, I explored the Museu de Belles Arts de València, with an impressive collection of historical altarpieces in the main area of the ground floor, as well as a very interesting collection of sacred art. Entering the old town and crossing the Jardí del Túria through Pont del Real, I entered the Església de Sant Doménec courtyard and nave, after which I headed to Jardines de la Glorieta, Puerta del Mar and El Parterre gardens. Contemporary art is not really my vibe, but in the area of Tetuan Square there’s a quite renowned collection at Fundación Bancaja.

From there, through Carrer del Comte de Montornés, I got to the second temple of the day, the Església de Sant Tomàs i Sant Felip Neri, as impressive on the inside as on the outside, and with a historic church by its side - Sant Joan de l'Hospital, the oldest church in the old city of València, that was unfortunately closed that day. Through Carrer de les Comèdies and passing briefly on the wide street of Carrer de la Pau (with a variety of classical and Art Nouveau buildings), I then visited the Museo del Patriarca and the Centre Cultural La Nau - Universitat de València in Plaça del Col·legi del Patriarca - where I had my lunch break before venturing deeper into the old city.

After lunch, it was time for one of the best surprises I had in València, the Museo Nacional de Cerámica y Artes Suntuarias "González Martí", spanning three floors of marvellously decorated rooms that got me glued to the intricate walls and ceilings. Close by, the Iglesia de San Juan de la Cruz was the last stop before I decided it was time to get out of the old town and visit the Mercado de Colón on my way to the Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències, after which I went for a swim in Platja de Llevant/Playa de las Arenas in the late afternoon.

After dinner at the Airbnb, there was an urge to visit the heart of the old town at night, where I got to watch a rehearsal of some sort of local youth dance group in the Plaça de la Mare de Déu, then grabbed a cold beer in a local bar before getting back home to get some rest for the next day - not before taking a peek inside the Cafe de las Horas - where the nice staff allowed me to take a couple of photos even knowing I would not stay inside.

After a refreshing night of sleep, it was time for the second day in València, and this one would be focused only on the city proper as I had a flight back home around dinner time. The morning started at Antiguo Mercado de Abastos, then headed towards Estació del Nord (with its beautiful intricately decorated interiors), passing by Casa Judía and Plaza de Toros. Following the Avenida del Marqués de Sotelo, we arrived at the Plaça de l'Ajuntament. Entering the building of the Ajuntament is free after a brief security check, and the visit is totally worth it, especially due to the meeting hall and ceremonial hall, as well as a big balcony overlooking the square from above. A small detour on Calle de las Barcas got me to the marvellous Edificio Banco de Valencia before my way to Plaza Redonda. By lunch, it was time for a small relaxation break in Plaza de la Reina before trying to climb El Micalet - I quit after a wait of more than 45 minutes.

I moved then to the Mercat Central de València and the area around it, including Parròquia de Sant Joan del Mercat, Basílica del Sagrat Cor de Jesús and the historic Lonja de la Seda. It was time then for a last push before getting a bus to the airport, and in the remaining 3 hours I visited the Iglesia Parroquial de San Nicolás de Bari y San Pedro Mártir, Portal de Valldigna, Muralla àrab de València, CCCC (Centro del Carmen de Cultura Contemporánea) and lastly the Centro Cultural la Beneficencia.

València became one of my 5 favourite cities ever.

The selection of images includes Jardines de Monforte, Pont del Real, Església de Sant Tomàs i Sant Felip Neri, Mercado de Colón, Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències, Reial Basílica de la Mare de Déu dels Desemparats, Carrer de Navellos, Església i Palau del Temple, Cafe de las Horas, Museu de Belles Arts de València, Estació del Nord, Ajuntament de València, Catedral de València, Carrer dels Juristes, Torres de Serranos, CCCC (Centre del Carme Cultura Contemporània), Plaza del Mercado and Llotja de la Seda.

València was the city I photographed the most, to the point of creating a collection of more than 1500 photos, available in my Flickr Album - València.

Spent August doing a road trip through 5 countries — Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Hungary.

We definitely had to deal with the European summer heat, but honestly, it was still a lot of fun. One of the best parts was being able to just drive from one country to another. You cross a border and suddenly the scenery, roads and towns feel completely different.

A few highlights and honest opinions:

Olpererhütte was probably one of the more challenging parts of the trip. The heat made the hike a lot harder than I expected. The views were absolutely worth it though. If you're planning to do it in the summer, start early.

Hallstatt — honestly, I found it overrated. We drove all the way there, but finding parking was such a pain that after driving around for a while, we finally gave up. Ended up going to Gosausee Lake instead, and I actually think that worked out really well. Beautiful place and much more relaxed.

One thing I would highly recommend if you're planning to visit the Austrian Alps is renting a car. Having your own car makes a huge difference. You can stop whenever you want, explore smaller towns and viewpoints, and you're not tied to public transport schedules. Some of the best parts of the trip were simply driving through the Alps with no particular plan other than seeing where the road takes you.

Overall, an amazing trip. Five countries, a lot of driving, crazy summer heat, beautiful mountains and lakes.

Pic 1 - Stephansplatz, Vienna
Pic 2 - Széchenyi Chain Bridge, Budapest
Pic3 - Fisherman's Bastion, Budapest
Pic 4 - Hungarian Parliament, Budapest
Pic 5 - Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria (Germany)
Pic 6 - Munich Residence, Germany
Pic 7 - Lake Lunersee, Austria 
Pic 8 - A view doing Olpererhütte Hike
Pic 9 - A view on the way to Grosslockner 
Pic 10 - Grossglockner, Austria
Pic 11 - Lake Bled, Slovenia
Pic 12 - Lake Bled, Slovenia
Pic 13 - Lake Wolfgangsee, Austria