Dive Deep into Creativity: Discover, Share, Inspire
Local - Blog Posts
Cedar - Magical Uses
Gender: Masculine Planet: Sun Element: Earth Deity: N/A Plant type: Evergreen Tree
Uses: Remove negative energy, open up to higher levels of spiritual consciousness, chase away nightmares, attract love, cocoon with your spiritual essence
Burned as incense to banish negative energy, raise spiritual vibration
Used to aid during meditation
Put inside of the pillow for a good night's sleep
For protection, keep a cedar box or animal carved in cedar wood in your home
Hung in the house to protect from lightning
Keep in pockets/wallet to attract money
A cedar stick carved into 3 prongs, placed into the ground near home protects from evil
Slow Living in Northern Thailand: Explore Wellness at Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai
Escape to tranquility at Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai. Discover wellness retreats, cultural experiences, and Michelin dining amid lush rice paddies. Continue reading Slow Living in Northern Thailand: Explore Wellness at Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai
View On WordPress
Traveling Responsibly: Supporting Local Communities and Cultures
Travel is more than just visiting new destinations—it’s about connecting with people, learning from their way of life, and leaving a positive impact. Responsible travel, or ethical tourism, is a growing movement encouraging travelers to support local communities and preserve cultural heritage. Here’s how you can embrace responsible travel on your next adventure.
1. Stay in Locally Owned Accommodations
Choosing locally owned hotels, guesthouses, or homestays is a simple way to support the local economy. These businesses often reinvest their earnings into the community, creating jobs and promoting sustainable development. Plus, staying with locals provides authentic cultural experiences you won’t find in chain hotels.
2. Dine at Local Restaurants and Markets
Skip international fast-food chains and savor the flavors of your destination by eating at locally owned restaurants or food markets. Not only will you enjoy fresh, authentic meals, but your money will also directly benefit local farmers, chefs, and vendors.
3. Shop for Ethical Souvenirs
When buying souvenirs, look for handmade, locally crafted products instead of mass-produced items. Fair-trade shops or artisan markets are excellent places to find unique, high-quality goods while ensuring that the artisans are fairly compensated. Avoid purchasing items made from endangered species or cultural artifacts.
4. Support Local Tour Operators
Book tours and activities with locally owned operators who hire guides from the area. These companies often provide better insights into the culture and traditions of the community. They’re also more likely to respect the environment and contribute to local conservation efforts.
5. Learn About Local Customs and Traditions
Before visiting, take time to learn about the cultural norms, history, and traditions of your destination. Respect local customs, dress modestly when required, and ask for permission before taking photos of people or sacred sites. A little cultural sensitivity goes a long way in fostering mutual respect.
6. Volunteer Responsibly
Volunteering while traveling can be incredibly rewarding, but it’s important to do it ethically. Choose organizations that genuinely benefit the community and avoid programs that exploit vulnerable groups, such as orphanage tourism. Focus on activities that align with your skills and contribute sustainably.
7. Reduce Your Environmental Impact
Responsible travel isn’t just about supporting communities—it’s also about protecting the environment. Travel lightly by reducing waste, carrying a reusable water bottle, and avoiding single-use plastics. Choose eco-friendly transportation options like biking, walking, or public transit whenever possible.
8. Attend Cultural Events
Participating in cultural events, festivals, or workshops is a fun and meaningful way to support local traditions. These experiences often provide direct economic benefits to communities while allowing you to immerse yourself in their way of life.
9. Spread Awareness Through Storytelling
When you return home, share your experiences to inspire others to travel responsibly. Highlight the beauty of the culture, the kindness of the people, and the importance of supporting local communities. Social media and blogs are powerful tools for promoting ethical tourism.
10. Give Back Where You Can
Consider donating to local organizations or initiatives that support education, healthcare, or conservation in the communities you visit. Even small contributions can have a significant impact when directed to the right causes.
Why Responsible Travel Matters
Travel has the power to transform both travelers and the places they visit. By choosing to travel responsibly, you can help preserve cultural heritage, protect the environment, and uplift communities. Responsible tourism isn’t just a trend—it’s a conscious effort to make the world a better place through thoughtful actions.
The Great British Pub
Nothing finer than sitting by a roaring fire, while you sip a pint of your favourite beer....
According to the Campaign for Real Ale, 21 of our finest pubs are closing every week. Shocking. A pub is like a church, the heart of the community, with barstools instead of pews.
Long Live The Local!
Are We Kissing Goodbye To The Local?
Another one bites the dust. The Jester pub, Cockfosters being demolished. 3 pubs a day close their doors for good. Pub closures have an impact on communities. Pubs have been at the heart of our culture for generations and remain one of our most valuable assets. 1 in 4 of us fall in love in a pub!
Did you see our interview with Luuk? https://magazine.keycaribe.com/people/like-a-home-away-from-home/ #curacao #interview #keycaribe #magazine #local #amazing #paradise #cocktails #vacation #travel (bij Curaçao) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bmw0T_WBj19/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=152f94vmluq25
Family Room - Eclectic Family Room Example of a small eclectic enclosed family room design with white walls and a wall-mounted television in a medium tone wood floor and brown flooring.
FYI
to help make a difference in climate change and to not contribute to human and animal suffering as much as possible i:
- am vegan in all aspects - do not have a car - walk and bike as much as possible - use public transportation when i can not - use reusable bags - use reusable water bottles - use reusable utensils - use reusable containers - refuse plastic at all opportunities - buy recycled/fair trade clothing as i can - try my hardest to be zero waste - throw away NO food - recycle everything i can - switched to having all of my energy come from renewable sources - appreciate all water i use - pick up trash - buy local produce when i can - forgo produce that uses many resources - donate money to vegan and environmental causes - live a minimalistic life - get furniture and appliances second hand if possible - sell and donate things i no longer use
does that make me better than you? of course it doesn’t. but i probably am doing better than you. what the fuck are you doing for the planet? do more.
Kansas City Enclosed Dining Room Example of a mid-sized minimalist dark wood floor and brown floor enclosed dining room design with blue walls, a standard fireplace and a tile fireplace
Daily Routine (9/25/17) - Strawberry Jam
If today could be defined by one thing, it would be music. I spent the majority of the day listening to Spotify while simultaneously catching up on homework. Also, I recently have been reacquainted with my beautiful guitar. I’ve been playing on and off now for the better part of 6 years, with many hiatuses in between. I haven’t play since at least over 6 months ago, but for the past 3 days now I have consistently been playing.
I want to not only become proficient in guitar again, but also play live. I’ve only ever been in a band once and we only played live once, but that doesn’t deter me in slightest. Going to the house show last week and becoming more in touch with the local music scene have inspired me to find people to jam with and hopefully play live shows. It’s always been a dream of mine to be part of a successful band. I want to get started on it now.
So today I changed her strings. The new high E string snapped when I was tightening the peg, which was quite the bitch because it was the last string for me to change. Luckily I had a few extra packets of strings, but now I have a packet without the high E string, which irritates my inner OCD. She now sounds wonderful -- like brand new. I always forget how great your guitar sounds whenever you change their strings. It really makes a difference.
With my guitar re-stringed and me consistently practicing, I’m ready to start jamming with other people. I have actually met a few people who are already interested, they just have to free up their schedules. I also am in need of a drummer. If you live in the Richmond area and want to jam, just hit me up with a PM. I’m always looking for people to play music with (starting now).
Saw this little guy hanging out in a tree
On Purple Dead Nettle
My new plant-love of this Spring season is the unassuming (and yet striking beautiful) Lamium purpureum, aka Purple Dead Nettle. This wild forageable is considered a “weed” in many yards and gardens and yet has great medicinal, edible, and magical properties. What more is there to love? I first noticed purple dead nettle after seeing it on a Youtube channel - it turns out, it was growing in my neighborhood all along and I had been oblivious! Purple Dead Nettles (Also sometimes called Purple Archangel) is found around the world. In warmer areas, it is a annual Winter weed that provides much needed ground cover - here in Southern New England it is a early Spring flower that blooms for about six weeks starting in mid April. It is highly distinguishable by its square stem (proving its membership to the mint family) and distinct red/purple leaves. It can grow up to 8-10 inches tall but generally prefers to stick close to the ground. It is a super food - all parts of the plant are edible though its leaves are fuzzy so it can be a strange experience to eat it on its own. It can be added to salads, used as an edible garnish, made into pesto, or added as a green to smoothies. It’s flavor is green and reminiscent of grass or clover. Medicinally, it is an astringent, diaphoretic, and purgative. It has anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties. It’s leaves can be made into a salve or applied directly for on-the-go wound care. Consumption slows the production of histamines so it has a claim to fame as a plant used to treat seasonal allergies. It can be dried and drunk as a tea but can have a laxative effect if consumed in quantity. It is also listed as unsafe for pregnant and breast feeding humans. On of the best quality of this wonder-plant, in my opinion, is that it is one of the earliest bee friendly flowers that blooms in the colder climates. Bees and other native pollinators seem to prefer Purple Dead Nettle to other plants. Yet another reason not the mow this lovely plant down and let it thrive!
Magically it is associated with happiness and cheerfulness and considered useful for grounding when combined with yarrow. Like all hearty plants that will grow “anywhere” it also has an association with strength and resiliency. For magical purposes, dead nettle is most often dried and turned into an incense blend or tea (see the above mentioned warning about drinking too much of it.) Last but not least, I wanted to share a fun fact. The Latin name for Purple Dead Nettle (lamium purpurium) means “diminutive purple monster” - a nickname given to the plant that spread out of control. Laugh all you want but be careful where you plant it if you don’t want a yard FULL of dead nettle. But for real - who wouldn’t want a yard full of dead nettle? Certainly not me… Like my work? Please consider supporting me by Buying Me of Ko-Fi.
When Life Gives You Jewelweed, 1
As an intuitive witch, I strongly believe in working with the plants that grow in your natural environment. It's a covenant that I have made with my spirits and the spirits of the land - it's invasive, I should use it all up or if it's native, I should help it to flourish and grow.
Enter jewelweed aka Impatiens capensis, Balsam Weed, Slipper Weed, "Touch Me Not"
Jewelweed is native to the American Northeast but is not often a gardener’s friend.
I don’t blame the intrepid gardener who, appalled at the HUNDREDS (literally) of jewelweed plants that spring up in their yard, pulls them all up in a haste to do be done with the voracious spreader (jewelweed is known as “touch me not” because its seed pods go off like a BOMB when touched, spreading its seed voraciously – one misstep with this and you will guarantee yourself months of weeding jewelweed out of every space you have).
Yes, almost every single plant in this following photograph is jewelweed! Dora has recently moved into her ancestral home and is trying to reclaim her gardens back from the mess that her Grandmother made of them to “fit in” with the popular gardening trends of the ’90s.
As often happens when you start to clear out a wild space, the first thing to move in are the “weeds” – in this case – jewelweed!
Still, as a green witch, I know that even the most “obnoxious” plants have fabulous magical, edible, and/or medicinal properties. Jewelweed is a perfect example of this.
Jewelweed is both anti-inflammatory and an anti-histamine and can be used topically to treat eczema, bug bites, stinging nettles, and fungal rashes. It is best known for its ability to neutralize the urushiol compound in poison ivy that causes many people to have that horrible itchy rash. This can be done in one of two ways. Firstly, by applying the raw sap of the jewelweed plant directly to the area that you want to treat. For longer-term use, jewelweed can be made into a salve or tinctured (I am going to put mine into a Thatcher’s Witch Hazel toner because I know that my skin tolerates that well).
Magically, there is less information on the properties of jewelweed. Like many of the native plants to the Americas, there is a dearth of information due to the continued reliance on “old world” herbs in our modern crafts. Due to its healing properties and the wet environment in which it grows, the obvious elemental association is Water. The bright orange color of its trumpet flowers speaks to happiness and joy. I might simplify that plus its healing properties to a sense of “relief”.
My intention is to pick and dry some of the flowers and play around to see how it works out magically. I’ll update you with the results.
I am pleased with the medicinal applications of jewelweed. My partner has both realized their love of gardening and developed quite an intense contact dermatitis to something in my garden, so a jewelweed concoction is right on time. I intend to make both a salve and infuse into Witchhazel – they will ultimately be my guinea pig as to which is better.
In any case, I’m very excited to be making a new plant acquaintance.
Do you like my work? Please consider supporting me by Buying Me A Kofi.
Earth-Friendly Witchcraft
Whatever religious or spiritual tradition they identify with, most witches agree that there is something sacred about the natural world. We draw our power from the earth beneath our feet, the sky over our heads, and the air in our lungs.
And yet, many of us live in societies that are actively contributing to the destruction of the natural world. Most developed nations have a linear economy, which means resources are extracted and then sent on a one-way trip to consumers who will use them and then throw them away. This leads to overflowing landfills, air and water pollution, and quickly disappearing resources. The World Economic Forum predicts that, if our habits don’t change, there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050. And I dearly hope that by now we’re all familiar with the reality of climate change and its devastating impact on global ecosystems.
I’m not trying to scare you, but I do want to point out the hypocrisy of drawing power from the Earth in our magic while simultaneously contributing to her destruction. If we truly want to consider ourselves spiritual allies of the planet, we need to make an effort to live our lives — and practice our magic — in ways that are less harmful to her.
You don’t have to become an environmentalist or switch to a zero waste lifestyle, but we can all make little changes for a more sustainable life. There’s lots of information out there about how to live a more Earth-friendly lifestyle, so in this post I’ll be focusing on how to apply that same philosophy to your witchcraft.
Steps to a more Earth-Friendly Practice:
Limiting your consumption will automatically lower your negative impact on the planet. Follow my previous guidelines for avoiding consumerism to start shrinking your carbon footprint.
Avoid plastic as much as possible. According to the WEF, 70% of our plastic ends up in a landfill or in the world’s waterways, and according to Julia Watkins, author of Simply Living Well, only 9% of household plastics get recycled. Plastic (unlike glass and metal) cannot be recycled indefinitely — it can only be recycled a handful of times before it becomes too degraded to be repurposed any further. There really is no way to make plastic safer for the planet, so it’s best to just avoid it altogether. Look for tools made of metal, wood, or glass instead of plastics, and try to order things shipped in paper and cardboard when possible.
Create spells that won’t leave leftovers. One of the big contributing factors to our current environmental crisis is that we just produce too much waste. You can avoid this in your magical practice by crafting spells that won’t leave you throwing away a big ball of candle wax, herbs, and paper. Kitchen magic is a no-brainer for this, since kitchen spells are meant to be eaten. If you want to do a candle spell, use small candles that will burn up completely — I find larger candles are more likely to leave leftover wax. Making magical bath salts is another great option for leftover-free spells — just make sure everything you include is safe to go down the drain and won’t contribute to water pollution!
Forage for your own spell materials. One of the best ways to avoid plastic packaging and cut down on emissions from shipping is to use materials from your backyard! Learn about the plants, animals, and minerals native to your area, and take regular nature walks where you can gather what you need. Remember to only take as much as you need and to be careful never to damage the plants you harvest from. Make sure to carefully disinfect any animals bits you pick up — you can do this by burying them in salt for a full moon cycle and/or setting them in the sun/under a UV light for several days. If you find a dead animal and want to strip and clean its bones for use in ritual, this is a much more involved process and will require special research, equipment, and lots of time. And, of course, never eat anything you have foraged unless you happen to have an advanced degree in botany.
Keep a magical garden. Another great way to connect with the planet and shrink your carbon footprint is to grow your own herbs, vegetables, and fruits. You can, of course, grow food for your kitchen if you have space, but even if you live in a tiny apartment you can grow a handful of magical herbs in pots. For a list of common houseplants and their magical associations, check out this post.
Shop for spell materials at a local farmer’s market. Buying local is a great way to avoid the environmental impact of shipping produce, and it allows you to support small farms. Farmer’s markets also typically carry seasonal produce, which can help you align your magical practice with the cycles of nature. Farmer’s markets are a great way to find seasonal fruits and vegetables for kitchen magic, but you can use the produce you find there for other types of spells as well.
Trade paraffin wax candles for beeswax or soy wax. Paraffin, the material used for most cheap candles, is a by-product of crude oil, which is not only highly unsustainable but contains carcinogens (chemicals that may cause cancer). Beeswax is a sustainable alternative, and beeswax candles produce a “clean” burn, meaning it does not negatively affect air quality. Soy wax is a slightly pricier, vegan-friendly sustainable option that also produces a clean burn.
Use undyed, unbleached paper for your written spells. The bleaches and dyes used in most commercially available paper have a toxic effect on the environment. Colored paper cannot be recycled or composted because it will contaminate everything it touches. Use plain, unbleached paper for your written spells, especially if you plan to bury them in the ground or dispose of them outside.
Make sure your essential oils are ethically harvested. Essential oils are tricky — although they are marketed as natural, many of them are produced through unsustainable methods. Because essential oils are concentrated, it may take thousands of pounds of plants to produce a single pound of oil. This can have a devastating impact, especially for endangered plants like white sage or palo santo. Look for ethically-sourced, wild-harvested essential oils — these are oils that are gathered from the wild in ways that don’t hurt the local ecosystem. Mountain Rose Herbs and Eden’s Garden are two brands that are committed to sustainable essential oil production.
Instead of burying a spell in a jar, bury it in a hollowed-out fruit or vegetable. Many traditions call for spells to be buried in the ground. Items like jar spells and witch bottles are traditionally buried on the witch’s property. The problem with this is that plastic and glass bottles do not biodegrade, and will remain in the ground for years. Instead of putting these materials in the ground, bury your spells in a hollowed-out fruit or vegetable. As a bonus, you can choose this item to support your intention. For example, you might use an apple for a love spell or a spicy pepper for protection. Just make sure everything inside the spell is also biodegradable!
Keep a compost pile as an offering to your local land spirits. Compost is an easy way to reduce food waste, and it gives your garden a boost! Even if you don’t have your own garden, you can give your compost to a fiend who does or look into donating it to a community garden. When composting, it’s important to maintain a balance between carbon-rich “brown” ingredients (leaves, undyed paper, cardboard, etc.) and nitrogen-rich “greens” (fruit and veggie scraps, coffee grounds, egg shells, etc.) — you want about four times as much brown as green in your compost. Start your compost with a layer of brown — preferably twigs or straw to allow good airflow. Alternate layers of green and brown materials as you add to the pile. Every time you add to your compost, verbally express your gratitude to the land spirits. Your compost should be moist, but not soggy — you’ll know it’s ready when it’s dark and crumbly and smells like soil.
Make your own tea blends with loose herbs and a reusable tea strainer instead of buying teabags. Witches and tea go together like peanut butter and chocolate, but the individual wrappers on teabags create a lot of waste. On top of that, since many of these wrappers are dyed, they may not even be recyclable. Keep your teas earth-friendly by buying dried herbs in bulk and blending your own teas. Making your own blends is not only better for the planet, but also allows you to choose each ingredient for a specific magical intention.
Find ways to use your trash in your craft. This one is pretty self-explanatory. Instead of throwing things away, find ways to use them in your magic! Use food scraps from cooking, like carrot greens and potato peels, in spells. Turn an old shoe box into a travel altar. Add your coffee grounds to spells to ground them and manifest results in the physical world. You get the idea. Be creative!
Research different models for Earth-friendly living, like the zero waste/low waste lifestyle, sustainability, and the solarpunk movement. This will give you more ideas for a sustainable lifestyle, as well as a sustainable magical practice.
The funny thing about Earth-friendly living is that, the more time you spend taking care of the planet, the more connected you feel to it. I encourage you to try some of the ideas on this list — you’ll be amazed by how quickly you develop a deeper relationship with the Earth and all her creatures.
Resources:
Of Blood and Bones by Kate Freuler
Simply Living Well by Julia Watkins
“By 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the world’s oceans, study says” from The Washington Post
A Sustainable Mind podcast
Practical(ly) Zero Waste podcast
Mini Land Spirit Shrine
use this as a conduit to connect you to the local spirits and nature
get a pot
fill it with local dirt/sand/clay
keep it on your porch/inside/near your house. somewhere you can visit it.
put cool natural items in it, like local shells, bones, branches, etc. that you’ve found…
watch it come to life. if i just leave a pot of dirt around, something will spring up in it. usually those considered “weeds”. if nothing grows, plant a low-maintenance native plant in it. but there should be something after a time.
make offerings like water and more natural items as you desire.
connect to it, talk to it, introduce yourself.
Rinse and repeat over time. That’s really it! and then you just… build a relationship as time goes on.
offering ideas for local spirits:
-crushed eggshells
- water
- reflective things such as coins, metal objects, and beads in place of candles.
-bread, crackers, matzo etc.
- carved or painted stones.
- woven grass or flowers
- origami animals and houses
-milk (milk combined with water may kill fungi when sprayed on plants)
- avocado pits, cherry pits, apple seeds etc.
- leftover tea/tea leaves
- hanging flags, wind-chimes, strips of cloth etc.
Witchcraft Exercise - Home Brews
There are a lot of opinions in the modern witchcraft community about what sorts of things make the best components for spells. Some go simple, some go fancy. Most published sources focus on specialized materials like crystals, ritual tools, or plants you aren't likely to find outside an occult shop or a botanical supplier.
But any broke witch you talk to will extol the virtues of working with inexpensive common materials from everyday shops or even just items you have lying around the house.
So to that end, here is an exercise you can do at home to familiarize yourself with your available resources and brainstorm new ideas.
Select one room of your home. It can be any room you wish. If you're not sure where to start, the kitchen is usually a good place. Sit in the room for a while and thoughtfully examine the objects around you. Open drawers and cabinets if necessary. Select five to ten items and make a list of them.
Write down all the magical correspondences of the items that you can think of. Brainstorm five ways that each item can be used in a magical working. Brainstorm ten ways that the items can be used in combination with each other. If you're feeling extra creative, try to write a spell that incorporates as many of the items as possible.
Repeat this with other rooms and other items. This will help you build a list of ideas of what you can do with the materials you have to have as well as helping you practice identifying magical correspondences.
For bonus points, turn the exercise around by listing five types of spells and sussing out how to cast multiple examples of each one using just the items you can find around your home.
Pro-tip: Don't just limit yourself to herbs and art supplies. Get creative!
Happy Witching!
What do you use deadnettle for?
Mostly I use it for magic pertaining to happiness, growth, beauty, or opportunity. I also associate deadnettle with the ability to make proper use of available resources, so I sometimes add it to a spell if a little bit of flexibility, fortitude, or Making The Best Of Things is called for.
Purple deadnettle is an early spring flower, very popular with the bees, and it grows abundantly pretty much anywhere it can find loose damp soil. It turns my yard into an oasis of tiny bell-shaped wildflowers and happily bumbling bees long before the early summer clover begins to bloom. This sweet little flower was one of the first gifts my new home gave me and it helped kickstart the bond I'm developing with the land.
(Apparently, it's also edible, although I've never tried it.)
Pictured: A patch of purple deadnettle in my yard, with vetchweed and dandelion puffballs mixed in.
Strolling around is the best way of authentic experiences
Soo… Rome, what a place! Except from all the super nice and sweet tourist sightseeing that you can do such as the Colosseum, Vatican City, St. Peter's Square, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Venezia, The Sistine Chapel, Roman Forum, the Spanish Steps and much much more, it is always nice to get away from the crowded tourist mass and find your own escapes! We believe in local culture and finding the unshaped pearls of every city and create your own experiences. A lot like "oh what did you do in Rome, this time? Did you see the Colosseum? - No, actually not, but we strolled around in the Testaccio area south from it, and took a food tour…"
Testaccio is a great place to find amazing restaurants, cafés and bars. It's a little neighborhood that introduce you to the city that loves to eat high qualitative, local produced and fresh meals. Cantina & Cucina the perfect place to rest your feet and legs after a long day of walking. There they serve the most easiest but deliciouses dishes, and specially hipster love this place. For vegetarians in Rome are really in heaven, since almost every restaurant has a vegetarian friendly menu, and Cantina & Cucina as well, with super fresh and delicious vegetable. Otherwise a good carbonara is always a great carbonara.
So if you travel to Rome, please visit the Testaccio region and find your own authentic experiences in the local neighborhoods, whereas the real Rome shows itself.
Picture source
See and eat seafood that you’ve never seen before!
The lagoon city has a long and glorious culinary tradition based on fresh seafood. A writhing, glistening variety of sea creatures swims from the stalls of the Rialto and Chioggia markets into local kitchens. Going with the flow ofla cucina veneta requires a certain spirit of openminded experimentation. Not everybody has eaten granseola (spider crab) before, or garusoli (sea snails) or canoce (mantis shrimps), but Venice is definitely the place to try these marine curios.
More information about: Rialto Fish market.
Add Ride the canal of Venice on your interrailing bucket list for Italy!
A certain must to do in Venice is to ride the canal in any different way. Take in and experience the Grand Canal by riding it is an extraordinary way to discover the city. There is different ways of take in the city from the canal’s point of view. The classic Gondol rides is a romantic and slow going ride where you can relax, bring some wine or cheese and prosciutto to eat and drink, thats awesome! And the Gondols are even able to get into the smaller and tighter canals which is flourished with old authentic buildings and bridges. Another way of view the city is by the Vaporetto, which is a rounded 230-passanger boat that goes on the Grand Canal and is not able to get in the smaller canals, but it’s still a great experience!
Vaporetto tickets can be purchased at most stops, at tabacchi (tobacconists, identified by a white T on a black or blue background) and at Hellovenezia offices. On board, you can only buy single tickets. Tickets are for single trips (€6.50 – valid 60mins on multiple boats), 12hrs (€16), 24hrs (€18), 36hrs (€23), 48hrs (€28), 72hrs (€33) or seven days (€50). The fare for a shuttle journey (ie one stop across the Grand Canal, the hop across to the Giudecca, or from Sant’Elena to the Lido) is €2.
For more information, see Tickets & passes.
Photo source.
Next interrailing stop: Venice!!
With its shimmering gondolas, canals, amazing restaurants, and unforgettable romantic ambiance, Venice is definitely a city for one's bucket list. A worth site to visit in case you want to sit back and capture the view in painting . To have an unforgettable experience in Venice opera and the classical music are a must go. No one can resist the fresh pastas and italian food when it comes to visiting Venice. The best time to make a trip is in spring and summer. you might get captivated by its classic grandeur and classical paintings. Visit the oldest cafe in venice Piazza San Marco (St. Mark's Square) and have a delightful cup of coffee , San Mark’s Basilica, Fondamenta della Misericordia, and Galleria dell'Accademia are a must to visit.
Venice a beautiful city in the northeast of Italy located with a group of 117 small islands separated by canals and linked by bridges. Venice is renowned for its beauty, canals, artworks and romantic sites. The historical city of water is an amazing vacation site. the weather average in January is 3.3 °C (37.9 °F), and for July this figure is 23.0 °C (73.4 °F). Stay tuned for more pearls that Venice has to offer!!
Photo source
The Hostel Celica in Ljubljana is a great hostel for travelers traveling in groups. The Hostel was formerly a military prison, but is today designed in a colorful and lively way with double and triple rooms available. The Hostel Celica is located in a great area near the main universities and is a great place to stay for nightlife and making new friends. Don’t miss out on this unique accommodation experience. For more information please visit Hostel Cecilia's website.
Prices from: 50 €
Budapest: Central Market Hall a Must do!
As in many capitals in the world have their own Market Hall, Budapest's Central Market Hall is a must to discovery, during your inter railing escapes in Europe. Here you can find the authentic food that has flourished Hungary's history and culture. Everything from Hungarian smoked sausages, cheese, meat, langos, soups, spicy dishes with paprika and all kind of pastries and confectionery, such as Hungarian Bukta, warm pastry filled with jam, delicious! But here, in the central market hall of Budapest, its not only the food that is interesting, the hall, designed by Samu Pecz, is an authentic building, built in the end of the 19th century. With its open and high ceiling space that creates an experience that you want to discover. This market is the largest indoor market in Budapest and there is four other markets like this one in Budapest, which were all built in the same style. And some show off information about these markets is that they all opened on the same day, on February 15th 1897. Just browse around, find something that interest you, maybe you find some souvenirs such as hungarian spices, which is a perfect gift! Specially when you are inter railing with limited backpack space.
Prices from:69.00 €
We recommend you should take a little luxury for staying in Nemzeti hotel this time, as the prices in budapest makes it convenient to have a treat on vacations. A standard room charges starting from 69.00 € is a good price to stay in a hotel. A beautiful, spacious and clean hotel makes it worth staying for a nice vacation. The hotel is located in the heart of the city an easy walk to major tourist attractions and access to tram, metro and buses just outside the hotel. Rooms at Nemzeti offer a classic design with a modern touch. A nice sauna at the 5th floor where you can relax and have some privacy. Breakfast at Nemzeti is of great value for money enjoy a wonderful and healthy breakfast while you stay. We highly recommend Nemzeti as it would be a great opportunity for staying in a hotel which offers great experiences.
For more information please visit Nemzeti hotel at Accorhotels.
Prices from: 69.00 €