Tag: Italy

5 Easter Travel Destinations in Europe

Published on by LostViivi25 Comments

April and Easter are here! This may be one of my favorite times of the year. Its spring, you can find tasty chocolate eggs from every shop and who wouldn’t love Easter? This holiday is celebrated differently around the year so today I decided to share 5 funny Easter travel destinations with you. Enjoy!

 

5. London, UK

What would be Easter without egg hunt? One of the biggest and most popular egg hunts happens every year in London. Download app and run around the city trying to find eggs with The Fabergé Big Egg Hunt. In addition to egg hunting London has also other activities that do it one of the best Easter travel destinations. There is fireworks, performances around the city and a lot of events for families.

 

4. Small villages of Malta

Photo from: unsplash

Malta has its own traditional ways of spending Easter that is why it is one of the most interesting Easter travel destinations in Europe. Good Friday is the start of everything when villagers dress-up as biblical characters and praise God. Religious statues, that have been carried out of churches, are important part of this ritual and mood is quite sorrow.

On Sunday locals celebrate risen Christ with festival like events. There is singing, dancing and partying. In the end they carry statues back to churches. However, don’t worry! Even if Easter in Malta seems very religious they also have delicious chocolate eggs for children (and for older chocolate lovers). Even if you are not religious person Malta is definitely THE Easter travel destination everyone should try once in their lives.

 

3. Any city in Finland

Of course I should mention my lovely home country… In Finland Easter Sunday is like Halloween. May sound funny but that’s the truth. In fact we don’t have that many ‘trick-or-treaters’ on Halloween but on Easter we have even more people doing something similar.

Finnish kids dress-up as different characters (traditionally as witches but nowadays I see more of superheroes and other famous characters) and they decorate branches with colorful feathers and ribbons. Then on Easter Sunday they go from door to door and change their branches to chocolates, Easter eggs and money. This changing process goes usually kids waving their branches while saying:

“Virvon varvon tuoreeks terveeks tulevaks vuodeks. Vitsa sulle palkka mulle.”

After that they get candy. So, if you visit Finland during Easter time you may see (almost) real witches going around the streets. Also don’t forget to taste our traditional Easter dessert Mämmi (yeah, yeah, I know it looks like poop but some of us Finns really like it!)

 

2. Colmar, France

Photo from: unsplash

Colmar is known as one of the best Easter destinations in Europe because it has two huge Easter markets. Citizens also celebrate spring at Easter time so there is colorful decorations and happy people everywhere. Usually Easter in Comar starts with families’ own egg hunts at home but after that everyone gets together around the town to different Easter events. There is everything from traditional exhibitions to ‘Eierpicke’ egg fight and from egg race to colorful markets.

 

1. Vatican and Rome, Italy

Photo from: unsplash

First place in my Easter travel destinations list goes to Vatican and Rome because of pope. There is several events around these cities during Easter that are lead by pope. And who wouldn’t like to pope at least once in their life time? Most of these events are free but also crowded. Maybe the most popular event is however pope’s mass on Palm Sunday in Saint Peter’s Square, Vatican. If you decide to do Easter traveling to Rome that is must thing to do.

Another important and impressive event is on Good Friday. Huge Via Crucis cross burns against the dark sky. Pope is also present in this event giving his blessing but so are big crowds of tourists and believers. Easter celebration end at Monday to beautiful fireworks and partying.

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Happy early Easter for all you travelers reading this! What kind of traditions does your country have for Easter? Or what are your favorite Easter travel destinations? Like always all comments are welcome and I would like to know what you think.

Also this is my first time writing about places where I have never been before. What do you think? Do you want more posts like this that I have written solely doing research? Well, I had fun writing this so whatever you think I will probably do more of these (subject recommendations are always welcome too…)

With love,

Viivi Severina

The Dilemma of Free Flights…

Published on by LostViivi40 Comments

Couple of days ago I checked out how much Finnair points I have and almost fainted. Apparently I have flown more than I would have ever guessed. My points are enough to get round-trip tickets to any European country or Dubai! Now there is one big question left…

Where should I travel?

As cheap person I have to travel somewhere usually expensive. It’s hard to decide so below I have listed some of my options. Where should I go?

 

Dubai

Dubai sounds like dream but my mum said straight away she hopes I don’t go there alone. -My sister said how cool would it be to visit Dubai and I agree with her…- So should I listen my mum or take the “risk” and go. What I read about blogs, Dubai isn’t as dangerous and scary as it’s in our heads. So solo travel to Dubai… Dream or reality?

Dubai isn’t on my bucket list but that’s mainly because it seems so far away and too fancy for me. I didn’t know a lot about it before doing some research today. It’s quite expensive (or did I understand wrongly?) but I have got used to expensive in Finland…

 

Barcelona

I have visited charming Barcelona two or three times (I’m bad person and can’t recall which one) and this city has made me feel like home in its small labyrinth alleys. Of course there would be other cities to visit in Spain like the capital Madrid but I just don’t believe those would delight me like Barcelona.

The beaches are calling for me (and the warmth! Because in Finland we only have the cold…) The flights to Barcelona are usually quite cheap and that is the only reason keeping me away from the free flights to Barcelona.

 

Amsterdam

I’m blaming all the bloggers currently writing about their trips to the Netherlands for adding this one on my list. Photogenic city with a lot of see and do. I would spend time just walking around admiring all the streets and buildings. And the Van Goh museum is place I would love to visit!

 

London

I have been three times in London but there is so much to see that it would be nice to go again. Last time was a couple of years ago and I didn’t see a lot because we only went to concert. The times before that I was so young (and with my family) so I couldn’t appreciate the city. Now when I have grown up going again would be interesting experience.

 

Italy

I have never been to Italy but it seems my kind of country. I haven’t decided with city would be best for me. Rome or Venice? I like the culture and architecture of Southern European countries. Many of my friends have visited Italy and everyone comes back with good experience.

 

Iceland

First time I added Iceland to my bucket list was at primary school when we learned about it in school. (Of course at that time I hadn’t even heard about bucket lists but I knew that was place I wanted to visit at least once in my life time.)

But is there enough things to do if I want to spend longer time? And I don’t know if I want to go there and suffer from the cold.

 

 

This is going to be hard decision… There is so many places I would like to visit and choosing just one is impossible. I accept all suggestions and help so where should I visit? Which country would you like to see me writing about in this blog?

With mind full of wanderlust,

Viivi Severina