5 Easter Travel Destinations in Europe

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

Photo Diary: First Year Blogging

Hello everyone!
I want to start this post with announcement: my posting day has officially changed to Saturday. Yes, I know this was long waited thing because I literally publish my posts always day late… I have other cool things coming soon but I will talk about them more next Saturday so wait for that.

When I plan new posts from scratch I usually first look trough my photo albums to remember what I haven’t yet shared with you. This morning wasn’t exception. I have quite many photo diaries I have yet to show you but then I realized there is many photos I can’t add to any new photo diary but I think are worth of sharing. And this is how this “My Travel Year 2016” photo compilation was born. I hope you will enjoy these random photos that sum up my travel year 2016!

I got often asked to publish more photos of me, the blogger behind everything written on this site. So, here you go… Me (that lost white hoodie person) getting amazed by Diagon Alley in London on Warner Bros. Studio Tour. Have I ever mentioned how much I love Harry Potter?

Here is my dog doing what she always does: sleeping in place where I’m definitely going to crush her… I have camouflage dog!

I still haven’t published a few London post I meant to. I’m still working on Madame Tussauds photo diary and Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour review. Hopefully you get to read them some time soon but no promises.

Here is the necessary Finnish summer photo. This year my summer holiday was full of odd travels around my beloved home country. This photo is from Lapland when I travelled there to university entrance exams (plot twist: I didn’t get in that school so I am not living in Lapland right now).

This is another photo from my trip to Lapland: Science Centre Pilke in Rovaniemi. I have this museum card that gives me free entrance to many Finnish museums. Pilke was one of those museums so I decided to visit it. There was literally no one else than me and two employees. I liked the museum but it was more for kids than for people of my age… Well, at least that explains why the two workers were looking me so oddly when I bought ticket from them.

Ducks! This photo is taken from my family’s summer cottage. I spend too much time trying to take perfect photos of these birds while they just chilled on our yard.

This photo was taken by my mum when our dog had to go to surgery earlier this year. No worries, she is okay now. But look how poor little puppy she looks like! Even if she is already older lady.

More memories from my odd summer holiday… Camping in forest with “a few” other people is something I will never say no to!

2016 was year of cool museums for me. I went to see many different modern art exhibitions around Europe: London, Finland and Sweden. I still don’t get how some people hate museums… Look at he photo above, who wouldn’t think that art is kind of cool?!

I know that first photo of me wasn’t “real” photo so here is me standing like tourist I am next to Big Ben. I don’t understand why there is never good photos of me travelling… Maybe I’m too busy of experiencing everything to really pose for photos!

I’m happy I had time to go and enjoy sunrise and sunset couple of times this year. Even if that time I took this photo I realized the sun was rising from the wrong way so I could see it properly. But at least I was able to enjoy the beach and sea.

You may know that I started in new school this year. One thing that I have found kind of funny (but cool) are these inspiring quotes around the school’s toilet. But you know even if I find them funny it doesn’t mean they are not giving out good message. So today I want to give you one life advice (I learned in my school’s toilet…)

“Be so happy that when others look at you they become happy too!”

I hope you are having amazing start for this new year!
With love,

Viivi Severina

Travel Diary: London pt. 2

Hello there and welcome back to read about my London adventure! If you haven’t read the first part you can find it from here: Travel Diary: London Also if you are wondering where the day 3 disappeared it will have its own post later on.

Why? Because otherwise this post would have been too long and I really want to dedicate whole post for Harry Potter studio tour and Madame Tussauds museum. But now let’s continue the story! (And btw thank to my sister who took that crazy bird photo… She is fearless!)

Day 4: Natural History and Shopping

I recommend living in hotels with breakfast because finding something to eat sound easier than it is in reality. Once again buying breakfast was causing us unbelievably huge problems. You would think it’s easy to find breakfast cafe from London but that’s total fantasy. We walked the whole few kilometers to the Natural History Museum without finding any cafe for us to eat.

No breakfast here…

First we went through the security check where they didn’t check us properly like too often in these situations. Apparently Finns or our lost selves don’t seem dangerous enough to need proper security checks. After that we continued our mission to find breakfast and managed to find the most unhealthy but tasty looking chocolate cake I have ever seen. Of course we bought pieces of it for us to have as breakfast.

I have few words about the free Natural History museum. Dinosaurs, mind games and huge whale. Yep, that sums up our morning. Besides us there was a lot of school classes. When we left the museum we even accidentally walked in one of the school groups and got some wondering looks from the teacher.

After surviving out of the museum (we didn’t go to every exhibition because it would have taken the whole day!) it was time to go shopping. We went to a few shops but in the end did most of our shopping in the Primark. Don’t judge me, I’m student and live on my own so shop full of cheap clothes is like a heaven.

I bought two more pairs of the jeans I had bought the last time. Even if those jeans made me looks like a smurf after I took them off. That feature is still part of them. I don’t know if I should be worried of them leaving ugly blue color to my skin? Well, at least the jeans only cost like 7€.

But yeah that was our fourth day. The evening went planning our last day, buying some bubble tea and starting the impossible packing. I had totally forgotten how much I loved bubble tea. I even bought matcha one because it’s one of the foods I can’t get from Finland and I think I can’t live without!

Day 5: Hard Rock Cafe and Touristy Things

We didn’t have a lot of plans for our fifth day but ended up doing a lot. Our first stop was breakfast at Hard Rock Cafe. We had been arguing (well not arguing but just being indecisive together) should we use the metro or walk through Hyde Park. We ended up doing the last one and it was good decision!

Thanks for my sister who took this photo. I would have never been brave enough to be so close to the birds! And I should be the animal carer of this family…

We saw more birds on our way and even crazier tourists trying to hug and befriend the birds. (You shouldn’t do this. Bad for the animals and unhealthy for you..) 

When we finally found the Hard Rock Cafe it was closer us than we had tought. The staffs were kind and place amazing so definitely recommend for everyone to go when in London! It was meant to be our breakfast but we both ordered cauliflower burger. It was vegetarian dish where the hamburger steak was replaced by cauliflower. I would eat all my burgers like that if it was possible.

At this point it didn’t even matter that our breakfast was so fulfilling because we had eaten odd breakfasts everyday. Bento box, Fish & Chips and chocolate cake to name some of our crazy breakfast choices. But hey, we were on vacation so no reason to eat reasonably.

After the fulfilling meal we continued towards Buckingham palace and the royal shop we had promised to visit for our mom. Luck was on our side because once again the walk was shorter than we had expected. And on when we arrived to the palaces gates there was someone (probably important person) exiting the palace in horse carriage. So cool!

After the palace gates experience and realizing there was nothing to buy in the royal shop (just normal more expensive souvenirs) we decided to continue our walk. Next destination Big Ben!  I know we already went there once but my sister had forgotten her polaroid camera so we had to return to take photo for her.

Once again good decision because this time we decided to be more touristy than on the first time and lined to take photos of us with Big Ben and red phone booth. It was so funny how people would pose with the booth and even more people line up to wait for their turn to take the photo. No way for anyone to really use those phones to call. Tourist takeover!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BLrOVBVgoZG/?taken-by=viiviseverina

Surprisingly even after taking some photos and buying souvenirs from stall next to the Big Ben we had almost half of the day left. It was time to head to get some culture experiences and what would be better place for that than Tate Modern museum?

The museum was huge. I mean I had known there was many floors and exhibitions but it was bigger than I would have never imagined. In my opinion too much art to see in one day. I have always loved museum and modern art and this museum immediately rose to one of my favorite museum. And one important point to mention is that the museum was free to attend.

We even found one exhibition from Finnish artist. We were wondering out loud why would there be Finn’s works in this popular museum when behind us woman said in Finnish “Why not?” and disappeared as quickly as she had appeared. I never get used to other Finns leaving our beloved home country and making contact on odd places.

After the museum visit it was time to return back to our hotel. We packed our too full suitcases and tried to sleep early because the next morning it was time to leave.

 

Day 6: Time To Go Home

We woke up too early to make it to our plane. First we had to take metro to the train station and then find the right train. I thought we would have more problems but fortunately the trains station has prepared for tourist and there is huge signs to find the right track.

We arrived early to the airport but then suddenly we almost had to run to make it to our flight. The airport really is huge. And the plains to Finland leave from the farthes corner possible. No, I’m not even kidding. We had to walk trough the whole airport to get to our gate.

This time I sat next to my sister but it was causing some problems. We wanted to see the same movie so if one of us was ahead the other one got spoilers before hand. Can someone make the plane TV’s sync and show the movies at the same time? Let’s just go back to the time where everyone had to watch Brain Games from the shared tiny TV.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BMXS3WrAQoY/?taken-by=viiviseverina

So there was my London travel diary. I hope you enjoyed my long boring commentary. Have you ever been to London? And maybe done some of the things we did?

I will write again next Friday with the story and review from Harry Potter tour and Madame Tussauds. Have an amazing weekend!

With love,

Viivi Severina

The Dilemma of Free Flights…

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