Category: Traveling

Barcelona, part 1

Anna-Maria21 Comments
I promised to make a post about my trip to Barcelona but because the picture flow would be so unbearably huge, I decided to divide the pictures in two posts. In this first post I will go over the cultural aspects of Barcelona, shopping will follow in the later post.

It was my first time in this colorful city and I must say, if you have never been there, it’s definitely worth a visit! The architecture is what Barca is most known for but I’d say food and atmosphere should come next. I’m already missing it so much; walking on the pretty streets, eating Spanish omelette and other delicious tapas with sangria at midnight, getting to know the friendly locals, and admiring all the art the city has to offer. Spain seems so relaxed and warm, and I’m not just talking about the temperature.


Shirt: Monki
Biker shorts: MTWTFSS
Shoes: MTWTFSS
Chain strap bag: Spirit Items
Studded bag: Zara
Ring: Kalevala Koru

I visited most of the sights that this city has to offer: the beautiful buildings of Gaudi, amazing parks such as Park de la Ciutadella and Park Güel, the mountain of Mont Jüic with its beautiful castle and a spectacular view over the city, and of course the Poble Espanyol – a little village that replicates the different architectural styles of Spain. It also offers the interesting art pieces pictured below. Unfortunately I didn’t have time to visit the Picasso museum nor Salvador Dali’s but I guess you always have to leave something for the next time, so that there will be a next time.


T-shirt: Gina Tricot / DIY slashing
Vest: Zara
Shorts: Second hand Levi’s / DIY bleaching and cutting
Sandals: Dinsko
Sunglasses: Monki

 

Here are some useful traveling tips for those who are interested in visiting Barcelona:

– The summers are hot so wear something light with comfortable shoes: you will do lots of walking, trust me.
– Buy bottled water and bring it everywhere you go, it gets hot! The tap water is filled with chlorine and is undrinkable (I got a damn rash on my neck just from taking showers, yuck!).
– Sightseeing is fun but be aware that there are usually long queues ahead during the peak seasons. If you have time, visit the local attractions by metro (it’s cheap) and about 1-2 sights/day is tolerable. If you are in a hurry, use the tourist busses. I must warn you though, they are quite expensive.
– Visit at least all the Gaudi buildings, Park de la Ciutadella and Mont Jüic. From the beaches I would recommend Icaria, it’s less crowded and very clean compared to the popular Barceloneta.
– Lunch hour in Spain is from 1pm to 4pm and dinner usually starts after 8-9pm. It is not strange sight to see people enjoying dinner or tapas at midnight either.
– You must taste the tapas such as the Spanish omelette and pan con tomato. So yummy! Wine (and alcohol in general) is really cheap in Spain, so ordering a pitcher in the table is totally afforable. Eating out in general is quite affordable.
– A local told me that Barcelonians are known to be “cheap”, so tipping in restaurants etc. is not mandatory. However, we did leave a little tip each time, just because the food was so damn good.
– There are pickpockets in this city but I didn’t encounter any during my stay. Just be careful and don’t leave your belongings unattended, and you’ll be fine.
– Be aware of the siesta, it happens during 1-4pm closing some of the shops etc.
– Spanish people don’t speak English too well so practice some Spanish basics before you go!

Midsummer Night’s Dream

Anna-Maria21 Comments
Hi, I’m back! Barcelona was truly wonderful and I will post about it and all the shopping very soon, I promise. Now, however, I’m in Sweden and spent the midsummer here with my aunt and cousin. Today I’m off to Finland and back to the oh so boring normal life. I wish life could just be one big holiday with no obligations such as work. At least I will get two more weeks off when July turns to August.


Blazer: Zara
Sweater: H&M
Top: Zara
Skirt: Monki
Leggings: American Apparel
Scarf: Acne
Shoes: Vagabond
Bag: Saddler
Ring: Kalevala Koru

Back from Stockholm

Anna-Maria29 Comments
Hi folks, I’m back from Stockholm! It was a great trip although the weather was not on our side and it kept raining for two days. Therefore there is no picture overload from the trip, sorry! Taking pictures when your hair looks like a wet rat is not providing the best material for the blog, say what you say.
I ended up making pretty good finds, although it was heart breaking to see almost everything I purchased last time with a -75% tag. I will introduce my findings in later posts but here is a sneak peek of my amazing new spring coat. If you are wondering why I look a bit coneish, it’s because my over 6 foot tall little brother took the picture on a slanted hill. Since it was his debut as a “blogographer” and he was kind enough to capture me for the sake of my blog, I will forgive him. 😉 Thanks baby bro for the picture, it turned out pretty good!


Jacket: Diana Orving
Sweater: Sunday Sun
Pleather pants: H&M
Bag: Saddler
Ring/collar scarf: MTWTFSS
Leather gloves: Vagabond
Platform booties: Bullboxer

Here are some random shots from the trendy Slussen area. It’s not hard to guess which is my favorite store and which is my boyfriend’s.


P.S. There are now 48 people (in public) following my blog through Blogger and this is my 98th post. When the public followers hit the 50 mark or I will have my 100th post, which ever happens first, I was thinking about doing a video post. That is if I don’t get chickened out by then. Anyway, something fun is coming up, so stay tuned…

The streets are always there for us

Anna-Maria10 Comments
I’m back from Stockholm alive and with no intentions to disappear from the blogosphere (as the trend might be at the moment). The discounts were unbelievable and I have literally 6 huge bags stuffed with new clothes! Almost everything was -75 % off so you can imagine how crazy it was. I think I went a little too deep into the discount craze but at least I now have new clothes and shoes for next year (well, at least until the next discount season). I mainly went for the Swedish fashion and the color black made a return to my closet for this fall. I will introduce more of my findings in later posts.


While in Stockholm and shopping, we went to see Europride 2008. Last year it was just Stockholm Pride but this year all of Europe was celebrating in Stockholm. I wore one of my purchases, cropped grandpa pants with a paper bag waist. I had them on pretty much every day after getting them, that’s how comfortable they are.



Shirt: Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair
Pants: Monki
Shoes: Skopunkten
Bag: Saddler


As for the trends in Stockholm, a lot of girls wore really skimpy dresses that were a bit too short for my taste. Also huge shirts with rolled sleeves and without any tights or leggings were a big hit. Everyone was super tanned and so summery. I also made an observation that all the cool hipster kids tend to like good music, as the club Debaser was full of them on Saturday night. In fact, it must be one of the best indie clubs I have ever been in. Unfortunately I was not able to take my camera in my purse, so there are no shots of the party outfit, sorry.After this mini holiday its time to get back to work, although it seems that while I was gone my work laptop crashed. I hope that all the precious photos that I had on it are not gone with the wind…

P.S. Awhile back I was asked by the Fashion Spot community to give a little interview about my style and provide some outfit pics for the “What are you wearing today” section. I took me like two months to actually act on the request and now the interview is finally up. I, amongst likes of Susie Bubble and Rumi, have done this, so I truly appreciate this opportunity. You can find the interview and pics here.