Best spots in Barcelona #1 - Najboljši kotički Barcelone #1

My definite number one (quite untypical for Barcelona though) is Parc de Labirint d’Horta. It is located a bit away from the streets where tourists usually go, so it is a sort of a hidden pearl. It is the oldest park in Barcelona and for me the most beautiful one. I read something small about it at some point and it attracted my attention. On Sunday we decided with my friend to give it a try, and it was a really great day.

Moja nedvomno najljubša točka (čeprav precej netipična za Barcelono) je Parc de Labirint d’Horta. Ker ni v samem centru mesta, kamor ponavadi zahajajo turisti, je neke vrste skriti biser. Park je najstarejši park v Barceloni in po mojem mnenju najlepši. Enkrat sem čisto na hitro prebrala o njem in pritegnil je mojo pozornost. V nedeljo sva se s prijateljem odločila, da bova šla pogledat, kako je, in imela sva res super dan.

It all started with a small adventure. Somehow it was not very obvious to us where the park was once we came out of the metro. There were no signs leading to it as the spot is not that touristic. I was trying to find the way with my offline maps, but I apparently got it a bit wrong.

Next to the park is a big green area, the forest with a stream, and we were continuing our way into the forest, believing it would bring us to the park. But it didn’t. It was only going up and becoming more and more forest and less and less park like. We were thinking about how to get down to the stream in the quickest way, thinking that the park should be nearby. (After my adventurous and being-smart mood) we finally ended up in the middle of nowhere with no real path going back up where we came from. On the top of that, there was a lot of thorns everywhere and I wasn’t in my most sporty clothes.

I am still not quite sure how we managed to climb up on the path again, but then we simply took the street back to where we thought we missed the park.

Vse se je začelo z manjšo dogodivščino. Nekako se nisva najbolj znašla pri iskanju parka, ko sva prišla ven iz metroja. Nobenih smerokazov ni bilo, ker park ni tako turističen. Jaz sem poskušala najti pot na svojem offline zemljevidu, ampak sem se očitno malo zmotila.

Zraven parka je veliko zeleno območje, gozd s potokom, in midva sva pot nadaljevala v gozd, misleč, da naju bo pot pripeljala do parka. Pa naju ni. Pot se je samo vzpenjala in bila vse bolj in bolj podobna gozdu in vse manj in manj parku. Razmišljala sva, kako bi na najhitrejši način prišla dol do potoka, prepričana, da mora biti park nekje v bližini. Po tem, ko sem bila sama zelo pustolovska in (pre)pametna, sva se znašla sredi ničesar in brez prave poti, ki bi naju lepo pripeljala nazaj, odkoder sva prišla. Povrhu vsega je bilo povsod ogromno trnja in jaz niti nisem bila precej športno oblečena.

Še vedno nisem čisto prepričana, kako nama je uspelo splezati po drsečih tleh nazaj na pot, ampak potem sva enostavno šla nazaj po cesti do točke, kjer se nama je zdelo, da sva zgrešila park.

When we finally found Parc de Labirint, I was super excited because of the idea of a labyrinth. I have never had the opportunity to go into one before and I was wondering if people can really get lost in some of them. However, after my big excitement, I was at first a bit disappointed as the labyrinth seemed to be a very easy one.

We haven’t even stepped into it when I already saw the center and rolled my eyes. But then I figured out that this was the tricky part. Yes, I was able to see the center almost all the time, but it was not such a piece of cake to find the right path leading to it. We could have cheated, but we didn’t want to.

I had so much fun just walking around the green paths and trying to foresee which one would not force us to turn around. Observing other visitors, I believe some parents had even more fun than their kids in this labyrinth :)



PS: My blog is competing together with four other blogs for a spot on the list of Slovene blogs Đuboks. If you like my blog, click on this link and comment by saying that you vote for Katie's Kite. 2 more days :)

Ko sva končno našla Parc de Labirint, sem bila jaz res navdušena nad idejo o labirintu. Do takrat nisem še nikoli imela priložnosti, da bi šla v kakšen labirint, in porajala so se mi vsa moča vprašanja, na primer – a se ljudje res lahko izgubijo v labirintu. Kakor koli, kljub velikemu začetnemu navdušenju sem bila sprva kar malo razočarana, ker se mi je labirint zdel čisto lahek.

Še dodobra nisva vstopila v labirint, ko sem jaz že videla njegovo središče in razočarano zavijala z očmi. Potem pa sem ugotovila, da je bilo to zelo varljivo. Ja, res sem lahko videla središče skoraj ves čas, ampak najti pravo pot, ki vodi do središča, pa ni bilo čisto enostavno. Lahko bi malo goljufala, ampak nisva hotela.

Jaz sem se res izjemno zabavala, ko sem poskušala najti pravo pot in predvideti, katera bo vodila v slepo “ulico”, kjer se bova morala obrniti nazaj. Opazovala sem tudi ostale obiskovalce in zdelo se mi je, da so se nekateri starši zabavali bolj kot njihovi otroci :)

PS: Moj blog s štirimi drugimi blogi tekmuje za mesto na seznamu slovenskih blogov Đuboks. Če ti je moj blog všeč, klikni na tole povezavo in v komentar napiši, da glasuješ za Katie's Kite. Še dva dni :)

Barcelona

Last year this time I was in Stockholm, enjoying the winter wonderland. This year I went for something quite different. If I needed to describe my Barcelona, I would say: Orange trees, Mediterranean architecture, palm trees – and the sea. And a friend and football. I could also say rebajas (sales), Plaça de Catalunya and Avinguda Diagonal, but I prefer the other choice. I am skipping Gaudi and all the buzz around him on purpose and ignoring the cold evenings.

I (again) decided not to play the tourist but rather try to feel the life and habits of people here. I will soon share them with you :)

Lani takle čas sem bila v Stockholmu, kjer sem uživala v zimski pravljici. Letos sem se odločila za nekaj precej drugačnega. Če bi morala svojo Barcelono opisati s parimi besedami, bi rekla: pomarančevci, mediteranska arhitektura, palme – in morje. In prijatelj in nogomet. Lahko bi tudi rekla rebajas (razprodaje), Plaça de Catalunya in Avinguda Diagonal, ampak mi je druga izbira bolj všeč. Namerno se izogibam Gaudiju in vsej drami okrog njega ter ignoriram hladne večere.

(Spet) sem se odločila, da se ne bom igrala turistke, temveč bom raje poskusila začutiti življenje in navade ljudi tu. Jih bom kmalu delila z vami :)

Wannabe Winter in Paris + DIY Jar for 2014

Ok, it’s official – there is snow even in NYC, but not in Paris. For a person who adores winter and snow the last couple of weeks (if not months) have been rather strange. As much as I have enjoyed all the sunny days and non-frozen toes while walking around, I have to admit that I miss snow. After a few years now I won’t be snowboarding this year neither, so I guess I can officially say that winter is over (or rather that it has never started). Adding to this my trip to Barcelona where I am at the moment, I think I will start celebrating spring when I get back to Paris at the end of January.

If this all means that this year is going to be full of warm moments (in all the senses), then frankly I am fine with it. You know how they say – the way a year starts determines the way the whole year will go. We will see :)

I am reading everywhere now about the New Year Resolutions and how everyone wants to get even more successful, richer and more beautiful. I have approached this differently this year. Very often what we do when we set the goals is to try to solve the entire issue at once and then we get frustrated because we loose motivation before we even start. What is better to do, however, is to start a small routine, which will bring you where you want. I read recently “the dreams that you have are very different from the actions that will get you there”.

I enjoy doing yoga but am very often a bit lazy to do so if I don’t go to a yoga class. What I wanted to start with was “I will do yoga every day for 30 min”. Instead, I will (for the moment) just try to establish a small routine and do yoga every day, even if just for 5 or 10 minutes. I can’t find excuses for 5 minutes (and to be honest, I believe that once I start with 5 minutes, it won’t stop there). I will focus on my lifestyle, not life-changing.

And finally, what I really enjoyed on my first day of 2014 was to open my Jar for 2013 in which I was collecting cute and nice memories throughout all the year. Remembering some of the little things I have completely forgotten about was really heartwarming and was a great way to put 2013 behind me. I have already prepared my Jar for 2014 and I encourage you all to do the same. You will like it at the end of a one-year adventure.

*

Start

2014

off with

an empty jar

and fill it with

notes about good

things that happen.

On New Year’s Eve, empty

it and see

what awesome stuff happened that year.

Let it be a great year! And don’t forget – it is what YOU make out of it ;)

Okej, zdaj pa res – še v New Yorku je sneg, samo v Parizu ne. Za nekoga, ki obožuje zimo in sneg, so bili tile zadnji tedni (če ne celo meseci) kar malo čudni. Res so mi bili všeč vsi sončni dnevi in ne-zmrznjeni prsti na nogah, ampak moram priznati, da pogrešam sneg. Po parih letih zdaj letos ne bom niti bordala, kar pomeni, da lahko uradno oznanim konec zime (no, ali pa to, da se letos sploh ni zares začela). Če k temu dodam še svoje potovanje v Barcelono, kjer sem v tem trenutku, mislim, da bom res začela praznovati pomlad, ko se vrnem v Pariz konec januarja.

Če to vse pomeni, da bo to leto polno toplih trenutkov (v vseh pomenih fraze), potem pa okej, prav. Saj veste, kako rečejo – po začetku leta se pozna celo leto. Bomo videli :)

Povsod prebiram v zadnjih dneh o novoletnih zaobljubah in kako vsi želijo postati še uspešnejši, bogatejši in lepši. Sama sem se letos tega lotila malo drugače. Zelo pogosto si, ko si zastavljamo cilje, želimo rešiti celotno zadevo naenkrat in smo potem razočarani, ker izgubimo motivacijo, še preden zares začnemo. Kar je boljše kot to, je to, da začnemo z majhno rutino, navado, ki nas bo pripeljala, kamor želimo. Pred kratkim sem prebrala, da so sanje, ki jih imamo, precej drugačne od dejanj, ki nas bodo pripeljala do teh sanj, na kar ljudje pogosto pozabljamo.

Sama, na primer, res uživam v jogi, ampak sem pogosto malce lena in najdem tisoč in en izgovor, da se izognem jogi, če ne grem na “uradno” seanso joge. Moja želja za 2014 je bila najprej “Vsak dan bom delala jogo 30 minut”. Namesto tega bom (vsaj zaenkrat) poskusila začeti z malo navado – delati jogo vsak dan, čeprav samo za 5 ali 10 minut. In resno – verjamem, da se ne bo končalo s petimi minutami, enkrat ko že začnem. Osredotočila se bom na stil življenja, ne na spreminjanje življenja.

Preden napišem zadnjo piko – kar mi je bilo res všeč na prvi dan 2014, je bilo to, da sem odprla svoj “kozarec za 2013”, v katerem sem tekom celega leta zbirala simpatične trenutke v stavku ali dveh. Ob prebiranju listkov iz kozarca sem se spomnila majhnih utrinkov, na katere sem že čisto pozabila, in mislim, da je bil to lušten način za poslovitev od leta 2013. Kozarec za 2014 sem že pripravila in z veseljem predlagam to tudi vam. Všeč vam bo, še posebej na koncu enoletne dogodivščine.

*

Start

2014

off with

an empty jar

and fill it with

notes about good

things that happen.

On New Year’s Eve, empty

it and see

what awesome stuff happened that year.

Naj bo super leto! In ne pozabite – bo takšno, kakršnega si boste VI naredili ;)

Countdown - Odštevanje

December really is a magical month. Especially because of the time we spend with the ones we love, and the joy we share with the people around us. December exams are usually not magical at all. Yet I can say that my exam period was quite nice. What adds to this is of course strolling the flickering streets of Paris and window shopping, which is quite special in this time of the year. My favorite decorations are (again) in Galeries Lafayette where this year different cute animals dance around the Christmas tree. Adding to it the beautiful design of the store itself is just magical. Le Bon Marché hasn't impressed me much this year, but they indeed succeeded to attract my attention with their windows. I especially liked the colors.

December je res čaroben mesec. Predvsem zaradi časa, ki ga preživimo z najbližjimi in veselja, ki ga delimo z ljudmi okrog sebe. Decembrski izpiti ponavadi niso čisto nič čarobni, pa vendar lahko rečem, da je bilo moje izpitno obdobje še kar simpatično. K temu seveda prispevajo sprehodi do lepo okrašenih izložb po svetlikajočih se ulicah Pariza. Moje najljubše dekoracije so (letos spet) v Galeries Lafayette, kjer so to leto smreki dodali luštkane živali, ki plešejo okrog smreke. Če k tem dodamo še res čudovit design trgovine, je čarobnost res neizogibna. Le Bon Marché me letos ni tako zelo navdušil, so pa vsekakor uspeli pritegniti mojo pozornost s svojimi izložbami. Predvsem so mi všeč njihove barve.

The weather is really moody lately. At one moment the sun is shining and Jardin du Luxembourg is the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of the city, with the reflection of the sun in the fountain. And then the next day it doesn't stop raining and the only color you can see is grey. At least the Christmas lights seem even brighter at such moments.

Vreme je res muhasto zadnje dni. En dan je res najlepše sonce in Jardin du Luxembourg res simpatičen umik od hitečih ulic, kjer se sonce lesketa v fontani, potem pa drug dan dežuje in je sivina vseprisotna. Takrat so vsaj lučke še bolj svetleče.

I am spending the last days of this year in the best possible company - with my two favorite girls in the world. We go to my favorite Parisian places, cozy cafes with good coffee and tasty cakes, don't skip all the museums and galleries and enjoy the endless walks around this great city. Slowly we will be setting the New Year goals, looking a bit back on what the year has brought us but especially being focused on what the new one has to offer. Have a great time you too!

Zadnje dneve tega leta preživljam v najboljši možni družbi - s svojima najljubšima puncama na svetu. Obiščemo moje najljubše pariške kotičke, gremo v simpatične kavarnice z dobro kavo in mnjami torticami, ne izpustimo čisto vseh muzejev in galerij ter predvsem uživamo v neskončnih sprehodih okrog tega finega mesta. Počasi bomo razmislile o željah za novo leto, pogledale malo nazaj in na to, kar nam je to leto prineslo, predvsem pa se osredotočile na to, kar nam ima novo leto ponuditi. Tudi tebi želim čim več finih trenutkov!

Sun and winter and advent calendar - Sonce, zima in adventni koledar

The winter in Paris has been great so far. Lately we have had some really beautiful sunny days with 5 degrees or so, which makes it very enjoyable. Cold but not too cold, so walking or cycling around doesn't result in too red cheeks and nose.

Now that December has started, I am just secretly hoping for some snow. It should get colder for this, but I am ok with lower temperatures, if I can trade them for some snow. After winter in Copenhagen, the temperatures really aren't an issue for me.

What is funny is that last year in Copenhagen I was arguing with my friends that it doesn't get dark at 15h but only around 16h. And that this is not that much earlier than in France, for instance. Now in Paris, it is still light at 17h, so I have a feeling that my winter days are very long. And I realize only now that it did get dark quite earlier in Copenhagen. Well, I can't be always right, I guess :)

Adding a great advent calendar to it, it could really hardly get better. Are you wondering how it looks this year? It is not related to exams as two years ago neither in a form of a DIY Christmas tree with a small present for the last days of the year as last year. Stay tuned :)
Zimski dnevi v Parizu so zaenkrat res super. Zadnje čase smo imeli par res lepih sončnih dni s približno 5 stopinjami, kar je res prijetno. Mrzlo, ampak ne preveč. Ravno toliko, da po sprehajanju ali kolesarjenju naokrog lička in nos niso preveč rdeči.

Zdaj, ko se je december začel, si potiho želim samo še snega. Za sneg bi morale biti temperature malo nižje, ampak jih sprejmem, če pride z njimi še sneg. Po kopenhagenski zimi me temperature res ne morejo več zmesti.

Kar je smešno, je to, da sem se lani v Kopenhagnu pregovarjala s prijatelji, da se ne stemni že ob 15h, ampak šele okrog 16h. In da to ni tako zelo prej kot v Franciji, na primer. Zdaj, ko sem v Parizu, je okrog 17h še vedno dan in občutek imam, da so moji dnevi res dolgi. In šele zdaj se zavem, da se je v Kopenhagnu res stemnilo kar dosti prej. No, vedno najbrž ne morem biti prav :)

Če vsemu temu dodam še adventni koledar, bi si težko želela več. Vas zanima, kakšnega imam letos? Ni povezan z izpiti kot pred dvema letoma niti z DIY novoletno smrekco in manjšim darilcem za zadnje dni leta kot lani. Pridite nazaj kmalu :)

December is here! - December je tu!

December is a magic month. Clichés or not, I like the decorations, the happy spirit, smell of the mulled wine and cinnamon. And the snow. I always wish for snow in December. It really adds to this magic. December is the month for spending time together, eating well, appreciating beautiful moments.

The first day of this magic month was well in this style for me. Well, let me forget about a paper I needed to submit a day later. But other than that, my magic was there because of a small christmas market in Saint Germain des Près, mulled wine with people I appreciate and an evening walk on the decorated streets of Paris. Magical!

December je čarobni mesec. Klišejsko ali ne, jaz imam res rada božične dekoracije, veselo vzdušje, vonj po kuhanem vinu in cimetu. In sneg. V decembru si vedno želim snega. Res doda k temu čarobnemu vzdušju. December je mesec za preživljanje časa skupaj z ljudmi, ki so nam dragi, mesec dobre hrane in mesec, ko cenimo lepe trenutke še bolj kot ponavadi.

Moj prvi dan tega čarobnega meseca je bil v točno takšnem vzdušju. No, če pozabim na seminarsko nalogo, ki sem jo morala oddati naslednji dan. Ampak razen tega sem si čarobnost pričarala z manjšo božično tržnico v Saint Germain des Près, kuhanim vinom s ljudmi, ki jih cenim, in večernim sprehodom po okrašenih ulicah Pariza. Čarobno!