When in ROME

Although I have been to Italy a lot, I had never been to Rome before. So this May was the perfect time to go!

CIAO ROMA!

WHERE WE STAYED

While travelling we really love to stay at Airbnb apartments as it offers more options and cheaper options than staying at hotels. Plus we like having our own kitchen to cook for ourselves. Eating out every night can get expensive really fast. Of course we still go out to eat and experience the local culinary highlights. We just don't do it every night!

Our Airbnb in Rome was a lovely flat on the third floor with 2 bedrooms, 2 baths and a quite spacious open entrance area / living room / kitchen. It is located near the metro station Cornelia, a little bit outside of the city center. In case you are wondering about the 2 bedrooms... we were 4 people (2 couples) ;). The connection into the city and to all of the sights is really great. It takes about 10 - 15 minutes to get there by metro but there are also bus connections. Our host Riccardo was very nice and helpful. He even left us a welcome bottle of sparkling wine and some sweets. We really loved our stay in this beautiful and modern apartment. You can check it out here! 

WANDERING THROUGH ROME

My first impression of Rome was unfortunately a bit rainy. The day after we arrived it was pouring down rain in pretty regular phases. It would stop for about half an hour and then start again. Good thing we checked the weather before we left and therefore brought umbrellas ;). Nevertheless we did not give in to the rain and went exploring the city anyway! 

WE SAW THE POPE!

Our first stop on our very first day in Rome was Vatican City. We went there by bus and entered Piazza San Pietro (St. Peter's Square / Petersplatz). What we didn't know, was that there was a whole ceremony going on as it was the Pentecost Weekend. St. Peter's Square was filled with people and Pope Francis (Papst Franziskus auf deutsch) was actually being driven through the crowd in his little white open car. Of course we knew that it was the Pentecost Weekend, but it was only saturday and we did not expect any ceremonies on saturday. Anyway, we were kinda excited to see the Pope, as it was soooo unexpected!

Unfortunately we couldn't see much of the sqaure itself and also couldn't go inside Basilica di San Pietro (St. Peter's Basilica) due to the crowds.

EXPLORING THE CITY BY FOOT

Once you're in the center of the city, you don't really need to take the bus or the metro to get to places. You can just walk! Walking is by the way the best way of getting to know a new city ;). Just turn on the GPS on your phone and you're good to go! With GPS you can just wander off into the unknown, discover beautiful streets and piazzas (italian for square) and find your way back later! Easy going! ;) Also, we hardly ever walked along the big main roads. We always took the tiny charming italian streets lined with flowers and colorful parked vespas, to get around. I can only recommend you to do that, because you'll see so much more of the city.

We spent the rest of the first rainy day in the Vatican Museum (Blogpost coming soon) and afterwards in little cafes and bars. 

IT'S GETTING HOT IN ROME

The next days to come, where a lot sunnier and a lot warmer! Believe me, the second the sun comes out in Rome, the temperature immediately rises steeply! The sun is quite hot in the city and sunscreen is definitely not optional! Hot days are great for enjoying the italian dolce vita (sweet life). Sightseeing only takes place in the mornings (Colosseum, Roman Forum etc.) and after that it's all eating a lot of gelato, sitting in street cafes drinking wine and soaking up the sun. Sounds nice, right? Oh bella italia, te amo!!! <3

BEWARE OF PICKPOCKETS!

Just like Barcelona in Spain, Rome is a number one "hotspot" for pickpockets. Unfortunately I had to experience that first hand. Someone stole my purse!

Usually I am very cautious about my bag and very aware that there might be thieves around but this time they just got me... My sister and I were shopping in Vìa del Corse and while looking at clothes someone stole my purse out of my bag. I discovered it when we wanted to go to the first floor of the store and I grabbed for my bag. I realized that it was open and that my purse was missing. We searched the store and asked at the cash register wether they had seen anything or found my purse, but nothing! We didn't find it and I kinda knew that it was stolen. It couldn't have fallen out. And I knew I had it when I entered the store.

I had  my bank card locked immediately over the emergency hotline and reported my ID stolen at the Carabinieri (the roman police). There was nothing more to do about it. It was just bad luck and inattentiveness at the wrong moment.

So, I am putting a warning out there for any travellers to Rome or any other city that has a lot of pickpockets: DON'T JUST BE AWARE IN CROWDS, LIKE TRAVELGUIDES TELL YOU, BE AWARE WHILE SHOPPING TOO!!!!

I think that the thief was only able to target me because I did not expect it while shopping in a store. You just don't think about it! You think about keeping an eye on your things in large crowds, the subway or touristic sights, but not while shopping. That was my mistake and I don't want any more thieves to get away with a stunt like that, so BE AWARE OF YOUR THINGS!!!!!

ITALIAN CULINARY HIGHLIGHTS

On a happier note, let's dive in to the italian cuisine! When you think of Italy, you think of homemade Pasta, delicious Pizza, Antipasti, yummy gelato italiano (ice cream), coffee in every variation and of course a lot of vino (wine)! And we had it all during our stay in Rome. I even have a restaurant recommendation for you, if you're ever in Rome!

VINERIA IL CHIANTI 

Link: http://www.vineriailchianti.com/

Adress: Via del Lavatore 81 / 82A

            00187 Roma

      Metro: Barberini (Fontana di Trevi)

We discovered Il Chianti by chance. We were at the Trevi Fountain in the late afternoon one day when it started to rain. We wanted to go home by metro anyway but on the way to the station we noticed the restaurant with it's pretty front and thought we might as well stop for a glass of wine in order to escape the rain. We loved it so much in there that we even booked a table for the next day to have dinner. And we were not disappointed! The food was as great as the wine. It is a little bit fancier than the restaurants we usually pick, so dress a bit nicer when you eat there.

VENCHI  (Chocolates & Gelato)
Link: http://www.venchi.com/roma
Adress: Via della Croce 25/26
            00187 Roma









Venchi is a Gelaterìa, like the italians call it. Out of all of the gelato we had, this one was the best! But also the most expensive one. The shop also offers chocolates and other sweets that looked like the most delicious things ever! When we were there, I thought it was a very original little shop but while doing research for this blogpost, I discovered that it's actually a quite successful franchise. You can find their shops all around Italy. They even have shops as far away as Hong Kong. And what surprised me most, was that there is even a shop in Munich where I live^^. Can you believe it?
Although I'd rather like to promote small local family businesses, I had to put this one in here because the ice cream was sooooo freakin' good!

TO PUT IT IN A NUTSHELL

The city of Rome is absolutely stunning! It's streets and piazzas are soooo beautiful and full of mediteranean flair. Also, the roman way of life amazes me. Everybody is so chilled, hardly anybody is ever in a rush. The warm climate with lots and lots of sunshine is right up my alley! I absolutely love it! The city has this warm glow about it, that goes perfectly with the blooming flowers and palmtrees everywhere. The ruins of ancient Rome all around the city are bedded really nicely into the modern cityscape. Those ruins and excavation sites always reminded me of the historical events that had taken place here thousands of years ago. Kind of mind-blowing!

Rome made my top 5 list ;). I will definitely visit the eternal city many more times!  I'm head over heels in love with the italian capital!

Have you ever been to Rome?

Did you throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain to make sure

you come back?

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Island Review: KOH SAMUI

Koh Samui is one of the three most popular vacation islands in the Golf of Thailand. It's the biggest one out of the three of them. Koh Samui even has an airport that you can fly to directly from Bangkok.

WHAT TO SEE

Fisherman's Village

The Fisherman's Village located at Bophut Beach is a really charming little place on Koh Samui. The real center of it, is the one long street parallell to the beach. There is lots to discover! There are so many different restaurants and bars and due to the many many tourists here, you can even find European and American food. Though I would recommend to stick to Thai food! We tried this Pizza place one night and if you are used to real Italian Pizza like us, you will only be disappointed. (As Germany is so close to Italy, we have really good italian restaurants here)

One thing I like most about Fisherman's Village is, that there are plenty of souvenir shopping opportunities. You can buy those typical Thailand-hippie-clothes, cute little bracelets and necklaces, scarfs, buddha and elephant figures. It is the perfect place to get your friends a little Thailand gift.

The downside of eating out or shopping on Koh Samui is, that it is far more expensive than on any other island we've been to. Koh Samui is a very touristic island and while other travellers might like that, we didn't like it too much. 

Big Buddha

The Big Buddha statue is the landmark of the Koh Samui Island. It is situated on a little peninsula and if you arrive on Koh Samui by plane, it will be the first thing you see of the Island. The golden statue is 12m high and looks quite impressive when you stand at the bottom of the stairs leading up to it. As at every other buddhist temple, you have to dress approprietly here too. Meaning: cover your shoulders and your knees or they won't let you in!

Wat Plai Laem

The temple Plai Laem is featured on many Koh Samui postcards because this is where the big colorful Buddha and another huge Buddha statue are situated. There is not much to do here but marvel at the two statues but it is definitely worth a short stop on your sightseeing trip through Koh Samui.

Grandfather Rock (Hin Ta & Hin Yai Rocks)

How would you call a rock shaped like a male genital? The Thais called it Grandfather Rock and it became very popular with tourists. There is also a counterpart called Grandmother Rock but it is not as unmistakably identifiable as the Grandfather Rock. They are located at the end of Lamai Beach.

Near Grandfather Rock is a little market place where you can get coconut icecream and there is also a very cool Bar called the Rocks Bar that you shouldn't miss visiting.

BEACHES

The two most popular beaches on Koh Samui are Lamai Beach and Chaweng Beach. To be honest both of those beaches are not on the list of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. But please note that this is criticism at a very high level because Thailand has soooo many breathtakingingly beautiful beaches that the Koh Samui beaches we've been to, just didn't make the list... Sorry Koh Samui!

Nevertheless are both beaches with their sea promenades nice spots to spend an afternoon swimming or watching the sunset at a restaurant table directly on the warm sand.

LAMAI BEACH

CHAWENG BEACH

WOULD I VISIT KOH SAMUI AGAIN

While our time there was nice, I would not visit Koh Samui again because I feel like I have seen everything I wanted to see and I simply did not fall in love with it the way I did with other Thailand islands. I am glad I visited Koh Samui but i probably won't return. There are so many other thai islands that we did not visit because we didn't have enough time. So if I return to Thailand I will focus on the islands that are left on my list ;).

Taking the Night Train from Bangkok to Surat Thani

After we had spent about one week in Bangkok, we longed for the island life in the south of Thailand. The prospect of sunny beaches and the warm ocean of the golf of Thailand was very alluring and our first destination was the Island of Koh Phangan. In order to get to Koh Phangan we had to travel more than 650 kilometers down to the coastal town of Surat Thani. From there, we would be taking the Lompraya Ferry out to the islands. Phew! That was gonna be a loooong way to go.

Since we weren't really keen on sacrificing a whole travel day, we decided to take the Night train down to the South. Everybody like the idea to sleep on the train and wake up in the morning when we would be just about to be arriving in Surat Thani. After all we were 4 people travelling and all decisions were made democratically. 

At 8pm our train left Bangkok.

When we first got on the train, we accidentally sat down on the wrong seats. We hadn't really checked our tickets very thoroughly. Our actual seats were in First Class including air condition, however we sat down in Second Class which only had a fan. It was soooo hot and humid, I wondered whether I would be able to sleep at all. It really is extraordinarly hot in Thailand during may and june. When the passengers arrived who had actually booked the seats we were sitting on, we noticed our mistake^^. Believe me, I was soooo relieved once I was in the wonderfully cool AC air! 

So, First Class and AC! Sounds good? Well, First Class in Thailand is something entirely different than First Class in Europe. Naturely we were prepared for the cultural shock but it still kind of hit us. It does take more than five days to adjust to the ways of Southeast Asia. When we took the Night train for a second time at the end of our trip, we were much better acclimatized than the first time. We actually enjoyed the ride. 
First Class on the Night train isn't really any bigger than Second Class, but it has some advantages still. First of all, there is of course our beloved Air Condition. Second of all, in First Class your seat can be transformed into a small bed at night, while second class passengers have to sleep sitting up. I can't even sleep on a plane, I would not have been able to sleep on that train like that for sure.

Another First Class advantage is the "bathroom". Bathroom in quotation marks because it mainly consits of a very charming metal outhouse, two metal sinks and a very old mirror. But nonetheless it was nice to even have the possibility of brushing your teeth and freshen up a little bit.

Soon after the train had left Bangkok the conductor handed us a dinner menu. Dinner is not included in the price of the ticket but that doesn't really matter because it is as cheap as anywhere on the streets of Bangkok. And it was good too. 

When it was time to go to sleep, the conductor made our beds. Each bed had a thin mattress, bedsheets, a pillow and a thin blanket. I have to admit it was more comfortable than I thought. Depending on the Seat number you have, you get either the lower bed or the bunk bed above it. Everyone wants to get the lower bed because you have more room and of course you have the big window. But when we booked our tickets, we were already very late and all the lower beds had been booked, so we had to take the bunk beds. Every bed also has a curtain that you can shut during the night to have some privacy.

I listened to Music for a long time before I really fell asleep. The train ride isn't smooth at all, it's very bumpy but I think the rocking of the train actually helped me fall asleep in the end. 

As the conductor told us we would be arriving in Surat Thani the following morning at about 6am, we set our alarm clocks. When I woke up at about 5:30am I realized that I had a surprisingly good night. The conductor was nice enough to tell us exactly when we had to get off the train. We were still sleepy and every station we passed looked the same, so that was very helpful of him. The staff on the train are in general really nice.

Going by night train was a really good idea for us. We weren't half as worn out from travelling as we would have been if we had travelled during the day. I would definitely recommend it to any traveller who doesn't want to loose a whole vacation day travelling a long distance. Of course you can also cover long distances by plane but the experience of spending the night on a train in Thailand is quite unique and I wouldn't have wanted to miss it.

Thai Cooking Class in Chiang Mai |ENGLISH|

Since before the beginning of our Thailand trip various friends told us that we simply had to do a thai cooking class when we were there. As we spent more days in Chiang Mai than in any other place we visited in Thailand, the opportunity presented itself. My boyfriend Simon found this great Cooking School called the Basil Thai Cookery School online. So we signed up right away for the next day.

At around mid-morning the next day, we were picked up at our Guest House by our lovely cooking teacher "Apple". Obviously not her real name but she told us to call her Apple as we probably wouldn't be able to pronounce her thai name^^. We were the last ones to be picked up, so after we hopped in she took all of us straight to a little market.

Our little group consisted of two American travellers, a young couple from Great Britain and the two of us. When we arrived at the market Apple taught us about all the different fruits, vegetables and spices that were used in thai cooking. It was a really interesting experience as there are so many vegetables that you just don't come across in Europe. After our little introduction to the ingredients we had a little time to explore the market by ourselves while our teacher did the shopping for the actual cooking later on.

The market was not very big but therefor very authentic. Except for us, there were hardly any other tourists, which I rather liked. We bought some fruit shakes and watched the thai people do their shopping and interacting with the traders. In Thailand going shopping for food is not just an annoying chore but a social experience. 

At the Cooking School, we were all handed a little list, where we could pick a dish from each category, that we wanted to learn how to cook. The categories were: Noodles, Stir-fries, Soups, Appetizers, Curries and Deserts.

 

So let's get cookin'! We started out with the first category. Depending on what we picked on the list, we were given the ingredients we needed. Apple showed us how to dice the various vegetables and after that we were introduced to our cooking stations. There were exactly six gas stoves next to each other with already waiting Woks on top of them. We were taught how to use the gas stove correctly and when to put them on which heat level. There were only three different heat levels.

Our teacher Apple rushed from one student to the other and helped us. Sometimes she would stand beside us and yell "Stir, stir, stir, stir!" like a little drill sergeant, which was kind of funny and made us all sweat and stir like crazy. We were really lucky to have such a genuinely nice and communicative teacher like Apple. We all liked her instantly. Also, her english was really good, so we had no problems at all understanding her.

We worked our way down the cooking list and everytime a category was done, we sat down at the big table in the front room and ate what we had just cooked. Our group got along very well and we offered one another to try our dishes as not everybody had cooked the same dish from that category. 

If someone couldn't finish their dish or wanted to take it home, Apple packed it in those typically thai take-away plastic bags. And after a few dishes, I really had to do that too, because I was getting sooooo full from all that delicious food. And this way, dinner was already taken care of.

Halfway we had a little cooking break where Simon and I went to a little shop nearby and got some iced coffee. It was getting really hot next to those gas stoves and the humid climate in Thailand didn't help either^^.

I really liked how the class was set up. I liked the friendly, open atmosphere. My favourite part was when we learned how to fold and roll springrolls ourselves. I had never done that before and they turned out sooooo good!

After the class was done, each of us got a little cook book with all the recipes for the dishes we had just cooked. It also has definitions of thai vegetables and spices in it and it has detailed instructions on how to cook rice the correct way. Because apparently cooking rice really is rocket science ;)

We sat at the big table for a while flipping through the little book and chatting away with our group and Apple before she drove us back home to our Guest House.

It was a perfect day at the Basil Thai Cookery School and I would definitely do it again.

A few facts before you leave:

PRICE: 1000 Baht / Person (~27€ / ~28,50$ / ~20£)

TIMES: |Mo - Sa| Morning Course: 9am to 3pm

                          Evening Course: 4pm to 8.30pm

LINK: http://www.basilcookery.com/home/

              

Have you ever done a thai cooking class? 

What was your experience?