Travel
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London Gems: 2016 Magical Lantern Festival
Chinese New Year celebrations may be over, but there is a secret place in London where you can relive them all over again until 6 March. Tucked away in Chiswick House & Gardens, the Magical Lantern Festival is an extravaganza of lights, culture, music and art. It takes you on a magical journey through gardens’ hidden paths exploring various themes and revealing 50 giant artistic lantern installations. Without going to China, festival visitors can explore 2000-year tradition of celebrating the arrival of the lunar new year. Something I didn’t know before coming here is that in China lantern making has turned into a true craftsmanship. Reflecting rich Chinese cultural heritage lanterns became more…
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72-Hour Guide to Paris: Le Comptoir Général
This week I was in Paris for a 3-day meeting with lots of work and hardly any time to play. You already know there is Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame de Paris, Le Sacré Coeur, Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, and other amazing sights in Paris. But this post is not about them but a place that not many tourists and, until recently, even Parisians knew about. It’s Le Comptoir General. Imagine going to a meeting straight from the train station and ending up in a place that makes you feel like Alice who just felt into the rabbit hole. Le Comptoir General is funky, exotic, bizarre, cool and amusing all at…
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72-Hour Guide to Berlin: Berlin Wall, Flea Markets, Checkpoint Charlie, van Gogh and Apple Strudel
Before I went to Berlin, all I heard from my friends was “Oh, you will love it. It’s such a great city”! Millions of tourists flock there from all over the world and now I understand why. Berlin is probably one of few cities I have visited where recent history, to which you and I can relate, is so apparent and in your face. Throughout the city you can feel the pain that Berliners themselves have endured and the pain the country caused to others. Yet, you can feel city’s resilient spirit and sense of hope. Berlin is also a city of contrasts and divisions: it’s very German in some…
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Namaste from Nepal: My Adventures in Far West, Lumbini and Kathmandu
I’ve been meaning to write a blog post on my travel to Nepal for a while but recent earthquake made me reflect on my visits even more. As the dust settles and the country begins its journey to recovery, I wanted to share my impressions of this beautiful country. I travelled to Nepal twice recently for work, with the last trip in February 2015, and I have spent most of the time in central Nepal and remote parts of far west. Yes, the country is really poor and underdeveloped. Yes, its cities can be dirty, noisy and chaotic. However, very soon I began to see beyond these problems and appreciate…
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2015 Sony World Photography Awards: Capturing the World in Its Beauty
Every year I try to check out Sony World Photography Awards which bring together some of the best photography from all over the world. The winning and shortlisted entries feature images from different disciplines and for different tastes and audience – from landscape, nature and architecture to fine art and photo journalism. As an amature photographer, I am less interested in the technical aspects and more in the story each photographer istrying to tell through the lenses of their cameras. Some of them are as young as 17-19 years old, while other have many years of professional experience. I particularly enjoyed black and white portraits and shots of a…
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72-Hour Guide to Puglia, Italy: Bari, Alberobello, Ostuni and Lecce
Remember Elizabeth Gilbert and her year-long journey of self-discovery that took her to Italy, India and Indonesia? During that memorable trip she satisfied her taste buds, sought and found her spiritual core and fell in love. Well, you can experience almost all of it in Italy just in few days! Can’t promise you love, but then knowing Italians, anything can happen! Day 1&2 Upon my arrival to Bari, Puglia region, it all came back to me. Italy, I have missed you! The loud talking, the gestures, the smell of fresh pizza, the colours of gelato, small winding streets, people chilling in cafes in the middle of day, crazy driving,…
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Seville, Spain: Everyone is Dancing (in Russian)
Originally published in Marie Claire Ukraine June 2013 issue. Translation is here.
