Sant Jordi in Barcelona with Casa Batllo

I've been to Barcelona a few times before but not recently so I was really excited when Casa Batllo invited me to visit for the celebration of Sant Jordi festival. I am a huge fan of Gaudi architecture (if you don't know him - he's the mastermind behind Sagrada Familia and of course Casa Batllo) but when I heard that this amazingly beautiful building will be decorated with roses I was ready to start packing my suitcase straight away!

Why roses you may ask? According to the tradition, the people in Catalonia celebrate the day of their patron saint, Sant Jordi, with couples exchanging gifts: a book for men and a rose for women. Lots of couples follow this tradition so the whole city is filled with flower and book stalls.

Casa Batllo is a remodel of a previously built house, redesigned in the beginning of the twentieth century by Gaudí who found his inspiration in flora and fauna, and created a very unusual look of the facade.

Casa Amatller is a neighbour of Casa Batllo and is often overlooked but it's well worth a visit too! 

Palau de la Musica Catalana is a place I wanted to visit for a very long time. It is a wonderful example of Catalan Art Nouveau, the only concert venue in this style to be listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The pictures speak for themselves - just look at all the gorgeous details!

El Nacional Barcelona is a wonderful experience of its own. The space, that used to be a car park, was transformed into 4 restaurants and 5 bars, all under one roof, offering traditional recipes from the Iberian peninsula.

We stayed in Hotel Alexandra, just a few minutes walk from Casa Batllo.

Of course I couldn't leave Barcelona without having a look at this Instagram famous facade covered with plants and strolling through Gothic quarter.

I've also popped into Hotel Barcelo Raval to enjoy the view from their roof terrace.

Cotton House hotel is another beautiful space with an amazing spiral staircase.

I was a guest of Casa Battlo, all opinions are my own.

Instagrammers guide to New Zealand's North Island

Having spent ten wonderful days on New Zealand's North Island I'd love to share the highlights of my trip with you. I hope you will find it helpful if you are planning to go.

South Island is much more touristy so I was really curious to explore North Island and to see what it has to offer. My trip has started in Auckland which I have already covered in my previous post so I'm going to focus on other places here. 

Piha beach

Piha is New Zealand's most famous surf beach. Situated on the west coast of the North Island, about one hour drive from the city of Auckland, you may also recognise it as a movie location from the Piano. It looks amazing from above as well as from a short hike up the Lion Rock (pictured below).

Karekare Falls

If you are going to Piha, make sure to stop by Karekare Falls situated very close by.

The landscape in the area is gorgeous - just look at all those plants!

Tongariro National Park

Pictured below is Chateau Tongariro, located at the base of the road leading up to Mount Ruapehu's Whakapapa ski field. Sadly, due to bad weather conditions, our hike in the area has been cancelled but I wanted to add it to the list anyway as theNnational Park looks stunning on the pictures I've seen.

Rotorua

Rotorua is an area well known for its geothermal activity and Maori culture. Two pictures below were taken in Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland. The colourful hot spring is called Champagne Pool due to its constant efflux of carbon dioxide gas, similar to a glass of bubbling champagne.

Rotorua is also home to a living Maori village and the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute, with traditional wood carving and weaving schools. If you are travelling to New Zealand I would highly recommend experiencing Maori cultutre as it's such an important part of New Zealand's history.

White Island

White Island, an active volcano, was one of my highlights of the whole trip. There are only two ways to reach the island: by boat or by helicopter. We were supposed to by boat (the trip takes about 1,5 hours one way, more information here) but due to weather conditions, our tour got replaced by a helicopter which has made this experience even more unforgettable! It was a proper landing on the moon moment when we walked out of the helicopter wearing a gas mask and a helmet. We were able to see roaring steam vents, bubbling mud pools and hot volcanic streams. The vivid hues of yellow and orange resulting from the abundant sulphur on the island make it look even more impressive.

The wonderful view below is from Mount Manganui.

Hobbiton

New Zealand has been used for a number of movie locations but Hobbiton is probably the most well-known one. What impressed me the most about this experience is that it's located on a family run farm  and the area looks so peaceful, you don't expect to see one of the most touristy destinations there.

The Coromandel

Another place that is an absolute must visit for any photographer/instagrammer and another famous movie location. Cathedral Cove (below) is accessible only on foot, by boat or kayak. We decided to walk there and was definitely worth it as all the views on the way were absolutely stunning. And if you still haven't guessed, The Chronicles of Narnia were filmed here.

I was a guest of Tourism New Zealand. All opinions are my own.

Auckland - best viewpoints and coffee shops

Auckland was the first stop on my trip to New Zealand. Some people have told me that there's not much to do and see there but they turned out to be wrong. I have really enjoyed its relaxed vibe combined with all the advantages of being in a big city and spent some time exploring its coffee culture.

In this post I'm going to focus on best viewpoints and coffee. I will share more of my NZ adventures in the next post.

Best view points

Auckland is very hilly due to its 48 volcanoes so comfortable shoes are required but you will be awarded with amazing views. Mount Eden, the highest of Auckland volcanoes, is first in the list.

The view below was taken from Sky Tower that offers 360-degree views of the city.

One Tree Hill is another volcano and a great viewpoint, a bit further from the city centre than Mount Eden. Its highest point is topped with a monument, and the grave of Sir John Logan Campbell who gifted the park to the city.

Cafes and coffee shops

New Zealand has a really impressive coffee culture. There is an ongoing debate of the origination of flat white coffee between New Zealand and Australia so it made total sense for me to focus on flat white.

Queenies is pretty inside and out.

Winona Forever is another place I absolutely loved! Everything is so well thought through - beautifully presented food, interior and even lots of cute props if you are after taking photos. Sadly I was 10 minutes late to order food as the kitchen closes at 2:30 pm so I had to go with a dessert and borrowed someone else's french toast for a photo.

Mojo coffee was recommended to me by a local and the coffee was one of the strongest which I liked.

Espresso workshop Britomart is another nice coffee shop. In Auckland coffee shops are on almost every corner and I wish I had more time to try them all.

As for restaurants I didn't take any pictures but have enjoyed Ortolana and Amano.

I was a guest of New Zealand Tourism Board. All views are my own.

Visiting Brussels ahead of Banad Festival

Two weeks ago I was invited by Visit Brussels to explore a few interesting buildings taking part in Banad Festival that focuses on the Art Nouveau and Art Deco heritage of Brussels.

You'll be surprised (as well as I was!) to discover how many Art Noveau and Art Deco buildings can be found in Brussels - some of them are hotels and public venues, while others are private properties and can be visited only during the festival.

This year the festival runs from the 11th to the 26th March so if you are in Brussels there are still a few days left to get involved.

Of course, no visit to Brussels is complete without an obligatory shot of the Grand Place.

One of my favourite places I first discovered this time was Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, a glazed shopping arcade that preceded other famous 19th-century shopping arcades like the one in Milan. The gallery consists of two major sections each 100 meters long called KIng's Gallery nad Queen's Gallery, and a smaller side gallery called Gallery of the Princes.

The pictures below are from Flagey House. This townhouse is one of the pair of semi-detached houses designed by the architect Ernest Blérot in 1904. The interior includes an ramazing stairwell, topped with a stained-glass skylight. The hall floor is decorated in mosaic. 

Below is a photo of a former Radio House of Belgium, established in 1930 under the name of National Institute of Broadcasting (INR). The building is compared to a steamer with its bridges and long corridors. The interior has retained its original Art Deco style furnishings. After renovation in 2002, it has regained its original function with the creation of a musical space with recording studios, concert halls and cinema.

Gustave Strauven excelled in the design and building of narrow houses on irregularly shaped plots of land in Art Nouveau style. In 1902, he built the below house (facade with green details and red stairwell) for himself on a banana-shaped plot barely 375cm wide! 

I've also added two pictures below from my previous visit with Radisson Red last year just before Christmas.

This wonderful rooftop view is from Parking 58 that I found after some research.

I also wanted to share the places where we were taken for lunch as their interior is impressive too! First one is Osteria delle Stelle.

Pictured below is La Quincallerie restaurant.