Vischans bageri ~ Lidkoping, Sweden

It’s so cozy here!

I absolutely adore bakeries and cafés that are authentic and original. This is one of them. They make everything themselves with passion and only using local produce! The people working there are also so warmheartedly, kind and positive, making sure you will have an enjoyable time.

They make all kinds of pastries, biscuits, cakes, breads and sandwiches. A perfect place for “fika”, a concept in Swedish culture with the basic meaning “to have coffee”, often along with eating something sweet. In addition, they serve a satiated breakfast and I got to know that they use locally produced eggs and vegetables, which just makes a huge difference! To know where the produce is from and when made with love and care, that deepens the connection and touches my soul.

My breakfast plate: plant based yoghurt with their homemade granola. Bread with Brie, honey, spinach and cucumber slices.

Their baked pastries!

Loving the old interior and materials that resonate with their originality

Feels like a different space and time right?!

You can find this café at Kinnegatan 27, Lidkoping.

May you have an enjoyable fika time there or be inspired to implement this cultural tradition to where you’re at.

With love & care, Melanie x

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Porto ~ Portugal

As I’m writing and looking into perspective, I feel very fortunate to travel again and do my job as a professional tennis player. When I’m now abroad it feels like I’m given an opportunity to seize all the wonders of live which is enhancing my life experience in all magical ways. Therefore I’m in awe when I see what this beautiful city has to offer and digesting all the ancient monuments with a history greater than time. As I walk through these old, narrow streets of cobblestone, it is as time has stand still and I’m brought back into the town’s past. Although its architecture, tram tracks and atmosphere might be giving you nostalgia, there is a new breath of modern life hanging in the air. If you look closely you’ll sense it by the small healthy cafés standing out which crosses the line of history, traditionalism and conservatism. They will take you to the future of a healthy eating lifestyle that is becoming more common and sought after around the world.

I went on a hungry stomach with great determination towards my target to eat a delicious breakfast. Destination: Nola kitchen. I must admit it wasn’t the cleverest choice to look at the menu when being so eager to eat it all. But in the end my choice landed at the egg bowl. A nutritious bowl of black rice, sautéed kale, grilled corn, poached eggs, oven roasted sweet potatoes and delicious tahini sauce with it.

The egg bowl

However, that bowl still made me hungry for more and so I ordered their summer edition pancakes. With the sun shining towards my face it felt like the perfect choice as chocolate pancakes would be heavy to digest on a warm summer’s day in Porto.

Summer edition pancakes

These healthy pancakes were definitely a new experience to me. They tasted not like normal pancakes if being honest, but with the coconut yoghurt, maple sirup, berries and crunch of pistachios, it balanced it out and so I ended up finishing it all up somehow!

Wanderlust

The square you need to visit

The beautiful facade of the church

Monuments of ancient history

In love with the blue tiles!

During a hitting session on center court before the tournament

With love & care, Melanie x

Caserta ~ Italy

Wanted to share this from May this year, hope it will you leave you feeling inspired and adventurous like it did to me!

Picture above is the facade of Reggia de Caserta. Behind this entrance you will discover its beauty. The palace is one of Europe’s largest palaces and has 1200 rooms, more than Versailles! In addition, it expands across 11 acres with beautiful gardens, pools and fountains. The fountain and pool chain is three kilometer long, where it meets end at the waterfall by the Diana and Actaeon fountain. It’s spectacular by the harmonized geometric structure and how the architect Luigi Vanvitelli, one of the greatest Italian architects of the 18th century, has kept the nature in focus.

Here you see the 3 km long passage of the fountains & pools aligned to the palace.

The Diana & Actaeon Fountain

t’s stunning to witness the natural beauty, here you see the waterfall from the forest running down to the fountain. What stunned me even more was seeing the pools full of life, there were fishes and sea turtles swimming around, algae and sea plants.

Watching ruins gives me chills and makes me wonder how it was back then. How the life was, how it looked like. Taking a walk through the English Garden leaves you more calm and reflected, for me it’s a meditative way of being in your own thoughts without distractions and just observing in present moment.

The grand staircase of honor as you walk into the rooms of the Palace.

Why can’t we have these extravagant lamps at our era anymore? One word, stunning!

There is so much thought behind all the details of this palace, I wonder how they were able to decide and execute it so elegant and effortlessly.

Marble and patterns in different colors and structure. You can find so much inspiration!

The ceilings just left me breathless every time I walked into a new room. It’s something about looking looking up at it than horizontal, which makes it more spectacular, leaving you with a glorifying feeling. It feels as you look up to something higher than yourself, to God or to the universe or whatever you believe in, it’s something abstract, something out of your reach, your control. It made me speechless.

Every room is unique, a bit different, it plays with creativity, and is a statement of limitless art form. Leaving the palace, it made me reflect that we are capable of so much once we put our minds into it. Just look at history, imagine the abundance of possibilities created. Be spectacular. Create your own spectacular life.

Walking through the small streets of Caserta

I stumbled upon this Italian residence which just left me speechless. Absolutely loved the interior and vibes, I felt like stepping into the door of Narnia hehe.

Eating pizza when in Napoli is a must! Wow, they truly stand up for their reputation, no doubt about that. I can witness that it is the best pizza I have tasted so far. The dough is unique, I assume fermented which allows it to not be chewy or losing texture and crisp after its no longer warm. I also want to add that because of that, for those (most of us) who get bloated after eating a pizza, normal, will not feel that after eating this one! I ordered Genovese, which is pesto base with pomodorini or cherry tomatoes, plus mozzarella topped, yum.

Eat this one at Via Romana restaurant if you want the same pizza I had;) Otherwise, don’t worry, there are plenty pizza restaurants everywhere, and they are not mediocre, they are all excellent, pfuuu hard life to choose right?

Next time if I come back I want to try the pizza at Tre Farine, Basilica & Pizzeria Decimo Scalia haha.

Oh and on the picture you see a book called #Girlboss by Sophia Amoruso, highly recommended, full of girl power!!

Martucci café

I walked passed this café, and had to take a look since it caught my eye. Yummy cakes, pastries and veggies were displayed at the food table. You couldn’t stop gazing and deciding what would you choose from all that deliciousness!! It took a lot of willpower to stay away from the sweets the first time haha. I went for the asparagus, broccoli, sautéed spinach and aubergine, so so good. But, when I visited it the second time, I just had to try their sweets before I was leaving Caserta. I tried a cannoli with Nutella chocolate cream filling inside, mmmmmm.

Àguilas ~ Spain

At this time of the year the carnival celebration is also big in Spain! And here they go all in with parade, dancing and costumes too. It’s really fun to see how everyone participates, from family, to teenagers, to old people! Make sure not missing it while it’s happening during weekends in February.

Also this hidden Mediterranean village has a lot to offer. I loved walking at the beach promenade and strolling in the narrow neighborhoods. There is a fortress on top of the hill, which leads to a breathtaking view at the top overlooking the ocean and the place.

On the picture above you will see a the restaurant which is at the top of the hill too! It looks amazing to sit down there and enjoy the view while eating:)

Absolutely love this neighborhood! My favorite color is turquoise and I couldn’t stop taking pictures haha.

You realize now that it’s a paradise right!

Hoping this could be a travel inspiration for you:)

Murcia ~ Spain

Here you see the Cathedral Church of Saint Mary. It’s absolutely stunning and more stunningly when you take a visit inside. There are so many details to look at, truly a masterpiece. I had my eyes on it while sitting down at the square and watching it when it was sunset. To see the different shades of sunlight striking it, was eye gazing, magical. I sat there at café Valor, eating churros around 5 pm, surrounded by locals who did the same, blending well with their culture and absolutely loving it.

Other plaza spots to enjoy than Plaza Catedral de Murcia are:

Plaza Santa Domingo

Plaza de las Flores

Murcia is small to be a big city, but I love that. And moreover, I love that you can feel and sense the Spanish culture in every corner. You get to see how locals live a relaxed lifestyle without stress despite living in a city. You don’t see people rushed, no you’ll find them sitting at the benches at the plazas or eating tapas. It feels more like a village with not much traffic or noice. This is what makes it so enjoyable spending time in this city, especially during weekend.

So, eager to feel the spirit of Murcia? I got it covered for you:) Here are my favorite things to do when in the city and best places to eat at!

Real Casino de Murcia

The inside interior is amazing!

Monasterio del Corpus Christi Augustinas Descalzas

This reminds me of a miniature version of Alhambra in Granada. Absolutely love the pool and the architecture.

Since the city is known for eating and drinking culture and not so much about attractions, that’s kind of not a downside for me because I love eating hehe. So here is the list:)

Restaurants / Tapasbar ~ Typical Spanish

* Navarros

* Salzillo

* Morata

* La Taverna

Cute café places

* El gallinero

* Cafélab ~ serves toast, coffee, lattes, teas

* Socolá ~ best brunch place in town although the only one haha. But still counts when they serve amazing food! More about the place in a new blog post.

Sweet tooth

* Baklava ~ serving delicious Turkish sweets

* Godis ~ serves amazing gofres / Belgian waffle

* Socolá ~ amazing pancakes and cakes!

Mercado de Correos

A food hall or food heaven, offering all kinds of foods and what an atmosphere there is to sit inside there.

I liked especially the ice cream of course..

After this guide of Murcia, I’m convinced you are as convinced as me, that you need to visit this city in Spain;)

Svartskog Kolonial ~ Norway

I’m back and have been absent due to lack of motivation to write, because I’m not sure if somebody out there is reading my blog posts. If you are, I’m hoping the content is something for you and that you like my blog.

I was on a quick visit home, and it felt like “there’s no place like home”. It’s an attachment to memories, places, family and friends. It reconnects me, makes me centered again and refuels my soul with a fresh spirit, ready again to take on the world.

While home, I visited this beautiful, charming café in Svartskog, about 20/30 minutes outside Oslo city. It’s definitely an escape from all the buzz, noice and stress a city life can cause you. Here it feels like you are taking a small road trip to the mountains, surrounded by nature and quietness. There are people who live here, their houses in traditional Norwegian housebuilding style of wood, looking similar to cabins, and others in white color, Victorian style. It’s a nice walk through the neighborhood and into the woods, leading the way to the water side.

The café is a golden spot. It’s original, real and true to its personality. It has a charm inside and out, with an old, but cool sofa inviting you to relax outside the café’s door, you get it, very inviting right? And so when you step inside, it’s like coming inside a home, it’s so cozy. You get a feeling of being taken good care of, and that they define by the food, interior and spirit. It’s small, but that makes it more personal, you feel more connected through the place and the food they serve.

They serve Norwegian pastries and baking goods at mastery level, and I dare to say they make the world’s best waffel the Norwegian way. Order it with the famous brown cheese called “brunost”. Other pastries to make sure you get your hands over is the cinnamon roll and “skolebolle”; it’s a baked sweet dough with powdered sugar icing, coconut flakes topped and in the middle of it egg cream! I’m already getting water in my mouth by writing all these deliciousness this café serves.

It’s a place for everyone, for those who want to escape from the city life in Oslo or for the tourists who wants to experience the Norwegian woods and real, authentic Norwegian baking.

Blending into the Catalonian community

Festa del Passatge Lluis Pellicer

Here I was, last Saturday, surrounded by a Catalan community, eating tapas! I absolutely loved it since I was not with a touristic crowd behind me. Coming here was a coincidence actually, because the night before I got an eye on this party having to pass a truck that was in the way of the walkway. As I saw a scene being set up behind it, I started getting curious. So I asked a woman organizing the party and she said I could join by buying a ticket! And so I did the day after, trying 4 different tapas with one drink included for 12,50€. It was such a nice experience. It was simple and small, where people gathered together in a narrow, short street crossing into Carrer de Muntaner.

They effortlessly made this party so welcoming with a relaxed tone to it. It is completely different to the Norwegian culture I’m from, where everything has to be organized perfectly before it can be executed. That’s why I love traveling and experiencing other cultures because you get a wider perspective about life.

Further exploration ~ Catalonian art history

I had visited the museum once before but never entered inside. When I walked into the entrance I was prepared to pay the ticket for visiting, but by my surprise I got told that on Saturdays after 3 pm it’s free entrance! It was perfect timing! Although there were no audio guides available or tour guides, I still got a historical sense by witnessing the artworks by eye. Being inside, was like entering a palace with its majestic lamps and old interior. Furthermore, you feel like you are traveling back in time.

And so I did, by watching the art and crafts work of the Romanesque and Gothic period. Below there are two examples of medieval Gothic artworks. These artist have achieved spectacular details with their art pieces. The paintings, sculptures and woodcarving-works you find inside the museum, are in my eyes mind blowing. Looking at what these amazing artists have executed, makes me feel I can create anything I put my mind into too.

Virgin of the “Consellers”

Artist ~ Lluís Dalmau

Medieval Gothic art

Virgin of the Angels

Artist ~ Pere Serra

Medieval Gothic art

São Paulo ~ a food heaven

From tropical fruits, to sweet and savory, this city offers everything you desire.

I ate at “Bio” restaurant, an Amazonian river fish with açaí mousse and brown rice. It tasted amazing! This restaurant is a must-try for those who love to eat healthy. The waitresses don’t speak English though, but luckily you get the menu in English. However, they are super nice and try their best to help you. After leaving this restaurant I ended up feeling energized and content, because here it’s only good vibes, and most importantly delicious food!

Not a surprise then, that this restaurant is one of my favorites. They also serve breakfast, opening at 8 in the morning. Since I love breakfast, I got super happy. I tried the açaí bowl with granola and banana, because when in Brazil, you can’t miss out on their açaí! I chose 500 ml, but it was a lot haha. You are good with 300 ml because it makes you full. Anyways, it didn’t matter since it was so good so I finished it all! As I mentioned, I thought it was not enough, so I ordered as well a tapioca crepe with cocoa paste and nut butter. Wow, that was amazing. You have to order that, you just have to. And when you do you will understand how amazingly good that was. I still dream of it;)