Mediocre Memories


At the end of every summer, social platforms tend to get overtaken with throwback posts that reminisce on good times spent with a variety of people in a variety of locations. Although this ''phenomena'' is most abundant at the very end of the summer, it never exactly comes to a stop, i.e. it is everpresent throughout the whole year. Naturally, I, too, dip my toes into the waters of nostalgia, however, in the past year or so, it had come to my attention, that I'm most nostalgic about completely mediocre moments of my travels. For example, I'd be going about my day, when a feeling would wash over me (as it does), and I'd suddenly find myself wanting to walk around a parking lot in Rovinj, or freezing my coastal meditterranean butt off while wearing a spring jacket on cold and foggy Holmenkollen, or waiting for dinner time in a hotel room on the outskirts of Stockholm. Compared to all the great adventures and museums and sights we all experience on our travels, talking about gray parking lots and the tiles in the bathroom of my hotel room in Stockholm is nothing short of being inexplicably boring/uninteresting. However, upon giving this topic a bit more thought, I've reached some form of a philosophical conclusion (who would I be if I didn't at least try to sneak some philosophy in my posts).

Here's the thing: travel has never been and never will be nowhere near being completely stress-free and flawless. We've all endured the loss of certain objects, various stages of cultural shock, misunderstandings with the locals due to the language barriers etc. While paying a visit to all the standard tourist attractions is undeniably great and provides a great opportunity for all the instagrammable (or generally just sharable) photos, we all now that that is no way to truly experience a location you're exploring. Thus, like the photos that are taken on those tourist attractions, everything is posed. A country/city is best experienced when the traveler steps off the beaten path and weaves into the spaces that genuinely belong to the locals instead of the tourists. In addition, if and when the traveler opts for a packed schedule consisting only of landmarks+tourist attractions, the times that are best remembered are the mediocre ones. Simply because in those, the traveler isn't merely passing by certain aspects of a location in order to take the general photos and run along to stay within the assigned schedule, but instead exists in it. Waiting in line at a grocery store only to buy a snack and a bottle of water, we notice the interaction between locals, we see what kind of food the locals like, we get a better undrstanding of the place we're visiting than we would had we only been mingling around the tourist attractions. Similarly, walking down a parking lot in Rovinj got me to encapsulate the summer heat, especially due to the overheated asphalt, that would give me 2nd degree burns had I been so reckless as to step onto it barefoot. 

The mediocre moments are the ones that make the travel real, they make us aware of our existence in that place. It is a shame to go to a city and not see it in its true form. So next time, when you find yourself somewhere completely without context, do yourself a favour and take it in, appreciate it for what it is, pay attention to details that make the space unique or genuine, and maybe you too will find yourself being nostalgic about completely mediocre things instead of the spotlight moments, thus having your trip immortalised in mediocre memories. 

(All photos are taken somewhere in between on a select few of my travels)

To what extent do you agree with me? Do you prefer the tourist attractions or the hidden gems?

x, Valens

Life Lately: January


Let's not beat around the bush: I've neglected this blog. It is safe to say that I'm not proud of that, but prioritise I can, and prioritise I did. By that I mean that I have devoted all my time to uni work, which is, to put it gently, abundant. Between AutoCAD drawing and model making, the end of the first semester has approached with me standing somewhere in between security and inexplicable stress over the subjects I don't understand. Today's lectures have turned out to leave me with two extra hours of spare time, and because I technically don't have anything to do for uni, I summoned the will to finally update this blog (or what is left of it). Instead of moaning about uni, I'm here to tell you a bit about what it's been like to live in Slovenia's capital.

Dorm deco
Like many, I too have, upon finding out I'm accepted to my selected university, been most excited about personalising my dorm. In light of having at least someone/something remotely alive in the room, I invested in 6 tiny cactuses from Ikea (y'now, the tumblr ones), which I definitely named: Alejandro, Roberto, Fernando, Gianteo, Gianluigi and Gianpiero. Somewhere along the line I realised I don't like the smell of my dorm, thus a candle has found its place among the cacti. As I am a bookworm, I couldn't refrain myself from bringing a couple of books. My favorite is The Little Book of Hygge, which I turn to whenever I want to bring hygge into my dorm, or just want to reminisce on my week in Scandinavia. There were some dents in the wall, which I took the libery of covering with a lovely composition of postcards and artcards from my travels, film negatives, and polaroids. December came, and that section of the wall got a pleasant addition: the Advent calendar. The ultimate Advent calendar, really, it was Lindt. I taped it to the wall, and on a lovely December morning, as I was sleepily seeking my will to live in a large cup of coffee, it fell on my head, rattling me to my very core. I went to uni sans my will to live. My sister got me a branch to imitate a Christmas tree and made some decorations, so my dorm was more festive than I ever got to be. I also put up a large picture of the Blue Lagoon in Iceland (love me some Iceland), and a drawing I had to do for uni that happened to turn out nice. Now there's a calendar taped to the wall, I hope that one doesn't come after me. (Edit: It did come after me. I should invest in better tape.)

Ljubljana
I'd been warned before moving, that the city I like very much will soon become boring and annoying. That turned out to be true in terms of people, as I am having trouble listening to the wide selection of different accents the fellow students use. What's nice about life here, is that I go through the city centre every day, and thus get to capture all the beautiful buildings in lovely lighting. This especially paid off on the day we got snowfall, as I had the chance to stroll around the parks and alleys and photograph Ljubljana in its winter wonderland glory. I recognise the potential of the abundance of lovely cafés scattered all around the city, and my professors are constantly telling us about various exhibitions in all sorts of galleries, however, due to the lack of company and time, I haven't gotten around to see any of them yet. The other day I walked up to Ljubljana castle to see an old renovation done by Plečnik, and it was on that Wednesday morning I realised how very out of shape I've become, for the max. 15 minute walk had me panting like a walrus fresh out of water (not completely confident in the accuracy of the description but ok).

Travel
Obviously I hadn't gotten around to wandering about the world yet, but I do have some good plans for the future. My seminar has organised a week long trip to Southern Spain in March, so expect a lengthy post about that. This year, Venice is hosting the Architectural biennale, and you don't have to guess twice whether I'll be there.

Living alone has gotten me well in touch with myself, my mentality, my patience, my working habits, and my organisation skills. I've noticed that I'm fairly tidy, but can't possibly summon the time to sweep. Cooking is very nice, though it would be even nicer if I weren't on a clock to return to uni. I'm excited about this student meal program thing I'm applied for, where a handful of restaurants all over the country offer free or reduced meals to all students. Many take advantage of this and are very happy with it, however I hadn't yet found time to do it. It is highly likely I'll get to do it in the second semester, as we have seminar work that keeps us at uni all day. I do get a bit lonely sometimes, but as I am a deep introvert, that doesn't last long.

That's about all I have to say about my life in Ljubljana so far, I will to another check in at the end of the second semester. Until then, I desperately hope I can get myself to publish more. I already have one post written and two in the beginning stages of bullet points, but god knows when I'll get to edit them, add photos etc.

To be honest, this post was written over the course of three weeks, so there should probably more content here, had I not taken so many breaks between writing.

What have you been up to lately? 

x, Valens

Scandinavia: Copenhagen


In my relatively short existence so far, I've (amongst all else) learned one thing: if you look forward to something, it will pass by sooner. Thus, when faced with hard/stressful occasions/situations, I make myself look forward to them, knowing full well it will be over before I know it. Similarly, when faced with positive occasions, I try my best not to think too much of it, to stop trying to bring the occasion and instead leave it on its place in the calendar. This is exactly what I had done upon finding out that I'm going to Scandinavia, and time flies when you're having a good time, alas the last day came and left me feeling morose/blue.


We arrived in Copenhagen somewhere after 9am and set to see the statue of the Litttle Mermaid. As we were there when Iron Man was in full swing, we had to reach it on foot. The surprisingly small statue was host to a horde of Asian tourists that wouldn't budge a single bit to allow others a quality photo opportunity, nevertheless, we made do. Next, we continued down the coast past the St. Alban church towards the Royal Palace, where we tuned in to the changing of the guard. Afterwards we took a look inside Marmokirken and used it as shelter while the weather had its moody episode. As we were tied to our flight at 7pm, we lastly took to Nyhavn for a boat tour, which took us all around many canals of Copenhagen and showed us some intruguing landmarks located a bit outside the very core of the city. Cue time for lunch in the Town Hall square, which my sister and I spent shopping for souvenirs, hoarding books (which are souvenirs as well, but I consider them a category of its own), and drinking Starbucks coffee (desperate times call for desperate measures). 


As I mentioned in the beginning, things you're excited about pass by much faster, and so it was time to say our goodbyes to Scandinavia, fully certain of our return. Despite having spent the least amount of time in the city, Copenhagen (and the entire country of Denmark for that matter) remains my favorite of the four capitals I visited on this trip. Even with its incredibly moody weather (seriously, its worse than what they make the UK to be). It's highly likely Meik Wiking's The Little Book of Hygge (which I bought as a souvenir from said country) is to blame, as it simultaneously makes me identify with the danish culture (as I'm already doing many of the things the book mentions), and makes me itch to take part in activities/customs the Danes are keen on doing.

Have you been to Denmark before? I'd love to hear about your expreience below in the comments! 

x, Valens


Scandinavia: an interlude - boat life


As travelling by cruise was an element of considerable size on this trip, I'd like to tell you about the night we travelled from Oslo whether to Copenhagen, which qualifies as one of the wilder occurrences in my life. Unlike the cruiseship we took from Stockholm to Helsinki and back, this one was smaller, less comfortable, and more claustrophobia inducing. I'm not sure whether it is the current(s) and/or the winds in that area, or if this was a special occurrence just for our pleasure, but until the early morning hours, the ship was rocking in such large motions that one had trouble keeping balance, let alone walking straight. The cabins we had had no windows, 4 beds, and fit 3 people if they were all standing (god forbid a suitcase were to open, that would reduce the space to only fit the person diggin through it). The really fun times, however, started at dinner time, where the population separated in two groups: the ones who sat mournfully not wanting to eat in fear the food wouldn't stay down, and the ones who battled against the forces of nature to get their fill. Spending a large part of my life living on a sailboat has enabled me to fit into the latter group. There were large round windows showing the lazy mass of waves, the cause of such circumstances, while inside was a mixture of people's murmur and the screeeching of stacks of plates situated on springs within walls of metal, as they peeked out above the counter at the top of a wave and screeched back inside at the bottom. Eating my second serving of a plate full of french fries and nothing else (I'm not particularly good at food when travelling), I'd realised that despite the constant presence of slight claustrophobia, this was one of the cooler things to have happened to me. Looking back, I would not mind returning to that ship at all. Especially when the next morning had me waking up in Copenhagen.

Have you got a good campfire story from your travels? Don't hesitate to share it in the comments!

x, Valens

Scandinavia: Oslo


As it had been with the previous stops in Scandinavia, Oslo, the northernmost point of our trip (and of my life) did not disappoint. We started roaming about the city the night before by visiting the Oslo Opera House, an architectural feature that interacts with the public by allowing access all over the surface. I was very happy to have experienced the building in cloudy weather, as the white of the sky is complimentary to the stone that covers the building's surface, while the sharp sea with grey hues offers a sharp contrast.


The following morning was started with a visit to the Holmenkollen ski jump, which was due to the incredible density of the fog hardly seen. Not only was it foggy, though, it was also bitingly cold. Had we had that kind of temperatures in Slovenia, we would call it a lovely winter's day. Quick reminder: I was in Oslo on August 19th. We returned back to the city centre and made our first stop in the Vigeland park, named after Gustav Vigeland, the sculptor who filled the park with a multitude of various sculptures that are an exploration of the human form. There is also a fountain that portrays the circle of life, and a monolith that represents humanity's universal seek to reach the divine. An honourable mention should also be given to the rose garden right after the bridge, which boasts with the largest collection of various types of roses. If there is any speck of a hopeless romantic or an aesthete in you, then surely you will enjoy it. Next on the agenda was the Bygdøy peninsula, on which we checked out the Vinking ship, Kon-Tiki, and Fram museum. If you plan on seeing all three museums as well, don't forget to buy the joint ticket in the Viking ship musem, as you will thus get to see three museums for the price of two (handy trick if you're a southerner with different standards in terms of pricing). A personal favorite was the Fram museum, as it offered the chance to walk the actual boat along with many interactive activities that simulate life on the Arctic. I was very excited about the polar room, a space with polar temperatures, although I did scream and run when I saw the half-dead-half-frozen wax figures of the crewmen (most excercise I'd done in 3 months), as it had been the last thing I was expecting to stumble upon whilst freezing my butt off. 


As we had to board the ship for Copenhagen at 4pm, we only had time left to see the city centre and get lunch. We took a look at the Town Hall, the place where the Nobel prize is awarded each year. The mosaic on the walls wonderfully depicts the history of Norway, the cassette ceiling is cool, as are the floors. Just go see it if ever you find yourself in Oslo. Lunchtime was in my and my sister's case sacrificed for a greater purpose, as we chose to spend that time to pay a visit to the National Gallery of Oslo i.e. to see Edvard Münch's The Scream. Due to our wholly unnecessary powerwalking, we were left with much more time on our hands than we anticipated, which we diligently spent enjoying all the other paintings (they have a great collection! I even found a new favourite artist!) and hogging the museum shop (poetic exaggeration; we just bought some art cards). After it all, we took to the port and enjoyed the superb views of Oslo as we parted for Copenhagen



Is Oslo on your bucket list? Please don't hesitate to express your opinion on my post in the comments below!

x, Valens


Scandinavia: Stockholm


The day begun around 9am, when the boat docked in the port. Unlike in Helsinki, the weather in Stockholm was about as summer-like as weather in Scandinavia can get, meaning a light jacket will suffice. We began by paying a visit to the Vasa museum, the home of the 17th century Vasa warship. Whilst there we also went onboard a steam-powered 1915 icebreaker and a light ship from 1903. After that we hurried to Gamla Stan to see the changing of the Royal Guard. After witnessing a fairly amusing set of guards playing instruments whilst riding horseback, we took to the main square to have a look at the stock exchange building, where the Swedish Academy meets to elect the Nobel Prize winners in literature. As it is with trdelnik in Prague, one can't go around Stockholm without treating oneself to at least one cinnamon roll. Thus, our miniature exploration of the old town with its medieval stone streets and buildings with facades in fifty shades of ochre was motivated entirely by the desire to find a cosy cafe and smother ourselves in cinnamon buns. Personally, I am not a big fan of cinnamon pastries, which is why this bun was the first cinnamony thing I ate since the trdelnik in Czechia two years ago, and while I enjoyed it, I am now done for a while. It was around 2pm and we had the rest of the day left to wander around the city, so instead of going out of our way to visit the Fotografiska museum in Södermalm, we instead went to Norrmalm down Drottninggatan (Queen street). We generally spent the rest of the day drinking coffee in litres, marveling at the abundance of H&M shops (though, strangely enough, I did not find any interesting clothing there?), and wandering aimlessly down unknown streets eating ice cream, which gave me a great opportunity to observe the locals. As a southern European, I was amazed to see how dressed up everyone was, as there had not been a single soul wearing leisure clothing. People there are also incredibly active and interestingly enough, there are people running at all times of the day, despite it being work time. Towards the end of the day, the city is covered in the migration wave of cyclists, who got off work. Be careful or you might get hit.

Have you been to Stockholm? Don't hesitate to share your experience below! 

x, Valens



Scandinavia: Helsinki


Despite the adventure having started on August 15th, the genuine discovering began on the following day, when the Silja Lines cruise docked in the port of Helsinki. We started by visiting the Sibelius park, which holds an organ monument dedicated to the Finnish composer and violinist Jean Sibelius. We continued to a suburban area, where we our curious outsider snooping (within respectable limits, of course) had surprised quite the some Finns. Really, we were just admiring the cleanliness, organisation and peace that the people in Finland live in.


Afterwards followed the Temppeliaukio church, which is carved in stone. There was an actual mass in motion during our visit, so to say I felt a bit intrusive is an understatement. The bright side of that was getting to experience the incredible acoustics, as there an orchestra playing. Next we checked out Finlandia, whose surroundings left me speechless. As opposed to Slovenia, all project proposed in Finland are actually carried out, all renders made reality. I was quite the some trouble trying to comprehend the surrounding park and apartment buildings, because I’d only seen this kind of architecture in photoshopped renders that are in my country mostly synonymous to a creative, but naïve idea that is for a variety of reasons never going to be built. 


As it goes in Helsinki, we too took our time to have a look around the Russian church that protrudes proudly through the Helsinki skyline. It was especially humorous to see how very laid-back the protestant religion is, as the Russian church has both a café and toilets, which are most likely on the receiving end of criticism by the dogmatic catholics.


Lastly followed a stroll through the city centre and the market. I strongly suggest you visit the Marimekko and Artek Finnish design boutiques. For souvenir shopping it is advisable to have a look around the market stalls, as they offer anything and everything Finnish, be it food, sweaters, prints/postcards, and other craft goods. If you have the time and sweet tooth, please invest into a Mustikkapiirakka- a blueberry pie type pastry, which is served in generous portions.


Things I learned:
1. It is said that the Finns drink a lot of coffee. Upon having a taste of their coffee that is                  understandable, as it is not good and very weak (at least for my standards. I’m a spoiled coffee brat).
2. Finland’s population is 5 million. They have 3 million registered saunas. What. 
3. Cities that are most often associated with relentless winters and an abundance of snow have a    strange, almost fairytale-like atmosphere when there is none of that. I like it and I’d like more of it. 
4. I would not mind living in Helsinki. At all.

What is your stance on Helsinki? Don’t hesitate to share below!

x, Valens