From Bruges...with love!

Have you ever been in Belgium?

Stefano and I had wanted to visit Belgium, specifically Bruges, after we saw the movie "In Bruges":

taken from Pinterest

We fell in love with the city while watching the movie (which has no romance, by the way) but haven't managed to actually plan a trip there till now.

We spent a long weekend there, back in June and we confirmed our love for this small city.

The city of Bruges is located in the Flemish side of Belgium, so the main language spoken by locals is Dutch - which means you won't understand one single word during your entire stay.

Bruges is very beautiful...as soon as you exit the train station you feel transported in a magic environment. You will be surrounded by the small river that runs through the city, the green trees and vegetation around it, the typical and colorful houses, the big tower with its bells and finally....the hundreds chocolate shops!

Temperature in June weren't as warm as the ones we are used to, but it was a nice break from the summer heat we are experiencing this year!

Few pictures of our small trip below:

Let's start from the center of this beautiful city...The Markt!

You can visit the tower (Burg) and climb all the stairs until you reach the bells room. The interesting part is that every day there is a man who plays a piano that is connected to the bells, the music can be heard in the whole historic center.... make sure you bring ear plugs with you!

Another view of the Markt:



and a view of what you can eat in the Markt:

:::Best waffle I have ever eaten!!:::

If you visit Belgium, there's something you must taste: Belgian beer!

This bar (2be) has thousands of different beers and, unless you spend a month there, you won't be able to taste them all. However, they offer some sort of samples depending on your preference (mix, strong, light) and I highly recommend this (cherry trappist beer is my favourite!).

:::The holiday selfie :D:::

[[ If you like my hat, you can find a similar one here and here ]]

I spent around 65 euros in this shop:

Bruges is full of chocolate shops, but only few of them make their own chocolate! The Chocolate Line is one of the few, and you can find chocolate for any taste and extravagance! They can box the chocolate so you can store it safely in your luggage {or in my case, they can give you a thermal bag since we bought so much chocolate that it didn't fit...}

Something you can't miss is the boat tour! It takes more or less 30 minutes and there are different starting point in the city.

For our last night in Bruges, we decided to go for some tapas and live music :) In Bruges and Brussels you can find many small restaurant and bistro that offer live music -- don't miss out!

Last but not least...something happened in Bruges!

Stefano and I got engaged ;)

Until next time,
Daniela

Pretty Elements goes abroad: USA here I come!

After some weeks I spent getting busy and travelling here and there, I finally found the time to write something in the blog.

Today,  I talk about one of my dreams that finally came true: visiting the USA!!{***insert belly dance here***}

It was absolutely cold fantastic!

As many of my friends and colleagues know, I am very organised and precise....so they were not surprised when they saw I was planning the trip 10/11 months in advance!

Flying to the States from Europe is not cheap (not the most expensive either, but still not the cheapest) and I wanted to stick to a budget or at least save as much money I could without having to give up on activities or tours I wanted to make.

Tha fact is, if you book in advance you have a wider choice in hotels and you are not subject to last minute inflated prices that will make your wallet cry!

I had time to make a plan and decide where I wanted to go and how long. As soon as I had this sorted out, I started browsing for hotels, picking the ones I felt were a good combination of quality&price. By keeping an eye on a realistic budget and reserving hotels in advance I have saved money and got nice hotels near metro stations and nice neighbourhoods.

Planning has its disadvantages....for example, I didn't expect to find the worst snowstorm of the last decade in the region of New York {how could I not!}. Worst area was around Buffalo city...and do you know where I was supposed to land in order to join the tour for the Niagara falls? Yes, Buffalo.

taken from Pinterest

Fortunately, we were able to go to Niagara Falls as the airport and the roads we needed were not blocked by the snow - and I'm glad we did because we really enjoyed it.

Washington DC jumped off the plan, as also a rainstorm decided to join the vagon! Boston was amazing and we didn't have any problem there, except we couldn't see Interpol in concert as they were blocked in the snow..where? Buffalo!

Nevertheless, I enjoyed every aspect of it! I was too happy to be in USA to let the weather bother me! :)

When you make those holidays, people tend to ask you what is the thing you liked the most....but I sincerely don't know how to answer it, because there were several things I loved!

NYC is on a completely different world compared to Europe: we went to the Cinema and we watched a movie on armchairs!! I was so comfy I fell asleep....until the person sitting next to time started screaming because the actors in the movie were being attacked!

Boston is absolutely beautiful - including Cambridge and Harvard university. We spent only 3 days here, but will absolutely come back in the feature! I want to watch a baseball game at Fenway Park!

Niagara Falls are so powerful and pretty - I had fun here and met looooots of squirrels ;)

Below some of my favourite pictures....

NYC streets are busy and colourful

A dream come true! A walk in Central Park

Central Park colours are beautiful in Fall - I have taken so many pictures here

I finally got to see what Times Square looks like in real life :)

Grand Central Station 

Views from the Brooklyn Bridge are breathtaking

I almost froze my nose to take this picture from Staten Island ferry

Coney Island! Stefano is a big fan of the Warriors movie, so we couldn't not visit this place

Boston is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen!

...and they also sell unique Xmas ornaments!

Harvard Football stadium before the Harvard-Yale game!

You cannot leave Boston if you haven't eaten this (with that sauce - yummy)

You find interesting models in Niagara Falls  - this is the view from Canada

American Niagara Falls are also gorgeous

This item is the most fashionable thing you can buy here ;)

Back in NYC - one of my favourite view from the Empire State Building

Thanksgiving parade was so much fun! this is a glimpse of it

..and another one here ;)

The Empire State Building lights on Thanksgiving

The Statue of Liberty in all its beauty

Hope you've enjoyed the pictures!

Until next time,

Daniela

New Year fireworks: 10 useful ways to protect your pets

During festive periods, people have to be extra careful with their pets when fireworks are on.

Pets are usually very scared of them; they tend to run away and, in the most sensible cases, they might as well get hurt or get panic attacks {Have you ever had a panic attack? it's not a nice feeling..}

Via pinterest

Animals in general, have a different perception of the sound and their hearing, especially dogs, is superior compared to the human one - so, when thousands of fireworks are exploding in the sky, it is easy to imagine why they get so stressed and anxious.

The following are some very practical suggestions that can help you deal with this situation and also help your pets:

1. Keep your pets inside the house: many people keep their pets in their garden, but in this case it is easier for them to stay inside the house as rumours are muffled and they will also feel safe;

2. Keep windows and doors closed and have the TV sound on, this will help keeping a normal environment in the house;

3. Make sure they have a nice and comfy place to rest or hide: if they are scared and are hiding (under the table or some furniture), please leave them there - they are  clearly feeling safer in the place they've chosen;

4. Act normally: don't over fuss your pet or they will understand that something is not normal or right ;)

5. Walk your dog out before the fireworks start {this should be normal, but never the less it's better to specify};

6. If you know that your pet has problems and has already got very much scared in the past (or had panic attacks), visit your vet: he will know what to give you  - do not use homemade solutions, always refer to professional advice;

7. If you can't keep your pet inside the house, please make sure you add a tag to the collar with all relevant details: name, phone number, address and eventually also the vet phone number.

8. Do not bring them near the fireworks - it is better not to leave them alone, but if you are playing with fireworks do not bring them with you.

9. If you have a balcony, make sure they are not there ( unfortunately, cats tend to jump off balconies when they are scared :( )

10. If you have a pet that is extremely affected by fireworks, please visit a vet and ask info about available methods and therapies for your pet, in order to find a long term solution {for the future}.

I sincerely hope I helped you a little!

Happy New year :)

Until next time,
Daniela

Back Home: Holidays in Puglia!

I'm back to routine! I have spent 10 days in my hometown in South Italy..unfortunately the days passed by fast and I'm back in Spain and at work :(

I come from a small town in south Italy called Sava - Here:

We visit my place every summer because we have one of the most beautiful beach resorts in Italy! The water is warm and cristal clear and the beaches are white and sandy!

Also, food is delicious, and since Stefano and I are good gourmets, we have had loooads of food ----which reminds me: I've made the 30 days challenge but then left for Italy and gained 3 kilos..(sigh sob)

How have the holidays gone?

Well.. It's nice to be back home. As soon as we landed in Brindisi, I've realised how much I missed that beautiful piece of land. I am fine in Spain, but there's no place like home, right?

Hello!

This is the beach of San Pietro in Bevagna - that's where I have spent my summer days since I was a small child.. I miss it already!

Port of Otranto

This is Otranto - I have never seen another port with that clear and beautiful water...and you? Otranto also has a nice city center full of souvenir shops! I was on a shopping spree!! yay!

Stefano was pretty impressed by the Cathedral in Otranto - the cathedral has a beautiful mosaic on the floor representing the genesis but, if you walk further, you will find this:

I must admit it does looks a bit creepy..

The relics you see behind the altar belonged to 831 martyrs of Otranto who were killed in a mass execution when they refused to convert to islamism, back in 1480 when the city of otranto fell under the turkish/ottoman force.

Back to places and lands now:

Santa Maria di Leuca's Caves

Santa Maria di Leuca is located at the really last tip of Puglia, the most southern east place of Italy.

If you visit Santa Maria don't hesitate to get a trip by boat and visit its famous caves ;)  They are gorgeous!

view of Santa Maria di Leuca

I decided I want to learn old traditions of my family and region, so I can bring them with me anywhere I go.

A typical homemade pasta made in my region is orecchiette.

Granma and I

My grandmother makes the best orecchiette, and I am not saying this only becase she is my grandmother - her orecchiette are requested by a ridiculous number of people ;)

I got her to teach me how to make them - I still have to practice many years if I want to reach her perfection!

I didn't take any picture of dishes and food.......... that's because I want to prepare them myself and share the experience here on the blog :P

prrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Until next time,
Daniela