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The Three Magic Kings, or why Spaniards get their presents so late

The three magic kings | Los Reyes Magos | The Solivagant Soul

So here’s the thing, while most of the Western World is getting their presents for Christmas, Spaniards are not. We are different, yep. We recieve our presents from three very nice guys in January: The Three Magic Kings (or Wise Men)! Where does the tradition come from Even though we are not Christian per se, Christmas are and so are the Three Magic Kings. The story says that Three Magic Kings from the East were on a camel following a star that brought them to Bethlehem. Before entering the city they found Herod, who welcomed them into the city and…

Sirmione del Garda, heaven in Lombardy

Europe, Travel 4

Last August, out of the blue we decided to do a weekend trip to Italy. The cheapest flights were to Venice, so there we headed. I had been there before and I knew that four days there were going to be too many. So we decided to go divide the trip in two destinations: Venice and Desenzano del Garda. We were so lucky that we were there in the middle of the heatwave Lucifer. With average daytime temperatures in the high 30s, one of our best decicions was to take a daytrip to Sirmione del Garda. Where is Sirmione del…

Paklinsky Islands: The clearest water ever

Europe, Travel 13

Paklinsky Islands in Croatia, the cleares sea ever - The Solivagant Soul

A few weeks ago, I published a post about the itinerary that we followed in Croatia last month. The place I loved the most in the whole trip was Hvar. We spent two days there and the nices spot we found there were the Paklinsky Islands. Where are the Paklinsky Islands The Paklinsky islands are a small group of tiny islands in Croatia. They are located in front of Hvar (you can actually see them from town), another island that is halfway between Dubrovnik and Split. Hvar is a beautiful stop to consider when tranferring by ferry from Dubrovnik to…

8 things and places to avoid in Barcelona as a tourist

Europe, Travel 8

8 things you should never do in Barcelona - The Solivagant Soul

There are many posts out there about the X things you can’t miss in Barcelona. Or how many “hidden gems” the city has. I am from Barcelona, and even though most of the time I have problems thinking of it as a tourist, I do have some recommendations on what to avoid in Barcelona. Don’t be that tourist. Avoid going to Barcelona in July or August So my first advice to you is do not visit Barcelona in July and August. While most of Spain will celebrate their holidays during August, most of Europe does it in July. Barcelona is…

The best 10 day Croatia itinerary

Europe, Travel 38

A ten day croatia itinerary - The Solivagant Soul.

A few days ago I arrived from an amazing trip to Croatia. I am right now in a position at work when I cannot take many days off and so I prepared a short 10 day itinerary through the country. With this itinerary I visited most of the coastal cities as well as some interesting less touristy spots. For most people it may be a bit too ambitious, but that’s the way I love to travel the most. Here you have my 10 day Croatia itinerary ! Day 1 of my 10 day Croatia itinerary: Arriving to Dubrovnik Our 10…

Hapje-Tapje, a culinary tour in Leuven

Europe, Food, Travel 4

So, to get yourselves in position, I have been living in Belgium for a bit less than 4 years. I have been to Christmas Markets, to plenty of fairs, and to a few Carnivals. But by far, my favorite event has always been the Hapje-Tapje. Why? well, in a word: food. You can find some more information about this year’s event here. What is the Hapje-Tapje The Hapje-Tapje is an event that goes on every year during the first weekend of August. It is a day in which most of the restaurants in the city center open their doors and…

San Juan in Spain, a night of witches and bonfires

Europe, Travel 2

San Juan in Spain, a night of witches - The Solivagant Soul

Yes! it is here! The summer has finally arrived! We are all happy and eager to finally head to whoknowswhere and have some proper time off. Also, the start of the summer is the beginning of something else, the days start to shorten and the nights get longer. Many countries have their own rite or ceremony to celebrate this. For example, you can head to Stonehenge in the UK and spend a night with the dolmens. Or you can head north and enjoy a non-stop party with the midnight sun. Today I am telling you about how we do it…

Catalan Christmas, a different holiday season

Europe, Travel 0

If there’s something we Catalans are specially good at is at being different. We are too cool to celebrate Valentine’s Day, so we have our own and celebrate St Jordi (much better if you ask me). In our holidays, we gather and dance in circles, or we dress up as demons and run the streets throwing sparks to the people. But it that were not enough, we love human castles and eat (kinda) burned onions while wearing a bib. We are a fantastic country, with very special and original traditions. And, is there something more original than our Catalan Christmas?…

German winter: Christmas Market in Cologne

Europe, Travel 0

Cologne Christmas Markets - The Solivagant Soul

After I moved to Belgium a few years back, one of the things I was the happiest about was that I was on a city with a beautiful Christmas market. And not only that, but only a few hours away from many others. In every city, or capital around here, there’s at least one interesting market. You can visit the weirdly lighten one in Brussels. Or the rustic in Liege. Or maybe the lovely one in Brugge. Each one of them has something special, but none compares to the Christmas market of Cologne. Because is not one or two, they…

Visit the love locks bridge in Cologne, Germany

Europe, Travel 44

The Hohenzollern Bridge, also known as the Love Lock Bridge in Cologne, is one of the most unique and interesting places to visit in Germany. Every year thousands of couples visit the bridge and leave a lock as a sign of their love. Legend says that their love will last as long as the lock stays on the Bridge. Similar to Paris and other places in Europe, this bridge is a beautiful example of…

One of the cities I liked the most when I was travelling through Europe with Interrail was Cologne. This very nice city is clean and alive. And has a very young feeling to it. The first time I was there I loved it, and I want to tell you why, and why you should visit the love locks bridge in Cologne, Germany. Also known as the Hohenzollernbrücke or Hohenzollen Bridge. After that first visit, I went there a couple of times a year for a while. And every time I went, I loved it more and more. The train station…

Category: Europe