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A Day Trip to Nara, Chasing Breathtaking Temples, Shrines, and Deer

//  by Simon//  2 Comments

It’s often overshadowed by Kyoto, but a day trip to Nara is a must if you want to see the best of Japan. My jaw dropped as I walked from temple to temple in Nara Park.

Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines, and more than thousand deer strolling freely in the park: Nara Park took my breath away.

Founded in 710 A.D., over time Nara’s development was strongly affected by influences from China and Korea, and the city soon became the cradle of future Japanese culture and architecture.

Unlikely many cities of Japan, ravaged across the centuries by earthquakes and fires, many historical buildings in Nara survived time, wars and natural disasters. Today, they are one of the most stunning ancient architectural complexes in Asia, a site whose beauty will stick in my memory forever.

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Postcards from Ravenna, the Marvelous City of Mosaics

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I first visited Ravenna last year on a day trip from Bologna, where I spent two weeks to discover the beauty of the Emilia-Romagna region.
I had been wishing to admire the Byzantine mosaics for a long time but never managed to go, and with a single day, there was not much time to get a more comprehensive idea of the city beyond the mind-blowing ancient sites. 

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33 Photos that Will Make You Want to Visit Milan

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Well known as one of the world’s fashion capitals and a longstanding business hub in Europe, there still are only a limited number of foreign tourists who plan to visit Milan, particularly if it’s their first trip to Italy.

The land of “La Dolce Vita” is one of the most fantasized destinations in the world, but while Rome, Florence, Venice, the Cinque Terre, and the Amalfi Coast captivate everyone’s imagination, Milan is hardly on the radar.

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Discover the Magic of Venice in November

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“How about a weekend in Venice in November?”

I immediately accepted because I love spending time with Stefano, my travel pal in the few occasions when I’m not traveling solo. The “where” was not relevant. I was happy to enjoy a couple of days with my best friend. I found out that without the crowds and shrouded in fog, Venice in November can be a wonderful romantic gateway.

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Discovering Lahore and its Magic [Day 2]

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When I decided to travel to Pakistan, I hadn’t originally planned to visit Lahore.

I crave for mountains much more than I am attracted by cities, and my very tentative itinerary (I’m not much of a planner and I definitely prefer spontaneous journeys, whenever possible) was focused on the area north of Islamabad towards the Chinese border and, possibly, also west, close to Afghanistan.

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Falling in Love with Magic Lahore [Day 1]

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When I decided to travel to Pakistan, I hadn’t originally planned to visit Lahore.

I crave for mountains much more than I am attracted by cities, and my very tentative itinerary (I’m not much of a planner and I definitely prefer spontaneous journeys, whenever possible) was focused on the area north of Islamabad towards the Chinese border and, possibly, also west, close to Afghanistan.

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2 Days in Munich: How to Experience the Best of Bavaria’s Capital

//  by Simon//  3 Comments

Easy to reach from all the main European cities, Munich is perfect for a short break or a stopover along your journey, but what to see in Munich if you only have 2 days?

Of course, the longer you stay the more you can discover, but chances are that most visitors will spend between 1 and 3 days in the capital city of Bavaria, either during a weekend or as a leg of a longer journey across Germany.

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