Author: Renata

The world is my oyster: I'm Renata, founder and editor of this travel blog. bye:myself - no, that's not a typo, it's referring to me saying bye to my comfort zone and heading for new shores solo. Having been a solo traveller, flashpacker, and poverty jet setter for ages made me an avid and savvy planner and organizer of worldwide travel. Since I've been an author and journalist practically all my life, I love to put my travel experience into writing to encourage, inspire, and assist you. Looking forward to meeting you somewhere on this planet!

The Island of IOS During Off-Season

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Right from the start, let’s put two things straight: Firstly, Ios is not a mobile operating system but one of the Cycladic Islands. And secondly, during the off-season, the island of Ios does not live up to its reputation as a notorious teenage rampage party destination. As soon as all those juvenile disco queens and kings return to their original realms, Ios becomes a very laid-back, even serene island full of natural beauty and tranquility.

The Chora of Ios from above.
The Chora of Ios from above.

To be honest, I don’t even remember exactly what made me come to Ios in the first place. I actually think that it was primarily the island’s convenient location halfway between Santorini and Naxos. So why not squeeze in a couple of days on yet another of the Cyclades? And I certainly didn’t regret it.

This Way to the Whole Story ->

SITGES – a Posh Seaside Resort South of Barcelona

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Small but excellent – Sitges, a fancy seaside resort less than an hour south of Barcelona, has enchanted visitors for decades. While bourgeois families spent their summer retreat on the town’s fine sand beaches, artists and intellectuals gathered to share inspiration, but also local delicacies and drinks, obviously.

Església de Sant Bartomeu i Santa Tecla in Sitges.
Already because of the prominent spot right on top of the crashing waves, the Sant Bartomeu i Santa Tecla church remains Sitges’ most iconic landmark.

Today, Sitges is still a popular summer escape from Barcelona’s hustle and bustle.

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Street Art in SEVILLE: Arte Para Todos in the San Pablo District

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Seville is one of those many Spanish cities where you can spend days just walking around. Squeezing through picturesque cobblestone alleys, enjoying tapas, bloodred wine, and passionate Flamenco. Visiting the Cathedral, the Alcazar, and the Plaza de España.
But apart from the many world-famous landmarks, Seville has some less glorious barrios located on the outskirts.
One of them is San Pablo located northeast of the center.
Instead of magnificent Andalusian and Moorish architecture, you’ll walk between rather sad housing projects. Nevertheless, I’m sure you’ll enjoy your stroll through San Pablo since it’s also home to the art project Arte Para Todos and therewith to the best street art in all of Seville.

Mural by Veronica Werckmeister, street art at the San Pablo district in Sevilla
Expectedly, there is also a mural depicting a fierce Flamenco dancer.
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SANTORINI – a self-guided island tour by bus

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Picturesque villages of white-washed houses with blue windows and doors, overgrown by blazing red bougainvillea. White church domes against the bluest skies and at dusk, the iconic sunset over the southern Aegean Sea – who doesn’t dream of Santorini? In this guide, I’m showing you how you can tour the island and explore the most enchanting places in Santorini self-guided by a local bus.

View of the village of Oia, visited on a self-guided tour by public bus during three days on Santorini
It simply doesn’t get old: The iconic view of the village of Oia.

I spent three days on the island and got to see the most iconic places at a relaxed pace. If you want to add some hiking – which I didn’t since it was simply too hot – or spend some time on the beach – which is a bit pointless since Santorini’s beaches just aren’t that good – you might want to spend up to one week. However, I’d argue that less than two entire days on the island are definitely too short.

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24 hours in BARCELONA

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Recently, I was lucky enough to spend an entire week in Barcelona, however, since it’s Spain’s second-largest airport, chances are that you’ll have to stay there just for up to 24 hours on a layover.

Roof of the Palau Güell in Barcelona
Gaudí’s amazing chimneys on the roof of the Palau Güell just off the Rambla.

Although this is far too short for one of Europe’s most fascinating metropoles, in this guide, I show you how to make the best of it.

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Seven Days in BARCELONA And Ten Reasons Not to Miss Out on a Visit

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As international travel picked up again, one of the first trips I did was to spend seven days in Barcelona, Catalonia’s exciting capital. Barcelona is one of the most-visited cities in Europe, and in this post, I’m listing ten valid reasons why you have to visit this gem, too.

View of Barcelona from the Parque Güell
Some of Barcelona’s highlights in one single picture: The Parque Güell, the Sagrada Familia, the Mediterranean Sea.
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LA GOMERA – How to Explore the Canaries’ Ravishing Wild Child by Public Bus

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Powdery black lava beaches alongside rocky coasts, unique natural formations, and contrasting microclimates: La Gomera is the second smallest of the Canary Islands, but at least as diverse as all of her big sisters. So let me show you what not to miss and how to easily explore La Gomera, the Canaries’ ravishing wild child, on self-guided tours by public bus.

You can explore most of the ravishing places in La Gomera self-guided by public bus.
La Gomera: Beauty as far as the eye can see.
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Best of HERAKLION – Your Perfect Base in the East of Crete

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Bright lights, big city: Although Crete’s capital Heraklion has only 200,000 inhabitants – which still makes it the island’s largest city – it surely has some swag, and its rough vitality can definitely compete with the fierce energy of Athens. Now, add some amazing history, the proximity of some beautiful beaches, and major hubs like an international airport, a busy seaport, and a bus station from where you can get to all of Crete’s most captivating spots – and there you have it: Heraklion, your perfect base in the East of Crete.

View of Heraklion, the perfect base in the east of Crete
Welcome to Heraklion, Crete’s exciting capital city.
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Best Things to do in TENERIFE – one week on a microcontinent

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As the over-popular south coast of Tenerife is the most neglectable part of the island, I’ll show you in this guide which are the best things to do in one week in the island’s lush north. We’ll visit picturesque villages and lush fields, admire bewitched forests, enjoy black lava beaches and approach the mighty Mount Teide.

Lava Beach in Puerto de la Cruz on Tenerife a microcontinent
Black lava beaches are just one amazing feature on the island of Tenerife.
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Day Trip to RETHYMNO

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Located about halfway between the Cretan capital of Heraklion and the glorious coast town of Chania, idyllic Rethymno is kind of a smaller version of the latter: The same historic old town, a Venetian harbor, picturesque alleys, and fascinating Ottoman heritage make Crete’s third-largest city one of the most popular destinations for vacationers. But due to its favorable location, Rethymno is also the ideal place for a lovely day trip.

Venetian harbor of Rethymno
Today, Rethymno’s Venetian Harbor also serves as a fishing port
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