Guide to MEDELLÍN – And a Day Trip to GUATAPÉ

Let me guide you to Medellín – which is also a great gateway for a fantastic day trip to the mesmerizing town of Guatapé.

Fernando Botero La Muerte de Pablo Escobar
Fernando Botero La Muerte de Pablo Escobar
Escobar was shot and killed by the Colombian National Police already in 1993, but like all the rest of this beautiful country, since then, Colombia has progressed a lot; sadly, without the world taking notice. I wish my post would change that at least a bit.
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Two Days in CARTAGENA

Cartagena is Colombia’s most touristy destination. No wonder, they have a Caribbean beach and a walled old town that is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Nevertheless, I found spending two days in Cartagena enough.

Woman walking in Cartagena, Colombia
Although no Colombian woman is wearing this when there are no tourists around, this lady makes this picture….picturesque.
(Photo: ShonEjai from Pixabay)

However, the old city is very alluring and there are lots of touristy infrastructures.

Exactly the reason to dislike it.

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SANTA MARTA – Spectacularly Unspectacular

Santa Marta is a wonderful, spectacularly unspectacular place.

Coffee vendor on a street in Santa Marta
Good morning, Santa Marta! The coffee lady is pushing her cart on Calle 19; who needs Starbucks, anyways?!
In the afternoon her place is taken by the gentleman who sells cheese-filled arepas. A very pleasant fast-food culture far from chain companies. 

The perfect place for those who don’t suffer from FOMO but are very well able to observe and enjoy the small things of truly Colombian life.

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A Day at PARQUE TAYRONA

Before I begin to tell you about my amazing day at Parque Tayrona, I must admit that I skipped one stop.

Parque Tayrona
Getting sneak peeks at the cool, blue ocean is very encouraging. Like the carrot dangling in front of a mule.

After we left the pleasure hell of the beaches of Cartagena, we made it to Santa Marta, a city by the sea. A little colonial, a little touristy, a little average, but very unpretentious. A healthy mix of good crowds.

And adjacent to the fantastic natural reserve Parque Tayrona.

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Best Street Art in PARIS: How Mehdi Ben Cheikh Transformed the 13th Arrondissement Into An Open-Air Gallery

Yes, there is the Eiffel Tower. D’accord, you need to pay the Louvre a visit. Okay, let’s go on a walk alongside the River Seine. But besides all this, make sure to pay also some of the lesser-known and underrated arrondissements a visit. Because it’s right there where the best street art in Paris is waiting for you!

Mural by Pejac - the best street art in Paris.
If you cannot see right away why this mural by Pejac is simply genius, you need to take a closer look. Or check out the zoom below.

Under the aegis of Parisian art dealer and cultural entrepreneur Mehdi Ben Cheikh, the 13e arrondissement in particular has undergone an impressive revival from an a bit run-down part of the city into an open-air gallery.

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Best Street Art in LONDON – Part II: Shoreditch

In the first part on urban art in London, I guided you through Camden Town where there’s barely a street you can walk down without spotting some amazing murals. In this post, I’m proving that it gets even bigger’n’better by introducing you to the best street art in Shoreditch in the Eastern part of London – since that’s where it basically all began.

Mural in Shorditch. Best Street Art in London Shoreditch.
Nuff Said.
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Best Street Art in LONDON – Part I: Camden

In all its different shapes and forms, urban art has been a crucial part of London for decades. Visiting neighborhoods like Camden or Shoreditch, there’s barely a street you can walk down without spotting some amazing murals. In this post, I’m introducing the best street art London offers in the area around Camden. Then, in the second part, we continue our chase for street art in the hunting grounds of Shoreditch in the Eastern part of the city.

Mural of Amy Winehouse by JXC in London's district of Camden.
Camden’s most famous daughter: Amy Winehouse who sadly joined the infamous Club 27 in 2011. JXC painted this memorial.
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Best Street Art in FRANKFURT

A couple of weeks ago, I introduced the 25 best things to do on a weekend trip to Frankfurt am Main, mostly known as Germany’s financial power station. One of the activities I recommended was getting to know the best street art in Frankfurt. Because not only is the city home to some of Germany’s best art museums. It is also a cradle of some of the most amazing urban artists such as Case MaClaim and Hera from the artist duo Herakut. In this post, I’m introducing you to some of Frankfurt’s best urban artists.

Mural by Justus Becker aka COR.
Mural by Justus Becker aka COR.
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24 hours in ISTANBUL

Since Turkish Airlines often offers the best prices when going to South East Asia – and I heard that sometimes they might even be your best bet going to Latin America – a short stay anywhen soon might be quite probable.

Therefore, here comes another issue of my 24 hours in… series, designated to transform a short stay like a layover into an extra vacation.

Touristy Center of Istanbul during 24 hours.
Like One Thousand and One Nights.

Of course, this itinerary – one for a sunny and an alternative for a rainy day – is great not only for a layover. It comes in handy for any kind of brief stay – for instance when you’re on your way to a beach vacation on the Turkish coast.

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