Vienna's National Library: The Hidden Gem of Austria

If you are ever in Vienna, wandering the cobblestoned streets surrounding the elegant Hofburg Palace, you'll probably have noticed some of the more popular sights: the noble Lipizzaner Horses, the mouth-watering delicacies of Austrian coffee houses (like Cafe Demel, which you can read about here), or the Sisi Museum located inside the palace, showcasing one of the most enchanting royal figures in Austrian history.

But there is one underrated feature of the immediate area that not many people know about, which boggles my mind because it is one of the most beautiful rooms I've ever stepped foot in. I'm talking about Vienna's National Library, and in particular, the State Hall.

Supporting Local Economies: Amerii Handbags & Balinese Artisans

Recently I was contacted by a marketer from the up-and-coming handbag company Amerii, based out of Bali. She wanted to do a collaboration video on my YouTube channel in which I'd review one of their handbag products, and in exchange, of course, I'd get to select any of their products which would be shipped to me for free.

Before responding, I checked out Amerii's website to make sure it was a company that I'd want to attach my name to, and I was very happy with what I saw.

Cafe Demel: Cafe Culture in Vienna, Austria

A pint in England. A glass of wine in Paris. Vodka in Russia. Some beverages are synonymous with certain locations. Coffee, I discovered recently, goes hand-in-hand with Vienna, Austria.

A visit to Vienna, Austria is not complete without an afternoon or morning spent lounging within one of the city's elegant and relaxed cafes, where time seems to slow down and every sip and morsel has meaning. Drinking coffee is an event, each moment designed to be treasured and experienced with delight. 

I was lucky enough to spend a morning in one of the city's oldest and most notable cafes, Cafe Demel, an establishment frequented by past emperors and empresses in days when the Hofburg Palace was inhabited by the royal Hapsburg family. 

Here's what you need to know about Vienna's cafe culture so that you can luxuriate in the moment yourself when the time comes.

San Marco Square in Venice, Italy: A Basilica, A Campanile and A Clock

If you are a first-time visitor to Venice, Italy, and are wondering where to start when touring around this fascinating city, my recommendation is to begin in the iconic Piazza San Marco - also known as Saint Mark's Square - a wide, open-air plaza surrounded by many of Venice's key attractions. From the square, you can easily access the famous Basilica di San Marco, the towering Campanile, the unusual Astrological Clock, along with many museums, including the Doge's Palace.

In fact, you could easily spend a couple of days exploring what San Marco Square has to offer!

When we visited Venice, Italy in October of 2018, we only had three days to experience the entire city, and so we chose to spend just one day in San Marco Square. This post will focus on our tour of the Basilica, the ride up to the top of the Campanile, and the Astrological Clock. To read more on the Doge's Palace, you will need to read my future blog post about it.

Please Nominate me for the Kerala Blog Express 2019

Hello to all my lovely, loyal readers! I am coming at you today with a little, tiny, very simple request, and I sure hope you can find it in your hearts to help me out!

It was this time last year that I begged, plead, and grovelled for your votes in a press trip competition called the Kerala Blog Express. This press trip to Kerala, India is a two-week bloggers dream, taking writers, vloggers, and photographers from one end of Kerala to the other, visiting tea plantations, cultural sites, luxury hotels, beaches, and more. I'm so in love with the idea of blogging and vlogging my way across Kerala, but I can't get there alone.