The Harry Potter vibe

References to the story of the beloved boy wizard who captured the imagination of a generation can be found all over the city. J.K. Rowling lived and taught English in Porto for two years, and it was actually this city that inspired her to write her iconic novels.

Legend has it that the first passage of Harry Potter was written on a napkin from the famous Majestic Cafe, which Rowling frequently visited. That cafe still functions, though it’s normally full with locals and tourists trying to soak up the atmosphere of those distant days.

Another place Rowling often frequented during her Porto days was the bookshop Livraria Lello. Although often crowded, its Gothic atmosphere, beautiful wooden carvings, winding red stairs and stained glass ceiling evoke images of faraway, magical worlds. Here you can find some of the classics of Portuguese literature, which we encourage you to bring back home so you can get a better understanding of the country.

* There is an entrance fee to the bookstore (4 euro). The fee is, however, deducted from any purchase you might make.

The best Harry Potter references are the students of Porto themselves, or their academic uniforms, to be more exact. When you see them walking the streets wearing their long black robes (called traje académico), you might wonder whether they’ve just finished a class with Professor Snape. Of course, the tradition of wearing these robes is actually a lot older than Rowling’s novel and has been passed through the generations until this day.

The majestic staircase of Livraria Lello – amaianos/Flickr

The old town

The historic center of Porto – Ribeira – is listed as World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Now, it won’t be a surprise for you to learn that medieval buildings and cobbled streets always make me happy – thank god Europe has so many beautiful old towns to explore. This one, however, felt a little different to all the others I’ve been to; more authentic and even somewhat abandoned, but in a good way. Its beautiful tall and narrow buildings are decorated with the colored tiles typical of Portuguese, and after spending some time wandering around there’s a good chance you’ll start asking yourself: “is it really okay to stop every few minutes to admire a beautiful door, or there is something very wrong with me?”

The colors of Porto – Juan Antonio Segal/flickr

The views

Porto is a city built on hills, which means you’re in for some exhausting climbing: up and down, and up and down, and again and again… But it also makes for some incredible views of the city and the river, which winds its way through Porto. Here are some of best viewpoints in the city:

• The Dom Luís I Bridge – with the picturesque Ribeira district on one side, the wine cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia on the other and the Douro River between them.
• Ribeira – this is the perfect place to enjoy a calm evening sitting by the river, admiring the stillness of the water and the lights of the bridge above it.
• Crystal Palace Gardens – this beautiful eight-hectare park also happens to be the perfect spot for watching the sunset over the river.
• Clerigos Tower – where you’ll be treated with a 360-degree view from the top of a more than 250-year-old tower.
• Farol Molhe do Douro – which offers views of the endless ocean and its crashing waves.

A breathtaking sunset over Porto, as seen from Crystal Palace Gardens – Nesi Zelenkova/ www.203challenges.com

The wine

Porto is famous for its sweet red Port wine, and you’ll be in heaven thanks to the wide variety of local producers to choose from. Cross one of the six bridges and you’ll end up in wine-lovers’ paradise: Vila Nova de Gaia, with its countless wine cellars, each one offering tours and tasting sessions. You can also take a cruise along the Douro River to admire the vine terraces from the water and see where your wine came from.

Barcos rabelos boats used for transporting wine from Gaia to Porto – Güldem Üstün/flickr

The food

One sentence is enough to explain just how good Porto food is: “The world needs nata!” This egg tart pastry can be found in every bakery (and there are a lot of those here), and makes for the perfect breakfast or dessert (and if you ask me, the perfect lunch, dinner or appetizer – basically a dish I’d be happy to live on for the rest of my days).

I wouldn’t mind if there were more Francesinha in the world, as well. Although bread, ham, sausage, steak, melted cheese, tomato and beer sauce, and french fries all together might sound a bit like cardiac arrest – or at least enough to render you immobile for an hour – it is one of the most delicious Portuguese meals. You should definitely try it while in Porto.

You just need nata, don’t you? – Nesi Zelenkova/www.203challenges.com

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If you like experimenting with food during your travels, Cambodia is a country you’ll love. There is so much to discover when it comes to challenging your palate, one particular dish you have to try being a fried tarantula. Maybe this is a creature that would rather make you scream than make you feel hungry but we promise the feat is worth it.

Is it safe to eat tarantula

Eating tarantula is not an unusual event in Cambodia and if you feel adventuruous enough you can try it yourself. Yes, it is totally safe. Cambodians eat tarantulas, foreigners have started to do it too, and most people really like it.

© Maria Angelova/www.203challenges.com

How to dismantle a tarantula

As the spider is served in front of you, you should start with its legs. They are crunchy and taste a bit like chips. You can bite them off the body or tear them off with your hands. The sight of the hairy legs might not be promising but fear not!

Once you’re done with the legs, it’s time for the body. You should carefully crack the hard shell to reach the meat inside which is lean and tasty, a bit similar to chicken. You’ll wish there was more when you taste it. Finally, there’s the spider’s butt. Have in mind that it’s quite bitter and most foreigners will skip it. Cambodians, however, eat it too.

© Maria Angelova/www.203challenges.com

Where to eat tarantula in Siem Reap, Cambodia

As Siem Reap is probably the most touristy place in Cambodia you can easily find tarantulas for dinner. In general, fried tarantulas can be found at local markets and in some restaurants. 

Pub Street

Despite its name, Pub Street in Siem Reap is not a single street but rather a whole area where the most of the restaurants, bars, and live music clubs are situated. You can’t miss it with its bright lights, loud crowds and pushy street vendors. Here you can find stalls selling fried tarantulas, scorpions, and snakes. These are very basic, however, and if it’s your first bug encounter, or you are just not so much into eating things that usually make you scream, maybe you won’t like it. The vendors will normally charge you if you want to just take a photo pretending to eat the bug. 

Bugs Cafe

This is a place in Siem Reap close to Pub Street where a European chef cooks bugs and spiders in a most delicious way. They offer silk worms, crickets, grasshoppers, water bugs, ants, scorpions, and of course tarantulas in tasty sauces, spring rolls, and vegetable mixes. This is a more gentle way to immerse yourself into the unknown side of Asian cuisine. Everything is crunchy and surprisingly tastes better than you expected. Tarantulas come in different varieties if you feel like experimenting. The dishes in the Bugs Cafe (facebook), however, are not cooked in a traditional Cambodian style but more like your favorite European dishes. It’s fair to add that they have a free beer Happy hour every Friday. 

© Maria Angelova/www.203challenges.com

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Almost nothing else says more about a country and its people than the national cuisine and associated traditions. Food and drink are a means of immersing yourself in the lifestyle of a region and enjoying unforgettable experiences. Food is, quite simply, an integral part of national culture – and Germany has lots to offer in this respect.

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Overview

Turkish cuisine is a perfect mix of flavors and ingredients. It is mainly derived from Ottoman cuisine – and bearing in mind how big and ethnically diverse the Ottoman Empire was, it is easy to understand why influences from at least four different cultures can be found in Turkish food today: Balkan, Asian, Arabian and Mediterranean. Though typical dishes vary across the different parts of the country, there are some common key ingredients that can be found almost universally: lamb, beef, rice, eggplants, peppers, onions and of course – for Turkey’s famous desserts – pistachios, almonds and hazelnuts.

Some must-tries

You can’t get a taste of authentic Turkish food without trying the meal that made the Imam (an Islamic Leader) faint – at least that is the legend behind the name of the famous onion and tomato stuffed eggplant dish “Imam Bayildi”. The name literally translates as “the Imam fainted” and the story goes like this: one day the wife of the Imam cooked this meal and it looked so delicious that the Imam fainted just at the sight of it.

Another star of Turkish cuisine is rice – pilaf – which is served as a side dish with almost every meal. The most popular and easiest version of this is just plain rice, cooked in water and stirred through with butter, though sometimes tomatoes, chickpeas, eggplant and various spices can be added.

And since one of the few well-known truths about life is that “pizza is always a good idea”, while in Turkey you can substitute that for what is often referred to as “the Turkish pizza” – lahmacun. The meal consists of thin dough topped with minced meat and vegetables, then sprinkled with parsley and lemon juice. It goes very well with ayran (a salty yogurt drink) and is a relatively cheap, fast snack.

Lahmacun

The sweet side of life in Turkey

Think of the sweetest thing you’ve ever eaten. Multiply that by three and you get the flavor of Turkey’s most famous dessert: baklava. Today’s baklava recipes date back to at least the 15^th century, though the initial time and place of its origin are still debatable. What’s for sure though is that baklava is one of the most popular snacks to eat between meals or with a cup of tea. Traditionally it is made from filo pastry filled with pistachio, almonds or hazelnuts and held together with syrup.

A lighter and rather fresher dessert is the Turkish muhalebbi – a creamy, milk-based pudding. It is thickened by rice flour, topped with syrup and often flavored with cinnamon, saffron and some pistachios on top.

And a trip to Turkey doesn’t even count if you don’t return home with some treats like the delicious Turkish delight (gelatinous candies made from starch and sugar), tahin (crushed sesame seeds), flour or semolina helva, or marzipan (Turkish marzipan is considered to be among the best in the world).

The coffee culture

Turkish coffee is a big part of the country’s cultural heritage. Drinking coffee is a social ritual here and has been so ever since the 16^th century, when the first coffee houses appeared in Istanbul. In fact, the Turkish lifestyle is so influenced by the beverage that even the world for breakfast (“kahvalti”) translates literally as “before coffee”. It plays a big part in some special occasions like engagements, when the bride’s coffee-making skills are judged by the groom’s family.

When you are done with your coffee, it is common for your hostess in Turkey to use the leftover ‘mud’ in the bottom of the cup for fortune telling and discovering your true thoughts and feelings.

There are some special techniques for brewing Turkish coffee that make it unlike any other. The coffee is first blended, then roasted and ground. Some special tools are needed from this point on, like the copper boiling pot (cezve) in which the coffee slowly brews, and the artistic ceramic cups in which it is served.

The tea culture

Turkish tea is black and strong and served boiling hot in a tulip-shaped glass. In the past century it has become the drink of choice for most people and is sure to be offered to guests at Turkish people’s homes. Just like coffee, there is a specific ritual for preparing Turkish tea – in a double-level teapot made specially for that purpose. First the water is poured into the bottom level, and some herbal leaves placed in the upper one. When the water starts boiling, part of the liquid rises to the top one for about 15–20 minutes. The strong drink is then served along with the rest of the water, which can be added to dilute the strength of the tea, depending on the person’s individual preferences.

The street food

The Turkish kebab that can now be found all over the world has an interesting origin. When Turkish soldiers were away from home, they used their swords to grill meat. One cook from Bursa – Iskender – took that idea, but decided to place the rotisserie vertically instead of horizontally. In doing so he became the father of the most famous Turkish kebab – the döner kebab – which is well known as one of the most delicious and popular street snacks all across Turkey (and the whole world, really!).

Another on-the go breakfast favored by a lot of Turkish people, especially in Istanbul, is the simit, which is actually one of the symbols of the city. It is easy to understand why when you smell the tempting aroma of the freshly-baked, sesame-encrusted bread rings early in the morning while the city is still waking up.

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Ristorante

A ristorante (or a restaurant) is the highest-class food venue in Italy, where you can expect:

• professional waiters and a sommelier to suggest a good wine

• exquisite atmosphere

• good food and maybe a touch of gourmet

• higher prices

Trattoria

Trattoria is the next less formal option if you are hungry. You can expect:

• family-owned business

• personal attitude from the waiters (if there are any). More often than not the service staff are friendly, rather than sticking to super-professional standards

• informal but cozy setting

• traditional food and family recipes

Osteria

Osteria used to signify a place where men could buy wine and play cards, while they brought their food from home. In the past, an osteria would often also function as an inn, where long-distance travelers could spend the night in an unpretentious room. Nowadays, from an osteria you can expect:

• a rural or wine-themed atmosphere

• simple dishes, usually prepared solely as finger food to be enjoyed with the wine.

• seasonal food and different dishes according to the fresh ingredients available at the market

Tavola calda

Tavola calda (literally translated as hot table) is the improved Italian version of fast food:

• very simple, home-cooked food

• eatery similar to a fast food venue

• lowest prices of all the above mentioned

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Bulgarian wine in short

These lands have been covered in vineyards since the time of the ancient Thracians. Besides world favorites like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay, you can taste local wines from a bunch of Bulgarian grape varietals. There are scores of wineries inviting visitors for wine-tasting tours in all corners of Bulgaria.

Mavrud

This varietal is grown only in Bulgaria and it’s one of the oldest grapes found in the country. The grapes are tiny, dark blueish to black, sweet and covered by a thick skin.

How to combine Mavrud and food: pizza Margherita, smoked and semi-matured yellow cheese, all kinds of pork, kebapche and kyufte (local barbecue-grilled minced meat), moussaka (a local baked dish with potatoes and minced meat), lamb.

Misket

There are many varieties of Misket (a grape similar to Muscat) that are widely grown all over Bulgaria. If you can’t try them all, make sure you at least sample Red Misket (Cherven Misket). Fun fact: Red Misket is actually used to produce wonderful white wines. You will recognize a Misket wine by its saturated hay-yellow color and intense aroma.

How to combine Red Misket with food: pasta cooked with savory or red sauces, Shopska salad (tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and fresh cheese), vegetarian dishes with broccoli and cauliflower, fish, grilled seafood, poultry dishes, served in special covered serving dishes based on the bento box design for example 🙂

Dimyat

Dimyat is another ancient varietal that is also grown in Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Romania, Turkey and Russia. Its green-yellow grapes are used to create dessert white wines.

How to combine Dimyat with food: vegetarian dishes with maize and peas, salads containing onions and mayonnaise-based salads, grilled fish, chicken dishes.

Rubin

Rubin (or Ruby) is a hybrid created in the 1940s in the Bulgarian city of Pleven using Nebbiolo and Syrah. It is used to produce delicious sweet and semi-sweet wines.

How to combine Rubin with food: pasta and risotto with cream- and cheese-based sauces, vegetarian dishes with peppers, mature yellow cheese (cheddar, gouda), smoked meat, pork and sausages.

Shiroka Melnishka Loza (Broad-leaved Melnik)

This old-time Bulgarian varietal ripens late – in October – and in the 20th century it was used as a base for many hybrid varietals. One of these hybrids is Melnik 55, grown only in the valley of the Struma River and a symbol of the Melnik wine region.

How to combine Shiroka Melnishka Loza with food: fresh cottage cheese, feta cheese, vegetarian dishes with mushrooms, dishes with red meat.

Pamid

Pamid was cultivated back in the times of the Thracians and it used to be the most widespread Bulgarian varietal. Its tiny red grapes with thin skin are used to produce red table wine for mass consumption.

How to combine Pamid with food: banitsa (a local baked pastry made with cheese, spinach or cabbage), cheese fried in egg and bread crumbs, fish with tomato sauce, fish soup, baked chicken with potatoes.

Gamza

Another old-time Bulgarian varietal that makes an aromatic red table and dessert wine. You will recognize a good Gamza wine by its pale ruby color and dominant raspberry aroma.

How to combine Gamza with food: pasta, risotto and vegetarian dishes with mushrooms, soft cheese like camembert and brie, lamb, sweet baked pumpkin with honey and walnuts.

The Wine Day in Bulgaria, Trifon Zarezan

Bulgarians cherish their wine so much that they have a special day dedicated to it: Trifon Zarezan, February 14. Trifon Zarezan coincides with the Valentine’s Day celebrations to melt in the perfect combination of love and wine.

>> Read more about Bulgaria.

Secret places in Sofia: 10 fun travel challenges for true explorers (+map)

How to practice aylyak and be happy in Bulgaria

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The major problem of traveling abroad when you stick to a gluten-free diet is walking past restaurants and cafes and seeing all the seductive culinary delights that look different from those at home. You know, those ones that just scream “Eat me!” The following tips are not for those who have already gotten used to eating gluten-free, but rather for those who are in love with every pastry on this planet (think freshly baked bread, buns, pancakes, strudel, pizza…) and are unlucky enough to have had it crossed off their menu recently.

Here’s what I do to handle the temptation more easily:

1. I bring several types of nuts with me – crunchy nuts are a life-saver; almonds, macadamias or walnuts are easy, tasty gluten substitutes.

2. I keep fruit in stock – I usually take bananas and apples with me (washed in advance) because they are easy to pack and eat. This is what I eat on board the plane, for example. The airport is the first danger point when it comes to breaking your gluten rule, because you tend to think “Oh well, I’m on a vacation, I can spoil myself a bit…” and in mere seconds you have a croissant stuffed in your mouth. Then again, once you’ve reached your destination, you can visit local fruit markets and meet amazing locals while browsing through their produce.

3. I take rice and corn snacks – they are always a good idea when you get hungry in between meals, or when someone around you starts munching on a pack of potato chips. You can also bring a few vegan dips to take these healthy snacks to the next level.

4. I buy raw dessert bars made of nuts and dried fruit – making sure I have at least one of these per day. It doesn’t mean I’ll eat them all; I just try to decrease my chances of fainting by the window of a pastry shop without having a cake substitute in my bag.

5. I research and make a list of vegetarian and vegan restaurants and shops in the city I visit. These places always have a few gluten-free dishes on the menu.

6. Fresh juices and salads are always a great solution. If you can’t find a vegetarian eatery, you can turn your trip into a week-long cleanse and eat only salads, nuts and juices, which are available everywhere.

7. When I travel to Italy or another country full of hyper-tasty gluten dishes, I break my diet. Fortunately, my doctor hasn’t forbidden me from eating gluten completely. When in Rome (literally), I just need to make sure I only consume gluten in very small amounts, so I eat it once a day and bring my gluten intolerance pills with me.

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What if it was possible to keep all the joy and the sense of ‘wow’ even after your trip is over and you’ve come back home?

Actually, it’s possible. All you need to do is to preserve some of the habits you have on the road and apply them every day when you aren’t.

But first of all, let’s see…

© Maria Angelova/www.203challenges.com

Why is traveling so special?

When you travel, you pay attention to events you normally ignore at home. For example, you are excited about what you eat, you wake up to see the sunrise, you remember sounds and smells, you spend time people watching, etc.

That’s because everything is unfamiliar and new for you. When you spend a week in a city abroad, however, your excitement decreases and your brain gets back to its normal, not-so-special state. In psychology, this is called hedonistic adaptation – getting used to the good stuff in life, and it’s common to all people. This doesn’t mean you can’t change it, though.

Angkor Wat, Cambodia © Maria Angelova/www.203challenges.com

How to turn your everyday life into an eternal exciting trip

First of all, you have to beat the hedonistic adaptation. You can choose one of the two approaches – either to start paying more attention or to make sure you bring more diversity in your daily life. If you choose the latter, you will still need to pay more attention, otherwise you won’t feel the positive effect so intensely.

And as the idea might seem pretty obvious, it gets tricky when it comes to its implementation. To say ‘bring diversity’ is somewhat vague and doesn’t change anything. So here are a few specific fun ideas.

© Lachezar Sokolov/www.203challenges.com

Ideas that really work

These are just to get started. After a while, you will be able to turn your life into an endless flow of positive experiences naturally coming with more and more exciting ways to do so.

1. Weekday mini-trips – Stop thinking of traveling as a weekend activity and bring some adventure in your weekdays. Go night hiking or night picnicking, watch the stars somewhere away from the smog and artificial lights of the city, organize a treasure hunt with friends or with your family. You can also take half a day off and head for your favorite destination after lunch. 
2. Travel at the tip of your tongue – Explore a new restaurant offering exotic food, or just search the internet for the craziest country you can think of, find a recipe and turn your kitchen into a food discovery base.

James Sutton

3. Change your route to work – Simple as that, changing the most boring part of your day is an eye-opening experience that proves how little effort you need in fact. Walk to work. Bike to work. Go one hour earlier to see different scenery and to find out that commuting can be fun. To make it easier you can set a specific day in the week or the month, let’s say ‘Discovery Tuesday‘ or just every 5th day of the month.

4. Practice mindfulness – This is a whole new topic for another article, as mindfulness has turned out to be the new worldwide trend and there’s a reason for it. With so much pressure from society and the ceaseless bombardment of adverts, it’s getting harder and harder to be present and appreciate what you have instead of what you don’t have. Take a deep breath, feel the textures that touch your body, become aware of the smells and sounds around you as if you are experiencing them for the first time in your life. Repeat as often as possible. You can read more about how to be mindful here.

Practice mindfulness

5. Make friends with foreigners. – Keep in touch with friends you’ve met abroad. Say hi from time to time and ask them how life is. Their stories and different point of view will be a breath of fresh air for you, as yours will for your foreign friends. Set an alarm (right now) to say hi once a month.

6. Go on a photo hunt – Explore your city by going out to shoot a few photos imagining you’re there for the first time in your life.

© Patrick Tomasso/Unsplash.com

7. Become a local guide – There are many web platforms allowing you to be a local guide to someone who has never been to your city (such as Couchsurfing, GlobalGreeters, ShowAround, etc.). Showing the local attractions forces you to see them as a foreigner, and thus, reassess them. But before that, you may want to rediscover your hometown.

8. When was the last time you tried anything new? – One of the greatest pros of traveling is that it inspires you to try new stuff. Why wait for your next vacation if you can try painting, horse riding, snowshoeing, or snorkeling this weekend?

Pin it for later to have it as a reminder:

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Here comes a scientific survey trying to disclose if pasta makes you fat – or, on the contrary, it helps you lose weight.

A study published in the journal Nutrition Diabetes, has found that pasta actually makes you thinner and less prone to obesity.

“We have seen that consumption of pasta, contrary to what many think, is not associated with an increase in body weight, rather the opposite,” George Pounis, one of the scientists, said.

Researchers from Italy’s Neuromed Institute of Pozzilli, including Pounis, examined two large studies in which more than 23,000 people participated. They found that people who ate pasta have a lower body-mass index, waist and hip circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio.

Researchers found that study participants who ate pasta also ate more tomatoes, tomato sauce, onions and garlic, olive oil, seasoned cheese and rice, all pillars of the Mediterranean diet. Meanwhile, pasta is considered a fat producer because often it becomes a vehicle for overly salty, sugary, and fatty sauces.

What does it mean? You can eat pasta, served in a deep pastа bowl, with no fear of extra fat if you don’t add heavy sauces to it (meat and sugar). Stick to the Italian simplicity – fresh vegetables and less ingredients for a richer taste.

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How to do it:

1. Find a local

Who’ll teach you to prepare a better tiramisu than a 55-year-old Italian lady who’s been serving it as a dessert every Sunday of her adult life? If you know someone, or know someone who knows someone abroad, make sure you get a dinner invitation. Or, better yet, ask to go over earlier with a bottle of wine and offer to help with the cooking. This way you’ll get a first-hand glimpse of all the secrets that often remain unexplained in online recipes.

2. Find a local snack bar

If step one is not applicable, look for a local snack bar. Not a restaurant. These unpretentious food bars are a source of the most authentic recipes that locals probably learned from their grannies. If you can’t guess what’s in your dish, express your admiration to the cook and ask to have the ingredients of the meal written down. No need to understand everything; you can translate the recipe later.

3. Join a cooking class

Almost every destination around the world will offer some sort of finger-licking good cooking classes. Put on your chef’s hat and master some local recipes like a pro!

4. Shop away

If any of the ingredients you’ll need are difficult to find in your home country, don’t forget to drop by the local market and buy those special ingredients before you leave.

5. Cook

Here comes the sweetest part: when you get back, invite your friends over for dinner and cook the recipes you brought back with you. It’s the perfect occasion to see each another, have a bite together and share some interesting stories about hunting foreign delicacies. If dinner doesn’t work out the first time, fear not – your culinary failure will just be another story to tell!

How to make it better:

If you and your friends have traveled significant distances together, why not gather from time to time to enjoy a themed dinner and look back on funny pictures from your trips? The time spent going through old photos and reminiscing about the stories behind them will be refreshing. You can also have a themed dinner devoted to a destination you haven’t yet been to but would very much like to visit (Polynesia, anyone?). Just google it!

Read more:

How to organize a surprise (birthday) trip in less than 30 minutes

7 things mindful travelers do differently

Stop buying souvenirs: 6 better alternatives to bring home instead

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