-
Santorini: Top 9 tips by an (almost) local
Santorini (or Thira, as it is also known as) is the southernmost island of the Cyclades. One of the most famous as well as the most visited Greek islands, it can become quite hectic in the summer. Yet, this is the best time to visit. Here are my top 9 tips to avoid falling into the tourist traps, and have the best experience. Tip 1: Do not avoid Oia (but avoid the hordes of tourists) Oia is one of the two main settlements on the west coast of the island (Fira is the other one). Built on a steep slope of the caldera, this charming hilltop village is worldwide…
-
Island-hopping in the Cyclades in 2 weeks
Cyclades. Probably the most archetypal Greek islands. If you’ve never been to the Greek islands, this is where you should start. Santorini and Mykonos may be the most famous in this group of 24 inhabited islands (as well as the ones easiest to get to, at least from abroad), but it would be a shame to overlook the lesser known ones. Island-hopping is an easy and fun way to explore the Greek islands and this is exactly what I decided to do two years ago, when I first visited Cyclades (it is also what I have been doing every summer since then). The 13-day itinerary I describe here is…
-
Crime & Fjords: 9 Scandinavian writers you should read
As a child, I read all Agatha Christie novels during my summer holidays. When I moved to the UK, I read them all over again, but in English. Up until recently, I used to mostly read whilst on holidays, either on the go or on the beach. However, since I moved to London and started commuting on the train, I have also been reading on my way to and from work. I am ever so thankful to the Scandinavian crime writers for providing me with plenty of material. I still wonder how it happens and the Nordic countries score high on happiness with murder rates being so high, or is this…
-
Hygge, Lagom & Lykke: 10 books about Scandi happiness
Denmark, Norway, Finland. According to the United Nations World Happiness Report that gets published every year, the Nordic countries are thought to be the happiest on Earth. Controversial as this may be, the Nordic countries do score highly on six key variables associated with happiness: income, healthy life expectancy, social support, freedom, trust and generosity. One may argue that it is the social welfare system in these countries that allows them to score so high and top the list of happiness. Yet, I think there may be something more… Could hygge be the answer? Or lagom perhaps? The Scandinavian word ‘hygge’ has recently entered the English language. Defined as ‘the practice…