Starbucks is the largest coffee chain worldwide and although it doesn’t serve the
best coffee (sorry Starbucks fans!), it is always very comforting to be
able to spot a Starbucks from afar in a foreign land, especially in
China.
And you’ll be surprised.
Many of these Starbucks stores are architectural marvels in their own right too.
I was amazed to find not just one, but two very beautiful Starbucks stores in Nanjing alone. There are many other branches around the worldthat fit the bill just as well, and today I’ll be sharing where all these gorgeous stores are located. If you are a Starbucks fan, be sure to put these on your bucket list! Even if you’re not a fan, I assure you that these stores will make excellent backdrops for your travel photos!
1. Laomendong, Nanjing (China)
Starbucks at Laomendong exudes an oriental vibe and resembles an old shophouse in ancient times.
2. Nanjing 1912 Bar Street, Nanjing (China)
Believe it or not, this is not Europe. We are still in China!
3. Galeries Lafayette, Paris
Sitting here gives you a bird’s eye view of the opulent decor (and all the merchandise – which is really bad for the pocket!) // Image Credit: Starbucks Newsroom
4. Ibn Battuta Mall, Dubai (United Arab Emirates)
Loving the Middle Eastern decor and vibes at this one // Image Credit: Wikipedia Commons
5. Tukwila, Washington (USA)
Starbucks Drive-thru made from four shipping containers. Pretty amazing right? // Image Credit: Starbucks Newsroom
6. Fukuoka, Japan
A magnificent work of art by architect Kengo Kuma // Image Credit: Starbucks Newsroom
7. Amsterdam, Netherlands
Can you believe this gorgeous hipster store used to be a bank vault? // Image Credit: Starbucks Newsroom
8. One Rochester, Singapore
If you are a Singaporean and don’t know about this yet, here’s another spot you can check out this weekend! // Image Credit: Flickr (Choo Yut Shing)
Have you come across other Starbucks stores that are just as beautiful? I would love to hear from you so do leave a comment or drop me an e-mail at regina.chow@gmail.com!
**All images in this post belong the author, unless otherwise stated**
When it comes to food in Copenhagen, I have to admit that traditional Danish delicacies such as herring can be an acquired taste, but the street food and pastries are definitely among the best in their league.
Aside from the famous 2-Michelin star restaurant Noma (impossible to get a reservation unless you book early), here are 3 interesting places for good food and pastries that I would personally recommend.
Papiroen Street Food (Paper Island)
Indulge
in street food, people watch and soak up the sun outdoors with a group
of friends at Papiroen (Paper Island) along Copenhagen Harbour.Why is it called Paper Island? The building once served as paper storage for the Procurement Association of the Danish Press, but the raw halls have since been transformed into a place where colourful trucks and vans serve up a dazzling array of street food from all over the world. These street food vendors are temporary occupants whose lease will be up in end 2017, so do visit Paper Island while you still can!
Cinnamon Buns at St Peders Cafe (Sankt Peders Bageri)
St Peders Bageri/ St Peders Cafe
Delicious pastries at the oldest bakery in Copenhagen
I have never been a fan of pastries, but St Peders Cafe changed my mind for good. Cinnamon rolls are the highlight of Copenhagen’s oldest bakery (founded in 1652) and you instantly know why when you sink your teeth into its fluffy goodness.
Having cinnamon roll at 730am (totally worth waking up for!)
Words fail to describe how incredible it is to have a piping hot crispy cinnamon bun on a cold morning.
Piping hot cinnamon rolls, all ready to fly off the shelves!
Their cinnamon rolls are also known as Wednesdays snails, with over 4000 of them flying off the shelves every Wednesday!Address: Sankt Peders Stræde 29 1453 København K
Contact No.: +45 3311 1129
Royal Smushi Cafe
Royal Smushi Cafe
Royal Smushi Cafe is a popular spot in town (even Oprah has visited this cafe!) known for its reinterpretation of the Smorrebord, an all-time Danish staple. Smorrebord is essentially an open-faced sandwich, typically with rye bread as a base and loaded with toppings like herring and the works.
Bite-sized Smorrebord, also known as Smushi
Royal Smushi created its own version of beautifully crafted bite-sized Smorrebord, lovingly termed Smushi. You can pop a few of these delectable goodies into your mouth and try all the different flavours without feeling overstuffed. I love the guilt-free experience. Oh, and did I mention that the cafe itself is just as captivating? It is hard not to fall in love with the whimsical decor and those Arne Jacobsen Ant chairs!
Have a great weekend ahead! I’ll be heading to Tibet tomorrow, and keeping my fingers (and toes) crossed that I wouldn’t be hit by altitude sickness. Please keep me in your prayers ok?
The start of my addiction to Europe began right after our honeymoon in Italy and Paris. Year after year, we would visit a new country or city in this vast continent that we hold close to our hearts.
This year, we seized the opportunity to visit Copenhagen, a Scandinavian city that has been on our bucket list for ages. It was an impromptu decision as I absolutely love the dose of excitement that accompanies spontaneity.
The Little Mermaid
Noma
Copenhagen is known for several attractions, including Nyhavn, The Little Mermaid and world-renowned top restaurant Noma.
What else is there to do?
There are many things you could do depending on what tickles your fancy and for your convenience, I will be sharing more about my favourite spots for sightseeing today.
1. Nyhavn
Besides The Little Mermaid, Nyhavn is probably the most touristy spot in Copenhagen and although the aim of this post is to put the spotlight on lesser-known attractions, I wanted to share with you some beautiful moments captured on camera.
Here’s a tip. If you want to beat the crowd, the best time to head to Nyhavn is around 9am in the morning. There is just a handful of solo tourists wandering around at that hour and you can bask in the beauty of the colourful 17th and 18th century shophouses lining the canal without jostling with the crowd. If you love the hustle and bustle, consider ending your day with dinner and drinks by the quayside as you watch the sun set.
Nyhavn at 9am
Nyhavn at 9am
Nyhavn at 9am
Nyhavn at 9am
Nyhavn at 9am
Tucking into ice-cream for breakfast is not a sin when you’re on holiday
Other than cycling, the next best way to experience Copenhagen in summer is to take a canal tour as it gives you a quick overview of the city. This is perfect not just for time-strapped travelers, but also for travelers who enjoy sightseeing from a different perspective. The tours are conducted in several languages including English, German and French.
For a bird’s eye view of Copenhagen, there is no better place to go than the Church of Our Saviour, also known as The Spire.After all, the view from the top of the spire was voted the best in the city.
Church of Our Saviour – The Spire
The steep climb up to the top of the tower can be a little challenging if you have a fear of heights as the last part of the climb (150 steps) is done entirely outdoors.
Last flight of stairs leading up to the top
Nonetheless, the rewarding view makes it all worthwhile.
After scaling the Spire, take a short walk to Freetown Christiania, an autonomous neighbourhood governed by a special Christiania law outside the Danish legislation. This neighbourhood is home to a hippie community and is currently the only place in Denmark where the cannabis (weed) trade thrives.
This is one of the most interesting and controversial tourist attractions in Copenhagen. Weed is sold here and aside from hippies doing yoga, meditating and performing on the streets, local art and craft is sold here and you can even catch a music festival if luck is on your side.One of the biggest draws of Christiania lies in its air of mystery that stems from the community’s alternative lifestyle.
Photography is not allowed within the neighbourhood. They take this very seriously and some friends actually had their cameras thrown away. Just follow the rules and you’ll be safe.
Freetown Christiania
Photography is not allowed once you are inside, but you can take photos at the entrance.
Founded in 1843, Tivoli Gardens is one of the oldest amusement parks in the world and is considered a national treasure in Copenhagen. Apparently, both Hans Christian Anderson and Walt Disney visited the amusement park and fell in love with it.
And it is not hard to see why, with the nostalgic yet fairy-tale atmosphere, rides that cater to both children and thrill-seekers (the ride Vertigo was voted Europe’s best in 2014), and lush surroundings dotted with architectural marvels.
Tivoli Gardens
Not a fan of theme park rides? Take a stroll in the garden!
This isn’t the Taj Mahal. It’s the Nimb Hotel, located within Tivoli Gardens
Get the Copenhagen Card as it covers free travel via public transport and complimentary access to 74 attractions. It is generally very convenient to move around by public transport as these places of attraction are easily accessible via metro or bus.
Apart from sightseeing, I will be sharing more about the food and cultural aspects of Copenhagen in time to come, so do keep a lookout for my upcoming posts!
Cities such as London, Rome, Venice and Paris immediately come to mind when we plan our holidays in Europe, but if you prefer to take the road less travelled, here are 6 other breathtakingly beautiful places that you could visit based on my personal experience.
1. HUESCA, SPAIN
The province of Huesca located in northeast Spain is home to beautiful mountains, verdant valleys and pristine rivers. All natural and virtually untainted by commercialism, this is a dream come true for adventure seekers and nature lovers. You can easily drive there from Barcelona Airport.
Check out the
Sierra de Guara region if you enjoy activities such as rockclimbing,
canyoning, caving, hiking or wildlife watching.
During our last visit, we stayed at Rodellar, a quaint village situated above the Muscan gorge in the Sierra de Guara National Park. Rodellar is also one of the most famous places for rockclimbing in Europe.
You can read more about JW’s rockclimbing experience in Rodellar below:
For a change of scenery, you can also head to a medieval city called Alquezar (30km from Rodellar by car). You can read more about our visit to Alquezar below:
I hesitated about placing Barcelona on this list as it is after all the most popular tourist destination in Spain, but when I speak to people around me about their travel plans in Europe, this city hardly ever seems to be on their radar.
If you love beautiful yet distinctive architecture, Barcelona is the city to go. The fantastical buildings designed by Antoni Gaudi are exactly what fairy-tales are made of and you will never see architectural marvels of this nature anywhere else in Europe, or in the world for that matter.
Here are some of his signature works that you have to visit:
Park Guell
Casa Mila
Sagrada Familia
For more photos and information on the places to visit, read my previous posts below:
If you are a history buff or if bullfighting is your cup of tea, you could also visit the Monumental Arena and Museo Taurino (bullfighting museum). Bullfighting may be banned in Barcelona (since 2012), but this slice of history serves a reminder of the arena’s past glory and provides great photo opportunities.
Everyone
talks about Prague and how gorgeous it is as a city, but did you know
that there is an equally picturesque (if not more) by the name of Cesky
Krumlov in the South Bohemian Region of Czech Republic?
Both Prague’s Castle District and Cesky Krumlov are UNESCO World Heritage sites. Everything seems to come to a standstill at Cesky Krumlov as you are instantly transported back in time. The little town looks just a medieval town complete with locals dressed in medieval costumes. A day-trip to Cesky Krumlov is usually recommended but personally, I would recommend staying a day or two just to soak in the beauty and to take time to explore its breathtaking surroundings.
For more information on places to visit in Cesky Krumlov, do read my posts below:
Eagle’s
Nest, otherwise known as Kehlsteinhaus, was built by the Nazis on the
Kelstein mountain above Berchtesgaden (located at the German Bavarian
Alps) in celebration of Hitler’s 50th birthday. It was meant to be a
holiday home and Hitler even had his own private route leading up from
the city to the mountains.
While Hitler hardly visited Eagle’s Nest, it is now a tourist hotspot primarily due to its mesmerizing scenery, which only gets better as you move up the mountain. Perched atop a mountain, Eagle’s Nest is surrounded by a confluence of white fluffy clouds that lay atop the city. You can easily book a day trip there via Munich (Germany) or Salzburg (Austria).
For more photos and information, you can read my post below:
Innsbruck is known for being a winter sports center and the city has hosted the Winter Olympics on several occasions. If you enjoy skiing or snowboarding, this is the place to be in winter, but even if these activities are not the least enticing to you, the panoramic scenery is bound to set your heart aflutter. Here’s a short video clip that I took when I was there some years ago:
For more photos and information on places to visit, do read my posts below:
Salzburg’s Old Town (Altstadt) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is renowned for its baroque architecture, set against the backdrop of alpine surroundings.
Classical music lovers would also know that Salzburg was the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. I can still recall how I excited I was just before I stepped into Mozart’s home, also known as Mozart’s Geburthaus.
For more photos and information, you can read my post below:
If you are a fan of popular movie musical The Sound of Music, you can also book a day trip to visit all the filming spots. It was also here where I discovered the very scenic Mondsee Lake, a beautifully serene lake overlooking lush rolling hills.
For more photos and information, read my post below:
The Sound of Music Tour
It has been a while since I last visited Europe and it is high time that I revisited this continent to explore other cities that I have yet to tick off my bucket list.
Meanwhile, I hope that my personal experiences detailed in this post would provide you with some useful tips and inspiration if you are planning a trip there.
I blogged about Prague a long while back (you may wish to click on the Prague 2011 label below for my past entries), but I forgot to mention that Prague was well-known as a music hub eons ago in the classical and romantic era. In fact, during a time when Mozart was supposedly neglected by Vienna, the city of Prague gave him support and it was also in this city that Mozart premiered his world-renowned operas “The Marriage of Figaro” and “Don Giovanni”.
Mozart aside, Prague was home to other famous Czech composers such as Dvorak and Smetana. I know the photos above don’t seem to gel with the title of this post or music for that matter. Well, I was pointing at the painting because I was surprised that this art piece was done by Dvorak! I never knew that beyond his musical talent, he was a respected artist in his own right too.
I was fascinated by how the painting could portray sunlight streaming in from the window before bouncing off the face of the subject. It looked like a photograph! I can’t begin to tell you how much I adore the interplay of light.
Music is a central part of my life and whenever I travel to Europe, I will make a point to attend a concert or opera. I attend operas in Singapore as well, but personally, it feels a little odd to watch Asian opera singers singing in Italian.
While we were in Prague, we booked tickets to Carmen at the Prague National Opera House. It was such a popular performance, almost all the seats were sold out, hence we were extremely lucky to get one of the last few box seats!
The performance was magnificent and we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. Here’s a short clip of what the opera sounds like. I’m sure it’s a tune that everyone would be familiar with!
When I get back to Sydney, I hope to book tickets to watch an opera at the Sydney Opera House too!
The Franz Liszt Museum in Budapest showcases the beautiful single-story apartment that the composer lived in during the last 5 years of his life. Besides his pianos, you’ll also find manuscripts of his compositions, his pictures and several of his personal artifacts.
I was excited to visit this museum because Franz Liszt is another one of my favourite composers. Not only was he one of the best-looking composers of his time (haha!), his most famous work, Liebestraum, won the hearts of many, including that of yours truly.
The building which housed his apartment has since been converted into a music academy as well as a venue for concerts. It’s a must-go attraction for classical music lovers. 😉
Before this post comes to an end, I’m going to leave you with a video of Liebestraum performed by Evgeny Kissin. It’s a little dreamy, somewhat melancholic but oh so very beautiful.
The Budapest Castle District is a World Heritage Site deeply steeped in history. It is located across the river in the district of Buda and is home to a castle, museums, cafes and spectacular views of the Danube river and the Pest district in its full glory.
We arrived here by bus and took our time to walk around the vicinity. The tranquility and beauty of the Castle District has a calming effect which invigorates your senses and puts your mind at ease.
When your legs threaten to give way, you can always find a cafe and while your time away. It’s the perfect way to spend a leisurely afternoon!
Back to blogging about Europe and Budapest in particular. I can’t begin to tell you how much I love Budapest, especially at night.
Then night view is breath-taking and completely out of this world. Just look at the golden glow from the lighted buildings and streetlights which resemble twinkling stars and gleaming jewels.
JW and I stood across the river for a good half an hour just to take in the panoramic view of the magical city. You would too, if you were there. 😉
One of the most iconic landmarks in Budapest is Heroes’ Square, where you will find statues of the founders of Hungary. The most outstanding pillar of them all is the Millenial Monument. This towering pillar was built to commemorate Hungary’s 1000th year of establishment.
If you’re interested in art, you can visit the Museum of Fine Art and Palace of Art, located to the right of Heroes’ Square. We decided to chill out at a nearby cafe that was decorated in the Art Noveau style. The quaint cafe took our breath away, and the cool weather was just perfect for a cuppa coffee.
The view of Heroes’ Square is even more magnificent at night. The glistening lights and glowing statues are a sight to behold. Absolutely gorgeous!
The House of Terror is a popular museum in Budapest which we stumbled upon while strolling along Andrassy Ut, the most iconic street in town. Contrary to our initial thoughts, this museum does not display instruments of torture. Instead, there are exhibits from the fascist and communist regimes, including detailed real-life accounts of prisoners and victims presented through video interviews and photographs.
It also gives you insights into secret communication devices hidden behind bookshelves as well as the actual prison cells where prisoners were detained and tortured. The prison cells at the basement were particularly creepy as you could still hear water dripping in the background and some cells were pitch dark. It literally sent chills down my spine.
Nonetheless, JW and I found the experience thrilling and interesting as it gave us a better understanding of Hungary’s struggles and how it eventually broke free from the reins of the Nazis and the Soviet Union.
If you want to learn about the country’s history, this is one museum you wouldn’t want to miss!
Hi! My name is Regina and I am a style, beauty and travel enthusiast who enjoys writing, photography and letting my creative juices flow.
My blogging journey has been nothing short of exciting. I was recently named the winner of Her World Magazine’s Estee Lauder Style Superstar Awards 2016. My blog was also awarded Best Fashion Blog (Grand Winner) at the Singapore Blog Awards 2014. The year before that, it won Best Online Shopping Blog at the Singapore Blog Awards 2013.
Additionally, it is listed as one of the 10 interesting blogs on Singapore by AsiaWeb Direct (http://www-singapore.com/blogs.htm). I was also featured on both local and international mainstream media for my views on style, fashion and online shopping:
The Straits Times (14 Oct 2014)
The Business Times (14 Oct 2014)
My Paper (13 Oct 2014)
CNBC ("Pricey Singapore: Savvy shoppers go online" - 28 Dec 2014)
For advertorials/partnerships, feel free to contact me at regina.chow@gmail.com.
