Berlin – vibrant, innovative, busy – is racing towards the future like a pro. The city doesn’t look back much but instead pushes forward, forward towards the tomorrow. Strolling around the city on my Blumil electric wheelchair, I couldn’t help but admire its futuristic charm. Admiring Berlin wasn’t, however, the purpose of my trip there. At least not the main one. IFA Berlin – Consumer Electronics Fair – is one of the most important trade shows for tech products.
Have you ever dreamt of receiving all your favorite blog posts in one handy e-book? If so, dream come true – we will send you a free copy of “Worldwide Accessibility Rating” e-book once you sign for our newsletter! It’s a win-win situation: you’ll stay updated when it comes to all Blumil and travel related news, and you’ll be able to access bonus material, just like the e-book, that we’re sending to our subscribers! All of that completely for free!
When September is creeping in, and the last days of summer are just around the corner, school time’s about to begin. This time, however, they will be no homework, no tests, just a major dose of life changing knowledge. Ladies and gentlemen, Blumil Riding School officially kicks off! If you have ever wondered how to navigate our Blumil electric wheelchair, and how difficult it actually is, you’ve come to the right place! Today, we’re having a class on Blumil and hopefully, it’ll leave you feeling both inspired and informed. Let’s start!
It’s your first day in a lovely city and you’re holding a leaflet you received from your travel agent. The paper brochure in your hands lured you with a promise of wonder, excitement, relax and the adventure of the lifetime. When asked about the accessibility, everybody in the travel agency claimed the city was truly modern and friendly for everybody, so you took your chance.
Continue reading “The Great Accessibility Rating (for manual and electric wheelchair users)”
The history of Blumil, the electric wheelchair, started several years ago. I was utterly disappointed with the wheelchair market. It seemed to have a lot on offer, but nothing that would completely cater to my needs. I wanted to enjoy the mountains, stroll along the sandy beaches and breath in the winter air in snowy parks. All I needed was to experience freedom. The market didn’t seem to support my idea. You could either get an enormous electric wheelchair that would fail every city test or give up your travel aspirations. Producing something relatively light, both indoors and outdoors friendly? Well, that was a new idea. I was never the one to shy away from the challenge, so I took matters into my own hands. Since there was no wheelchair of my dreams, I would create it. That’s how everything began – necessity is the mother of invention, as they say.
The city on the hills – Lisbon – almost became my travel “the-one-that-got-away”. I visited the city once upon a time, but it didn’t charm me like I thought I would. All I could remember was how Lisbon was anything but wheelchair friendly, especially that I didn’t have my Blumil electric wheelchair then. With passing time, however, something was telling me there’s more to the city than what I noticed. When my friend, a local living in Lisbon, offered to show me his Lisbon, the charming capital I was yet to discover, I packed my bags and gave the Portuguese capital one more chance. That’s one definitely one of the best travel decisions I’ve made. The city, and the country, I was exploring alongside my friend, is an epitome of beauty. I was blown away by amazing nature, architecture, and food. What did I do and see? How accessible is Lisbon? The answers are waiting below!
Flying in the Blumil style is all about experiencing the freedom, and defying the limits. For many people, accessible traveling seems like nothing but a beautiful dream – wonderful in theory, impossible in practice. Things couldn’t be further from the truth. Is every travel destination accessible? Absolutely not. Is wheelchair friendly traveling possible? Absolutely yes! Throughout the years, I’ve visited numerous places (South Africa, Shanghai, USA, Spain, and Kenya to name a few) with my wheelchair alongside, and I had a wonderful time. Since Blumil entered my life, traveling has become easier. Sometimes I have to be extremely careful, sometimes numerous bumps in pavement give me a headache, but the abundance of wonders I stumble upon makes up for every inconvenience. As flying is often the best travel option, I would like to share my experience of flying… in the Blumil style! Things you should know, procedures to remember, tips to make life easier – everything’s waiting for you below!
Under the Eiffel Tower, the world stops for a second. I’d wanted to see Paris for as long as I can remember and once I was there with my electric wheelchair, just in front of the Eiffel Tower, it hit me: I made it to Paris. Cliché? Maybe. A wonderful travel destination? Most definitely! The French capital has been an iconic city for years, and there are definitely good reasons behind it. After all, as the month’s pass, nothing changes under the Eiffel Tower: people come and go, but there’s always somebody admiring the view and whispering “Oh My Paris!”. That’s kind of magic I wanted to experience on my own skin. Wandering around the city and soaking up the atmosphere I found beauty all around me. On crowded streets and in small cafés – Parisian charm would never fade away. I may not be an expert on Paris, but I would love to take you on a tour… straight to Paris I loved so much! What to do, what to see and how accessible the City of Lights actually is for manual and electric wheelchairs? More about it below!
Transport in the Blumil style is easier than many people would think. Since Blumil’s light and small, it is a perfect electric wheelchair for public transport. Subway? Checked. Motorboat? Checked. Train? Checked. Airplane? Checked. Finally… the car – checked. Everyday commuting can become faster and less stressful if one has a Blumil wheelchair and that’s something I can vouch for. I am a great believer that to live is to experience freedom and Blumil’s a material proof of my philosophy. Why? Mainly because it was created to defy the limits. How does transport look like in the Blumil style? How can Blumil itself be transported and what’s the lift to freedom? More about it below!
Adventure of a lifetime and South Africa go together very well, just like peas and carrots, or me and my Blumil elctric wheelchair :). The story of my South African escapade told in part I has barely covered half of what I would like to tell you about this wonderful country. Cape Town, as breathtaking and fascinating as it is, is just a part of the beautiful mosaic of RSA. Garden Route, filled with many wonders in just under 300 thousand kilometers, is the focus of part II. You must know that my trip was divided into two parts: one week of intense road exploration and one week of relaxing in Cape Town. This post’s covering the road trip, and what a road trip it was! Below you can find out all about South Africa’s must-dos, must-sees, and accessibility!
Continue reading “Adventure of a lifetime: South Africa – Part II”