Relaxing spa – weekend in the countryside

Blumil rides in the countryside

Once upon a time, my countryside trips would be limited to exploring whatever was a stone’s throw away from the hotel. Going off the beaten track was impossible: both my old manual and electric wheelchair wasn’t cut out for country adventures. While my friends were off to enjoy the nature, I would be looking at everything through a window.  Luckily, everything changed once I got my Blumil electric wheelchair. You see, unlike regular wheelchairs, Blumil’s very light and it’s easy to navigate it – even when the terrain’s  challenging. That’s what freedom feels like – I can go anywhere and do about anything. Most of the times my friends are the ones who need to catch up with me –  my Blumil’s faster than you would think. Doesn’t it sound perfect for countryside trips?  I thought it did so I packed my bags and headed to “Herbarium”. What’s that?  It’s a hotel and spa centre located in Chomiąża Szlachecka, Poland. Not too close, yet not too far away from Warsaw where I love, it made a perfect weekend getaway destination.

Let’s put it under the microscope!

 

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FALLING IN LOVE WITH BARCELONA: PART II

Falling in love with Barcelona felt natural, as I entered the city for the first time… in 1992. Barcelona was preparing for the Olympics, which were soon to transform a fairly unknown place (outside Spain!)  into a popular tourist destination. I looked at the skies above the city and the sea, painted in all shades of blue, and I knew there was no turning back. Parts of my heart stayed in Barcelona, never to come back. Since 1992, I’ve visited the city numerous times, and I never get bored of it. White Christmas is exactly the opposite of what I came for to Barcelona, and I got what I wanted. The weather was absolutely wonderful – it was sunny and warm as if it was the middle of September, not December. If you want to finish your year with a big bang, Barcelona is a way to go. What to do there? What to skip there? What to know? More about it below!

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BURNING BRIGHT IN HONG KONG

Lights are always burning brightly in the city of Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee. Hong Kong illuminates at night and comes into thousands of different shades, diving straight into the future. When I visited the city in 2008, it was like a busy beehive, as China was preparing for the Olympics. Everything felt hectic, modern, and impressive. I’m more in love with outdoors adventure than city exploration, but Hong Kong managed to grasp my full attention and made me go “woah” a few times. It felt as if the future was just within the reach, somewhere among luminous skyscrapers. The concrete jungles like Hong Kong never lose the sight of tomorrow.

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BETWEEN BUDDHIST TEMPLES AND SKYSCRAPERS IN TAIPEI

Navigating between Buddhist temples and skyscrapers felt unreal.  Don’t get me wrong – I knew Asia was becoming synonymous with a modern architecture. Still, to know something and to experience it firsthand: these are two different things. There I was in Taipei, watching two seemingly different worlds collide. I didn’t see it coming. While I didn’t take the wrong plane and magically appear in Taiwan, my trip was spontaneous.  Since me and my friends decided to take a 10-days trip around Asia,  we thought visiting Taipei could be a good idea. If I had to make a list of all travel decisions I regret, Taipei wouldn’t have made the list. It wasn’t the nicest place I’ve ever visited, true. Still, just as if skyscrapers and old temples weren’t a bizarre combination,  there was something balanced about the city. Something promising that I will try to put into words

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EXPLORING CANALS OF AMSTERDAM

Exploring canals of Amsterdam was the most fun thing I’ve ever done in this city. I know it may be surprising since many people would link Amsterdam to great coffee shops or a laid-back atmosphere. Probably it offers things more “fun” than canals, but it is what it is – the city’s never been my favourite. Before going there, I have already heard of its wonderful coffee shops and The Red Light District. (Un)fortunately, I’ve never been very much into any of those, so the city didn’t really cater to my travelling needs. Still, I think it makes an interesting place to visit, and I’m going to fulfil my duty as your travel chronicler. How accessible is Amsterdam and what does it offer to people, who are eager to explore it? Keep reading and I promise to tell you everything I know.

 

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PARTYING IN PUERTO PLATA, THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Sunshine, lovely beaches, the Caribbean Sea and a perfectly blue sky – Dominican Republic has it all. I’ve never been a sun shy person, so when I visited Puerto Plata back in July 2006, I fell in love with the Dominican Republic. Puerto Plata’s located on the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, and it’s full of touristic resorts.  I was there for two weeks, and oh my, these two weeks I will always remember! 

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WALKING A DOG IN THE SNOW

Deep snow Blumil ride

You can really feel that it’s winter in Poland. It’s cold and there are loads of snow. To leave the apartment on my manual wheelchair, it’s a real challenge. It’s not easy to push through the snow. On the Blumil it’s actually fun. I went to a nearby forest for a run with my dog. It was fantastic. The sun was shining, I was racing going constantly at speeds up to 20 km/h and chasing around with my labrador Coco. Moving around like that really made me forget that I’m disabled and the Blumil doesn’t feel like a wheelchair at all.

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EXPLORING DUBLIN, IRELAND

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear Ireland? Good beer, Dublin, shamrock leaves, pubs, Saint Patrick? In my head, it’s probably some kind of mixture all of these, but the first word that comes to my mind would be: fun. I visited Dublin back in August 2004, and my trip was definitely the one to remember., even though I haven’t had an electric wheelchair those days. I had the best of all worlds: a bit of relax, a lot of fun and some sightseeing to explore the city. What I loved there, what was less than lovable, what’s worth seeing? All of the answers, you can find below!

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MILO’S ACCESSIBILITY RATING FOR MANUAL OR ELECTRIC WHEELCHAIR USERS

Today, I would like to introduce you to my ultimate accessibility rating of travel destinations. Travelling with a manual or electric wheelchair might be quite a a challenge, but .. You have to know, I’ve never been the one to resist a promise of adventure. Travelling has always been my cup of tea, and nothing has changed that. I’m not a person who believes in limits, but I am a great believer of challenges.

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