Posts filed under Travel Diaries

Houston Favorites | Houston Heights, 19th St

(you can click through the images for the fun(ny)/insightful captions!)

When in Need of Inspiration

Every now and then, I find myself in search of motivation and inspiration. This weekend may have been one of those times... and when that happens, I have learned that there is a quick and easy fix to it: going to one of my favorite places in Houston: the Heights' 19th Street. 

I am actually rather surprised by how not busy this street is, given what it has to offer. Or maybe Sunday is the perfect day to frequent it. My favorite shops, such as Jubilee, 18 Hands Gallery, CODA, and Bespoke can get anyone's imagination going at a million miles an hour.  

My highlight of today's visit though? I got to know Katya (or Ekaterina, as she might remind you), one of the co-owners of 18 Hands Gallery. When I introduced myself, I believe Katya assumed I was Russian and therefore fluently asked me how I was in Russian... I thought my response to her, "I'm Bulgarian" would make her recant her Russian words. Little did I know that what followed would be a lovely and warm conversation in my maternal tongue, Bulgarian!! 

Katya is actually a US native who happened to focus her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Slovak Studies which consequently landed her in Bulgaria for a year in the early 90's (a brave woman that is). Yet I was astonished by her perfect (or rather lack-there-of) accent captured from a merely year-long stay! Most importantly though, this encounter kindly reminded me of the amazing place I come from. Katya's fascination with Bulgarian folklore was a stark reminder of how easy it is to take the beauty in our lives and heritage for granted.  And sometimes, all it takes is a random encounter with someone else's passion to revive one's own appreciation and love for home. 

Posted on March 23, 2014 by Katya Popova and filed under Be Inspired, Travel Diaries and tagged be inspired houston art.

European Encounters | Cafe Strada

From Wandering to Lively Conversations 

Let me preface this with the fact that you cannot keep a European away from her gelato. So while wandering the streets of Downtown Dallas, my lack of self restraint led me to a lively coffee and gelato shop called Cafe Strada. In the heart of Downtown Dallas, it is conveniently situated right across the rather odd eyeball sculpture called the "Eye" by contemporary artist Tony Tasset (more on this in a later post!).

The best part of my visit to the coffee shop, however, was my fascinating chat with the owner of Cafe Strada, Gianpiero Lorenzo. When prompted to prepare his favorite drink on the menu, Gianpiero made me affogato. Have you ever had affogato? Oh, you should. Really. My affogato was made with a few scoops of Gianpiero's trademark frozen vanilla yogurt topped with a shot of hot espresso and whip cream. Yum! So worth going back for!

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Katya Popova and filed under Travel Diaries and tagged foodie coffee frozen yogurt espresso dallas.

Where the Curious Creatures Live | Dallas World Aquarium

The Dallas World Aquarium, an urban home to a large variety of exotic and endangered species, is an impressive place. On the edge of downtown Dallas and hidden in an old 1924 warehouse that had been gutted and rebuilt on the inside, this zoo has a lot to offer to the curious mind. My favorite sightings were the gigantic manatee (my love for these animals is clearly witnessed by the sheer amount of pictures I took!), the entire shark tank and the lethargic sloth (who felt uncharacteristically photogenic today!).  

Posted on March 6, 2014 by Katya Popova and filed under Travel Diaries and tagged dallas travel adventure manatees.

Travel Diaries | Having Fun with Packing

And You Say... "What?"

Who has fun packing, right? Well, I travel quite a lot for work and I have finally conquered the dread of getting ready by finding joy in the never-ending struggle to fit it all in my carry-on. And if you think about it, the challenge can be so much fun. 

Pictured above is what I will actually be bringing to an upcoming trip to Dallas. I tend to keep it simple and have everything in the same color combination so that I can recycle the shoes, pants and jacket. Three different outfits, eleven articles altogether! 

And given how much fun I had putting these outfits together and taking their pictures, I would not be surprised if I kept doing it for all my upcoming trips! Like I said, fun indeed!

Posted on March 4, 2014 by Katya Popova and filed under Travel Diaries and tagged fun design travel light.

Good to be Back: San Francisco | Round 2.1

Deserving its own mention, my splurge of the quarter was a helicopter tour of San Francisco! As my friend Amy would say though, experiences > purses. And this was quite an experience! Take off and landing aside (which are so great on their own), the helicopter tour offered a crash course (and definitely no pun intended here) in San Francisco's main attractions from a very unique vantage point.

It also offered the once-in-a-lifetime experience of diving under the Golden Gate Bridge at 150 miles/hr to complete the loop by flying over it. I may have almost lost conscience but this will remain as one of the best experiences I have ever had. 

Posted on February 18, 2014 by Katya Popova and filed under Travel Diaries and tagged san francisco unforgettable recommend.

Good to be Back: San Francisco | Round 2

Back in October, I finished my post about San Francisco with a "To Be Continued..." It is now February and I couldn't be happier to be back to this inspiring and creative city. This time around though, the weather was more than cooperative! And such a sunny and cool day presented the perfect occasion for a visit to the Golden Gate Park.

The Hike and the Handsome Reward

I thought staying at Union Square was a wise choice until I decided to visit the Golden Gate Park on foot! Typically, a 5-mile walk would not scare me. In San Francisco, however, it is a whole another story. And despite the grueling walk and changes of elevation, seeing the park itself was well worth the pain.

Here were my favorite things to experience:

Posted on February 18, 2014 by Katya Popova and filed under Travel Diaries and tagged san francisco travel fun gardens.

A Feast for the Senses: Huntington Library | Los Angeles

If You Have a Day in LA...

I have been traveling to Orange, CA once a month for over a year now yet I had never dared to explore the areas outside the small community I visit. Shame on me! Especially since LA is a mere 40-minute drive from Orange County. Well, this weekend, I took the plunge! 

When I was discovering what to do in LA, my research turned up this gem: the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens. You might be wondering why I skipped some of the more widely known tourist attractions but I just love experiencing a location when it's bustling with locals rather than outsiders. And I could not be happier with my choice today.

You can read about the Library's rich history here. What impressed me the most though? How stimulated every sense of mine was throughout my visit. A walk through the 120-acre park (120! even the scale is just mind-blowing) exposed me to some unbelievable sights, smells, sounds, textures and even tastes. My ultimate favorites were the views of the desert garden and the Japanese landscape, the unforgettable sweet olive tree aroma, the sounds of the thousands of birds flocking around and the plethora of plant textures I came across. And, like I mentioned, I even got to treat my taste sense via an amazing portabello mushroom panini with goat cheese from the local cafe.

Posted on February 9, 2014 by Katya Popova and filed under Travel Diaries and tagged travel california huntington library outdoors plants landscapes.