Guest Post: Where in the World Have You Been?

INTRODUCTION

Greetings! It's my pleasure to introduce Donna as my first guest blogger today. I've been following Donna's Retirement Reflections blog for a while. We both live in Canada, only about 3,500 km (2,186 miles) apart. Donna writes about her life after retirement, new chapters, new discoveries and new adventures. Her posts are clearly written and well-researched. She seems to have a knack for connecting warmly to her readers and always leaving concise and thoughtful comments. We share an interest in travel so it seems perfect to have her on my blog today asking the question, "Where in the World Have You Been?".

Without further ado...Here's Donna.

WHERE IN THE WORLD HAVE YOU BEEN?

I first met Natalie virtually when I was hiking The Camino Trail in Spain last summer. Natalie was also in Spain at that time and popped by my blog to ask me a couple of questions about my experience on the trail. I returned the visit by checking out Natalie's blog and was delighted to find kindred travel spirit.

To date, Natalie has traveled to 50 countries. Her extensive planning, keen sense of adventure, and wise tips to stretch travel dollars are practical and captivating.

Inspired by Natalie's list of countries visited (highlighted as a separate section on her blog), I used a free online tool, by Adventure Ally, to map out countries to which I have traveled. My initial guess was that my total number would be 30. As you can see below, it is currently 32 (not including airplane transfer stops).

Countries Visited: Australia, Austria, Cambodia, Canada, Cayman Islands, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Macao, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Vatican City, and Vietnam (32 of 195 countries, 16% explored).

Such a simple exercise has been an incredible travel motivation boost. I am proud of the green areas highlighted on my map. This striking visual image has stirred up fond memories of past adventures taken. But, the grey areas on my map are now calling to me...loudly! So many places left to explore, and whole continents in which I have not yet set foot.

Some places that my husband and I are currently considering for our next big trip include:

• Hiking in the Rhine Valley - Germany,
• Machu Picchu - Peru,
• Everest Base Camp - Nepal,
• The Trans-Siberian Railway - Russia,
• Another round (our fourth) on the Camino Trail (this time from Astorga to Seville - Spain),
• Nunavut - Canada's largest, and northernmost territory (officially separated from the Northwest Territories in 1999), and the only Canadian province/ territory that I have not yet visited!

Which of the above adventures would you choose?

Regardless of your preferred method of travel (including close to home and virtual travel), what has been your favourite destination so far? What's next on your travel wish list?

About Donna: Donna lived in Beijing, China for fourteen years. Leaving international life behind, she and her husband retired to Vancouver Island, Canada, in June 2015. To document this transition, Donna initiated ‘Retirement Reflections.’ Her favorite part of blogging is the interaction with others. You can connect with her in the comment section below, or via the following social media sites. She would love to hear from you.
Blog • Facebook • Twitter • Linked In • Pinterest • Instagram

Feature Photo Credit: Chris Lawson, Unsplash.

Tallinn sightseeing fun

Greetings! Last month I made a trip to visit Tallinn in Estonia, Riga in Latvia, Vilnius in Lithuania, and Warsaw in Poland. I showed a map of my itinerary here. After sorting through the many photos taken, I'm sharing some of my snaps of Tallinn in this post.

QUICK FACTS:

• February 24, 2018 marks the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia
• Estonia's official language is Estonian
• Estonia's official currency is the Euro
• Estonia's capital, Tallinn, is located in Northern Europe, in the north-eastern part of the Baltic Sea region, about 82 km (50 miles) from Helsinki, Finland
• The population of Tallinn is about 450,000
• Tallinn's Old Town is one of the best preserved medieval cities in Europe and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site

TALLINN'S SIGHTS:

Pikk Hermann Tower at Toompea Castle - Each day at sunrise, the Estonian flag is raised above the 46 metre high tower to the tune of the national anthem. Toompea Castle has been in use since at least the 9th century. Today it houses the Parliament of Estonia.

Parliament of Estonia

Panoramic views of Tallinn - From a few excellent viewing platforms, I was able to see panoramas of Tallinn's Old Town and city centre, the roof tops, and Tallinn's shoreline where cruise ships and ferries dock.

Viru Gate - These two picturesque towers at the entrance to Viru Street are part of a much more complex gate system built in the 14th century. They are now a symbol of Tallinn's Old Town.

Artillery Tower (Kiek in de Kök) - This 38 metre high cannon tower was originally built in the 1470s with walls that are four metres thick. Today it houses a museum of Tallinn's fortifications, weapons, and medieval-era life. It's also a starting place to visit the fascinating Bastion Passages (hidden tunnels) that run underneath the old bastions of Toompea Hill.

Tallinn's Gothic Town Hall and Town Hall Square - Tallinn's Gothic Town Hall was built in 1402-1404. It is the only intact Gothic town hall in northern Europe. At the top of the spire, Tallinn's Old Thomas weather vane has been standing since 1530.

St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral - Built in 1900, this striking, onion-domed structure perched atop Toompea Hill is Estonia's main Russian Orthodox cathedral. The church towers hold Tallinn's most powerful church bell ensemble, consisting of 11 bells, including the largest in Tallinn, weighing 15 tonnes. The entire ensemble plays before each service.

Kadriorg Palace and its surrounding gardens - The grand, baroque Kadriorg Palace was built in 1718 for Peter the Great. It now houses the Art Museum of Estonia of foreign collection. The surrounding gardens were beautifully green with many horse-chestnut flowers during my visit.

Official Building - The Office of the President of Estonia with two guards at the entrance is shown below.

Monument to the War of Independence at Freedom Square - This large pillar with the cross that dominates Tallinn's Freedom Square is the Monument to the War of Independence, commemorating Estonia's hard fought struggle in 1918-1920 to free itself of foreign rule.

The Song Festival Grounds - It was here in 1988 that Estonia's massive, musical demonstration against Soviet rule set the nation on its road towards re-independence. I'd recommend the Singing Revolution documentary to learn more about the non-violent Singing Revolution in Estonia. The site is now home to the Estonian Song and Dance Celebration, an event that takes place every five years, drawing together up to 34,000 performers, and 200,000 spectators.

FLOWERS IN BLOOM: Horse-chestnut flowers and lilacs were common sights in Tallinn's parks and gardens during my visit.

DELICIOUS EATS: A three-course meal that I had in Tallinn looked and tasted delicious (potato soup, chicken with mushrooms, and cheesecake). The local guide recommended Tallinn's marzipan and chocolate so I bought them as gifts for my family.

This is a small insight into the wonderful weekend I had in Tallinn, Estonia. I hope it paints a picture of wonderful exploration. Tallinn's charming Old Town is perfect for wandering, viewing the historic landmarks, and browsing unique shops owned by local artisans.

Tallinn has a special place in my heart since it is the city where I met up with my long time Finnish friend for the second time. We had our first meeting in Helsinki many years ago. We're plotting plans to meet again soon...

MY NEXT STOP: Riga, Latvia.

May in a sentence a day

Greetings! Today I'm sharing how I spent my month of May in a sentence a day. I was at home for the first three weeks in May then went to Europe. When at home, I kept up with my wellness routine, took my language lessons, and sprinkled my days with a few fun events. My travel adventure in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland was fantastic. I have some catching up to do and will write about my trip soon.

In May, my mornings were spent on recurring events as follows:

• Monday to Saturday: walk 5K, about an hour each morning
• Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: workout in the gym, an hour each time
• Tuesday and Thursday: yoga session, an hour each
• Sunday: run 5K and do stretches, about an hour
• Daily: meditation, 15 minutes 
• Daily: French and Spanish lessons, 15 minutes for each language

Plus the following fun sprinkles in May in a sentence a day:

1. Enjoyed coffee with a friend by a garden full of beautiful tulips.

2. Read Tallinn travel guides and shared my April from A to Z post here.

3. Watched Annette Bening's terrific acting in Stars Don't Die in Liverpool.

4. Attended Andrew Fu's uplifting piano recital before the fierce wind storm arrived.

5. The sun returned with high 21 Celsius and Berczy Park was a nice spot to watch people and pets, both real and statues.

6. Read Riga travel guides, wrote my A to L fun post, and relaxed the rest of Sunday.

7. Researched flights and accommodations for my summer trips.

8. Viewed Hilary Rice's amazing textile and mixed media art exhibits at St. James Cathedral.

New Life by Hilary Rice

9. Read Vilnius travel guides and linked up with my blogger friends for Wellness Wednesday.

10. Went on two fun coffee dates with two of my friends and watched Paddington 2 with my neighbours while munching on popcorn tonight.

11. Enjoyed Vlad Soloviev's powerful piano recital and a date with my 'gym' friend.

12. Admired Marleen Sleeuwits' Not The Actual Site visual art exhibits at the airy Allen Lambert Galleria, one of my favourite public spaces.

13. Soaked in the sunshine and treasured time with my family on this happy Mother's Day.

14. Read Warsaw travel guides while sitting outside on a sunny Monday afternoon.

15. Caught a glimpse of the dancers in their colourful costumes at the press announcement of 2018 Toronto Caribbean Carnival.

16. Reviewed my upcoming travel itinerary and chatted with my friends from California about a reunion in the USA next year.

17. Changed my walking route and saw the Everyone is A Kid art installation made out of these cheery-looking yellow crates along King Street West.

18. Enjoyed a sunny Friday and listened to the beautiful sounds at Daniel Ramjattan's classical guitar recital.

19. Bought a small amount of euros and zloty (Polish currency) for my trip.

20. Relaxed after my 5K run to write my Spring fun list update #2.

21. Loved the sight of sailboats in the harbour and the flock of Canada geese in flight.

22. Packed for trip...A new adventure awaits!

23. Got a haircut on this beautiful summery day.

24. Enjoyed watching Hugh Jackman's performance in The Greatest Showman.

25. Flew overnight to Tallinn with a stopover in Frankfurt.

Visit Estonia sign at Tallinn airport

26. Arrived in Tallinn, Estonia with plenty of daylight to walk around the lovely Old Town and enjoy this World Heritage city.

27. A sunny and perfect day to explore Tallinn in the morning and meet my Finnish friend in the afternoon.

28. Travelled by bus in the morning and arrived in beautiful historic Riga, Latvia at mid-day with plenty of daylight and warm weather to be outdoors.

Freedom (Liberty) Monument, Riga, Latvia

29. Explored and loved Riga's Old Town and the city's impressive architecture encompassing Art Nouveau, Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Neoclassical facades.

30. Took a scenic bus ride along the green countryside and arrived in Vilnius, Lithuania at mid-day with sunlight until 10 p.m.

31. Walked to explore Vilnius' Old Town (a UNESCO World Heritage site), its main landmarks in the morning and took an excursion to visit the beautiful red brick Trakai Castle on Galve Lake in the afternoon.

Trakai Castle, Lithuania

Overall May was an amazing month for me. Lots of sunshine and fun-filled days. I ended May while still in Lithuania, and started June in Poland.

Your turn...How was your month of May? Please share.

An InLinkz Link-up

Wellness Wednesday June 6

Welcome to our 6th Wellness Wednesday link up in 2018! Today I'm providing updates on my May wellness goals, setting a few goals for June, and linking up with a group of terrific bloggers who are also on the wellness adventure.

The optional prompt this month is Mental health care tips. I'll share what I do to stay mentally healthy. I look forward to reading any tips that my fellow bloggers or readers may have to share.

May wellness goal updates:

1. Meditate 15 minutes daily: I continued to meet this goal in May. I feel that I've got a good habit doing this by now.
2. Exercise one hour daily: I got my exercises done by walking, running 5K, yoga, or working out in the gym, both at home and when I traveled in May.
3. Smile or laugh daily: I had a marvellous May and many reasons to smile or laugh daily.
4. Visit four European capitals: Yes! I visited Tallinn, Riga, Vilnius, and Warsaw. The trip was wonderful. I'll write more about it later this month.
5. Finalize summer travel plans: Yes! I booked flights and accommodations for our family trip to Quebec city in July, and Paris, France in August. The online French lessons that I've been taking will be useful for both trips.

June wellness goals: With warmer weather and upcoming fun-filled social and travel activities in the summer months, I'll stick with the following wellness goals:

1. Meditate 15 minutes daily.
2. Exercise one hour daily.
3. Smile or laugh daily. 
4. Take online French and Spanish lessons daily, fifteen minutes for each language.

What I do to stay mentally healthy:

• Know my own limits and what stresses me out
• Be proactive with self-care by doing consistent meditation, exercises, getting enough sleep, and eating a healthy diet
• Focus on the positives and find humour even in difficult situations
• Take time out to rest and recharge
• Have a fun list to do what I enjoy on a regular basis

Now your turn...How are you doing with your wellness goals? What do you do to stay mentally healthy? Please share below.

An InLinkz Link-up

A new whirl 2018.05 edition

Greetings! I arrived home safe and sound from Europe. Just want to write a quick post while I'm catching up.

Back in March this year, I wrote my Give it a whirl post, and started writing about my new whirl each month since. You might like to read my "A new whirl" posts in March here, and in April here.

Today, I'm writing about my new whirl in May. It was my trip to visit Tallinn, Riga, Vilnius, and Warsaw in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland respectively. Wow, the new sensory experiences were fantastic. The trip was wonderful. The weather was sunny and warm. It rained only one morning when I was in Warsaw then cleared up in the afternoon.

It's my first time to these four European capitals. For this new travel adventure, here's my top ten fun experiences:

1. Meeting my Finnish friend in Tallinn: It was so nice to talk in person for a few hours while sharing tea and desserts.
2. Walking for hours to experience the local scenes, as well as to explore the historic sights, some of them are on the World Heritage list.
3. Tasting local food, wines, and European desserts. This item can actually jump to second place but I should work up an appetite first :)
4. Hearing new languages spoken in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. Each country has their own official language.
5. Listening to the local guides' narratives, reading what's posted at each landmark, and learning about the history of each place.
6. Interacting with new and friendly people, or observing how local people interact with residents and visitors.
7. Using foreign currencies i.e. Euro in the first three countries, and zloty in Poland.
8. Noticing the architectural details and different designs reflecting the history and local culture.
9. Riding long distance by bus to go from one country to the next and viewing the countryside on the way.
10. Getting a souvenir pin from each country and new stamps on my passport.

I took a lot of photos. Some will be posted here once I sort them out.

I'd love to hear about your new whirl in May. Please share below.
 

An InLinkz Link-up

How did my blog start?

Greetings! While I'm traveling in Europe, I've scheduled this post to share how my blog started and some highlights about my blog. I actually wrote it as a guest post on Donna's Retirement Reflections blog in October 2017 and added some small updates in May 2018. I highly encourage you to visit Donna's wonderful blog where she shares her reflections, new chapters, new discoveries, and new adventures. Tell her I send you!

Here's what I wrote:

Natalie the Explorer is my first personal blog that I started on October 10, 2016. Prior to creating it, I've been keeping a paper journal and various electronic files documenting my personal plans, explorations, and experiences for many years. I've also been an international pen pal, and now email pal, with friends in Asia, Europe, and America. I had some pen pals in Africa and Oceania as well, but we lost touch. Blogging seems to be a good fit for me to continue writing and sharing my activities with friends.

Format-wise, I use one of the free templates on Blogger so what I can do with the layout is limited. Content-wise, my blog currently reflects my explorations and experiences in the following three areas:

1) Exploring my city: I live in Toronto, Canada. My hubby and I choose to live close to the city centre and without a car. Toronto is a dynamic, multicultural, and relatively young city, compared to other cities in the world. It’s one of the fastest growing cities in North America with a walkable centre and a well-used public transit system. We are far from an ocean or a mountain but are right by Lake Ontario, one of the five Great Lakes, so I go to the waterfront frequently to enjoy one of our city's best natural resources.

One of my friends once told me "walking down a block of Yonge Street in Toronto, you meet half of the United Nations." I enjoy exploring the various neighbourhoods, either by walking, or taking public transit, and experiencing the diversity of the people, culinary scenes, and cultural events. From May to October, the city hosts many outdoor public arts and entertainment programs and festivals, more than I have time to attend. Even as a long-time resident, I still discover hidden gems, and have yet to run out of things to explore in the city.

2) Exploring the world: I started traveling when I was a teenager and have happily continued since. I like reading about a new destination, planning a trip to go there, exploring to learn more about it, and hopefully gaining positive and memorable experiences at the end of the adventure. Conveniently, Toronto is also an international travel hub, offering non-stop flights to many world cities.

I've actually met some of my close friends from my travels. At the beginning we shared the common interest of travel, however, as time progressed and our friendship deepened, we shared our life's ups and downs, as well as in-person visits.

My travel style has been eclectic, from backpacking, staying at youth hostels, university residences, to all-inclusive resorts, to vacation rentals, and everything else in between. I aim to have a mix of trips with family and/ or friends, and a solo trip to a new destination each year. At the time of writing in 2018, I've been to Chile and currently traveling in the Baltics before reaching Poland.

3) Practicing healthy living: I must confess that I’ve been having so much fun attending local events and traveling abroad since May that “healthy living” mentions on my blog have been mostly about my learning Spanish [and French] for brain plasticity and my physical exercise goals. As I grow older, I’ve been more disciplined with practicing healthy living. I hope to write more posts about this topic in the winter when I’m at home longer.  

Aside from the usual exercising and eating a balanced diet, I work on other components that make my life healthier, such as positive relationships with family, friends, social connections with my community, fewer materials, more fun experiences, and self-initiated changes. I like to intentionally add variety and moderate challenges to prevent myself from plateauing or declining. Most of my fitness, social, and fun activities are free or low-cost as I try to optimize the resources that I have.

In summary, on my blog, at this time you can expect to see posts with pictures on:

• Local events and places that I've explored
• Foreign places that I've visited
• My personal plans, quarterly fun lists, and monthly updates
• People, places, things, and life events that inspire me to write
• Tips to share

Thank you for your time. I look forward to receiving your comments.

Spring fun list update #2

Greetings! The last four weeks seemed to pass by quickly. It's time to review my Spring fun list update #1 and see where I've made further progress. I'll be linking up with a group of terrific bloggers who also maintain their seasonal fun lists.

My Spring Fun List Update #2:

1. View two art exhibitions: Done and enjoyed! I actually viewed six art exhibitions as written here and here, plus two that I haven't written about yet. This has turned out much better than I thought.

2. Attend eight music recitals: Done and enjoyed! The weekly program was exceptionally organized with the following accomplished performers:

• One piano-violin duet recital by Asher Armstrong and Emily Kruspe
• One four hands piano recital by Emily Chiang and Elizabeth Bang
• Four solo piano recitals by Jean-Luc Therrien, Mary Kenedi, Andre Fu, and Vlad Soloviev
• One soprano, mezzo, and organ recital by Allison Angelo, Ariana Chris, and Dan Bickle. Ariana Chris sang the Greek national anthem at closing ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.
• One classical guitar recital by Daniel Ramjattan

3. Watch ten movies: In progress with 80% done! I enjoyed watching The Shape of Water, The Darkest Hour, Coco, I, Tonya, The Post, Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool and even Paddington 2. I gave thumbs down to Daddy's Home 2. Seven good movies out of eight seen. That's pretty good.

4. Review French 15 minutes daily: In progress. I'm right on target as I have not missed any day. I plan to continue my lessons until Fall.

5. Plan a long weekend trip with my family: Done and enjoyed as written in my spring fun list update #1. I'm now on to planning our summer trip.

6. Meet up for coffee or lunch with my friends: In progress. I was able to meet with my friends for coffee six times and for lunch once from March 21 to date. That's about once a week, pretty good in my book.

7. Visit farmers' markets starting at the end of May: Pending. This will have to wait until after I return from Europe, or I may visit a farmers' market while in Europe!

8. Explore the Baltics: Pending. I will be packing my suitcase and boarding my flight to Tallinn in Estonia in a few days. Feeling excited!

I counted three completed items, three in progress, and two pending. I look forward to completing my Spring fun list by June 20.

Bonus: One activity that I didn't have on my list but I've enjoyed a lot is to visit local parks and gardens in the Spring. The trees and flowers are beautiful at this time of the year here. Their growth is astonishing to me, especially after one or two sunshiny and warm days. The promising visual and fragrant treats make me look forward to doing my daily morning walk.

How about you? How are things going with you? Please share.

An InLinkz Link-up

Spring Flower show part 2

Greetings! Today I'm posting the second group of the photos that I took at the Spring Flower show. You might like to see the first group of photos here. I'm less familiar with the flower names in this post. I like how the gardeners mix them and produce a variety of colour palettes. Let's start with the white orchids then jump right into more bright colours.

Bravos, you've made it to the end of the post! Thanks for viewing my flower photos. They made me smile.

What's making you happy today?

Spring Flower show

Greetings! About two weeks ago I went to see the Spring Flower show at Allan Gardens Conservatory. The Conservatory is over 100 years old with a garden-filled greenhouse that is open to the public year-round. Admission is free.

Inside the huge greenhouse, there are five to six sections that contain tropical plants from all over the world, from palm trees to cacti, plus seasonal plantings. The gardeners have done a fantastic job in the garden design and mix of colours. I'm sharing a small selection of my close-up photos below.

Jade vine

Gerbera

Pink orchids

Hydrangea

Agave

Red spray

Cacti

Citrus tree

Garden path...

...to more flowers

Flower wheels

There are about 16,000 square feet of green house space to explore. All the beautiful plants and flowers are yours to enjoy after you enter the Conservatory modest-looking doors.

Allan Gardens Conservatory

I hope you enjoy the pictures. The turquoise jade vine bloom was the most unusual to me. Have you seen it before?