Tag: thefriendlygiraffe

giraffe travel, thetravelinggiraffe, top tips from thetravelinggiraffe

Bom Dia! One Week in Portugal – Port Tasting in Vila Nova de Gaia

by Arden Jobling-HeyLeave a Comment on Bom Dia! One Week in Portugal – Port Tasting in Vila Nova de Gaia

Bom Dia! I’d love to continue in Portuguese but after one week in Portugal, that’s all I can muster. Sad, but true. Egg tarts I can seriously get behind. Ronaldo? I mean, the guy has an ego the size of Everest but he defies gravity when it comes to executing a perfect scissor kick. But Portuguese, the language? Identifying the language as something between Russian and Spanish is pretty much as close as it gets.

Porto, Portugal

But let’s get back on track. Last summer, I was lucky enough to enjoy a 7-day girly getaway to sunny, stunning Portugal. Over the past couple of years, I’d heard whispers of people’s travels to Portugal and how much they absolutely loved their time there. Rumour had it that Portugal was still less expensive than it’s neighbour to the north (and east) but just as accessible.

Untouched and more preserved than typical tourist hot-spots like Rome, Barcelona, Paris or Madrid, it reportedly had a hopping night life and plenty to keep you occupied during daylight hours. It was steeped in history and diverse in it’s geography. And to top it all off, it is best known for it’s exclusive production of port, of which I am a very, very big fan. I was sold. Continue reading “Bom Dia! One Week in Portugal – Port Tasting in Vila Nova de Gaia” →

giraffe travel, street eats: foods from around the world, thetravelinggiraffe, top tips from thetravelinggiraffe

Rapid Review: Cafe Berlin, Washington D.C

by Arden Jobling-HeyLeave a Comment on Rapid Review: Cafe Berlin, Washington D.C
Rapid Review: Cafe Berlin, Washington D.C

Schmeckt gut. Schmeckt SEHR gut.

On a recent weekend getaway to Washington D.C, my husband and I decided to get a little nostalgic and test out Cafe Berlin. We hadn’t had good schnitzel in a while and decided to take advantage of the good weather, the beautiful patio and the twinkling lights that brought a little Europe back into our lives. It turned out to be the best decision we made all weekend.

Schnitzel. Beer. Schlager Musik. Ja!

In addition to sipping on some truly delicious beer (I was even able to order a Radler – the German version of a Shandy – without getting a questioning stare in return), I was able to nibble on Obatzda und Bretzen, my all-time favourite beer-garden treat! As it turns out, in Cafe Berlin, in the middle of  Washington, I was in Bavarian heaven – without giving up a week’s worth of holiday.

The Huehner Schnitzel was fabulous. The atmosphere romantic. The Schlager Musik? Well, it felt just like home away from home. Fun for those with a bit of German running through their blood, connoisseurs of Bavarian culture or die-hard fans of the Die deutsche Fußballnationalmannschaft, Cafe Berlin certainly will always hit the spot.

Cafe Berlin, Washington D.C

giraffe lifestyle, giraffe travel, the view from above, thetravelinggiraffe

Very Inspiring Blogger Award: A lovely reminder of why I blog

by Arden Jobling-Hey6 Comments on Very Inspiring Blogger Award: A lovely reminder of why I blog
Very Inspiring Blogger Award: A lovely reminder of why I blog

First of all, I’d like to say a big “thank you” to Costa Rice Travel Blog for nominating thefriendlygiraffe for this award! I am very touched to be connected with the “Very Inspiring Blogger Award” as inspiring other people (writers, travelers, readers or dreamers) is exactly what this blog was intended to do. Initially, it was to fulfill a void in my own storage of inspiration. I wanted to write about something I loved (actually, I just wanted to write, period) and thus, thefriendlygiraffe was born.

Starting this blog inspired me to get creative about content, put my pen to paper (or fingers to they keyboard) and stay disciplined in updating a growing readership of like-minded individuals wanting to learn about the world outside themselves. In short, receiving a blog for being inspiring simply inspires me to keep writing and reminds me why I started this blog in the first place.

Rules and Regs of the “Very Inspiring Blogger Award”

  1. Display the Award Certificate on your website.
  2. Announce your win with a post and link to whoever presented you with the award.
  3. Present 15 awards to deserving bloggers.
  4. Drop them a comment to tip them off after you have linked them in the post.
  5. Post 7 interesting things about yourself

7 Travel memories to last a lifetime

So, what are 7 interesting things about thefriendlygiraffe? Well, let’s switch things up a bit shall we? Instead of listing facts that you may (or may not) find interesting about me, here are my top 7 travel memories (in no particular order and any of which could be rivaled by a million others along the way): Continue reading “Very Inspiring Blogger Award: A lovely reminder of why I blog” →