Popular Aussie travel guru, Emma Gardiner, talks about Slovenia

Popular Aussie travel guru, Emma Gardiner, talks about Slovenia

by | Aug 10, 2012 | Europe, Expats explore London, Travel blogger destinations

Emma Gardiner is one of those lovely people you meet in life – kind, interesting, innovative and well-travelled. She is a respected Public Relations professional, but also hosts popular travel site, SheGoes. She took time out to tell TravelLiveLearn about her favourite travel destination, Slovenia.

Emma Gardiner, PR Manager, Hawaii Tourism Oceania and Sultanate of Oman

Tell us a bit about She Goes and how it got started: I started SheGoes because I am a frustrated writer. I studied writing at university and worked as print journalist before crossing over to the dark side about eight years ago. I wanted to have an opinion and share it in my own voice – something that is verboten in PR – so I decided to start a blog about my favourite thing in the world – travel.

Fave travel destination? Slovenia

What’s so cool about this place? It’s like walking around in a fairytale … Lake Bled, the castles, churches, dragon bridge and central produce market in Ljubljana, the ancient seaside villages. It’s the most romantic place I have ever been.

Why did you decide to go in the first place? I went there on a work trip. I was hosting an Australian media famil and the client I was working wanted to showcase the route from Finland to Slovenia.

Favourite part/experiences of this particular trip? Definitely the central produce market in Ljubljana. It’s in the city square surrounded by 16th century stone halls dedicated to fish, cheese, bread and meat. The fruit, vegetables and flowers are in the open air section; I have never seen produce like it – it was a foodie’s paradise.

How did you get around? We travelled in a mini-bus around Slovenia but also did quite a few tours on foot.

What would you recommend other people do? You absolutely have to visit Lake Bled and take a traditional row boat out to the old church in the centre. The scenery will blow you away.

What’s your number one travel tip? Take a good book in your hand luggage. It’s a foolproof way of entertaining yourself during inevitable delays.

What are your top tips for aspiring bloggers: Do it for love. Blogging won’t make you rich but you will have an enormous amount of fun and it will open doors to a world of experiences, people and ideas.

And your next (ideal) travel destination?: Japan. I am a craft, art and design nerd and Japanese people are some of the most inventive creators out there!

 

 

 

 

Beyond the White Cliffs of Dover travelling with Expat Explore

Beyond the White Cliffs of Dover travelling with Expat Explore

by | Aug 6, 2011 | Europe, Travel blogger destinations, United Kingdom

Just passed a weird large graveyard with loads of commemorative stones crammed in side by side, seemingly on a concrete base, in front of a shopping centre and placed by the busy highway we’re on between Calais and Bruges (Belgium). Of course, this odd sight prompted me to make some on- the-road notes… As you may have guessed, we made it to the coach, on time even! A glass of bubbles awaited us on arrival to Canada Water this morning – a good start! We met Ali and Steve (our fab guide and coach driver) as the coach was loaded, and by 8am we had set off towards Dover.

I was excited to see the famous White Cliffs as we sailed off from the docks, although had to strategically manage my summer dress in the wind on the deck as I madly snapped some pics.

Cooper in Bruges

It is inspiring to gaze out through the coach window as we drive through new lands (new to me at least), spotting cute old French farm houses, French animals grazing, little local churches and cathedral steeples in the distance, street signs in a foreign language… and of course unusually, graveyards.

Even though the skies outside are turning rainy, I figure I am pretty lucky right now.

On that note, I fell asleep.

We hit the pretty (and busy) Medieval town of Bruges around 3.30pm, stopped for a quick wander, coffee and photos before moving on our way toward the Netherlands. The town centre comprises of many tall old colourful buildings, fountains, cafes with people spilling out of them into the streets, and tourists enjoying horse + buggy rides.

So far the coach ride has been fairly quiet. We’ve met Aussies (Queenslanders, we’re everywhere), Brits, Kiwis, South Africans and Americans. There are a few who speak English as a second language too, so hopefully we’ll get to know them over time – maybe learn a few new foreign phrases. This group is terrific in that it’s varied in age and nationalities – it isn’t all loud 25-year-old Aussies ;-)

Tour guide Ali tip: Water in most of Europe (on this tour anyway) is good to drink, so if on a budget just refill your water bottle. In fact, the water in Rome’s fountains is quite pure! Perhaps buy bottled water in Barcelona though.

Also, Europe is lacking in public toilet facilities, so drop in to a coffee shop for a dirnk and hope for the best in using their toilets.

DAY 1 + 2 in IMAGES

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