Feel the magic of Star Wars' Tatooine at the sand dunes of Tunisia

Written by Ljupka Andonovska (Stamp My Passport)

One of the most worldwide known movie sagas, Star Wars, can list some of the most attractive locations where the movies have been filmed.
The most famous, among the Star Wars' fans, is the location in Tunisia, among the sand dunes of the Sahara desert for the scenes of the fictitious planet Tatooine where Anakin Skywalker's hometown, Mos Espa is based, specifically for the movies "The Phantom Menace" and "Attack of the Clones.
As it was reported by CNN in October, last year (2013), with every coming year this unique spot is getting more and more swallowed and destroyed by the harsh winds of Sahara until one day when it's going to vanish. Director George Lucas chose this place as a filming location and until today, with an agreement with the Tunisian government, it remains intact from the moment it was constructed and built for the whole world to see and visit after the filming was finished. 
The sand dunes that are engulfing the set are moving at a rate of 4 cm per day and it won't be long before this Star Wars town disappears beneath the sand.

For more info:
http://goafrica.about.com/od/peopleandculture/ss/Star-Wars-Tours-In-Tunisia.htm
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/18/travel/star-wars-visit-taooine-sahara/

Ljupka Andonovska
(Stamp My Passport)

A little bit of France in Vienna, Austria

Written by Ljupka Andonovska (Stamp My Passport)

No matter if you are born Viennese, a tourist passing by in the most valuable gem of Austria, Vienna, or you're maybe a nostalgic French longing for the smell and taste of your homeland France, either way, make sure to visit the best French food-spot in Vienna, the restaurant Le Bol!
It will open your most inner cravings you never knew you had inside you. Everything on the menu is worth trying. When you'll notice the smell of the hot café au lait or taste the crunchy Croque Monsieur, the magnifique Baguette Parisienne or the extraordinary and unique Monsieur Seguin salad, every time, you'll feel the distance between you and France much closer than before. The very comfortable atmosphere gives it the ultimate French charm even in the heart of Vienna.

Tip:
It's almost always full and crowded.

For more info:
Le Bol
Neuer Markt 14, 1010 Wien, Austria
+43 699 10301899
http://www.lebol.at/
Opened from 08:00
Holidays and sundays: from 10:00

Ljupka Andonovska 
(Stamp My Passport)

The adrenaline rush of flyboarding

Written by Ljupka Andonovska (Stamp My Passport)

For the adrenaline junkies out there and the thrill seekers, they say, you haven't tried everything in life if you haven't tried flyboarding. The magnificence of this young activity, which originated in France in 2011 where flyboard was invented by Franky Zapata, a watercraft rider. It took some time and many prototypes before he mastered the science which allows the device to climb out of the water and be stable in the air. In short it is a water propelled jetpack that can help you to soar above water to about 30 feet. 
This invention is protected by the French Institut national de la propriété industrielle (INPI) and the patent's 
owner is Mr. Zapata as the groundbreaking inventor who introduced the world to the awesome and somewhat new watersport of flyboarding. There is no weight limit when using the Flyboard. But if you want to indulge in this you must be at least 18 years old. You can either buy it or rent it. The purchasing price is way higher, reaching more than $5,000, where the rent price tag hits around the $100 and $200 threshold.
Not all, but some of the best and most popular spots in the world for flyboarding are:
- Lindbergh Bay, Caribbean http://stthomasflyboarding.com/
- Destin, Merritt island and Marathon, Florida
- Hampshire and Peterborough, UK
- Dubai, UAE

More info at:
http://flyingwatersports.com/
http://www.zapata-racing.com/en/flyboard/

Useful video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4Bm3cs9TFo

Photos' sources:
http://www.flyboardingsarasota.com/
http://rockymountainflyboard.com/
http://www.ippinka.com/blog/flyboard-iron-man-jet-pack/
http://www.seemallorca.com/activities/watersports/flyboard-chill-and-fly-session-magaluf-and-puerto-portals.html
http://nolaflyboarding.com/
http://matfar.co.uk/?p=1594
http://www.firmanazazitky.cz/flyboarding

Ljupka Andonovska
(Stamp My Passport)

Feel the Cuban vibe of La Bodeguita del Medio in Skopje, Macedonia

Written by Ljupka Andonovska (Stamp My Passport)

Along the famous bar line near the river Vardar, in the heart of the city of Skopje, lies La Bodeguita del Medio. It's a franchised Cuban bar where you can always lift up your spirit, enjoy an iced mojito and some tasty Cuban specialty, all while listening to the best Latin music in town. 
This bar & restaurant, was opened in 2008 as the 14th franchised La Bodeguita bar in Europe. Even if you are having the worst day of your life, here you can forget about all of your problems instantly. During the day is more calm and serene, but at night it's truly caliente and in a party mode. Your feet and hips will start moving on their own as soon as you enter the 'fiesta world' of La Bodeguita and gaze upon the experienced barmen who as masters as they are, they throw and flip the bottles of curacao and rum while mixing the best cocktails you could've ever tasted! Vamos a bailar!
Tip:
Make sure to make a reservation in time, because mostly during weekends, every single table and chair is reserved and occupied. :)

For more info:
Address:
La Bodeguita del Medio
Kej 13 Noemvri br. 180, Skopje 1000
+389 (0)2 3122 305
+389 (0)78 368 940
http://www.bodeguita.com.mk/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/the.cuban.macedonia
Working time:
08:00 - 01:00 Mon - Sun

Ljupka Andonovska
(Stamp My Passport)

One fun night at Reina [Bar, Club & Restaurant] in Istanbul, Turkey

Written by Andrijana Bogoevska (Stamp My Passport)

                                                        [Source: http://www.reina.com.tr/]

We have just arrived in Istanbul. We were for the first time in this great city which is located on two continents, Europe and Asia. The feeling was amazing and we couldn't wait to leave our baggage and get out of the hotel. There was too much to see! Such a beauty of a city! As the first day was approaching its end, we all decided that we want to take full advantage of our time spent in Turkey, so we went out to have some fun and enjoy the magical night in Istanbul that was ahead of us. However, we didn't want something over the top. We were just looking for a little bar near Bosphorus, with a view of the city and some cocktails just enough to stir up our mood. At our hometown, in Skopje, we heard of a great place in Istanbul, near Bosphorus, called Reina. We were casually dressed, one of us had snickers on and I wore a Zara T-shirt with big heart in front. We asked at the reception for a taxi and we got one. As we headed through the streets of Istanbul, we were expecting to arrive at some small low-key coffee bar, as we imagined Reina to be, but then the taxi driver asked us with bad English:
- "Rezervatzion?" (please read this as it is written so you can get a feeling of the accent)
- "Yok reservatzion", - my friend replied. ('Yok' is very common negation in Turkey)
- "Aah, problem!" - he replied.
- "Yok problem", - my friend said.
So, dressed casually, we arrived in front of a magnificent, classy and spectacular club, with eight bodyguards in front of it with red carpet... We were shocked and were laughing at the same time! They looked at us and it was obvious that they wouldn't let us in. But my friend turned to talk to the taxi driver faster than the people at the entrance could say anything, and she said to him:
- "Problem!"
- "No problem!" - he replied.
He just told the bodyguards something, we never figured what, and they let us in. We would have never imagined that a taxi driver would manage to get us in the fanciest club in Istanbul where people were coming on yachts at the little marina, which is Reina's property. We've never felt better. We were dancing at the fabulous club in Istanbul where classy people were going out. It was a place of prestige where the Turkish 'cream" wanted to be seen. It has a spectacular view of the whole city. So, there, between the wonderful Turkish music vibe and the breeze which was blowing along the shores of Bosphorus, we felt that our night just became totally priceless. And we figured, sometimes, spontaneity, although unexpected, can be truly wonderful and awesome!

[Source: http://www.reina.com.tr/]

For more info of the REINA bar, club and restaurant go to:
http://www.reina.com.tr/
https://www.facebook.com/ReinaIstanbul
http://instagram.com/reinaclub
http://vimeo.com/reinaclub

Andrijana Bogoevska
(Stamp My Passport)

The purple magnificence of La Provence

Written by Ljupka Andonovska (Stamp My Passport)

"Lavender is the soul of Provence." --- Jean Giono

Acknowledged as one of France's most valuable gems, known on a global scale, Provence is indeed a unique part and region of France consisted of even 873 little towns and villages. Everyone who gazes upon the famous lavender fields in Provence, which look like wavy brush strokes over the earth, experiences an inexplicable calmness and serenity. It is a velvet feast for the eyes and soul, like some old vivid painting by Van Gogh or Monet which starts to move by the playful chords of the wind and comes to motion in front of your eyes. And at these times, when technology and the modern pace of life are getting ahead of us, here in Provence for a moment, you can forget about everything else, even for an instant, and indulge your senses in this purple creation which nature decided to glorify and give for humanity to savor. Almost every time of the year is pleasant for a visit to Provence, but most choose summer because lavender blooms are its peak then. If you are eager to visit this unique travel spot, be sure to come during the Lavender Festival and be sure to try some Provencal lavender ice-cream. It's France in an ice cream cone! Then and only then you can be sure that there's really heaven on earth. The best places for you to go is the Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque and the Plateau de Valensole. Important tip: Take the A51 motorway from Aix-en-Provence and continue northeast to the spa town of Digne-les-Bains in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence region. During the 1st week of August, every year the local lavender harvest is celebrated thorugh a beautiful festival with a half-a-century old tradition, known as the Lavender Festival (Corso de la Lavande.) Enjoy the gallery!

 * Photo 1 * Photo 2 * Photo 3 *

*Photo 4: Lavender fields, Provence, France - Abbey de Senanque, Gordes - photo by Andrew - histravelblog.com * Photo 5: Provence Lavender - Photo by Robert (Bob) Phillips - 2013 - National Geographic - Location: Saignon, France, http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/traveler-magazine/photo-contest/2013/entries/205688/view/ * Photo 6: The flavor of Provence - Photo by Rebecca Gibson - 2012 - National Geographic - Location: Roussillon, Luberon department, Provence-Alpes region, France, http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/traveler-magazine/photo-contest/2012/entries/136738/view/ *

For more detailed info of the Provencal lavender farms, fields, and tours, please go to:

http://www.plantes-aromatiques-provence.com

http://www.hobouquetdelavande.com/

http://www.gaec-champelle.fr

http://www.distillerie-aromaplantes.com/

http://www.lesagnels.com/

http://www.routes-lavande.com/

http://www.senanque.fr/

http://www.viator.com/tours/Avignon/Small-Group-Provence-and-Lavender-Museum-Day-Trip-from-Avignon/d483-3555LAV_01

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/road-trips/provence-france-road-trip/

Ljupka Andonovska
(Stamp My Passport)

At a restaurant in Paris near the Eiffel Tower

We were out of the country so we made a little trip to Paris. As soon as we got the free time to explore the city, we went straight into the heart of the city. We were waiting to see the sunset at the Eiffel Tower. It was a late May afternoon and the sight was spectacular! However, soon after, my stomach started alarming me that it was empty. I was thirsty for some French wine.
We decided to get down from the tower and find some nice place to eat. As we were walking along the streets near the Eiffel Tower, we ran onto some small French Restaurant.
- "Let's eat!", I said.
When we entered we saw that everybody was sitting at the bar and eating next to each other.
There were no free tables, so we picked a small one for two. We grabbed the first free chairs that we saw. Since in our country it is completely strange to sit next to a person you don't know, you might imagine how strange WE felt while sitting over there and looking upon our " neighbors' " plates.
So, we asked for a menu to pick something nice and truly French. We were eager to taste the French cuisine, since this was our first day at Paris and for breakfast we only ate the famous La croissant. But at the menu I
couldn't find anything familiar and honestly we couldn't imagine what we were going to get on our plates if we ordered anything. Then we figured out that we could see at other people's plates and order something that we seemed to like. So we whispered to the person that was serving us:
- We would like to order what the guy next to me is eating and off course one glass of French white wine.
It was funny, but at least we figured out that the guy sitting next to me has a
good taste and made an excellent choice for that day. Thanks to him and cheers!

Andrijana Bogoevska
(Stamp My Passport)