food Archives - ResponsiBo Travel

5 favourite daytrips from Rimini, Italy

November 17, 2019

by Bo with No Comment Italy

Besides being a nice destination, Rimini is perfect for going on daytrips because of its location. In this blog I will share my 5 favourite daytrips that I did from Rimini and how to get there by public transport.

San Marino

The idea of a country in a country sounds so weird to me. However, Italy has two countries in the country: San Marino and Vatican city. From Rimini, you can get to San Marino in approximately 30 minutes by bus. You will get dropped off at the spot that is the most interesting for tourists. This is a small castle like settlement on a hill with paths going up to the towers. Along the way up you will pass a lot of tourist shops and restaurants. Besides the fact that this feels a bit like a tourist trap, it also feels like your going back in time. The little castles feel like a fairy tale. You do not need a awful lot of time up here, in about 2 to 3 hours you will have seen everything. I would suggest to just walk around and enjoy the beautiful views of San Marino and Italy.

How to get there and back?

There are two bus organisations operating between Rimini and San Marino: Benedettini and Bonelli. For both organisations I would suggest to buy a ticket of 5 euros (one way) in advance on the opposite side of the train station in Rimini. The bus to San Marino leaves from multiple stops like Arco di Augusto or in front of the trains station and I would suggest to check the updated timetable.

Ravenna

I love this little Italian city, which is also why I visited it multiple times. Ravenna is mostly known by its beautiful mosaic. On many street corners you can enjoy a small mosaic art piece, but the main attraction here is the Basilica di San Vitale. This big basilic has the most beautiful mosaic work inside I have ever seen in my life. With bright colours and gold shimmering in the sunlight this cathedral is a must-see when visiting Ravenna. On the same ground there is a small mausoleum where you can enjoy another beautiful and mosaic covered building. Furthermore, there are a few more places where you can see mosaic, but I think the two listed above are the best.

Another place worth to visit is the basilica di San Francesco, in which you can see a part covered in water. When you throw a small coin in the machine, the lights will turn on and you can see the water in the church. Also, if you are lucky you can see the fish swimming in the water. The next stop is Dante Alighieri’s tomb, this small tomb is dedicated to the famous Italian philosopher Dante Alighieri who lived from 1265 until 1321. My last tip for Ravenna is to have a visit at the Biblioteca Classense. This town library is covered in beautiful paintings and covered in mosaic floors.

How to get there and back?

From Rimini central station there is a direct train to Ravenna. You can buy your ticket at the station at the Trenitalia ticket machines. The train ride will take you around an hour and during this trip you will pass the station of Cesenatico, which will also be covered in this blog. Do not forget to validate your ticket before you board the train!

Bologna

The next daytrip option is the city famous for it Tagliatelle al Ragu and it often called the food capital of Italy: Bologna. In a day you will probably not be able to see everything and so this city is actually worth more days. But for this blog I will share the main highlights.

Besides good food, Bologna has a lot of nice buildings and streets to offer. One of the main squares is called Piazza Maggiore (the Big square). Here you will find a nice church and some streets for a great aperitivo! If you have never heard of the concept of Aperitivo I would like to refer you to one of my previous blogs about food in Rimini (button).

If you are feeling active and you like good views, I can recommend climbing the Due Torre. One of these towers (the highest one) is available for visitors and wooden steps will bring you up the roof. From the tower you can search for the second tower which seems gone, until you find it! From here you have a beautiful view over the city and you will understand why Bologna is called ‘La Rossa’ (red).

Enjoy some nice food at one of the pizzerias or osterias, I will share my favourites in my Bologna city guide and if you still feel active afterwards, you can walk all the way up to Basilica di San Luca. More information about this hike and more about Bologna will soon be on my website so stay tuned!

How to get there and back?

From Rimini station there are multiple direct trains to Bologna. It depends on the speed and time when you book how much it will cost. Most of the trains take around 2 hours and will cost a bit less than 10 euros one way. The station of Bologna is in the centre and after a 10 minute walk you will reach Piazza Maggiore. You can buy your train ticket again at a Trenitalia ticket machine. Do not forget to validate your ticket before you board the train!

Padua

This city is a bit further away than the others, but if you have time, definitely worth a visit. I did this in one day but Padua deserves more days. This cosy city is full with students which means that there are a lot of nice bars to drink or eat. Futher, Padua offers a beautiful and big cathedral: Basilica di Sant’Antonio. Another signature spot of Padua is the Prato Della Valle which is surrounded by multiple statues. And of course: you should not miss Palazzo Bo. Not only because it has my name haha, but because it is the oldest anatomic theatre in the world and is now home to the School of Law.

How to get there and back?

The easiest and cheapest way to get to Padua from Rimini is by taking the Flixbus. You can buy tickets in advance on their website. The ride takes around 4 hours and the bus provides you with WI-FI and comfortable seats.

Cesenatico

This last daytrip is especially nice when you go in the December period before Christmas. I visited this place when my parents came to Italy in the beginning of December. The whole town is covered in Christmas lights and the boats are decorated with Christmas stories. The little fishers village gets a romantic and cosy atmosphere with Christmas music playing on the speakers. Here I just suggest to walk around and enjoy the boats and the lights. If you decide to go in Summer, there is also a nice beach where you can go for a swim or work on your tan.

How to get there and back?

From Rimini station you can get a direct train in the same direction as Ravenna. This will only take you around 25 minutes and costs around 3 euros one way. You can buy the ticket at the station at a ticket machine of Trenitalia. Do not forget to validate your ticket before you board the train!

Story time: How we got invited to a local home in Jerash, Jordan

November 8, 2019

by Bo with No Comment Beautiful People Jordan

This story is about someone we met during our travels in Jordan. This story is about a salesman in Jerash working in the tourism industry. This story is about kindness, trust and respect. This story is about Morad.

Daytrip to Jerash, Jordan

We start our trip in Jordan in the capital Amman. Amman is a great city and also has a lot of possibilities for daytrips. Jerash is one of these possibilities. Jerash is the largest Roman site of Jordan which is why a lot of tourists decide to go see these ruins. Of course, where tourists are, there are souvenir shops and salesmen trying to sell you all kinds of local products. One of these salesmen is Morad and he tried to sell us the typical scarves of Jordan.

At first, I felt really annoyed as we were not even through the main gate of the ruins and already ended up in a shop, but after a while we saw that he was actually a very nice guy. He looked our age and was just doing his job. Men working in tourist shops often are seen as pushy and annoying and I also sometimes try to avoid an encounter with them. However, Morad made me look differently at these people.

We spend way too much time in his shop talking with him and ended up both buying a scarf. Afterwards he made us necklaces which he gave to us and then he invited us for lunch the next day at his home. His mother would cook a traditional meal for us. My boyfriend gave his phone number and we promised to stay in contact.

To be honest, I was a bit scared. I did not fully trust the situation but I was also curious about the experience. We decided to do it and arranged an appointment with him for the day after. The next day we took a taxi back to Jerash and the whole way I was picturing everything that could go wrong in my head. But now I am thinking: what were these scary images based on?

Lunch at a local home

He picked us up from the taxi stop and we walked to a restaurant of someone he knows and had a nice lemon mint there (if you go to Jordan, make sure to try the lemon mint!!). We were not allowed to pay for the drinks as the custom in Jordan is when you invite someone, you pay everything for them.

After this drink, we went to his house where he and his mom live to eat traditional Mansaf. On the way to his house, which is not in the tourism part of Jerash, we were looked at by local people but he said that we were his guests, and so they left us alone. In his house, we sat down on one of the pillows that were laying on the floor and he told us that this was also the place where they slept.

He placed a piece of plastic on the floor and put plates and glasses on there. Then, his mom came with the Mansaf, which is a rice dish with chicken (or lamb) and yoghurt, and this was also placed on the plastic on the ground. We sat down and enjoyed the food and some nice talks, of course for me it was hard to eat chicken but I did it out of respect. Morad told us about his life in Jordan and before Jordan and his goals in life.

Traditional Mansaf

Pushy salesman or person with a story?

Morad is from Syria and had to flee his country because of safety. He arrived in Jordan when he was 15 years old and now only lives with his mother. His father helped his sister and brothers to move to Canada and Germany but by the time he was going to help Morad he passed away. Now Morad got the full responsibility to take care of his mother and find a job. After a while he found a job in tourism because he could speak English and this is where we met him.

He explained to us that a lot of times tourists can be very rude or even ignore him. He finds this hurting as he is also just a person with a story. Tourists can treat him like he has no talent or knowledge and nothing better to do in life.

This is what I would like to raise awareness on. It is of course okay if you are not interested in particular products, but I think it is very important to respect other persons at any time. If you show interest in the local people you might get a beautiful experience in return and otherwise made their (and your) day a little bit better! This lunch was one of our highlights of the trip as it really brought us closer to local life. It opened our eyes and showed us a story of an incredible friendly person who despite everything that happened still tries to accomplish his dream: to rap.

As a kid he already dreamed of writing songs in English and rap about his life. This is the way for him to show his soul and heart instead of always only listening to the mind. He loves humans from every religion or country as he believes that we are all the same in the afterlife. So next time, when you are annoyed by local sales people, think about people like Morad. Just people with a different life story.

My 12 favourite places to eat or drink in Rimini

October 18, 2019

by Bo with No Comment Italy

Italy, famous for its kitchen. With pizzas, pastas, spaghetti, risotto, lasagne, bruschetta and limoncello as examples there is something to like for everyone. Maybe this is also why I love this country so much and loved living here. When living in an Italian city you will definitely try out a lot of nice restaurants. At least that is what I did.. In this blog I am going to share my 12 favourite places to or drink in Rimini. Yummmm..

1. Il Cortile in Centro

Let’s just start immediately with my, by far, favourite restaurant in Rimini: Il Cortile in Centro. Here you can try out all kinds of pizza with the most creative combinations and ingredients. The staff is very friendly and the place is almost every night full, so make sure you book in advance! I have to be honest with you.. of all the times that I went to this restaurant I only tried two pizzas. This is because the one that I tried out first (Cedronella), became my favourite pizza ever immediately. With fresh burrata, mashed eggplant and sundried tomatoes. I had struggles choosing another pizza because this one was soooo good! I miss this place so much..

2. La Mi Mama

This second restaurant was my favourite for all other Italian dishes, like pastas. They have the most amazing vegan tagliatelle here. Everything is freshly made and they also offer the regions dish: piadine. Unfortunately they do not offer a vegetarian one. This restaurant is colourful and cosy and I love every dish as they also offer a lot of vegan and vegetarian options.

3. Loving hut

This little lunch restaurant is located near the campus of Rimini (Bologna University) and serves all kinds of vegan dishes. The atmosphere here is cosy and relaxed and it is very nice to have an all vegan restaurant. They change their menu every once in a while, which keeps in fun to try new things.

4. The White Bakery

If you had a tough night out and you are craving for a good breakfast, this is your place to be. The White Bakery is decorated in full American style and offers all kinds of pancakes, waffles and other sweet stuff. These dishes are super heavy but also so nice! This was our go to if we were craving something sweet.

5. Osteria de Borg

This restaurant is located on the other side of the Ponte di Tiberio and looks like a real Italian living room. They offer traditional dishes like tagliatelle con funghi. Very nice restaurant if you want something typical Italian.

6. Pastamadre

I visited this tiny restaurant with my mother when she was in Rimini. It is located close to the beach and only has 2 or 3 tables. The owner of the restaurant makes everything fresh and has 2 different dishes to choose from every day. I had one of the best eggplant lasagnes ever. He also uses only bio products, so do not look weird when he serves you wine in a paper cup!

7. Flower burger

Flower burger is located near the beachside. In this little restaurant chain you can order all kinds of vegan burgers in different colours with different ingredients. The different burgers make a very colourful atmosphere.

8. Bar Lento

This bar is perfect for when you have lots of work for school but cannot stand that boring room of yours anymore. Sit down and order a nice cup of coffee or one of their fresh lunch dishes. I loved to come here with my laptop and work the afternoon. In the bar there is also a small shop with cute vintage looking items.

9. Ice cream at La Romana

In this list of places a good ice cream place cannot miss of course. If you have never been here, you do not know what really good ice cream is. With the smallest size cone you can choose white or dark melted chocolate for in your cone. After that you can choose 2 flavours which are delicious and top it of with some whipped cream. In Italy it was always time for ice cream: experienced something good? Celebrate it with ice cream. Bad grade? Eat your feelings away with ice cream. Feeling bored? Just go for ice cream. Winter or summer it does not matter, Romana is your place to be!

Aperitivo

The last part of this blog is about a tradition in Italy that I love very much. This tradition is called: Aperitivo. Italians eat their dinner quite late, but before they go for dinner they do an aperitivo. This means that around 6 o clock you go for a drink and enjoy some nice snacks from a buffet. When you buy a drink, the aperitivo is (most of the times) for free! I will list my 3 favourite aperitivo bars in Rimini as this is a tradition that you want to experience!

10. La Hora Feliz

This small bar is perfect for drinking nice cocktails before going out or enjoying a drink and trying their aperitivo. Plates with fish, pasta, meat and salads are standing in the back of the bar waiting for the visitors to fill their plates. Of course, you should not eat too much if you want to go for dinner afterwards.

11. Etoile

This is another nice bar with blue painted walls and very nice choices for aperitivo. We often switched between La Hora Feliz and Etoile.

12. 3sei5

This is maybe not the best bar food-wise, but 3sei5 is the place to be for every football or sports match! Try to be here during an Italian champions league match and experience the fire of Italian supporters.

A full day of food just outside the centre of Madrid

October 18, 2019

by Bo with No Comment Spain

In this blog I am going to provide you with 3 nice places outside the centre of Madrid where you can spend your breakfast, lunch and dinner! During my stay in Madrid I realized that it is a very expensive city and eating in the centre can cost you a lot of money. This is why I decided to give some tips on where to eat a bit outside of the centre. This is where you will find more local people and lower costs. At the end, I will share you where (in the centre) I bought my (expensive) but best Turrón.

A weekend in Madrid..

With a friend, we decided to go to Madrid for a weekend and visit our Spanish friend. She showed us around the city and took us to some nice places outside the city. I always like to visit places with a local person as this is a nice way to get to know a destination in a non-touristic way!

Breakfast at Churreria Las Farolas

When you think of breakfast in Madrid you can only think one thing: CHURROS! And this is exactly what we wanted to eat during our trip. We went to a small café where they sold fresh made churros with hot chocolate. For 5 churros per person and a cup of hot chocolate you pay 4.50 euros! Besides this, the staff was super nice and friendly, which is something you can miss sometimes when eating in the touristic centre. I challenge you to finish the five churros as I could not do it!

Lunch at Parrila de Juan Adan

After breakfast it is time for lunch! For this meal of the day I am taking you to a nice Spanish restaurant where you can order nice salads, cheese or meat plates but I would suggest you to order a Spanish Tortilla! Enjoy this nice traditional dish in a restaurant with no tourists besides you.

Dinner at Oracle Compadre

At the end of the day, you might already get a bit hungry. But as you might know, the Spanish eat very late! This is why you will have to wait until 9 o clock for this restaurant to open. For dinner I have chosen a nice Mexican restaurant for you, where you can practice your Spanish skills with a full Spanish / Mexican menu. I can very much recommend the ‘sopes’ which you can see on the picture.

The best Turrón of Madrid

The mother of my friend advised me where to buy the famous Turrón. Turrón is a dessert which is mostly eaten around Christmas by the Spanish people. I wanted to buy a bar for my mom as she loves it, but for this spot we had to go to the centre of Madrid. The shop that sells this best Turrón is called: Casa Mira. It is a very cute and traditional pastry shop and they are experts in making Turrón. The only downside to this place: it is not cheap at all. I paid 17 euros for a bar, but hey if you want the good stuff… I bought it, took it home with me and watched my mom love it!

Morocco: Where to eat?

October 9, 2019

by Bo with One Comment Morocco

This blog is all about FOOD! Because I LOVE food and I think it is a huge part of a person’s experience at a destination. Food is culture, food is ambiance, food is enjoying what a place has to offer. Still, I do think that the place where you eat is very important and as a vegetarian it is slightly more difficult to find a good spot where you can enjoy some (local) cuisine. Local here is between brackets because we all know that after some days (or meals) you might want something else than local food.

Morocco is famous for its Tajine dishes, couscous with fresh vegetables, pastries and the most delicious mint tea you will ever have! Next up are some places to eat that I loved during my trip to Morocco. Hopefully, as I am living in Morocco, this list can get bigger! But for now: Bon Appetit!

Marrakech

Let’s start with Morocco’s most popular destination by tourists: Marrakech. This city in the middle of the country is famous for its medina and the Djemaa el Fna square, as it is a famous city trip destination, you can find a lot of nice places to eat. Of course, a lot of travel books like the Lonely Planet already wrote a lot about these places. Still I would like to share some of my pearls, that I enjoyed during my time in Marrakech.

Broc the Kashbah

So my number one we found on one of the last days of our trip. It is a bit further away in the medina but once you get a hold of the medina in Marrakech, it is easy to find. This place is called: “Broc the Kashbah”. There are some nice guys working and it is all about vegetarian and vegan food, vintage clothing and atmosphere and fresh juices! There are only a few dishes on the menu but they are delicious! I liked the fact that they sell vintage clothing and make clothes themselves. The staff working there are super nice and helpful. The whole place screams creativity and fresh food. I would definitely recommend going here if you would like to escape the crowds.

NOMAD, Le Jardin, Cafe des Epices

My next tip are three different restaurants in the medina of Marrakech but they are in the same concept. That is why I combined the three of them. You will probably already know these places but as I thought they are very nice, I wanted to share them with you! These places all offer Moroccan dishes with a twist and they are vegetarian friendly! At NOMAD and Café des Epices there is a nice rooftop and both are located nearby a cute square in the medina. Le Jardin is a bit more hidden and is a nice garden inside a building in the medina. They are all worth a visit for either lunch or dinner!

Kosy Bar

My last tip in Marrakech is called: “Kosy Bar”. This restaurant is located in the centre of Marrakech near the palaces like the Bahia Palace, which is a famous tourist spot in Marrakech. The best place of Kosy Bar is its rooftop overlooking a small square. Here you can eat dishes like homemade pizzas or Asian food like sushi. But if you prefer the Moroccan cuisine this is also your place!

view from Kosy Bar

Essaouira

The next city that I would like to discuss is Essaouira. I loved this little fishers town because to me this felt like authentic Morocco. Essaouira is famous for its great waves for surfing and its arty medina. There is a lot of art for sale in the medina and near the coast you can see and buy fresh fish from the fish market.

Le LOVE by Caravane

This restaurant was one of my highlights of my trip. It is divided into two separate restaurants by a little street in the middle of the medina of Essaouira. One restaurant is mainly cocktails and tapas and the other is an a la carte restaurant. Both inspired on the Moroccan cuisine, however with a complete unique twist! The staff is incredibly kind and helpful and the menu is very different and unique. But besides the great and different food, the decorations of this restaurant are what makes this place extra special. It is located in old riads with a lot of light coming from the top and decorated in the brightest colours. Here you can really feel the artistic vibes of Essaouira. The owner himself is an artist, which becomes very clear when you look at the surroundings. If you are lucky, you will experience a traditional show during your dinner. Le LOVE by Caravane is the place to be if you are looking for something unique and exciting!

Vagabond Beach

After a morning of intensive surfing you might want to sit down and enjoy a good lunch. We did this at the Vagabond beach. This relaxed and nice restaurant is located at the surf spot of Essaouira and offers multiple dishes varying from fresh salads with goat cheese to nice homemade burgers. Come here to enjoy a nice view of the beach and the camels laying on the beach waiting for customers.

Le Chalet de la Plage

This place is located at the beginning of the beach of Essaouira and offers what a beach restaurant should offer: fish! However, if you are a vegetarian like me, it is still a very nice restaurant to go to. I enjoyed some of the best filled eggplants (aubergines farcies) I have ever had in my life. However, it is not the cheapest place, but if you have some money to spend, enjoy some nice fresh seafood here or choose one of the other Moroccan dishes.

Rooftop of Le LOVE by Caravane

Fez

Fes was one of my favourite destinations in Morocco. Its ancient, dazzling medina with 9000 streets make you feel lost in a second. However, if you do know where you are and you are looking for a nice place to eat and cool down from the heat: here you can find my favourite spot of the Fes medina.

Nacho Mama

As a vegetarian, the Moroccan kitchen is not always the easiest. So every time we had the option to try something else I was very happy. After a hot day getting lost in the medina of Fes we stumbled upon a tiny, pink restaurant called: “Nacho Mama”. We fell in love with its colours and happiness and its Mexican inspired food! But not only the food is good about this place, the two people (at that time) working here are very kind and make time for you to talk to you. This little Mexican restaurant is set up by a native Moroccan lady called Najat Kanaache who lives in Fes but also lived in Mexico for a while. Najat is an amazing chef and also has another famous restaurant called: “NUR”. I have not been here myself but from what I heard it is a famous restaurant serving Moroccan dishes in a unique way. More about Najat is coming soon on my website so stay tuned!

Rabat

As Rabat is the capital city of Morocco we did not want to skip this place. Here we were impressed by its different medina and its location at the coast. There was one restaurant that stole my heart here..

Le Dhow

It is not the cheapest place in Morocco to eat but it is definitely worth a visit. Le Dhow is an old traditional ship laying at the boulevard of Rabat and serves all kinds of fresh seafood. It has a magical atmosphere to dine on a ship. However it is not entirely vegetarian friendly, besides the salads. So I went here for a seafood risotto and it was delicious (apart from my guilt of course..).