Travel Blog Ep. 8

Nooshin Teimouri- 26, Frankfurt, Germany. Med Student

What was the defining moment that you knew you were meant to explore the world?

I was in Venice, Italy. Venice is completely different than any other city in Europe. I was on a boat driving from one small island around Venice to the next. It was over 30 degrees (Celsius) but the wind on the deck was so refreshing and nice. I was just sitting there, enjoying the view over the Venice lagoon and sipping on my drink. There was this family on deck, two adults with two little kids. They were trying to take pictures of each other but there had to be at least one of them that couldn´t be on the photo. So, I offered to take the photos of them so all of them could be on the photo. Anyway, I ended up having long conversations with them. The dad shared a lot of great tips regarding traveling with me and also which places and spots are a must to see in Venice, even though we had almost seen everything by then. It was so nice meeting other people, total strangers, connecting with them and listening to their life stories and advice. This was the moment that I thought to myself, "There's so much more to see in this world. I have to experience all of it!"

Best travel story, go.

 I was traveling around Southern Europe with my best friend after our first state examination at medschool (hitting Napel, Barcelona, Mallorca and Madrid). We were in Barcelona when we decided one day "Fuck it! Let´s go get piercings!". So, we opened Google Maps and searched for the best (and affordable) tattoo studio in Barcelona. LTW Tattoo & Piercing had some of the best reviews. So, we went there and ended up getting piercings. I got a belly button ring. Luckily, I'm absolutely not sensitive to pain. The guy who pierced me was completely professional, but even he was shocked that I didn't twitch for a second #nobigdeal. After we left the studio we were walking around Barcelona with our new found confidence like total idiots. And it was so fun! Since the city was so crowded at that time I was a little concerned someone could bump into me accidentally and rip my new piercing straight out. Dramatic? Maybe, but I was wearing shorts and a crop top, so it wasn't exactly an irrational fear. Later that day we went to the famous Kissing Wall ("The Kiss Of Freedom") and I was fascinated how it was made of thousands of tiny ceramic tiles. From a distance you might mistake it for a graffiti, but as you get closer you'll realize that it's in fact a mosaic. It looked so terrific.

What’s your all-time favorite place to visit, and why is it special to you?

Valencia! Valencia is actually a small port city at the southeast coast of Spain. I went there with my best friend and we had booked a very expensive hotel, and it was amazing. Since we went there right after exams, we explored every corner of the city and totally treated ourselves. Valencia has so much to offer: nightlife, beach, downtown, historical buildings and great architecture. I'd definitely want to go there again soon. 

What’s your least favorite city and why?

Naples, Italy. I don’t understand the hype about it. It’s old, very very old, and that’s just it. There’s really nothing special about it. The streets of the area we stayed in (the Old Town), were way too small. You could barely walk without being hit by – ironically - very modern cars that drove through there. It wasn't completely terrible though, the view over the ocean is really nice and the famous traditional Napoli pizza was one of the best pizzas I’ve ever had.

 Was there ever a time you felt unsafe or have gotten into a bad situation? How did it play out?

I woudn´t say I felt unsafe but definitely ‘weird’. During my solo travel, I was in Madrid discovering the city when I felt I was being followed by someone. It was during the day, not even late at night. Suddenly, I saw the person walking right next to me and starting talking to me. He said how he was watching me walking around and how he wanted to invite me to have coffee with him. Even after I declined the invitation respectfully, he still tried to talk me into it and he also bragged about his nice car. He asked for my Instagram and said he would be a Fitness influencer/bodybuilder whatever (which he was according to his profile) and said he would message me for having dinner later that day. I gave him my Instagram and he went away. Later that day, I blocked him. I wanted to get rid of him asap without making him aggressive or anything so he could keep following me. I gave him something so he'd leave me alone. All in all, he wasn’t harmful or dangerous. Just the way the approached me was weird. But then I also thought to myself: how else are you supposed to approach someone on the street that you see and like? So idk. My advice to other solo travelers would be: Stay calm and try to deescalate the situation by being friendly. You don’t know who’s standing in front of you and what they’re capable of. However, make your point clear and try to get away from the situation ASAP.

What’s one item that you absolutely must have on all your travels?

I wish I could lie about this one but I have to be honest. The one item I absolutely need on all my travels is my hair mousse. One time it was taken away from me at the airport because the bottle was too big *eye roll * and I couldn’t wait to land and go buy a new one. The mousse is part of m curly hair routine every morning after shower and there is no way my hair would look acceptable without it. So, yup, maybe I should feel embarrassed but that’s just how it is and I'm not sorry.

Do you prefer solo or group travel? Why?

Definitely group travel. I've been on a solo travel and it was very peaceful since there was no one I had to wait on or plan with. I could wake up anytime I want, go to the places I wanted to see, stop at places for however long I wanted, meet new people to hang out with, etc... The list is long. However, it got boring at some point. And I feel like, as a woman I can’t just go to a bar alone, and definitely not a club. Group travels are more fun and we always had a good time together. 

What is the one place you would say everyone should absolutely see at least once in their lifetime? What did you love about it?

I think Venice, Italy is a place everyone should at least see once in their lifetime. It’s completely different than all the other European cities. Stay there for 4-5 days at max. From there, you should take the next flight straight to the Madrid-Barajas airport. Stay in Madrid for at least 5-7 days because Madrid is one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever seen! There’s the Bank of Spain, which I think everyone should have seen in person after watching La Casa De Papel. There’s Madrid’s main square `Plaza Mayor`, the Royal Palace of Madrid, Puerto del Sol and so much more. The most famous street of Madrid `Gran Via´ has a cinematic scope and it’s so alive. Head over to the top of the Corte Inglés Gourmet Experience for THE great view of the street’s famous Schweppes sign. It’s incredible! There are also many other rooftop bars you should go to for a great view over Madrid’s rooftops. Madrid has great achitecture, unique historical landmarks and it’s absolutely one of my favorite cities. Don’t forget to eat Paellas and lots of churros con chocolate – sugar-drenched deep-fried dough sticks with hot chocolate. So actually, it's 2 places.

Have you ever had a life changing moment or epiphany while traveling? 

It was on a trip with my boyfriend and we actually wanted to go somewhere else first but it got cancelled due to COVID. It wasn’t the city we had actually planned on going to but the time we had there was incredible. Then I understood how it really is the person you’re with that makes the memories unforgettable and less the circumstances or the location. If you’re reading this, I love you capybara.

What city/country would you love to see next?

I definitely want to go the United States. But since that’s going to be quite a long process, I’d love to go to the Maldives. If it just wasn’t so expensive.