Author: Marina Mexploring

Ukrainian heart. Norwegian attitude. Spanish passion. I believe in a fusion lifestyle and write about life by design.

Catalonia: Ride A Boat Along The Channels

Marina Mexploring12 Comments

If you happen to travel in the North of Catalonia, make sure to pop by in Empuriabrava, the town of channels. If you check it in Google Maps, you will see that this place has as many channels as streets 🙂 It seems also that it has as many boats as cars 🙂

If you don’t own a boat, it’s ok. You can always take a touristic boat ride, or stroll along the main street and the biggest channel, watching the houses by the water, the boats with a mountain backdrop – and dream about spending a summer here … or about whatever you want to dream of :))

that Mediterranean lifestyle

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Color Hunt: All Shades of Lilac 

Marina Mexploring6 Comments

This summer lilac seemed to be the trendiest color. Or better say, its lavender shade. I’ve seen dresses and t-shirts, bottles and bags in that color. And I found it lovely every time.

At that very time I decided to do the photo hunt for all different shades of lilac and violet (which is one of my favorite colors). But only now did I come to the wish of sharing my finds.

I may seem to be careless and dreamy as I write this now. But actually I do this post from Barcelona which has seen five days of protests against the sentence for the political prisoners. Some of protests were more violent than usually (the Catalans tend to be peaceful in their fight). Today is the day of the biggest demonstration with thousands of people walking from all of Catalonia to Barcelona. It is the day of general strike too. Read More »

My Reasons For Oslove

Marina Mexploring13 Comments

I should have written this before. I actually wanted to write about “Joys of Being Back” in my first weeks in Oslo. But love is felt at its most when it’s time to say good-bye, ironically – and as I sit on my return ticket I feel more for expressing it now :)) Plus there is such a lovely sunny day in Oslo. Plus I had such an amazing night yesterday, meeting one of my best friends for dinner and going out to dance salsa later.

Before it is too late – I want to share my reasons to love Oslo. Now or never :))

that street fashion
that blue tram
those colors of Oslo
that city bike

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What Inspires Me Right Now

Marina Mexploring9 Comments

 

September, my love. I didn’t think I would spend you in Oslo – once again. But here it happens. The autumn has happened and brought a slight melancholy with it. Or, maybe, it is not autumn itself, but the fact that I suddenly found myself in Oslo, and I miss Barcelona. The autumn has brought some days of sickness, and I spend these days browsing blogs and Instagram – to keep me warm on beauty and inspiration.

There is one thing I especially like about autumn: you get the feeling that the seasons change, that pages are turning. It brings this fresh feeling of newness, even though it is not as optimistic as the spring. But still somehow cozy and comforting. I tend to become less energetic and more poetic – but back to the point of this post. Here are things that inspire me this season!

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Oslo Love: Reflections

Marina Mexploring11 Comments

A little post of love for Oslo, or as they do it on Instagram – hashtag oslove 🙂 On a sunny day which luckily falls on Sunday there are so many reasons to love Oslo. For example:

  • you get to see happy faces everywhere
  • people enjoying the last coffee or beer on the cafe terraces
  • lively atmosphere in the park Birkelunden with the flea market, and all around the streets of my hipster neighborhood
  • the wonderful light and shadows’ game on the facades and in the windows
  • guys playing basketball on the open field, with the Oslo skyline in the distance
  • hands holding take away coffee cups
  • every hipster taking their camera out for a walk

And I took mine and went on a short photo walk, high not on alcohol or caffeine – but on this pure joy of luckily catching sun on a careless Sunday afternoon. I did not intend to, but this time I collected reflections. They were just everywhere, popping up in the generous autumn sunshine. Come along with me!

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Coffee Talk: Autumn Mood

Marina Mexploring15 Comments

If we were having coffee, I’d admit that I like autumn. With all my love-hate for it, swinging moods and sudden melancholy – I like it, I feel inspired by it. I like to watch and feel the change of seasons. And my secret pleasure is to watch Norwegian girls in their cozy sweaters, to crawl into cafes, to read a book by the window, a big cup of tea waiting ready on its sill. All the cliches about warm rugs, living candles and hot chocolates – I buy it every time :)) Even if a month later into autumn I will regret it – I still love it (in the start).

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that I am staying in Oslo for September. Why are in Norway, some have asked me. What happened to your Barcelona project?

Barcelona project is still on. But my project is again about fusion – about creating a life between two countries. And so I am working on its Scandinavian part right now 😆

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5 Things of Oslo Summer

Marina Mexploring13 Comments

Summer moved on. There is a song with this name, by A-ha. They know what they are talking about, because these guys are from Norway 🙂

The last two weeks I have had this feeling. That summer moved on. In some places in Europe it is still full summer and beach weather on. While in Norway the august brings mixed feelings and mixed weather. Though it has been warmer than usually, without those freezing mornings when you feel like winter is coming :)) Still the autumn feeling is creeping in. The low grey skies, the numerous rainy days, girls in fluffy cozy sweaters…

While some are pondering if today is the last day of summer or not – we know for sure. That there is no way back. We call this time here “sen sommer/tidlig høst” (late summer, early autumn). Before the real autumn sets it and wipes away the sunny memories, I want to look back with gratitude to the leaving summer – and remember my favorite things which it gave to me :))

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