Hi! I'm Elena! Welcome to my travel blog Creativelena.com.
For me, it is all about “life-seeing instead of sightseeing”: Join me as I create, eat & live my way around the world. Curious?
*Check out my book, “The Creative Traveler’s Handbook”, for learning more about what we mean by creative travel. Travelling means the world to me, makes me fit for everday life and sometimes, I trust, also calmer on the inside. Read this blog with a smile, share what you love and remember to check back regularly: After all, when was the last time you did something for the first time?
Our journey to Jasper kicked off with a stormy beginning. If the vast wilderness of Western Canada is what you are looking for, then stormy weather should not bother you at any time of the year: At its highest point, just near the turnoff to iconic Peyto Lake, the road from Lake Louise to Jasper leads […]
So where exactly … are Porvoo and the small island of Pellinge, just a little outside of Helsinki in the south of Finland? Well located, I’d say first of all. Well indeed if you, like me, have already seen Helsinki for yourself, have done perhaps a tasty food tour in the Finnish capital city, and are […]
Wine, food & the “longest bar in the world”. That’s how the so-called “Genussmeile” in the Vienna forest district likes to be known, itself both a #winelover & foodie stretch of about ten miles between the local towns of Baden & Gumpoldskirchen. Essentially, it is made up of all different kinds of stalls, selling local […]
“You look so different”, I compliment my friend Klaus back home in Austria, “have you lost weight?! I feel like I’ve just gained at least fifteen kilos, travelling #inCostaBrava for the past two weeks”, I add, laughing. Incredible how my foodie travel writer friends Amber & Eric have been able to literally wine & dine themselves around Costa […]
Johannesburg. Some six years ago, when I was first visiting the South African capital city, I honestly did not make much of a connection. This time though, it was all different. Despite the little time we had for “Jo’burg” during our South African adventure trip, I did finally feel some more of the vibe of Johannesburg. Met […]
Porto. No longer do I feel like a visitor there. Rather, like a “temporary citizen“. “Bem-vinda em casa, Elena!”, my Portuguese friends call out to me and welcome me home in their typical, heartfelt hospitality. If, like me, you care for the country and its people, even learn (some of) the language, you stand to […]
Greece in foodie terms is one big travel dream come true! If you’ve ever sighed to the creaminess of real Greek yoghurt, tasted juicy Kalamata olives or bit into tangy Feta cheese, you will never want to opt for the industrially manufactured counterparts again. Incredible just how good the food tastes out here, at the very source of […]
Montréal. “Bienvenue au Québec!” Here I am, having finally gone all the way East on my trans-Canada journey. As my #VIARail train pulls into Montréal station from Ottawa, leaving the province of Ontario for Québec, I readily unpack my French language skills .. only to find that I first understand next to nothing. What an accent here! Brace, brace, […]
Ottawa, the capital city of Canada, is buzzing with anticipation. In 2017, Canada will be celebrating its 150th anniversary of Confederation, a proud date of remembrance for most Canadians. “So what will you do, Kirk?”, I ask our guide Kirk Brant, of Indigenous Walks, at the start of our educational walk around downtown Ottawa. He smiles, then answers: […]
“We could go to St. Lawrence Market .. But Kensington, I hear, is worth checking out as well .. And have you heard of a place called Evergreen Brickworks?! No? Oh, I insist you go there Elena … Especially as the #foodlover traveller you are!” Numerous were the pieces of advice my Toronto friends had for me […]