6 QUESTIONS TO PAULINA
Travel Blog
Luxembourg
Instagram: paulina_on_the_road
paulinaontheroad.com
Paulina was born in Luxembourg and spent her entire childhood there. She studied German and Spanish language and literature as well as intercultural communication and lived in seven different cities and three different countries within eight years. Then it was time for her to settle down, but not without embarking on a somewhat crazy project. She hitchhiked from the Canary Islands to Cape Verde and across the Atlantic to Barbados. Today, she still passionately travels and shares her discoveries in her blog in English, French, and Spanish. Through her articles, she aims to inspire her readers to travel in an ethical and responsible manner.
Will you travel in the same way as before the Covid-19 crisis in your activities?
I had planned to stay a few months in the Cape Verde Islands, then to travel or come to Luxembourg, but at the moment, I am still there. I will then return to Luxembourg, but given the current situation, I cannot plan any further travels.
For years, I have been a big fan of “Slow Travel,” and that will not change in the future.
Does travelling today pose more risks than before? Will you take other safety precautions?
I will definitely always travel with hand sanitizer, but also factor in longer waiting times and have understanding for the staff in hotels, restaurants, or airlines.
How many countries have you visited and what criteria do you use to choose your travel destinations?
So far, I have visited about forty countries. Criteria for choosing future travel destinations include: “Where have I not been yet?”.
Sometimes there are very interesting travel offers to countries that were not necessarily on the radar. What can I discover from Luxembourg on a short trip?
How do you organize your travels to meet your expectations and avoid disappointments?
The best recipe here is: plan as little as possible! Allow enough space and time for spontaneous discoveries and encounters to happen. The special atmosphere on-site can only be experienced by breaking away from your daily routine.
Do you have any tips on how to get to know a country or city best?
I love to buy a travel guide in advance and read up on it. It is important to me to be informed about the history and culture, not only to avoid any faux pas.
Your most beautiful and worst experience?
The best and worst probably both happened during the Atlantic crossing. I hitchhiked on a sailboat from Tenerife via Cape Verde to Barbados. The crossing from Tenerife to the Cape Verde Islands was worse than anything I had imagined. The crossing took seven days, the waves were extremely high, and the ship, with its eleven meters, was very small. I was really afraid that we would never make it to Cape Verde.
Fortunately, I met another sailing couple in Mindelo and sailed with them to Barbados. The starry sky during the night shifts, the deep red sunrises, the dolphins, the encounter with another sailboat in the middle of the Atlantic are just a few of the wonderful memories. The most bittersweet experience was when we finally arrived in Barbados after eighteen days. It was wonderful to see land again, but I actually would have preferred to stay on the ship.
