#LIKEACHALLENGE 

We (the royal 'we': me and my coolest man Andreas) spent 2 weeks in USA between LA - San Francisco - Portland - Seattle & 1 week in Vancouver and Vancouver Island. We enjoyed a couple of days in LA with the help of a few uber rides (only picked up the car on day 3) - it’s near impossible to get enough of LA in 48h, but we squeezed in most of the ‘iconic’ attractions. DAY 1: Arrive in LA, check into hotel & head straight to Venice beach, totally jetlagged. We

I recently embarked on a short but very exciting weekend road trip around the island of Kos. It was my very first time visiting Greece. Armed with a trusty Jeep Wrangler and my usual appetite for discovery, I set out to explore the stunning beaches and hidden gems that this Greek paradise had to offer. First on my itinerary was a visit to the capital city of Kos. Stepping into the bustling streets, I was instantly captivated by the vibrant atmosphere and the remnants of ancie

Hmmm.. it's been two weeks since the final match, so I feel better now ;-) I survived the 30 days training (just about), but long story short: I lost the final match. Happens to the best and to be fair, writing about it is a nice closure :) Week 4: I played my usual daily tennis, did a lot of walking on the beach (went south of the island for a few nights) and mostly focused on stretching. Nothing to strenuous. Nevertheless, I didn't have much left for the final match itself.

Slightly belated summary of week 3. It was tough. I felt super tired beginning of the week and to be honest, most of the workouts were very forced and I stopped enjoying the full-on schedule I imposed on myself (good news: I'm fine again in week 4, hurrah!) . Mid week I forgot how to play altogether, nothing was going right with the forehand or backhand. Around Day 17 I just wanted to cry and give myself a break BUT I've committed to 30 days, not 18, and I intend to keep it t

Corralejo - Sotavento - Cofete This is route number 2, which goes down south from Corralejo, all along the east coast of Fuerteventura. The drive south will take you around 2hours: that’s more or less how long it takes to do the whole east coast of Fuerteventura (sticking to the tarmac roads). I did a north – south – north roadtrip in one day (including sunset in Morro Jable), so it’s definitely doable in 8-10hours including food, beach stop and sunset on the way. From Corral

It's Monday and I've just kicked off week 2 of my tennis challenge. But first of all, quick summary of week 1 : I’m alive. My energy levels were going up and down during week one. I felt excited to start off with, day two was totally agonising and my whole body was in pain, day three I was back on track, then down on Thursday and finished on a high on Friday. I didn’t do any tennis at the weekend, as I badly needed some rest, but continued with HIIT exercises, pilates and a r

I promised a roadtrip post about Fuerteventura a while ago so here’s part 1 of 3. Sorry for the delay: I’ve been playing way too much tennis lately and lagging behind on the driving front! I'm prepping 3 different routes and you will be able to easily mix and match all the drives (and plan your water sports experiences around it). I’ll give you hints where to get the best Instagram-worthy views and what to eat along the way. I’m based up north in Corralejo, roughly half an ho

It’s already been a challenge doing (only) 2-3 hours training daily during the prep weeks. I have moments when I can clearly see progress and then there’s a day where I can barely hit the ball. My legs are in pain and need a solid rest – it’s also because I’ve started doing proper footwork on court and it’s so physically demanding (yes, I used to be one of those players that never moves around). I’m taking a day off tomorrow and having a sports massage. I’ve earned it! ;-) I’

For 30 days starting Monday, 5thApril 2021, I’ll be training like a pro tennis athlete. I want to see how my body and technique are able to improve over this short period of time, and treating this challenge a bit like a self-experiment. Once I survive the 30 days, the bonus goal is to play a match against the toughest opponent that my coach can find in the island of Fuerteventura. I’m expecting roughly 4 to 5 hours daily training. It will be a mix of 1 to 2 hours training o

I ended up with another Fiat, this time the cute & classy 500C. It's not a full convertible but 'topless' enough to dry your hair. It’s actually my second time testing the Fiat 500: I did my first ( non-topless ) drive a few years ago in Sardinia. It’s cool, much as it feels like a slightly bigger version of a Matchbox toy car (I used to play with those as a kid:). I would never see myself driving it day to day: it's just too 'delicate' for me plus the small size of the boot

If I could describe this car in one word: fun! It’s the perfect roadtrip car for Fuerteventura (more details on the actual roadtrip in a seperate post). It’s a joyful roadster made for a sexy, wind–in–your-hair ride. It’s a revival of the 1960s/70s model, redesigned using elements of the very popular Mazda MX-5 Miata. This car does a fantastic job if you want to add a bit of edge to your sunny roadtrip. It’s very tempting to push down the accelerator, especially in the Abarth

Bit of a personal one from me, straight from Fuerte. I’m feeling a bit under the weather today, hence the mood. I mean, who hasn’t had these days in 2020/ 2021. I’m trying to figure out what is actually ‘home’ for me nowadays. In official documents I figure as Polish-British. I really enjoy(ed) having a base in both UK and Poland, and then flying around the world. One thing was constant in my life: moving around. That's changed a bit now...and I'm trying to think what's next

I never thought I’d be living through a sci-fi film script. I happen to work in TV, so I don't say that lightly. A couple of months ago I was re-watching Steven Soderbergh's film Contagion. In a nutshell, the story is about a deadly virus, the worldwide struggle to curb its spread and the panic that ensues. Sounds familiar? I had popcorn and all the trimmings. The coronavirus was just beginning to crop up in the news, but it was all happening somewhere far away. But fast f

A few weeks ago, pre-coronavirus lockdown, I headed for a 36h city break to Munich. I ticked off my first ballet of 2020 and looks like it might be my last for a while (Covid incoming...) . I got to see Lady of the Camellias set to the magically melancholic music of Frederic Chopin - a nice Polish touch to this Bavarian trip. The story behind Lady of the Camellias was created by a 23 year old French writer Alexandre Dumas, and the ballet version is set to the piano masterpi

I was planning to stick to Europe this year, but ended up watching Misty Copeland in New York, followed by United Arab Emirates. Dubai: a very last minute trip and a perfect pre-xmas present. It's my childhood city, which until now, I only knew from photos my mum keeps in the family albums. I was too little to remember anything. Well, apart from random flashbacks of the swimming pool at Hilton Hotel... I had selective memory for good hotel pools as I baby, clearly. Just li

I’ve seen Tchaikovsky’s ‘The Nutcracker and the Mouse King’ at least a dozen times. Usually around December, as it’s a very Xmassy affair. This year I managed to tick this box twice, in Dubai and a few days ago in Warsaw. The Grand Theatre / National Opera in Warsaw is the very first opera house I ever visited, so it holds a special place in my heart. I don’t remember what I went to see and when exactly it was, but my classical music upbringing is strongly rooted in Warsaw,

Just a few highlights from seeing the amazing Misty Copeland live in New York (sorry in advance, I have no big close ups as was sitting higher up, but she is magical, trust me ;) Surprisingly she was dancing to the…Beach Boys on this occasion, which was a whole new ballet experience for me to say the least, but thoroughly enjoyable. And I loved the lavish architecture of the David H. Koch theatre, open back in 1964, which is the home for the New York City Ballet and the Ame

I have a back log of posts I’d like to share with you, starting with Mallorca. It’s one of my fave places in the world and if you haven’t been there yet, here’s 10 very best things about the biggest island of the Balearics. You get the best of both worlds : beautiful beaches and mysterious mountains all on the same island. You get a great city vibe in Palma and the scenic, untouched countryside in the north, east and south. Luxurious hotels or rustic, quirky hostels, wh

The Prague National Theatre, Narodni Divadlo , is a fantastic 'to do' when in Prague. The neo-renaissance building stems from the second part of the 19 th century and is a real pleasant treat for the eye! Enjoy the photos :) I went to see The Love for Three Oranges (quite the title;). It’s an opera by Sergei Prokofievwith a French libretto based on the Italian play with the same title (internationalJ. The opera actually premiered in the USA, at the Auditorium Theatre in Chi

In amongst doing shoots and pitching shows, I found some time to eat NY. It’s impossible to cover such a massive foodie scene in a few days (frankly, even a whole life is not enough), but I gave it a shot. Here are my top faves from the last weekend, in no specific order. I was based in the heart of Manhattan, not far from the Empire State Building, so started with what was around my hotel. I ended up at one of the local Korean joints, Samwon Garden ,apparently one of the

It was my first time in Prague. I've covered a lot of the world in the last 10 years, but surprisingly not much of Eastern Europe despite being originally Polish. Prague was love at first sight! Genuinely refreshing and way more exciting compared to seemingly more popular European capital cities I’ve lately visited. It also felt close to home, to Poland. That’s geographically speaking, but also in terms of its Slavic vibes. It does have a subtle Germanic touch (well, Prague l

I've been (more or less; )successfully competing in the Interia Drive Cup this year. It's a semi-pro competition for classic style racing cars, taking place in Poland, with 6 stages in total. Each one takes place at a different track around the country and I've got one more final stage to complete in November (which I hope I can make). I'm currently holding the 3rd place in the Ladies Cup and I hope it stays that way. Just wanted to give you some photo highlights from my firs

1. The 2 hour flight rule. Anything above that makes for a whole day of travelling and you really want to avoid this when you've just a weekend to spare. Make sure you’re also not driving for another couple of hours on the other end, especially if you happen to be unlucky and the plane is delayed... Right, if you have 3-4 days off, fly as far as you like. But for 2 days, keep actual travel time to the minimum. 2. Cheaper flight options Fridays or Mondays can be super cost

One thing you might not know about me: I studied German at Uni. Not sure how that happened, but it did. Applied Linguists to be specific, Deutsch zusammen mit Englisch (though to be honest, I never really ‘applied’ any of my language skills during that 5 years stint). I wasn’t that interested in the technicalities: delving deep into grammar rules, reading medieval literature (well, I didn’t read much back in the days anyway, so it took a few attempts to pass that exam) or the

To get to Rotterdam, it took me twice to lock myself out of my flat, two missed flights and a non-refundable hotel booked for the wrong weekend. I nearly had enough of this spontaneous trip before it even started. Mind you, I was booked to fly somewhere else before I decided to hop on the Rotterdam bound train. In the end, it was well worth it. A sunny day-trip to a city made for a foodie like me, but also a great insight into Netherland’s history, especially the maritime on

I’ve been spending a lot of my time in the Netherlands lately so I thought I’d find out a bit more about this small, but very robust country. I promise not to write about bikes in Amsterdam or Gouda cheese. In no specific order, these are my top quirky facts: 1. If you know me a bit, food is always a solid starting point. There’s a few popular American dishes and desserts of Dutch heritage. Cookie (from koekje), waffle ( wafel or wavel from an 18th century baked crisp cake

For more info on each place click on the name. Most of these spots are located in the district of Jordaan and a couple around De Pijp. HUMMUS BISTRO D&A BREAKFAST, BRUNCH, LUNCH My go to breakfast place. Serves an amazing Shakshuka. I usually take the spinach and feta one, but they do a lot of specials. They’ve also got fantastic coffee which they serve with halva (I am obsessed with halva!) WINKEL 43 APPLE PIE, ANYTIME The home of the traditional Dutch apple pie (with fre

Normally it takes a few days or weeks till I get my head around writing about my latest adventure, but this time I decided to jot everything down while it’s still fresh in my head. I’m also on the train right now, so there’s a couple of hours to spare. On Monday I jumped on the Eurostar from London to Paris. This time the goal was to visit the Palais Garnier. The Garnier Opera House stands in the middle of a very busy road intersection with an ocean of people running acros

This year I’m hoping to take my race driving skills to the next level and starting in the Interia Drive Cup in Poland. It’s targeted at (good) amateur drivers but also experienced ones ready to leap into the world of pro championships. That’s exactly why it’s a good mix, I have space to improve competing against others who are much better than me at this stage of my ‘career’. Interia Drive Cup is formed of 6 races held at various racecourses in Poland plus a bonus cross coun

1. Girls, you can properly get dressed up (some of the outfits I buy are only good for a ball or...the opera house) If you've got the swagger, just go and pull off an Oscar gown. And guys you can do a bow tie! 2. Drinks at the bar, usually set in a chandelier filled lobby or a stunning terrace with a view during summer. 3. Great idea for a not-a-bog-standard date! 4. Mediation: operas & ballets usually last around 3-4 hours, so there’s a lot of time to ponder about life. 5.

I’ve never actually heard about Frankenstein performed ‘en pointe’ until I looked up what’s on in the Royal Opera House in London. The ballet is based on the famous 1818 book written by Mary Shelby, but only came to life in 2016. It was adapted for the stage by British choreographer Liam Scarlett with music composed by American Lowell Liebermann. It's a lavish performance with the score reminding me a bit of Prokofiev, being fairly traditional in terms of harmonies and struct

My latest opera trip ended up being in…Palma de Mallorca. Not the obvious choice, but I happened to be visiting my best friend over there and thought, let’s just see what’s on. It turned out to be Don Giovanni. First of all, Don Giovanni is not for amateurs. It’s long (goes on for nearly 4 hours) and it can be tedious at the best of times (I closed my eyes and dozed off a few times, like a pro;). Nevertheless, it’s a staple of operatic repertoire and if you’re open minded pl

I kicked off 2019 with the ballet 'Cinderella' and it's my first time at the Dutch National Opera and Ballet before. It was a bit of a last minute decision to book the tickets as I only decided a couple of weeks before NYE to spend it in Amsterdam and what a damn good decision it was: honestly, one of the best ever ballet productions I've seen. Fantastic sets throughout, but above all, the dancing was impeccable. Great chemistry between Daniel Camargo and Igone de Jongh.

Where do you start. Is it possible to be happy and unhappy all at the same time? Yes. That's exactly how I felt at the top of Ben Nevis. We did it together with my friend Flam (ironically, we met on a A Place in the Sun where it's always sunny and plus 25'C …). I'll be honest, we hated the whole experience UNTIL later on that evening when we ate everything of the menu at the local pub and realised what we’ve actually managed to achieve. We felt happy again. And very proud o

Just some long overdue highlights from the epic Monte Carlo or Bust rally, when me and my dad managed to clock up nearly 5000km around Europe and raise nearly £500 for the Help for Heros charity. We went from Warsaw to St Quentin in France then down to Monte Carlo (via Switzerland and Italy) and back to Warsaw. All in my grandad's 1991 Toyota Corolla, which is still going strong. Enjoy!

Throwback to November last year. It was the first big challenge-roadtrip I did when I created this site. I was also talking with my good friend Gosia the other day about doing a weekend in Marrakesh, so it motivated me to finally write what I was meaning to write a long while ago. A few ‘how to drive in Morocco’ pointers and what NOT to do when hiring a car down that neck of the woods (desert). Even though it’s been a year, I still remember all the routes very well and each

There’s so many things I want to share with you about France and learning French (and lots more to come in the vlogs soon!) I’ll be honest, I wasn’t that fond of France before I starting learning the language in January. Whenever I happened to go there, it was always for a TV shoot and I remember the endless, super knackering drives from one village to the other on the vomit-inducing countryside roads. France is the third largest country in Europe area wise (behind Russia an

The latest on the graphics for the Toyota Corolla. I'll be heading to Poland mid-May (and then around mid-June again) to sort these out and also do a final MOT - style check of the car. Fingers crossed it will survive 4500km haha!

Here you go, the next episode of the 'Monte Carlo or Bust Rally' series. My dad came over to London a few weeks go and we finally sat down to do the maths. We finally starting adding up all the kms we have to do....YIKES. Either way, we're prepping and we'll be ready for July :)

My 90days of learning French is over. Well, saying that, I’ll be learning French for the rest of my life, but at least the 3 months of intense studying was a solid start to this lifetime journey ahead. Now, back to business. The grand finale which I promised at the beginning of the challenge. Initially the plan was to go to Paris for a weekend, but…as I well know from TV, organising a ‘shoot’ in a busy city like Paris (and throw the famous Parisian attitude into the mix), I

Wow.. it’s been a while since I wrote a blogpost about my French challenge and it uddenly hit me that the 90days deadline is tomorrow! Yikes. To keep my promise and prove to you that I’ve actually learnt something, I’m currently planning a trip to France in May, where I’ll do a bunch of fun, cultural activities ONLY using French. And of course I'll aim to speak French for the whole time I’m there (well, most of the time...there will be some sign language involved I'm sure).

Find out how me and my dad are getting on with the prep for the Monte Carlo or bust rally. We've been testing our car in rather extreme weather conditions... and do enjoy my dad's beautiful English accent ;)

It's over half way through the French challenge, so where am I at? Well, I can finally talk about the past as the last couple of days have been about learning 'passe compose', the basic past tense in French. I did future tense a couple of weeks ago, so in theory I know all the verb forms now, but I have to practise, practise and yet again practise to feel more at ease using these in conversation. I had two French lessons this weekend as I wanted to catch up after a busy week

So, first ever blog is finally up. Very humble beginnings, random bits filmed on my iPhone & laptop :) Summary of my first month mastering French pronunciation and memorising basic phrases. And an opportunity to see me with barely any make-up on, wet hair straight out of the shower, sitting in the kitchen. Think I sold it to you..!

Week 5 has been a lot about ‘forcing’ myself to do those 15min of French when I know I’m losing momentum in my challenge and can’t find the same motivation I had in the first week. I did two 1:1 lessons in week 5, so that’s good, but I had to find new, interesting ways of learning in order to not get bored. I guess it’s easier when you just learn French in France and then you’re surrounded by the language all the time anyway. But doing it in London, I have to do (at least) 15

I know a bit more than 'une baguette' by this stage..just finished week 5 of my learning French challenge, but still writing a blogpost about week 4. My only excuse is that...I’ve been learning French plus doing the Vicky’s Secret challenge. So no sitting around for sure! Week four was when I had my first 1:1 lessons and that gave me a massive boost of confidence when it comes to actually speaking the language! You can learn from books, internet or listen to tapes / apps / y

I’ve had some moments of doubt this week pondering if I can ever get past only being able to name things and memorise whole sentences. It’s speeds up the learning process at the beginning, but at some stage you want to express genuine opinions or say how you feel, naturally, rather than delivering a script. I think I haven’t reached that stage with French yet. I’m getting to the point of ‘Tarzan French’ (a name used in the ‘Language hacking’ book), where you simply use whate

As it was an extremely busy time for me work-wise, my second week has mostly been about trying to fit in at least one minute of French whenever I could. On the train, in the cafe, between phone calls, listening to the app when standing in a queue or at 11pm at home before going to bed. This is the reason why a lot of people give up their challenge a few days into it, they just don't find the time. Or rather, they don't even TRY to find the time. We've got work, daily erran

Week two has been all about learning French words for clothes and colours, apart from trying to memorize another dozen of sentences along the lines of 'please speak slower' which will hopefully save my life in France when I eventually head across the Channel. My pronunciation is failry good (well, it’s always been my strongest point when learning any language), vocabulary is not bad.. just trying to put everything together into a coherent conversation is not easy (i.e. I've

It’s the beginning of week two and I was thinking that I need to organise the ‘words of the day’ which I do on Instagram and have some French inspirations for every week. Apart from constantly talking to myself on instastory, I introduced you to a few French words for clothes and colours. So, this week I’ll continue with that, but here on the blog I also want to explore the French minimalist wardrobe and the basic items you need to look like a proper Parisian! I’m a big fa