What the hell I was thinking?

I have just received my dose of vitality in Plockton, giving me the motivation to wake up and go search for another beautiful sight that was on the agenda. 'The Fairy Pools' are a series of stunning, crystal-clear natural pools and waterfalls located on the Isle of Skye. Nestled at the base of the Black Cuillin mountains, these enchanting pools are renowned for their vivid turquoise water and magnificent surroundings. Unfortunately, the area is too popular with tourists and photographers, who work hard to make this place appear fictional on the internet. The Fairy Pools photos are heavily edited and retouched, 'enhanced' and 'improved' so much that you can go there with some expectations that are not going to be met. Luckily, we had a friend, our hostess for the journey, who lowered our expectations for the site long before we saw it in person. By doing us this favor, she provided us with a day full of incredibly mesmerizing, realistic views—not heavily edited b...

After the first two days, which were kind of wasted given our plan, we were craving to experience the nature and the beautiful sights we had come to see. Our friend had to work, so she left the house early, leaving us behind to explore on our own. She told us about Plockton, a beautiful village outside Skye that we could visit first and where we could spend the whole day exploring. She would join us after work and take us back by car. She showed us the train station and explained how to get to Plockton before heading on her way. We walked through the now-iconic Skye Bridge that connects the island with the rest of the world, and we were lucky to have some sunshine clearing the clouds before us.                                                                                    View...

You should watch the movie immediately before reading this, as there are some spoilers ahead. But if you need more convincing, be my guest. The movie is a thrill ride that, once you grasp its meaning, will leave you blown away by the accuracy and depth of the ideas it explores. I haven’t seen the second film yet, and while some emotions and logic are missing in the first one, especially considering Riley's age, the exploration of the five core emotions, islands of personality, and memories was such a familiar experience that the movie didn’t just serve as a reminder—it also restored order in my chaotic mind. There are times when I go months without watching an animated feature, and the last one that really hit home was 'Soul' , also by the same studio that brought us this one. 'Soul' is more than special, and here, once again, Pixar delivers. I wish I could have watched this movie as a kid, or even seen a child's reaction to it, to understand how they perceive ...

                                    A photo of the fence...  Chapter 9 : Day 8: We are all playing roles. Society demands that we should be productive, or else we are nothing at all. Our families expect us to be straight and normal, whatever that means; and our friends expect to hear from us from time to time and to talk about them for a change. I played those roles for some time, and it turned out I am not very good at it. I tried many directions; many around me seemed more focused, like they had it together, while I got lost. Many of the major life decisions up to this moment were indeed thrust upon me. I was flying from one wrong path to another, dreaming of some safety in this never-ending, ever-changing canvas. I woke up feeling that I had wasted a lot of time—back at 'Chavdar' Hut, yesterday at 'Kashana,' and in life in general. This damn storm. If I don’t keep moving, my brain...

Manson returns after a long period of being on tour and dealing with accusations, with two songs this month. In the new tracks, Manson seems to fight back against the ongoing public belief that he is guilty. It is easy to pin someone who stands out from the herd and hunt them. He is innocent until proven guilty, and the crime is yet to be proven in court, where it matters most. His fans, including me, are not quick to judge the book, waiting patiently for the truth to come out. Until then, we have new music—not that we are over the old, but I am ready for the new wave. Soon, more details about the album will be disclosed, but with the tempo at which he is moving, we are not going to wait much longer to be able to hear his new project. With this incredible start, Manson provides personal and powerful lyrics, finally sharing his point of view. Of course, we knew that he insists on his innocence on all charges, but now through his art, we hear how it feels to be accused of such a crime....

I've never seen Gaga shine like she does here. The video is masterfully shot, enhancing the song in every way possible. Not that the song needed a lift, but now I can't imagine listening to it without seeing Gaga dancing with a cigarette. This is a different kind of ballad—it taps into a positive feeling, which is much harder to achieve in this format. I'm not the biggest fan of Bruno Mars, but after this song and video, I finally get it. He is gorgeous, with some Prince vibes, but in his own way. I'm ready for LG7 and 'Joker: folie à deux''s soundtrack, both around the corner. When I heard the rumor about the song, I didn't know what to think about this collaboration. Bruno Mars is incredibly talented, but was he a match? Then the rumor became reality with some snippets and short instrumentals shared on X. After hearing their voices fuse and their radiant energy blast in the video, providing such an original performance and visuals, I applaud the detour...

There is a lot of talk about the director Fede Alvarez, who did a very good job here. I even saw some praises from Ridley Scott, who gave birth to this franchise, and some comments from James Cameron, who evolved the cult movie back in the day. Spoilers ahead. Unfortunately, we get rid of the best character first. With the exception of Andy, the new synthetic, who does an incredible job as an android in the second part of the movie, playing the wild card until the end, both Navarro and Bjorn lose their lives, making this teen drama less engaging. The dynamic between the group and those two characters was the main thing that got me through the first twenty minutes of the movie. It starts slow. Alvarez tries to build a world that we never use. The only purpose of following the main character throughout is to establish her motivation, as well as her connections, mostly with her brother Andy, the artificial person, who at the beginning of the movie plays a dumb version of an android with s...

Last summer, I had a horrible breakup with a couple of friends, and this album was one of the forces that got me through it. I listened to "All The Good Times" non-stop to get over the hurt of the separation. Little did I know, I was about to experience what the lyrics were really about a year later. Now, I am mad. From the end of March until today, I’ve been giving my time to a guy who was probably broken beyond repair. This guy strung me along while making me feel like everything was my fault. The emotional mess that I am went with it because he was too traumatized, and I sympathized with that. Fixing someone’s problems seems easier than fixing your own mess, right? Well, in this case, I found out it’s not. My favorite song from the album appeared at the right moment, and I said to myself, “Let’s go through this again, but this time review it.” Angel Olsen first appeared in my life when I heard her song "Sister." The outro of that song grabbed me immediately. I pl...

                            A photo of my gear drying... Chapter 8: Day 7: After a day off, a five-hour hike with two intense stand-offs—one with large predators and another with a pack of dogs—I felt an overwhelming urge to drink Rakia and eat heartily.  No amount of amphetamines or negative altercations can kill my appetite after what I would describe as a small day in the mountains, so I went straight to the kitchen. I was going to stay just so I can regain power and I was going to move. The hut is more like four buildings in a yard, each serving its purpose. Ivo had called the hut keepers earlier and told them I was on my way, something I never thought to do before meeting him. I remember the two guys from Gabrovo calling him to let him know they weren’t alone anymore, and that’s when the logic of informing the next hut of your arrival started to make sense. The huts are in the mountains, many without proper ...

Chapter 7: Day 7: Exactly four years ago today, I started this adventure with almost nothing. I had the worst cheap shoes, a gigantic backpack that was killing me, a lot of problems that I brought with me, and even more that I was about to collect along the way. Even though if someone took one look at me, they would have said I was not ready for what I was about to experience, I went for it hard. There I was, alone, ready to take off to another hut. A photo of the Kom-Emine guidebook. Many thanks to my ex-colleague Radi, who bought me the original book before my journey. Unfortunately, her gift didn’t survive the trip, so I had to take a photo of the new one. I woke up early, eager to move. Annoyed from the day I took off, I found the strength in my disappointment to push forward. I don’t remember feeling pain, but I’m sure there was a substantial amount of it. I prepared the bag the previous day, which is not a good thing for a person who always forgets stuff and has to go th...