Lars and I travel a lot, but in order to finance our passion we are careful with the money that we spend. So, we have taken a couple of measures:
- I never buy cosmetics or jewels.
- We buy our groceries in discount supermarkets or at markets.
- We hardly go to a pub or restaurant.
- I am a bargain hunter. I buy books, clothes, music, etc. online or during sales.
Are these sacrifices? I can imagine that some women find it odd that I hardly go shopping, but guess what? I hate shopping! Indeed, I feel very uneasy in a crowded store. And to answer the question, no, these are not sacrifices. Because our way of living permits us to travel, to experience and see new things very regularly. And that’s a lot more valuable to us than a new television set or the latest fashionable clothes. One confession though: I am addicted to perfume!
When it comes to traveling, we usually choose modest b&b’s, motels, etc. We don’t need luxury; as long as the room is clean and we have our own bathroom, we are happy. We don’t need a spa, swimming pool, organized activities and the like, because we don’t spend a lot of time in a hotel anyway.
That being said, when we are on holiday, we do spend our money on things that we find interesting, such as museums, national parks and … good food! And I had organized a surprise for my beloved Lars…
Before we had left Belgium, I had done some research on the Internet about restaurants in Sarande. And one of the better ones was located almost right in front of our apartment. It is called Junia Rufina and belongs to the Seaside Sarande Hotel. And I was going to treat Lars and myself to some fine dining there. However, there were a couple of important details that I hadn’t read:
- The restaurant is located on top of the hotel, which has six floors.
- The only way to reach the restaurant is via a glass elevator.
And we both suffer from vertigo! So Lars and I took a deep breath and closed our eyes when we got into the elevator. When the doors opened, we found ourselves in paradise. On our left, there was a lounge bar with an incredible view on the bay of Sarande. And on our right, the restaurant with a view on the beaches. Wow!
And the food was to die for. We first shared a couple of salads as a starter. Then our main dishes… Lars had veal with prunes and oranges, whereas I devoured seafood pasta. And when I say “seafood”, I mean it. Different kinds of mussels and shrimps. With a superb tomato sauce and fresh herbs!
And we ended our evening in the lounge bar. We ordered a couple of raki and watched the sun go down. It was so romantic and we can easily that is one of the highlights of the year!
