Lulus.com Travel Style Diary: Budapest

I am excited to announce that I am collaborating with Lulu*s for the duration of my trip across Europe to show you how to style outfits inspired by various cities I visit. For Budapest, a city famous for its Turkish influence, I've chosen this Ottoman-inspired Crank Up the Lace Blue Skirt and paired it with a basic but bright tee in a contrasting color, matching my sunny mood and the {finally!} warm weather outside. The ornate design of the skirt combined with the pop of color made enough of a statement that I decided to keep the jewelry to a minimum, opting for these simple and chic stackable rings from Gorjana. As for the shoes, flats are a must, considering that everything in Budapest is within walking distance. Such a fun outfit had me twirling with delight, attracting a few strange looks from passerbys on the streets. So although my outfit may have been on-par with Budapest style, my behavior definitely gave me away as a tourist {or perhaps a deliriously happy local.}

I also have a bit of exciting news to share with you. Lulus.com is offering Foxy Oxie Supernova readers an exclusive 15% discount, valid for a very short time. So hurry, hurry, hurry! Shop Lulu*s newest arrivals, because the offer ends May 18, 2013. Use the code FOXYTRAVEL at checkout.

What do you think of this outfit? I'd love to hear how you'd style this skirt! And just how beautiful is Budapest? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section, and stay tuned for more details and photos of what we did, saw, ate, etc. I must say that Budapest was my favorite city so far, so keep your eyes peeled to the blog to find out why!

1. Skirt, c/o Lulus.com // 2. Top, Tee Shop (similar) // 3. Shoes, Nicole (similar) // 4. Rings, c/o Gorjana // 5. Bag, TJMaxx (similar) // 6. Sunglasses, Bloomingdales (similar) 

Don't forget to use your exclusive Lulu*s discount! Just enter FOXYTRAVEL at the checkout for 15% off your purchase! Offer valid until May 18, 2013.

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Eurostars Grand Central Hotel

If you follow me on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook then you've probably seen that today was a day unlike any other so far. To call our morning “horrific” would be a gross understatement. Today was one of those days you hear about in travel-related horror stories. Literally everything that could go wrong went wrong, and just when you shook your head in utter disbelief and muttered to yourself “This day couldn’t get any worse,” the skies opened up, and freezing rain drenched your last clean outfit and every inch of your luggage. 

After a failed attempted to do laundry last night, spending half the morning unsuccessfully drying two loads of laundry with a hair dryer, a 2-hour hike in search of a laundromat {which was closed because today is Sunday}, total loss of Internet connection on our phones right as we were searching for directions, driving 20 minutes in the wrong direction, getting lost, getting fined 80 euros because apparently the 24-hour metro ticket we bought wasn't for 24 hours afterall, a missed metro stop, getting soaked in the pouring rain, a couple outbursts of hysteria, we finally arrived at the bus stop from which we were to travel to Zurich, only to find out that the bus had left about 45 minutes before scheduled departure time.

So there we stood in the middle of the street, soaked to the bone, freezing, discouraged, exhausted, frustrated - a whirlwind of feelings and emotions pushing us to the brink of a hysterical explosion. Not exactly the glamourous trek across Europe that you'd imagined, right? So at 1 PM we decided to call it a day and booked a room at the Eurostars Grand Central Hotel, a stylish luxury hotel with extra-large beds and ultra-modern bathrooms. Its state-of-the-art lobby is not too shabby of a work station, I might add. Finally a day of doing absolutely nothing! And although in the back of my mind I know that tomorrow is another travel day, with its usual last-minute complications, I feel perfectly at peace and ready to take on the next adventure! Sometimes I have to remind myself how lucky and blessed I am!

Photos, c/o Eurostars Grand Central Hotel

I would love to hear about your travel-related nightmares and how you deal with them! Let's swap stories and advice in the comments section!

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More of Munich

Train ride to Mittenwald, located in the northern foothills of the Alps

Nymphenburg Palace, where we had a romantic picnic in the park

The back of Nymphenburg Palace

Hofbrauhaus is a public royal brewery in Munich known for being the place where Hitler announced his rule over Germany. Today it's such a popular dining place that when we were here, they were out of several traditional German dishes, including weisswurst (traditional German white sausage. We were told that the reason for this was Mayfest (a spring alternative to Oktoberfest). We learned that during Oktoberfest it's typical to pay an average of 600 euros to reserve a table at the Hofbrauhaus for one evening.

The ballroom of the Hofbrauhaus featured a free Bavarian concert. Unfortunately, all the seats were reserved, so we were only able to hear a glimpse of the music.

Like all travelers, I have seen more than I remember and remember more than I have seen. If you ever traveled for an extended amount of time, you know that everything becomes one big blur when you're constantly on the go. I try my best to write down my thoughts and memories, but our day typically starts around 9 AM or earlier and doesn't end until 10 PM or later. Add to that very limited Internet, and you've got one very frustrated blogger. But I will keep on keeping on, and if there is something in particular you'd like to see/read/learn about my travels, just drop me a line or let me know in the comments section! As for those who are thinking, "Where did the personal style posts go?" Not to worry! I've teamed up with Lulu*s.com to show you how to style Europe-inspired outfits and stay chic with a limited wardrobe, so stay tuned for Lulu*s Travel Style Diary!

The highlights of our last few days in Munich included a visit to Pinakothek. On Sundays you can visit all public museums for only one euro, and we got lucky and saw both, the old and new Pinakothek for that price. Simply put, we saw Rembrandt, Rubens, Poussin, Raphael, Reni, Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet and more for the shocking price of one euro. Talk about getting lucky! When you're in a different country whose language you do not speak, sometimes the simplest of tasks becomes a major ordeal, so you quickly learn to value the most matter-of-fact occurrences. Other activities I would recommend include the famous Hofbrauhaus, a romantic picnic and stroll through the parks of Nymphenburg Palace, delicious ice cream at Crema Gelato or any of the many ice cream cafes, and as usual, lots of leisurely wandering.

We will be returning to Munich later in our trip, so I'd love to hear your recommendations for places we may have missed! Read about what else we've seen and done in Munich, and let me know your recommendations in the comments sections! And if you have any questions about where I've been and what I've seen, don't be shy! Ask away!

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Munich Photo Diary

Views of Munich from Olympiaturm in Olympiapark

I love the feeling of wandering through a place that is new and unfamiliar, so we took our time exploring Munich. Somehow we were still able to cover a lot of ground. The day began with several train rides that took us to Marienplatz. Munich's public transportation system may seem a bit overwhelming at first. There are taxis, buses, trams, the U-Bahn, the S-Bahn and the Deutsche Bahn - and that's just during the day! But once you get the hang of it, it truly is the most convenient method to get around. Before you know it, tourists will be asking you for directions {true story!}.

Places I would recommend include breathtaking views from Olympiatrum, everything from musical street performers to crowd watching at Marienplatz in front of the Neues Rathaus, shopping ranging from Zara to Prada on Theatinerstaße and Residenzstraße, the most scrumptious, appetizing delicacies at the Dallmeyr, and of course lots and lots of aimless wandering. Dine at the Dallmeyr Restaurant or try Zum Franziskaner for more budget-friendly typical German cuisine.

Fortitudo Temperantia

Breathtaking views of the city and the BMW Museum from the Olympiaturm in the Olympiapark:
The Olympiaturm is over 291 meters and is the highest structure in Munich. If you're ever here, do not hesitate to spend the 5,50 euros for a chance to witness these breathtaking views {even on a cloudy day}.

BMW Welt:
The BMW Welt, located next to the BMW Headquarters, BMW Museum and the Olympiapark, is a futuristic, multi-functional exhibition center of the latest BMW products. Here we saw lots of super cool cars, including the BMW i8 Concept sportscar, learned about the technology and design of BMW, and witnessed a fascinating motorcycle show right there in the building.

Dom zu Unserer Lieben Frau (Frauenkirche)

Dom zu Unserer Lieben Frau (Frauenkirche)

Marienplatz:
Marienplatz, also known as St. Mary's Square, is Munich's city square. Important public events such as tournaments or executions used to be held here. Today you will find musical performances and huge crowds of tourists dominating the square.

Neues Rathaus:
This is the spire of Munich's new Town Hall, which was designed by 24-year-old Georg Hauberriser. 

The Feldherrnhalle structure on Odeonsplatz

Residenzstraße Shopping

Theatinerkirche St. Kajetan:
The Theatine Church of St. Cajetan is a Catholic church built in the high-baroque splendor most often associated with Italian architecture.

Theatinerstraße Shopping:
The yellow building is Dallmeyr, Germany's most famous luxury delicatessen food store that dates back to the 17th century and sells the most wonderful array of bread, sausage and cheese, among a bevy of other deliciousness.

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Hallo from Munich

1. Dress, ASOS (currently out of stock, but here's a similar one from REVOLVE Clothing) // 2. Belt, Prada (or less expensive version here) / 3. Clutch, TJMaxx (similar) // 4. Bracelets, Charming Charlies, ASOS (similar) // 5. Shoes, Bakes Shoes (similar) // 6. Watch, DKNY (similar) // 6. Earrings, Dillards (similar)

Photography by Paul M. Howard.

A special occasion calls for a special dress, and what better way to bid "auf wiedersehen" to monotony and say "hallo" to my new, adventurous life than in this fun, yellow peplum ASOS dress. Yellow is the color of fun, confidence, originality, creativity, challenge and cheerfulness. Its uplifting and illuminating energy inspires a new enthusiasm for life, which is precisely how I felt today when we finally landed in Munich. And though the sky was cloudy, and the streets are filled with rain puddles, my spirits are high as we prepare for a day of exploring tomorrow. If you have any recommendations for what to see in Munich, drop me a line!

Stay tuned for more photos from this shoot, which was actually done right before I left for Europe. And do check out my Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for more regular updates from my travels. Auf wiedersehen!