o1.o5.2o19 • top spots in wellington

short & sweet .. some of my fav places in `Wellington´ a city full of surprises & stores with 1ooo things you don’t need but want to have !!
1. vintage clothing stores: second hand fashion is in .. it’s cheap it’s trendy it’s ecological & the best part: you can find it everywhere in `Wellington´. on my search for some warm winter clothes for the southern island of new zealand i had a look at quite a lot stores .. here are my fav ones: the `Recycle Boutique´ has it all .. from cocktail dresses to black suits over 8os turtlenecks. it just feels good to browse through all these clothes with their very own story ready to find a new owner & believe me .. you’ll find this one piece you always wanted to have !! another store you should definitely visit if you like offbeat clothes is the `Paperbag Princess´ .. no way to leave here without having spend any money on a fancy designer skirt or an extravagant vintage blouse !! whatever you are looking for .. something else is looking for you :)) last but not least the jewel under the `Wellington´ thrift shops simply called the `Thrift´. not only colorful rainbows & loud indie music is inviting you to come into the cave of the lion but also a 25% discount on anything for all students makes it impossible to go past this store !!
2. second hand book shops: the main shopping street in `Wellington´ is definitely the artsy `Cuba Street´ a pedestrian mall leading through a jungle of world class cafés art galleries & street musicians. where else would you find the best spots to find some good books ?! no matter if you are looking for travel guides cook books action thrillers or simply some inspiring novels .. you’ll easily spend hours reading in books you didn’t even know you were interested in :)) so if you are looking for some entertainment during your travels go & check out `Arty Bees Books´ or `Pegasus Books´ which offer a wide range of various books magazines or even old forgotten treasures waiting to be rediscovered. furthermore the `Ferret Bookshop´ located in the heart of `Cuba Street´ is offering some good literature as well & hey .. there is no enjoyment like reading .. am i right or am i right ?! switch off your phone for a second & dive into a whole new life .. books can do magic :))

3. world class cafés alias where to get your daily dose of coffee: life happens .. coffee helps :)) even though i really tried to reduce my coffee consumption during the past few weeks `Wellington´ threw me back for ages .. just too many good coffee places literally everywhere !! so here are my hosts top two café recommendations in the international new zealand coffee brew ranking haha .. may i present number one: the `Kaffee Eis´ .. not only offering delicious coffee but also the worlds best ice cream !! be cheeky & combine this to a freaking coffee frappé (doule espresso shot, scoop of ice cream of your choice preferably gingerbread cookie & milk) .. not that i had that  .. nope :)) close behind this taste experience comes `Scopa Caffe Cucina´ an italian restaurant where you get the most amazing hot chocolate. the coffee is pretty good as well & goes really well with a tiny little woodfired pizza .. just in case you were hungry :)) the third coffee place i want to tell you about is my very own discovery: `Goods Café & Manufactory´ located a bit outside the city behind the `Botanic Gardens´. when strolling along the street past all these beautiful old buildings i suddenly smelled cinnamon .. sounds like the beginning of a cheesy love story haha !! but well .. that’s what it was even though a bit more choclaty then cheesy :)) this lovely little café produces its very own pastry in a small bakery right next to it .. you can even watch them preparing all the good stuff !! just grab a hot coffee a homemade chocolate roll & a seat & enjoy the smell the taste & the flair of an old style café in the back streets of `Wellington´.
4. food places: lunch time in `Wellington´ seems like a moderately severe zombie apocalypse where literally everyone is running towards countdown alias `Woolworths´ to grab something to eat .. not the best time to go for grocery shopping :)) but there are quite a few good places to get a tasty & healthy snack !! if you just want something quick & easy i would definitely recommend going to `Wishbone´ .. a little chain which offers fresh vegan gluten free & vegetarian meals to take away or dine in. from on 11 am they even offer 4 different warm dishes of the day  .. freshly made & all organic !! try one of their delicious desserts as well .. goes well with a coffee btw :)) another really good restaurant i went to is `Best Ugly Bagles´ .. i discovered this food place in `Auckland´ where i fell in love with their tasty bagles straight away but well they seem to follow me & so i had to give in & try them again in `Wellington´ .. not my worst desicion at all :)) last but not least i would like to recommend a very special place to you which is located pretty far outside of `Wellington´ in a small town called `Paekakariki´. my host & i went there by bike & had the most delicious pizza at `Beach Road Deli´ .. so worth the whole bike ride :)) oh & if you are there already you should go & visit `Paraparaumu´ as well & have a short stop over at `l’amour en cage´ to try the worlds best almond croissant !! after reading all this you might undestand why i pretty much loved `Wellington´ haha .. i’ll be back for sure !!