Boarding Pass – Oh la la livia

Oh la la livia is an Aussie based in Paris. With a love of travel and the beauty of place she decided to start her own online e-boutique offering the best of these worlds. The jewelry is inspired by the gorgeous women in Turkey and India, and all of the pieces in Olivia's shop come from artisans. Olivia has met the families that craft these pieces, which are all unique, and designed by the locals. She is involved in the process and has observed the artisans make the pieces and ensures no one is underpaid in the process. The business came together after Olivia's last trip to Istanbul and she plans on finding local artists in India to work with during her upcoming trip. The other perk of Olivia's travels is that she loves food and to cook so going new places is great for building up ideas for the cook book she dreams of having one day. Merci, Olivia! –Anne
home town:
Melbourne, Australia. Melbourne is just wonderful, so full of life, so young. I look forward to living there again.
where you live now:
Paris, France. The city of lights and love! Oh la laaaa....!

last trip taken:
Istanbul, Turkey
next trip on deck:
Pondicherry, India (unless I plan something else before then!)
one place you would go back to again and again:
I am absolutely in love with India and Turkey. I just got back from a week of exploring in Istanbul and I cannot stress enough my love for that place. It was lively, colourful, friendly, and so interesting in terms of it being a melting pot between the East and the West.

place you'd most likely recommend a friend go visit:
Corsica for it's rough edges and stunningly preserved wilderness.
preferred method of transportation:
Walking, you see so much and you have the time to absorb what you are experiencing.
place you've never been but dying to go:
Japan. What a fascinating place, I really would love to go there and see the cherry blossom trees. I want to see Russia too, and Jordan so that I can speak the Arabic that I have been studying.
place you'd never go back:
Budapest. It was very pretty, but I felt a lack of life, and a strong aftermath of the World Wars and Communism. It was a bit creepy.
most memorable trip in 2 sentences or less:
Amsterdam with my honey pie, J, for all it's small lanes, cute vintage stores, hip cafés and flea markets. We have been back three times together, it seems to be turning into our getaway together because it isn't too far from Paris but at the same time we manage to feel disconnected from our busy lives which is nice once in a while.
how do you prepare for a trip?
I read blogs. I like to get the insiders tips, and not read commercial guide books unless I am doing something really touristy. I love feeling the city and sitting in small local cafés and bars to soak in the atmosphere and people-watch. (Who doesn't love to people-watch!). Also, while I am there I approach the locals and ask for tips, there is nothing better than eating where the locals eat to get a foot in the door of the culture.
how do you record your travels when you're traveling?
I always have a notebook with me and I write down ideas when they come into my head spontaneously. I compose full sentences for my blog, I write down words or places that I then research later from the comfort of my hotel room. I never leave the house when I am traveling without my notebook.
what is your favorite thing to photograph in a new place?
Faces. Street photography is the best. I always ask of course! And apart from that, food. Food will always be my number one love when it comes to photos; it's just so photogenic!
on an average, how many pictures to you take on a trip?
Around 500 in a week.
what's in your "designer travel kit" ?
I have my notebook, my camera (Nikon D40) and my polaroid camera. I never forget my Karen Walker sunglasses because they protect my eyes so that I am fit to look around curiously all day long. If I have space I always bring my macbook so I can start uploading my photos as I go.

what do you do after a trip? how long after a trip does this happen?
I am always super inspired and motivated after a trip and I come back with lots of ideas so I blog, upload photos, invent recipes and work on my Etsy store.
favorite souvenir/thing to bring back?
Seeing that I love to cook, I always bring back local ingredients from where I have been travelling to use in my cooking at home. In India I went absolutely mad with the spices, in Turkey the coffee and the fresh dates and vine leaves, and in Corsica the cheese the the fig liqueur.

LINKS
blog: oh-la-la-livia.com (with recipes)
etsy: CleopatrasBling
twitter: OliviaCummings8
facebook: here and here

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