Finally, I Made It To The European Christmas Markets!

25/08/202603/10/2026wareontheglobe Leave a comment

Couple standing beneath the illuminated Strasbourg, Capitale de Noël arch on a crowded street during the Christmas markets

I had been wanting to go to European Christmas markets for years. Truly, YEARS. And finally in 2025, due to Dan’s job change, we found ourselves with an extra week of vacation in December and booked a last minute trip to the Alsace during Christmas market season. We visited Strasbourg, Colmar, Basel, and Paris over the course of a week! I will be posting more about this trip, including information about the Colmar market and comparing Colmar and Strasbourg, but this post details exactly what we did over the course of one week. Highly recommend taking an extra week of vacation to Christmas market hop!

Illuminated wooden chalet stalls at the Christkindelsmarik Christmas market in Strasbourg, France

A real, live Christkindelsmärik.

DAY 1: WELCOME TO STRASBOURG – THE CAPITAL OF CHRISTMAS

We arrived at Paris Charles de Gaulle after an overnight flight from Newark (NYC). We took the train, which we pre-booked, directly from CDG to Strasbourg, France. We arrived in Strasbourg in the early afternoon, left our luggage at our hotel, Voco Strasbourg City Center (by IHG), and promptly walked to the Place Kléber Christmas market, one of Strasbourg’s eight (!!) Christmas markets. I didn’t originally expect to jump right into the markets without a nap, but it being too early to check in, off to the markets we went.

Strasbourg's giant Christmas tree lit up in Place Kleber at the Christmas market

Welcome to the Christmas Capital – this is Strasbourg’s largest Christmas tree in Place Kléber.

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3 Actually Good Restaurants Near Milan Centrale (2026)

18/08/202603/10/2026wareontheglobe Leave a comment

The facade of Milano Centrale station in Milan, Italy

Last updated August 2026

The three best places to eat near Milano Centrale between trains are Osteria Italiana (six minutes’ walk, classic Italian, opens at 11:00), Berberè Pizzeria Centrale (eight minutes’ walk, sourdough pizza, opens at noon) and Bistrot Milano Centrale, a small food hall you can reach without leaving the station. Here is how to choose between them on a tight connection.

The authors standing together on a street in Milan on a sunny afternoon

Us in Milano.

We have been in this exaction situation more times than you can count. This list steers you away from the touristy restaurant strip right outside of Milano Centrale, the restaurants with laminated menus in 15 difference languages, and avoids the international fast food chains serving exactly what you would eat at home in the train station.

I would note, however, if you have more time and are just eating near Milano Centrale, there are better restaurants. They just aren’t ideal for a meal between trains!

Quick Comparison

	Walk from Centrale	Opens	Price	Best for
Osteria Italiana	6 min	11:00	€€	An early lunch, a first trip to Italy, a long menu of the classics
Berberè Pizzeria Centrale	8 min	12:00	€€	Sourdough pizza and a room full of Milanese students, if you have 2 hours
Bistrot Milano Centrale	Inside the station	6:00	€–€€	Under an hour, an early train, or when you cannot face moving your bags

Under 1 hour between trains → Bistrot Milano Centrale, inside the station.

2 hours or more, and it is after noon → Berberè Pizzeria Centrale.

2 hours or more, arriving before noon, or you want a proper sit-down meal → Osteria Italiana.

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I Used Emirates Dubai Connect on an 11-Hour Layover — An Honest Review

15/08/202603/10/2026wareontheglobe 1 Comment

Dubai skyline seen on an Emirates layover between the Maldives and New York

I travel to the Maldives once a year from New York, often through Dubai. I almost always have an 11-hour overnight layover in Dubai flying home. My flight usually arrives at 9:30 PM, and my NY flight departs at 8:30 AM. I have flown this exact Maldives–Dubai–New York routing annually since 2020. I used Dubai Connect in November 2025, flying Emirates Economy from Malé to New York via Dubai.

The routing is always the same: out of New York with a stop in the Emirates Lounge at JFK, on to the Conrad Rangali, and back the same way. If your layover lands at a more civilized hour than mine, I have written separately about what to do on a Dubai layover.

This Dubai Connect review covers how to book it, who qualifies, how to use it, and what you can realistically expect from Emirates’ free layover hotel.

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A Culinary Journey Through Baku: Traditional Azerbaijani Foods to Try

08/08/202603/10/2026wareontheglobe 1 Comment

Four folded qutab flatbreads on a blue plate, two filled with herbs and two topped with purple sumac

On our 3 days in Baku, Azerbaijan, I almost skipped a food tour. I was late planning, and I only found one option online. I booked it a few days in advance. Very unlike me. This turned out to be a fantastic idea, and took us on an Azeri culinary journey through Baku, trying all sorts of traditional Azerbaijani foods that we would never have discovered on our own. This post describes our food tour, and the delicious Azerbaijani foods we sampled.

Baku, Azerbaijan.

STOP ONE: A TRADITIONAL AZERBAIJANI DINNER

After meeting our guide in front of a KFC (yes, the US fried chicken chain) near Nizami Park, we jumped right into dinner at an approachable restaurant serving traditional Azerbaijani foods. Fisincan Restoran was our destination. The exterior reminded me a bit of a 1990s Parisian restaurant, with the interior featuring traditional tablecloths, but the ceiling full of plastic flowers popular with the Instagram crowd.

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3 Days in Baku: A Luxury Long Weekend in Azerbaijan

04/08/202603/10/2026wareontheglobe Leave a comment

Last updated: August 2026

Our 3 days in Baku, Azerbaijan closed out our big Georgian vacation, which had been in the making since its cancellation in 2020 (due to Covid). Back then, I chose Baku due to a direct flight from Baku to JFK on Azerbaijan Airlines. The flight is no more (as of August 2026), but I kept the itinerary. Going in, I had no idea what to expect from Azerbaijan, and I hoped that we would be admitted entry after our 2020 visa was formally revoked due to border closings….

Map of the Caucasus showing Baku, Azerbaijan between Russia and Iran on the Caspian Sea

Baku on a map. It is situated right between Russia and Iran.

Spoiler alert, we had a wonderful time in Baku, and will 100% return. This article details our time in Baku, Azerbaijan and provides some practical information.

For those unfamiliar with Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan was formerly part of the USSR, having declared its independence in 1991, a few months before the USSR dissolved that December. Since then, it’s done quite well financially, capitalizing on its natural oil and gas. I’ve often heard it compared to Dubai for that reason, as well as its modern architecture. Located directly between Russia and Iran, with foreigners currently only able to enter by air (as of August 2026), it’s not exactly an easy destination to reach. A visa is also required for many nationalities, including US and Italian citizens (our nationalities). I found Baku to be, surprisingly, more European than Middle Eastern, having absolutely delicious food, friendly to foreigners, and honestly, making decent wine (a very big shock!).

Baku skyline of modern high-rise towers above the Caspian Sea waterfront

Baku, Azerbaijan. Not what I expected…

We began our trip a few months in advance, by applying for a tourist visa online via Azerbaijan’s official website. We were approved within 1 business day (we applied on a weekend and were approved on Monday). The visa cost $20 USD (as of August 2026) and was valid for 90 days from the date of issuance, permitting us a single entry for up to 30 days in Azerbaijan. We printed the visa and brought it with us, but we did not need to show it in Azerbaijan (we were not even asked about it). The only place we needed to show the original visa was at the Batumi airport leaving Georgia.

DAY ONE: ARRIVAL IN AZERBAIJAN & DINNER IN BAKU

We arrived at Baku’s Heydar Aliyev International Airport in the early evening from Batumi, Georgia. Arrival and immigration were quick and easy. Our luggage arrived promptly, and we called a Bolt (a company similar to Uber) to our hotel in downtown Baku, the Four Seasons. The Bolt cost less than $10 USD. We arrived at our hotel about 30 minutes later.