The short version: This 6-day itinerary covers 18 Christmas markets in Strasbourg, Colmar, Basel and Paris. Four cities, two countries, entirely by train with no rental car. Fly into Paris CDG, take the direct TGV to Strasbourg (about 2 hours), base there for four nights with day trips to Colmar (30 minutes) and Basel (1 hour 20), then finish with one night in Paris. We did this in December 2025 and paid roughly €240 per person in train fares.
Last updated: August 27, 2026. Strasbourg has not published its official 2026 programme yet, so the dates below are the 2025 dates. Colmar and Basel have both confirmed 2026. I’ll update this post as soon as Strasbourg announces.
City
Dates
Hours
Markets
From Strasbourg
What we paid
Strasbourg, France
Nov 26 to Dec 24 (2025 dates; 2026 to be confirmed)
11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily; closes 6:00 p.m. Dec 24
8
Base city
n/a
Colmar, France
Nov 23 to Dec 29, 2026 (confirmed)
11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Mon to Thu; 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Fri to Sun. Open Dec 24 (11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), Dec 25 (10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.), Dec 26 (10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.)
6
About 30 minutes by TER, trains throughout the day
€30 round trip, bought same day
Basel, Switzerland
Nov 26 to Dec 23, 2026 (confirmed)
11:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. daily. On Dec 23 Barfüsserplatz closes 8:00 p.m. and Münsterplatz 6:00 p.m.
3 squares, about 150 chalets
About 1 hour 20 minutes, direct
€30 round trip, second class
Paris, France
2026/27 dates not yet released. The 2025/26 Tuileries market ran Nov 15 to Jan 4
11:00 a.m. to 11:45 p.m.
1 main market (Tuileries)
About 2 hours to Gare de l’Est
€90 one way, booked two weeks out
Not all six Colmar markets run on the same calendar. The Gourmet Market on Rue de la Montagne Verte and the Place Rapp Christmas fair are open November 23 to December 30, 2026 from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., December 31, 2026 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and January 1 to January 3, 2027 from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
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!
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.
Welcome to the Christmas Capital – this is Strasbourg’s largest Christmas tree in Place Kléber.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Baku, Azerbaijan (read my post about it here). 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.
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….
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, 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.
Welcome to Baku! The airport had a lot of old school signage.
I work in the Theatre District, and I see a lot of Broadway shows (29 this year alone, most via lottery wins – more on that here). One question I often hear is where to eat in the Theatre District (i.e., Times Square area) that is delicious and not totally touristy.
Moulin Rouge!
Enter, my list of 10 restaurants in the Theatre District that I recommend. I frequent each of these restaurants often and can confirm the food is good and they are not geared exclusively to tourists.
My 10 Pre-Theatre Restaurant Picks in the Theatre District
1. Cuerno, 1271 Avenue of the Americas, upscale, resy required.
Cuerno is an incredibly delicious Mexican steakhouse located on 50th Street between 6th and 7th. I love, love, love this place, and I go here pretty regularly pre-theatre and otherwise. The food and drinks are incredible. Open daily, reservations are usually necessary. Go for an upscale, delicious meal pre-theatre. Cuerno is a bit pricey compared to other options, but it offers a $37 three-course lunch during the week that is a steal.
Sparkling Mexican Rose at Cuerno. Who would have thought this is in Midtown Manhattan?
In addition to its traditional airport lounges, Capital One recently introduced a new lounge concept called “Capital One Landing”. The Landings operate like standard lounges in that your credit card gets you in and everything is included, but it differs in that it is set up like a restaurant with all table seating and waitstaff serving guests. Our first visit to a Capital One Landing came in June 2026, at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, and we were quite impressed. This post reviews our experience at the Capital One Landing.
The quick facts: the Capital One Landing at LGA is in Terminal B, past security on the bridge to gates 11–31, and is open daily from 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Entry is free for Capital One Venture X and Venture X Business cardholders (physical card required), and guests can be added for a fee. You can reserve ahead through the Capital One Travel app or just walk in.
JFK is one of our 3 “home” airports. I visit often, and I always make sure to check out the Capital One Lounge JFK food options when passing through Terminal 4. You can read about the lounge generally here. This post, however, is specifically about the food at JFK’s Capital One Lounge. One of the most important things for me before a long haul (or honestly, short haul) flight is knowing where and what I can eat. This post details the food options at JFK’s Capital One Lounge in detail so you will know what to expect. Capital One’s food program is just as strong at its newest New York location, where José Andrés runs the menu. See our review of the Capital One Landing at LGA.
JFK Capital One Lounge food options.
Before I dive into specifics, food at the JFK Capital One Lounge takes three forms: (1) a cold/room temperature self-serve buffet, (2) hot made-to-order (“MTO”) dishes, and (3) a “NYC bodega” preparing fresh bagel sandwiches, with a few other items on offer. All of this is included with lounge access, and you can order/eat as much as you want.
The NYC-Inspired Bodega
One of the more exciting parts of the JFK Capital One Lounge is its NYC-inspired bodega. And, if you don’t know what a bodega is, it is an NYC institution – typically a small, owner-operated convenience store serving hot and prepared food, as well as selling convenience store things, often open late hours. Every New Yorker has their own bodega. Just ask, LOL. Bodegas as also quite famous for serving New York bagels and coffee.
Dan and I flew from New York’s JFK airport to Athens, Greece in July 2025 for a 10-day summer getaway (check out our itineraries for Chania and Naxos). We arrived at the airport early in the hopes of visiting a lounge and we were super lucky – the JFK Capital One Lounge had just opened within the week! Of course, we had to visit this brand new lounge. In sum, the JFK Capital One Lounge is a fantastic lounge, currently the best of the credit card lounges at JFK. The staff was attentive and nice, the food was plentiful and tasty, and the drinks were flowing and well-prepared. The lounge also screamed New York City and was just really fun to visit. Don’t miss it on your next visit to JFK Terminal 4! And if you’re flying out of LaGuardia instead, Capital One now has you covered there too: read our review of the new Capital One Landing at LGA.
The lovely bar in the JFK Capital One Lounge.
WHERE IS THE CAPITAL ONE LOUNGE AT JFK
The JFK Capital One Lounge is located inside JFK Terminal 4, past security. Once you clear security, go downstairs and take a right (with your back toward security). The Capital One Lounge is located in the midst of numerous shopping outlets toward the B Gates, generally across from Le Grand Comptoir (a decent outlet if you lack lounge access). The lounge is very easy to find, although it’s not near most of the other JFK Terminal 4 credit card lounges (which are on the first floor to the left of security).
We are always on the hunt for fun, not completely tourist activities when we travel, especially those that involve wine and food. We booked a “Wine Dinner Under the Stars” last summer in Chania, Crete, which just sounded like a fun and different experience that would be right up our alley. It turned out to be wonderful, really delicious, and something that is off the standard tourist path in Crete. I definitely recommend it if you are staying in or around Chania.
The dinner setting at Manousakis Winery.
THE LOCATION: MANOUSAKIS WINERY NEAR CHANIA CRETE
Our dinner takes place at Manousakis Winery, located about 25 minutes outside of Chania via car. One great thing about this dinner, however, is that it includes transportation to and from hotels in Chania, so you don’t have to worry about driving. Perfect! We were picked up right on time from our hotel, Domes Zeen Chania, and driven to Manousakis Winery.
The winery, and dinner, are located in a beautiful space on the winery owner’s own property. Indeed, you see the family home (from the outside) and meet the family dog, Duke, who is a bit mischievous. We were taken on a quick tour of the property and the wine making facilities and learned about the winery’s history, which was really interesting, involving both immigration to the US from Chania and a return to Chania. You can read all about it on Manousakis’ website. The original owner’s granddaughter currently runs the place.
Sunset during our dinner at Manousakis Winery.
After the property and winery tour, we were seated for dinner with a wine pairing. For the dinner, tables are scattered around the winery’s main yard, on flat ground. There are various sized tables, but you only sit with your party. So, Dan and I sat at one table, but larger parties sat at the larger tables. The tables were pretty spread out, and the dinner felt quite private.
The dinner set up at Manousakis Winery.
The dinner commenced with our first tasting of a local dry white wine called FUMM, or “Fantastic, Uber Majestic Masterpiece.” FUMM was floral and fruity and made for a great aperitif in the warm Greek evening. It was refreshing and light, yet still interesting on palate. I particularly enjoyed the label, which is designed by artist Alexandra Manousakis.
The FUMM bottle.
Our second wine, the Nostos Pink, was poured just as the first bites of food were delivered. Nostos Pink is a dry rose made with local Romeiko grapes, as well as Grenache and Syrah. This wine is light, fresh, and a bit fruity. It was also a delight on a warm Crete evening and paired well with our first dish – a Cretan Salad (one of my favorite Crete dishes that we tried while there).
Nostos Pink. A Cretan Rose.
A Cretan salad is quite similar to a Greek Salad but better, in my opinion. The salad includes local, fresh tomatoes, onion, cucumber, green peppers, and Cretan Mizithra cheese. Do not miss a Cretan salad on Crete. The vegetables in this salad were fresh and went extremely well with the Mizithra cheese.
The Cretan salad with local Mizithra cheese.
Following the Cretan salad, we were presented with a traditional Greek appetizer, Dolmades, which are somewhat familiar to many. As you may already know, Dolmades are grape leaves wrapped around a mixture of rice and herbs. They are honestly not my favorite Greek dish, but these were particularly good, especially with the white sauce on the plate. In any case, it was fun to have real Greek Dolmades in Greece.
Dolmades with a tasty white sauce.
We were also served “kaltsounia”, or small savory pies filled with herbs, spinach, and cheese. These were little pies. Tied with dessert for my favorite bite of the meal. I could have had multiple of this dish.
Kaltsounia. These were amazing.
Another glass of wine was also poured with the kaltsounia, this time moving into the pairing’s reds. Our first red was a glass of Nostos Grenache. Nostos Grenache is a smooth drinking red, which, like the white and rose, went well with the still warm Crete evening. I particularly liked the label on the wine, which, if I am not mistaken, is a real picture of a Manousakis family member.
Nostos Grenache. I really appreciated this label.
Nostos Alexandria was our next paired wine, which is a dry red made with Syrah, Grenache, and Mourverde. I really liked this one, as well as its label. It was our first “full bodied” wine of the evening, and just what we were looking for as the sun set.
Nostos Alexandra.
Dinner was served with the Nostos Alexandra, just as the sun was setting. Our main dish is called Giouvetsi. This means orzo pasta slow cooked with tender beef in a tomato sauce. We topped ours with local white cheese that had a similar vibe to Italian Parmesan. The main course was very, very good. I really loved the tomato base paired with the beef and cheese. And while it looks heavy in the picture, it was a light dish and not at all too heavy for a warm summer evening.
Giouvetsi – orzo pasta with beef and local cheese.
Our final pairing was the Nostos Blend. This was another big bodied red, which is definitely our speed when it comes to wine. We really enjoyed this one, which tied as our favorite with the Nostos Alexandra. I also loved that it featured the winery on its label.
2019 Nostos Blend.
Our dinner ended with dessert, which was really interesting. Greek yogurt topped with carrot marmalade. Very simple, yet delicious. It was just the right amount of sweet after a big meal. I purchased some of this marmalade to bring home, intending to make it for Easter (which I failed to do!). I still want to recreate this dessert.
Greek yogurt with carrot marmalade.
Our experience ended after dessert. I quickly stopped in the winery store to purchase a piece by Alexandra Manousakis and then we were driven back to our hotel. All in, a very easy and enjoyable experience that allowed us to experience a bit of the Chania area outside of the coast and beaches.
I would note that we were completely stuffed with food and wine once the dinner ended. That being said, if we wanted more wine, guests can certainly have it (it is “unlimited”). There are also spittoons available if you want to taste the wine but not drink all of the wines. The adorable store on property accepts credit card and stayed open until after dinner. I highly recommend checking out the local pottery by artist Alexandra Manousakis.
Chania Wine Tours: This is the Wine Under the Stars experience. Book directly on the website, which is the only place you can book this experience. This was our second experience with Chania Wine Tours, and I cannot recommend them enough.
We took the Amtrak train from New York to Philadelphia to watch the Curaçao v. Côte d’Ivoire match on Thursday, June 25, 2026. This post details our experience in Philadelphia, from getting to Lincoln Financial Field (i.e. Philadelphia stadium also known as “the Linc”), to food and drink, and finally, the match! Read if you are heading to a match in Philadelphia or just curious about the World Cup!
An official poster for World Cup Philadelphia 2026!
All in, we found Philadelphia a bit easier and much less expensive than attending a match at MetLife/NY NJ stadium (you can read about our experience at NY NJ here). But, that being said, we had great weather in Philadelphia (and not so great weather at MetLife) so that may have swayed our opinion.
HOW WE GOT PHILADELPHIA WORLD CUP TICKETS
For this game, I purchased face value tickets directly from FIFA during the Capital One Pre-Sale in February 2026. We attempted to buy NY NJ match tickets at the time, but they were sold out, so we decided to buy Philadelphia tickets and later sell them if it didn’t seem worth it to travel to Philadelphia. Ha, what HIGH hopes I had of getting reasonably priced NY/NJ tickets early on!
Dan & I attended the FIFA World Cup match at MetLife Stadium (or “NY NJ Stadium”) on Monday, June 22 between Norway and Senegal. This post details our entire experience, from getting to the stadium, to food and drink, and finally, the match! Read if you are heading to a match at NY NJ Stadium or just curious!
Norway v. Senegal!
Along the same lines, we went to Philadelphia on Thursday for the Curaçao v. Côte d’Ivoire match. You can read about our experience in Philadelphia here.
HOW WE GOT WORLD CUP MATCH TICKETS
We purchased face value tickets directly from FIFA during one of its Thursday ticket releases in April 2026. If you are still looking for World Cup tickets, you can go through the FIFA app’s Resale/Exchange Marketplace to buy on the secondary market (all of which transactions on this app are backed by FIFA). Per the app, all other tickets are currently sold out. We sat in the 300 level of MetLife Stadium, which were the only tickets available when I purchased them. The views and experience were better than expected.
Dan & I went to the FIFA World Cup game at MetLife Stadium (or “NY NJ Stadium”) on Monday, June 22 between Norway and Senegal. It was a super fun experience, and you can read about our experience in detail here. This post, however, details our experience traveling from Hoboken, New Jersey to Met Life stadium before the game, as we have received so many questions about it!
Made it to the game!
Amongst the few options available to reach MetLife Stadium, we opted to take NJ Transit from Hoboken Terminal directly to the stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All in, the experience was easy and much less stressful than the news would have you believe. We would take NJ Transit again without hesitation (aside from the cost).
Italy has always had a special place in our hearts, and whenever we visit, we seek out the authentic, under-the-radar destinations that many travelers overlook. We love discovering towns where Italian is still the language you hear on the streets (perfect for practicing my Italian!), where tourism feels secondary to daily life, and where local culture shines through. Earlier this year, we found exactly that in Senigallia during our first—though certainly not our last—trip to Italy’s Marche region. If you’re searching for an authentic Italian experience or planning a visit to Le Marche, read on to discover why this charming coastal town captured our hearts.
Senigallia, Italia.
SENIGALLIA, LE MARCHE
Senigallia is a small city on the Adriatic Sea in Le Marche, one of Italy’s 20 regions. Located just east of Umbria, one of our all-time favorite Italian regions, it shares many of the qualities we love most about central Italy – rolling countryside, far fewer American tourists than the country’s more famous destinations, and incredible food and wine. But Le Marche offers something that landlocked Umbria cannot; a stunning stretch of Adriatic coastline lined with long, sandy beaches, a rarity in much of Italy and Europe.
Senigallia on a map.
Situated roughly midway between Ancona, Le Marche’s capital, and Pesaro, Senigallia is beloved by Italians for its beautiful beaches and is regarded, at least amongst those in the know, as one of Italy’s top food destinations. After attending our friends’ wedding in Tuscany, we headed here for a few days of great meals and seaside relaxation, and Senigallia exceeded our expectations.
Update July 18, 2026. I just checked the list of available restaurants for the Chase Sapphire Reserve Dining Credit and Gjelina NYC has been removed. I will update this post again if I notice it is back.
In June 2026, Fleming and I visited Gjelina to use our Chase Sapphire Reserve dining credit ($150) which was expiring on June 30th. We won Off-Broadway lottery tickets to see Cecily Strong in What Happened Was at the Audible Minetta Lane Theatre, a thirteen minute walk away from Gjelina. Overall we had a great experience and would dine at the restaurant in the future, even without the credit, if win the area.
This post reviews Gjelina and also how to use the Chase Sapphire Reserve dining credit.
The Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Candied Basil and Sea Salt at Gjelina was a highlight of the evening.
I returned to Matera for the second time last October, just prior to visiting my friend’s family hometown of Irsina. We had some not-so-wonderful meals our first time in Matera, so this time I prioritized great food (and succeeded!). La Lopa, a cave restaurant only a few steps from our hotel, receives good reviews and serves local Lucan dishes. I called a few days in advance and, very luckily, reserved a table for 8 without issue. Little did I know, we would have our own private room and some of the best food of the entire trip! Continue reading →
If you have been following recent posts, our family trip to Italy began and ended in Rome, with one day on the front end and 2.5 days on the back end. This left us just 3.5 total days to to experience one of the most historic and delicious cities in the world. Knowing our audience, we prioritized the Rome’s tourist highlights and eating the best food possible.
Rome at sunset.
Now, is that enough time in Rome? Absolutely not. But if you’re planning a 1–2 week Italy itinerary and hopping around Italy, this is realistically the amount of time many travelers dedicate to Rome. The good news? With the right plan, 3.5 days is enough to see Rome’s iconic highlights, wander its charming streets, soak in centuries of history, and — perhaps most importantly — eat some absolutely unforgettable food.
Centro Storcio, Roma.
This article breaks down exactly how we spent our time in Rome, what’s worth prioritizing, and how to experience the city without feeling completely overwhelmed.
The Colosseum.
DAY 1: LANDING IN ROME, ROOFTOP DINING, TREVI FOUNTAIN, A FOOD TOUR THROUGH TRASTEVERE, AND SANT’IGNAZIO CHURCH
We excitedly arrived in Rome on a Saturday morning. Immigration was delightfully quick and all our luggage arrived. A pre-booked car had us at our hotel by noon. This trip, unlike other Rome trips, we spent our first night in the Piazza Barberini area, at Hotel Rome Mate Collection Filippo and the Aleph Rome. Both hotels were excellent and highly recommended. We selected these hotels knowing they would be great for a restful first night (i.e., strong air conditioning and American mattresses, IYKYK).
The very beautiful Hotel Room Mate Collection.
After dropping our luggage, most of the group walked to Rinascente, which is an upscale Roman department store (kind of like Printemps or Galleries Lafayette in Paris). We [sadly] did not shop and instead made our way to the rooftop restaurant for lunch and Roman views. The weather was perfect. We started the trip strong with a delicious focaccia pizza topped with prosciutto and figs.
I typically don’t write about grab-and-go type restaurants, but I cannot stop thinking about La Focacceria Italiana 5 Lire Matera in Matera, Italy. The friends that I visited it with also loved it, so here is my post on how you can visit and properly order from La Focacceria Italiana 5 Lire Matera (or, honestly, most focacce in Italy).
5 Lire Foccaceria Italiana Matera.
La Focacceria 5 Lire Matera, or simply “5 Lire” around town, is a very casual “focacceria” in Matera. It is located on Via Domenico Ridola above the Sassi. It is named for the former currency of Italy, the “lira”, which changed to the euro in 2002.
As promised, in follow up to my last post discovering family roots in Irsina, Basilicata (Italy), this post highlights a stand out lunch at Trattoria Nugent, one of only a handful of restaurants in this small, charming town.
In short, it was everything you’d hope for in a local Italian meal. The restaurant was easy to find, welcoming, and absolutely delicious. It was also very local, and the prices pleasantly reasonable. It was exactly the kind of place that makes travel feel personal – simple, genuine, and deeply satisfying.
The group at Trattoria Nugent in Irsina, Italy. Trattoria Nugent had no issues with accommodating a group of 10!
TRATTORIA NUGENT
Trattoria Nugent is located in a picturesque courtyard of Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi, Irsina’s main square. Open every day for lunch and dinner, except Tuesday, this restaurant describes itself as serving traditional Lucana dishes. We made a reservation a week in advance by having our tour guide call ahead. That being said, you can contact Trattoria Nugent via its What’s App, which information is on its Instagram page, to make a reservation. While you may not need a reservation, they are incredibly common in Italy so that restaurants can prepare an appropriate amount of food. Read – be like a local and make a resy!
As you may know, I have planned numerous Italy vacations, including a few with around 10 people. In 2025, however, I was asked to plan the most important one yet – a 10-person trip to Italy to visit an ancestral home in the tiny town of Irsina, Italy! Challenged accepted.
In this post, I’m sharing how our time in Irsina played out—and how you might plan a similar Italian roots-seeking experience of your own.
The whole family – plus me and Dan – in Irsina, Italia. WE MADE IT!
IRSINA, ITALIA
Irsina, Italy is a tiny, hilltop town in Basilicata. It is about 45 minutes from Materaby car, which is likely the closest city to Irsina that you know. The population is only around 5,000 people, including some ex-pats from the US (Irsina was the subject of an interesting CNN article in 2023 discussing its ex-pat community).
From its hilltop perch, Irsina over looks a sweeping grain plateau, which produces much of the pasta used in Italy(!). Given that fact, the city’s economy is, not surprisingly, largely based on agriculture. Tourism is an afterthought at best. Indeed, I did not see a single tourist-centric shop (or honestly even an open shop) during our time in Irsina.
Some of the grain fields surrounding Irsina. They are quite majestic.
I spent part of last summer’s Greek vacation on Naxos, an island in the Cyclades, which I absolutely loved. While it’s popular and certainly on the tourist circuit, I had trouble finding reliable information on restaurants in Naxos town, or Chora. This post details good restaurant finds in Naxos, Greece. We arrived on the SeaJets ferry from Heraklion, and if you are still building the trip around the food, here is our full four-day Naxos itinerary.
Naxos’ Chora.
The Naxos Apothecary
The Naxos Apothecary is an upscale restaurant in Naxos town located close to the Portara, even offering Portara views from most tables. It is also known for being owned by the people who own the makeup and skin care brand Korres (Naxos Apothecary is its upscale sister company). The Naxos Apothecary restaurant doubles as a beauty store and serves excellent, modern Naxian fare. This was probably my favorite restaurant in Naxos, possibly tied with To Souvlaki tou Maki. I wrote a whole post on our dinner here. Food was great, as were the wine and views. I would absolutely return.
Portara views from the Naxos Apothecary.
Amazing Naxian salad at the Naxos Apothecary.
An incredible Naxian peach dessert (peaches were in season during our July visit).
I found To Souvlaki tou Maki online and intended to have lunch here on arrival. Unfortunately, the restaurant does not keep up with the opening hours it posts online. Determined to have a great gyro, I returned the following day for a successful lunch. The place is very inexpensive, with limited seating indoors and outdoors. We lunched on an excellent gyro and a perfect saganaki. Come here for really tasty, inexpensive food. We saw both locals and tourists here.
A pork gyro. This was probably the best we had the entire trip.
Matera was the second stop on our 2025 Italian family trip, and one I’d planned with intention. Tucked into the southern region of Basilicata, this wasn’t my first visit. Dan and I had traveled to Matera back in 2021, and I knew it was somewhere worth returning to, especially if you want an Italy experience that feels completely different from the usual Rome–Florence–Venice (or Amalfi) circuit.
Welcome Matera, Italia. It doesn’t look anything like the Italian hotspots.
We based ourselves in Matera for a special, and specific, reason: it’s the closest city to our friend’s ancestral hometown of Irsina. That made Matera the perfect home base for a day trip to Irsina, which ended up being one of the most memorable parts of our trip. While Irsina was the reason for our visit, we spent a decent amount of time in Matera itself.
Matera’s Sassi.
If you haven’t been, Matera doesn’t feel like anywhere else in Italy. The cave dwellings, the winding stone alleys, the layered views over the Sassi; it almost feels cinematic (and for good reason). This post walks you through exactly how we spent our time in Matera—what we prioritized, where we ate and drank, and how I’d recommend doing the same if you’re following a similar itinerary.
MATERA, ITALY: A [VERY] BRIEF BACKGROUND
Matera is the second-largest city in Basilicata and easily the region’s most visited, but it feels absolutely nothing like the rest of Italy. It’s one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world, with roots dating back to the 8th millennium BC. Adding to its ancientness, Matera is carved directly into limestone rock and split between two historic cliffside districts known as the Sassi, plus a modern town above.
Matera against a bright blue background. We had great weather when we arrived…
We stayed in the Sassi, and I’d recommend doing the same, unless you have mobility issues, as the Sassi is where you really experience what makes Matera special. Indeed, walking through the Sassi feels like stepping into another time entirely. It feels older and quieter that Italy’s more popular destiations, and a little surreal. The closest comparisons I can make are Petra in Jordan, Cappadocia in Türkiye, or Mdina in Malta, with its layered stone buildings and dramatic views carved into the landscape.
Rounding out my Panama trip, I have to talk about Panama City’s rooftop scene. The city fully leans into rooftop dining, and for good reason. While Panama City is a dense, modern urban hub (not rural), it offers stunning views of both the skyline and the Pacific Ocean, especially at sunset. It’s no surprise that some of the city’s hottest restaurants are perched high above the streets. We made a point to book a few during our week-long stay.
Kanibal rooftop restaurant.
One of those spots was Kanibal. Located atop a parking garage (yes, you’re dropped off in a garage and take an elevator up), Kanibal is unexpected and chic. It offers both indoor and outdoor seating, but the outdoor area is definitely where you’ll want to be for the views.
When we visited, a DJ was spinning during dinner, adding to the lively atmosphere. It’s also very much a “see and be seen” kind of place—plenty of Instagram-worthy moments here. Since we made reservations in advance, we were seated at a lovely table overlooking the Pacific and downtown Panama City.
We spent the second half of a week-long Panama vacation at the The Buenaventura Golf & Beach Resort Panama, a Marriott Autograph Collection property. We choose this property because we wanted to relax after what was a busy few days in Panama City, complete with day trips. We considered Bocas del Toro or Boquete but opted for The Buenaventura solely due to ease of travel (it is only two hour, highway drive from Panama City). This post reviews our stay at The Buenaventura Golf & Beach Resort Panama.
The actually postcard perfect beach at The Buenaventura.
Panama City, Panama is wonderful destinations in Central America, particularly for foodies. With its mix of historic charm, modern skyline, and diverse culinary influences, it’s a city where you can eat incredibly well—if you know where to look. We spent a week in Panama City last year, and while it’s more modern (and pricier) than many of its neighbors, it isn’t the easiest place to navigate as a first-time visitor. That’s exactly why starting with a food tour turned out to be the perfect introduction.
Dan in Casco Antiguo, ready to eat our way around town.
On our first full day, we explored Casco Antiguo—the city’s colorful historic district—on a walking food tour that combined Panamanian history with some of the best dishes we sampled all week. From a traditional breakfast with hojaldra and steak, to fresh tropical juices, market eats, ceviche at the most famous seafood market, and world-renowned Geisha coffee, this experience gave us a true taste of Panama City. In this guide, I’ll walk you through everything we ate, where to find it, and how to recreate this exact Panama City food tour itinerary on your own—perfect if you only have one day in the city or want to explore Panama City beyond the Panama Canal.
Bermuda is one of the easiest island getaways from NYC—just a 2-hour flight—but is it actually worth it? After a long weekend of beaches, food tours, and a few travel mishaps, here’s my honest take.
At A Glance
📍 Location: Bermuda
✈️ Flight Time from NYC: ~2 hours
📅 Trip Length: 4 days / 3 nights
💰 Cost Level: $$$
🚗 Getting Around: Taxi + Hitch app
🏨 Where We Stayed: Coco Reef Resort (not recommended)
⭐ Highlights: Food tour, Crystal Caves, St. George’s
⚠️ Watch Out For: Expensive taxis, inconsistent hotel quality
Bermuda! There was a solid British (kind of Irish) theme) present throughout the island due to it being a British outpost for years. This was pretty interesting.
My husband and I spent a long weekend in Bermudalast Labor Day weekend. It was our first visit and the simple reason – it is only 2 hours from the NYC area and there was a relatively reasonably priced flight that fit our schedule. We had a very nice time, but we have certainly been to nicer islands (in our opinion). I think I need to go back (and we will, I have my eye on the St. Regis!) for longer and stay elsewhere for a different experience on the island. This post details what we ate, where we stayed, and what we did during our weekend getaway to Bermuda so that you can recreate our trip on your own!
When planning my Bermuda Labor Day getaway, I struggled with planning an itinerary. The island is rather spread out, and we did not rent a car. We spent one afternoon and evening in the Eastern part of Bermuda (St. George’s, near the airport) and our itinerary worked well for those visiting the East for a day or half day.
A very cool tree between The Swizzle Inn and Crystal and Fantasy Caves.
First up, have an early lunch at what is possibly Bermuda’s most famous establishment, the Swizzle Inn! With its catch phrase “Swizzle In, Swizzle Out” and its infamous drink, the Rum Swizzle, the Swizzle Inn is incredibly popular, fun, and unmissable. It calls itself Bermuda’s oldest pub (like The Hog Penny in Hamilton…) and claims to be the creator of Bermuda’s national drink, the Rum Swizzle.
I visited Bermuda last Labor Day weekend for the first time, even though its only a 2 hour flight from NYC and had been on my travel list for years. Part of my first full day on the island was spent in food tour around Hamilton, Bermuda’s capital and largest city (or really, town). It’s the colorful, shop filled streets that you see in photos. While most prioritize Bermuda’s beaches, we really like to eat and drink, and we visit beaches enough that we felt we could dedicate a morning to learning more about Bermuda’s culture, which is just what this tour provided (in addition to a large lunch and several drinks!).
Hamilton, Bermuda.
We began our tour on Front Street, Hamilton’s main drag. The tour consisted of about 10 people, most visiting from the United States for Labor Day weekend. The tour began at 11:15 AM and lasted about 3 hours, taking us solidly into the afternoon. All it, it was a fun experience. I would take the tour again and recommend it to those in Bermuda who need a break from the beach.
A pretty mural in Hamilton, Bermuda made from tile.
We have been to San Juan, Puerto Rico numerous times. It is one of our very favorite places to eat and drink, especially thanks to some restaurant recommendations from local friends. Last weekend, we returned for a long weekend simply to escape the cold. Given that two of our favorite restaurants are permanently closed (Jose Enrique and Celeste), I had to find some new restos! I came across Manzana de Java in my research and then saw that it was one of Bad Bunny’s favorite restaurants. Sold. I booked a reservation several weeks in advance and could only get the first seating of 6:30 PM.
The entrance to the restaurant.
La Manzana de Java, literally translating to the Java Apple, is located in Santurce on a quiet street. It’s truly a whole in the wall with only 20 seats. Hence, the difficulty in securing a reservation. La Manzana has 3 seatings nightly, the early seating (5:30, 6:00, and 6:30), a regular seating (7:00, 7:30), and a late seating at 9:00 or 9:30. Tables are grouped in groups of 2 or 4, and it could be difficult to have a much larger party here without renting out the whole restaurant.
For those familiar with the Greek beauty and skin care brand Korres, you may have heard of its owners’ upscale beauty and skin care brand, The Naxos Apothecary. Inspired by Greece’s oldest homeopathic pharmacy, The Naxos Apothecary brand makes lovely beauty products, skin care, and scents. The brand is somewhat difficult to find outside of Greece, so I definitely recommend picking some up while you are there. In any case, The Naxos Apothecary also has a restaurant and store combination located right in Chora, Naxos. This post reviews my lovely dinner at The Naxos Apothecary in July 2025. It was one of seven places we ate in Chora, all of which are in our guide to the best restaurants in Naxos Town.
The Naxos Apothecary Restaurant.
First off, The Naxos Apothecary is located at the far end of Chora port’s restaurant row, very close to the entryway to the Portara. It can be a bit difficult to find unless you are walking to the Portara. The establishment itself is both a restaurant/wine bar/tea cafe and a shop selling some of the brand’s most famous products (although the selection was not that great in my opinion). We did not make a reservation and were able to snag an outdoor table just after sunset on a Friday evening, which was pretty lucky. I suggest making a reservation. The restaurant is small and also offers, at least from the outside tables, a slight glimpse of the Portara and an excellent sunset view.
When we visited Edinburgh for Hogmanay, I could not resist booking a “Christmas Tea” at Edinburgh Castle. It sounded magical. We reserved and paid for the tea in advance, excited for a festive afternoon surrounded by holiday cheer. The experience turned out to be fun and fine—though not quite as Christmasy as I’d hoped or imagined. It ended up being more of a regular tea, just taking place during the Christmas season. In this post, I’ll share all the details of our Edinburgh Castle Christmas Tea and what to expect if you’re planning to go yourself! And side note, I am pretty sure the Edinburgh Castle Tea is very similar to the Christmas Tea year round, so read this before booking any Edinburgh Castle Tea experience.
In front of Edinburgh Castle. You cannot get past the entrance gate without a ticket.
Last January, Dan and I spent a long weekend in London with our friends, Bryan and Pryor. Bryan is a Tottenham Hotspur supporter (yes, I have the lingo down), and Hotspur were playing in London on the one full day we were in town. We purchased Hotspur tickets with access to the Travel Club Premium Lounge in the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. This post provides a detailed description of what you can expect when purchasing a Hotspur ticket with access to the Travel Club Premium Lounge.
We are big Rome restaurant fans, have a pretty good roster of Rome restaurants, and were very excited to share some of these spots with our friends on our October trip to Rome. We originally planned to take our friends to another Testaccio favorite but we had to pivot at the last minute and luckily scored a reservation at Ristorante Angelina a Testaccio! This was our second visit to Ristorante Angelina a Testaccio, and it was just as great as the first (if not better). Highly recommend Ristorante Angelina a Testaccio for a solid Roman meal in Rome. This post details our dinner at Ristorante Angelina a Testaccio in October 2025.
Angelina a Testaccio – lunch, dinner and cocktails!
ANGELINA A TESTACCIO
Angelina a Testaccio is a Roman restaurant serving traditional Roman fare, including local wine, delicious appetizers specific to Lazio, and, of course, Rome’s 4 famous pastas! Angelina is one of 3 “Angelina” locations in Rome, and this one is located in Rome’s Testaccio neighborhood. For those unfamiliar, Testaccio is home to Rome’s only pyramid and also used to be the site of Rome’s slaughterhouses, leading to some excellent restaurants (kind of odd, I know). Angelina a Testaccio keeps some of the original slaughterhouse vibe (for lack of a better word, LOL) alive through its architecture, including some original furnishings, its sloping floor, the rods on the ceiling where the skins were attached, the signs indicating the breeds of meat, large fireplaces and in the center, a table recovered from an ancient convent.
If you read my previous post, you know that Dan and I had a lovely stay at Iliada Sunset Suites during our time in Naxos last summer (July 2025). And by lovely, I really, really, really loved this boutique hotel. I found it quintessentially Greek and incredibly charming. This post reviews Iliada Sunset Suites in detail.
Beautiful pink flowers at Iliada Sunset Suites.
The view of the Mediterranean from Iliada Sunset Suites in Naxos, Greece.
ILIADA SUNSET SUITES LOCATION
Iliada Sunset Suites is located in Chora, or Naxos Town, in Naxos, Greece, which is the island’s main, and largest, town. It is set on a hill above Grotta Beach, offering stunning views of the heart of Naxos Town and the famous Portara (aka the Temple of Apollo). The area directly surrounding the hotel is comprised of other, small hotels/rentals and a hill/turned parking lot that tourists walk down to get to and from Chora (although there is a longer, less steep route, too). It’s location is pretty quiet, without much to immediately walk to. Lots of restaurants and shops are located in Chora’s heart, which is about a 5 – 10 minute walk from the hotel.
Iliada Sunset Suites is a classic blue and white Greek boutique hotel. .
As you may know, last summer’s July 4 vacation took us back to Greece, this time to Crete and Naxos. I shared a lot about our time in Crete and how you can recreate our trip for yourself, but I haven’t shared much about Naxos. And quite frankly, that is because I absolutely LOVED Naxos and simply cannot put into a blog post how much. We also didn’t do anything too touristy or fancy; we just relaxed and enjoyed the island. In this post, I will share what we did with our time in Naxos, including what we loved, what was meh (very little), and what I will do again. If you are considering Naxos as a vacation destination, I highly recommend it!
The Cyclades are a group of famous Greek islands that are well known for being the “blue and white islands” made famous by the likes of Mamma Mia! and the legends of Santorini. The Cyclades are also home to the party-centric Mykonos and the recently popular Milos. Naxos is the largest of all the islands in the Cyclades. We have been to five of the Cyclades (Santorini, Mykonos, Milos, Paros, and Naxos), and we love this island group.
Dan and I spent a lovely and relaxing week just outside of Chania, Crete last July (2025). We stayed at Domes Zeen Chania, a Marriott Bonvoy property (making it ideal for those looking for point redemptions). While it is not in Chania proper, we had a wonderful stay at Domes Zeen Chania would easily return. This post details our stay at Domes Zeen Chania in July 2025.
Our private terrace at Domes Zeen Chania.
Pros of Domes Zeen Chania: Beautiful property, spacious rooms with excellent air conditioning, natural beauty, especially at sunset, possible to use Marriott Bonvoy points, American style mattresses (IYKYK).
Cons of Domes Zeen Chania: Lots of families with children, pricey compared to other hotels in the area, more Western International than Greek, located far from Chania town.
Sunset from the main pool at Domes Zeen Chania. The sunsets were consistently outstanding.
THE DOMES ZEEN CHANIA PROPERTY
Domes Zeen Chania is located in greater Chania town – a 15 minute drive, or a 45 minute walk, from Chania’s famous Old Venetian Port. As it is outside of Chania, the hotel is somewhat secluded, abutting the sea on one side and being pretty closed off from the public otherwise. There are a few businesses – beach clubs and restaurants – within a short walk, but you will likely spend most of your time at the hotel unless you venture into Chania proper. In other words, this is a good spot for those just wanting to enjoy a relaxing vacation without too much sightseeing.
Before kicking off our big Italian vacation in 2026 on the Amalfi Coast, we spent one day and evening in Rome. The sole item on our agenda was a food tour through one or Dan and my favorite neighborhoods in Rome, Trastevere (fun fact – also where we lived when we studied in Rome!). This was the third time we have taken this tour, and it was just as good as we remembered. This post details our food tour through Trastevere with Eating Europe!
Walking to the food tour. I love Rome so much – just casually passing ruins on our walk.
On the heels of my post about the wonderful Le Vigne di Raito in Raito, Italy, this post details our experience at another winery we visited on our trip to the Amalfi Coast, Cantina del Vesuvio Winery! We visited Cantina del Vesuvio after a full morning exploring Pompeii with a private guide and after hectic and crowded Pompeii, Cantina del Vesuvio was a welcome retreat away from the crowds, complete with delicious food and a decent amount of wine. I certainly recommend a visit after Pompeii.
Cantina del Vesuvio. I love these trees.
Cantina del Vesuvio Winery is literally located on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius (or Monte Vesuvio in Italian), hence the name. Given its location, the winery offers beautiful views, including of Sorrento and the Gulf of Naples and of Mount Vesuvius. We drove about 20 minutes from Pompeii to Cantina del Vesuvio, arriving slightly early for our pre-booked tasting and lunch (there is free parking on site!). And yes, a tour and lunch is the standard package. Its reasonably priced and easy to reserve online. And on that note, reservations are required, but I don’t think you need to make them too far in advance.
On our second evening in Raito, Italy (read about our whole experience here and here), we booked a very special dinner for our friend’s milestone birthday. While Raito is simply tiny without much to do aside from its sweeping views of the Salerno Gulf, Raito is home to one of only two wineries on the Amalfi Coast. And, one of them, Le Vigne di Raito, happens to be located only a five minute walk from our hotel, Hotel Raito!
Dan and I at Le Vigne di Raito.
Le Vigne di Raito is a boutique organic vineyard, founded by owner Patrizia Malanga in 2001. Specializing largely in red wines, Le Vigne di Raito priduces two flagship wines – the Ragis red and Vitamenia rose. Le Vigne di Raito also offers winery tours and tasting to the public, as well as specialty dining experiences, including that paired with lunch or dinner, a cooking or pizza making course, and picnics in the vineyard.
If you read my latest post, you know that the first proper stop on our big Italian family vacation in 2025 was in Raito, Italy, which is located just above Vietri sul Mare on the Amalfi Coast. Very swoon. And, we stayed at the absolute loveliest hotel, Hotel Raito. This post describes our wonderful time at Hotel Raito and provides a detailed review of our stay!
View from Room 514 (Deluxe Sea View room).
The sunrise at Hotel Raito. I’m not a morning person, but this was worth waking up to see.
Pros of Hotel Raito: Absolutely amazing views, stunning pool, our balcony was gorgeous, did not feel insanely crowded, on site parking lot.
Cons of Hotel Raito: A bit pricey, not within walking distance to much, quiet at night, some parts are a bit dated.
Raito, Italy is a gorgeous, albeit tiny, village perched high above the Amalfi Coast, almost directly overlooking Vietri sul Mare. It also happened to be the first proper stop on our big Italian family vacation in late September 2025. We selected it, honestly, for one reason: its charming hotel with stunning views of Vietri sul Mare, Salerno and its sweeping Gulf. In this post, I’ll share how we and our friends’ family spent 3 unforgettable days in Raito, from what we did and where we ate to the hidden gems that made this quiet hilltop village so magical.
As you may know, Dan and I spent last New Year’s Eve in Edinburgh, Scotland for Hogmanay – Scotland’s New Year holiday. Despite Hogmanay being a huge overnight street party with food, drinks, and vendors, we opted to book a formal sit down New Year’s Eve dinner in Edinburgh for actual New Year’s Eve dinner, as we were concerned about the cold and the weather. Turns out, booking that dinner was a GREAT idea, as Hogmanay was largely cancelled two days before the holiday due to high winds (note – we booked over a month in advance of the cancellation). This posts details our New Year’s Eve tasting menu at Cannonball Restaurant in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Dan & I on Hogmanay in Edinburgh. This was at a pub before dinner.
Located in Edinburgh’s Old Town, literally steps down from Edinburgh Castle’s main entrance, Cannonball Restaurant is set inside a 17th century building called the Cannonball House. It’s quite easy to locate. According to the restaurant, it is the former townhome of the First Duke Gordon and is also home to Scotland’s oldest door knocker. For most tourists purposes, however, it boasts a cosy cocktail and whiskey bar and a formal restaurant serving local fare.
It’s Christmas in New York City, and time to review another one of my favorite holiday spots in New York City – Lillie’s Victorian Establishment! Lillie’s is one of those over-the-top Christmassey bars/restaurants, where everyone wants an Instagram picture. This post details a visit to Lillie’s Victorian around the holidays and how to get inside, even without a reservation!
Lillie’s Victorian Establishment decorated for Christmas. Even if you cannot get inside, this window at the Union Square location is a fantastic spot for a photograph (there may be a line).
Very fun decorations at the Union Square location starting mid-November.
With two locations, Lillie’s Victorian Establishment is a year-round Victorian-era British Pub named for late British actress Lillie Langtry. The restaurant’s namesake immigrated from Britain to the US in 1882. Her acting debut, at the New York Theatre, resulted in the building burning to the ground, leaving only a sign reading Lillie Langtry. Very interesting story. In any case, for your purposes, Lillie’s is most famous for its elaborate Christmas decorations, which go up in mid-November.
Dan and I at Lillie’s Victorian in mid-November.
Lillie’s Victorian Establishment, Union Square in November 2025.
Last New Year, we spent the week between Christmas and New Year’s—also known as my birthday week—in the United Kingdom! Our trip began in Scotland, where we celebrated Hogmanay, and wrapped up in London, our departure city for the flight home. In this post, I’m sharing how we spent three very fast days exploring London in January.
DAY ONE: A TRAIN FROM GLASGOW, LUNCH AT THE PRADA CAFFÈ, A GUINNESS, AND ONE OF OUR FAVORITE DINNERS
Our first day in London actually began in Glasgow, Scotland, where we boarded a train from Glasgow Central to London Kings Cross station. We were lucky that we boarded early and had seats, as another train on the same line broke down, and many, many passengers joined our train. It was largely standing room only for most of the ride to London (which is over 4 hours!). As we very luckily had seats, it didn’t bother us too much. We arrived in London just a bit behind schedule. We took a Black Cab to our hotel in Kensington, the Kensington Marriott.
Early departure from Glasgow, and it was snowing in Scotland when we left!
We didn’t have too much time at our hotel, as we had a late lunch reservation at the Prada Caffè, located inside Harrods department store! I convinced my husband and my friend’s husband to go with be under the guise of a “Birthday lunch.” And, I had so much fun! The Prada Caffè is very Prada, very cute, and the food was shockingly quite good. The menu was Italian, inspired by Prada’s flagship in Milano, and while I am super picky about Italian food (being a citizen and all), this meal was legit. We, of course, also did a bit of shopping at Harrods before heading back to the hotel. If you are considering going to Harrods the weekend after New Years, known that Harrods decorations were still up almost a week out (although I think they came down the next day) and it was SUPER crowded.
Harrods still decorated for Christmas on January 3rd.
After spending time in Crete and Naxos earlier this year in July, Dan and I had just one night—24 hours—in Athens. Since we’ve visited the city several times before, we decided to skip the major tourist sights and instead focus on something we never tire of: food. We chose Eating Europe’s “Our Big, Fat, Greek Food Tour,” which led us through six delicious stops across Athens’ Monastiraki and Psiri neighborhoods.
Looking up at the Acropolis at the beginning of our food tour.
One thing to note: we took the tour on a Sunday, when many places in Athens are closed. We were informed of this beforehand but decided to go ahead—it was, after all, our only night in the city. Would I do it again on a Sunday? Absolutely. Still, I suspect the experience is even better on other days when more spots are open and bustling.
THE BIG, FAT, GREEK FOOD TOUR
Our tour began in the Monastiraki neighborhood of Athens, which is a very old Athens neighborhood – dating back 6,000 years. This area is located in the shadow of the Acropolis, filled with far too many super touristy shops, and contains its own historical treasures, including the Roman Agora, Holy Church of the Virgin Mary Pantanassa, and Hadrian’s Library. All tourists should come to this area, regardless if you take a food tour.
After five amazing nights in Chania, we took the ferry from Heraklion (Crete) to Naxos, where we spent another four nights. Unlike Crete, Naxos is part of the Cyclades, or the iconic “blue and white” islands that probably come to mind when you think of Greece (à la Mamma Mia!).
We had a whole itinerary planned, but once we arrived, the island’s relaxed beauty swept us away. Instead of rushing from one attraction to another, we decided to slow down, embrace the laid-back vibe, and simply hang out. Naxos completely stole our hearts, and I’m already dreaming of the day we return.
Since we ended up scrapping most of our original plans, this post is less about a detailed itinerary and more about Naxos itself. Below are some of my favorite snapshots from our time on the island, to inspire your own visit. If you want the practical version, we also wrote up where to eat in Naxos Town and our dinner at The Naxos Apothecary.
We were welcomed to Naxos by a sailboat, with the Portara (Naxos’ most famous landmark) in the background.
Hands down, the most unforgettable meal of my entire summer 2025 trip to Greece was at a chic wine bar tucked just off the water in Chania’s Old Harbour: Salis. With a seaside setting, locally sourced dishes, and a large wine and Gin and Tonic selection, Salis completely stole my heart. In this post, I’m sharing all the delicious details of our evening at Salis, and why it deserves a spot on your Crete itinerary!
Salis on Chania’s Old Harbour.
Salis describes itself as a “wine bar”, and it absolutely lives up to the name. Their wine list is robust, featuring an impressive selection that ranges from local Cretan varietals to international labels from as far away as the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia (where I grew up!). It was a fun surprise to see a taste of home on the menu, literally thousands of miles away.
When it comes to island hopping in Greece, you generally have two options: flying or taking a ferry. While flying is faster, it often involves a transfer through Athens, which can be inconvenient. Ferries, on the other hand, are part of Greece’s extensive and well-connected maritime network — and in my experience, they offer a more scenic and enjoyable way to travel, provided the schedule works for you.
Passing Santorini from our ferry.
On our recent trip, we opted for a SeaJets ferry from Heraklion (Crete) to Naxos in Platinum Class. I just booked the exact same itinerary for my in laws. In this post, I’ll share our experience and walk you through everything you need to know about taking a ferry in Greece.
PURCHASING GREEK FERRY TICKETS
Although it’s possible to buy ferry tickets in Greece — often right at the port from small ticket booth trailers — I always prefer to book mine online in advance, either directly through the ferry company or via a trusted third-party site. There are two main reasons for this: first, ferries do sell out, especially during peak season; and second, prices are often dynamic, meaning you’ll typically pay less the earlier you book.
This summer’s Mediterranean vacay brought us back to Greece,this time to the stunning islands of Crete and Naxos, followed by a one-night stay in Athens. Crete and Naxos were both new islands for us, and we absolutely loved them. In this post, we’re sharing highlights from our five-day stay in Crete – though honestly, five days wasn’t nearly enough. We’re already read to go back! This post details what we did in Chania over five days and how you can recreate our trip for yourself!
A postcard-perfect welcome to beautiful Chania.
DAY 1: ARRIVAL AND DINNER IN THE OLD VENETIAN PORT
Our first day in Crete was an exhausting one, as we arrived in Athens direct from JFK in the early morning and transferred a few hours later to Aegean Airlines for a 1 hour flight to Chania, Crete. While tiring, our transit and arrival was pretty seamless and we spent about two hours in Athen’s Skyserv domestic lounge (it’s just OK). We finally arrived in Chania in the late afternoon, taxied to our hotel, Domes Zeen Chania (which is GREAT!), and promptly took a nap. Luckily, Domes Zeen Chania is super nice and comfortable – separate review coming soon.
We visited Bermuda for Labor Day weekend at the end of August to celebrate the long weekend and, more importantly, our 8th anniversary! We visited Bermuda airport’s U.S. Departures Primeclass Lounge on our way home. While small, we found this Primeclass Lounge to be quite nice and relaxing. We would happily visit again. This post reviews the Primeclass Lounge for U.S. Departures in Bermuda St. George’s L.F. Wade International Airport. Note that there is a separate Primeclass Lounge for non-US international departures in the same airport, which we did not (and could not) visit.
Bermuda – only 2 hours from the NYC area.
THE BERMUDA PRIMECLASS LOUNGE – US DEPARTURES
The US Departures Primeclass Lounge is located past security, past passport control, and past US Customs (which one does in Bermuda – not on arrival in the US) on the second floor of the airport. It is located between the sole bar in the US Departures area and an overpriced Love Bermuda gift shop, just at the top of the escalator. The US departures area is not large, and the lounge is not difficult to locate. The Primeclass lounge is currently the sole lounge in the US departures area.
Entrance to the Primeclass Lounge in the US Departures area.
While my last post raves about Fonda Lo Que Hay in Casca Viejo, Panama City, Panama, the very best restaurant that I ate at in Panama City was Mai Mai! Mai Mai is short for Maido – Maito, or a combination of two world famous restaurants – Maido in Lima, Peru and Maito in Panama City, Panama. Both Maido and Maito are frequently on the Best 50 lists. And the combo, Mai Mai, is really fantastic.
Entering Mai Mai.
Mai Mai’s menu is described as a combination of “Peruvian-Nikkei appetizers, Asian-inspired dumplings, creative sushi rolls, premium nigiri, sashimi, and a wide range of main courses.” The chefs apparently want you to select dishes from each section to get the full Mai Mai experience. And, that is just what we did at Mai Mai. We tried a wide variety of dishes!
Dinner set up at Fonda Loa Que Hay. The plates were giving an Italian vibe. I really loved that.
Fonda Lo Que Hay, or “LQH” as it sometimes refers to itself, is located in Casco Viejo, or “old Panama City.” The area immediately surrounding the restaurant is walkable and safe, as well as quite well lit at night due to numerous tourist trinket shops in the immediate area. We found the restaurant pretty easily and were instantly impressed by its cute decor, which was giving trendy, Panamanian, tropical, cocktail bar, LOL.
In addition to visiting The Lounge lounge in Panama’s Tocumen International airport earlier this year following a fun week in Panama, we also visited the Copa Club in Terminal 2. Interestingly, we visited this lounge almost a decade ago (in 2016!); I wrote about it here. This lounge has clearly had a major facelift since 2016, and its currently chic and undergoing even more renovations. This post reviews the Copa Club in Panama Tocumen Terminal 2 in 2025.
Panama City, Panama.
THE COPA CLUB LOCATION IN TERMINAL 2
Terminal 2’s Copa Club is located on the third floor of Terminal 2 in the Panama Tocumen International airport. Located post-security, flyers walk to Gate 208 and take the elevator or stair to the third floor. It’s not difficult to find. It is also not very far from The Lounge (in fact, it’s just below it). If you are between the two, I would check out the Copa Club first, as its larger, has a better selection of food and drink, and closes earlier (while The Lounge is open 24/7).
This post is all about the best meal that I ate in Niagara Falls, Canada in May 2025at Tide & Vine Oyster Company. Now, I must preface this post with explaining just how terrible the food scene is in Niagara Falls, Canada. It’s bad. Comprised largely of American chain restaurants with a smattering of non-chain establishments that cater solely to tourists (meaning no repeat business), you will have a tough time finding good food in Niagara Falls, Canada. This was such a disappointment, as one of our favorite things about Montreal(the Canadian city that we usually visit in May) is the food.
Burger King, Applebee’s, & Ripley’s Believe It or Not. This is peak Niagara Falls.
I searched and searched online trying to find a somewhat decent restaurant and came across Tide & Vine Oyster Company a couple times. I decided to try it, despite loathing oysters, and made a reservation for Saturday evening. Tide & Vine Oyster Company is located about a 15 minute drive from the tourist heart of Niagara Falls, Canada. It’s definitely not close enough to walk, but there is ample parking as its located in a strip mall. We Ubered to and from the restaurant. On arrival, despite being surprised about the strip mall situation, I was excited to see a cute outdoor seating area and that the interior was decorated nicely. The restaurant was also devoid of tourists. A good sign.
I drive to Montreal almost every Memorial Day to start the summer in one of Dan and my favorite cities (Montreal!). This year, however, we switched it up and drove to Niagara Falls, mainly due to the fact that we had two Hilton resort credits to use through our Hilton Aspire cards. While we still love, love, love Montreal, we were surprised by Niagara Falls and had a really fun time. We will absolutely return! This post details what we did over our long weekend driving from the New York City area.
Niagara Falls!
DAY ONE: A COUNTRY DRIVE, CROSSING THE BORDER, AND A TERRIBLE DINNER AT THE SKYLON TOWER
Our Niagara Falls long weekend began on a Friday morning, leaving the New York City area around 9:30 AM. Our drive took us through Western New York and while it originally consisted of normal highway, the road changed to more country roads for the second half of the drive (and my internet to work no longer worked). We crossed the border via The Peace Bridge in Buffalo, which crossing took no time at all and was quicker than what we are used to at Montreal. You can check times for the border crossing here. We arrived in the late afternoon to very, very cold weather. Not exactly what we were hoping for for Memorial Day weekend (although the weather was the same in Montreal).
A chilly view of the American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls.
As you probably guessed, we stayed on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, our first two nights at the DoubleTree Fallsview Resort & Spa. The hotel looked like a mountain resort and offered, albeit a bit far, views of the Falls. We enjoyed staying here, but recommend staying closer for better views if you can.
View from our room at the DoubleTree. This was our second morning when we had great weather.
Dan and I spent a long weekend in Montreal, as we do almost every year, last May, but this May, our friends joined us from Virginia for a memorable birthday weekend! We had a wonderful time and great weather, enjoying fantastic meals, tasty drinks, and a bit of relaxation. This post details our 4-day itinerary for those looking for a Montreal itinerary focused on great food and drinks.
I have visited a The Lounge lounge a couple of times at San Juan Puerto Rico’s Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport. It’s not my favorite lounge. I was very surprised, and not at all excited, to find another The Lounge location when flying out of Panama Tocumen International earlier this year (after spending a lovely week in Panama). And I was even more surprised when writing this post that The Lounge is actually quite a large brand! The Lounge at PTY was a bit better than that in San Juan, and it was a decent spot to waste time before our flight back to the US. This post reviews The Lounge at PTY, Terminal 2 (there is also a The Lounge location in Terminal 1 at PTY, but I did not visit it). In sum, it was perfectly fine, but I would not arrive early to use the lounge.
Leaving Panama City en route to the airport. Unit next time, Panama!
THE LOUNGE LOCATION IN TERMINAL 2
The Lounge in Terminal 2 is located on the third floor of Terminal 2 in the Panama Tocumen International airport. Located post-security, flyers walk to door 204 and take the escalator to the 3rd floor. It’s not difficult to find. It is also not very far from the Copa Club, which we visited just before The Lounge (and only left the Copa Club because it closed for the evening).
On my visit to Panama City, Panama earlier this year, I spent an afternoon at the Panama Canal, which I was incredibly excited about. Specifically, the Miraflores Visitor Center. This post explains how you can visit the Panama Canal from Panama City.
After spending Hogmanay in Edinburgh last year, we spent New Year’s Day and January 2nd (also a holiday in Scotland!) in Glasgow, Scotland. And while Glasgow may have somewhat of a “rough reputation”, especially compared to other Scottish destinations, we spent two nights here because (1) we needed to take the train from Glasgow to London to catch our flight home, (2) many things are closed in Scotland on January 2nd (in addition to the 1st!), and (3) our friend’s grandparents met in Glasgow, so he wanted to see a bit of the city. Glasgow surprised me in a good way in that it had much more to offer than I expected, and I wish that we’d had a more time (or more normal time when things weren’t closed for Hogmanay) to explore the city. This post highlights my favorite things that we did in Glasgow, in no particular order. It, however, excludes our a wonderful food tour that we took, which you can read about here!
THE IRISH INFLUENCE IN GLASGOW (& KITTY O’SHEA’S PUB)
The most interesting thing that I learned about Glasgow is that there is a very strong Irish presence there. In fact, I learned that my friend’s Irish grandparents met in Glasgow, despite being from Ireland (and no, not Northern Ireland), and we were in town for the show down between the local Celtics (Catholic/Irish) football team and the local Rangers (Protestant/Unionist) football team. That match was a big deal, with lots of police out and about to deter the inevitable bar fights. And, we visited an authentic Irish pub called Kitty O’Shea’s, which is right next to Glasgow Central station. Kitty O’Sheas is extremely Irish, and it pours a delicious Guinness. Our waitress was even from Ireland and provided some more background on Irish influence and culture in Glasgow. Super fascinating.
Kitty O’Shea’s Irish pub.
A great Guinness pour at Kitty O’Shea’s.
Lots of Irish snugs in Kitty O’Shea’s. Just like Ireland. This one was pretty funny.
Irish fans outside a pub watching football match.
GLASGOW’S DUKE OF WELLINGTON STATUTE
Another fun thing about Glasgow is its infamous Duke of Wellington statute. The Duke of Wellington is a statute of the First Duke of Wellington on a horse outside Glasgow’s Gallery of Modern Art. Since the 1980s, the Duke always finds himself with an orange traffic cone on his head, compliments on drunk passers-by. The Duke is unofficially the mascot of Glasgow. You can find him on magnets, t-shirts, etc., LOL.
Dan and I visited the Skyserv Aristotle Onassis Lounge in Athens International, Hall A, when we flew from Athens, Greece to New York on Delta in July 2025. This post reviews our time in the Skyserv Aristotle Onassis Lounge, which we found to be a perfectly serviceable lounge. There was decent space, fast WiFi, and the food was surprisingly decent. That being said, it is worth a stop only if you have extra time before your flight (in other words, don’t arrive early for it).
Arriving at the Athens International Airport.
Before jumping into the post, this post reviews the Skyserv Aristotle Onassis Lounge located in the Non-Schengen area(i.e., international flights out of Europe). There is another lounge of the same name located in the Schengen area, which we visited on this trip AND back in 2021. The Non-Schengen location, which is the subject of this post, is nicer than that in the Schengen area. I would also note that we accessed the Skyserv Aristotle Onassis Lounge with our Priority Pass, and this lounge looks completely different than the pictures shown on the Priority Pass website…in a good way.
Ristorante L’Altra Mezzanotte is a long-standing restaurant in Ischia Porto’s Riva Destra, or the area to the right of Ischia Porto that is lined with waterside restaurants and bars. Apparently the Riva Destra has been a popular evening hangout since the 1960as. Ristorante L’Altra Mezzanotte opened in 2015 when two locals reopened an older restaurant that had closed. Ristorante L’Altra Mezzanotte itself is easy enough to find, it’s located right in the line of restaurants on the Riva Destra.
Ristorante L’Altra Mezzanotte.
Ristorante L’Altra Mezzanotte offers both indoor, air-conditioned seating, as well as outdoor seating in the cutest teal chairs. The outdoor area offers port views, while the interior offers views of the wood-fired oven. The staff at Ristorante L’Altra Mezzanotte is incredibly friendly and welcoming to tourists. Known for its fresh, local seafood, Ristorante L’Altra Mezzanotte also has a wood-fire oven for preparing pizzas and some other dishes.
Are you considering visiting Panama’s San Blas Islands, possibly as a day trip from Panama City? This article explains the details of a day vist to the San Blas Islands, provides tips for visiting the San Blas Islands, and why I probably wouldn’t do it again, ha. And, by way of background, Dan and I visited the San Blas Islands as a day trip from our nearly week-long stay in Panama City, Panama in early April. I selected the San Blas Islands over other popular island destinations, such as Bocas del Toro due to the fact that you can drive from Panama City.
A Panama beer at the San Blas Islands.
The San Blas Islands
And what are the San Blas Islands you may ask? The San Blas Islands are a group of approximately 300 autonomous Panamanian islands off the northern coast of Panama in the Caribbean Sea. Panama’s indigenous Guna (a/k/a Kuna) population reside in the San Blas Islands, which are famous for their Mola fabrics. Today, the Guna people earn nearly all of their money from tourism and selling handicrafts.
The San Blas Islands undoubtedly have some beautiful areas.
The San Blas Islands are currently popular with tourists for their crystal clear blue waters, as well as ecotourism. We found the San Blas Islands to be quite pretty, but pretty rustic and not easy to navigate for a typical tourist without some sort of guide. Indeed, you can’t even access them without taking a boat from the mainland. The Guna people have their own language and heritage, which is really interesting if you have time to read up on them. There is also a (free!) Mola Museum in Panama City that provides a solid background before visiting.
Prada, yes the Italian fashion company, opened a “temporary” restaurant and pastry shop inside Harrods department store in London in 2023. As I found myself in London to celebrate my birthday in January (2025), and as I LOVE Prada (I know, so basic), I had to make a lunch reservation during my stay. This post reviews my lunch at the Prada Caffè, including how to make a reservation, cost and food quality,
How to Find the Prada Caffè in Harrods
Prada Caffè is technically located “inside” Harrods main department store in Knightsbridge, London, but the restaurant actually has its own fabulous entrance that is street level. And while you can access the cafe from inside Harrods, entering via the street is more exciting, at least for the photos, LOL. There is no security or anything of the like, so you can just walk in, even to take a photograph.
I spent five days at the JW Marriott Panama City in April 2025. This post reviews the JW Marriott’s M Club Lounge. Before getting into the M Club Lounge review, the JW Marriott Panama City is a nice hotel located in a high rise building, with most (if not all) rooms having views of the Pacific Ocean. The hotel also has a beautiful pool area, complete with two infinity pools and a heated regular pool. Like many JW Marriotts, this one boasts a M Club Lounge for visitors with certain Marriott status and those staying in certain room categories. I have Platinum Status with Marriott, so I received access to the Club M Lounge for me and one guest during my stay. This post reviews the M Club Lounge at the JW Marriott in Panama City.
Room views from the JW Marriott Panama City.
The M Club Lounge
As you likely know if you are reading this article, M Club Lounges are lounges at certain Marriott properties that certain guests can access, including those with certain status and others staying in certain room categories. While club lounges vary widely in terms of quality and offerings, Marriott club lounges often feature complimentary food, complimentary drinks (sometimes including alcohol during limited hours), and a quite place to spend time away from your room. I generally enjoy a club lounge and find such lounges to be a nice perk at hotels.
This year’s spring vacation took us to Panama for a week, spending the majority of our time in the capital, Panama City, with a day trip to the San Blas Islands, and a few days in Buenaventura on the Pacific Coast. Panama was beautiful and we had a relaxing time, but Panama was more expensive and more Americanized than other Central American countries that we have visited. We definitely need to return and spend time in other parts of Panama to get a better feel for it. Panama City, however, makes a wonderful winter/early spring getaway for those coming from the NYC area and looking for something different yet not too “foreign.” This post details what we did during our time in Panama City over 5 days and how you can recreate this trip for yourself!
Panama City at sunset. The rooftop sunsets were fantastic.
OUR 5-DAY ITINERARY IN PANAMA CITY
DAY 1: THE PANAMA CANAL & A DELICIOUS MEAL IN CASCO VIEJO
United flies direct from Newark to Panama City overnight, so we took that flight, leaving around midnight NYC time and arriving around 4:00 AM the following morning in Panama. We booked our hotel, the JW Marriott Panama City, for the night prior, so we were able to checkin immediately on arrival despite the early hour (you should absolutely do this if you can swing it; well worth the money). We slept for a couple hours before having breakfast in the JW Marriott’s Lounge and using its stunning pool area (featuring TWO infinity pools and a separate heated pool – it is rumored to be one of the nicest in the area!).
Loving our Dishoom Edinburgh experience so much, we returned to Dishoom in London (Kensington, specifically) for brunch on the last day of our trip. This post reviews our excellent brunch at Dishoom Kensington.
Rainy Kensington – we even saw a real Dalmatian!
Dishoom Kensington
There are numerous Dishoom restaurants in London, and there is a great one right in the heart of Kensington. We made a brunch reservation a few weeks in advance, but we probably didn’t need it on this wet, January Sunday. In fact, numerous parties walked in around the same time without a reservations and were seated without issue. Dishoom Kensington’s interior, and sign, has an art deco vibe that I absolutely love.
I absolutely love, nay, LOVE, Indian food. Dan doesn’t enjoy it nearly as much as I do but luckily for me, someone recommended Dishoom to Dan before our trip to Scotland (and London), so I had an excuse to reserve a table. In sum, and while Dishoom has been written about many, many, many times, our meal was fantastic and it is absolutely worth the hype.
Dishoom – the UK’s most famous Indian restaurant
Dishoom is a chain of 13 (currently) Indian restaurants in the United Kingdom. Founded in 2010, Dishoom is often described as “Indian street food” and was designed to feel like “an Irani cafe popular in Mumbai in the 1960s”. The founders left the business in 2017, but Dishoom is still incredibly popular and totally delicious. And, rumor has it that Dishoom is opening a location in New York in 2026…
Our second stop on our Hogmanay tour of Scotland was Scotland’s largest city, Glasgow. Unlike Edinburgh, Glasgow is not a charming European city with castles and ancient things; rather, Glasgow is a fairly modern city with a large university and numerous factories. It struck me as a real working town, in a great way. Along those lines, Glasgow has a reputation as being gritty and, in places, somewhat dangerous, and I probably would have skipped Glasgow all together had we not (1) needed to catch the train to London from Glasgow Central and (2) our friend’s grandparents met in Glasgow before immigrating to North America and he wanted to see the city. These two points pushed me into staying two nights in Glasgow. Due to both of our evenings being public holidays (yes, January 1st and 2nd are public holidays in Scotland), I didn’t get the complete Glasgow experience, but I did take a food tour with a lovely local, ate lots of delicious food and learned a decent bit of Glasgow history. I enjoyed Glasgow quite a bit and would like to return and explore further. This post describes the food tour that we took through Glasgow – my favorite way to see a city!
At Glasgow’s Brown’s Brasserie on the food tour. I loved the little palms.
STOP ONE: VEGAN HAGGIS AT A LOCAL BREWERY
Our first stop on our Glasgow food tour was at one of Scotland’s most well-known breweries, Innis & Gunn, for a beer and, dun dun dun, Haggis! Before diving into the main event (i.e., the Haggis), Innis & Gunn is a well known Scottish Brewery that makes, most famously, a slightly sweet, velvety beer aged in Single Malt Whisky casks. And while I usually hate beer (or anything) aged in whisky barrels, I do enjoy this beer! The brand Innis & Gunn was created in Scotland way back in 2003 and its an OG craft beer. Of course, our meal began with a half-pint of Innis & Gunn’s original brew, called, appropriately, the “Original”. As expected, the Original was incredibly smooth and quite tasty (despite being aged in whisky casks)!
Innis & Gunn’s Glasgow City Centre location. It’s right near Glasgow Central.
Clearly had a big Hogmanay celebration.
Innis & Gunn’s Original.
Moving on from Innis & Gunn’s noteworthy beer, our tour guide advised that the first tasting of the tour would be … Haggis! I was not particularly excited to sample Haggis again, but this was a vegan version (i.e., no meat!), so I was game to sample it. The Vegan Haggis was served in fried ball form, paired with a homemade brown “chippy sauce”. Being honest, I much, much, much preferred the vegan version to the real Haggis that I tried back in Edinburgh. I would actually order this version again! Point one for the food tour, as I would have never ordered Vegan Haggis on my own. The Vegan Haggis paired very well with the Chippy Sauce. Definitely give this a try if you want to try Haggis but are scared…or even if you just find yourself at Innis & Gunn. Even the meat lovers on our tour praised the dish.
Of course when in Edinburgh, we had to take a food tour (it is one of our favorite things to do!). A few options exist in Edinburgh in terms of food tours; we selected Secret Food tours based on Hogmanay availability. Our tour was part Edinburgh history, part food tour. This tour was a good way to try some Scottish classics that I would not be keen to try on my own (like Haggis!).
Cullen skink – a Scottish classic.
STOP ONE: THE EDINBURGH CLASSICS
We met our a guide, who is a Scottish native, outside St. Giles Cathedral at 11 AM. We did not go inside (we went the next day – highly recommend), but listed to about 15 minutes of Scottish, Edinburgh and Hogmanay history. This was quite interesting, especially given the ongoing Hogmanay celebrations. After meeting at St. Giles Cathedral, we walked down to Grassmarket for our first stop at the famous pub called Maggie Dickson’s.
Dan, me and our friends flew to Edinburgh just after Christmas this year for Hogmanay. And what is Hogmanay you may ask and why did we spend it in cold, rainy Edinburgh? Hogmanay is the Scottish word for the last day of the year and its, practically speaking for tourists, a New Years Eve celebration, albeit with a lot of Scottish flair. I had wanted to do this for years, so we finally booked flights for the 2024 – 2025 new year.
Flying into Edinburgh in the early morning.
DAY 1: AN EARLY WALK AROUND EDINBURGH, A PUB DINNER & DELICIOUS COCKTAILS
We flew out from Newark on a Friday evening and after a 5.5 hour, rough winter flight, we arrived in Edinburgh in the wee hours of the morning. We taxied directly to our hotel which, unfortunately, could not get us into our rooms until right at 3:00 PM (the official checkin time). Due to Edinburgh’s popularity during this time of the year, checking in to a hotel early is probably not really feasible.
Victoria Street, Edinburgh.
Victoria Street. The pink building sells ridiculous pork sandwiches that sell out frequently and the brown (actually purple) building is a “wand” store, a la Harry Potter, and there would later be a line down the street.
I spent New Year’s Eve 2024/2025 in Edinburgh, Scotland for its grand, internationally renowned Hogmanay festival! Hogmanay in Edinburgh had long been on my “bucket list” and I was super pumped for all of the Hogmanay events. Unfortunately for me, most Hogmanay events were cancelled in 2024/2025 at the last minute due to “extreme” winds… which did not really pan out. Regardless, I still had a wonderful time in Edinburgh celebrating Hogmanay. And, I did A LOT of advance research on Hogmanay events available for the foreign public to attend. This post compiles my research for those attending Hogmanay next year. And full disclosure, I am no expert nor am I Scottish – I am simply sharing my research.
A Happy Hogmanay Cocktail from Edinburgh! This is at Cannonball Restaurant near the Castle.
HOGMANAY IN SCOTLAND!
Hogmanay is the Scottish word for New Year’s Eve, and Hogmanay is a BIG holiday in Scotland. Having been celebrated since at least the early 1600s, Hogmanay is now synonymous with festive merrymaking on December 31st in Scotland (not just Edinburgh). Scottish celebrate the arrival of the new year with family, parties, music and good fun. Trust me when I say this is more than a big New Years Eve celebration or party, Hogmanay is a legitimate holiday, similar to Christmas in my opinion, and its incredibly important to the Scottish people. We learned from our local tour guides that one important Hogmanay custom is “First Footing”, where family and friends celebrate the New Year at midnight and the following day by visiting each other’s homes with gifts of Scottish whisky and coal.
Edinburgh dressed festively for Hogmanay.
Hogmanay is celebrated across Scotland, but the largest celebration, and the most accessible to non-Scottish visitors, is in Edinburgh, Scotland’s gorgeous capital. Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebration generally lasts four days, with the biggest celebration being a grand street party on December 31st. Edinburgh’s Hogmanay is welcoming and accessible to foreigners, but it requires advance planning, and most events require a ticket.
Dan and I really love, love, love Lebanese cuisine. We have been to some great Lebanese restaurants (including this incredible one in Amman, Jordan –Fakhreldine), and we always try to eat at Lebanese restaurants when in the Middle East. We had one proper dinner evening in Dubai last year on our way to the Maldives. We made a dinner reservation at Al Nafoorah Al Qasr.
Dan at Al Nafoorah Al Qasr.
Al Nafoorah Al Qasr is located inside the Jumeirah Al Qasr, Madinat Jumeirah hotel – only about a 10 minute Uber drive from our hotel on the Palm Jumeirah. And like the Jumeriah Al Qasr, Al Nafoorah Al Qasr is a gorgeous restaurant. Having both indoor and outdoor seating, the interior of the restaurant is centered around an olive tree and is immaculately decorated. The outdoor seating is along a man-made waterway, complete with tourist sightseeing boats, with views of the Burj Al Arab. We sat outside and had a perfect table overlooking the Burj Al Arab, as seen above.
I had a 30 hour, overnight layover in Dubai in November en route to the Maldives. This was not my first visit to Dubai, so while I wanted to “feel like I was in Dubai”, I did not want to revisit its most popular tourist sites. I also wanted to concentrate my time on the Palm Jumeirah, or the artificial islands made in the shape of a Palm tree, as I felt like I largely missed this area on my last visit to Dubai. This article explains how I passed the time on my layover!
A Google map of The Palm islands.
LANDING IN DUBAI – 8:30 PM.
I flew direct to DXB from New York’s JFK on Emirates. We were supposed to land around 8:00 PM, but our flight out of New York was delayed and we didn’t land until about 10 PM. I had optimistically made a dinner reservation at Little Miss India, a wonderful Indian spot on the Palm Jumeirah, but that had to be cancelled (honestly, I don’t think that I would have made it anyway as the last seating was at 10 PM). After deplaning and clearing Immigration and Customs, which was so quick, we Ubered to our hotel, the St. Regis The Palm Dubai, and arrived around 11 PM.
Dan and I spent a little over two hours in the Marhaba Lounge in Dubai International (DXB) Terminal 3, Concourse B in December 2024, after spending a week in the Maldives and a few days in Dubai. While we were sad to leave, the Marhaba Lounge provided a decent send off. We arrived in the Marharba Lounge before 6:00 AM (we had an 8:30 flight) and had a pleasant, albeit crowded, experience. We would certainly return.
We took our second Tuscan wine tour from Florence in October 2024. Our first Tuscan wine tour was back in 2016 and we had so much fun, we booked another when in Florence last October (2024). This year’s wine tour was similar to the 2016 tour but with some notable differences, which I will explain in this article. There are many, many wine tours from Florence through Tuscany at varying price points, so do your research before booking. I highly recommend a Tuscan wine tour from Florence if you have the time, and Grape Tours is a decent outfit offering such tours.
Like our 2016 tour, we met our tour guide and group in Oltrarno outside Grape Tours’ shop and wine bar, only about a 10 minute walk from our hotel in Santo Spirito and 20 minutes from the Duomo area. We arrived right on time, so we only had time to climb into the van before departing Florence for the Tuscan countryside. I suggest leaving extra time walking to the tour, as there are many beautiful panoramas to photo graph en route along the Arno River. Our first stop was about 30 minutes from Florence proper, at Fattoria Corzano e Paterno. This was also our first stop back in 2016! Our guide provided some information on Tuscany during our drive, but most people “shut their eyes” for the drive.
Everyone woke up as we pulled into the rocky driveway of Fattoria Crozano e Paterno. Fattoria means “farm” in Italian, and Fattoria Corzano e Paterno is a winery as well as a farm producing delicious cheese and olive oil. We began our visit at Corzano e Paterno with a walk to the edge of the vineyards. We didn’t go in as it had recently rained (and the ground was muddy), and it was harvest season, so workers were busy harvesting the grapes. It was cool to see large grapes on the vines and employees working with the grapes. We also walked through the barrel room and saw more grape harvesting in action after visiting the vineyards.
Dan and I visited the Conrad Rangali Island Maldives for the third time in November 2024. We had visited each of the Conrad’s 11 restaurants on prior visits except Mandhoo. As such, Mandhoo was a must visit for me on this visit. Honestly, we had been avoiding Mandhoo because it had always been billed, at least in our opinion, as the resort’s health food restaurant, and we just felt like that was not the vibe we were going for on vacation. While Mandhoo may have one or two healthier dishes than some other places, Mandhoo is just a normal restaurant with something for everyone. We will definitely return.
I did quite a bit of research on where to find the best cocktails and drinks in Antigua, Guatemala before our visit last summer. My research paid off. This post shares great cocktail spots in Antigua, Guatemala.
Cute Antigua, Guatemala.
Nahuales Mixology & Mayan Cocktails, a Fuente Mall and Foodcourt, 4a Calle Ote. n° 14, open daily 6 PM – 11 PM.
By far, our favorite cocktails in Antigua, Guatemala were at Nahuales Mixology & Mayan Cocktails. Named for the Mayan concept of the “nahaul”, or the cultural concept that everyone’s birthdate shapes ones personality and energy and based on birthdate, everyone is assigned a “nahaul”. As best I can describe it, a nahual is a Mayan sign that includes a related spirit animal, stone, metal, number, color and other unique information. We learned a lot about nahauls in Guatemala, and I never really understood it totally…but its important. Nahuales bar has the book of all nahauls onsite and can help you find your own nahaul.
This is an explanation of nahuales from the Museo Mira Flores in Guatemala City.
In any case, Nahuales Mixology & Mayan Cocktails is located in central Antigua inside an Antiguan strip mall of sorts. While small, the bar is very cool featuring an interesting menu and often a live DJ. Many of the cocktails on the menu are named for specific nahuales. We tried two cocktails each here, and they were very well made. Honestly, the best we had in Guatemala (except maybe tied with Cocktail Lobbyin Guatemala City). The mixologist was also really great and even let us sample Guatemalan moonshine (which I didn’t even know existed). We highly recommend Nahuales for a true local cocktail bar in Antigua. Go to Nahuales Mixology & Mayan Cocktails for Mayan cultural information, excellent cocktails and a fun vibe.
The entrance to Nahuales.
Nahuales bar.
The interior.
The menus.
Guatemalan moonshine. Also, look at that perfect ice sphere.
When flying out of Guatemala City in July 2024, we visited on of the best Priority Pass airport lounges that we have visited in a while – Casa del Ron! This post reviews our, albeit brief, experience at Casa del Ron.
Casa del Ron at Guatemala La Auror International Airport. I’m certain its sponsored by Zacapa rum.
Casa del Ron
Casa del Ron is a store/bar chain in Guatemala specializing in Guatemalan liquors, particularly rum. In fact, Casa del Ron is a great place to buy hard-to-find bottles of Zacapa rum (possibly Guatemala’s best rum) and other Guatemalan specialities. Dan and I visited the Casa del Ron in Antigua for drinks and they were high quality. Unknown to us on our visit to Casa del Ron in Antigua, there is also an outpost at the Guatemala La Aurora International airport (i.e., the Guatemala City airport), and its on Priority Pass. We obviously visited.
We spent last July 4th in Guatemala, specifically traveling via luxury van from Lake Atitlán to Antigua. Antigua is one of Guatemala’s former capitals. It was destroyed by a terrible earthquake in the late 1700s, but its since been rebuilt and is an adorable Spanish Colonial city about an hour from the Guatemala City airport, making it very popular with tourists and expats. Due to the tourists and expats, Antigua has a very decent culinary scene, many would argue the trendiest in the country. Indeed, you can find everything from hip coffee shops to delicious, incredibly cheap street food to Vietnamese pho. This post reveals what and where we at in Antigua, as well as whether we would return to said locale. Happy eating!
Antigua, Guatemala. This is one of its most famous attractions- the Santa Catalina Arch.
Panaderia San Antonio
Without further ado, I will jump right in with Panaderia San Antonio. San Antonio – for short – is a tiny takeaway-only bakery right on Parque Centrale (next to Cafe Condessa). San Antonio opens daily at 5:30 AM, baking fresh bread-based goodies until the early evening. We, however, came for its “breakfast sandwich” – a Chile Rellenos. And no, this is not the Mexican variety. The Guatemalan chiles rellenos (or at least San Antonio’s) is a sandwich made with freshly baked Guatemalan bread – a bit crusty, but still soft and pillowy. The bread is stuffed with shredded pork meat, scrambled eggs, an unknown starch to hold it all together and wonderfully spicy pickled vegetables. I came here multiple days and always asked for it “spicy” (extra pickled veggies). The sandwich was only about $2 USD. San Antonio only accepts cash and I had to order in Spanish (don’t worry – they are super friendly and I ordered known very MINIMAL Spanish). This is my favorite thing that I ate in all of Guatemala. Come for breakfast, for a budget meal and to try local food. I cannot say enough good things about this place and would return every morning for breakfast.
Panaderia San Antonio. It doesn’t look like much.
The sweet counter at San Antonio. We tried a couple – they were good but quite sweet.
The most delicious aforementioned breakfast sandwich. It is so good!
Here is another photo. It is served in takeaway plastic wrap.
Our big Italian vacation with Dan’s Uncle and Aunt ended with a fast 24 hours in Milan. We ended in Milan solely because we flew out of Milan on Emirates’ MXP – JFK evening flight. This post explains what we did in those quick 24 hours!
ARRIVAL TO MILAN VIA TRAIN
We trained from Florence to Rome on Trenitalia’s Frecciarossa train in Business Class mid-morning. The train ride was less than 2 hours – much faster than driving. The Business Class seats were spacious and super comfortable, and we received complimentary wifi (that actually worked), as well as a snack box and a non-alcoholic beverage of our choice. Needless to say, we loved the train. It’s the best and quickest way to get between Florence and Milan.
Dan’s Uncle & Aunt in Business Class on the Frecciarossa.
On our way out of Milan in October 2024, after a fabulous trip to Cinque Terre, Lucca, Florence & Milan, we spent 90 minutes in the Sala Montale lounge in Milan Malpensa’s Terminal 1. This post reviews our time at the Sala Montale. In sum, Sala Montale was much nicer than I expected, especially for a lounge on Priority Pass, and we had an enjoyable experience. I would certainly return, but I would not leave extra early to visit the Sala Montale Lounge. There is better food and drink to be had in Milan!
Here is the group on our trip to Italy!
THE SALA MONTALE LOUNGE
The Sala Montale Lounge is one of five “Vip lounges” (that is a brand, not description) in Milan Malpensa’s airport. As of October 2024, it was not associated or run by any particular airline. Rather, any person flying can purchase lounge access online. Sala Montale is also on Priority Pass, which is how we accessed the lounge.
The Sala Montale Lounge is located in Malpensa’s Terminal 1, post-security in Boarding Area B. Sala Montale is only open to Non-Schengen flights. There is a maximum stay of 2 hours per both its website and a sign on checkin. I would note, however, I am not sure who this policy could be actually enforced given the size of the lounge.
Cheese fondue in the Maldives? The warm, island destination off the coast of India? Yes, you read that correctly. The Conrad Rangali Island offers a cheese themed fondue dinner twice a week in its Wine & Cheese Bar. This dinner is incredibly fun and very tasty. We highly recommend it at the Conrad Rangali.
Conrad Rangali Island.
THE WINE & CHEESE BAR
The Wine & Cheese Bar is one of the Conrad Rangali Island’s numerous restaurants. The Wine & Cheese Bar offers two dining options: a tasting menu and a cheese fondue set menu. The cheese fondue dinner is usually held twice a week and only seats 10 people. The cost as of November 2024 is $160 USD per person. We love this dinner and do it every year. We also agree that this is one of the best, and certainly the most reasonably priced, “experience dinner.” In contrast, the Wine Cellar dinner is $385 per person.
The third stop on our big Italian vacation with Dan’s Uncle and Aunt in September 2024was Firenze (or, Florence)! Dan’s Aunt was an art teacher, so this was her destination selection and definitely her city! We have been to Florence twice before this trip and quite frankly, its not our favorite Italian city. (I know, molto unpopular opinion). In any case, there is a ton to do in Florence, and it is truly a gorgeous city. We squeezed as much as possible into 3 days, one of which consisted entirely of a wine tour through Tuscany. This post explores our trip and provides information to recreate it.
Ponte Vecchio in Florence.
DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN FLORENCE, THE REAL DAVID AND A FOOD TOUR!
We arrived in Florence via a 1.5 hour train from Lucca. And, it was POURING rain. POURING. We called an Uber van from Florence’s Santa Maria Novella train station to our hotel, Palazzo Ridolfi. And we got lucky with the Uber, they are not frequent or easy to get in Florence. Palazzo Ridolfi is located in an old palazzo in the Oltrarno neighborhood, which is the neighborhood across the River Arno from Florence’s tourist center.
You probably already know that Dan and I love a food tour. This post details the food tour that we took with Eating Europe in Florence. It was quite good, and we were successful in trying delicious food, getting a bit off the insanely crowded tourist path and ordering from a wine window!
Dan and I in DiVin Boccone on the tour.
STOP 1: PROSECCO IN PIAZZA SANTO SPIRITO
Our tour began right in Piazza Santo Spirito. Piazza Santo Spirito is a well-known Florentine square in the Oltrarno neighborhood (i.e. just across the Arno from the main tourist sites). The piazza dates back to the 1200s and it is still a popular square for both locals and tourists. You’ll find a handicraft market on certain weekends and local children often play soccer in this square. The piazza is also ringed by restaurants, bars and cafes, making it an interesting stop in Florence. We started our tour with introductions and a glass of dry Italian Prosecco.
This post reviews our dinner at Osteria Miranda in Lucca, Tuscany in September 2024. We highly recommend this tasty restaurant!
Lucca. Late September 2024.
OSTERIA MIRANDA
I found Osteria Miranda when trying to make a dinner reservation at Osteria Cantine Bernardiniin Lucca – a restaurant that we dined at and looooved in 2015. Osteria Cantine Bernardini remains open but was temporarily closed during our visit due to a “water issue” according to staff (and I hope that is all it was!). Osteria Cantine Bernardini suggested its sister restaurant, Osteria Miranda, instead and made us a reservation. Done.
We made our second trip to Lucca in September, having first visited in 2015. While we stayed for two days on both visits, many visitors spend only 1 day, or even a half-day, visiting from Florence and other parts of Tuscany. I still recommend staying at least a night to get the full Lucca experience, but if you only have a few hours (or 1 day) to see Lucca, this is what you should see and do!
In Lucca! Walking shoes are recommended.
ARRIVAL IN LUCCA
Most people will arrive in Lucca via its only train station. The train station is small and located a short 5-minute walk from Lucca’s old town, which is the heart of the city and where you want to be! Once you get off the train, follow signs for the exit and leave the train station (there is a ramp to the right side of the station if you need it). Walk to the left side of the train station (with your back to the station) and you can literally walk a straight line to Lucca’s town walls. If you make this straight walk, there is an entry into the old town here. I do not think most people need a taxi, as the walk is short and easy.
Arriving in Lucca. The main station building is straight ahead. It’s safe and there is assistance inside the main building if you need help. To access the main station building, there is an underground walkway.
Lucca’s incredible old town walls. The little walkway to the right is the walkway I mentioned to the train station.
This post reviews Dan and my two-day visit to Lucca in September 2024. This was our second visit to Lucca (read about the first here) and as expected, we had a wonderful time.
Lucca’s famous towers, which were formerly owned by wealthy families showing off.
LUCCA, TUSCANY
Lucca is a small city in Tuscany – about an hour inland from the Ligurian Sea and about an hour west of Florence. Lucca is a popular day trip from Florence, and its known for its well-preserved historic center that is surrounded by amazing town walls that you can walk or bike along. Lucca is also the birthplace of several famous composers, including Puccini (the most famous), Catalani and Boccherini.
Lucca, Italy.
Aside from being generally popular with tourists, Lucca is also the hometown of Dan’s great-grandmother, Ida Poli. We first visited back in 2015 and returned in 2024 with Dan’s uncle and aunt. We really like Lucca. While it can be touristy, it is still a real Italian town and it’s not nearly as touristy or crowded as Florence or Cinque Terre. We stayed overnight both visits, which I recommended over a day trip to fully enjoy the city.
No.1 Lounge is a UK airport lounge brand with locations in several UK airports, including Heathrow and Gatwick. I previously visited the one in Heathrow’s Terminal 3(also great, but this one was superior), which you can read about here. This review discusses the new No.1 Lounge in Heathrow’s Terminal 2, or “The Queen’s Terminal.”
NO.1 LOUNGE LOCATION IN TERMINAL 2
The No.1 Lounge in Terminal 2 is located post-security near Gate A2. To access the lounge, turn right after security and take the elevator or escalator down 1 level. Once on the lower level, turn right behind the Louis Vuitton cafe (which looked so nice) and you’ll find another elevator (with a sign) to take you to the lounge. Honestly, locating the No. 1 Lounge was not the easiest, which was made more difficult by the fact that it is a new lounge and there are few signs for it. We finally found a sign at the elevator leading to the lounge. It was worth the search.
Finally found the elevator to the No.1 Lounge!
CHECK-IN TO THE NO.1 LOUNGE IN TERMINAL 2
We checked in to the No.1 Lounge by presenting our Priority Pass card and boarding passes to the check-in desk, which is are is where guests exit the elevator from the general terminal. There were no issues checking in with Priority Pass (as there often are), but it was not a particularly crowded flying day IMO.
While we used our Priority Pass to access the No. 1 Lounge, anyone can go on the lounge’s website and purchase a 3 hour pass for 40 pounds per adult (20 per child). Passes can be booked up to 24 hours in advance, and there is often a discount for booking in advance online. We attempted to book the lounge online, but (1) it was too late (less than 24 hours in advance) and (2) the lounge charged full price to book (the other No.1 permitted a nominal reservation fee for those with Priority Pass). Given how crowded some lounges can get, I suggest making a reservation if you can.
THE NO.1 LOUNGE SPACE IN TERMINAL 2
Compared to the No.1 Lounge in Terminal 3, the No.1 Lounge in Terminal 2 is much smaller, but also much more chic. The vibe of the lounge was old school luxury, with a clean, modern feel, but while also invoking somewhat of an art deco theme. It definitely worked. Think green plants, lots of wood and velvet furniture. Feathery plants were also sprinkled around. I really loved this style.
After booking other people at Cantina di Miky in Monterosso al Mare, Cinque Terre for literally years, I finally dined here myself on a late September Monday evening! My dinner was wonderful and I will absolutely return (and continue to book others there!). This post reviews my delicious dinner at Cantina di Miky in Cinque Terre, Italia!
Monterosso al Mare at sunset (note – this is not from Cantina di Miky).
CANTINA DI MIKY RESTAURANT IN MONTEROSSO AL MARE
Cantina di Miky is a seafood restaurant in Monterosso al Mare, Cinque Terre. Owned by locals, Cantina di Miky has been around for at least a decade. My in laws dined there waaaaay back in 2015, and I don’t think it was a new restaurant then… Cantina di Miky’s philosophy is “Il Km 0,” meaning that all of its ingredients are sourced from the hyper local area of the restaurant, here Cinque Terre! This philosophy is quite popular in Italy, and it always makes for delicious, local dishes that change with the season. In fact, you cannot find a “standard” menu for Cantina di Miky online because it changes so frequently.
On our recent trip to Cinque Terre with Dan’s Uncle and Aunt, we spent an afternoon in Manarola learning to make pesto at the Instagram famous Nessun Dorma’s Pesto Experience. This article provides a very detailed review of the Pesto Experience and if its worth the time and money.
Dan & I at the Nessun Dorma Pesto Experience.
RESERVATIONS AT NESSUN DORMA
The first step to enjoying the Pesto Experience is making a reservation. Reservations are complimentary and can be made on Nessun Dorma’s free phone application. You simply enter your information on the application and done! Nessun Dorma emailed us a reminder the day prior. Also, you don’t pay until the actual event, and credit card is accepted.
Dan and I traveled to Italy with his Uncle and Aunt from Texas in September 2024. This was his Aunt’s second time in Italy and his Uncle’s first, despite being entirely of Italian descent. Our first stop on this visit was Cinque Terre, Monterosso al Mare specifically! We had a wonderful time and ate some fantastic food. This blog post details what we did, how we got around and what we ate and drank!
The four of us in Cinque Terre!
CINQUE TERRE
If you are unfamiliar with Cinque Terre, Cinque Terre, or “Five Lands” in English, is a group of five tiny villages in Northern Italy, located on the Ligurian Riviera (a/k/a coastal Liguria or the Italian Riviera). Locals still live in Cinque Terre, but it has become terribly popular in the last decade or so, being popularized by cruise ships docking in La Spezia, Rick Steves’ travel guides, and most recently, the adorable Disney movie Luca (give it a watch before your visit). Travelers come to Cinque Terre for its beautiful villages, coastline, delicious seafood and pesto, and hiking. This was Dan and my fourth visit to Cinque Terre. And while the tourists are honestly somewhat unbearable, especially when cruise ships are in port, Cinque Terre is still almost as magical as our first visit way back in 2008. The end of this article lists some of our top “tips and tricks” for visiting Cinque Terre, the # 1 being please stay overnight (and spend money in locally owned establishments!).
Dan and I spent 10 days in Italy in late September/early October 2024 with Dan’s aunt and uncle, who had not really traveled extensively in Italy. Our first stop was the gorgeous Cinque Terre, and this post details our first dinner in Cinque Terre at L’ancora della tortuga!
Picture perfect Cinque Terre. This is the train from Monterosso al Mare to Vernazza, looking at Vernazza.
L’ancora della tortuga, or the Turtle’s Anchor, is located inside the sea walls of old Monterosso. L’ancora della tortuga is well regarded in the Cinque Terre and specializes in the area’s famed seafood. The restaurant also offers great gluten free options, which was necessary for one member of our group. Access to the restaurant is by literally walking down a set of stairs build into the old fortifications of Monterosso.
Dan and I flew to San Juan, Puerto Rico at the end of August to celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary(!). This was our 5th trip to San Juan and it was as fun and delicious as always. In light of the recent comments about Puerto Rico, now is a better time than ever to write about how much fun we had (and always have) in San Juan! This post details how we spent our long weekend, including what we did, where we stayed and what we ate and drank.
On our yearly 2024 vacation to San Juan, Puerto Rico, I scoured online reviews for the best new restaurants. Celeste kept showing up in my searches, and it was recommended to us by a foodie friend with family in Puerto Rico. We booked a dinner before leaving home, despite the menu being very seafood heavy (and us not being seafood people!). In the end, Celeste was absolutely FANTASTIC and our favorite meal in Puerto Rico! HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!
Dan at Celeste on our 7th wedding anniversary!
CELESTE
Celeste is a small wine and seafood bar located in San Juan’s Puerta de Tierra neighborhood (between Old San Juan and Condado). We walked to Celeste after drinks in Old San Juan, as it was our anniversary! The restaurant itself is quite small on a quiet street. The dining room is decorated in an airy fashion, with clean white tables and local art decorating the walls. We were given a warm welcome and promptly seated on arrival.
Dan and I have been to Puerto Rico numerous times, and recently have found ourselves visiting San Juan once a year. We also enjoy good cocktails, and have carefully cataloged our favorite ones in San Juan. This post tells you where you can find our favorite cocktails in San Juan!
Casa di Montecristo – a perfect cigar bar/cocktail lounge combo.
Casa di Montecristo is a wonderful cigar bar in Old San Juan. In addition to cigars, Casa di Montecristo serves well-prepared, and strong, cocktails. We always stop in for a cigar for Dan and a cocktail for me (and sometimes for Dan, too). Casa di Montecristo also has great AC and the prices, which are higher than other places in Old San Juan, keep out the crowds. Go for great cocktails in a quiet setting.
Dan and I spent three days, which honestly was not quite enough, in Antigua, Guatemala in July. And yes, it was during rainy season. Despite the season, we experienced only sporadic rain with the exception of a massive downpour on our final day (LOL). This post explores what we ate, drank and did during our brief stay in Antigua, Guatemala!
The main square of Antigua, Guatemala. Bustling on a Friday in July.
ANTIGUA, GUATEMALA: A BEAUTIFULLY PRESERVED COLONIAL TOWN.
Antigua, Guatemala is a seriously gorgeous Spanish colonial town that is well intact despite having been in existence since the 1500s. It is located in Guatemala’s central highlands and is only about an hour from the Guatemala Cityairport, making it a popular stop for all Guatemala visitors. Antigua is filled with brightly colored buildings, many of them yellow, and cobblestone streets. It’s also surrounded by three volcanoes, at least two of them active… Truly, Antigua is a photographer’s dream. Throughout history, of course, Antigua has had its share of ups and downs, including experiencing devastating earthquakes. Today, however, Antigua is modern, safe and has lots of popular restaurants, cafes, bars and breweries. I highly recommend Antigua to anyone visiting Guatemala, and it makes a great starting point due to its proximity to the airport.
Beautiful Antigua, Guatemala. This is the Hospital de San Pedro.
We spent a long weekend in Antigua, Guatemala in July 2024 after spending most of the week at Lake Atitlan (very highly recommend Lake Atitlan!). We looked at numerous hotels in Antigua before deciding on the well-established and historic Hotel Casa Santo Domingo. We later upgraded to a “Spa Room”, which we really enjoyed and would absolutely book again. This post reviews our stay in a Spa Room at Hotel Santo Domingo in Antigua, Guatemala.
The artsy spa at Hotel Casa Santo Domingo.
HOTEL CASA SANTO DOMINGO
The Hotel Casa Santo Domingo is historic; it was originally the grand Convent of Santo Domingo in Antigua, Guatemala. This convent was one of the largest in the Americas, and it was almost totally destroyed in an earthquake in 1773 (the devastating Santa Maria earthquake). The ruined convent set empty and largely in rubble until 1989, when the Casa Santo Domingo project was developed and began restoring the convent and turned into into a fabulous hotel.
The main entrance to the Hotel Casa Santo Domingo.
Today, Hotel Casa Santo Domingo is one of the nicest hotels in Antigua, in addition to a home to six on-site museums, a busy conference center, and just a gorgeous place to walk around and feel like you have gone back in time to the late 1700s. Even if you do not stay at Hotel Casa Santo Domingo, tourists can visit the property and its museums for free. I certainly recommend a stop-in for those not staying here if you like history or photography.
One of Hotel Casa Santo Domingo’s pretty courtyards.
San Juan Puerto Rico’s Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport is home to one of my least favorite airport lounges – The Lounge San Juan Terminal C. That being said, the staff is always nice and they drinks freely flow, so Dan and I usually stop in since we have complimentary access through our Priority Pass (along with everyone else, LOL). This post reviews The Lounge at San Juan’s airport, Terminal C (there is also a Lounge location in Terminal A, but I have never visited it).
Welcome to The Lounge.
THE LOUNGE LOCATION IN TERMINAL C
The Lounge is technically located in Terminal C of San Juan’s international airport, just past security, through the duty free shop to the left. While technically in Terminal C, Terminal B is a very short walk away (literally if you went right out of the duty free instead of left). As such, Terminal B passengers can easily access The Lounge without disrupting plans. The signage for The Lounge is truly right after duty free before you really get into Terminal C. Passengers access the lounge via the elevator behind the below sign. A checkin desk is right at the exit of the elevator. A line can form upstairs when busy.
Of course we took a food tour when we visited Antigua, Guatemala earlier this year. The tour was exclusively street food focused, which Dan loved. You can easily recreate the tour yourself if you are a bit adventrous and speak a little Spanish. Otherwise, I will link the tour below.
Antigua, Guatemala.
Our first stop was at a real Antiguan bakery that has been around since 1940 (and opens daily at 5:00 AM). And, it was delicious. The name of the bakery is San Antonio Panaderia Lo de Cuchi Cuchi. It is famous for its homemade bread, and its take away only. Located right in the center of Antigua, San Antonio is super popular with both locals and tourists. If you are visiting, bring cash and know a little bit of Spanish.
The entrance to San Antonio.
San Antonio’s sweet counter.
We tried two dishes at San Antonio. The first “bite” of our tour was something that a tourist can pretty easily find all over Antigua, particularly in restaurants and shops offering traditional Guatemalan food (such as Rincon Tipico),Colochos de Guayaba. Colochos for short are gummy-like circles made from guava fruit and topped with powdered sugar. These were midly sweet and very tasty. They were also super cheap. A definite must try in Antigua.
**AUGUST 2024 UPDATE** I recently returned to the Chase Sapphire Lounge at JFK Terminal 4 on August 28, 2024, before an evening flight to San Juan, Puerto Rico. This post reviews my recent experience and updates my previous post from March 2024.
I arrived outside the Chase Sapphire Lounge around 5:00 PM on a Thursday in August (yes, just before Labor Day weekend). A small kiosk stood outside of the lounge entrance with an employee adding names to a waitlist. We waited behind two people. When it was our turn, the lounge employee asked for my Chase Sapphire card (not my Priority Pass – unclear if PP without Chase Sapphire was allowed) and took down my phone number, advising I would receive a text in about 40 minutes to enter the lounge with my guest. 55 minutes later, I received the text from Chase. Dan and I bypassed the waitlist line, which was even longer at this point (!), and checked into the lounge as normal.
The wait for the Chase lounge in August 2024… It was not pretty. The Centurion Lounge (next door) had no wait.
Totally different than my last experience, however, and which I totally appreciated, is that this time a staff member escorted Dan and me to available seats, and those were our seats for the duration of our visit. It honestly felt a bit like COVID times, ha. While this took away our ability to select an area in which to sit, it ensured that every guest had ample space and could actually enjoy the lounge without feeling totally crowded (a la the waitless Centurion lounge next door that I visited while waiting on Chase…). Food and drinks, again ordered via QR code on our phone, came out VERY quickly this visit, and all in it was a relaxing time (minus the wait). One other note for those waiting to access the lounge, Chase gave out complimentary soft serve ice cream to those waiting only (not once in the lounge), but didn’t tell anyone about this perk, LOL. I guest IYKYK. We will definitely ask for it next time – it looked good!
In any case, for those reading this for the first time, the Chase Sapphire Lounge in JFK’s Terminal 4 opened its doors in January 2024. We first visited in March 2024 en route to Nairobi Kenya for a safari! You can read the original post here. As I previously mentioned, the Chase lounge at JFK is very, very nice for a credit card lounge – tied with the Virgin Clubhouse for best lounge credit card access lounge in Terminal 4 IMO. Good food, fantastic drinks, and nice service. My only complaints are that its small (and I hear often has a wait to enter, as was the case on my recent visit in August 2024) and far from some of the “B” gates in Terminal 4.
Dan, my mother and I spent New Years in Rome last year! This was Dan and my second time spending New Years in Rome, and was just a fabulous the second time around! To ring in the New Year, or Capodanno in Italian, Rome goes all out with fireworks, free concerts, etc. (truly the works), but many Italians spend the holiday with family eating a big meal (and wearing red undergarments for good luck!). We decided to forgo the street craziness and made New Years dinner reservations at Rimessa Roscioli in Rome, one of Roscioli’s great restaurants in Rome (this one specializing in wine).
Rome on New Year’s Eve. This is the Spanish Steps area – pure madness.
We have previously dined at Rimessa Roscioli, and it was delicious, so we were all in for Rimessa’s New Years tasting menu. I cannot recall the exact price of the tasting menu, but it was reasonable and included tons of food and wine. I do not think anyone left hungry or thirsty. We arrived at Rimessa Roscioli a few minutes before the dinner was scheduled to start and were seated at a communal table with one other family from Switzerland. They were very nice (and their two sons very well behaved)! The dinner progressed at a reasonable pace and finished just before midnight. Rimessa stayed open late and actually turned the dining room into a dance floor after midnight. We didn’t stay much longer than midnight, but it looked fun! This post reviews my New Years dinner at Rimessa Roscioli!
It seems that I am on a whole Roscioli series here. Having just reviewed the Roscioli New York City restaurant, here is my review of Rome’s Roscioli Salumeria in the heart of Campo d’Fiori, Roma! I love, love, love this restaurant, and this Christmas visit with my husband and my mother did not disappoint. This post reviews our recent visit in late December 2023.
Dan and Betty at Roscioli Salumeria decked out for Christmas.
For those unfamiliar with Roscioli, Roscioli is a Roman brand synonymous with great food. The Roscioli brand has been around for decades, and it is very well known to those who love Rome. Roscioli has several restaurants in Rome, including the instant Salumeria, a tasty wine-focused restaurant called Rimessa Riscioli (that often has openings if the Salumeria is full), a pizza and bread take away and a coffee/pastry shop (that I have never visited!), plus a New York City outpost that opened last year (2023). Dan and I have visited Roscioli’s main restaurant, Roscioli Salumeria, in Rome several times, most recently just before Christmas last year.
I consider myself a Rome expert. I spent a summer there in law school, and my husband and I have since visited countless times in every season. One of our favorite restaurants in Rome, Roscioli Salumeria con Cucina (or just “Roscioli”), opened a location in New York last year – its first outside of Rome. I anxiously awaited a meal here and finally secured a lunch reservation on the same day I was recognized as an Italian citizen. Perfetto! This post reviews my lunch at Roscioli New York City.
Here is a pic of me and Dan in front of the Italian Consulate in New York before my swearing in ceremony on June 14, 2024 (literally six years in the making)!
Setting aside my own personal victories, let’s discuss Roscioli New York City! Roscioli New York City opened in July 2023 in New York’s West Village (at 43 MacDougal Street to be exact). While this is New York’s first Roscioli operation, the Roscioli brand has been in Italy since at least the 1970s and has run its well-known and, quite frankly, beloved, restaurant, Salumeria Roscioli, in Rome for 20 years. Prior to New York, the Roscioli brand had already expanded to a second, wine focused space in Rome, Roscioli Rimessa (where I spent this New Year’s Eve), runs an wine club shipping around the globe (of which I was a member for years) and opened a Roman cafe that I have (sadly) never visited. The New York location is yet another expansion of the business, this time outside of Rome and all the way across the Atlantic. In any case, I was very excited for lunch and had high expectations.
Roscioli New York City! This entrance was reminiscent of the Salumeria Roscioli entrance in Rome.
Roscioli New York City is split into two spaces. The street level is a “casual” restaurant and alimentari (or “food store” (kind of like a bodega in NYC) in Italian). It is a cute space, albeit small, where guests sit amongst the food for sale (all imported from Italy) and view the open air kitchen. The Alimentari, as I will call it, is where lunch is served and, while its listed as “a la carte” online, only a 3 course tasting menu for $55 was offered on our visit.
Casa Prana is one of several luxury hotels located on Guatemala’s Lake Atitlán. Dan and I spent 4 nights and four days here in June and July 2024. This post reviews our stay at Casa Prana in detail. In sum, Casa Prana is a beautiful hotel and we totally enjoyed our time, with the highs and lows being:
PROS: Gorgeous setting, stunning views around every corner, private, good food, excellent service.
CONS: Remote, pricey, very limited nightlife, same menu every day.
Keep reading if you are considering a stay at Casa Prana!
Sunrise view of Volcano Atitlán from our window at Casa Prana.
CASA PRANA – THE HOTEL
Casa Prana is set on 9 uphill acres on the side (literally, the banks) of Lake Atitlán. There is no car access and the only way to reach the hotel is via boat, helicopter or foot (10 minutes from Santa Cruz La Laguna along a kind of marked trail). The hotel only has eight rooms, called suites, and each is unique, and you will likely feel like the only person at the property. We certainly felt that way (for better or worse, lol).
Casa Prana. Our room is the top one with the balcony on the left hand wide with all the greenery!
Lake Atitlán is a gorgeous lake in southwestern Guatemala in the highlands of the Sierra Madre mountains. It has been described as “the most beautiful lake in the world”, and honestly, it is totally stunning. Dan and I spent 4 days and 4 nights in Lake Atitlán in early July this year (2024). This post discusses what we did, where we stayed and what we ate, in addition to practical information. Our itinerary is good for those looking for a luxury stay with a bit of adventure and a lot of relaxing.
Lake Atitlán on a map.
LAKE ATITLÁN – GENERAL INFORMATION
Located pretty high in the Guatemalan mountains, Lake Atitlán is actually an ancient valley situated between three volcanos, Atitlán volcano, Tolimán volcano, and San Pedro volcano. The valley was long ago dammed by volcanic ash from said volcanoes, which resulted in the modern day lake with fantastic volcano views.
San Pedro Volcano overlooking Lake Atitlán.
Around eleven small (some tiny) villages dotted around the lake make up the Lake Atitlán community, most connected only via boat and old trails that are somewhat difficult to hike. Mayan people make up much of the local population, and one can pretty easily experience relatively authentic Mayan culture in Lake Atitlán. Some of Lake Atitlán’s most popular villages are Panajachel, San Pedro, San Marcos, San Juan, and Santa Cruz. Pro tip: if you are someone enjoying night life or wanting to walk to shops, cafes, etc. in the evening, be sure to stay in one of these towns as other locations shutter after dark.
Arriving in Lake Atitlán! It rained a little bit on arrival day, but nothing too crazy (especially for “rainy season”).
HOW WE GOT TO LAKE ATITLÁN
As Lake Atitlán is kind of in the middle of nowhere, it, not surprisingly, lacks a proper airport. Most visitors fly into Guatemala City’s airport and drive from there, which is what we did. The drive from Guatemala City is a little over 3 hours (slightly shorter from Antigua) and consists of mostly well-paved highway, although the roads get twistier and smaller when you get to the mountains. We booked a private transfer, but there are plenty of shared buses/vans and Uber also goes between Guatemala City and Lake Atitlán (and I have heard this is the cheapest option). I also understand helicopters fly between Guatemala City and Lake Atitlán, but that seems wholly unnecessary.
The lancha dock in Panajachel – where we arrived via car from Guatemala City.
Sublime is ranked the best restaurant in Guatemala and the 24th best restaurant in Latin America(right after my fave Gusto in La, Paz, Bolivia!). I made a reservation as soon as I knew I would be in Guatemala City. Sublime, and its adjacent cocktail lounge, Cocktail Lobby, was the best meal and cocktails that I had in Guatemala. Run, don’t walk, to Sublime or Cocktail Lobby (or both!) when in Guatemala City.
Welcome to Sublime.
In terms of location, Sublime is located in Guatemala City’s Zona 14, in a nondescript building off a slow street. There is parking on site and the hip Cocktail Lobby is just on the other side of the building (they are connected to each other). We Ubered from our hotel to Sublime, the Westin Camino Reale, but the area seemed safe enough, and our tour guide from earlier in the day confirmed this.
I spent a little over 24 hours in the ever unpopular Guatemala City, Guatemala in June. I almost skipped Guatemala City in favor of tourist friendly Antigua, but I needed Marriott nights and couldn’t resist the opportunity to explore a new city. After visiting, I had a great time and found more than enough to do in 24 hours. That being said, I don’t think Guatemala City is a “must see” for tourists in Guatemala, but I also do not think it needs to be avoided like the plague. This article details my 24 hour experience in Guatemala City and how to recreate it for yourself!
Tasty street food in Guatemala City’s Mrecado Central.
24 HOURS IN GUATEMALA CITY ITINERARY
First, Dan and I arrived in Guatemala City after midnight due to a delayed flight, we simply checked into the Westin Camino Reale and slept our first evening. Despite arriving quite late, we woke up early the next morning and were pleasantly surprised that it was not raining, as it was rainy season and the forecast called for rain… And indeed, it would later rain. In any case, we enjoyed in the Westin’s hotel breakfast, which was great and even included fresh coconuts (!) and checked out the pool for later.
Dan and I spent a fabulous 8 days and 8 nights in Guatemala in July, which also happens to be Guatemala’s rainy season. We opted go visit despite the season due to cheap flights, 2 work holidays, and a general consensus that it wouldn’t constantly rain, which turned out true! In any case, I struggled to plan our itinerary with so much to see in Guatemala, so I am sharing ours for your future trips. We found this itinerary to be perfect for a week-long trip to Guatemala in July!
This post discusses a day trip that I took to Ephesus from Izmir last summer on our vacation to Türkiye. I have seen a lot of Roman ruins in the past, so Ephesus was never big on my “must see” list until two totally separate people on separate trips told me that the Ephesus ruins were the “best Roman ruins they had ever seen”! I made a day trip to Ephesus a priority when visiting Izmir.
Ephesus, Türkiye.
Was that description accurate after visiting? Is Ephesus the best Roman ruins? Maaaaybe, maybe not. Certainly, Ephesus is an extremely well preserved historical site that is interesting to visit. I think whether it is “the best” may depend on your personal interests and the quality of your visit. In brief, I would absolutely set aside a half-day to visit Ephesus if in the area, but I would not suggest a big bus tour or any “add ons” that many companies offer (like lunch, product demonstrations, etc.).
EPHESUS, TÜRKIYE – A BIT OF BACKGROUND
As a [very, very, very] brief background, Ephesus was an historical city in Ancient Greece that was quite advanced for its time. Located about an hour inland from present-day city Izmir, Türkiye, Ephesus was famous for many things, including the Temple of Artemis, a Wonder of the Ancient World, the Library of Celsus, a very cool site to see, and an open air theatre that could hold 24,000 people! Ephesus also important in the Christian religion, being mentioned in the Book of Revelation and entertaining rumors that the Gospel of John (from the Bible) was written in Ephesus. It’s also located very close to the House of the Virgin Mary a/k/a the alleged home with the Virgin Mary (i.e. Jesus’s mom) lived out her days…
We recently dined at Canada’s new “best restaurant” Mon Lapin on our recent trip to Montreal. The dinner was fun and quite tasty, but it is not Canada’s best restaurant (or even Montreal’s – that honor goes to Damas. Come at me.).
Mon Lapin, or “My Rabbit” in English is a restaurant/wine bar in Montreal’s Little Italy. Mon Lapin has been open for several years but it has recently received a lot of attention due to topping Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants in 2023. I couldn’t resist a dinner here, so I made an online reservation right when they opened a couple weeks before our trip.
Vin Mon Lapin.
We arrived in Little Italy in a cool Friday evening in May for an 8:30 reservation. Mon Lapin was totally packed and we were not even let inside until 8:50, when Mon Lapin set up our party of four in a little corner to order wine while we waited for our table. Very busy! We didn’t really mind as we had poutine earlier, so we ordered an organic lambrusco while we waited. Outside of our little corner, Mon Lapin is a cute spot with wood flooring and tables crowded in the dining room. Its definitely a nice dinner, but with a cool and casual vibe. The kitchen is somewhat open in the bank of the restaurant, which was pretty interesting (I always love to watch the chefs!). For attire, I would suggest cool.
We were seated about an hour late, LOL, and were promptly brought the wine list, dinner menu and the standard amuse bouche – radishes in a sauce, local cured sausage, and a savory scone that was incredible (and I mean incredible!). As you can see, the menu, entirely in French, is small and consists of generally “Quebecois” fare. The wine list was also a bit small, very organic, and honestly not our favorite. We asked our waiter if there were any other options and he did bring 3 bottles from the back that fit our request. We drank two of them. Our waiter also explained every dish on the menu in detail.
Dan and I, along with another couple, visited Montreal in May 2024 to celebrate a milestone birthday! We love a food tour, and have only ever taken one in Canada, so we booked a good tour in Montreal’s cool Mile End neighborhood. The tour had us tasting delicious food, as well as learning a lot about Montreal’s diverse history. We really enjoyed it! This article reviews the tour and also provides suggestions for where to eat in Mile End Montreal.
The group on tour!
STOP 1: A DELICIOUS BREAKFAST PASTRY
The first stop on our tour, and where our tour began, was at a Mile End bakery named Guillaume. Guillaume’s bakery (and website) enjoys a yellow theme and turns out fresh pastries all day, every day. It smelled delightful. For our first taste of food, we tried a bread product that looked a bit like a mushroom made of bread. It was, indeed, not a mushroom. Instead, it was freshly baked brioche flavored with white chocolate and vanilla. This pastry was incredibly tasty. SO SO GOOD. I will absolutely have another when we are back in Montreal.
By the time this article has posted, I will be a real Italian citizen! YAY! This post clearly had to be about Italy in light of this major life accomplishment! As such, this post reviews our visit to the SAIO winery just outside of Assisi in Umbria, Italy, where we spent the first day of my 40th year in December. In sum, the wine could be better, but this is a fun stop near touristy Assisi.
SAIO decked out for the holidays (my birthday is December 26th).
SAIO winery is a small winery located only 800 meters from Assisi’s famous St. Francis church. That being said, St. Francis church is located on a hilltop and SAIO is located on the ground level, so its not exactly walking distance or that close in reality , but does offer fabulous views of Assisi. SAIO brands itself as the “winery of Assisi” and prides itself on its wines and olive oil. SAIO is run by the Mencarelli family and makes a small selection of reds and whites.
As the lovely El Chato just received the high honor of the 25th best restaurant in the world (also on the list are Borago, Pujol, and Cosme that I’ve visited), I decided its time for me to publish my review on Dan and my wonderful lunch at El Chato last year on a layover in Bogotá, Colombia when flying from New York to La Paz, Bolivia.
Not the first time on the 50 Best list!
El Chato describes itself as a “contemporary Colombian bistro that pays tribute to the producers” of local Colombian producers. Chef Álvaro Clavijo opened El Chato in 2017 after studying in Barcelona and Paris and working at numerous high-profile restaurants, including Copenhagen‘s famous Noma (now closed).
The area around Berat, Albania is well known (at least in Albania) for producing wine with local Albanian grapes, many of which I had never heard of (and still cannot remember). Loving wine and really loving the wine that we tasted in Montenegroand Croatia in 2019, Dan and I visited two wineries in the Berat area on our vacation to Albanialast summer – Çobo Winery and Alpeta Agorturismo. We enjoyed the tastings and tours and I would recommend an afternoon visit to one of these wineries while visiting Berat. This article reviews our time at each winery.
ÇOBO WINERY – more authentic feeling, tasty sparkling wine, a good meat, cheese, & olive pairing
Our Berat wine adventure began about 25 minutes outside of Berat at Çobo Winery, which is mentioned in many a guide books discussing Berat. Side note, “Çobo” is pronounced nothing like it looks.
Çobo Winery.
We arrived at Çobo and drove up what appeared to be a residential driveway. And, it may have been a residential driveway, but it was also the entrance to Çobo. Our driver parked and walked us inside, where we were greeted by a Çobo employee. The employee gave us a quick history lesson on Çobo and a brief tour of the facilities, which were pretty tiny. The highlight for me was the wine themed mosaic in the cellar.
Last April, Dan and I traveled to southern Bolivia to drink more of our favorite wine – Tannat (a close tie with Sagrantino de Montefalco fromUmbria, Italy)! You may recall that we traveled to Uruguay a few years ago for the same reason! And like before visiting Uruguay, we knew absolutely nothing about Bolivian wine country, or really even Bolivian wine, prior to our visit. In fact, we only knew that Bolivia makes Tannat, and that was enough for us. It also didn’t hurt that I had really been wanting to visit Boliva, and that Dan loves South America. We sandwiched our trip to Tarija between the Bolivian tourist hotspots of Uyuniand La Paz and hoped for the best, as there was MINIMAL information available online regarding wine tourism.
Bolivian winelands.
We found Bolivian wine country, or Tarija to be exact, beautiful, difficult to navigate, and having a variety of wines – some to our taste and others terrible in our opinion (in all fairness, Bolivians generally like really sweet wine and we do not). We will certainly be back to Tarija when we have more time to explore. For those planning time in Bolivian wine country, this article shares the knowledge that we learned on our trip, which seems largely missing from the internet.
As you may know, Dan and I have spent a lot of time in Portugal, including getting married there in 2017! We tried a fantastic and inexpensive seafood tasting menu on our last trip, and it was one of our best finds yet! Yes, I’m talking about A Taberna do Mar or, in English, The Sea Tavern. It really just sounds much better in Portuguese. This is my review of Taberna do Mar!
A Taberna do Mar is a tiiiiiiny restaurant in Graça are of Lisbon (think Alfama). The chef, Filipe Rodrigues, learned to cook from family in the Algarve and has worked at a number of Japanese restaurants in Lisbon. As a result, A Taberna do Mar offers a small menu of local seafood prepared in a cross between Portuguese and Japanese technique. The menu changes regularly, but often features similar things, and offers ordering a la carte and a tasting menu. The tasting menu was only 25 euro per person during our visit (yes, you read that correctly!) so we opted for that! Everything was fantastic, but the menu is almost exclusively seafood, FYI for non-seafood eaters.
The Lufthansa Business Lounge at JFK’s Terminal 1 has been on Priority Pass for a while, and I think its a respectable option at JFK’s Terminal 1 if you can get in. We visited twice in the last year and both visits were pleasant, although I wouldn’t arrive early to visit the lounge. This post reviews my experience in the Lufthansa Business Lounge at JFK. I would also note that this post only reviews the Business portion of this lounge, as that is all I could access. Apparently first class passengers have a better lounge in Terminal 1…
LOCATING THE LUFTHANSA BUSINESS LOUNGE AT JFK
The Lufthansa Business Lounge is located in JFK’s Terminal 1, to the left just after one clears security. To reach the lounge, proceed through security and go left (with your back to security) for like 1 minute. The lounge is tucked away right before all the upscale shops in Terminal 1.
If you read this blog on the regular, you may recall that Dan and I visited Bolzano, Italy last September before continuing to Oktoberfest in Munich and Innsbruck, Austria. Bolzano, or “Bozen” in German, is the capital of the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige and the third largest city in the Alps. Due to its location and changing of hands at the end of World War I, Bolzano is half-Italian and half-German, making for a very interesting Italian food scene where the “Italian classics,” such as pizza, are not common. In any case, we were in Italy and we wanted Italian pizza. We walked by one restaurant our first night that was busy and claimed to serve Napoletana pizza and we decided to try it. A very good choice!
Bolzano, Italy.
Forneria 38 is the name of said restaurant and its located right off Piazza delle Erbe in the center of Bolzano. While small, Forneria 38 has indoor and outdoor seating, both of which were full on our visit. We sat very close to Forneria 38’s kitchen.
As many of you know, Dan and I love a food tour, so we gladly joined a day long one in Izmir, Türkiye last July. This tour ended up being wildly long (6+ hours!) but super interesting as we learned loads about Izmir, Turkish culture, and food, in addition to trying so many local dishes that we never would have found on our own. Whether you take this tour or not, definitely visit Izmir and try some of these foods!
Izmir, Türkiye early in the morning. Yes, fishing and seafood are huge here, but, as you will see – keep reading, there is plenty of other things to eat in this seaside town!
Our food tour began around 10:00 AM, and luckily we only drank coffee pre-tour at our hotel (the Izmir Marriott). We met our tour guide and the participants, another couple from the NYC area, near the train station. We then walked through a clam, picturesque Izmir neighborhood to pick up bread for later (more on that below) and eventually stopped at the bottom of a rickety staircase, which we carefully climbed to find a man hand frying doughnuts! Great start to the tour.
These flowers are all over Izmir. I love them. This tour really showed us some quiet streets that we would not have seen otherwise.
FOOD STOP 1: STICKY ROSEWATER DOUGHNUTS
The man hand frying donuts was an employee of Öztat Kardesler, a well known bakery in Izmir that has been operating since 1930. When had unknowingly walked by the storefront before climbing those rickety stairs. While Öztat Kardesler makes a host of treats, we were here for the doughnuts, or lokma in Turkish. The doughnut kitchen was tiny (and felt even tinier with our group inside it,) and hot, as it lacked any air conditioning. Despite these circumstances, the expert doughnut chef was not bothered. He made batch after batch of doughnuts, which were then slathered in a rosewater-sugar glaze and packaged in sets of three. Two other men were also working in this tiny kitchen, ensuring that each doughnut received a proper amount of glaze and were perfectly packaged. We left with a pack of three rosewater doughnuts to eat later. We had ours the following morning, and they were fabulous. I understand you can find these around Izmir if you are not taking this tour.
Öztat Kardesler from the front. The donut kitchen is located under that blue umbrella atop the storefront.
The doughnut chef! This gentleman definitely knows how to make a doughnut.
Well on their way.
Our rosewater doughnuts. The cover photo shows all of them out for delivery.
The Chase Sapphire Lounge in JFK’s Terminal 4 opened its doors in January 2024. I was very excited about this, as JFK Terminal 4 is a frequent terminal of ours, plus I had really been wanting to visit a Chase lounge! This timed up nicely with our recent flight from JFK to Nairobi, Kenya for a safari! In brief, the lounge was very, very nice. Tied with the American Express Centurion and Virgin Clubhouse for best lounge in Terminal 4. Good food, fantastic drinks, and nice service. My only complaints are that its small (and I hear often has a wait to enter) and far from many gates in Terminal 4.
Dan and I found ourselves with one night in Milan, Italy last Septemberafter spending a week in Bolzano, (highly recommended Italian city!), Oktoberfest, and Innsbruck. Why Milan on that itinerary one may ask? Emirates flights from JFK to Milan, sole reason.
In any case, we have been to Milan a few times, and I always find eating in Milan a little odd. While Milan has excellent food and offerings from all over the world (similar to New York), I want what I think of as Italian food (i.e. Southern Italian food!) in Italy. And well, good southern Italian food is not super easy to find in Milan. As such, I branched out and scoured the internet for a good Milanese restaurant. I discovered Ratanà, which has apparently already been discovered by many, many people (LOL), and I made a dinner reservation. No pressure! In any case, our meal turned out to be really delicious and Ratanà even served a bottle of wine from the town where Dan’s great grandfather was born, Lessona!
Ratanà’s outside seating area. We ate indoors.
Ratanà is located on the edge of a park, BAM Tree Library Milan, close to Bosco Verticale. A trendy little area. But then again, all of Milan is pretty trendy.
Today I am sharing some great pictures from our safari in the Masai Mara National Park in Kenya! You can read more about it here! These pictures were taken with the JW Marriott’s loaner camera!
Our first trip to the Maldives left us in the Male airport for only a few minutes before flying to Rangali Island on Trans Maldivian Airlines. This time around, however, we had about an hour to kill and spent it in the Conrad’s airport lounge. I was excited to visit since we missed it last time. This post reviews the lounge!
The Conrad airport lounge.
For a bit of background, almost everyone visiting the Conrad Rangali Island will fly into Male and then transfer to a sea plane to fly to Rangali Island. Some times the transfer is immediate; other times its longer. For those longer waits, the Conrad opened a lounge in Male’s Transmaldivian Airlines Terminal. All guests staying at the Conrad are welcome, but only on arrival. There is no access to this lounge when departing.
As you may know from my last post, Dan and I spent a week at the JW Marriott Masai Mara last month on safari. We began our trip in Nairobi and then flew from Nairobi to the Masai Mara on Safarilink Aviation for our safari. This post describes our experience with Safarilink Aviation, as I could not find much information online before our trip.
The Safarilink Aviation Terminal at Wilson Airport in Nairobi, Kenya.
SAFARILINK AVIATION & BOOKING ON SAFARILINK AVIATION
As an initial matter, to get from Nairobi to the Masai Mara National Park area, you either need to drive several hours or take a 30 minute flight from Nairobi. We opted for the later. In booking our flight, a few airlines fly this route, including Safarilink Aviation and Air Kenya (who we flew from the US). I was going to book on one of these airlines directly, but I emailed the JW Marriott first to confirm the airport, and our hotel offered to book the roundtrip flight for us at a cost of $420 USD per person. This was generally the price I saw online, so I paid the hotel to book on our behalf. Our hotel selected Safarilink Aviation over Air Kenya and gave us the option of three times – early morning, mid-morning, and afternoon. Safarilink Aviation emailed us a confirmation like any other airline as soon as the hotel booked our tickets.
Safarilink Aviation.
If your hotel is not booking the flight for you, know that you are flying to the “Mara” destination, but you will also need to know at which “airstrip” to deplane. Yes, that’s right! The Masai Mara is a thirty minute flight from Nairobi, but it does not have one main airport. Instead, it has several air strips, or literal dirt strips in the middle of nowhere where planes drop off and pick up passengers. Our stop was Keekorok, which was the third of three stops our flight made. You must confirm with your safari lodge or tour which stop to book. Don’t worry – it’s not as confusing as it sounds, and the flight attendant will ensure you deplane at the correct stop.
A Safarilink Aviation plane landing on one of the airstrips in the Masai Mara.
Dan and I went on our third safari last month at the brand new JW Marriott Masai Mara lodge in Kenya! Having opened exactly one year ago, the JW Marriott Masai is modern, shiny, and extremely popular with Americans. This post reviews our stay at the JW Marriott Masai Mara in March 2024. In brief, we had a lovely time with fantastic animal sightings! Keep reading for a super in depth review, starting with how we arrived at the safari lodge!
A lioness sighting on a game drive with the JW Marriott Masai Mara.
Our every-other-year Oktoberfest trip took us to beautiful Innsbruck, Austria after Oktoberfest 2023. This was our first time in Innsbruck, but our third in Austria. It rained a lot during our time in Innsbruck, but it was still such a beautiful city! We absolutely need to go back without rain. Since it was so pretty, these are some of my favorite pictures of Innsbruck.
This is the town hall where weddings take place. The “love” sign if for a wedding that happened earlier in the day.
Even in the rain, Innsbruck is gorgeous.
I really loved this building.
Lots of flowers all over town, even in late September.
We just returned from our third (!!) African safari in Masai Mara National Park in Kenya (after spending a couple days in Nairobi). Despite having safari-ed in different parts of Africa, all three safaris have kept a common daily schedule, which is quite different from most vacations. This post details what one can generally expect on an African safari vacation when staying in a safari lodge.
Welcome to safari!
4:30 – 6:00 AM: WAKE UP CALL
Depending on where you safari and the time of year, you will likely wake up between 4:30 and 6:00 AM. Yes, extremely early. This is because morning safari drives depart either before sunrise (popular on private conservatories) so that you can watch the sunrise on safari, or as soon as the national park you are visiting opens, which is often right at sunrise. How much time you give yourself to get ready for the morning safari drive is up to you, but we prefer 30 minutes (although we will cut it to 10 or 15 if its super early). And by place and time of year, I mean that the sun rises at different times throughout the year in places such as South Africa, but remains more consistent in places near the equator like Kenya and Tanzania. On our recent safari in Kenya, we woke up every morning at 5:50 AM and departed for our drive at 6:30 AM. We set our alarms for this but at our previous safari, guides came and knocked on your door about 30 minutes before departure.
A hippo just outside our room as we were waking up!
The best dinner and drinks that we had recently in Nairobi, Kenya was at a cocktail bar called Hero Nairobi! Hero Nairobi is a cocktail bar serving Japanese food in a very cool atmosphere with a comic book theme. The food was good and the cocktails were fantastic! Highly recommend if in Nairobi.
Dan and I spent a long weekend in Nairobi, Kenya earlier this month en route to a safari in Masai Mara National Park. I wasn’t sure what to expect, and I had a bit of difficulty pre-planning, but we ended up having an enjoyable stay (with only one possible attempt to scam us in a taxi). For those planning a visit or layover, you need at least one full day to see the main sights, and two are preferable. This post details where we stayed, what we saw, and where we ate, plus a few practical tips for visiting Nairobi, Kenya!
The Conrad Rangali Island is home to the Maldives’ first, and largest, wine cellar. Located 2 meters underground, the Conrad’s wine cellar holds 18,000 bottles of wine, including a first vintage Krug Clos d’Ambonnay (1995) and a bottle of 1990 Methuselah Cristal, costing more than $50,000 USD. It also holds a table seating 10 guests, and its absolutely stunning.
On our trip to the Maldives last Thanksgiving, Dan and I flew out of JFK’s Terminal 8 (AKA JFK’s American Airlines terminal). We got to the airport early, as one does, and were looking for a decent spot to waste the time before our flight. Unfortunately for us, while JFK has numerous Priority Pass lounges, as well as a Centurion lounge and a new Chase lounge that we can access, it has zero of these lounges in Terminal 8, and we could not access the few lounges in the terminal (flying Qatar without status). However, lucky for us, the Bobby Van’s Steakhouse in Terminal 8 gives Priority Pass members and 1 guest a credit of $28 (equivalent to “one lounge visit”) per person to be used on food and/or drink at Bobby Van’s (for a total of $56 for two). Dinner at Bobby Van’s it was! *SIDE NOTE – check your specific PP membership to confirm that you can bring a guest*
I first went to Cape Town back in 2015, and I really wanted to eat at Chefs Warehouse, a no-reservation restaurant Anthony Bourdain had raved about on one of his shows. We sadly missed Chefs Warehouse on that trip, and the original is now closed. BUT (!!), the owners have expanded their empire and opened several restaurants since in and around Cape Town. I obviously looked into them and discovered that one is an Indian restaurant, one of my favorite cuisines. Named Thali, which is a complete Indian meal with numerous dishes, I made it a mission to dine there on our extended trip to Cape Town.
As Dan and I are preparing to return on safari next month (verrry exciting!), I am finally finishing up my posts from our last safari trip in South Africa. This post reviews a delicious food and history tour that we took through Cape Town, South Africa. The tour was truly great and a highlight of our time in Cape Town! If you cannot make the tour, each spot is worthy of a visit on its own.
Cape Town from Table Mountain.
And quick back ground, Dan and I spent almost two weeks in South Africa, spending five nights on safari near Kruger National Park and four in Cape Town, one of the two most beautiful cities I have ever seen (the other being Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). In Cape Town, we toured Cape Point, went on a wine tour in Stellenbosh, and spent the better part of a day on a food tour exploring Cape Town’s city center and Bo-Kaap neighborhoods.
After attending Oktoberfest (yes, the one in Munich) last year (2023), we trained to Innsbruck for two nights before flying back to the USA from Milan. This was our first time in Innsbruck (third time in Austria), and we LOVED the city! It was compact, gorgeous and has a lot to offer tourists. Unfortunately for us, it rained the entire time but, we’ll just have to come back!
Rain clouds over the Golden Roof, Innsbruck’s most famous site.
I did not think my summer Tükiye trip would be one for wine tasting, particularly since alcohol is not big in Turkish culture and many restaurants, especially more traditional ones, don’t even serve wine. Knowing all this, I was quite surprised when I found a Turkish wine tour in Cappadocia. I immediately booked it.
Dan and I spent a very fast two nights in Istanbul on our July trip to Türkiye last summer, only staying in Istanbul because we needed to fly out of the Istanbul airport. We have been to Istanbul previously, but we didn’t explore the Asian Side of Istanbul, so we stayed in a hotel on the Asian Side and also booked a food tour in a local, and adorable, neighborhood of Kadıköy. This article reviews our delicious food tour, which would be relatively easy to recreate on your own!
STOP ONE: BREAKFSAT AT CAY TARLASI & CAFE
The first stop of the tour was for breakfast, at a small spot that our guide frequents with her friends after a big night out, LOL. Cay Tarlasi & Cafe is a family-owned restaurant that is open all day, every day, from 8 AM to midnight. We squeezed into a table on the second floor and were immediately served Turkish tea, which is basically black tea in a curved glass. Turkish Tea is common alll over Türkiye, and locals drink this tea all day in all weather (including the hot summers!). Turkish Tea is a bit bitter but not difficult to drink, especially if you add sugar. For breakfast, two large pans quickly graced the table. The first was filled with menemen – one of my favorites! Menemen is a traditional Turkish breakfast of eggs, peppers, and tomatoes mixed together with some spices (I had a great one at our hotel in Cappadocia). Think a mix between scrambled eggs with toppings and an omelette. In any case, menemen is great, and this version was particularly good, especially paired with the local bread. The second pan contained muhlama, which is another local dish consisting of cheese, butter, cornmeal, and water mixed together and cooked. The muhlama was also very tasty and reminded me a lot of our at-home Raclette machine, yet also of Southern grits. I preferred the menemen between the two dishes, but suggest trying both in Türkiye. We left Cay Tarlasi & Cafe stopping ourselves from eating more.
Menemen. This dish is easy to find in Turkey.
Muhlama. The consistency was like grits.
My plate with the black Turkish tea.
Storefront for those interested in visiting. The owners were welcoming and spoke English. Visitors may need to wait for a table.
Dan and I returned to Rangali Island in the Maldives in November. We, again, stayed at the Hilton Conrad Rangali Island (and we rebooked for a third trip this upcoming November!). Since this was our second stay, I compiled 15 tips that I think many people visiting Rangali would want to know prior to visiting. These are not necessarily “budget” tips, but tips to make your trip more enjoyable!
This post reviews our experiences at the Al Dhabi Lounge by Lounge – Abu Dhabi International’s only Priority Pass airport lounge at the time (it has recently been removed from the PP network but may return). Dan and I used Abu Dhabi International’s Al Dhabi Lounge three times last year (including when we flew in in the above cover photo, that’s the F1 track in the pic), and we had a relatively OK experience each time. I wouldn’t kill yourself to visit this lounge, but if you have a decent layover and no other options, it probably makes sense. While it can get crazy during busy periods, the Al Dhabi Lounge is a sizeable space with edible food and decent drinks, in addition to good wifi and complimentary showers.
Abu Dhabi city! This was it decked out for the World Cup.
THE AL DHABI LOUNGE
The Al Dhabi Lounge is located in Abu Dhabi airport’s Terminal 1 at the end of a very long corridor, which is accessible via Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 without re-clearing security. We walked to the lounge from Terminal 3, and it probably took us 15 minutes walking at an average pace. The Al Dhabi lounge is open 24/7, and it is open to almost all travelers as long as its not full (i.e. anyone can buy a day pass to this lounge). The Al Dhabi Lounge’s entrance is located on the ground floor, and the lounge is directly above it. A check-in desk, which is shared with the Abu Dhabi Airport Hotel (read about our stay there here), check guests in pretty quickly, although on one of our visits there was a looong line (due to the F1 race and the World Cup in Qatar). Once checked in, guests go up one floor to a second check-in desk, where they check in once again, LOL. Information, including wifi passwords, are provided at this second check-in desk. Once cleared on the second floor, the lounge is to the right and the hotel is to the left. Guests cannot enter the hotel without a reservation, so no safety worries if you are staying there!
Assisi is an absolutely adorable hilltop town in Umbria, Italy, about 35 minutes from our beloved Montefalco, and 2.5 hours from Rome (via train). Dan and I first visited Assisi in 2008 (when we studied abroad in Rome for a summer!) and, although we adored Assisi in 2008, did not return until December 2023! That was a mistake, and we won’t wait so long next time. This time around, rather than a couple nights as we did in Summer 2008, we stayed in Brufa, Italy at the Borgobrufa Spa Resort and took a short (but expensive taxi) to Assisi and back. This post reviews what we did during an afternoon in Assisi at Christmastime!
Dan & I in Assisi, circa Summer 2008.
ASSISI, UMBIRA
Assisi is known to many tourists as the home of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Patron Saint of Animals, who was born in Assisi, lived in Assisi, and died in Assisi. In addition to Saint Francis, Assisi is also home to another famous Saint, Saint Chiara (a lady saint!) and so many churches for a tiny little town. You truly cannot visit Assisi without seeing multiple churches and related religious things. All the religious stuff being said, Assisi is also a beautiful Umbrian hilltop town complete with views of the surrounding Umbrian countryside and its own ruined castle. I recommend Assisi to, of course, those coming for religious reasons, but also to those in Umbria and wanting to see a gorgeous hilltop town. Stay the night to see Assisi without the crowds if you can, which are worst during the middle of the day when day trippers and tour groups come from all around.
In our recent stay at Borgobrufa Spa Resort over Christmas (2023), we dined at Borgobrufa’s Michelin-starred restaurant – Elementi Fine Dining – on Christmas evening. Our meal was really fantastic, and quite reasonable for a Michelin star restaurant. This post reviews our meal and experience at Elementi Fine Dining. In sum, everything was great and I highly recommend a meal at Elementi!
Elementi Fine Dining.
Elementi is located on Borgobrufa’s property, right behind the main checkin area. The entrance is rather grand, with a main entrance that kind of resembles an American Olive Garden (this is the only thing reminiscent of the OG) and a pretty garden. Oddly enough, Elementi backs up to Borgobrufa’s other restaurant, Quattro Sensi (which was also fantastic and has a Michelin mention!).
The courtyard beside Elementi Fine Dining.
Once inside of Elementi, the main dining room is quite small, with only a few smartly appointed tables in what resembles, in my opinion, an upscale living room. The dining room gave kind of a 70s vibe, and I was certainly into it! There is also a real fireplace and if you visit in the summer, you will be treated to gorgeous views before sunset.
If you know Dan or me personally, you know that we love Umbria, Italy! Its one of our very favorite places, and a strong contender for somewhere that we will move in the future. You probably also know that we love a good spa… Given how much we love Umbria and spas, we decided to spend Christmas 2023 at a spa in the tiny village of Brufa, Italy – Borgobrufa Spa Resort. While not nearly as Christmas-y as our Ireland Christmas getaway last year, our stay was lovely and relaxing. I would recommend Borgobrufa year-round for those wanting a chic getaway without children (the entire resort is child free, but allows dogs!).
Welcome to Borgobrufa! This is from one of the main viewpoints, with their circle logo in the background overlooking Brufa.
Umbrian countryside from Borgobrufa. We love these trees!
One more view of the Umbrian countryside from Borgobrufa at sunset!
When Dan and I spent 24 hours in Milan earlier this year (after visiting Bolzano, the Dolomites, Innsbruck and Munich for Oktoberfest), we wanted to squeeze in lunch before leaving for the airport at 1:00 PM. Problem is, most restaurants do not open until 12:00 for lunch in Milan! I searched the internet high and low and eventually found Ristorante Galleria inside the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. While I assumed it would be super touristy given its name and location, I made an 11:00 reservation and we showed up right on time after visiting the Duomo.
When we visited Turkey last summer (July 2023), I really wanted to visit the proper Turkish Riviera. We seriously looked at the towns Bodrum, Kos, Alaçati, Çesme, and Izmir, and choose Izmir, even though its not the real Turkish Riviera, due to its proximity to the airport and Ephesus historical site and reasonable price. We also needed Marriott nights, and Izmir has a lovely Marriott. I was fine with our decision but wanted to experience the Turkish Rivera, at least for a day. Enter a boat tour from Çesme and an afternoon strolling the town. This article details our experience. In brief, Çesme is a cute tourist town and the boat showed us gorgeous coast, but I am not sure I would squeeze a Çesme day into an Izmir itinerary again – it deserves its own couple days!
Çesme. This reminded me a lot of Rhodes, Greece(which is quite close by).
ÇESME, TURKEY
Çesme, apparently meaning “fountain”, is a small Turkish town on the Aegean sea at the tip of the Çesme peninsula. The name Çesme also refers to the greater Çesme area and includes the popular destination town of Alaçati. Çesme is a favored holiday destination with Turks, is slowly becoming more well-known with the international crowd, and can get quite crowded in the summer. Numerous tourist lodging options crowd the area, with a modern highway connecting the town of Çesme to Izmir, the closest big city and international airport. In terms of a destination, Çesme is a very cute little town and enjoys gorgeous views of the Aegean. One could easily waste away a few days enjoying the sun and sea.
A ship statue in Çesme. Everything seems to have a nautical theme here.
For tourist purposes, Çesme is most famous for its Ottoman old town and its ruined castle, of which the walls are fairly well preserved. Tourists can visit both on foot in a couple hours. The real point of Çesme is to relax and enjoy the day.
Welcome to Çesme!
We got to Çesme by taking an Uber (yes, the American app) from our hotel in Izmir. The ride took about 45 minutes. We took a taxi coming back, as we could not find an Uber. Alternatively, a bus runs regularly between Çesme and Izmir (we probably should have taken this but were lazy).
Dan and I stayed at the Izmir, Turkey Marriott hotel for four nights in July 2023. We choose the Izmir Marriott over some other properties because the hotel looked nice online, was reasonably priced, and offered a rooftop pool and lounge, plus our trip was concentrated more on sightseeing than beach/pooling so the beaches surrounding Izmir did not appeal to us on this trip. This post reviews our stay in the Izmir Marriott, which we really enjoyed!
View from the Izmir Marriott’s Executive Lounge patio, which is just above the hotel’s main entrance.
THE IZMIR MARRIOTT & ITS LOCALE
Opened in 2021, the Izmir Marriott is a modern property located on the waterfront in central Izmir. Hotel guests can walk to numerous restaurants, shops and sites of interest, including the Kemeraltı Bazaar (that we toured) and Konak pier, from the hotel. The Marriott in Izmir is comprised of 8 floors, in addition to a usable rooftop and basement Turkish bath and spa. During our stay, the clientele was mostly foreigners, including many Americans. The majority of the staff spoke good English, and we received a very warm welcome on arrival.
View of the surrounding area from the Marriott entrance.
The first floor and entrance of the Izmir Marriott is smartly decorated and holds the checkin area, as well as a coffee bar and the waterfront Lima restaurant, where a large breakfast is served daily, in addition to lunch and dinner. Guest rooms largely comprise the remaining seven floors. The Marriott’s fabulous spa is located in the basement level, and the main hotel pool and a late night bar and restaurant occupy the rooftop.
OUR ROOM AT THE IZMIR MARRIOTT
We booked a standard King room with a City View with cash at the Izmir Marriott, which only cost about $145 USD in July 2023. We also requested a Suite Night Award (“SNA”) upgrade for all four nights that we had available due to our Marriott Platinum status, which we actually received (yay!). In light of the SNA upgrade, we stayed in a Corner King City View suite, which offered both city and (partial) sea views. As you can see in the below pictures, our the room is located on front left corner of the hotel and opened into a small hallway, with the bathroom on the left and a closet area on the right. At the end of the small hallway, the room expanded to include a very comfortable, and American style, King size bed, a work desk, a small kitchenette area, including a fully stocked mini bar (for pay) and a coffee and tea maker, safe, hairdryer, a very chic chair overlooking the partial sea view, and a couch and small table on the opposite side of the room. The main selling point of this suite were the curved floor to ceiling windows on each corner, which was really very cool. We loved opening the curtains and watching the city go about its day, especially in the early morning and at sunset.
Dan and I first visited Türkiye back in 2010 on a Mediterranean cruise after taking the bar examination in the US. We were super excited for this stop a decade ago, and spent nearly 24 hours in the Istanbul port. We have been meaning to return since, but it didn’t happen until we visited Izmir, Cappadocia and Istanbul over 11 days in July 2023! This articles details what we did in Cappadocia, as well as whether 3 days was enough time in Cappadocia!
Cappadocia, Türikye. This is the Valley of the Pidgeons.
Cappadocia, Türkiye
Cappadocia, Türkiye is an ancient region (yes, region, not a town/city) in Central Anatolia, Turkey, i.e. right in the middle of the country. The Cappadocia region dates back prior to 499 BC (!) and presently is separated into 5 provinces. Cappadocia is currently super popular as being the magical “balloon town” in Turkey, where hot air balloons literally fly through the towns (well, Göreme specifically) every morning. Cappadocia is also well known for its otherworld looks, including wild rock formations and fairy chimneys.
Fairy Chimneys in Cappadocia.
For planning purposes, prime tourist Cappadocia mainly consists of 3 small towns – Gorëme, Uçhisar and Avanos. These towns are the closest to the main Cappadocia sites, and well suited for tourists. We stayed in Gorëme, which is the largest of these three towns and is home to many hotels, including cave hotels, restaurants, shops and nightlife. Gorëme is also the main town to view the magical hot air balloons most mornings. Uçhisar, apparently popular with the French, is located on a hill top just down the road. Uçhisar is famously home to Uçhisar castle, as well as restaurants, shops and some nightlife. Finally, Avanos felt more like a town, with the Kızılırmak River running through it and numerous local pottery shops. There is a DoubleTree by Hilton in Avanos for those seeking Western accommodation.
Happy Halloween, one of my favorite holidays! As I have only been away once for Halloween (Prague in 2004), I decided to write about the scariest thing I have recently done – a hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia, Türkiye this summer!
Us at approximately 2800 feet!
As you may know, Dan and I spent a few days in Cappadocia, Türkiye last summer (July 2023) and while there, took one of those famous hot air balloon rides. In sum, the ride was fantastic and we were so happy that we took the ride. That being said, it was also mildly terrifying and expensive, and I don’t think we will do it again. This post details our experience from start to finish!
CAPPADOCIA HOT AIR BALLOON RIDES IN GENERAL
Hot air balloon rides in Cappadocia are a “thing” year round. Numerous operators run daily flights at dawn, and sometimes a second, afternoon flight in the winter when the air is cooler. While many operators offer hot air balloon rides, the number of operators are capped, and hot air balloon rides do sell out during busy periods. A simple Google search will yield numerous companies offering these types of tours in Cappadocia. I suggest booking far in advance if this is something that you “must do.”
Many companies have their name proudly displayed on the balloon, including both balloon companies and other businesses (like banks).
Dan and I have spent a couple nights at the newish Virginian Hotel in downtown Lynchburg, Virginia while visiting my mother and her adorable beagle, Dublin! This is my review of our stays in Fall 2023. In sum highly recommend for a hotel in Lynchburg, VA.
Early Fall in downtown Lynchburg, VA from The Virginian’s rooftop restaurant, The Skyline.
For those not from Lynchburg, Virginia, The Virginian Hotel is a longtime fixture of Lynchburg, having first opened in 1913. The Virginian Hotel was known for years as an upscale, elegant hotel hosting the most esteemed guests in Lynchburg, including Eleanor Roosevelt and Ronald Regan (who knew these types of people visited Lynchburg!). One of The Virginia’s most famous attributes is its famous “Virginian” light up sign that remains iconic downtown.
When Dan and I were recently in Bolzano, we obviously took a food tour (because we do that everywhere we go!). This food tour was slightly different, in that it mixed history, of which Bolzano has a lot, sightseeing and, of course, food! We enjoyed this, as we had really not had a proper chance to explore Bolzano prior to the tour.
Dan and I spent a day in the Dolomites last month when visiting Bolzano. We found the Dolomites to be absolutely STUNNING and really want to return and spend a week in the Dolomites with a car. I could not possibly sum up our day with words, so here are some photographs of our visit. I definitely suggest spending several days in the Dolomites – its absolutely worth it!
Updated July 2026
Dan and I kicked off a Oktoberfest Eurotrip with a four day stay in Bolzano, Italy. Bolzano, or “Bozen” in German, is the capital of the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige and the third largest city in the Alps. I had been wanting to visit this area forever, and it’s only a four hour train ride from Munich, so we made it our first stop on the trip! This article details what we did with our limited time in Bolzano.
A lovely welcome to Bolzano – our hotel was right next to this little tunnel.
In preparation for our trip to Cappadocia, Turkey in July 2023, I scoured online reviews for the best restaurants, and I kept hitting dead ends. Everything seemed touristy, and nothing jumped out as fantastic. In any case, despite loathing the English name, I ended up making a reservation two weeks before our trip at Topdeck Cave Restaurant via Instagram messenger based on many great reviews and the fact that it was located in Göreme (one of Cappadocia’s 3 main areas), a 5 minute walk from our hotel. I showed up not expecting much, but Topdeck Cave Restaurant ended up being family run and fantastic. It was so good that we made a second dinner reservation as soon as we finished our meal!
Topdeck Cave Restaurant. Side note, there is no “top deck.”
Topdeck Cave Restaurant
Topdeck Cave Restaurant is a tiny restaurant located on the ground floor of one of Göreme’s cave “houses.” In fact, the restaurant is even rumored to be located on the ground floor of its owner’s home! In any case, again, the space is small with a few traditional “floor level” tables and a few Western tables. The floor level seating is fantastic for photographs, but we preferred the Western tables for comfort. Despite our preference, the floor level tables seemed much more popular. As you can see from the pictures below, most of the traditional tables have a “REZERVE” sign, showing how popular the restaurant was in July. Book in advance for one of the traditional tables – they did seem lovely for photographs!
Traditional floor seating – this was very popular, particularly with the IG crowd
We began our Turkish summer vacation in Izmir, spending four nights and day tripping to the coast and Ephesus. We opted for Izmir over the more popular Bodrum area due to flight schedule and cost (Izmir was much less expensive) after going back and forth regarding whether to stay in Izmir city, Alacati (an hour away on the coast) or further south (around Bodrum). We ended up thrilled with our decision and really enjoyed Izmir. We have already decided that we need to come back and spend a few weeks in Izmir during early retirement!
The flowers in Izmir are beautiful.
THE TURKISH CITY OF IZMIR
Contrary to what we thought prior to this trip, Izmir is a large historic city (the third largest in Turkey!) in Western Turkey on the Aegean cost. Izmir is about an hour flight from Istanbul or a few hours’ drive, which drive seemed quite popular with locals. Izmir is also only one hour from the beach and one hour from historical Ephesus (both on modern highways).
Sunset in Izmir.
Aside from having a good location, Izmir is not super touristy and feels very much like a real Turkish city. Locals abound and you will be hard pressed to find too many foreign tourists out and about on a normal evening. The locals were also nice and seemed to really be enjoying their life on the sea. In fact, we met more than one person who left their busy life in Istanbul and moved to Izmir for a better quality of life. And I think that’s part of what we liked about Izmir, it was chill, there was no pressure to do anything, Izmir is safe and not expensive, and we felt like we were really in Turkey (not dropped into a foreign country with 100s of other Americans).
Dan and I recently completed our third stay at one of my very favorite hotels – the TWA Hotel at JFK airport! Yes, this is the former TWA terminal at JFK that reopened as a hotel in 2019. You’ve almost certainly heard about the TWA Hotel, but these are my thoughts over three separate stays spanning three years. In sum, I absolutely love, love, love this hotel, but that’s due to my love of aviation and all things flying and travel, as well as the 1960s. The hotel itself, while fantastic for “av-geeks”, is, without question, overpriced and has never lived up to the standards I expect for the price. My recommendation is to go once if you love aviation, TWA or the 1960s but otherwise, I would skip an overnight reservation. The actual hotel portion of the TWA hotel only “ok” in terms of a luxury property (which its priced as). All of that being said, a day visit to the common area of the TWA Hotel is free and certainly worth the time if you have a long layover at JFK or are in the area and curious!
The TWA hotel!
The gorgeous Sunken Lounge at TWA.
A map of the public area of the TWA Hotel.
TWA Hotel Location.
The TWA Hotel is actually located inside the former TWA Terminal at JFK. The TWA Hotel is directly connected to JFK’s Terminal 5 (the home of Jet Blue!) via an elevator, which is very convenient. Those arriving or departing from other terminals can use JFK’s free AirTrain to travel between terminals. The AirTrain station is located across the street from the TWA Hotel in the parking area on the second floor. There are plenty of signs and large elevators for luggage. The AirTrain is easy to use and goes to all JFK terminals. As its free, no tickets or anything of the like are required.
The TWA Hotel! This view is from the entrance to the AirTrain across the street.
As I discussed in my last post, we spent last New Year’s Eve in Dublin, Ireland at The Church Bar & Restaurant, which hosted a prix-fixe dinner party. I have been to The Church previously (and wrote about it here), so this post specifically relates to The Church’s New Year’s Eve party. I am writing this because, despite my best efforts, I could find NOTHING regarding The Church’s New Year’s Eve party online prior to booking.
The Church from the outside (this was in February, not December!).
The Church
As further detailed in my previous post about The Church, The Church Restaurant & Bar is a former church turned modern restaurant and bar in Dublin, Ireland. The building rather old and famous, including the place Arthur Guinness (of Guinness brewery fame) married. The Church is definitely worth checking out on a visit to Dublin, even if you are not dining, and it’s popular with the tourist crowd. That being said, the crowd on New Year’s Eve was a lot of Irish people; we did not see that many tourists.
The Church from the second floor on New Year’s Eve.
In terms of a restaurant, The Church consists of two floors and an outdoor area, which was closed during our winter visit. The second floor is table seating only and overlooks the first level. The first level (or ground floor) holds a band area, a GORGEOUS bar, and bar tables and standing space. Stairs and an elevator, located outside in the silo, connect the two floors.
Reservation for NYE
Reservations for NYE opened in October 2022 (for the 2022/2023 holiday) and were announced via Instagram. To make a reservation, I emailed The Church and asked about options for 9 people. We were offered a table on the second floor with a four course prix-fixe for 120 euro per person. Done. The Church required me to pay the bill in full within seven days of making the reservation, which I did (there was a reasonable cancellation policy). The Church also provided me a sample menu when I booked, which was pretty close to the actual menu presented.
In addition to the sit down dinner, I believe there was also an option to sit in the bar area and have only small bites and a bottle of champagne. Definitely email for the latest options, as it changes yearly.
The Menu on NYE
As mentioned, the New Year’s Eve menu is pre-fixe and offers a starter (choice of 1 of 4 options), a palate cleanser sorbet, an entree (again, choice of 1 of 4 options), and a dessert plate for each person. The prix-fixe also included a welcome glass of Champagne and tea or coffee after dinner. Our table, which was on the second floor, was assigned a waiter who came around and took everyone’s individual order, and everyone at the table did not have to order the same thing.
To round out our Christmas Irish vacation, after visiting Mount Juliet Estate in Kilkennyand Galway, we spent our last three days, including New Year’s Eve and Day, in Dublin. This article explains what we did and provides some (hopefully) useful tips!
DAY ONE: IRISH COFFEE, JAMESON & A PUB CRAWL!
We arrived in Dublin around noon on the 30th of December, having driven from Galway directly to our hotel, The Davenport (see below for more info on The Davenport!). Some had a brief rest on arrival, while others walked over the River Liffey for an Irish coffee at Dan’s favorite Irish coffee shop, Vice’s. We discovered Vice’s on a Dublin food tour on a previous visit and now Vice’s is in our permanent itinerary. As always, Vice’s Irish Coffee was absolutely delicious, and this time we also split a chicken toastie (not nearly as good as the coffee). We also got a little visual tour of Dublin en route; holiday crowds were out strong.
Dan and I visited Ireland’s Cliffs of Moher for the third time last December, when we spent the week between Christmas and New Years in Ireland. We got a bit of commentary from people telling us not to go to the Cliffs of Moher in the winter, but we had a great time with better weather than our prior visit (a May trip). Moral of the story – don’t let the time of year put you off from visiting stunning the Cliffs of Moher!
Some cow friends made en route to the Cliffs of Moher.
Dan and I spent a few days between Christmas and New Year’s in Galway, Ireland. This was our third trip to Galway, and we had a lovely time, despite it being winter. This article shares information on what we did and some tips for visiting Galway between Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Galway on December 27th!
WHAT WE DID IN GALWAY BETWEEN CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR’S 2023!
Galway is decorated beautifully for Christmas and Christmas decorations, with the exception of the small Christmas market on Eyre Square, stay up through New Year’s, possibly longer. As such, this is a great time to just stroll around Galway, take in the decorations, and simply enjoy the town. And that is just what we did. We didn’t have too much planned for our three days in Galway, but we ended up doing some shopping, some pubbing, some sightseeing and a day trip to the Cliffs of Moher.
Galway decorated for Christmas – with blue skies!
Sailboats with Christmas lights in the River Corrib.
Dan and I spent last Christmas, as well as my birthday (!), at the absolutely lovely Mount Juliet Estate with seven other family members (9 total!). Located about 15 minutes outside of Kilkenny, Ireland, Mount Juliet is an Irish country estate with a world renowned golf course, multiple restaurants and bars, and enough activities to keep one busy for a week. It is also part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection (a surprise plus for us!). All 9 of us had a lovely time and found Mount Juliet to have something for everyone, particularly those of different generations. This post reviews our stay over the holidays as part of Mount Juliet’s Christmas Package. However, in short, Christmas at Mount Juliet was just perfect – the decorations were gorgeous and the staff took care of everything. We felt our stay was worth the cost and the food was excellent!
Christmas at Mount Juliet Estate!
THE MOUNT JULIET HOTEL
As mentioned Mount Juliet is a grand estate with lots to do for all ages, but I’m first going to talk about the actual hotel. For purposes of the hotel itself, the hotel is split between two buildings: the Manor House, the original home on the property, and Hunter’s Yard, the former stables. We stayed in Hunter’s Yard, and I was happy with our decision. Guests of either building can freely use facilities in both; vans and golf carts shuttle passengers between the two if walking is not feasible or preferred (but its a flat, paved 5 minute walk between the two).
Dan and I have found ourselves in JFK’s Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse a few times over the last year. The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse quickly became our favorite stop at JFK (when we can get in), so here is a post on the lounge at JFK (in follow up to my posts on the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses at Newark (New Jersey) and Johannesburg (South Africa)). Located in JFK’s Terminal 4, the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse is found in the A Gate area, near Gates A4 and A5, on the second floor of the terminal. The entrance is manned with a little checkin desk, and staff really does not like to admit those seeking entry on a card (Capital One, AmEx Platinum, Priority Pass, etc. – the access cards varies frequently). We have found they are much more likely to get in if you are nice to them! We’ve also asked when it may be open to card holders and if we can come back at that time with success. Once granted access, we simply presented my Capital One X Venture card and our boarding passes and we were in!
Dan and I visited Bolivia’s Uyuni salt flatsin April and of course, we really wanted to experience the very best of the salt flats as efficiently as possible. We, however, did not want to do a multi night Salt Flats tour, which is common, as we heard from many sources that those tours were a bit backpack-ery, and that was just not what we were looking for… We ended up taking a full day tour of the Salt Flats from Uyuni and a separate star gazing night tour the following day. This articles details our Uyuni tours, which itinerary I understand is the same for most similarly priced companies.
The Salt Flats at sunset.
For those unfamiliar, seeing Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni is a wild experience. Located at over 12,000 feet above sea level, the salt flats span 4,000 square miles, going all the way from Uyuni town to the Chilean border. The salt flats are so large, you can see it from the sky, apparently even outer space. The salt flats look like a huge area covered in snow or sand, but it’s actually all salt. Yes, like the salt you put on food. Tourists come here from all over to experience the salt flats and see its unique landscape.
Dan and I lunched at one of the best restaurants I have been to in a while for his birthday in April – Restaurant Gustu in La Paz, Bolivia! Restaurant Gustu is the creation of Claus Meyer, the father of New Nordic Cuisine and co-founder of the famous (now closed) Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark. Gustu means “flavor” in the local Quechua language and the restaurant uses ingredients exclusively from Bolivia. Gustu only opened in 2012, but it has won many awards since. Its currently on the 50 Best Latin American Restaurants.
Dan and I spent ten days in Bolivia earlier this year visiting the Uyuni Salt Flats and Bolivia’s wine region, Tarija. We ended the trip with a couple days in La Paz and, while not expecting to love La Paz, we ended up having a grand time. This post details what we did on our few days in La Paz, Bolivia.
LA PAZ (AND EL ALTO), BOLIVIA
La Paz as most travelers see it, is actually made up of two adjacent cities high in the Andes mountains: La Paz and El Alto. El Alto is home to the La Paz airport, where many travelers fly in (including us!), and is located at over 13,000 feet above sea level. La Paz abuts El Alto, but is located at a lower altitude, with the lowest parts being around 10,000 feet. The difference in altitude is wild! The two cities are connected by cable car but, for most casual tourists on a short visit, there’s not a noticeable difference between the two. Most tourist attractions, besides the airport, are located in the city of La Paz. La Paz is one of two capitals of Bolivia (the other being Sucre). In terms of tourist attractions, La Paz does not have many “bucket list” sites IMHO, but I listed some of the things we enjoyed below. On a quick trip, I probably wouldn’t spend more than 2 or 3 days in La Paz, unless you have something planned.
La Paz, Bolivia.
El Alto, Bolivia. La Paz is below in the background.
WHAT WE ENJOYED DOING IN LA PAZ
As I mentioned, there are not a ton of must see sites, but here are some things we enjoyed.
Vallee de la Luna: Located on the outskirts of La Paz near “the highest golf course in the world,” Vallee de la Luna (or “Moon Valley”) is a natural park comprised of an eroded mountain left with really cool clay spires jutting out of the Earth. There are clearly marked trails and the views and photo opportunities are really cool. Tourists can go on their own, but our guide gave some additional context. Note that the altitude will making walking around here much harder than you think.
Dan and I spent a few days in Tarija, Bolivia earlier this year. Located not far from the Argentinian border, Tarija has a “wine and steak” culture, similar to that in many parts of Argentina (and unlike much of Bolivia). Steakhouses are quite popular in Tarija, and Dan and I visited two, both of which seemed to be rated the highest on most “best of Tarija” lists: Casona dal Molino and Fogón del Gringo. I have no idea how accurate these lists are, but here is my review of both! If you find yourself in Tarija, I definitely recommend a meal at one of these steakhouses or something similar.
Dan and I at Aranjuez Vineyards in Tarija, Bolivia!
Before getting into the individual steakhouses, steakhouse restaurants are common in Tarija, and popular with both locals and tourists. The menus are almost always beef heavy, but we did see a couple beef alternatives, such as chicken. The standard order at these types of restaurants is a cut of beef (from which there are many to choose), which usually includes unlimited visits to a buffet or “salad bar.” These buffets and salad bars vary by restaurant in terms of quality and options, but are usually largely vegetarian and include a number of cold dishes, such as traditional lettuce salad, olives, potato salad, and a hot bar with a few types of potatoes, rice and possibly even pasta! The buffets were refilled regularly on our visits and diners went back many, many times. Meals are also usually served with crusty garlic bread and an in-house sauce or two and wine, which is extra and ordered from a wine menu (most commonly by the bottle, but there are single-serving and half bottles for sale). Finally, while not so popular in the US, it is customary to order beef well done in Tarija! Who would have thought?! We still went rare (or “inglés”) and our steaks were always cooked perfectly.
A cheatsheet for ordering steak in Tarija. As English is not very common in Tarija, I suggest using this cheatsheet.
CASONA DEL MOLINO
Casona del Molino is one of the two most well-known steakhouses in Tarija, at least according to my internet research. The other being Fogón del Gringo (keep reading for my review on Fogón). We dined at Casona del Molino twice during our stay in Tarija, and the restaurant was excellent both visits. Casona Del Molino is located right in the heart of Tarija across from the Campilla de San Juan, which was still decorated for Easter during our visit. Casona del Molina itself is a large white building that looks like it has been around for many, many years, with a deck proudly flying the red and white Tarija flag. Inside Casona is some seating, the salad bar and the large grill room (where all the food is made), but the highlight of the restaurant is the back garden where most diners will have their meal. The garden is indeed lovely! I would strongly recommend the outside if the weather is nice.
Casona del Molino entrance.
The deck of Casona del Molino.
Campilla San Juan for reference.
Some interior seating. I loved the design.
The back garden. This was a beautiful spot for a meal.
The indoor grill room. Insanely large.
Moving on to the food, Casona del Molino has a large menu with many cuts of steak. I am not entirely sure what I ordered, but it was a HUGE steak, cooked perfectly rare on my request, that cost less than $15 USD. Crazy! Every steak at Casona del Molino is seved with a little Tarija flag, very cute! Casona del Molino also has a large wine menu, but we skipped wine as we were eating in the middle of a wine tour…
Our delicious steak.
Like at most steakhouses in Tarija, our Casona del Molino order came with unlimited visits to the salad bar, and Casona’s salad bar was something special. I have some pictures below, but they do not do it justice. On offer were an insane number of pickled things, olives, various types of cold salads, pasta, a bruschetta, and a hot bar with a really good rice/egg/vegetable dish and delicious french fries. And that list is not at all exhaustive. Casona del Molino’s salad bar was the best that we saw, and everything was fresh and tasty.
The “pickled things area.”
More traditional salads.
Additional salads. The hot bar is in the covered portion at the end.
Like most steak restaurants, every meal also comes with crusty garlic bread and some dipping sauces (at least that is what I called them), at Casona del Molino we received an eggplant caponata, a green aioli type dressing, and my favorite Bolivia hot sauce, Llajua (found everywhere in Bolivia – made with watermelon and peppers!). These dipping sauces at Casona were particularly good!
Casona’s dipping sauces.
For reference, some of my carb heavy buffet visit. The fries were also particularly good.
After eating at Casona twice, I would certainly return to Casona del Molino and recommend it to others. The vibe is upscale, but we were fine dining in shorts and a nice top (shorts & polo for Dan). I would suggest making a reservation, especially if you want a nice table in the garden. Credit card was accepted and not many people spoke English (true in Tarija in general).
CHURRASQUERIA EL FOGÓN DEL GRINGO
Moving on to the other popular steakhouse in Tarija, Fogón del Gringo also has a great location, just across the street from Los Ceibos Hotel (where we conveniently stayed). Fogón is very well lit with the Tarija flag and colors flying strong. Fogón has a small outside area with tables and an insanely large open air grill, where you can watch your dinner being made, as well as ample interior seating, including a private room that looked for nice for a party. We were seated without a reservation on a Wednesday at 8 PM, although the place did fill up soon thereafter with locals.
Fogón del Gringo from the outside.
A small sample of the menu for reference.
Like at Casona del Molino, every meal at Fogón begins with crusty garlic bread and homemade sauces. The Llauja was particularly good at Fogón, and even more so on the garlic bread. As we ordered a huge steak for two – the Churrasco di Filete to be precise, it came with access to the salad bar and hot potato and pasta buffet for both of us. While not as photographable or large as those at Casona del Molino, the food was on the buffets was decent and replaced pretty frequently.
Fogón’s sauces and garlic bread.
Here is a small snippet of the buffet at Fogón. Its not as fancy as Casona but it was decent.
And not to forget our Churrasco di Filete, it was great! Perfectly cooked as we asked and humongous – a real steal for $24 USD. As it was Dan’s birthday, the staff brought a complimentary dessert with a candle. A very nice touch!
The Churrasco di Filete for two. This was more than enough for me and Dan.
Dan’s very sweet birthday dessert.
Like Casona, Fogón also has an extensive wine menu with a wide range of Bolivian bottles, include single glass bottles. As it was Dan’s birthday, we splurged for the Aranjuez Juan Cruz (around $50 USD), which is probably Tarija’s most famous wine. It was really great. I also had a single glass bottle of the Cabernet France from Aranjuez (where the photo of us above was taken).
The Juan Cruz Tannat. It literally won awards.
A single serving of Cabernet Franc. It’s common to serve glasses by the small “airplane bottle” like this.
All in, Fogón was also a good dinner. We again wore shorts and did not feel under dressed, although locals dressed up a bit more. Credit card was accepted and, like in Tarija generally, no one really spoke English. We still ordered and paid fine.
STEAL OUR TRIP
Casona del Molino: Loma de San Juan, Bolivar, Tarija, Bolivia. Open daily 12 – 3 and 7 – 12, except on Sunday when its only open for lunch. I suggest a reservation, even if it’s only calling earlier in the day. Casual (we wore shorts), but the locals tend to dress nicely. Credit card accepted.
Churrasqueria El Fogón del Gringo: La Madrid, Tarija, Bolivia. Open daily 12 – 3 and 6:30 – 11, except Sunday when the restaurant is only open for lunch (common in Bolivia). I suggest a reservation, even if it’s only calling earlier in the day. Casual (we wore shorts), but the locals tend to dress nicely. Credit card accepted.
Dan and I stayed a few nights at the Hotel Palacio de Sal in April 2023 on our trip through Bolivia. We selected this hotel because it is super close to the Uyuni Salt Flats, looked luxurious online, and had a lovely looking pool. This article reviews the hotel and its amenities and food.
Hotel Palacio de Sal, located in the middle of nowhere.
HOTEL PALACIO DE SAL
Located just outside of the Uyuni Salt Flats in literally the middle of nowhere, Hotel Palacio de Sal self-identifies as the “first salt hotel” in the Uyuni Salt Flats. I’m not sure if this is accurate, but it is one of two hotels very close to the salt flats that I could find when booking our accommodation (the other being Hotel De Sal Luna Salada). We settled on Hotel Palacio de Sal for the sole reason that the pool looked nicer in photographs (and the pool did end up being one of my favorite parts of the hotel).
In any case, Hotel Palacio de Sal is located right on the edge of the Uyuni Salt Flats, near absolutely nothing else within an easy walk. Guests are pretty much “stuck” at the hotel unless they leave via car. This was fine, and we figured this going in. The hotel is also alleged “made of salt” from the salt flats. While it’s definitely not totally made of salt, some parts are made of salt, including the roof of our hotel room. Salt is also featured prevalently throughout the hotel, kind of like sand often is at beach hotels. This was a cool feature!
Here is the hotel. It does indeed look outerspace-ish. The domes are all made of salt!
As Christmas was essentially cancelled in 2020, Dan and I moved up our planned Costa Rica New Years Eve trip to leave on Christmas day, spending and working a few days in San Jose before moving on to the La Fortuna area, our original NYE destination! You can read about our experience in San Jose here. In La Fortuna, we spent most of our time at the Tabacón Thermal Resort and Spa, which has lovely, amazing thermal pools. This article details our experience at the Tabacón.
Arenal Volcano in La Fortuna, Costa Rica.
For those unfamiliar, La Fortuna is a small, touristy town about a 3 hour drive from San Jose. The centerpiece of La Fortuna is the Arenal volcano, which towers over the town and is quite magnificent on a clear day (which apparently doesn’t happen that often). La Fortuna’s surrounding area also offers lots of adrenaline-fueled jungle activities, including white water rafting, zip lining, and rain forest hikes. However, due to the Arenal Volcano, the area around La Fortuna also has lots of less-adrenaline fueled thermal springs – or water sources naturally heated by the volcano. Since we love a good hot spring, we decided to stay at one of the resorts planned around said hot springs. We opted for the Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa because it looked very nice online and is part of the Hyatt hotel network.
THE TABACÓN THERMAL RESORT & SPA
The Tabacón Thermal Resort and Spa is a resort complex located about a 15 minute car ride from downtown La Fortuna. While you cannot easily walk between the Tabacón and La Fortuna, there is plenty in the Tabacón complex to keep guests busy, from four restaurants, to a lovely pool, a shop, lots of space to walk around, complete with wildlife and perfectly manicured grounds, to the amazing hot springs, and guests will not want for activities to fill the time. Indeed, guests could stay here for several days without leaving, if that is what you are look for, or simply leave the resort and go into town, making the Tabacón a good choice for may types of travelers.
Back in 2020/2021, Dan and I spent Christmas and New Year’s in Costa Rica, starting in San Jose and moving to La Fortuna for the New Year. I have been meaning to post about this forever, so this article details what we got up to in La Fortuna.
Let’s set the scene…your dream safari trip is booked and around the corner, but its forecasted to rain every day. What happens?? Well, I am here to tell you that this exact scenario happened to to me last year thanks to some crazy, unseasonable rainstorms that came out of nowhere the day before we left. We still went forward with the safari and had an absolutely amazing time. So nope, rain will not ruin or cancel your safari, and you should certainly still go! That being said, here are some things you can do to prepare if rain is in your safari forecast based on my personal experience!
1. First up, if it rains on your safari, you will mostly likely still go forward with the safari drives, with or without a top on the safari vehicle. So, don’t worry, the safari will not be cancelled! Cancellation is the absolute last thing safari lodges want to do.
Our safari vehicle. It rained later on this safari drive.
On trip to Albania and Greece last summer, Dan and I spent a few nights in Ksamil, Albania, a small beach town on the Albanian Riveria, just south of Sarandë, next to Butrint. We stayed at what may be Ksamil’s nicest hotel: the Poda Boutique Hotel. As I could not find much good information on this hotel online, here is my review of our four-night stay stay.
PODA BOUTIQUE HOTEL: LOCATION AND HOTEL BUILDING
The Poda Boutique Hotel is located right in the middle of beachfront Ksamil, just behind the insanely busy and Instagrammable Poda Beach. Seriously, its a 1 minute walk from the beach and Adriatic. There are numerous restaurants and bars within a five minute walk (although some an uphill walk), as well as the tacky Ksamil vendors hawking trinkets and carnival rides at all hours. Despite the crowded beach and busy area, we found Poda to be pretty quiet at night and the hotel itself never felt too busy. Ksamil proper, including grocery stores, gas stations, banks, etc., are located an uphill walk from Poda. We made the walk pretty easily, but it would be annoying for anyone with any mobility issues, especially in the summer heat.
On Dan and my trip to South Africa last year, we ended our grand vacation with a day of activities on the Cape Peninsula. This was the second time that Dan and I have done a tour of this area and, in my opinion, its one of the very best things to do in greater Cape Town. The natural beauty is outstanding, and I feel like one would miss out if this area was not visited. A lot of people do this type of tour on their own with a car, which is certainly doable, but we liked having a guide and the biking portion. In any case, this is a review of what we did on our most recent trip.
PICK UP FROM HOTEL
Our morning started with a pick up at our hotel around 8:00 AM. Our guide showed up on time in a white van with several heavy duty road bikes pulled behind. Very intense. Luckily, we had eaten breakfast at the hotel, as we would not have lunch for a looooong while (although this was the tour, not lack of food or restaurants en route).
Our trusty van for the day, along with our bicycles.
DRIVE DOWN THE CAPE PENINSULA
After pick up, we began the gorgeous drive down the Cape Peninsula, which runs along the coast and is absolutely stunning. We did not stop for photographs due to time constraints, but I took some shots from the van. If you are doing this drive, Muizenberg is a good place to stop, very popular with surfers. Its also home to those adorable multi colored beach huts that you see in pictures! You can see surfers in the back ground of the second picture below if you look closely.
A gorgeous drive down to Cape Point.
Muizenberg Beach in the background. If you look closely, you can see SO MANY SURFERS (the little black dots).
BOULDERS BEACH AND SIMON’S TOWN TO SEE PENGUINS!
After about 40 minutes on the road, we reached Simon’s Town, South Africa. Simon’s Town is small town south of Cape Town proper on False Bay. Simon’s town is practically known as a prominent South African Naval base, but for tourists, its home to Boulders Beach! Boulders Beach is part of Table Mountain National Park, and its home to so many adorable African penguins. We parked our car in Simons Town and walked about 5 minutes (straight walk) to Boulders Beach. We paid the fee to enter (around $8.50 USD) and walked out to the beach to see the African Penguins! And we saw so many, including baby penguins that had not yet lost their brown fur! We also saw a few Dassies, or little brown mammals (similar size to a rabbit) that are close related to the elephant. Who knew?! We spent about 30 minutes at Boulders Beach watching the penguins. I would note that guests must stay on raised platforms and cannot touch, interact with or feed the penguins (they bite, and there is a fine involved if caught).
Simon’s Town – its very pretty. I would love to spend a weekend here.
Since starting to travel to Italy over a decade ago, I had always been cautioned about visiting Naples (or, properly in Italian, Napoli). I’ve heard its dirty, rough around the edges, not pretty and at its worst, plain dangerous. I trusted that most of these stereotypes were overblown, but prior to 2022, I had only passed through the Naples train station en route to the Amalfi Coast. Well, I finally got a chance for a brief visit in May 2022, and I throughly enjoyed it. I stayed in the tourist center during this visit, but I found Naples to be beautiful, safe enough (for most tourists, a pick pocket or the crazy drivers are probably your biggest worry), and home to some absolutely delicious food. To hit some great spots, Dan and I signed up for a food tour with Eating Europe and that was a great way to eat our way through the tourist center.
Street side groceries.
We met the rest of our food tour, which was just one other family visiting from Germany, in the GORGEOUS Galleria Umberto I. Galleria Umberto I is a fabulous old shopping mall, which reminded me a lot of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milano (but with less luxury stores). I could not help but pick up a few souvenirs before our tour started… Regardless of tours or shopping, every visitor to Naples should pass though the Galleria Umberto I – its free to enter and not far from the train station and ferry port.
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, my second favorite holiday (after my Birthday), I am sharing three really lovely pubs that I visited in December in Kilkenny, Ireland. This was my second visit to Kilkenny, Ireland, and Kilkenny is home to many great pubs and restaurants. As such, there are certainly other great pubs in Kilkenny, but I enjoyed these three a lot!
Kilkenny Castle.
TYNAN’S BRIDGE HOUSE BAR
Tynan’s Bridge House Bar was, by far, my favorite pub in Kilkenny, and ranks among my favorites of all time. Tynan’s is located right of the River Nore in the heart of Kilkenny. Tynan’s is a quintessential Irish pub that is filled with character and charm. The bartender gave us a very warm welcome despite it being 11 AM on Christmas weekend…. Like any real Irish pub, Tynan’s serves no food and there are no TVs in the bar. I enjoyed several Guinness here during my visit in December. Tynan’s is a must-visit for pub lovers in Kilkenny.
After a big family trip to Italy over Thanksgiving in 2021, we did another group trip trip to Ireland this past Christmas and New Year. This time we had 9 instead of 8 people, including my parents, Dan’s siblings, our friend Pryor and her husband and mother, and stayed for 11 days! We toured a decent bit of Ireland and I think everyone remains on speaking terms, LOL. I’ll be writing about more specific bits of our trip later, but here is a summary for those interested in doing something similar!
Christmas in Ireland!
DAYS 1 – 4: KILKENNY, IRELAND & MOUNT JULIET ESTATE
After an overnight flight from New York, we landed in Dublin early in the morning. A van, with a lovely driver, John, was waiting for us and drove us 1.5 hours to the Mount Juliet Estate, just outside of Kilkenny, where we had booked a four day Christmas package. We got lucky and blue sky came out just as we arrived at Mount Juliet Estate.
In light of the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day holiday (i.e., my favorite holiday after my birthday!), I am writing all about Dan and my vacation to Ireland over Christmas and New Years! On this trip, since we visited with a number of Ireland first timers and whiskey lovers, we visited three whiskey distilleries in Dublin! This is my comparison of the three, after having visited each multiple times.
Dan and I spent a long weekend in Copenhagen, Denmark last Labor Day, which fell on the first weekend of September. We flew direct from New York and spent four days in the city. This ended up being a bit far travel for such a short time, but we still had fun. This post highlights what we did over those four days in Copenhagen!
Made it to Copenhagen, Denmark!
DAY ONE: A LONG DELAY AT JFK, A DECENT LOUNGE, & SMØRREBRØD.
Our Labor Day long weekend began with a looong delay at JFK. Major bummer. All started well, and we were lounge hopping between the American Express Centurion Lounge and the Virgin Atlantic Lounge, but then our flight was delayed by hours. We finally departed several hours late and arrived in Copenhagen around 2:00 PM, rather than the planned 11:00 AM…. It was after 4:00 PM by the time we arrived at our hotel, the Marriott Copenhagen. In any case, we were able to immediately check in, take a short nap, and still make happy hour at the Marriott Executive Lounge before heading out to dinner in Nørreport. The delay certainly could have been worse, but it was a stressful start to our weekend getaway. In any case, the happy hour was pretty decent, especially for pricey Copenhagen – soft drinks, beer, wine, cheese and other cold appetizers and a few warm appetizers each evening.
This cute water park was just outside of our hotel. Locals were using this daily – it would have been far too cold for us!. It is cool that the Nyhavn River is clean enough to swim in! Imagine that in NYC!
Complimentary Carlsberg at the Marriott Executive Lounge! A great perk in pricey Copenhagen!
Late last Spring, Dan and I found ourselves in Rome unexpectedly. This gave us an opportunity to try new restaurants that we otherwise may have missed (i.e., with more time to make reservations). Dan decided that he wanted tripe, which is a Rome delicacy (at least to some), so I set out on the world wide web to find fantastic tripe in Rome. Not surprisingly, a restaurant in Testaccio came up multiple times, which is an area well-known of its offal based cuisine. I called and made a same day reservation.
Rome in the Spring.
We taxied from our hotel, the Cavalieri, and arrived at Checchino dal 1887 about 20 minutes later, where we were greated with our reserved table. I suspected Checchino dal 1887 was old-school due to its location and description online, but I underestimated how old school. Checchino dal 1887’s dining room is a true blast from the past, with a domed ceiling and wood paneled walls lining the restaurant. Old Rome drawings, advertisements, announcements, certificates, books and paintings line the wall, and there is a real fire place in the restaurant. Our friend Jenna, who joined us for dinner, described it as as “so old school, there are even cobwebs on the lamps.” LOL, this was actually true, but in the best way possible.
My husband and I visited Copenhagen last September for a long weekend. One fun thing we did was take a food tour in Nørreport, Copenhagen. This post discusses the stops that we made and the foods that we tried. All in, the food was really interesting and tour taught us a lot about Danish culture and food. And, we had one of the best hotdogs I’ve had in a very long time!
Our tour started on a sunny morning outside of Torvehallerne Food Hall, one of Copenhagen’s most famous food markets. And even if you don’t take a food tour, a lunch visit to Torvehallerne is a must for all foodies in Copenhagen!
Outside Torvehallerne. A perfect late summer morning.
Torvehallerne Food Hall.
Inside Torvehallerne – worth a visit/lunch even if you do not take a tour.
STOP 1: DANISH CHEESE AT ARLA UNIKA IN THE TORVEHALLERNE FOOD HALL.
The first stop of our food tour was inside Torvehallerne at a famous Danish cheese shop, Arla Unkia. Arla Unkia is apparently quite famous in Denmark and this location had a large the selection of Danish cheese. This tasting was a selection of three cheeses, all from Denmark and of varying ages. We paired the cheeses with a slightly spicy tomato jam and type of dessert apple wine. Everything was great, and I purchased some of the tomato jam to bring home.
Arla Unika at Torvehallerne.
Arla Unika at the Torvehallerne food hall. Very accessible even if you are not on a food tour.
The red apple wine that we tasted.
Our three cheeses, red liquor and the local marmalade.
We’ve been to Galway a few times, and Galway always offers fun restaurants serving good food. Some previous favorites are Ard Bia at Nimmos, the Dough Bros., and Kai Café. Ard Bia and Kai Café, my standbys, were closed this trip because we visited between Christmas and New Years, so I tried a new restaurant opened in 2020 – Ean! Self-described as “an inventive bakery, restaurant & wine bar,” Ean is a product of Galway’s Michelin-starred Loam (closed during my visit). Located on a quiet street, Ean’s interior is a clean space of large tables perfect for sharing. We made a reservation for 9 people via email about a month prior to our visit.
Galway during the holidays! Highly recommened.
Making the reservation was easy and an email confirmation was sent a day or two in advance. We arrived right on time and our table was waiting. While it changes daily, Ean’s dinner menu is a selection of dishes meant to be shared in a variety of sizes, ranging from small croquettes to large dishes that could serve as a main. The wait staff helped us select a number of things to share between nine people, which I’ll go thorough below.
Beirut Sur Mer is a fun, local restaurant set right off Abu Dhabi’s famous Saadiyat Beach. Dan and I dined here on our last night in Abu Dhabi before flying to the Seychelles. We choose Beirut Sur Mer because (1) we looove Lebanese food(!) and (2) I saw it on a IG influencer’s page and it looked delicious! The pictures ended up holding true – this was a great dinner.
One of the funnest things that Dan and I did in the Seychelles last November was visit the Seychelles’ very own Takamaka Rum Distillery (which Dan almost skipped!). If you drink rum and are in the Seychelles, Takamaka is not to be missed!
A Takamaka banana Daiquiri.
Takamaka Distillery was started by a Seychellois family back in 2002 (under a different name). Takamaka is still owned by the same family and has a presence all of Mahé – a great success story. While initial distilling began in the family swimming pool, Takamaka’s current location is at La Plaine St. André, which is a grand property dating back to 1792. Takamaka has already done a lot of work on La Plaine St. André, but is continuing to restore it and open more of the property to the public. I’m here for it!
Dan and I paid a visit to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque last November on a weekend layover in Abu Dhabi en route to the Seychelles. We had a lot of questions, including what to wear(!), before our visit, so here is what we learned to help you on your visit!
Mosque views. The entire Mosque campus is gorgeous.
THE SHEIKH ZAYED GRAND MOSQUE
First off, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is absolutely gorgeous. Honestly, one of the most beautiful and interesting things we have seen in a good while. Any visit to Abu Dhabi should not miss this important site.
En route to the Seychelles last November, Dan and I spent the weekend in Abu Dhabi! This was mostly due to the fact that we needed to connect in the Middle East and had already visited Dubai(en route to the Maldives). In any case, I had been wanting to visit Abu Dhabi and the flights worked out. There is plenty to do in Abu Dhabi to fill a weekend and even longer, but we only had the weekend. Here’s what we managed to do during that weekend, which we highly suggest to other visitors, whether in transit or on vacation in Abu Dhabi.
FIRST DAY IN DUBAI – 12.5 HOUR FLIGHT & ARRIVAL IN ABU DHABI!
We flew direct from JFK (New York) to Abu Dhabi on Etihad’s 10:00 PM flight, which arrived the following evening in Abu Dhabi (losing almost a whole day). We arrived a few minutes early and made it to our hotel, the Marriott Hotel Downtown Abu Dhabi, without much fuss. Abu Dhabi lifted all Covid restrictions just before our trip, so we didn’t have to deal with anything relating thereto. Due to our Marriott Platinum status, we received access to the Marriott’s Executive Club Lounge, which was open for complimentary drinks for almost an hour after we arrived (a fun surprise in Abu Dhabi where alcohol is $$$). As such, we quickly checked into our room and immediately proceeded to the Executive Club Lounge.
F1 chocolates waiting in our room. This was particularly fun, as we didn’t even know it was F1!
While visiting the Seychelles last November (2022), Dan & I took a day trip to Moyenne Island from Mahé to “snorkel.” We didn’t really know what to expect besides a boat ride and snorkeling, so here is a review of our day if you are considering something similar. First up, Moyenne Island is a small island in the Seychelles’ Sainte Anne Marine National Park. Hundreds of years ago Moyenne Island was a pirate island, but in the recent past, it was abandoned from 1915 until the 1960s when a sole English newspaper editor purchased the island and lived on Moyenne Island alone until he died 2012. Wild, and kind of scary… Moyenne Island is now a national park and a flora and fauna reserve, and its very popular with tourists.
Our boat waiting for departure for Moyenne Island!
The easiest way to reach Moyenne Island for many tourists is by way of a group day tour, which is exactly what we did. Due to the relationship our hotel, the Mango House, had with Creole Travel Services, we took our trip to Moyenne with Creole Travel Services. We were happy with the company, but a number of other companies seem to do a very similar tour and I wouldn’t necessarily pick Creole over another company. In any case, our morning started with a pick up at the Mango House and a 25 minute drive to an old, seemingly abandoned, port near the airport. We were a little iffy on entering the abandoned port…
If you read my first blog post this year, you know that Dan and I spent US Thanksgiving in the Seychelles, an island nation off the coast of East Africa! During our trip, we stayed at Hilton’s new LXR property, the Mango House (its featured on some Hilton IG ads). Our stay was great and we could have stayed longer. This article reviews the hotel and its amenities.
Flying back from the Seychelles last November, Dan and I had an overnight layover in Abu Dhabi. Due to the flight times (arriving around 9:30 PM and leaving the next morning around 10:00 AM), we decided to stay in a hotel near the airport to get some sleep prior to our flight home. Turns out that the Abu Dhabi airport has its own hotel in Terminal 1, so we booked a room there for the night. This is my review of that room and hotel.
Back in the Seychelles. We were sad to leave!
LOCATION OF THE AIRPORT HOTEL
The Abu Dhabi Airport Hotel T1 International Departures hotel is located in Abu Dhabi Terminal 1. It’s easy to find and connected to the Al Dhabi Lounge. Terminal 1 is connected to Terminal 3 and travelers can walk between the two terminals without going through security – easy peasy. The walk takes about 10 minutes, maybe longer with mobility issues.
Dan waiting to get into the lounge next to the hotel. There was a line due to the crowds in Abu Dhabi this weekend.
Dan and I travel every US Thanksgiving, mainly because its quiet and we get two days off of work without taking any vacation. This year we traveled to the Seychelles (after 3 nights in Abu Dhabi) to explore more of the Indian Ocean (after going to the Maldives two Thanksgivings ago). We loved our time in the Seychelles, but due to the time it takes to get to the Seychelles, would probably reserve another visit for when we have longer to explore the surrounding area. This is my review of what we did and where we stayed during our week on the Seychelles!
Rainbow in the Seychelles.
THE SEYCHELLES ISLANDS
The Seychelles (pronounced like the plural of a “seashell” found on the beach) are are group of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean off the coast of East Africa, directly east of Tanzania and north of Reunion and Mauritius (and along with Comoros, Madagascar, and Mayotte, referred to as the Vanilla Islands). The Seychelles is its own country that is a part of the continent of Africa. Prior to gaining its independence, the Seychelles were occupied by both the French and the British. As a result, most people speak English, French, and the local Seychellois language. Here is a map of the Seychelles’ location – kind of in the middle of nowhere in the best way possible.
To celebrate the end of 2021 and beginning of 2022, Dan and I flew to Lisbon, Portugal (where we got married!) for four nights and five days. We had great weather and a lovely time, despite the crazy Omicron Covid testing requirements in place at the time (no longer in place). This article details what we did, ate, and drank in Lisbon in the winter!
Me and Dan celebrating 2022!
DAY ONE – LANDING IN LISBON, EATING AT THE TIME OUT MARKET, & A 25 EURO TASTING MENU!
Dan and I arrived in Lisbon very early in the morning and luckily, we were able to immediately check into our hotel room at the Intercontinental Lisboa. Not surprisingly, the Intercontinental Lisboa was still decorated for Christmas and everything looked very nice. Due the early hour of our arrival, a nap was most certainly in order.
Christmas decor at the Intercontinental Lisboa!
After a pretty sizable nap (we did arrive before sunrise), Dan and I walked from our hotel to Lisbon’s TimeOut Market for lunch. The walk from the Intercontinental Lisboa to the TimeOut Market goes through some pretty parts of Lisbon and we took lots of photos. We also picked up some Covid tests en route, as the rules were super strict and if we couldn’t get a PCR test, we would need to self-test before entering any restaurants, etc. Unlike the US, at-home Covid tests were cheap and plentiful.
In light of the Thanksgiving holiday coming up in the United States, I am writing about a fun restaurant that I have been to on two separate US Thanksgivings in Venice – Osteria al Squero! While I love this place, I will disclose that Osteria al Squero is by no means a secret or even “off the beaten path.” In fact, Osteria al Squero is listed in many a guidebook, including Rick Steves (with whom I have a love/hate relationship, LOL), and it definitely falls into the “touristy” category. All of that said, Osteria al Squero is still a fantastic spot for tourists to try cicchetti, or “Venetian tapas” for those not in the know. This article details how to enjoy cicchetti at Osteria al Squero.
A wine town in the mountains of Rhodes, Greece probably does not come to mind when thinking of this beachey destination just of the coast of Turkey. However, there is such a town, named Embonas, in the mountains about an hour outside Rhodes Town. Embonas is famous for its wine and grilled meats! Its also a small town and an easy way to spend a morning or afternoon on Rhodes. We planned a morning wine tasting in Embonas on our recent trip to Greece!
I guess this means winery in Greek!
As Embonas is located about an hour from Rhodes Town, on some very twisty roads, we hired a driver to drive us around and stop at wineries that the driver had picked out and reserved in advance. This was super helpful, because we would not have known where to start. Information online is…sparse at best. We left Rhodes Town around 9:30, stopping for some fantastic coastal pictures en route, and ended up at our first winery about 30 minutes later (outside of Embonas).
Leaving Rhodes Town and driving to Embonas. This is a view point en route.
While in Rhodes, Dan and I took a day trip from Rhodes to neighboring Symi Island, as it was ranked as one of the top “things to do” on Rhodes. All, in, it was a good day trip, but I’m not sure its worth the time if you only have a few days on Rhodes. The day trip to Symi is better suited for those spending a full week on Rhodes, IMO. That being said, I did find Symi stunning and would love to return for a few quiet days of relaxation.
Arriving in Symi via boat from Rhodes.
WHAT IS SYMI ISLAND?
Symi Island is a tiiiiiny Greek island 25 miles from Rhodes, very close to the Turkish coast. A visit to Symi a popular day trip from Rhodes, due to the islands’ proximity. Despite being neighbors, Symi Island has a totally different feel than Rhodes, being much, much smaller and more Italian than Turkish feeling. While Symi almost exclusively a tourist island now, Symi has historically been known for sponge diving. It’s also well known for its tiny Symi shrimp.
Dan and I finally returned to Europe post-Covid over the American 4th of July holiday 2021, a little over a month after Greece re-opened to tourists. Our trip began in Rhodes, Greece, a Greek island very close to Turkey, and we spent one day in the lovely town of Lindos, Rhodes!
Dan and I made our triumphant return to Europe in 2021, heading to Rhodes, Milos, and Athens, Greece. After a significant delay at Newark, we FINALLY made it to Rhodes – six hours later than expected (and missing our flight to Athens….). This article shares my experience in 2021 and offers some recommendations and tips for visiting Rhodes, Greece!
Final approach into Rhodes, Greece.
RHODES, GREECE
Rhodes, Greece is a large Greek island located very close to the Turkish coast. Rhodes is one of Greece’s largest islands and one of the furthest from Athens. Unlike the “blue and white” Greek islands that most Americans think of when they think Greek (i.e. the Cyclades), Rhodes has a lot of Ottoman influence, very rich history with influences from many cultures, much related to the Knights Period, medieval things, and very little “blue and white” architecture. Today, while absolutely gorgeous in certain parts, Rhodes is super touristy, receiving big box tours from Europe, as well as its fair share of cruise ships. You’ll find stunning old walls and flowers in the Old Town, as well as weird toy and candy shops and tourist trinket stores targeted to cruisers. In my opinion, Rhodes Town was best early or late, when most of the cruisers and day trippers leave the island.
Very touristy Rhodes, Greece. You can see a weird toy/candy store in the background.
Contrast this Old Town Wall and flowers with the touristy square.
When Dan and I visited Greece last summer, we spent a fair amount of time in Athens’ Schengen terminal, flying from Athens to Rhodes and then from Rhodes to Athens to Milos. For Priority Pass members, the Schengen terminal has two lounge options, neither of which are fantastic: Goldair Handling CIP Lounge and Skyserv Melina Merkouri Lounge. Of the two, I slightly preferred Goldair for drinks and food and Skyserv for the space. I wouldn’t go out of my way to return to either, but for free it was fine to wait out our layovers. This article details our experience in both.
Just before traveling to Athens last summer, Dan and I spent four nights on Milos island, the southernmost Cycladic island in the Aegean Sea. In other words, its part of the same blue-and-white island group as Santorini and Mykonos, but located a little further south, a bit north of Crete. We found Milos to be quieter and more authentic than Santorini and Mykonos, but with enough to do to occupy tourists for several days. This article details what we did and where we stayed and ate on Milos.
Dan and I dined at an amazing restaurant in Athens, Greece last summer – Mystilli. It was my favorite meal of our trip and I still think about it! Mystilli is located very, very close to the Temple of Hephaestus with views of the Acropolis in the background. Mystilli offers indoor and outdoor seating along a pedestrian thoroughfare and, in the summer at least, Mystilli is decorated with bright flowers. Offering modern Greek and Mediterranean fare, don’t miss a meal at Mystilli when in Athens!
Mystilli views of the Acropolis in the background.
Dan and I had 24 hours in Athens at the end of our Greece trip last summer. We had been to Athens twice previously, so just wanted to hit the highlights and enjoy our last day of vacation. It felt like a Bourdain The Layover episode. Our 24 hours began with a short 25 minute flight from Milos to Athens International Airport, arriving at 10:20 AM.
Approach into Athens.
We quickly grabbed a taxi and went directly to our hotel – the Fresh Hotel. We checked in and set out for, at least what we call, traditional Greek food – AKA a gyro and saganaki. We found generally what we were looking for at a casual restaurant called Oavaons (my English spelling of Greek letters…) just off Monastiriki Square. The food was pretty good and satisfied our “traditional Greek food” request. That being said, I would not necessarily recommend Oavaons over other similar places.
Saganaki cheese with lemon! A personal Greek favorite.
As part of our big family trip to Italy in November 2021, Dan and I signed everyone up for an evening food tour through Rome’s Trastevere neighborhood. We did this for three reasons: (1) several of us on this tour love a good food tour, (2) Dan and I lived in Trastevere when we studied in Rome wayyyy back in 2008 and we wanted our families to see the area, and (3) we previously did a food tour through Testaccioand really loved it! We booked our tour with Eating Italy Food Tours for our first evening in Rome, meeting on Tiber Island around 5:00 PM. Unfortunately, we got hit with an insane rain storm en route to the meeting point and we all got soaked… In any case, the tour went on! Due to the rain, we quickly moved to our first location in Trastevere, which I was verrrrry excited about!
En route back from our food tour, without rain!
Stop 1: Trattoria Da Enzo al 29
Yes, you read that correctly. Our first stop was at the famous Trattoria Da Enzo al 29. Da Enzo is a well known Roman trattoria that is very, very popular. You will frequently find it on “best food in Rome” lists. Da Enzo does not take reservations and there is almost always a wait. As such, our group actually got in before the restaurant opened to the public, something we never could have pulled off on our own! Our group and another couple on the tour were seated between two tables dressed in red checkered tablecloths. Classic southern Italy. Our guide poured everyone a glass of Prosecco and out came the food. First, the famous carciofi alla giudìa (or Jewish fried artichokes). These artichokes are famous Rome and not difficult to find when in season, but tough to find elsewhere in Italy. Basically, this is a deep fried artichoke topped with quality sea salt. Very simple, yet incredibly good. On the table was also Italian bread, burrata, tomatoes, and olive oil, which were suggested together as a type of little bruschetta. I loved the burrata and actually preferred it to the artichoke. Stop 1 was off to a good start.
Dan and I had a wonderful meal at LiLi HomeMade Food in Berat, Albania this summer. Highly recommend LiLi if you find yourself in Berat. This post shares our dining experience.
Berat was Dan and my first stop on our Albania vacation this summer. This article provides some information on traveling to Berat, as I could not find much good information online prior to our visit.
Berat, Albania!
BERAT ALBANIA – BACKGROUND
Berat, Albania is an Ottoman city in central Albania on the Osum River. Referred to as the “city of 1,000 windows,” Berat is located around a 1.5 hour drive from Albania’s capital, Tirana, and a 5 hour drive from Saranda. Berat is famous for its well preserved architecture influenced by the Ottomans and Byzantines, including both churches and mosques and those famous windowed buildings. Designated a UNSECO site in 2008, Berat is also famous for its hill top castle that is still inhabited to-date. I recommend spending at least 1 full day and 2 nights in Berat to see everything Berat has to offer, longer if you have more time or want to visit surrounding wineries.
Roadside in Berat pointing toward the Kala.
For tourist purposes, Berat is split into three areas: the Kala, the Mangalem, and the Gorica area. The Kala is at the verrrry top of Berat and is an inhabited old castle. The Mangalem the old part of Berat, and in my opinion the most important for tourists purposes. When you look at the 1000 Windows view, you are looking at the Mangalem. Gorcia is across the Osum River from the Managlem and is, from what I heard, a bit more modern. All are pretty close to each other and easy to walk between (except the Kala, which is up a steeeeeep hill).
WHAT WE DID IN BERAT, ALBANIA
Compact Berat can be quickly “done” in a day, or can occupy several relaxing days. Dan and I spent three nights and two full days in Berat. We felt like we had plenty of time to see and do everything, but we were not rushed. Here’s what we did, and a few things we missed.
1000 Windows view. The “1000 Windows” view is the postcard of Berat. Catching the view takes only a few minutes, but its worth catching at different times of the day. To see the famous view, cross the Old Bridge to the Gorica area. The best views, IMHO, are from both sides of the Old Bridge.
The famous view. Just as pretty in person.
The Kala (aka Castle of Berat). The Kala is Berat’s second most famous site (again, IMHO). Located a very steep walk (or short taxi ride) from Berat’s town center, the Kala is a somewhat intact citadel built in the 13th century, but apparently dating back centuries longer. Once at the Kala, you will notice that it’s still inhabited and a number of shops and restaurants operate for tourists.
Long way up to the Kala.
Almost at the top! Starts to look al little like Italy!
Views from Berat Castle.
Inside Berat Castle. Again, looks like Italy!
The Onufri Iconography Museum. This museum inside the Kala is dedicated to Byzantine art and iconography and is worth a 30 minute (or longer if you are interested in this area of art) visit. The Onufri Museum is actually inside the 18th-century St. Mary’s Church and holds some fantastic orthodox iconographic paintings, including by its namesake Onufri, a painting headmaster of the 16th century!
A highlight of the Onufri Iconography Museum.
Church of St. Mary of Vllaherna. Also in the Kala, the Church of St. Mary of Vllaherna is a bit of a walk from the Kala’s entrance. Due to this, and the 100 F weather, we skipped this church. That being said, its supposed to be well-preserved and I’m confident the views would be great. You can see it way up on on the hill from the Gorica area.
We didn’t walk up to the Church – this is a view from below.
The Ethnographic Museum. In addition to the Onufri Iconography Museum, the Ethnographic Museum gets high marks from visitors. We skipped this museum in favor of an air conditioned nap, but I heard it’s quite nice inside a traditional house.
The Bulevardi Republika. Bulevardi Republika is a pedestrian promenade at the bottom of Berat near the Ostuni river. The promenade is lined with cafes and makes for fantastic people watching in the late evening, especially on the weekends. We loved watching multigenerational families taking their evening promenade and enjoying the day. To do this, we simply set up with drinks and/or shisha at an outdoor table at one of the many cafes (Bar Bazar, with relatively decent cocktails and shisha, was our favorite). If you are more for a promenade yourself, street vendors set up in the evening (corn is particularly popular!) and dogs seemingly without masters will be joining you!
Bulevardi Republika.
Shisha on the Bulevardi Republika.
Loved the people watching here!
Drinks on Bulevardi Republika.
A statute at the end of the Boulevard of a girl playing a flute. She was apparently a heroine and member of the anti-nazi resistance during the second world war.
The Old and New Bridges. While not necessarily a “sight,” two bridges in Berat cross the Osum River, linking the Mangalem and Gorica districts. Both are worth a cross over if that interests you. While the Old Bridge is much prettier, the new one sways a tiny bit when you cross it.
The Old Bridge.
The new bridge.
Churches and Mosques. Berat is home to numerous churches and mosques that frame the small city’s skyline. Definitely photographable.
St. Demetrius Cathedral.
Albania wineries. Berat is right in the middle of Albania’s small “wine country.” Yes, like its neighbors Montenegro and Serbia, Albania also produces its own wine, mostly for domestic consumption. In fact, many restaurants will serve their own wine produced by family members. We visited two wineries within about 20 – 30 minutes via car from Berat: the Cobo Winery and Alpeta. We preferred Alpeta due to its stunning setting, but either or both are worth a visit.
Cobo Winery.
Alpeta winery in Berat.
WHERE WE ATE IN BERAT, ALBANIA
We definitely did not miss out on good food in Albania. Berat is home to many restaurants, most serving traditional Berati fare – think meats, fresh vegetables, local wine, etc. Here are some of the places we ate – reservations probably not required except at Lili!
LiLi Homemade Food. LiLi Homemade Food is a restaurant actually inside Lili’s home in the Mangalem district of Berat serving local Berati food. And, true to its name, everything is homemade! We loved our meal at LiLi, and it was probably the best of the trip (certainly in Berat)! I’m going to write more on LiLi, but in sum, the food was fantastic, the service top notch, and the entirety of the below pictured table was only $26 USD. Make a reservation and eat here if you are in town.
$26 US meal at LiLi.
Restaurant Onufri. Located inside Hotel Onufri, we had our first Berati dinner here. Arriving late, we split a salad and the Vienz or “Berati Beef,” and it was the best Vienz that we had in Berat! The Vienz or Berati beef is actually not beef at all, but fried pork stuffed with cheese. Hotel Onufri’s was excellent. The salad was basically a Greek salad and was quite fresh. We would have dined at Restaurant Onufri again had we stayed more days in Berat.
Albanian version of a Greek salad.
The Vienz.
Eni Traditional Food. Our second dinner in Berat was in the Gorica area, across the Old Bridge from the Mangalem district. Receiving very high ratings on Trip Advisor, Eni serves a simple menu of traditional Berati food. We opted for the Vienz, stuffed peppers and eggplant, a dish of potatoes topped with a local sauce, and local Berati bread with olive oil and garlic. The food was good, but not fantastic as portrayed on Trip Advisor. The homemade red wine, however, was excellent. Our waiter, the owners’ son, also spoke great English.
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Menu at Eni.
Piccolo Grande Amore. We had our first lunch at Piccolo Grande Amore based on its Trip Advisor reviews. Piccolo Grande Amore is located on the top floor of a building in the Mangolem very close to the Saint Demetrius Cathedral. After climbing about three flights of stairs, we reached the restaurant and were treated to phenomeal views of Berat, which was definitely the best part about Piccolo Grande Amore. In terms of food, my pizza was meh (and I got ham in lieu of mushrooms…), but Dan’s local lamb stewed in something like collared greens was quite good, especially with local garlic bread.
Stunning views from Piccolo Grande Amore.
My “mushroom pizza” at Piccolo Grande Amore…
Dan’s local dish. Very good!
Complimentary fruit for dessert. This was common almost everywhere we went.
Heaven Kitchen. We opted here for an early lunch before our wine tour based on the fact that I thought they were serving gyro style sandwiches. In any case, they were not serving same when we visited, but we did split a good sandwich with cheese, tomato, lettuce, onion, and french fries. I also ordered some fries topped with cheese and ham. Both dishes were terribly inexpensive, made to order right in front of us, and were pretty tasty. We came back a second day.
Veggie sandwich with frites.
Fries with cheese and pork; breakfast of champions.
Hotel Bar Kalaja. Hotel Bar Kalaja is a bar and casual restaurant located near to the entrance of the Kala with indoor and outdoor seating. We stopped here post exploring the castle for Birra Tirana, the national beer. The beer was cold and cheap, and the bar was pretty packed when we visited before noon!
Hotel Bar Kalaja.
My very first Tirana beer at Hotel Bar Kalaja.
WHERE WE STAYED IN BERAT, ALBANIA
Dan and I stayed at the homey Hotel Onfru in the Mangalem district of Berat. Hotel Onufri was very nice, especially for the price. Our room, while basic, included a King size bed, a toilet with a small but large enough shower, and excellent air conditioning and Wifi (both surprising). The total for our room was $45 USD/night and included a basic breakfast. A steal! The feel of hotel was old-school, almost like something out of the 70s that had not been updated. We had no complaints, however, and would stay here again. Wifi and air conditioning were fantastic.
The outside of Hotel Onufri.
Not our room, but a similar room in Hotel Onufri (our window was much smaller).
Selections from the breakfast buffet at Hotel Onufri.
For those looking for a place to stay in Berat, I recommend staying the Mangalem or Gorica districts. This will put you within walking distance of most of the town. Anything further out may require a car and staying at the castle is a far walk from most of Berat’s restaurants and bars.
A ONE DAY ITINERARY FOR BERAT, ALBANIA
For those spending two nights and one day in Berat, I recommend starting your full day with a walk or taxi ride up to the castle. Make your way first to the Church of St. Mary of Vllaherna then back to the the Onufri Iconography Museum. Stop for a snack and a beer before walking back down into town. On your way into town, if of interest, visit the Ethnographic Museum. In the late afternoon, cross the New Bridge and walk over to the Old Bridge, crossing back. You will get the famous 1000 Windows view on this week. In the evening, find a spot to people watch, or promenade yourself, down Bulevardi Republika. End your day with dinner at LiLi HomeMade Food. This is a packed day, especially if its hot, but gets in everything!
TIPS FOR VISITING BERAT ALBANIA
First, the entire town of Berat felt like it was under construction, and would be for years to come. I’m talking half built buildings, downed wires, very unstable walking paths, and the like. As such be sure to wear appropriate footwear and know that Berat is probably not the best destination for those with mobility issues. We walked and climbed a lot of stairs. It was treacherous.
On that note, take care walking around. The driving was a bit crazy from my point of view.
Carry cash in Albanian LEK. Many restaurants only accept cash. ATMs are easy to find in the tourist center of town.
There is a grocery store at the corner of the road leading up to the Kala (credit cards accepted). A good stop for edible souvenirs and food for rentals.
In terms of food, you can’t rely on Trip Advisor or Yelp for good recommendations. Neither are frequently used here.
Also in terms of food, there are lots of veggie options available. That being said, there can be translation issues. Be very specific about what you cannot eat if you have restrictions (maybe even bring it in writing in Albanian?). I ordered a mushroom pizza for lunch one day and received a pizza with ham and peppers…. Proceed accordingly.
There are a lot of dogs in Berat that seem to run around freely without masters. The dogs that we encountered were all friendly but this could be a problem for people afraid of dogs.
STEAL OUR TRIP
Hotel Onufri: Basic hotel right in the center of Berat. Excellent air conditioning and wifi (both up to US standards). Small breakfast buffet included. Credit card accepted. This is also the home of the Onufri Restaurant.
LiLi Homemade Food: Rruga Llambi Guxhumani, Berat, Albania. Reservations absolutely necessary. We made them by walking by 1 day in advance, which was a big gamble, but we could find a working number. Cash only. Excellent English spoken.
Piccolo Grande Amore: 1 minute walk from Saint Demetrius Cathedral on, Rruga Rilindja 5001, Berat, Albania. Pizza restaurant serving local fare, too. Many steps to reach the restaurant. No elevator.
Heaven Kitchen: No website. Very close to the Old Bridge. Open pretty much all day. Budget food.
Hotel Bar Kalaja: Super casual bar/restaurant for a stop after visiting the castle. Inexpensive.
Cobo Winery: Ura Vajgurore, 1001, Albania. While we did see tourists walk up for a tasting, I recommend reaching out in advance to ensure Corbo is open and a spot is available for a tour and tasting.
Dan and I loooove Ireland, and we also love Irish Coffee! A few Dublin visits back, we found a new spot on a food tour with Delicious Dublin Food Tours – Vice’s (which is no longer new)! Vice’s was the first stop on the food tour and according to our guide, home to the “best Irish Coffee in Dublin”. I was a bit skeptical, but kept an open mind. Well, spoiler alert, Vice’s was so great that we went back every day of our stay for an Irish Coffee on that trip. And, it was so good that we have been back every trip since, including most recently on Labor Day weekend 2026.
Monday night I finally got to experience the American Express Centurion Suite at the US Open tennis tournament in Queens, New York! It was so much fun and great for American Express Centurion or Platinum card holders. This article shares my experience at the American Express Centurion Suite!
THE LOCATION AND OPEN HOURS
The American Express Centurion Suite at the US Open is located on the second floor of the Louis Armstrong stadium, directly above the Wilson store. You do not need to enter the Louis Armstrong stadium to access the lounge, nor do you need tickets to the Louis Armstrong stadium to access the Centurion Suite, making it convenient for those with tickets to the larger Arthur Ashe stadium. The Centurion Suite is open from 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM August 29 – September 7, with the last reservation being around 7:30 PM. Note – if you have evening tickets to the US Open, you cannot access the grounds, and thus the Centurion Suite, until 6:00 PM (meaning you are limited on what reservation you can make).
There she is – the American Express Centurion Suite!
After visiting the American Express Centurion Suite at the US Open tennis tournament in Queens, New York on Monday night, I learned that there is also a Chase lounge, called The Chase Lounge, that I could visit. Loving a good lounge experience, I gave it a go and while not as luxe as the Centurion Suite, it was a nice experience and a welcome break from the heat and crowds.
THE LOCATION AND OPEN HOURS
The Chase Lounge at the US Open is located on the second floor of the Chase Center, close to the grounds’ entrance on the right just after you walk in. To access the Chase Lounge, you simply need a ticket to the US Open grounds. Since the Chase Lounge is not in a stadium, there is no live viewing of the matches from the Chase Lounge, but many screens play the matches at all times. The Chase Lounge is open August 29 – September 7, with the Chase Lounge closing promptly at 8:30 PM.
Dan and I flew through the dreaded Heathrow airport earlier this year, connecting en route to Tirana, Albania. We had a 5.5 hour connection, which was decreased to about 4 due to delays, and were luckily able to visit the American Express Centurion Lounge in Terminal 3! Much having enjoyed our time in other American Express Centurion Lounges (read about it here, here, here, and here), we had high hopes for Heathrow’s outpost, and it did not disappoint.
LOCATION & CHECK-IN TO LONDON’S AMEX CENTURION LOUNGE
Heathrow’s American Express Centurion Lounge is located in Terminal 3’s “A Area” on the second floor above the bulk of the shops, stores, and restaurants (not near the gates where most of the other Terminal 3 lounges are located). We followed signs and took the elevator up to the lounge entrance. While there was a small line to check-in, we entered without delay by showing our American Express Platinum card and boarding passes. And just like that, we were in strolling past the famous greenery wall!
When I planned my trip to Albania, I went back and forth on whether to stay in Saranda, the large beach city in Southern Albania, or Ksamil, a small town just south of Saranda with “the most beautiful beaches.” I elected for the latter based on the promise of the most beautiful beaches. After staying there, I am not confident that it indeed has the most beautiful beaches, but it was a relaxing stay for a few days with a gorgeous coastline. This article provides valuable information for those planning a trip to Ksamil. Side note – this information is from the July; Ksamil is different off season.
KSAMIL, ALBANIA
Ksamil (silent “K”) is a tiny beach town 12 kilometers south of Saranda, Albania. Located between the turquoise waters of the Ionian Sea and the mussel filled waters of Butrint Lagoon, with three idyllic islands within swimming distance of Ksamil, Ksamil is extremely popular with Albanian and foreign beachgoers in the summer. The fact that its directly across from Corfu, Greece and accessible by a 30 minute ferry adds to its charm.
If you read this blog at all, you know we LOVE a food tour, and have taken a few in Italy (here, here, and here)! On our most recent trip to Italy, we booked a tour with a new (to us) tour company visiting restaurants in Rome’s Centro Storico, or historical center. Think Campo di’Fiori, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, etc. It ended up being a surprisingly good tour and resulted in us finding some new recommendations. Here is my review of our tour and information on how you can take the same tour!
STOP ONE – A VERO NORCINERIA IN ROMA
Our first stop on this food tour was at a “norcineria” that I have certainly passed numerous times and never gave it a second look: Norcineria Viola 1890! A norcineria is a shop generally particular to the Umbrian town of Norcia, where its very common to salt and cure certain types of wild boar and pigs, as well as make other products out of them. Prior to this food tour, I had never once visited a norcineria. This one, however, is quite accessible, located right on Campo d’Fiori. True to its name, Norcineria Viola 1890 is a butcher and cheese shop selling products from Norcia and Umbira in general. Here, we tasted five types of salami. Yes, five, including the traditional salami, salami with truffle, a spicy salami, a more fatty salami than normal, and a jerky style salami. We also tasted bread in local olive oil (duh), three types of cheese, and wine from Umbria (our favorite)!
Dan and I dined at our first restaurant with two Michelin stars in May – Daní Maison in Ischia! The entire experience was excellent, and it was not as expensive as expected (although don’t get me wrong, it was expensive). This post details our experience at Daní Maison with their chef’s tasting menu in May 2022.
For a bit of background, Daní Maison is chef Nino di Costanzo’s restaurant. Costanzo’s family is from the Campania region, the region in Southern Italy in which Ischia sits, and his dishes focus on Ischia’s best foods with a modern, artistic flair. The restaurant is located in his family’s former home and is currently filled with works of art by Lello Esposito, who, per his bio, specializes in the relation between contemporary art and tradition by conceiving and re-elaborating the symbols of Neapolitan culture. Very cool!
I love Italy. My husband is an Italian citizen. I have been to Italy many, many times. However, Ischia was never on my radar until we planned a last minute trip this Summer and were looking for a sunny spot without too many American tourists. I landed on Ischia, not knowing much about it and thinking that it even may be “too Italian” (i.e. no fast internet or English) for a short stay. We decided to give it a go and spent a lovely five days in Ischia.
Ischia, one of the most popular islands in the world this summer (2022), is well known for its thermal spa parks. And what is a thermal park you may ask? It’s basically a waterpark for adults – an outdoor park filled with pools of varying heat, some with special mineral properties, others with special massage water features, and others just for fun. Thermal parks abound on Ischia. Even our little hotel had a small thermal bath for guests. Indeed, no official visit to Ischia is complete without a visit to a thermal spa. On Dan and my recent trip to Ischia, we spent a day at Negombo Spa, which is rumored to be the nicest thermal park on the island. This is my review of our day there, including everything you need to know to visit a thermal park in Ischia!
After our lovely visit to Newark’s Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse in February, I was totally excited to visit Virgin’s Clubhouse at the Johannesburg, South Africa International Airport. In fact, it was the only thing getting me through the depression of going home, LOL.
Happy in Cape Town, South Africa the day before departure.
ENTRANCE TO THE VIRGIN ATLANTIC CLUBHOUSE.
Despite a number of lounge options in Johannesburg’s international terminal between Priority Pass and our American Express Plaitnum card, we heard that the Virgin Clubhouse was the nicest and went promptly there (after a little shopping in the Out of Africa shop!). The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse is located on the second floor of the international terminal, just a bit further down from the aforementioned Out of Africa store. We took the elevator up. Checkin was quick and consisted of presenting an American Express Platinum card and boarding passes. I particularly loved the flower wall at the entrance.
Entrance to the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, Johannesburg from inside the club.
After spending a week in Albania, Dan and I ferried to Corfu Town, Greece for three nights before flying back home from Corfu’s airport. I was blow away by the beauty of Corfu Town and had an amazing three days! This article details what we got up to if you are planning a similar stopover.
Dan and I spent five nights at the Vuyani Safari Lodge in South Africa with our friends in April 2022. This was our second stay at Vuyani (first back in 2015), and we had a lovely time. This is my detailed review of Vuyani for those considering it for safari! In short, I highly recommend it, but of course there are pros and cons. Keep reading for all of the information!
If you’ve ever planned a day at the Vatican, I’m sure you are very familiar with the mediocre food options in the area. Why the mediocre food? The Vatican is full of tourists, not locals returning for meals in the area, so, similar to Venice, there is not much incentive to produce excellent food. In other words, quantity over quality, and high prices to boot. I paid 5 euro for a Coke Light in 2008 … In any case, when for my family’s lunch break between visiting Vatican City and the Colosseum (yes, HUGE day, read about it here), I was determined to find a good, sit down restaurant for a break.
If you follow me on Instagram, you know that Dan and I went to South Africa with our friends Pryor and Bryan in April 2022. We started on a safari and ended with a few lovely days in Cape Town. This was Dan and my second visit, and I really wanted to eat at one of Luke Dale Roberts’ restaurants, particularly South Africa’s (possibly) most famous restaurant, The Test Kitchen. We missed it our first trip to Cape Town, because we waited too late to make a reservation. Unfortunately, The Test Kitchen has permanently closed, but Roberts and his wife have opened up a new venture in Cape Town: TKK Fledglings. I made a reservation months in advance, LOL.
Here we are in Cape Town in 2022!
TKK Fledglings is a “learning kitchen,” where people without no specific knowledge of the hospitality industry train on site while working at the restaurant and earning a salary. Pretty cool idea. While I was a little concerned that TKK Fledglings, as a result, would not be at the level of service I desired, but my concerns were 100% unfounded. Our experience was amazing: the service was impeccable, the food fantastic, and the interior gorgeous. I think it was our favorite meal. The prices were reasonable, as well.
I’ve visited the Prima Vista Lounge (formerly the “Passenger Lounge”) in Rome FCO’s Terminal 3 at least four times, and three times in the last nine months, but I’ve never written a review on it. So, here we are! In short, Prima Vista is a good lounge that has adapted well to Covid, but it’s FAAAAR from checkin. Don’t plan to spend too much time here for that reason alone (you’ll board by the time you arrive!). Entrance is free with Priority Pass, so there’s a plus!
Aeroporti di Roma! Always so exciting to land in Rome!
Dan and I flew to Dublin in February 2022 with Aer Lingus. We were not expecting lounge access due to the terminal assigned (Newark’s sparse Terminal B), but Dan just happened to see a sign for the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse when walking to our gate. The sign seemed to indicate that the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse was open and we could enter with our American Express Centurion Card. We decided to give it a shot. When we arrived at about 3:25, the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse looked totally closed, but we knocked and they opened the door, stating that they formally open in 5 minutes. So we waited the couple minutes and went inside!
Kind of a vague sign.
Upon further discussion with the staff, the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse only reopened a few days prior to our visit after being closed for nearly 2 years due to Covid. We also learned that the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse is now operated by the Plaza Premium Group. We did not visit this lounge pre-Covid, so I cannot compared it to its pre-2020 state. We really enjoyed it this time though!
ENTRANCE TO THE VIRGIN ATLANTIC CLUBHOUSE
The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse is located in Newark’s Terminal B. Terminal B is split into 3 areas, each with its own security, and the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse is located in the B2 area, near Gates B51 – B57. After clearing security, all passengers walk down a pretty depressing hall toward the gates. Entrance to the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse is at the beginning of this hall via an elevator. Had there not been a sign, we would have totally missed it. We took the elevator to the second level and there it was, the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse! Its right next to the British Airways Lounge.
Entrance. Dan was very excited to locate this lounge!
Once the doors officially open at the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at 3:30, we checked in with our boarding pass and American Express Centurion card. While we both have the card, we used Dan’s and I got in as his guest. It was unclear how many guests are allowed per card. This lounge used to be on Priority Pass, but that is no longer the case. Dragon Pass appears to still work.
Rome has A LOT of sights to see. So many that you could stay for more than a week in Rome and not see everything. Seriously. This poses a problem for many tourists, who often only spend 1 or 2 days in Rome (which I think leads to the common and, frankly wrong, opinion that Rome is not a favorite Italian city). Of all the sites, two of the most popular are Vatican City and the Colosseum. Most information will advise that you should not visit these two sites on the same day due to time constraints, etc., and I agree. But sometimes you just don’t have the time to split them up, and that’s exactly the position I found myself in in November when I was in Rome for 3 days with 8 family members! Due to a strong desire to see both sights, I bit the bullet and planned a perfectly timed day visiting both Vatican City and the Colosseum in the same day! While I would not necessarily recommend this if you have plenty of time, it is doable, and here’s how!
The Vatican Museums
The Colosseum
IN BRIEF: 8 – 11:30, the Vatican Museums, 11:30 – 11:50, walk to St. Peter’s Basilica, 12:00 – 1:45 St. Peter’s Basilica interior OR a proper sit down lunch, 1:45 – 2:15 transfer to the Colosseum, 2:30 – 4:30, Colosseum!
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day – my favorite holiday – I am rounding up 12 of my favorite places to have a Guinness in its home, Dublin, Ireland! Full disclosure, I am not from Dublin or even Ireland. That being said, I have been several times and I consider myself a Guinness connoisseur. Do be sure to visit some of these pubs if you are lucky enough to find yourself in Dublin!
A Guinness at Gravity Bar at the Guinness Storehouse. A must-do in Dublin. See my “Bonus” pub below!
Go for: Paying homage to Bourdain, lunch, a great pint in a really old school setting, before or after a visit to Glasnevin Cemetery and/or the Botanical Gardens.
John Kavanaugh’s is a family-run pub located next to Dublin’s Glasnevin Cemetery. Kavanaugh’s is about a 45 minute walk outside of central Dublin, and it was made famous by an appearance on Bourdain’s The Layover. Kavanaugh’s has two sides with separate entrances – one a bit more modern with a kitchen and the other just a really old school bar serving only drinks. Check out both sides if you have time. We enjoyed lunch and then a Guinness on the other side.
Dan and I flew back to New York from Dublin International in February and visited a nice lounge before going through US Pre-Clearance and boarding our flight. Since US Pre-Clearance can be a bit confusing, here is a post on both our longe experience and US Pre-Clearance at Dublin International Airport.
Dublin – one of our favorite cities!
ARRIVAL AND SEARCHING FOR THE LOUNGE T1
Our journey home because by checking in for our Aer Lingus flight in Terminal 2 and clearing Dublin International’s security. Once through, we began looking for the The Lounge T2, to which we have complimentary access through our Priority Pass card. We had some extra time to kill, and even though we needed to go though Pre-Clearance, we felt there was still time for a lounge (and we were right!). We located The Lounge T2 easily enough, between Dublin’s Security and US Pre-Clearance, but the Lounge T2 was closed (Covid!)! However, there was a sign for its sister lounge, The Lounge T1, in Terminal 1, so we followed them to see if we could possibly access The Lounge T1 without having to re-clear security. Luck for us, you can walk between Dublin’s Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 post-security and its a pretty quick walk. Upon reaching Terminal 1, The Lounge T1 is located on the second floor of the Terminal, above the security area.
ENTRANCE TO THE LOUNGE T1
After spinning for a few minutes looking for the entrance to The Lounge T1, we found it right in front of us, LOL. Checkin was easy on the ground – presenting our boarding passes and Priority Pass.
The checkin area for The Lounge T1. We almost missed it!
Dan and I were recently in Dublin over President’s Day weekend (mid-February), and we spent our first full day on a food tour with Ketty of Delicious Dublin Food Tours! This was our first food tour in Dublin, although not Ireland, and it was a really fun way to spend a morning. We even found the very best Irish Coffee that we have ever had.
MEETING POINT – DUBLIN’S SPIRE.
Our tour started on a rainy Saturday morning, meeting a group of six others under the Spire (AKA Dublin’s tall pointy modern monument). The Spire is on the opposite side of the River Liffey from most of Dublin’s main tourist sites, so this was an interesting place to start. Ketty, our guide, explained a bit about the tour and food history of Ireland, before the group walked a few minutes to our first stop for that fantastic Irish Coffee that I mentioned!
The Spire, on a sunnier day than that of our tour!
In light of my upcoming favorite holiday – St. Patrick’s Day – I am posting about our recent trip to Dublin, Ireland for the next two weeks! Here’s a review of one of Dan and my favorite restaurants in Dublin, Gallagher’s Boxty House!
Gallagher’s Boxty House is an established Dublin restaurant located right in the middle of touristy Temple Bar. Despite this, Gallagher’s Boxty House is no tourist trap. Dan and I first ate here a decade ago and continue to return on every trip. Gallagher’s Boxty House specializes in the potato and almost all of its dishes are potato based. As the name implies, Gallagher’s also specializes in the Irish boxty, or a potato pancake. Eat at Gallagher’s for a taste of traditional, and delicious, Irish food.
As the napkin says, this place is really into potatoes!
The menu at Gallagher’s is on the small side, but as long as you eat potatoes, you should be able to find something. Here is the menu from February 2022. It seemed a bit smaller this time, likely due to Covid. One pro of the menu (and this is common in Ireland generally), allergins are clearly listed on the menu.
Five years ago, Dan and I spent Thanksgiving in Venice, Italy with my mom, my friend and her mom, and Dan’s aunt. This year, we returned to Venice for Thanksgiving and decided to repeat one of our favorite activities, a Cicchetti progressive dinner tour! Cicchetti are small, elaborate bites, similar to Spanish tapas, that Venetians like to eat throughout the day, often served with an adult beverage. Cicchetti bars, or small restaurants serving Cicchetti and drinks, can be found throughout Venice and if you aren’t familiar with the concept, a Cicchetti tour is a great way to dive in! We loved, loved, loved our tour 5 years ago but unfortunately the tour guides no longer live in Venice. I found another online that provided a similar experience.
Venice – exactly 5 years ago!
Our Cicchetti tour started by meeting just next to the Rialto Bridge in front of the Chiesa di San Giacomo di Rialto. After some photos and mulled wine, we met our guide and got started our our tour! Despite Covid persisting, most places were open and hopping with locals.
Mulled wine overlooking Venice.
FIRST STOP: DESSERT AT PANIFICIO MAURO EL FORNER DE CANTON.
Our first stop on this Cicchetti tour was Panificio Mauro el Forner de Canton for dessert. We stopped here first because it closed shortly after our visit! This bakery has been around for nearly 80 years and goes back four generations. Panificio Mauro el Forner de Canton was packed with locals on our visit, so much so that we had to wait outside for space. According to our guide, Panificio Mauro el Forner de Canton is famous for its tiramisu, and that is exactly what we tried. Actually, we tried tiramisu and another baked good. Both were excellent and this was a great way to start our tour.
Some of the dessert offerings at Panificio Mauro el Forner de Canton.
If you’ve been following along, you know that Dan and I went to Italy with our immediate families over Thanksgiving in 2021. Our trip ended with 72 hours in Rome, after visiting Alba for its White Truffle Festival and Venice. Normally I would not have included Rome on a Northern Italy focused trip, but we love Rome and our last 72 hours ended up being some of the best of the trip! Here is our itinerary if you are considering a similar trip for yourself.
I love Rome!
DAY 1 – ARRIVAL VIA FRECCIAROSSA & A FOOD TOUR OF TRASTEVERE
We arrived in Rome via a 3.45 hour train ride from Venice’s Santa Lucia train station on Trenitalia’s fast Frecciarossa train. The ride was easy enough – we brought snacks and drinks and the wifi worked really well (a happy surprise!).
Our on our recent Thanksgiving family getaway to Italy, we spent three days in Venice, including Thanksgiving day! Dan and I have actually spent Thanksgiving in Venice before, and its a great way to spend the holiday. Here is a run down of what we did and where we stayed and ate over our three days, as well as lots of pictures to make you wish you were in Venice. #sorrynotsorry.
Me & Dan in Piazza San Marco.
Gorgeous Venice in November.
Gondolas ready for riding.
From the Grand Canal. Marco libero (or Free Marco, left corner) was a popular sign that we say everywhere. Despite Googling, I’m still not 100% what it meant.
As you may know from this blog or chatting with me or Dan, or literally anyone in our family, our entire immediate family went to Italy for Thanksgiving in November! Yes, all 8 of us!! For the actual day of Thanksgiving, we toured the Prosecco wine region on a day trip from Venice. It was a great day, and we drank way too much tasty Prosecco! This is a recap of our tour if you are planning something similar. I highly recommend the Prosecco region as a quick getaway from Venice!
Alba is a foodie town home to no less than 12 restaurants holding Michelin Stars in the surrounding area. Had just Dan and I visited Alba in November, we would have certainly eaten at one. However, we traveled to Alba with our entire immediate family (read about that here and here), so we had to find something a little more economical. Luckily for us, in addition to Michelian-starred restaurants, Alba has great reasonably priced restaurants, most offering seasonal white truffle menus. Here are some of our favorites.
In 2016, Dan and I, as well as a few others, flew all the way to San Miniato for its white truffle festival! We had a blast. So much so that when we visited Italy with our family in November 2021, we added Alba to our itinerary for the sole purpose of visiting Alba’s legendary white truffle festival! For those unfamiliar, Alba is a small town in Northern Italy in the Piedmont region. Alba is located about 1 hour from Torino and 2 hours from Milan’s airport, where we flew in. Alba is a foodie town, complete with numerous Michelin starred restaurants, and its most well know for its white truffle festival – Fiera Internazionale Tartufo Bianco d’Alba. This year was the 91st festival and despite Covid, it was operating in full force. First person experiences were difficult to find online when I was planning our trip, so here is some helpful information for the truffle lovers our there.
As some of you may know, one of Dan and my recent trips was a trip to Italy with 6 of our family members – my parents, Dan’s parents, and Dan’s siblings – for about 10 days. Yes, 8 people in Italy for 10 days. It was a wild ride and I’ll be writing more about specific bits of our trip later, but here is a summary for those interested in doing something similar!
DAYS 1 – 2: ALBA, ITALY
After an overnight flight from New York, we landed in Milan early in the morning. A van was waiting for us and drove us 2 hours to Alba in the Piedmont region. We checked into our hotel and promptly hit the streets to explore Alba’s famous International White Truffle Festival. We spent two days in Alba, largely at the truffle festival. We also checked out some delicious Piedmontese restaurants!
When planning my trip to Isla Verde last Spring, an Instagrammer I followed lunched at Ocean Lab Brewing Company while staying at my Isla Verde hotel, the Courtyard by Marriott Isla Verde. It looked pretty good, so I added it to our list!
Entrance!
We ended up walking along the beach from the Courtyard Isla Verde to Ocean Lab Brewing around noon. The walk was easy and on the beach the entire way. When we arrived at Ocean Lab Brewing, finding the entrance was a bit confusing. Ocean Lab Brewing is attached to the back of the Vivo Beach Club, which is quite swanky! We ended up walking around the Vivo Beach Club and entering Ocean Lab from the side opposite the ocean – no big deal.
For Dan’s birthday trip to Puerto Rico, his one wish was to head to Juncos, Puerto Rico for lunch at Bacoa Finca + Fogón! While it was almost an hour away from our hotel and I had never heard of the restaurant, we booked a car and made reservations weeks in advance for a Sunday morning lunch! And good thing I made the reservation, because Bacoa Finca + Fogón is really popular.
Dan and I really enjoy our food and drink, and we think that Puerto Rico has some of the best in the United States! I’ve compiled a list of some of our old and new favorites – be sure to check them our if you find yourself in lovely Puerto Rico!
Old San Juan. In addition to good food, its also gorgeous!
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO EATS
Jose Enrique
Jose Enrique is certainly my and Dan’s absolute favorite restaurant in San Juan. I wrote about it at length here. I won’t rehash my entire post, but Jose Enrique is an excellent restaurant with upscale, delicious Puerto Rican dishes in the Condado area. Make a reservation in advance. Don’t miss it. You will thank me.
A recent meal at Jose Enrique.
Not the best picture, but the BEST fried steak! Circa 2013, but its still on the menu from time to time .
El Jabrito
El Jabrito is a classic Puerto Rican restaurant in Old San Juan. If you read guide books, El Jabrito will likely come up. Nothing super fancy or expensive, just quality, local food. You will find tourists and locals here lining up for dinner (as there are no reservations). We’ve visited a couple times, most recently in April 2021, and will return. Definitely go with a Puerto Rican dish, and don’t forget the pitcher of sangria!
Beef turnovers made of fried plantain with local sauces!
New year, new vacation bank! Yes, it’s that time of year again. Time to plan your 2022 getaways and vacations. Last Spring, me, Dan, and Dan’s sister took a five day trip down to Isla Verde, Puerto Rico to celebrate Dan’s birthday! The trip was easy, fun, and the perfect few days away from New York City. If you are planning a similar trip this year (which you should!), here’s a summary of our lovely trip.
Palm trees in Puerto Rico.
ISLA VERDE
Isla Verde, Puerto Rico is a gorgeous strip of beach located just outside of San Juan, Puerto Rico in Carolina. While technically in Carolina, Isla Verde is extremely close to San Juan and nearly borders San Juan’s international airport. For this reason, Isla Verde often lumped into San Juan vacation speak, often referred to as the best beaches in the San Juan area. I cannot vouch for the validity of this statement, but Isla Verde is gorgeous, much more so than the Condado area if you are looking for beaches. And beaches were exactly why we decided to stay in Isla Verde. Aside from beaches, Isla Verde has numerous restaurants and tourist activities, but we ventured into San Juan for most of our non-beach activities.
Happy New Year to readers of this blog! I wish everyone a happy and healthy 2022 filled with travels near and far! I am starting this year’s blogging by sharing one of Dan and my favorite restaurants in the World – Jose Enrique in sunny San Juan, Puerto Rico!
San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Dan and I keep a running list of all of our favorite restaurants around the World, and Jose Enrique in San Juan, Puerto Rico always makes the list! Introduced to us by one of Dan’s college friends, we first dined at Jose Enrique in 2013. Still raving eight years later, Jose Enrique was just as good as we imagined, albeit in a new location! Now in swanky Condado, Jose Enrique is located in a somewhat unimpressive looking building without a sign (a carry over from before). Inside is pretty casual, with a few paintings scattered around.
When I was in Polignano a Mare earlier this year, I spent the better part of a day exploring Puglia’s largest city, Bari! I had always heard that Bari is a run-down and dangerous city but to my surprise, it was not at all! Bari is an adorable old school Italian city with lots of character and charm. I would absolutely spend a few nights here on another trip! Since we didn’t have much time in Bari, here are some photographs from our afternoon. I’ll link the places we visited below!
Bari. Lots of Italian pride!
The most adorable elderly lady watching over the piazza.
Il fruttivendolo.
We saw the most gorgeous wedding.
And we ate the most delicious meat and cheese platter.
Loved these awnings.
Also loved these old buildings.
Una donna italiana making pasta on Arco Basso, the famous street for pasta!
Teatro.
A beautiful church, seemingly around every corner.
All the deli meats.
Wine from the proprietor’s own vintage at Le Sagagliozze.
Gorgeous greenery and flowers.
Gentile gelato.
Old school.
Homemade orecchiette – the pasta of Bari – at Le Sgagliozze.
Cool courtyard.
Fresh fried polenta from Le Sgagliozze.
Felt great to be back on European trains. Ciao, Bari!
STEAL OUR TRIP
Veloservice Tours and Rentals: Strada Vallisa, 81, 70122 Bari BA, Italy. We booked the street food tour, which, unfortunately, turned into a combination walking tour and cooking course. The tour was very disjointed and not what we expected (or booked) at all. Book with caution.
Gentile: Piazza Federico II di Svevia, 33, 70122 Bari BA, Italy. Open daily from 11:00 – 1:00. The gelato shop we visited – delicious! There is also a location in Brooklyn – 253 Wythe Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11249.
Le Sagagliozze: Largo Albicocca, 70122 Bari BA, Italy. Closed Monday. Open other days until 22h.
Trenitalia: Italian local train service. You don’t need to pre-book your tickets but if traveling from Polignano a Mare like us, check the schedule because there are some quick trains and others that take about an hour. Downloading the Trenitlian app is very helpful.
Acro Basso: The famous street for the pasta making! You can buy from the ladies, but you can only bring it back to the US if its dried (i.e. not fresh).
ON A BUDGET
We took the train to and from Polignano a Mare for only a few euros each way. Our afternoon in Bari could be easily recreated on your own by just walking around the old town (15 walk from Bari’s train station).
Matera. The name sounds like a place you should know, but you just don’t. Well surprise, surprise, Matera is Italy’s newest, hottest tourist destination. Thanks to being named a European Capital of Culture in 2019, Matera is on the travel radar, but, at least for now, still retains lots of Italian character and charm! Dan and I spent too few days here in September 2019. This is our trip report for those planning a similar trip!
As promised in my recent review of Alberobello, I had lunch at an excellent restaurant recommended by our Puglitaly guide: L’Aratro. L’Aratro means “the plow” in English, and that is is an appropriate name for this essentially “farm to table” restaurant. To wit, L’Aratro is part of the Slow Italy movement and it sources almost all of its menu items from the local area, and certainly from within Puglia. Look for local delicacies highlighted on the menu!
The entrance to L’Aratro.
Located on one of Alberobello’s main tourist streets, L’Aratro is located inside a beautifully decorated trullo, with both indoor and outdoor seating. Its not uncommon to see the main chef hanging around outside the restaurant in his signature brightly colored chef pants! We sat in L’Aratro’s open air courtyard overlooking a few trulli domes. The views from the courtyard are not fantastic, but certainly good enough. The interior, however, is beautiful. I would have sat inside were it not for COVID-19.
Gorgeous interior of L”Aratro. This would be a magical spot for a fall or winer meal.
You’re probably familiar with Alberobello in Puglia, Italy, even if you don’t know its name. Alberobello is the Southern Italian town filled with trulli (trullo, singular) houses, or those small white stone houses with domed roof tops that seem to be straight out of fairy tale. Its a super cute town, but also very , very touristy, even during the light travel summer of 2021. Here is how my husband and I spent a day in Alberobello if you are planning your own trip!
A real life trullo in Alberobello!
TOP TIPS: Arrive early, bring cash, dress in layers, wear walking shoes, and be sure to see inside a trullo by visiting the shops or restaurants.
SOME CONS: Super duper touristy, hilly with cobblestones making walking somewhat difficult, not as many people as we expected spoke English (this may be a positive!)
If you have any form of social media, you have probably seen the gorgeous cliffside restaurant in Polignano a Mare, Grotta Palazzese. Yes, the one light up in blue with white tables perched on a sharp cliff above the Adriatic (or maybe Ionian) sea. The location is truly stunning.
View looking out to the sea. There is another “lagoon” on the other side. I tried to take a picture but it did not turn out well. Keep reading, LOL.
Most blog readers probably know that Dan and I love to travel and particularly enjoy wine travel. Our two favorite wine grapes are big reds: Tannat, which we went all the way to Uruguay to drink a few years ago, and Sagrantino, a grape from the land surrounding the Umbrian town of Montefalco. Hence, we decided to start our [first] 2021 Italian adventure in Montefalco precisely to drink Montefalco’s wines! And they were fantastic. We left with no less than 3 cases…and this was our first stop. Whoopsie.
Sagrantino on Piazza del Commune, Montefalco’s main square.
Dan and I spent a weekend in Montefalco in September 2021 for the sole purpose of drinking its magical Sagrantino wine. We took a wine tour with Gusto Wines so that we could drink alllll the wine, and our tour guide recommended a dinner at Trattoria “il postaccio.” We took him up on his recommendation, as he lives in the area and had excellent taste on the wine tour. This ended up being one of the best pieces of advice of the entire trip!
Dan and I were super excited to return to Rome in September, because (1) we LOVE Rome and (2) we LOVE to eat all of the delicious Roman food! As such, I plan our Roman meals meticulously, especially on short trips, like our recent one. We had one lunch spot open and Dan, unexpectedly, suggested a causal restaurant in Trastevere called Caramella. We ate there on our last trip to Rome and apparently, Dan liked it a lot more than I remember. Done, added to the list.
Dan and I spent a magical 40 hours in Rome to finish our Italy trip in September 2021, which is definitely NOT enough time to properly see Rome. However, we were only in Rome because our flight departed from Rome’s FCO and we will be back in Rome with our whole family in November. This was just a little taster of Roman goodness! While not the most popular Italian tourist destination (wrongfully so IMO), Dan and I spent a summer in Rome back in 2008 (yes, we’re that old) and have looooved Rome ever since. So this 40 hours was a real treat for us! Here’s what we did if you have your own 40 hours to explore Rome if you like to eat, drink, and shop.
After our planned Puglia trip last summer was COVID-cancelled, we rescheduled to this September! While we originally planned to explore a bit more of Puglia, we ended up adding Umbria to the trip (highly recommended!) and based our time in posh Polignano a Mare. This article tells what we did, where we ate, and where we stayed or those planning a similar trip to Polignano a Mare!
The most famous foto of Polignano a Mare from the Roman Bridge.
POLIGNANO A MARE
Polignano a Mare is a small, yet swanky, Italian beach town in Northern Puglia, located 45 minutes south of Bari by car on the intersection of the Adriatic and Ionian coasts, directly across from southern Croatia and Montenegro. While in Northern Puglia, Polignano a Mare is firmly in southern Italy, and as such, stays warmer and summery much longer than its northern counterparts. Reachable by its tiny train station or car, Polignano a Mare is definitely on the Italian-tourist’s radar, but I didn’t find it quite as touristy as some more popular destinations, such as Amalfi or Cinque Terre (at least not yet…). Dan and I spent 3 nights and 4 days in Polignano a Mare and we thought this was the perfect amount of time to see Polignano a Mare and explore a bit of Puglia.
Crystal clear waters in Polignano a Mare.
We choose to stay in Polignano a Mare because it just looked so cute in the pictures! We were happy with our decision: Polignano a Mare was easy enough to reach, close to some places we wanted to day trip, such as Bari and Alberobello, and had lots of restaurants and shops. On a return visit, however, we will probably visit another town; Polignano a Mare is more expensive than other towns in the area and its a bit more foreign-tourist heavy than its neighbors.
Italy, thankfully (!!), re-opened its borders to residents of the US in June 2019, and many of us Americans booked trips, including Dan and me! Ha, we actually booked two – in September and November. We just returned and had an amazing trip, but we were a bit stressed finding a COVID-19 test in Rome for our return flight to the US. Turns out, it was really easy! Here is the latest information as of September 20, 2021.
Back in Roma!! Unrelated to COVID testing, but this is just outside of the Pantheon!
Telling people that Dan and I were traveling to Rhodes, we received a lot of feedback stating that it was too touristy, too crowded, and that we would find “meh” food, at least for Greece (where honestly, even some “meh” food is great!). So I made it my missing to pre-book some, what I thought would be excellent dinners. In researching good food in Rhodes Town, I came across Taverna Piatakia, and it was a fantastic find. Definitely good high-end food at a very reasonable price! And spoiler alert, Rhodes, especially Rhodes Town, is super touristy and you can certainly find a not-so-great meal that is over priced; I do recommend doing some researching in choosing dinner spots.
Dan and I found ourselves at Aljoun Castle earlier this year on a day trip from Amman. We had previously never heard of Aljoun Castle, but it was a super cool castle with well-preserved exterior that tourists can walk around around. We would never had visited it without the stop being included on our day trip. Here are some pictures and information if you want to include a stop at Aljoun on your own Jordan tour!
Ammanis a large city, Jordan’s capital, and largely filled with picturesque white square buildings. It’s quite beautiful. But again, its large and it takes time to get from here to there, so I went back and forth on where to dine when we were in town! After much research, I found the BEST restaurant just a 10 minute walk from our hotel – Fakhreldine Restaurant & Cafe. In fact, it was so good we went back twice (rare for us)!! Please don’t miss this gem in Amman.
On our departure from Amman, Jordan, Dan and I had two airport lounge options though our Priority Pass: Royal Jordanian’s Crown Lounge or the unaffiliated Petra Lounge. After googling some other reviews, we started with the Crown Lounge and it was so nice that we never left to check out the Petra Lounge! The Crown Lounge was quite luxurious – definitely an upgrade from many Priority Pass lounges!
Dan and I spent an afternoon visiting the ancient city of Jerash (or rather, Gerasa) back in May on our trip to Jordan. It was a great experience and recommended! Here is some information on our visit.
WHAT IS “JERASH” A/K/A THE POMPEII OF THE EAST?
Jerash is now a modern city in Northern Jordan, a little less than 1 hour from Amman by car. While being its own city, Jerash is best known as the home of the ancient Greco-Roman city of Gerasa, which is known, at least amongst archaeologist and historians, to be one of the best preserved Greco-Roman cities in the world. Frequently referred to as the “Pompeii of the East” by those in the know (because its so well preserved, not because of any volcano eruptions), it’s definitely some of the best preserved ruins that I’ve seen worldwide. Modern-day Jerash is very much a tourist town, but ancient Gerasa enjoyed much success as a trading post and a favorite city of Roman Emperor Hadrian, before eventually falling out of favor and into ruin. Modern-day Jerash is now the perfect place to day trip from Amman.
The ruins of Ancient Gerasa, with modern Jerash in the background (the white square buildings similar to Amman)
Amman, located in the Northern part of Jordan, is its capital. A number of travel advice suggested that I skip Amman when visiting Jordan, and I am very glad that I didn’t listen! While perhaps less exciting than some of Jordan’s other heavy hitters (Petra,Dead Sea, Wadi Rum, etc.), Amman is a gorgeous city that is often referred to as the “white city” due to the many, many white homes filling its hills; very picturesque and photographic, especially in Spring with all its flowers in bloom. Also, a great entrance or end to Jordan! In addition to its gorgeous white structures, Jordan is a fairly modern city, especially for the Middle East, with lots of Instagrammable spots! We spent 3 nights and 2 days in Amman, with a half-day trip to Jerash. We thought this was a perfect amount of time, but you could definitely squeeze it into 1 day. Here are the highlights from our time Amman!
Amman on a map!
Beautiful Amman!
More pretty Amman. This is a stair case that we stumbled upon just walking around.
On our recent trip to Jordan, Dan and I spent some time in Aqaba (yes, we continuously called Agraba!), and Aqaba turned out to be my favorite stop on our trip through Jordan. Which is kind of crazy given that we almost skipped it. As luck would have it, our flight was moved back by more than 24 hours and we had some extra time in Jordan, so I slotted in Aqaba on a whim. I recommend others making time for Aqaba even if you only have 1 day!
Have you seen those luxury tented campsites set against red rocks that looks like Mars?! Well, that’s exactly where Dan and I stayed for two days on our vacation to Jordan! And, yes, they are just as magical and Instagrammable as pictures make the out to be!
Jordan opened to tourists post-pandemic in February 2021, and Dan and I promptly booked Emirates flightsfor the end of May in the hopes of visiting Petra sans tourists. And, we were successful! We visited Petra and only saw 12 other tourists! It was amazing. While tourism is definitely rebounding as the pandemic subsides, I still think there is time to visit Petra before the hoards of tourists return. We had a wonderful visit and literally everyone who has seen our pictures is like OMG that’s Jordan?! Go now. Don’t wait.
As you probably know, Dan and I went to Jordan last month for almost two weeks! Our trip was amazing, but the main point of it was, obviously, Petra!! Petra had just re-opened during our visit and we only saw 12 other tourists, which was crazy! I will be posting a full write up and guide on Tuesday, but here are some of our favorite pictures for your Friday viewing pleasure! Happy Weekend!!
When I heard that the site of Jesus’ baptism was only a 20 minute drive from where I was staying in the Dead Sea, I decided that I needed to see it, despite not being religious (I did grow up Christian). We arranged for our excellent driver to take us to the Baptism site before driving the few hours south to Petra. Since it’s close to the Dead Sea, the baptism site can be visited as day trip from either the Dead Sea or Amman. The entire visit takes about 2 – 2.5 hours, depending on how long you need to wait for the next tour. And, for those looking for information, the site is actually called Bethany Beyond The Jordan. There are signs on the highway leading up to it.
A mosaic of the site. More impressive than the actual site in my opinion.
Jordan, a small country in the Middle East existing between Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia (!), recently reopened for travel, and Dan and I spent almost two weeks in Jordan in May 2021 right when it opened up post-COVID lockdown! While I will write more about our trip as a whole, we started our trip with a weekend on the Dead Sea, which was lovely and a great way to start a trip! And yes, while visiting the Dead Sea from Israel is well-known, you can also visit the Dead Sea from Jordan!
Lovely spring flowers all over Jordan.
WHAT IS THE DEAD SEA
The Dead Sea is actually a salt lake – not a proper Sea – sandwiched between Jordan and Israel and the West Bank. The Dead Sea is in the Jordan Rift Valley and its main tributary is the Jordan River, of biblical fame. The Dead Sea is called the Dead Sea because of its salinity (i.e. saltiness); it’s so salty that nothing can live in the Dead Sea for any extended period of time.
Dead Sea from the side of the road. It’s much steeper than it looks.
After a somewhat disappointing visit to the new American Express Centurion Lounge at JFK two weeks ago, Dan and I made our way to JFK’s Emirates Lounge for a proper breakfast and drinks before departing on Emirates’ morning flight to Dubai. Spoiler alert, the Emirates Lounge was great and service was fantastic. We both prefer this lounge to the new American Express Centurion Lounge.
Dan and I finally made our long anticipated visit to New York JFK’s American Express Centurion Lounge two weeks ago! We have been waiting for this lounge to open for over a year and honestly, I kept my Platinum Card just for this experience. We visited JFK’s Centurion Lounge on a Thursday morning around 8:00 AM, prior to boarding an 11:20 AM Emirates flight to Dubai. We wanted a place to respond to a few last minute work emails, drink some breakfast beverages, and eat a small breakfast. In short, the American Express Centurion Lounge in Terminal 4 did provide what we were looking for, but it was not as great as I imagined. And it was very crowded, even on a Thursday non-holiday weekend morning. Here is our review; be prepared for crowds and waits as travel continues to pick up.
Of course when Dan and I traveled to Iceland last year (pre-pandemic), we paid a visit to the Blue Lagoon. I mean, how could we not? Its one of Iceland’s most well-known tourist attractions and those pictures look just plain stunning. I know, I know. Some “cool” kids think its too touristy for a visit, but I totally disagree. Especially after visiting. After all, you are a tourist for a reason! In any case, there is a ton of information about the Blue Lagoon on the world wide web, but I’m sharing our experience for those planning trips and looking for more than a simple overview of the Blue Lagoon. Happy geothermal water bathing!
I have to add to this post prior to publicly publishing that Dan and I went to Iceland in February 2020 – pre-pandemic. Things were normal and COVID was just a slight thought in the back of our minds causing us to carry extra hand sanitizer. While things have certainly changed since February 2020, Iceland remains a great destination and it looks like they are some what opening up in 2021 (fingers crossed)! Happy future planning (February 2022?).
Dan and my last international trip pre-Coronavirus was an escape to Reykjavik, the largest city in Iceland, over Valentine’s Day weekend. Yes, another cold-climate country in the Winter (read about my prior cold-climate February trips here and here)… We enjoy visiting cities in their off-season, as you can usually find deeply discounted flights, particularly from the NYC area (hopefully that’s not a pre-corona memory of the past) and these destinations are less crowded in off-season, yet almost everything we want to do, see, and eat is open for business. And, honestly, its often colder in New York than the winter destination we visit, which was the case last February in Iceland. Further, Iceland is a super easy, five and a half hour flight from NYC and a long weekend (Wednesday night – Monday evening in our case) is a good amount of time to see the highlights. However, had I known that this would be our last trip pre-Coronavirus, I would have definitely stayed longer and seen more of Iceland.
Dan and me at Gulfoss Falls. I would note it was not as cold as it looked – it was just super duper windy.
When researching things to do in Dubai, I learned that Friday Brunch is a very popular thing in Dubai. So, clearly we had to sign up! There are so many options for Friday brunch in Dubai, from pub fare at Dubliners Irish Pub to super upscale experiences at top notch restaurants. We opted for the renowned Traiteur Brunch at the Park Hyatt Dubai! Known to be one of the best and most popular brunches in town, we booked a table before we left the US and were not disappointed. When planning, however, I had a lot of questions. Hopefully this post helps to answer some of your questions.
En route to the Maldives last November, Dan and I spent four fabulous days in Dubai! Partly as a stop over en route, but mostly to see some of Dubai! It was our first time in Dubai, and given its location and good flight connections, I’m confident we will return. There’s a ton to do in Dubai and we had a difficult time deciding exactly what to do and how to fit everything into four days! For those planning a trip, here’s a recap of what we did during our four day stay. Feel free to replicate!
FIRST DAY IN DUBAI – 12.5 HOUR FLIGHT & ARRIVAL IN DUBAI!
Emirates’ direct flight from New York to Dubai departs around 10:30 PM and arrives the following evening, around 8:30 PM local time. After a very, very long flight, we finally arrived in Dubai shortly after sunset! Customs in Dubai, where we presented our COVID-19 negative results (a simple PCR print out in English – nothing like French Polynesia), was quick and easy and we soon had our luggage and were en route to our hotel, the Intercontinental Festival City. We arrived shortly before 10:00 PM and were excited to see the entire hotel was decked out for Dubai’s national day on December 2nd. Very fun.
Intercontinental Festival City going all our for Dubai’s national day!
Of everywhere I’ve traveled and eaten the last few years, I receive the most questions about the underwater restaurant I visited in the Maldives! Named Ithaa, meaning “pearl” in Dhivehi, the local language, Ithaa is a restaurant 5 meters underwater at the Conrad Rangali Island resort!
You can just see Ithaa under the water. It’s the grayish looking tube.
If you read my last post, you know that my husband, Dan (a bit of a points guru), found a crazy deal for a week in the Maldives at the Conrad Rangali Island, Maldives the first week of December – 5 nights in an overwater bungalow totally on points. So that became our Thanksgiving vacation! I was a little iffy about staying a full 5 nights and 6 days on a remote island with no realistic ability to leave, but we had a wonderful time and it was perfect during the pandemic. And actually, Dan and I both felt that our Maldives vacation FLEW by and we easily could have spent another week. Big surprise! Here’s a run down of our week if you are curious (or hesitant) about what you would do on such a stay!
Dan and I spent a week at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island in December 2020, during the COVID global pandemic. The resort was at around 35% capacity, we felt totally safe, and we had a lovely time, particularly enjoying the resort without other people! Here is our review of the resort, which may change slightly once COVID ends… In any case, I hope that this helps you plan your trip!
Conrad Rangali Island airport. Smack in the middle of the resort.
The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island is obviously in the Maldives, a national of many, many islands located off the south west coast of India (making it fun to combine with a trip to India or Sri Lanka). The Conrad is in the South Ari Atoll of the Maldives, and is comprised of three private islands. It takes exactly 29 minute to arrive via sea plane from Malé, the capital of Maldives and home to its major airport.
Dan and I attended our friends Pryor’s and Bryan’s wedding earlier this month in Richmond, Virginia and, since my parents live in Virginia and I had not seen them alllll of quarantine, we met them for two fun-filled days of wine tasting in Charlottesville, Virginia before the wedding! While Dan and I have wine tasted all over the world, from Mendoza, to Stellenbosh, to Bordeaux, we had not spent a lot of time in Central Virginia, so we were pumped to try some VA wines, especially since I am from Central Viriginia!
As you may know from my prior posts, Dan and I took an almost proper vacation to Mo’orea in August on our summer getaway to French Polynesia (after Georgia, Azerbaijan, Puerto Rico, and Puglia were cancelled …I know it could be much worse)! We had an absolutely lovely trip and recommend Mo’orea to others for sure! This details how we spent our four days on Mo’orea and provides some logistical information that is hopefully helpful. I would 100% do this exact trip all over again!
Dan and I stayed a few nights at the Conrad Bora Bora in August, shortly after French Polynesia re-opened to Americans on July 15th. We had an amazing time at the Conrad. The Conrad is top notch, super classy, and much fancier than the Hilton that we stayed at on Mo’orea or the Intercontinental Tahiti. But, it was also more expensive and difficult to reach. This is Dan and my review of the Conrad for those planning a visit – happy trip planning!
Dan & I traveled to French Polynesia in Auguston a whim after it reopened to Americans on July 15th! After spending nearly two weeks in the islands, these are our budget tips for traveling to French Polynesia. Because French Polynesia is expensive and really, who doesn’t love to save some money for that next trip?!!
Dan and me in Bora Bora. It was as gorgeous (and pricey) as it looks. = )
After a very, very long year with hardly any travel since mid-March (aside from a quick getaway toAntigua over the July 4th holiday), Dan and I spontaneously booked a real live getaway to French Polynesia just as it reopened to the World in mid-July! There were a lot of unknowns due to COVID, but everything ended up working out splendidly. However, literally until we boarded our Air Tahiti Nui flight, we were not certain our getaway to French Polynesia would happen… I’ve detailed our trip for those visiting, or dreaming of visiting, French Polynesia!
Mount Otemanu in beautiful Bora Bora, French Polynesia. August 2020.Continue reading →
Yep, we did it. After strictly locking down for 3.5 months in New Jersey (and missing 3 trips along the way), we were majorly itching for a getaway when restrictions were finally lifted. We initially planned to travel within the US but honestly, the US is going to shit with its handling of the pandemic. So we looked else where and realized that a number of Caribbean destinations were open/opening to US travelers. We settled on Antigua, which was one of the first Caribbean countries to open to the US back on June 4th, and upon researching, Antigua handled the pandemic quite well. We decided on a short trip over the 4th of July, from Thursday, July 2nd – Tuesday, July 7th. This article details our travels and hopefully will shed some light on the issue for those trying to decide whether to travel this year.
Flying into Antigua! It felt great to be flying again.
Its Cinco de Mayo on a Taco Tuesday people, and we’re stuck inside. That’s mighty cruel. So in an effort to boost my own sprits, I wrote this post about a tasty little cafe in Condesa, Mexico City that Dan and I visited in 2018! I had meant to write about it before and never got around to it, but now seems like a better time than ever!
Dan & I just outside of Mexico City at Teotihuacan in 2018.
Dan and I visited South Korea in November 2019 and, like many tourists, we had a few discussions about whether to visit the North/South Korean border, referred to as the Demilitarized Zone or the “DMZ.” I very much wanted to and quite frankly, could not imagine going all the way to South Korea without at least trying to catch a glimpse of the infamous country. Dan, on the other hand, had zero interest and preferred to spend his time on more “positive” things. We compromised by doing a half-day guided tour from Seoul to the DMZ with I Love Seoul Tour, which tour got totally restructured due to an “African Swine Flu outbreak.” Reflecting back on our half-day tour, Dan enjoyed it more than he thought he would, and I was underwhelmed. Interesting and historical for sure, but not a “must see” in my opinion. This post is about our personal experience in November 2019. Information and safety at the Korean border changes daily, as do what things tourists can access, and travelers should always review the most up-to-date information before engaging in such a trip.
In planning our trop to Seoul, Korea, Dan and I were very excited to try allll of the food, but we also knew that we would have some trouble accessing some of the more local cuisine, especially of the street food variety, so I booked three (!!!) food tours during the course of our six day trip. Nope, I do not regret it at all and each one was quite delicious. Our first food tour was centered around Gwangjang Market, a busy market frequented by locals, as well as some tourists in the know. More so now with the release of Netflix’s Street Food Seoul episode – featuring Gwangjang Market.
Entering Gwangjang Market early on a rainy Sunday morning.
We entered Gwangjang Market early on a Sunday morning and despite it being rainy and cold, the market was largely open and packed with people, mostly Koreans. Our tour guide walked us through the most famous intersection of Gwangjang, as seen on Netflix’s Street Food Seoul edition, and pointed out some less authentic, more tourist oriented stalls in this popular area. He advised us to avoid them at all costs.
Some popular tourist stands according to our tour guide.
Our tour guide then led us to our fist proper stop – a humble stall serving noodles and dumplings – as featured on Netflix’s Street Food Seoul edition (!!), and we sat down for our first taste of the day (well, we did have some breakfast, which would later regret). Sitting at this food stall was quite exciting, as we did not realize this famous one was on the tour! Second surprise, the benches affixed around the cooking area are all heated! Totally genius and this perk made our meal much more comfortable on a cold morning. Our first food was two bowls of kimchi – the traditional red version that we often see is the US and a green variety that, according to our guide, is only found in Korea. We were also given a bottle of soju – Korean liquor – to drink with our breakfast… The kimchi was, as expected, way better than anything I’ve ever had in the US, and the green kimchi was my favorite of the two. It was absolutely delicious! The soju was a little much for a Sunday morning but, when in Seoul? We managed to finish the bottle.
The famous food stall from Netfilx’s Street Food Seoul edition.
Seoul is the capital of South Korea, the lower portion of the Korean peninsula (the upper portion being North Korea). Seoul is a huge city located in the northwest part of South Korea on the Han River. I have been wanting to visit Seoul for a few years, and Dan and I finally pulled the trigger and visited for six days in November as part of a Seoul/Tokyo trip over our Thanksgiving holiday. I had a bit of a difficult planning our trip and figuring out what to see and eat, so here are the highlights of our trip, as two thirty-something American travelers who are certainly not experts on Korea! We loved our time, found Seoul to be a surprising budget destination, and we absolutely need to go back for the cherry blossoms!
Excitingly, JFK recently added two (!!) Priority Pass lounges to its roster: the Primeclass Lounge in Terminal 1 and the Air India Maharaja Lounge in Terminal 4. This makes 3 Priority Pass lounges in Terminal 1 and 2 Priority Pass lounges in Terminal 4! Very exciting since the current Priority Pass lounge situation in both terminals is busting at the seams. For example, a 30 minute wait for Wingtips Lounge last summer…
Wingtips line this Summer in JFK Terminal 4!!
Both the Primeclass Lounge and the Air India Maharaja Lounge opened to Priority Pass members in mid-November 2020, and Dan and I just happened to be flying out of Terminal 1 on Thanksgiving Eve for our trip to South Korea and Japan – perfect timing! Of course, we had to visit the new Primeclass Lounge in Terminal 1! Plus, a visit to the Primeclass Lounge fit perfectly into our late night departure (or rather, early morning – 12:50 AM), as the other Priority Pass lounges were not open during the majority of our time in Terminal 1. For example, Korean Air Lounge closes at 8:30 PM and the Air France Lounge does not permit Priority Pass members until 11:30 PM (they do also allow Priority Pass guests in the morning).
US in South Korea!
The Primeclass Lounge is located in JFK’s Terminal 1 post-security all the way in the back of the terminal, near Gates 8 and 9. Walk all the way down the terminal to find the entrance; a bar/shop in front of the entrance to the Prime Class lounge nearly blocks view of the entrance entirely from a distance.
Our flight left the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and Terminal 1 was, not surprisingly, super crowded when we arrived, even though it was already late in the evening. after searching for the Primeclass Lounge, we eventually found it, and luckily only had to wait behind one person to check in. However, a line multiple people deep quickly formed behind us. Sign-in was not as quick as it should have been, and required our Priority Pass and boarding passes, per usual. The person doing the check-in also gave us two free drink tickets and explained how the lounge works. I think this “explanation” is part of the reason why checkin was not quick. The same could have been accomplished by a handout of signage inside the lounge.
Slight line at checkin.
Access to the lounge is down the stairs behind the check-in desk; the lounge is actually located below Gates 8 and 9. There is also an elevator.
Upon entry into the actual lounge, our first impression was that the Primeclass Lounge is crowded. I’m not sure if this is due to the date we flew, the newness of the lounge, or if its always this way, but it was packed. We managed to snag two seats at the bar and set up there, as that was all that was available. The crowds did disburse by the time we left at 11:00 PM, but not until just before then (Terminal 1 is know to have some very late flights!).
The bar area in the Primeclass Lounge just before we left. It was MUCH more crowded a bit earlier.
Setting aside the crowds on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, guests enter the lounge in the bar area, which consists of a bar and some bar top seating, then opens up into a room with a food buffet and standard lounge seats, which were almost all taken on our visit. Toward the back of the lounge, there is a non-alcoholic beverage station, as well as private bathrooms (which could have been cleaner). Primeclass was decorated nicely, with some very cool New York famed pictures around the lounge and mirrored ceilings.
Primeclass Lounge seating.
Since we sat at the bar, I’ll start with my review of the drinks. As mentioned, every patron receives two complimentary drink tickets to be exchanged for an alcoholic beverage at the bar – but only certain beverages, which are explained on a little menus sprinkled around the bar. On our visit the complimentary drinks were a selection of red, white, or sparkling wine and a few types of beers. However, the fancier beers, such as Blue Moon, took two tickets. In addition to the complimentary beverages, cocktails were on sale for $18 US (!!) and you could buy extra wine and beer, too. I tried the complimentary sparkling and red wines. Both were just ok; I would have been annoyed if I had paid for them. The bartender was pleasant and she made drinks pretty quickly.
Drinks at the bar.
Complimentary drinks.
Drinks for pay.
In terms of the food, all food is set up on a buffet in one corner of the lounge. Almost as soon as we arrived, the lounge announced that it would stop serving food in a few minutes. We visited the buffet shortly after that announcement, but there was almost nothing left (in the lounge’s defense, it was nearly 10 PM at this hour). In fact, the only things left were a few yogurts, a couple pieces of fruit, a bowl of pasta, and some couscous. I imagine the buffet would be more robust during normal dining hours. I would like to come back and try the lounge when it is fully functional. We did try the pasta, and it was quite good. Know that if you have a late flight, there may not be food in Primeclass.
The 1 bowl of pasta.
Very few things left late in the evening.
And a tiny bit of salad.
I also grabbed a lot of bottled waters and a Diet Coke from the self-serve drink area near the restrooms. I also looked at the restrooms, which while spacious and private, could have used a cleaning. I will write that off to it being a very crowded travel day.
Restroom in Primeclass lounge.
We stayed in the Primeclass Lounge for our 2 drinks and then left around 11:15 PM and got in line for the Air France Lounge on the opposite side of Terminal 1, and yes there was a short line! You can read about the Air France Lounge here and yes, it is by far the best Priority Pass lounge in JFK’s Terminal 1. Of note – Priority Pass members are not granted access in the evening until 11:30 PM and lines start to form around 11:15 PM. There is actually an entire area set up for Priority Pass members waiting to get in to the Air France Lounge in the evening. If your flight time works out, the Air France Lounge is completely worth the wait. A full buffet was still operational until at least 12:20, when we left for our flight. The pumpkin pie and whipped cream was a special Thanksgiving Eventreat!
Air France treats – full spread of food there!
In sum, the Primeclass Lounge fills a time void for Priority Pass lounges in JFK’s Terminal 1 and provides additional lounge space, which is much needed in Terminal 1. Hopefully we just visited on an extremely busy day and Primeclass will perform better in the future. I am excited to return and try it at normal hours.
STEAL OUR LOUNGE
Primeclass Lounge: JFK Terminal 1, Post-Security, Near Gates 8 & 9. Open Monday, Thursday, and Sunday 05:30 – 00:00, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday 09:00 – 00:00. May 4 hour stay. Two complimentary alcoholic drinks per person. Other alcohol and “premium” drinks and cocktails cost money. Printer available in the lounge. Complimentary access for Priority Pass members. The General Public can buy access for $59.00 for four hours.
Korean Air Business Lounge: New York JFK, Terminal 1, air-side (post-security), near Gate 3. Open 14:00 – 20:30 daily. Accepts Priority Pass and Lounge Buddy, and possibly other cards.
Air France Lounge: JFK Terminal 1, airside near Gate 1. Open daily 6:00 – 17:30 and 23:00 – 1:00 (it is actually open all day, but shuts out Priority Pass members between 17:30 and 23:00). Offers wifi, showers, and refreshments – including Champagne and a Clarins wellness area (“during certain times”)!
ON A BUDGET
If you’re traveling on a budget, I would not pay for entrance into the Primeclass Lounge, – its not worth it. But the food options in Terminal 1 are generally terrible. Eat before the airport and maybe grab a beer and a snack at that bar/kiosk obscuring the Primeclass Lounge entrance.
Earlier this year, Dan and I spent a long weekend in Belgrade, Serbia. There are many, many hotels, hostels, and bed and breakfasts in huge Belgrade, but we choose to stay at the Hilton Belgrade because of the perks that come with our Hilton Diamond Status. There were other reasons as well, like location, a sweet spa with a “Caribbean shower,” and recently redone interiors, but our Diamond Status was what lead us to this hotel in the first place. If you’re unfamiliar with Diamond Status, its Hilton’s top status of hotel goers and we achieved it via our Hilton Aspire credit card. You can also achieve it via many night stays (I believe its currently 60 nights) or accumulating a certain spend. Diamond Status comes with a number of perks, including room upgrades, a welcome amenity, free breakfast and, our favorite, access to the Executive Lounge!
Entrance to the Executive Lounge in Belgrade.
An Executive Lounge is basically a private club room for certain patrons of Hilton. The quality of an Executive Lounge varies by property, but, outside of the US, they generally all offer a quite space, your own concierge, and food and drink during certain times of the day.
In the Belgrade Hilton, the Executive Lounge was located on the second floor of the hotel, just about the checkin area and very close to the hotel’s ballrooms (lots of weddings on the weekend here!). This particular lounge was on the small side for a Hilton Executive Lounge, but it was very nice. You reach the Executive Lounge by swiping your room card and then checking in with the employee working the door by providing your room number. Once you check in once, they tend to remember you. Hilton is very good about remembering it Diamond members. Once inside, the Executive Lounge is basically one room decorated in a modern fashion.
The Executive Lounge.
As you can see, the room is set up with low tables and chairs, with a series of televisions playing major news channels in English. Along the wall there is a street view with bar style seating and a kitchen area in the back of the room, where all the food and drink are located. The private lounge restroom is also in the back of the lounge.
The Executive Lounge from another angle.
One or two Hilton staff members work the lounge throughout the day, hence remembering the Diamond members. We found the staff to be helpful, nice, and quite friendly!
Like most Executive Lounges, the Belgrade lounge offered breakfast, non-alcoholic drinks and very light snacks throughout the day, and a happy hour each evening for a couple hours. As is pretty standard at Hilton lounges, breakfast was substantial, but not huge, and offered a selection or hot and cold foods. The variety changed slightly each day.
Breakfast meat and cheeses.
Fruits.
Eggs.
A Serbian bean dish, sausage, and bacon.
Vegetables and a porridge type dish.
Breads.
Jams and cereals.
Kind of off topic of the Executive Lounge, Diamond members also get free breakfast in the hotel restaurant which, in my opinion, often offers more options and better food. In Belgrade, this was my made-to-order Eggs Benedict breakfast in the restaurant. Those hash browns were 100%!!! The cons, its way more crowded than the Executive Lounge, is not as relaxing, and it usually takes longer.
Super delicious breakfast in the hotel restaurant. Free for Diamond Status holders.
After breakfast ends, most Executive Lounges put out some grab and go snacks, the quality and quantity varying by hotel. Belgrade’s were particularly bad – just these Big Corny bars. At least they were Serbian made. And they were kind of tasty.
Snacks.
In all the Executive Lounges that I have visited, happy hour is the busiest and most popular time in the lounge. Happy hour is usually a 2 hour period, in Belgrade from 18h – 20h, where the lounge puts out essentially a small dinner spread and offers alcoholic beverages. During our stay, the food was quite good, and we actually made a meal out of it one evening! The Belgrade lounge offered a variety of dishes, a selection of which were always Serbian dishes. You can eat as much or as little as you want. This is definitely a good option for a pre-dinner snack or a full dinner if you don’t feel like leaving the hotel!
Cute & delicious cheese and peach plates!
My second portion of a delicious pasta dish!
Overview of the appetizer area.
More.
Awesome fried potatoes.
Another, not as good as the white pasta sauce.
In addition to substantial food at happy hour, the Executive Lounge also puts out free booze! In Belgrade, the Executive Lounge set out some local beers, a couple bottles of Aleksandrovic wine (which we visited on our wine tour!), and flavored rakia, as well as some standard hard liquor! The alcohol was replenished frequently. In addition to alcohol, an espresso machine, as well as sodas, canned juices, and still and sparkling water are always available when the Executive Lounge is open.
Espresso machine.
Booze.
The Raika – fig and plum!
Chips, nuts and popcorn with the booze!
In addition to food, the Executive Lounge has free, good wifi, a computer area, and a number of magazines in a variety of languages.
Business area.
STEAL OUR LOUNGE
Hilton Belgrade: Kralja Milana 35,Belgrade,11000, T: +381-11-7555700. Great hotel, and highly recommended! Access the Executive Lounge with the Hilton Aspire Card.
Dan & I are big wine fans, and we love trying wine in less popular wine destinations. For example, we’ve done wine tours in South Africa, Montenegro, and Mendoza, to name a few. We spent a long weekend in Belgrade, Serbia last fall and upon researching for our trip, learned that Serbia has a wine country! Yes, Serbia has a wine country (actually multiple ones!) that is quite good, complete with its own indigenous grapes! As such, we promptly booked a wine tour.
Sparking wine tasting at Aleksandrović Vineyards!
Our tour, which we did with Private Serbia Tours, took us around the Šumadija wine region in central Serbia to three different wineries. It was actually supposed to have been four wineries, but one was unexpectedly closed due to a sewage issue… Our tour started early in the morning with a pick up at our hotel in Belgrade. We were the only two on the tour, so after the pick up, we drove about an hour outside of Belgrade to visit the first winery. The drive was on a modern highway, and our guide told us that we were only a six hour drive from Thessoloniki. Had I know that, I would have tried to squeeze in some Greece on this trip! Once we got off the highway, the countryside was quite different than Belgrade. Few modern cards; lots of tractors and horse drawn contraptions.
The Serbian countryside.
We reached Despotika Winery, our first stop on this tour, about an hour or so after our pickup! Despotika is a young and hip winery, making grapes with both traditional (i.e. French) grapes and indigenous Serbian grapes. Despotika’s theme is – “We’re still not the oldest, biggest and most famous, but we decided to be the best.” Love it, and also love that Despotika lived up to this theme! In addition to being the best, Despotika is designed to be really cool, and the owners have put a lot of work into this place. Lots of art and cool architecture. This would be a fabulous place for a wedding!
Welcome to Despotika (that’s Despotika in Serbian Cyrillic on the flags).
One of the cool art installations on the property.
Despotika’s vineyards.
Our tour of Despotika began with a walk through the property, which included sightings of grapes being harvested and the extensive wine cellar, and ended with a tasting – and by tasting I mean nearly a full glass – of seven wines. Yes, seven wines. The tasting was a mix between white and reds and well known grapes and local varieties. The entirety of the tour took about 1.5 hours, and Despotika ended up being our favorite stop on the tour! I think Despotika had the coolest grounds and the best wine (true to its slogan!).
Barrel room.
Dodir white wine.
Nemir – a rose.
Zmajetivi. This was named after 3 dragons – reminded me a lot of GoT!
Dokaz red wine.
Despotika also has a really interesting wine museum with lots of Serbian wine artifacts that we visited as part of the tour and a decent gift shop. Very interesting. Pro tip – buy Despotika wine at the vineyard. Prices at the vineyard were wayyy better than at the airport.
A really cool glass grape piece from Despotika’s museum. Would love this for my house!
After drinking a lot of good wine at Despotika, our guide drove us to the capital of the Šumadija region, Topola, for a visit to the well-known King’s Winery. The King’s Winery is part Serbian wine museum and part small winery. The King’s Winery started years ago when the Serbian Royal Family grew grapes on the surrounding hills and produced Trijumf (the name is currently in use by winery Aleksandrović) wine. Production stopped due to the conflicts in the area in the late 1900s, but picked back up in the early 2000s. Today, the King’s Winery produces a limited amount of wine each year, which you can purchase on the property.
The King’s Winery.
At the King’s Winery, we did a self-tour of the historic wine cellar, which has wine making equipment from the early 1900s and an amazing wine cellar housing some really old bottles. The visiting was quite interesting, and shed some light on historic Serbian wine production.
Some of those really old bottles in the Kings Winery.
After our self-guided walk-through the cellar, we tried two tiny tastings of the King Winery’s wine. These wines were not nearly as good as Despotika. But I guess good wine is not really the point of the Royal Winery…
Tiny tasting of red at the King’s Winery.
We skipped buying a bottle the King’s Winery. I mean, we we were worried about running into serious luggage weight issues… Since our third stop, which was also our lunch stop, was closed, we ended up having an al fresco lunch in the town of Topola (name that I cannot pronounce in the pic below).
The restaurant where we lunched!
For lunch, I finally tried the national Jelen beer and Dan and I both ordered pasta. The meal was fine, but the al fresco seating was the real winner. The restaurant’s terrace was lovely! If you do eat here, the portions are enormous, definitely large enough to share.
Jelen beer!
My lunch!
Dan’s lunch!
Jelen beer!
My lunch!
Dan’s lunch!
The final winery that we visited on this tour was Aleksandrović Winery. Aleksandrović is one of the most well-branded Serbian wineries and one of the few that exports its wines outside of Serbia. Aleksandrović’s most famous wine is a line called Triump (i.e. Trijumf from the King’s Winery) and its all over Serbia.
Welcome to Aleksandrović!
At Aleksandrović, we watched a short video about the winery, took a tour of the barrel room, and then moved to the back deck for the wine tasting. Unlike Despotika, Aleksandrović requires patrons to purchase tastings by the wine, but its only a few dollars per taste (which is just smaller than a 1/2 glass). I think we tasted five wines for about $15 per person. The wine was good, but not as good as Despotika. The best things about Aleksandrović are its wine selection of wines and the gorgeous tasting setting. Of the three wineries that we visited, this would be the easiest to visit on your own.
One of the reds.
View from Aleksandrović’s tasting room.
STEAL OUR TRIP
Serbian Private Tours: We did the Royal Footprints Wine Tour for 219 Euro for both of us. The price included door to door transportation, all wine tastings, an English guide (also the driver), and a little gift at the end of the tour. For the entire day, I thought this was worth the price. That being said, it is expensive for Serbia.
Despotika Winery: 11423 Vlaski Do, Smederevska Palanka. T: +381 26 302 126 E: vinarija@vinarijadespotika.rs. You can do tastings on your own. I recommend calling or emailing in advance to set up a tour and tasting. Since its a young, working winery, I am not certain tours are offered daily.
King’s Winery: Zdužbina Kralja Petra I, Oplenac bb, 34310 Topola, Oplenac, Serbia. T: +381 34 6811 280. You can just walk in for a tour and tasting, or to buy wine. Call to confirm hours, but it seems to be open daily in high season.
Aleksandrović Winery: Village of Vinca, Topola – Oplenac, 34310 Republic of Serbia. Individual visits: Dragana Srbljanin, curator, mob: +381 (0)62 262 277. Tamara Colic, curator, mob: +381 (0)62 262 186. Reservations recommended for individuals, mandatory for groups of ten and up. Open Monday – Saturday 8h – 19h, Sunday 10h – 18h. There is not a restaurant on premises.
Knezev Han: The restaurant where we ate lunch. Karadjordjeva 4, Topola Serbia. Right in the center of town. T: +381 34 812111. You probably do not need a reservation. Eat outside if you can.
ON A BUDGET
Serbian wine is inexpensive, particularly for the general quality. If you are on a budget, save money and taste various Serbian wines in Belgrade. You can find Serbian wine in most restaurants in Belgrade.
It’s the holiday season and time to review one of my favorite holiday spots in New York City! You’ve all seen it – Rolf’s German Restaurant on the East Side (22nd and 3rd). This is the famously booked restaurant that is decked out to the MAX in Christmas lights, baubles, dolls, and Santas. Seemingly forgotten until the Christmas rush, Rolf’s offers authentic Alsatian food that is good year-round. However, it is best at Christmas, despite how difficult it may be to score a reservation. Well, this will be my 3rd year going and I’m to give you all the required information to secure that coveted reservation and enjoy a holiday meal (albeit next year)!
The exterior.
Rolf’s at Christmas!!
First off, if you are looking for a reservation during holiday season, you cannot book too early. I always make reservations in September or early October via telephone (there is NO internet booking capability) early in the day. Rolf’s takes down handwritten reservations and stops answering its phone once November hits (and often sooner if booked up). If you miss the reservation call period and you are in NYC, stop by and try to make a reservation in person. Weekday lunches are your best bet for last minute reservations during the holiday season.
Lunch at Rolf’s last Christmas!
You should also know that Rolf’s has some interesting rules regarding meals during the holiday season. As of this year (2019), Rolf’s only takes reservations of parties of up to 4 people and each reservation is limited to 1 hour and 15 minutes (they will ask you to leave)! Seating is tight and service is quick, but its worth the effort, even for a meager 75 minutes! Also, since the restaurant is so tiny, this is not the place to come with loads of Christmas shopping – there’s simply nowhere to store it!
Christmas craziness at Rolf’s at Christmas.
If you are unable to score a reservation during the holidays, you can wait in line for the bar area (for cocktails only, no food is served in the bar during the holiday season). To do this arrive, as early as possible and join the long queue on 22nd Street. You will probably wait hours for an overpriced cocktail, but this is an option to get that Instagram shot. Bucket list: check. That being said, if you’re local, decorations go up in early October and stay up well into the new year, so you can go and get that shot early or late. We actually took Dan’s cousins in October of this year just to see it! It was not crowded at all and we could stay as long as we wanted!
The bar line during the holidays.
In any case, if you have a reservation, review the menu prior to arriving at Rolf’s. You do not want to waste your 1.25 hours looking at the menu. You want to waste it taking Instagram pics! Rolf’s makes choosing your food pretty easy – their menu is online and they don’t do specials during the holidays.
Rolf’s menu.
The one wild card is the drink menu, which is usually pretty fantastic! Rolf’s always offers fun holiday cocktails, as well as a long schnapps list and beer by the stein. Be ready to make a quick decision. Due to the time crunch, we generally order drinks as soon as the waiter comes by. Usually a Gluhwein, but sometimes we go rogue!
Christmas drink list.
Schnapps list.
Eggnog.
As you will see from reviewing the menu, the menu at Rolf’s is fairly small and is solely compromised of traditional Alsatian dishes. Think pork and veal schnitzels, potato and cabbage based sides, and even rabbit. For the most part, main dishes cost around $35 USD and come with two sides. While a bit pricey, it is New York and Rolf’s dishes are HUGE!
Traditional veal schnitzel.
My go-to meal is generally the above-pictured veal schnitzel, which is served with spatzel (German pasta), a lemon, and green beans. The schnitzel is pounded very thin and is always tasty. The spatzel is my favorite side dish, and I barely touched the green beans (I had better things to eat). I usually also order a side of German potato salad to split amongst the table, which was absolutely large enough to split between 4 people.
The potato salad.
Other popular dishes are the meatloaf, which is even larger than the schnitzel and is served with purple cabbage and mashed potatoes, and the Jaegar Schnitzel, a non-breaded piece of meat served in a mushroom cream sauce, that is served with green beans and spatzel!
Meatloaf!
Despite the dishes being huge, I always order dessert, which are really good! Recently, I’ve split the Black Forest Cake and the Apple Strudel, which is served warm(!), with my fellow dinners. Both are terribly delicious and huge.
Black Forest Cake.
Warm Apple Strudel.
All in all, I think Rolf’s is a super fun NYC Christmas experience. Its worth the annoyances, but only if you book early or go at an off time. I don’t think waiting in line for just drinks is worth it, but that’s up to you. If you go that route, arrive early and be prepared to wait a long time and be super crowded inside the standing-room only bar.
Standing room only at the bar around Christmas.
STEAL OUR TRIP
Rolf’s German Restaurant:281 Third Ave, New York, NY 10010. T: 212-477-4750 and 212-473-8718. IG: rolfsnyc. Open 12h – 20h, closed on Monday through Labor Day. Christmas decor up October – May.
ON A BUDGET
Rolf’s at Christmas is definitely a worthy splurge! If you are on a super tight budget, you can wait in line for access to the bar – but drinks are still $18 – or find another fun bar decorated to the nines for Christmas! There are a lot in NYC!
Dan and I spent a long weekend in Belgrade, Serbia earlier this year after our trip to Montenegro, as our Air Serbia flight connected in Belgrade to NYC and we thought, why not see a bit of Belgrade? Since we had limited time, basically 1 day in Belgrade proper, we decided to make the most of our time by taking a food tour through Belgrade, one of our favorite ways to explore a new city! Spoiler alert, we really like to eat and drink! There are a couple food tour options in Belgrade, but we went with the Food Tour Belgrade company based on a fellow traveler’s recommendation.
Interesting Belgrade.
The first stop and the start of our tour was at the Question Mark cafe, or simply “?,” a landmark in Belgrade. The Question Mark is the oldest operating cafe, or “kafana,” in Belgrade, and its associated with loads of Serbian history. Decorated in a traditional manner, ? showcases gorgeous furniture in its main room, as well as a large beer garden in the back. We were welcomed with the Jelen beer branded (a popular mass produced beer in Belgrade; its ok) swag all over ?!
We found it – the ?
To start our tour at ?, we tasted traditional Turkish coffee, which is very strong dark coffee prepared in a traditional Turkish (and Serbian) manner and served with a cube of sugar and a Turkish Delight, or a sweet candy. Turkish coffee is really popular in Belgrade, due to it being a part of the Ottoman Empire at one time. The coffee at ? was solid and the presentation was 100%. After we finished the coffee, our guide even showed us how to read our fortune (I won’t spoil the surprise!) More excitingly, we learned that the work Jelen (from the beer brand fame) is one of the most common female names, pronounced “Yellen,” like Helen according to our guide = )
Turkish coffee at ? in Belgrade.
After finish our coffee at ?, we took a short stroll through a popular and upscale area of Belgrade, before reaching our second destination, a “dumpling” shop.
A stroll through Belgrade. Could not resist a picture of the cute blue moto.
In contrast to ?, the second stop on our tour was super modern, and Instagramable, store called Ferdinand Knedle. Ferdinand Knedle only makes knedles, or Serbian dumplings, and they are served in sweet and savory flavors, with plum being the most famous flavor. Despite translating to dumpling, they are not the dumplings that I think of; instead, they are more like fried dough balls filled with a soft filling. Our guide described it as something you would eat after school.
Modern interior of Ferdinand Knedle.
Menu at Ferdinand Knedle.
Lots of knedles at Ferdinand.
At Ferdinand, Dan and I each got to pick our own knedle to try. We decided to split the two, opting for the plum knedle and the 4 cheese knedle. Both were delicious and I would love to return and try allll of the flavors. The knedle was quite filling, and I was super surprised to learn that its only a snack here!
Plum knedle from the outside.
Interior of the plum version.
Inside of the 4 cheese knedle.
After the knedles, we took another stroll, this time down a touristy street, and cut into a restaurant with an unexpected back courtyard. The restaurant felt fancy, with waiters in suits, but it was most certainly casual. First up, our choice of Serbian wine of the traditional liquor, Rakija. I had enough rakija in Montenegro, so I ordered red Serbian wine. Dan went with a flavored rakija. Both were sizeable pours and quite tasty.
Serbian red wine.
Dan’s rakija.
Shortly after ordering the wine, we were each brought a plate of traditional Serbian appetizers. Our plates included two types of Serbian cheese, two Serbian dried meats, a slice of tomato, an order of traditional sun-dried tomato spread, and the most delicious bean salad. My favorites were the bean salad and and the tomato spread. I really loved the bean salad! However, my favorite food on the plate was a prosciutto wrapped prune. OMG. Absolutely delicious. This type of plate is a popular appetizer plate in Serbia and you can find something similar at more traditional restaurants throughout the city. Pro tip, split one with your travel partner or order it as a meal.
Serbian appetizer.
After this meal, we stopped at one of Serbia’s most popular ice cream shops, Crna Ovca (or, the “Black Sheep”). Seriously, there was a line outside. I ordered white chocolate blueberry and straticella (my choice!), but there were so many flavors that I would have love to have tried, including Pear and Fennel. How cool does that sound?! The ice cream was excellent and a nice cap to our big appetizer.
Ice cream from the Black Sheep.
More ice cream at Crna Ovca!
Our next stop was a quick one, more meats and cheese at a local meat and cheese shop! Good think Serbia does great meats and cheese. Here, were tried 4 dried meats, a sausage, two pieces of Serbian cheese, and breads dipped in Serbian olive oil, more of that tasty tomato paste, and a sweet Serbian jelly. We also tried some fried pork fat, which was absolutely amazing!! By far my favorite dish. I wish I had purchased some to eat later.
Meats at the meat shop – delish!
Fried pork fat, even more delish!
Our meats plate!
Moving along, our next stop was just down the road at homemade Serbian liquor store with a woman very reminiscent of the Amsterdam hostel woman in Eurotrip… In any case, and as you may have gathered, rakija is very popular in the Balkans, including Serbia. We had already tried a bunch on this trip; I hate it, and Dan loves it. Here, we tried an herbal rakija that ended up coming home with us in a bottle too big for our wine bags, some cherry wine, and a few other liquors. Most were too strong for my taste, but the shop was pretty interesting. The owner, a/k/a the Amsterdam hostel owner, was also really sweet and hospitable. Definitely look this shop up if you are into Serbian liquors.
Some of the liquers.
Cherry liquer.
En route leaving the shop, we swung by a little market to pick up some raspberries – one of Serbia’s most famous exports. Who knew?! Aside from buying raspberries, the market was super cute and would make a fun stop for tourists!
Said raspberries.
Our very final destination was the bohemian district of Skadarlija, which is often compared to Paris’ Montmartre. I didn’t really get that comparison, but really nothing compares to my beloved Paris! Skadarlija is home to cute restaurants, cafes, and shops, many catering to tourists. We walked around Skadarlija for a few minutes and ended at an upscale sit down restaurant for another meal of classic Serbian foods. Yes, truly another complete meal.
Skadarlija.
Dan and me in Skadarlija.
I cannot recall the name of the restaurant; it is right on the corner next to direction sign in the above picture. I recommend a reservation. For our last meal of the tour, we started with Serbian red wine and Serbian grilled cheese. A perfect combo! Serbian wine is actually quite good and has a long history (which I will write about in another post, stay tuned!) and the cheese was fantastic. Our cheese and wine was paired with a salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, and Balkan cheese (like the ones we had in Montenegro!) called sopska salad, and cabbage salad. The tomato, cucumber, and cheese salad reminded me so much of a classic Greek salad – incredibly tasty!
Grilled cheese salad.
Serbian salad.
Cabbage salad.
After, we each were served a plate of cevapi – Serbian grilled meat in a tube form – served on traditional Serbian bread in sandwich type format. The cevapi was very, very good, especially on the pita bread. During our meal, our guide answered all of our questions about Serbia – its history, conflicts, growing up in the Balkans (she grew up as a Serb in Bosnia), and modern day Serbia. Our conversation was really interesting, and reading up on Balkan history will definitely make your visit and a conversation such as this much more interesting. Our tour was over after this meal, and Dan and I set off to see Belgrade’s Church of Saint Sava.
The delicious cevapi.
Looking back, this food tour was an excellent way to explore Belgrade; we saw a lot of the city and tasted many foods that we would not have been able to try on our own. For those thinking of visiting Belgrade or the Balkans, Belgrade is quite safe these days, despite its outdated reputation of being a war torn country. There is still conflict in the Balkans, but tourists won’t see that on a visit to Belgrade. Today, Belgrade is hip, charming, and a great value to budget minded travelers. Plus, many people speak English due to growing up on US television shows. Belgrade is definitely worth visiting, and is an easy pair with more popular Balkan destinations, such as Croatia and Montenegro, especially from the East Coast of the US due to Air Serbia’s daily nonstop flight from JFK to Belgrade (which I took, it was a fine flight). Feel free to email or comment with any questions about Belgrade!
Belgrade’s famous Church of Saint Sava.
STEAL OUR TRIP
Food Tour Belgrade: We did the Serbia On Your Plate Tour at 56 euro per person, which included an English Speaking guide and all food and drink mentioned in this article. The food was more than enough for a meal. This company offers a few other tours, but the one we took is billed as their “most popular.”
Dan and I finally vacationed in Montenegro earlier this year! I had been dreaming of going to Montenegro for seriously like 10 years, and I was really excited to execute this trip! In planning, and in my last 10 years of Montenegro dreams, I mainly focused on the Adriatic coast: the Bay of Kotor, Budva, Petrovac, and Sveti Stefan. When actually planning our trip, however, I learned that Montenegro has much more to offer than its gorgeous coastline, including a really good wine industry. Yes, who knew?! The center of Montenegro’s wine industry is the tiny town of Virpazar, so we promptly booked a stay in Virpazar as part of our trip.
I have wanted to visit the tiny Balkan country of Montenegro for years, and I finally went for a week for Dan and my 2nd wedding anniversary this past August! We spent 11 days in Montenegro and Belgrade, Serbia, with most of those days in Perast, Montenegro. Perast, and the Kotor Bay in general, were even more beautiful than I imagined, and I highly recommend them as an “off the beaten path” destination for travelers.
View from our room at Hotel Conte in Perast, Montenegro.
PERAST, MONTENEGRO
For those unfamiliar with Perast, which I am assuming is most people reading this blog (ha), Perast is a tiny, tiny town on the Kotor Bay in Montenegro. Perast is located about 30 minutes from Kotor, Montenegro and 1.5 hours from Dubrovnik, Croatia. Currently, Perast only has a population of around 400, but it has loads of history and a very Venetian feel, which makes sense, as Perast was part of the Venetian empire. Perast was also home to one of the best sailing schools in the world and historically educated some of the most well-regarded sailors. To date, Perast maintains the feel of a small fisherman’s village, but the look of a super swanky and expensive destination.
Sailing waters.
While today Perast is mostly a tourist town, its well worth a visit. Perast has only one main road, running right along the Bay, with most businesses being located right on this road. The entirety of the town can be walked in 20 minutes, but you should spend at least few hours soaking in the city. Its charming and you will want to stay longer. If visiting from neighboring Kotor, plan to spend a half-day, including lunch at Restaurant Conte.
Perast’s main street on a summer evening.
WHERE TO STAY IN PERAST, MONTENEGRO
Perast has many hotels, plenty for all the tourists in town, yet does not feel overly touristy or crowded. Since there are many options in choosing a Perast hotel, I would look for the following characteristics: 1. Is there air conditioning (since Perast’s buildings are old, some do not have this amenity) 2. Is there a pool? A pool is useful in the hot summer, especially since there is no proper beach in Perast. 3. Location of the hotel and your room. As buildings in Perast are old, many hotels have rooms in multiple buildings, and hardly any hotels have elevators. Confirm you are staying on the ground level if you have trouble with stairs. That being said, many hotels have golf carts to transport visitors around town (just call the front desk) and will have a strong local insist on carrying your luggage to your room (don’t forget to tip!).
Stairs to our room in Hotel Conte.
We stayed at the lovely Hotel Conte, which we absolutely adored!! Hotel Conte’s main building is located next to Restaurant Conte in the center of town, but its guest rooms are spread out in several buildings . Our room was located high in the town over looking the Kotor Bay – what a treat!
More views from our room.
Hotel Conte offered American-style air conditioning and a pool just outside of our room. Hotel Conte also had golf carts to drive guests around town and the staff insisted on carrying our luggage to and from our room, so the stairs were not a problem. If you do have mobility issues however, be sure to ask for a ground level room.
The gorgeous pool out side our room.
In terms of other hotels, most seemed locally owned and quite charming. The only chain we saw was an Iberostar outpost, which also had a golf cart driving guests around. One downside of staying on the Kotor Bay, no loyalty chains here.
Said golf carts for transporting hotel guests around town.
WHERE TO EAT IN PERAST, MONTENEGRO
If you talk to a Kotor Bay local, they will tell you that Perast has some of the best food on the Bay, and recommend a meal in one of Perast’s many waterfront restaurants. At least that’s what several locals told us! And they weren’t wrong; Perast has a string of waterfront restaurants right on the Bay, which make for particularly romantic sunset dinners. Our favorite was Restaurant Conte, where we ate twice! Reservations for more popular restaurants are recommended for sunset, especially on the weekends during high season. However, since there are so many restaurants, you should be able to find a table on most days even for dinner during high season. Most restaurants feature a similar menu of seafood, pasta, and pizza, showcasing Italy’s influence on Perast.
Anniversary dinner at Restaurant Conte.
Restaurant Conte. We stayed at Hotel Conte, which is attached to Restaurant Conte, and dined here twice. Conte’s speciality is seafood, and more than one person told us that this is the best seafood restaurant in town. Both of our meals and service were excellent. Make a reservation if you want to sit on the water like us; Conte books up.
Squid ink risotto. A speciality of the general area.
Konoba Skolji. Just off the water, Konoba Skolji specializes in Balkan meats, as well as seafood. Meat is cooked in an outdoor grill, which definitely catches the eye. We choose this restaurant based on several reviews I read online. Unfortunately, neither of us loved our meals at Konoba Skolji. We found them to be fine, but nothing to write home about. That being said, Konoba Skolji is good alternative if you don’t want seafood or pizza.
Octopus salad at Konoba Skolji.
Truffle Pasta at Konoba Skolji.
Bocalibre Pizza. A quick and casual pizza restaurant in a pretty courtyard. The dinner pizzas were just OK. The banana-Nutella dessert pizza, however, was out of this world. No reservations needed.
A BBQ Sauce based pizza at Bocalibre.
That banana and Nutella pie!
Pirate Bar. A simple beach bar serving hamburgers and a few fried things. We only had sunset drinks here, but the Pirate Bar would be useful for a quick lunch or for those traveling with children.
View from Pirate’s Bar.
WHAT TO DO IN PERAST MONTENEGRO
Perast is best for relaxing, strolling the town’s sole road, sipping a cafe of an adult beverage, and popping into the few shops in town. One end of town to the other only takes about 15 minutes, but its a fun stroll and there are numerous shops and cafes for breaks. Be sure to try the Pomegranate wine from the little wine stand – a local sweet wine!
Tiny Perast.
The local pomegranate wine.
Walking through town.
In terms of actual sight-seeing, Perast’s St. Nikola Church houses an interesting bell tower that tourists can climb, as well as a small maritime museum.
Bell Tower of Perast’s St. Nikola Church.
Perast’s Museum.
However, Perast’s main attraction is located on a small man-made island just off Perast’s coast in the Bay – St. George Island and Our Lady of the Rocks. Both are small man made islands in the Bay of Kotor that are best seen from Perast. Tourists cannot (well, are not supposed to) access St. George Island, as its a working monastery. However, tourists are welcome to visit Our Lady of the Rocks, which houses a gorgeous church with paintings by Tripo Kokolja, a Baroque artist from Perast, and a really interesting art museum.
Our Lady of the Rocks.
Legend has it that Our Lady of the Rocks Island started as a “pile of rocks” when some local fisherman saw a vision of the Virgin Mary. After that sighting, fisherman continued adding rocks to until the island formed. Entrance to the island is by small boat from Perast that leave almost constantly during the day in high season. The island is also home to decently clean public WCs. Entry is a few Euros, as is the boat shuttle. Plan to spend 30 minutes to an hour on the island.
From the front – gorgeous chapel.
The ceiling in Our Lady of the Rocks.
While Perast lacks a proper beach, the Pirate bar referenced above is a beach club and offers access to the Bay, as well as lounge chairs right on the water. If we had stayed longer, I would have spent a day here on the water.
Wholeheartedly agree with this sign.
Pirate Bar.
HOW LONG TO STAY IN PERAST
How long one stays in Perast is really a matter of personal opinion. Perast is one of those places where you take it slow, enjoy the views, and simply relax. We stayed 5 days, but you could certainly linger. I felt that 5 days gave us enough time to see Perast and the highlights of the Kotor Bay, without feeling rushed.
Pretty Perast.
If you are visiting as a day trip from a neighboring town, you can stay anywhere from a couple hours to a full day. The town can be walked in less than an hour, but it takes a while to get to the islands and you will certainly want to enjoy a seaside meal.
EXCURSIONS FROM PERAST
While public transportation is limited to the Blue Line bus route, tourists wanting to take excursions and willing to pay for a taxi will find Perast a good base. On our trip, we took a day trip to Dubrovnik (via private car), spent a 1/2 day in Kotor (via the Blue Line bus), and spent an afternoon in Herceg Novi (via taxi). We also did a 6 hour Bay tour from Kotor (again, via the Blue Line bus).
The one negative about taking excursions from Perast is that its expensive. Staying in Kotor will be easier (and less expensive) if you want to take many excursions around the area. There are lots of companies in Kotor offering day tours and excursions, as well as a more robust public transportation system.
HOW TO GET TO PERAST AND PRACTICALITIES
The closest airport to Perast is the Tivat International Airport in Montenegro, which is about 25 minutes from Perast. Coordinate with your hotel to arrange for a taxi. Podgorica, Montenegro’s capital, has a larger international airport. Podgorica is about an hour drive from Perast. I prefer to fly into Tivat to save time, but I would fly into Podgorica if it was easier or much cheaper.
While not a member of the European Union, Montenegro uses the Euro and ATMs distribute Euros.
If you rent a car, which many people do and can be helpful in Montenegro (we did not), know that cars are not allowed in Perast during the summer season. Cars must park on either side of town. Some hotels claim to have private parking lots.
Once in Perast, the Blue Line local bus service runs between Perast and Kotor, where you can connect to other bus lines. The Blue Line picks up at Restaurant Conte and comes about once an hour. Check with your hotel for the current schedule (it picked up on the half-hour when we were there). We found the bus to be very punctual. Tickets were about 2 Euro per person, paid directly to the driver.
There are currently no ride-sharing apps (like Uber or Lyft) in the Kotor Bay. However, there are tons of taxi companies, which will drive you all over the Kotor Bay if you are willing to pay. Coordinate with your hotel to call a taxi and confirm the average cost. If a taxi picks you up since there are no cars in Perast, you meet the taxi driver just outside of town near the Pirate Bar.
Everyone in the tourist industry speaks English. English speakers will have no trouble getting around.
There is exactly 1 ATM (outside Hotel Conte) in Perast and no Pharmacies. Bring essentials or buy in neighboring Kotor (20 bus ride).
Perast is extremely safe.
In case you aren’t ready to jump on a plane just yet, here are some more of my favorite pics from Perast!
Cute little bike.
Perast is so pretty.
Old streets.
One more of Perast.
STEAL OUR TRIP
Hotel and Restaurant Conte: Obala Kapetana Marka Martinovića BB 85336 Perast, Crna Gora. Reservations recommended for restaurant, especially to sit right on the water. Hotel reservations via the linked website. Breakfast at the hotel is awesome – included with most rooms, 10 Euro per person otherwise and to the public.
Konoba Skolji: Open daily 11 – 23. Close to Bocalibre. Reservations not needed.
Bocalibre: Located near the Wisteria Cafe, to the left of Hotel Conte when facing the water. Open daily – 23h. Reservations not needed. Budget friendly.
Pirates Beach Bar: Located near the parking lot just outside town (5 – 10 minute walk from Hotel Conte). Open daily 8 – 21 during summer season only. Reservations not required.
Kotor is an old triangle-shaped, walled town on the Kotor Bay in Montenegro. Its the most well-known and well-touristed town on the Kotor Bay, and probably in all of Montenegro, despite its small size. Why you may ask, especially if you’ve never heard of Kotor (or possibly even Montenegro)? 1. Kotor, and the Kotor Bay, are totally stunning and make for a gorgeous vacation destination. 2. Kotor is now on the Adriatic cruise ship circuit and smaller (but not that small) cruise ships dock in Kotor for the day. 3. Rick Steves has written a lot about Kotor, and its an easy day trip from neighboring Dubrovnik. In sum, people know Kotor and its a busy destination. If you want off the beaten path, stay down the road in Perast, like we did! That being said, nothing beats the views from Kotor and its a terribly lovely place to spend a day.
Dan and I flew through Belgrade’s Nikola Tesla airport this summer on our vacation to Montenegro. We connected in Belgrade after flying Air Serbia’s sole transatlantic flight from JFK, which is almost 10 hours long… Landing in the morning, we exhausted tired and ready for a rest and some food before flying the last 45 minutes to Tivat, Montenegro (50 minutes, also via Air Serbia).
Final destination: Perast, Montenegro.
Lucky for us, or so I thought, the Belgrade airport is home to a Priority Pass lounge, and not much else. After deplaning, we found the Business Club pretty easily; it was located quite close to where we entered the airport. Delirious, we did not do much looking around aside from locating the lounge.
Welcome to the Belgrade Business Club!
Checkin to the Business Club was quick and easy. We simply presented our boarding pass and Priority Pass card. A quick swipe and we were in!
Getting settled in the Business Club.
The Business Club is on the smaller side, and you can view the entire lounge at checkin. The lounge is separated into three main parts: a food service area, an eating and business area, and a lounging area. The most comfortable of these 3 areas is what I dub the lounging area. This area is slightly removed from the food and is filled with couch-like chairs and sofas. There are numerous coffee/end tables in this area, too, and it makes for a comfortable place to relax before your flight. There are TVs scattered throughout this area playing CNN. This area was pretty crowded when we landed on Saturday morning, so we set up shop in the business/food area (yes, odd pairing).
The kitchen/business area.
Crowded lounge area.
The business portion of the business/food area is comprised of several kitchen-style tables that are perfect for eating and drinking, they also make a good desk for getting some work done (there’s the combo!). Just behind these tables is a row of computers that can apparently be used for working. However, I didn’t see anyone using the computers when we visited.
Computers for use.
Next to the business area is the food, which I found to be lacking. We visited the Business Club twice during breakfast hours, which once spilled into lunch. At breakfast, the food options are slim, with a cold buffet and a few slices of cold cuts and cheese playing the starring role. There were also some pre-packaged tuna sandwiches in one of the fridges and some odd salad fixings. Hard pass.
Serbian meats.
Salad?
The aforementioned tuna sandwiches.
When lunch rolled around, the lounge staff, who were very nice, set out soup, pasta, and rice. Nothing looked too appetizing or tasty, so I skipped it all around. I believe Dan tried some of the pasta. He didn’t get sick, so that’s a win.
Lunch food.
The drink set-up was only slightly better, although since it was so early, I didn’t properly explore all the options. There was a decent espresso machine, as well as soft drinks and plenty of bottled flat and sparking water. There was also this really popular Serbian energy drink called Guarana. Dan tried one and seemed to like it. It was all the rage in Belgrade!
Non-alcoholic beverages.
More non-alcoholic beverages.
Guarana Serbian energy drink.
In terms of alcohol, I was excited to try the wine after noticing a sweet set-up in walking in. To my disappointment, this was simply a set-up and there were only single bottles of wine in the mini-fridges, as well as a few types of beer, including Leffe (not bad!). There was, however, a decent display of rakijaa, but it was all warm…. I would note that people were still drinking it, and I probably could have found some ice.
Rakijaa spread.
The faux wine spread.
Well-known Serbian wine from Aleksic – we visited this winery later in the trip!
Beer and water.
In addition to the above, the lounge has a small bookshelf with reading materials and basic clean WCs and the staff was pleasant and constantly replaced the limited food options. In a small, not-great airport, the Business Lounge was a welcome distraction and an easy place to waste a few hours. I probably would not pay to enter, unless I planned to drink a lot of warm rakija!
Reading materials.
STEAL OUR LOUNGE
Business Club Nikola Tesla Belgrade Airport: Between Gates A4 & A5. Open 5h30 – 13h. Complimentary access to Priority Pass members.
Dubrovnik is Croatian city on the very southern tip of Croatia, just north of Montenegro and across the Adriatic from Bari, Italy. Dubrovnik is split into two parts: New Town, the modern part of town with swanky hotels and restaurants, and Old Town, the beautiful walled part of the city that stars as Kings Landing in Game of Thrones starting in Season 2 (it was filmed in Mdina, Malta in Season 1). Both are worthy of your time.
Welcome to Dubrovnik!
With crystal clear green water and warm temperatures from May – early October, Dubrovnik has been a popular European and Russian vacation destination for decades, until the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, when Dubrovnik sustained significant war damage. Rebuilt and open for business since the early 2000s, Dubrovnik is back as a major vacation player and home to two busy cruise ports. Rick Steves famously named Dubrovnik “The Pearl of the Adriatic.” As a result of its newfound popularity, tourists are flocking to the city in droves and the Old Town can get crazy busy, especially during the height of summer. If you haven’t yet been to Dubrovnik, you’ve definitely “missed the boat” on this exotic destination, but its still a city worthy of a few days, especially as part of a larger Croatian or Balkan itinerary.
Surprising to many, myself included, Montenegro makes good, yet relatively unknown, red, white, and rose wine from both foreign grapes (although grown in Montenegro) and a handful of indigenous grapes found only in Montenegro. The most popular indigenous grape is the Vranac grape, which is used in red wine and is easily found in local restaurants and wine shops throughout Montenegro. Vranac, and generally all the wines that we tasted in Montenegro, was quite good. Outside of Montenegro, however, they are difficult, if not impossible, to find. Even Dan, my wine snob, liked Montenegrin wine!
Montenegrin grape vines.
Since we love wine and wine tasting, I was on the hunt for Montenegrin wineries throughout our entire trip to Montenegro. I was pleased to find a number of wineries offering visits to tourists, but Savina was the only working professional winery that I found (via Trip Advisor) close to Perast, where we stayed for the majority of our trip. As soon as I read the reviews, I promptly booked a tasting via email. It sounded lovely!
Al-Sahaby Lane is a good, while touristy, Egyptian restaurant right in the middle of Luxor, very close to the Luxor tourist souk and within walking distance of the river cruise port and the Temple of Luxor. Al-Sahaby Lane is located on the roof of the Nefertiti Hotel (there are many steps and I did not see an elevator). Reservations are not required and the restaurant is most certainly casual.
Aswan, Egypt. Its a small city in Southern Egypt, home to the High Aswan Dam, an unfinished obelisk, the Philae Temple, and the Old Cataract Hotel (of Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile fame). Its also a really gorgeous city set along the Nile River and the gateway to Abu Simbel. The locals were friendly and, notably (and somewhat surprisingly), it felt more progressive than the other cities that we visited in Egypt. For all of these reasons, I loved Aswan, and I would love to go back and spend more time.
Pretty flowers everywhere in Aswan.
We visited Aswan at the end of a5-night Nile River cruiseearlier this year. I knew nothing – at all – about Aswan prior to visiting and would have certainly skipped Aswan absent our cruise itinerary. However, I am so glad we stopped, as it was the prettiest city that we visited in Egypt! I kept saying that it reminded me of a Greek island. And it really did!
When passing through London Heathrow after an overnight flight from JFK, we spent a few hours in the SkyTeam Lounge in Terminal 4 before our connecting flight to Malta via Air Malta. We had a number of options through Priority Pass in selecting our London lounge, including a couple in Terminal 3 (where we landed), and multiple options in Terminal 4 (from where our Malta flight departed) – a branch of the Art & Lounge, a Plaza Premium Lounge, and the SkyTeam Lounge. We opted for the SkyTeam Lounge in Terminal 4 based on other online reviews, and we were not disappointed. The SkyTeam Lounge was a GREAT Priority Pass lounge! Side note – Heathrow is almost always a mess, so I always recommend lounging in your departure terminal rather than the arrival terminal and, more importantly, leaving LOTS of time between connections, especially coming from the US and then connecting elsewhere in Europe.
New Zealand Cider and views at the SkyTeam Lounge!
As you probably know, we LOVE a good food tour and take them rather frequently on vacation, especially in new cities. They are generally a fabulous way to try small samples of the local cuisine, while also giving a good bit of information about the area. Before this summer, we had never bene to Malta, much less its capital, Valletta, so we signed up for a food tour with Offbeat Malta Food Trails, one of the only (if not the only) food tour in Malta. Offbeat Malta Food Trails currently offers two tours, the one we took in Valletta and a tour of Mdina. We choose the Valletta tour because we were already visitingMdina on our own. We booked our tour before arriving in Malta and our tour started in the heart of tourist Valletta on a hot Saturday morning.
The Blue Lagoon is a pristine lagoon with crystal clear turquoise waters on the tiny, car-free island of Comino, Malta in the Mediterranean Sea. The Blue Lagoon is truly stunning and one of the “must see” activities in Malta. I’m talking paradise pretty and waters as turquoise as those you see in travel magazines. Since its so pretty, its super, super, super popular with tourists and a crazy amount of people descend on the Blue Lagoon everyday. Despite its touristy nature, I loved the Blue Lagoon and was more than happy to spend a day there! Dan on the other hand, thought it was just too touristy. We’ve summarized our experience in this post and how to make the most of your day!
Gozo is one of three Maltese islands in the Mediterranean Sea (the other two being Malta and Comino). Gozo is the middle island in terms of size and a world apart from its big sister Malta. On our trip to Malta earlier this year, Dan and I ferried over to the Maltese island of Gozo for a couple nights to experience old school Malta, and that is exactly what we got.
Mgarr Harbor, Gozo.
If you told someone that you were traveling to Gozo on vacation, they may have no idea where or what Gozo is. That’s because Gozo receives a lot less tourism that Malta or Comino, despite being close neighbors. This is probably due to the fact that Gozo lacks an airport, so you must go through Malta to access Gozo. In any case, we found Gozo to be very chill and laid back, gorgeous, a bit of a time capsule, and less expensive than Malta.
Quiet Gozo.
Many companies offer day tours to Gozo from Malta and some Blue Lagoon tours offer a couple-hour stop off in Gozo, but I would not recommend these. You will miss out on what makes Gozo special.
WHAT TO SEE ON GOZO, MALTA
Gozo’s most famous site, the Azure Window (of Game of Thrones fame, Dany and Drogo married there), sadly crashed into the sea during a storm in 2017. You can still visit the site where it was located, Dwerja Beach, and that’s just what we did! Even without the Azure Window, Dwerja Beach is very pretty and an interesting place to walk around a photograph. Just across the street is a popular swimming hole with crystal clear water. There is a parking lot at Dwerja Beach, a handful of kiosks selling food and beverage, and a sit down restaurant on site. I would plan to spend 30 minutes at Dwerja Beach, longer if you want to swim or eat.
Former site of the Azure Window.
Swimming behind Dwerja Beach.
Quite close to Dwerja Beach is the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of Ta’ Pinu. Ta’Pinu, for short, is a gorgeous basilica overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. And I mean GORGEOUS. Ta’Pinu is particularly well-known for a chapel that, as confirmed by the Catholic Church, has asked parishioners to say Hail Mary three times and then performed a miracle. Many people make pilgrimages here, and the Pope has even visited Ta’Pinu. Entrance is free and you are not supposed to wear short shorts or tank tops, but this rule was not strictly enforced in the Summer heat.
Interior of Ta’Pinu.
View from Ta’Pinu.
Danny at Ta’Pinu.
One of my favorite places in Gozo is Xlendi, a cute seaside town! Xlendi has great views, cool water front restaurants, and some walking trails. It also has a very small beach that is not exactly swimmable due to its size and boats; however if you take the path around Xlendi to the water, there are fabulous views and a few diving boards built into the coast! Swimming in this area seemed more sanitary than right in the port. There is parking around town. Xlendi would also make a nice town to stay in if you want to be in a town.
Xlendi Bay.
Swimming near Xlendi Bay.
Xlendi at sunset.
Marsalforn is another cute little beach town with lots of restaurants and bars. The beach here is slightly larger and the water is gorgeous. Marsalforn would make another cute town to base your stay on Gozo.
Marsalforn.
Just next to Marsalforn are the famous salt pans of Gozo. There is not much to do here except snap a picture and buy some salt from the older gentleman selling freshly made salt but its a cool place to see and quite close to Marsalforn. Tip if you’re planning on buying salt, which you should, bring a plastic ziplock bag to put it in. The bag our salt was sold in started to leak.
Real salt from Marsalforn – just used it Tuesday!
Salt pans.
If you are a history buff, you cannot miss a visit to the Ggantija Temples on Gozo. Similar to the Hypogeoum on Malta, the Ggantija Temples are ancient temples that were somewhat recently discovered and not much is known about their background. However, the temples are UNESCO World Heritage Sites and date back to around 3500 BC (older than Stonehenge!). There is an interesting museum that you visit before seeing the temples, which provides some interesting information and gives some suggestions as to what the temples may have been used for!
Ggantija Temples
Just next to the Ggantija Temples is the Ta’Kola Windmill, which is an old windmill that you can visit and climb to the top. We did this, but only because our ticket to the Ggantija Temples included entrance to the windmill, as well. The windmill was interesting, but I probably would not go back. The most interest part was viewing it from the outside.
Ta’Kola Windmill.
We also visited the Ta’Mena Estate, which is sort of a famous Agritourism farm and winery on Gozo. Ta’Mena hosts tours and tastings every Thursday (and I think Saturday), which you need to book in advance. The tour was quite long, but it did come with a substantial food and wine tasting after the tour. Ta’Mena also opens a shop after the tour selling all sorts of its organic products. The food tasting is enough for lunch.
Welcome to Ta’Mena Estate.
Victoria is Gozo’s capital city, and its quite a lovely city. Victoria is home to quite winding streets, old school public squares, lots of churches, and a number of restaurants and shops. We spent an afternoon here and really enjoyed this picturesque town. If you are looking to shop, Victoria is definitely the spot. My favorite store was the adorable House of Gozo located right off Gozo’s main square.
Adorable Gozo.
So charming.
Victoria is also home to the Citadel, which was way cooler than I anticipated. The Citadel is the old walled-city and it looks straight out of Game of Thrones. It reminded me a lot of Dubrovnik, too. While its a steep climb uphill, the views from the Citadel are worth it. The Citadel is home to some shops and restaurants. Be sure to bring water in the summer.
Top of the Citadel in Gozo.
Inside the Citadel.
Reminds me of Dubrovnik a decade ago.
WHERE WE STAYED ON GOZO
We stayed at the adorable Cescas Boutique Hotel, halfway between Xlendi and Victoria. Cescas is owned by the same people as Ta’Karolina Restaurant in Xlendi and like Ta’Karolina, the hotel is quite modern and swanky. Cescas is located in a remodeled farmhouse and its really in the middle of nowhere – definitely a place to get away from it all. Cescas has a lovely pool and serves a nice breakfast each morning.
Dining room views at Cesca’s.
The pool at Cesca’s.
WHERE WE ATE
As mentioned in my previous post on my week in Malta, we ate pretty well on Gozo. My favorite restaurants were Stanley’s Chippy Shop in Victoria and Ta’Karolina and The Boathouse in Xlendi. Here are a few pictures of some of my favorite foods.
Dan and me at Ta’Karolina.
Fried Gozitan cheese.
English breakfast at Cesca’s.
Nutella milkshake paired with Maltese red wine in Marsalforn.
Also, while not technically a restaurant, Lord Chambry Beer is a local craft beer brewed in Victoria. Its available all over Malta in general, even on the Gozo Ferry line(!), and each beer is named after something Malta-related. Definitely worth trying on Gozo!
HOW WE ARRIVED
The only way to reach Gozo is via the Gozo Channel Line car ferry from Cirkewwa (Malta) to Mgarr (Gozo), which run every half-hour. The ferry was easy and only took 25 minutes. It cost €4.65 per person round trip (more for a car, clearly). You do not need to buy tickets in advance and you actually don’t even need a ticket on the way over from Malta; tickets are only checked on the return trip from Gozo. The ferries have a cafe serving food and drinks, as well as some small souvenirs. There are taxis meeting the ferry in both Cirkewwa and Mgarr.
Ferry to Malta.
Ferry to Gozo.
Pulling into Mgarr Harbor.
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR VISITING GOZO
As of July 2019, there are no ride sharing apps working in Gozo. I.e. no Uber, Lyft, ECabs, or Bolt. There are buses that run around Gozo, they are not frequent. If you do not rent a car, a taxi is probably your best bet.
In the summer, its HOT on Gozo. Take a hat and carry water with you everywhere. And on that note, while water is easy enough to find (usually for 1 euro per bottle), places in Gozo did not seem to have great air conditioning. We had trouble cooling down.
Try to spend at least 1 night on Gozo, if not a few, to get a feel for the island.
Take cash out on Malta. There are ATMs on Gozo, but they have been known to go out island-wide.
SOME PICTURES OF GOZO
And, since Gozo was so gorgeous, I will leave you with some of my favorite pictures from Gozo!
Walking to Xlendi.
The famous fishing boats.
Kinnie soda.
In Xlendi.
View of Victoria.
Victoria.
Outskirts of Victoria.
STEAL OUR TRIP
Cescas Boutique Hotel: Triq tal-Ghajn, Il-Munxar, Malta. A true boutique hotel in a renovated farmhouse in Gozo. Kind of in the middle-of-nowhere, you can technically walk to Xlendi and Victoria. Good breakfast included with booking. Wifi and AC included. Pool on premises.
Ta’Mena Estate: Rabat Road, Xaghra XRA 9010, Malta. A popular winery and farm, with tours offered twice a week (I believe on Thursday and Saturday). Book in advance via email.
The Boathouse: XLN1010, Xatt Ix Xlendi, Il-Munxar, Malta. Right in downtown Xlendi, next to Ta’Karolina. Closed Wednesday. Open Thursday – Tuesday 12h – 15h30, 18h – 22h. Reservations recommended, especially for waterside dining.
Ta’Karolina: Triq L-Ghar ta Karolina, Munxar, Malta. Open 12h30 – 15h30, 18h30 – 22h30. Highly recommend booking a reservation online, especially to secure one of the romantic tables on the water like we had!
Stanley’s Chippy Shop: San Gorg Basilica, Victoria, Malta. Super casual and no reservations. Bring cash.
Gozo Taxi Service: The taxi service that I used to organize a day tour to some of Gozo’s most famous sites. They were very responsive via email and the driver was good. Would use again.
Malta is a small country of of three islands, Malta, Gozo, and Comino, in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and Tunisia. Part of the European Union, Malta is a popular European beach destination that is fairly easy to reach from mainland Europe. Dan and I spent a week in Malta in July, 2019, enjoying the sun, the crystal blue water, and the summer vibe! I definitely recommend Malta as a getaway from Europe or Northern Africa! For now, coming from the US, is a long ride, but that could change as Air Malta is allegedly looking to expand to the US East Coast… We shall see – fingers crossed!
Summer in Gozo, Malta.
While currently a popular vacation destination, Malta has a long history, dating back to 5900 BC. Malta has been home to ancient indigenous populations, some of whose structures are still intact(!) and ruled by the Phoenicians and Carthaginians, Romans, Greeks, Arabs, Normans, Aragonese, Knights of St. John, French, and British. We got a lot of British and Sicilian vibes, as well as a bit of Arabic. Malta also played a large role in World War II. I had no idea about Malta’s interesting and lengthy history, and it was definitely fun to learn about its history on our trip!
Historic Valletta.
HIGHLIGHTS OF MALTA
If you’re planning to visit Malta, these are my personal highlights, but, rest assured, there is more than enough to keep one busy for more than a week! However, I thought a week was the perfect amount of time to explore Malta. Here are some of my favorite Maltese activities!
The Blue Lagoon on Comino island was probably the biggest highlight for me; the turquoise water in the Blue Lagoon was absolutely stunning and I had a great time swimming in the Blue Lagoon for a day, despite it being heavily touristy. I would note that Dan did not enjoy the Blue Lagoon as much as I did, mainly due to the crowds.
Blue Lagoon. Comino, Malta.
Valletta, Malta’s capital city, is a gorgeous capital that feels like its stuck in a time capsule. Do not miss a morning walking around this gorgeous city. And I do mean morning in the summer, to avoid the heat!
Valletta, Malta.
Mdina, Malta’s former capital, is an impressive walled city, and it was also Kings Landing for Season 1 of Game of Thrones!! I found Mdina to have a similar awe-inspiring feel to that of Dubrovnik (Kings Landing post Season 1), but without the hoards of tourists. Go in the morning or in the evening to avoid the heat.
Mdina, Malta.
Malta is famous for its colorful doors and balconies for good reason. Valletta and Mdina are two of the best places to see and photograph Malta’s famous doors and balconies.
Balconies in Valletta.
Gozo, the middle Maltese island size-wise, is a short ferry ride from Malta island. We spent two nights on Gozo and Gozo has a completely different, laid back feel than Malta. If you have more than a few days in Malta, I recommend venturing to Gozo for at least a day and night.
Breakfast on Gozo.
OUR MALTESE ITINERARY
Our first full day in Malta was spent on a day trip to the Blue Lagoon with Hornblower Cruises, departing from Bugibba Jetty (we took a Bolt, Malta’s version of Uber, from St. Julian’s). Our day trip lasted from about 10:00 – 17:00 and it was totally amazing! The blue lagoon is awesome and while touristy, I think its totally worth fighting the crowds! We also took a 15 minute tour of some of the caves around Comino, which was organized by Hornblower. Highly recommend a tour of the Blue Lagoon to Malta visitors.
Me in the Blue Lagoon. Not a bad way to spend a Monday.
Our second day started with a visit to a well-known Maltese winery, the Meridiana Wine Estate. The wine was okay, but the tour was interesting and it is located on land that was bombed during WWII. We sampled 4 glasses of wine for 12 euro per person.
Meridiana Wine Estate.
After our wine tasting, we toured the Hypogeum, which is a UNSECO World Heritage Site. There are no pictures allowed inside the Hypogeum, but the Hypogeum is an ancient underground temple. Buy your tickets far in advance to tour the Hypogeum, only 80 people are allowed in per day. It was definitely an interesting site to visit, but I wouldn’t kill yourself to ensure a visit.
Our second day ended with a swim in the Intercontinental’s Sky Bar and dinner at the most delicious pizza restaurant – Restaurant Sotto! The pizza was amazing and deliciously Italian.
Sky Bar at the Intercontinental.
On our third day, we took the Gozo Channel Line ferry over to Gozo island for two nights. The ferry was super easy and only took about 25 minutes. It cost €4.65 per person round trip. Upon arrival in Gozo, we walked into its capital, Victoria, and had a tasty good meal at Stanley’s Chippy Shop (of TripAdvisor fame).
Victoria, Gozo.
Stanley’s Chippy Shop in Victoria, Gozo.
We ended the afternoon with a break at the hotel before walking into Xlendi for a romantic dinner on Xlendi bay at Restaurant Ta’Karolina!
Dinner at Ta’Karolina.
Our second day on Gozo was spent driving around the island and seeing some of its beset sites. We saw Dwejra Bay (the former home of the Azure Window), the salt pans in Marsalforn, Our Lady of Ta’Pinu Basilica, and the Ggantija Temple. All of these sites were really cool, and I felt like we saw a lot of Gozo!
Our Lady of Ta’Pinu Basilica.
Salt pans of Marsalforn.
After touring around the island, we did a wine tasting at Ta’Mena Estate, which was more of a farm than a winery. Our day ended with another dinner in Xlendi, this time out The Boathouse.
Ta’Mena Estate.
On Friday, we took the ferry back to Gozo and after checking into our new hotel, the Hilton St. Julian’s, we took a Bolt to Mdina for the afternoon, which was absolutely lovely!
Gozo Ferry Line.
We ended Friday with a dinner at the Leglin wine bar in Valletta.
One of the courses at Leglin Wine Bar.
On our final day in Malta, we took a food tour around Valletta, explored Valletta a bit on our own, and ended the evening with an Italian dinner in St. Julian’s.
Valletta.
FAVORITE MALTESE EATING AND DRINKING HIGHLIGHTS
I’ll post about some of our favorite meals but in short, Malta is home to some interesting food that is not easy to find off the islands. That being said, I unfortunately kept comparing it to Italian food and, I just did not find it as good as Italian food… In any case, we still had some excellent meals and dishes. Here is a short list of some of my favorite Maltese finds!
The local Maltese soda, Kinnie, is every where in Malta; there are even vending machines and a diet version. Definitely worth trying when in Malta.
Kinnie Soda!
Kinnie vending machine on Gozo.
Fried foods, like British and American-style fried foods, are strangely popular and well-done (er, fried) in Malta. I guess its due to its close ties to Great Britain. We had quite good fried food (though it wasn’t the most exotic or healthy) all over Malta, including on Comino Island where the only food options are food kiosks geared strictly to tourists. Malta is also a good place to find a solid fish and chips.
Fish and chips at Hugo Pub in St. Julian’s.
Fried mozzarella sticks on Comino. Might as well be the USA.
Rabbit is the national dish of Malta, and many restaurants offer rabbit every night. I am not a rabbit lover, but Dan tried it a few times and enjoyed his dishes. If you’re adventurous or a fan or rabbit, Malta is definitely a good place to have the dish.
Maltese rabbit dish at Ta’Karolina on Gozo.
Another must try in Malta is Italian food, since its so close to Italy! Italian food is readily available on Malta, and Italian coffees, cannolis, pasta, and pizza were everywhere. We had some AMAZING pizza at Restaurant Sotto in Valletta. Highly, highly recommended.
Pizza at Restaurant Sotto!
Along the fried cheese theme, I had multiple Gozotian cheese served fried as an appetizer on the island of Gozo. The cheese was soft and white and often served with a berry sauce. Big fan! This dish was easy to find all over Gozo – less so on Malta.
Fried Gozotian cheese.
Any and everything fig. I love figs and, lucky for me, figs are very popular in Malta, especially so in desserts and liquors. On our first night, I had a great fig pie served with homemade ice cream at Restaurant Peperoncino on Malta.
Fig cake with homemade ice cream.
In addition to fig liquors, Malta makes a lot of liquors from everything from fig to prickly pear to carob to limoncello. We tried a few different types on our trip, often as a complimentary after dinner drink at restaurants. Since these were liquors, they were not too strong and could easily be drank without a mixer.
Maltese limoncello.
Carob liquor.
We also tried Pastizzi on Malta as part of our Valletta food tour. Pastizzi may be the most famous Maltese food and its ubiquitous in Malta. Pastizzi is basically a puff pastry filled with a variety of fillings, from peas to cheese to Nutella. I tried the cheese, but pastizzis are quite cheap so you can try them all.
Pastizzi.
Finally, Malta’s local beer, Cisk! Cisk is everywhere on all of the islands, and they even have some fun summer shandy-type flavors. I had a few Cisks on this trip and for a mass produced beer, its quite good!
Cisk on draft.
WHERE WE STAYED
On Malta, we stayed in 2 hotels in St. Julian’s – the Intercontinental and the Hilton. We choose these hotels because of points and status that we have at the hotels. I preferred the Hilton to the Intercontinental, but they were both nice.
View from the room at the Hilton Malta.
As mentioned, both hotels were in St. Julian’s, a very popular tourist area on Malta. If you stay in St. Julian’s, know that there is a party atmosphere (clubs, bars, hookah), lots of chains, and loads of tourists. Stay elsewhere if you are searching for a more local feel.
Dan having a hookah in St. Julian’s.
On Gozo, we stayed at Cescas Boutique Hotel, between Xlendi and Victoria. While it was a bit out of the way, Cescas was gorgeous and a complete 180 from St. Julian’s. We did not have a car and were fine, but renting a car is helpful at Cescas on Gozo, as its at least a 15 minute (somewhat dicey on the side of the road) walk from the nearest restaurant (except the one onsite).
View from Cescas with Victoria in the background (a 30 minute walk uphill).
PRACTICALITIES
The Maltese speak English and Maltese, and many speak other languages.
Malta uses the euro. Large stores, hotels, and most restaurants accept credit card, but smaller shops, kiosks, and some restaurants only accept cash. As such, its advisable to carry cash, especially when not on Malta island.
Malta generally uses the UK 3-prong electric outlet, although some hotels also have the European 2-prong outlets.
The well-known white Malta taxis are pricey. We used the app Bolt and it worked pretty well, very similar to Uber (which does NOT work in Malta). Ecabs is a similar app that was recommended, but we did not try it. If you use Bolt, be sure to check that you want to pay by credit card if you do not have cash – otherwise the app defaults to cash payment. Note – as of July 2019, neither Bolt nor Ecabs work on Gozo or Comino.
Malta is by far the busiest and most modern of the 3 Maltese islands. You can find whatever you need on Malta. Things are much harder to find on Gozo and Comino.
Bring a cover for your shoulders if visiting churches; the Maltese are quite religious (Catholic).
Sicily is only a 90-minute ride away via fast ferry, making the two Mediterranean destinations an easy pair.
The island of Comino is tiny; there is only 1 hotel and restaurant on the island, and the Blue Lagoon is the primary site to see there. Don’t plan on spending more than a day unless you are staying at the hotel on the island.
STEAL OUR TRIP
Intercontinental Malta: St. George’s Bay St. Julian’s STJ, 3310, Malta. Located right in the middle of St. Julian’s with two pools. The Sky Beach Restaurant and Champagne Bar costs money to access if you are not staying in one of the Executive Level rooms. Good AC and awesome gym.
Hilton Malta: Vjal Portomaso St Julian’s PTM, 01, Malta. While in St. Julian’s, the Hilton Malta is located a bit away from the hustle and bustle of St. Julian’s, but still within walking distance to the bars/restaurants of St. Julians. I preferred the Hilton to the Intercontinental, but we also had lounge access in the Hilton (and not the Intercontinental (like we did in Singapore), and that may have swayed my opinion. Good AC and multiple pools on property.
Cescas Boutique Hotel: Triq tal-Ghajn, Il-Munxar, Malta. A true boutique hotel in a renovated farmhouse in Gozo. Kind of in the middle-of-nowhere, you can technically walk to Xlendi and Victoria. Good breakfast included with booking. Wifi and AC included. Pool on premises.
Hornblower Cruises: Dawret Il-Gzejjer, San Pawl il-Baħar SPB 1480, Malta. One of the more popular Blue Lagoon cruises in Malta. Book in advance online to secure your spot.
Peperoncino: 8 Triq Il- Bajja, San Ġiljan, Malta. Open daily 18h30 – 22h. Reservations recommended for the best tables!
Sotto Pizzeria: 32 South St, Valletta, Malta. Open Tuesday – Sunday 12:00 – 14:45, 19:00 – 23:00. Closed Monday. Reservations recommended, as this place is popular! Casual attire.
Hypogeum: Triq Ic Cimiterju Raħal Ġdid PLA, 1116, Malta. Open daily 9 – 5. Book your tickets via my link months in advance, or be prepared to pay $$ via a third party vendor. Only 80 people allowed in per day. The Hypogeum was quite interesting, but not a “must do” if you are short on time or cannot procure tickets.
Meridiana Wine Estate: ATD 4000, Malta. Closed Saturday and Sunday. Use the “Book A Tour” feature on the bottom of their website to inquire about a tour/tasting, which are usually held during the week between 10:00 and 15:00. Our tasting was 12 euro/person for 4 wines and some crackers. I recommend upgrading to their full tray of snacks, which costs a bit more but is enough for lunch.
Ta’Mena Estate: Rabat Road, Xaghra XRA 9010, Malta. A popular winery and farm, with tours offered twice a week (I believe on Thursday and Saturday). Book in advance via email.
Leglin Wine Bar: Old school wine bar in downtown Valletta. Book in advance via Facebook Messenger.
The Boathouse: XLN1010, Xatt Ix Xlendi, Il-Munxar, Malta. Right in downtown Xlendi, next to Ta’Karolina. Closed Wednesday. Open Thursday – Tuesday 12h – 15h30, 18h – 22h. Reservations recommended, especially for waterside dining.
Ta’Karolina: Triq L-Ghar ta Karolina, Munxar, Malta. Open 12h30 – 15h30, 18h30 – 22h30. Highly recommend booking a reservation online, especially to secure one of the romantic tables on the water like we had!
Stanley’s Chippy Shop: San Gorg Basilica, Victoria, Malta. Super casual and no reservations. Bring cash.
Off Beat Malta Food Trails: Great food tour of Valletta – you try delicious food and walk though a good bit of the city. Book online in advance.
If you are considering a Hilton Honors American Express card, here is Dan’s referral link. Referral link disclosure: if you’re approved for a card through my link, I earn rewards points at no cost to you. I’m not the card issuer, and offers and terms can change — check the issuer’s page for current details before applying.
Mdina, Malta is a walled, hilltop town on the island of Malta in the Mediterranean, which stood as the capital of Malta until the Medieval period. Mdina is commonly known as the “Silent City,” its a UNESCO site, and Mdina is a hugely popular tourist destination in Malta. More importantly, its also Kings Landing from the first season of Game of Thrones!!!!
Prior to planning our trip to Egypt, I hardly knew anything about Abu Simbel. Yes, I had heard of it and I *kind of* knew what it looked like, but nothing more. At all. But, as soon as I dug into Abu Simbel, a visit was absolutely non-negotiable. Planning this “must do” activity turned out to be more work than anticipated, as its a flight from Cairo or Luxor or 6-hour round trip drive from Aswan! In any case, we worked it out and it was one of both Dan and my favorite activities in Egypt, rivaling even the pyramids!
Dan and I were very interested in trying Egyptian food, so in planning our trip to Cairo, we booked a food tour shortly after we booked our flights! For any foodies planning a trip to Cairo, this is a GREAT idea (especially if you are not Egyptian and/or don’t speak Arabic) because it allows you to try really local food from vendors who may not speak English and see the heart of old Cairo (which can be quite overwhelming!). Its also a good idea if you are taking a Nile River cruise, because the food on those cruises is usually not Egyptian!
Being so close to Italy, Italy heavily influences Malta’s cuisine. Pasta, cannoli, and pizza are everywhere in Malta, and we ate a lot of it. However, I kept thinking that it was just not as good as Italian food; a second best so to speak. However, when we dined at Sotto Pizzeria, I was completely blown away and had, by far, the best meal of the entire trip!
Malta on a map.
Sotto Pizzeria is located in Malta’s capital, Valletta, in a nondescript basement with only a small sign announcing the restaurant.
If you’ve been following this blog, you know that Dan and I checked off a big bucket list item earlier this year – visiting the Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt!! It was truly a 10-year in the making trip (due to safety concerns), and we loved every minute of our holiday! So much, in fact, that we are planning to go back in a couple years when the Great Egyptian Museum finally opens! While everything was fantastic, I was shocked at how difficult it is to find information about visiting the Pyramids, and Egypt generally, online; it was really tough! I put together this guide to help future travelers cut down on the planning stress! Note, this information is as of 2019. Definitely check for updates and more recent information in the future, as Egypt’s tourism industry is only moving forward!
En route back from Malta, Dan and had a little over three hours to kill in Heathrow’s Terminal 3 before flying back to New York via Virgin Atlantic. Since we flew economy class, we had two options for airport lounges via Priority Pass – the Aspire Lounge and the No. 1 Lounge. Since we had visited the Aspire Lounge (albeit in Terminal 5) previously, we decided to check out the No. 1 Lounge this time, as it was new and it gets pretty good reviews.
Welcome to the No. 1 Lounge!
The No. 1 Lounge is part of a chain of lounges in the UK. The public can buy access to the lounge for 40 Pounds, and the No. 1 Lounge also accepts Priority Pass, Dragon Pass, Diners Club, and Wexas, and acts as a lounge for certain carriers. As such, it can definitely fill up and lock out Priority Pass members. To avoid this, the No. 1 Lounge offers an option for Priority Pass members to purchase guaranteed access for 5 Pounds/person. We did purchase this option, but it ended up being unnecessary.
The No. 1 Lounge is located post-security on the second floor of Terminal 3 of Heathrow Airport, just next to the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse and very close to other airline lounges. It was easy enough to find, just follow signs for airport lounges and don’t get distracted in crazy Terminal 3! There is an elevator and stairs to access the lounge. Entrance was quick and easy with our Priority Pass, and there were no restrictions for entry at 11 AM on a Sunday morning in June.
Pricing scheme.
Upon arrival, you are given a menu with hot meal choices for the day, a bit of general information on the lounge, and the wifi password.
Daily menu/literal meal ticket.
Upon entry, the No. 1 Lounge is quite large with decent airport views (the exact same as the Virgin Clubhouse, only 1 floor higher). Just past checkin is a pretty large bar with bar stool seating. Just past the bar is a small buffet and coffee area with table seating.
Cool runway views.
The lounge. I failed to get great pictures…
Moving around the corner from the buffet area, there is a lot of seating, both nice sofa like chairs, tables, and seating overlooking the runway. While there was a lot of seating, it was pretty crowded. In addition to this area, there are a few private rooms that can apparently be rented out for private groups (or possibly airlines). We ended up in one of these rooms at a large table just in front or a large TV playing BBC. These small side rooms also had small fridges with soda and water.
FOOD
Since we had limited time in the lounge, we decided to order hot food as soon as we sat down. Dan took our two menus to the bar, where all orders are placed, and placed our orders. The way the hot food works is that your menu is a ticket for one meal. We just missed breakfast, so I ordered the truffle mac and cheese and Dan ordered the bacon sandwich. Our food came out about 15 minutes later and both were quite delicious!! My only complaint is that the dishes were a little small… But we ended up lucking out and our neighbor gave us his menu (he was not eating) and we ordered a third fish wrap, which was served with potato chips and was SO good!! We were definitely plenty full at this point!
Bacon sandwich with brown sauce. Available all day.
Truffle mac and cheese. Available after 11 AM.
Fish finger wrap with potato chips. Available all day.
Aside from order from the menu, which is a really fun option in an airport lounge, we also visited the little buffet area. We visited just as the lunch portion was going out. When we visited, the buffet consisted of a hot soup, a beet salad, a small lettuce salad with some vegetables, fresh fruit (whole apples, oranges, etc.), and some nuts and dried fruit. The nearby coffee bar doubled as a dessert bar and offered cookies and a couple different types of tea cakes. The desserts were really good and the buffet food was high quality, but I was looking for something a little more unhealthy on my last day of vacation….
The buffet.
Beet salad and fresh tomatoes.
Fresh fruit and salad toppings.
Sweets from the sweets table.
THE DRINKS
While the hot food is understandably limited at the No. 1 Lounge, the drinks (well most) are free flowing (unlike the Aspire lounge). At the No. 1 Lounge, all alcohol beverages come from the main bar, and there are a lot of options. Seriously, Prosecco, numerous types of red and white wines, draft and bottled beer, and cider. There is also Champagne available for purchase. Between Dan and me, we tried the Prosecco, cider, and the Spanish Rioja red wine. I do not recall the brand of wine, but the Spanish Rioja was an excellent wine for a Priority Pass airline lounge.
Complimentary Prosecco.
In addition to alcohol drinks, the No. 1 Lounge offers complimentary bottles of flat and sparkling wine, a variety of sodas, juice, and a large coffee machine making all of the standard espresso beverages. These drinks are all unlimited and are self-serve via several small fridges spread out throughout the lounge.
OTHER AMENITIES
The No. 1 Lounge has in lounge lavatories, which were clean and large enough to change and freshen up. The No. 1 Lounge also offers showers for 15 Pounds, nap pods for 20 Pounds, and apparently spa services! We did not use these features, nor did I see anyone else using them, but they apparently exist…
All in all, the No. 1 Lounge was a good lounge, and I think that I liked it better than the Aspire Lounge, but only slightly.
STEAL OUR LOUNGE
No. 1 Lounge Heathrow: Post-security in London Heathrow Terminal 3. Follow signs for Lounge F access. Directly above the Virgin Clubhouse. Open daily 4:30 – 22:30. From 34 Pounds in advance, 40 Pounds at the door. Priority Pass, Dragon Pass, Diners Club, and Wexas members have complimentary access. Showers are 10 Pounds extra for patrons with complimentary access. Pass members can also guaranty entrance for 5 Pounds per person online in advance.
As part of our Egypt itinerary in April 2019, Dan and I took a Nile River cruise with Emo Tours Egypt. While we are not cruisers at all (having only cruised once previously), we choose a Nile River cruise because it seemed like the easiest and quickest way to get between Luxor and Aswan, while seeing the sites in between. We very, very much enjoyed our cruise and cruising the Nile is SO GORGEOUS. But, there were certainly some things that surprised us about the cruise, probably because there is not a lot of information online about these cruises except “rah rah, you have to do it!” So, here is my complete review and guide of our cruise down the Nile River!
View from the ship – the Nile Dolphin.
PROS: Easy way to get from Luxor to Aswan while seeing some sites in between, cruising down the Nile is amazing, generally safe and comfortable, Emo Tours Egypt tour guide was fantastic!
CONS: The food, limited activities on the ship, limited interaction with Egyptian culture.
Ah, Egypt! Dan and I spent 10 days in Egypt in April 2019, and we had the best time! By way of background, we have been wanting to go to Egypt for a long time, since 2008 to be exact, and we almost went in 2010, but opted for Turkey instead. Big mistake. The Egyptian Revolution happened in early 2011, and we have viewed Egypt as a bit too unsafe for Western tourists (or at least us) since. Last year, though, we started reading travel and news articles indicating that Egypt was once again safe. Soooo, we decided to go for it and booked tickets!
Spoiler alert, we had a FABULOUS time and already want to go back (but will wait until the new museum opens in Giza!). The ancient Egyptian monuments are more amazing than imaginable, and we really enjoyed the culture, food, and hospitality! If you have been thinking of booking a trip to Egypt, now is a great time to go and here is information for your booking based on our time there!
If you follow me or Dan on Instagram, you know that we FINALLY made it to Egypt earlier this year, visiting Cairo, Luxor, and Aswan, via a Nile River cruise between Luxor and Cairo. I will be posting about our trip and my tips and tricks shortly but, for now, here are some of my favorite pictures of this beautiful country (which you should ALL visit!)!
Hilton Resort & Spa Luxor, that’s the view from our room and the Nile River in the background.
Dan and my friend, Hugh, is in the wine industry, so when we were in Rome, he sent us over a few dinner/wine bar recommendations to try while we were in town! Usually I am a little picky about people’s restaurant or wine recommendations, but this guy knows his stuff and introduced us to Portuguese wine, which led to our wedding in Portugal! Enter L’Angolo Divino, a wine bar near Campo de’ Fiori, which was definitely our hang out spot when we studied in Rome…. We called and made a reservation same day (and probably did not need a reservation).
Despite it being late December in Rome, we walked to dinner (it was mid 50s F!) and were promptly seated at a cute table next to a window overlooking the street. The restaurant is quite small and when we visited, all of the patrons seemed to be tourists. This was a bit unsettling, but it turned out great.
Over Memorial Day, Dan and I drove to Montreal (from NYC, 6.5 hours) to spend a glorious weekend eating and drinking far too much. Montreal is the perfect place for that. On this trip, we stayed at the Double Tree by Hilton in the Complexe Desjardins, which was very recently converted from a Hyatt to a Double Tree in December. Fun fact – we stayed at that Hyatt back in 2012! This time around, we were very excited to check out the new Executive Lounge a/k/a Club Lounge at the Double Tree, having really enjoyed the one at theDouble Tree by Hilton in Santiago!
Entrance to the “Club Lounge” a/k/a Executive Lounge in Hilton speak.
On my 35th Birthday Trip in Rome, I lived out one of my greatest dreams – cruising around Rome in a vintage Fiat 500!!! Or a small metal death trap, as Dan called it… He hates danger. Our afternoon was absolutely fantastic and a unique way to explore the lovely city of Roma, Italia!
Roma Sparita is an absolutely delicious, well-known, yet casual, restaurant in the Trastevere neighborhood of Rome that frequently tops “best place to eat in Rome” lists. It doesn’t hurt that Anthony Bourdain LOVED this restaurant, so much that he would never disclose its name (although it was pretty easy to uncover). And, as some of you may know, Dan and I lived in Trastevere for a summer in law school and I LOVE LOVE LOVE Bourdain! Obviously,when we were in Rome over the New Year, I just had to have a meal at Roma Sparita and made a dinner reservation our first night.
One of the best, if not the best (a close tie with Roma Sparita), meals that I had on my 35th birthday trip to Rome was at Restaurant Roscioli. Restaurant Roscioli is quite well known in Rome, as both a delicious restaurant and a popular tourist haunt. Despite its touristy popularity, we booked a table for dinner on our trip, and it was so, SO good!
Roscioli!
If you are planning a trip to Rome, Roscioli will likely pop up on a lot of “best restaurant” lists and if you are just walking around looking for a place to eat, Roscioli’s charming atmosphere will certainly draw you in – think meats hanging from the ceiling, Italian products stocking the walls, and lots and lots of people. We made a reservation in advance before we left home (recommended) for the wine cellar. Yes, you pick where you sit, and there are four options: (1) the counter bar; (2) the restaurant hall; (3) the wine cellar; and (4) a table in front of the deli counter. Avoid the wine cellar if you can’t do steep stairs and the counter bar if you do not want to sit on a stool. Otherwise, the “options” are all in the same building and use the same menu and kitchen. We opted for the wine cellar because, well, we love wine! I would also note that each reservation is strictly timed and you are only allotted two hours for dinner, which I hate and is very un-Italian. Since we had a late dinner, we were the last sitting for our table and were able to stay as long as we wanted.
Happy Dan Dan!
On arrival, we were promptly shown to our table, which was down a steep set of stairs in, not surprisingly, the wine cellar. The tables were TIGHT, but that’s somewhat normal in Italy and we were sitting among some amazing and delicious bottles of wine. We kept spotting bottles that we would like to try. It was kind of a problem. The waitress gave us the menu and the huge wine list, and we set out to choose a bottle of wine! We also ordered a couple gin and tonics to start, and these were absolutely delicious. They were also served in the cutest glasses, and there are multiple fancy gins to choose from on their Gin and Tonic list!
Delicious G&T in the cutest glass.
After reviewing the wine list in great detail, we decided to ask for a recommendation on a Sagrintino. We ended up decanting a 2011 Montefalco Sagrantino at Dan’s choice. The wine was ridiculously good!
2011 Montefalco Sagrantino!
In the decanter!
On the food front, Roscioli has a really good menu, from pasta to meat, to fish, the list goes on. We ended up ordering two entrees (aka starters in Europe). First, fresh burrata! Burrata is a fresh, soft cheese, reminiscent of fresh mozzarella but better in my opinion! I was going to order this regardless but, super lucky for us, it was still white truffle season in Italy and there was a special white truffle menu, and the burrata was on it!! So, of course, I opted for the white truffle burrata! For those unfamiliar, white truffles are the most expensive of the truffle family, and they are incredibly, incredibly delicious. They are also only available for a short time period between about November and January. White truffles are priced by weight and the waiter will shave it fresh onto your dish. We went to a white truffle festival in San Miniato in 2016, and black truffles have just never been the same. We were also pretty familiar about how white truffles worked.
The white truffle menu!
Ready for the white truffle!
Burrata sans white truffles.
Burrata with white truffles!!
In addition to the burrata, we ordered something that was similar to a hotdog slider, basically a very tasty local sausage on a small bun with a pickle and a delicious sauce. These came two to an order and were quite delicious. No truffles on these bad boys.
Going to call these “mini hotdogs.”
For my main dish, I initially planned to order to Cacio e Pepe, but I wanted a dish from the white truffle menu, which narrowed it a bit. In the end, I ordered homemade tortellini from Bologna, which were stuffed with pork, and topped with more white truffles! Like the burrata, the white truffle was freshly shaved onto my pasta! This meal, again, was AMAZING!
Pre-white truffle.
White truffles and the scale.
The final dish!
Dan opted for my original Cacio e Pepe order, so at least I got to try that! As expected, his Cacio e Pepe was beautiful and tasted amazing. It was also a huge dish! I will absolutely order this next time (assuming its not white truffle season).
Dan’s Cacio e Pepe.
Even though we had enjoyed so much food at this point, we could not pass up dessert since the food was so tasty! We ended up ordered a fruit plate with chocolate sauce for dessert, accompanied with these famous dessert cookies. We also did a glass of dessert wine – a 2014 Muffato della Sala. The fruit was excellent and a great way to finish off our meal. However, I would probably not order it again, as it looks like every table receives a similar, smaller dessert for free.
Fruit + chocolate + wine biscuits.
Dessert wine!
All in, this meal was 1000%!!! I cannot go back to Rome without eating here, and I even joined their wine club! For those planning to visit, make a reservation in advance and review the menu (online) before you arrive to maximize your two hour dinner. There are a lot of options on the menu and it can be a little confusing. But don’t worry, the waitstaff is super nice and used to tourists. They will gladly assist if needed! In terms of price, this was our most expensive dinner in Rome, but that was due to my white truffles (about $50 US extra between the two courses – it was my birthday!) and an expensive bottle of wine. I would classify Roscioli as upscale but not breaking the bank.
STEAL OUR DINNER
Roscioli: Via dei Giubbonari, 21/22, 00186 Roma RM, Italy. Closed Sunday. Open Monday – Sunday, 12h30 – 16h, 19h – 00h. Reservations almost mandatory and can be made here. There are several options of “where to sit” in Roscioli. All areas serve the same menu prepared by the same kitchen.
Roma Sparita: Piazza di Santa Cecilia, 24, 00153 Roma RM, Italy. 12h30 – 14h30, 19h30 – 12h. Closed for 2 weeks every August. Recommended to reserve in advance here. or by calling +39 06 580 0757.
If you want to learn more about white truffles, and you should, read about my visit to the San Miniato white truffle festivalhere,here, andhere!
Dan and I made our triumphant return to Rome Italy between Christmas and New Year’s to celebrate my 35th birthday!! We originally visited Rome in 2008 as a law school summer study abroad and LOVED it but, unfortunately, had not been back – despite having been to Italymanytimes over the last decade… Since my birthday is in late December – the 26th to be precise – we visited Rome between Christmas and New Years. I was a bit concerned about the timing, the weather, what to do, etc., but we ended up having the perfect trip and now I really want to go back!
Dan and I at Circus Maximus. December 2018.
Dan and I in Campo di Fiore 11 years ago. July 2008.
Le Grand Colbert is an old-school Parisian haunt near the Louvre (and even closer to the Bourse (aka stock exchange)). Its also right around the corner from Ellsworth, an adorable restaurant that I recommend! Being old-school, Le Grand Colbert has been around for years – since 1900 (current owners since 1992) – and its everything that you would imagine in such a bistrot – gorgeous interior, fancy waiters dressed in full suits, and classic French fare. The building also has tons of history, originally dating to 1637. Be sure to check out the details in the small details, including the mosaic floor!
Le Grand Colbert.
Gorgeous interior!
Doesn’t le Grand Colbert seem like the perfect spot? Well, its also, and somewhat unfortunately, quite popular with the tourist crowds due to the fact that it was featured in the hit American move, Something’s Gotta Give (GREAT movie though!). So while its a classic, you will not likely be enjoying a meal at Le Grand Colbert with Parisians, but with other tourists. Even then, however, Le Grand Colbert is a pretty fabulous meal in Paris, especially for those on a first time (or once in a life time visit)!
Le group at le Grand Colbert.
As you can probably guess, I dined at Le Grand Colbert on my Ladies Trip to Paris earlier this year, but my mother and I visited Le Grand Colbert way back in 2004 when I studied abroad in Paris! We loved it then and it was just as good this time around. One of the best things about Le Grand Colbert is its classic, and lengthy, Parisian/South Burgundy menu. You want something classically French, its probably on this menu. Le Grand Colbert also boasts a great wine list! Every table at Le Grand Colbert starts with olives, potato chips (my favorite!), and crusty French bread. We paired this with a 2014 Bordeaux from Haut-Médoc from that excellent wine list.
Olives & crisps.
2014 Bordeaux!
I started my meal with a bowl of French Onion Soup because well, I was in Paris. This one was particularly good and super cheesy! Highly recommended. My only complaint is that it was too much food for me, ha!
Real French Onion Soup.
I then ordered a classic Parisian dish and one of my favorites, steak au poivre. This is basically a deliciously rare steak in a pepper corn sauce. My steak was served with a slice of tomato with Parmesean crust, really good haricot vert (green beans), and pommes frites! Super Parisian, and super delicious! Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of other peoples food, but other popular choices were the very fresh scallops, and the huge pot of moules-frites (mussels and fries)!
Steak au poivre.
Real scallops.
Pommes-frites and sauce for the steak (or the fries).
For dessert, because, Paris, I ordered a classic crème brûlée. It was served flaming, and it was absolutely delicious!
When in Paris?
Flaming crème brûlée!
STEAL OUR DINNER
Le Grand Colbert: 2 Rue Vivienne, 75002 Paris, France. Open daily 12h – 00h. Reservations recommended and can easily be made online. Not cheap, but not as expensive as you would think. Below are some pictures of the large menu (but not all of it) for price point comparison. While touristy, I do recommend this restaurant and would absolutely eat here again. Le Grand Colbert is also good about reserving tables for large groups without issue, a plus for groups or families!
Ah, the Eiffel Tower. The definitive bucket list site in Paris. Completed in 1889 for the World’s Fair in Paris, its still the tallest structure in Paris and very popular with visitors, who can ascend to the very top on most days (the top is occasionally closed for wind). I’ve visited the Eiffel Tower many times of the years, and visiting it has changed significantly in the last 20 years. Gone are the days of picnicing in the Champs de Mars and gone are the days of buying a ticket on the spot. Now, due to increased security measures, tourists should plan their visit in advance to save precious Paris vacation time and ensure their ticket to the top! Here is my guide on visiting and dining on the Eiffel Tower (skip to the bottom for information on dining on the Eiffel Tower only) in 2019!
Pryor and me visiting the Eiffel Tower in February 2019!
Ellsworth is an adorable little restaurant near the Louvre! With a little American flair and lots of Parisian flair, Ellsworth is fun stop not too far from a very touristy part of Paris. I have been to Ellsworth twice for lunch; once in the summer with Dan and once in the winter on my Paris Ladies Trip. I enjoyed both of my meals and will definitely return again!
Earlier this year with my mother, Dan’s mother, sister, and aunt, and our friend Pryor (frequently on this blog) and her mother went to Paris over Valentine’s Day. On this lovely Girls’ Trip, we took a food tour through Montmartre on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon – I’m talking sunny and 60 degrees! It was pretty great and a fun walk to explore a usually too touristy part of Paris!
Montmartre. You can still see a windmill in the background!
Le Centre Pompidou (or the Pompidou Center in English) is Paris’ modern art museum. Located in the Marais neighborhood of Paris, the museum itself is a stunning work of modern architecture and worth a walk-by, even if you are not a modern art lover. Earlier this year when I visited Paris on a Girls’ Trip, I lunched at le Centre Pompidou’s upscale restaurant, Georges, located on the roof of the museum, with stunning views of Paris. Georges ended up being everyone’s favorite meal of the trip, and eating there was a blast. Highly recommended for visitors searching for a delicious, somewhat upscale meal in an Instagrammable setting.
Earlier this year, actually over Valentine’s Day weekend (ha!), I took a ladies trip to Paris with my mother, Dan’s mother, sister, and aunt, our friend, Pryor, and her mother! It was a little reminiscent of our 2016 trip to Italy, but without Dan Dan (SAD!) Since some of the group had never been to Paris and others had not been for years, I took the lead in planning. So, for your reading, and hopefully planning, pleasure, here is our itinerary, which I think is perfect for first time visitors to Paris!
As some of you may know, Dan and I spent a fabulous summer in Rome wayyyy back in 2008 (so long ago!). We lived in the very residential part of the Trastevere neighborhood that summer, not too far from the adjacent Testaccio neighborhood. In fact, I have vivid memories of being in Testaccio (and Trastevere!) and thinking that Rome was not at all a touristy city. How wrong was I? Despite Rome being super touristy, certain areas, including parts of Trastevere and Testaccio, remain local and largely devoid of tourists. When we went back over the New Year this past year, I definitely wanted to explore more of these areas.
Me and Dan our first night in Rome, June 2008! I still drank white wine… #basic
Like its big sister, Buenos Aires, just across the Río del Plata, Montevideo is a meat lovers paradise. Beef is king, and often served grilled in a casual setting. Meat-eaters cannot leave Montevideo without enjoyed a grilled meat extravaganza at a paradilla. Like in Buenos Aires, You can find paradillas all over Uruguay, and touristy ones in the Mercado Del Puerto. We choose to go a bit off the tourist beaten path and visited Paradilla La Pulperia in the Punta Carretas neighborhood of Montevideo.
A paradilla.
Paradilla La Pulperia, or La Pulperia for short, is an institution in Montevideo that is only open Tuesday – Saturday, 19h – 00h. The actual restaurant is not much more than a glorified bar surrounding the most amazing grill. You will find both locals and tourists at La Pulperia, and you should arrive right at 19h (when it opens) or prepare to wait a while for a table.
A “parrilla” is a casual restaurant serving all types of meat, are extremely popular in Argentina and other South American countries (hello, Uruguay!). Buenos Aires is home to several famous parrillas, and you really shouldn’t visit Buenos Aires without a proper meal at one. When Dan and I first visited Buenos Aires, we dined at a famous parrilla called La Brigada, and decided that this was the spot for our only dinner in Buenos Aires this trip!
If you are traveling between Buenos Aires and Uruguay, even for a day trip, chances are that you will at least look at taking the ferry across the Río de la Plata. Dan & I have done it a few times, and its much easier than one would think. Its also much quicker than flying between countries considering the time getting to the airport, security, etc.
THE BASICS
Buenos Aires (BA), Argentina is quite close to Uruguay, only separated by the Río de la Plata. As such, a common and convenient way to get between BA and Uruguay is to take the ferry, generally referred to as the “BuqueBus,” between the two countries.
Busy BA…
To sleepy Western Uruguay…
In fact, ferries depart several times a day between BA and Colonia, Uruguay and BA and Montevideo, Uruguay and back. The journey to Colonia takes a little over an hour, while the journey to Montevideo takes around 3 hours.
Dan and I found ourselves in Buenos Aries, Argentina for 24 hours in November en route to our wine-cation in Uruguay and Chile! Pro tip – its easier to get to Western Uruguay (Carmelo and Colonia) by flying into Buenos Aires and taking the ferry across the Río de la Plata than flying into Montevideo and driving (who knew?!). Since we had been to Buenos Aires on a previous visit and were short on time, we got right to down hitting our very favorite spots!
I enjoy a good tasting menu, especially ones not with NYC prices, and when I saw that a Santiago restaurant had been named as one of the 50 Best Restaurants in the World, I planned our first night in Santiago eat at that exact restaurant – Borago!!
When visiting Santiago, Chile last November, Dan and I took a day trip to Valparaiso, Chile’s uber colorful port city with a dicy reputation. We had originally planned to stay a night or two in Valparaiso, but the timing did not work out and I was satisfied with our day trip. In fact, since it was so easy to visit as a day trip from Santiago, I would recommend most visitors with limited time to visit Valparaiso via a day trip from Santiago.
Dan and I love a good lounge, whether its in an airport or a hotel, we love free food and drinks. We also really enjoy staying for free on hotel points. When we booked our trip to Chile last year, we immediately looked at all hotels where we could redeem points for our stay. The Double Tree by Hilton Santiago – Vitacura was a candidate and we ended up booking four nights here based on the point redemption and the hotel’s location. It didn’t hurt that Dan has Diamond Status at Hilton either.
Entrance to the Double Tree by Hilton Santiago – Vitacura.
Santiago is the capital of Chile, the long, skinny country on the Western side of South America. Chile is bordered to the right by the Andes mountains, to the left by the Pacific Ocean, to the North by the desert, and to the South by glaciers. Due to its isolated location, Chile is indeed unique and extremely proud of its country and local products. Side note – to protect this status, Chile is also very particular about what one can bring into the country (wine is allowed).
Wine map of Chile. The most appropriate kind of map.
Montevideo has a number of good restaurants, but I found Jacinto on on Bourdain’s Parts Unknown: Uruguay. Since Bourdain loved Jacinto, I just had to eat here. I made a reservation a couple weeks before we left, which, looking back, was probably unnecessary.
Dan and my wine-cation last Thanksgiving unexpectedly took us to Santiago, Chile after visiting Uruguay (mainly because of flight schedules to/from the US). Since we were in Chile, we absolutely had to engage in some Chilean wine touring, especially since we do not drink much Chilean wine. In fact, we really did not know much about Chilean wine at all.
I spent Valentine’s Day weekend in Paris, France this year, sadly without Dan (SORRY DAN)! It was a girl’s weekend, and we had the best time. I will be posting more about what we did, where we ate, how Paris is in February (spoiler alert, it was amazing and 60 degrees and sunny!), and how you can recreate our itinerary, but for now, here is a snippet of some of my favorite pictures!
First up, la tour Eiffel at sunset. Valentine’s color schemed.
Macarons at Laduree.
60 degrees at la tour Eiffel actually on Valentine’s Day.
Pretty rugs on a private tour at Versailles.
Le Louvre.
Truffle cheese, french bread, and wine.
The little hens on the trip. On top of Galleries Lafayette at the Ice Cube Bar.
O’Paris Pub in Versailles. A great post-Versailles break with outdoor seating.
The group at dinner at 58 Tour Eiffel.
Winged Victory.
Parisian fried chicken.
Swoon.
Les Jardins de Versailles.
Love an old French advert.
Cute restaurant that was there when I lived in the 11th!
Pretty Parisian buildings.
Another pretty restaurant.
Le Tabac.
Notre Dame de Paris.
View from the top of le Centre Pompidou.
Midnight at la tour Eiffel. Post dinner, drinks, and a visit to the top!
The Canelones wine region, Uruguay’s most popular wine region, is located just outside of Montevideo. Since its so close to Montevideo, its definitely feasible to explore some of its wineries on a day trip from Montevideo. As you may know, Dan and I are big fans of Uruguayan wine, and we decided to fit in a little wine touring when we were in Montevideo last Thanksgiving!
Canelones wine region.
Bouza Barrels.
A day trip to Canelones is very easy if you have a rental car; you can just drive from Montevideo and park on site. If you don’t have a car, some companies run tours from Montevideo or you could hire an Uber. We did not have a car, but we came across an offer from Bodega Bouza to participate in a 1/2 day tour with lunch and transportation to and from our hotel, and we signed up for it! The tour was very well run and I would absolutely do this tour again.
Dan and I spent Thanksgiving 2018 in Uruguay! We initially started in Western Uruguay and moved East after a few days. Particularly, after visiting excellent wineries in Carmelo, Uruguay (Western Uruguay) for as much Tannat as we could drink, we spent a few days in Montevideo before flying to Chile for more wine tasting!
Last November, Dan and I traveled to Western Uruguay to visit Dan’s favorite winery – Narbona! Prior to our trip, however, I really knew nothing about Western Uruguay, and not really not that much about Uruguayan wine. But, to our lovely surprise, Western Uruguay is home to a handful of vineyards and has even been referred to as the Tuscany of South America by the New York Times!
Western Uruguay is beautiful.
That being said, and while we had an absolutely wonderful time, I found it incredibly difficult to plan our winery visits in Carmelo. Aside from that old New York Times article, there is not much information online about Western Uruguayan vineyards, and even less in English. After doing tons of research on the area, lots of Google mapping, and Facebook messaging vineyards in broken Spanish, we successfully visiting five vineyards, and here is my guide to wine tasting in Carmelo, Uruguay!
Dan, my husband, and I first encountered Narbona wine several years ago at Salt Creek Grille in Princeton, New Jersey (a great restaurant – get the fries!). One of its managers, Hugh Preece, introduced us to Narbona’s 2011 Tannat, and we instantly fell in love with the wine. Side note – Hugh also introduced us to Portuguese wine, which eventually led us to getting married in Portugal…
Side note – getting married in Portugal…
Back to the wine, the 2011 Narbona Tannat was big, tannic and everything we love in wine. We proceeded to order numerous cases from various wine distributors in the US and, when they eventually sold out (possibly to us?), we decided that we needed to visit the Narbona vineyards in Uruguay. It didn’t hurt that I have been wanting to visit Uruguay for a while, and that Anthony Bourdain had recently visited Uruguay. In any case, we made reservations at the Narbona Wine Lodge over US Thanksgiving 2018!
Narbona – from our room!
On arrival, the Narbona Wine Lodge was everything we wanted and more! However, it was slow and definitely a place to get away from it all. And, it was difficult to find any reviews online so, here you are!
On our visit to Nuremberg last fall, Dan and I ate at the cutest, pink restaurant right in the old town called Trödelstuben. I found it in online reviews and luckily made an advance reservation before we left, as it was entirely booked when we visited!
When in Prague earlier this year, since I had visited Prague before, I really wanted to do a day trip to a new city. I settled on Ceský Krumlov, which is a beautiful small town about 2 hours south of Prague, near the Austrian border.
Ceský Krumlov is the red dot.
I choose Ceský Krumlov based on the wild reviews of Rick Steves (with whom I have a love/hate relationship) and in in the hopes of visiting Ceský Krumlov before it is totally overrun with tourists – too late for that one! In sum, Ceský Krumlov was an easy day trip from Prague, but it was super, super crowded with tourists!
Views from the castle in Cesky Krumlov.
The Town And Its Sites
Ceský Krumlov is truly totally cute and looks like a fairy take town. Ceský Krumlov is also quite compact, and wandering around Ceský Krumlov itself is its main attraction. I recommend allotting at least a 1/2 day for Ceský Krumlov and at least an hour to simply wander the town. That being said, I would probably not spend more than 24 hours in town.
Nuremberg, Germany is a super cute town (well, on the larger side for a “town”) in southern Germany, about an hour train ride from Munich. Dan and I, as well as our friends Tinh and LaKenya, visited Nuremberg for a fun Fall weekend before hitting Oktoberfest earlier this year. Nuremberg was pretty, interesting, and a convenient place to explore before diving into Oktoberfest!
Hello and happy 2019 to all my friends, followers, and readers! I have been a little MIA since Thanksgiving due to the holiday season and trips to Buenos Aires, Uruguay, Santiago, and, most recently to Rome to celebrate the New Year!
I’ll be posting a lot about my recent trips and general travel information, but for now, here are some of my favorite pictures from magical Rome!
Happy Thanksgiving!! This year, Dan and I are celebrating at Dan’s favorite winery – Narbona in Carmelo, Uruguay. But last year, we celebrated in one of our favorite countries – Ireland! Particularly, Dublin & Galway – you can read about it here. In any case, I thought I would give you all a little gluttonous throw back regarding our food tour last Thanksgiving in Ireland.
Prague’s Vaclav Havel Airport is home to four Priority Pass lounges. When we visited in October, we spent a little over an hour in the MasterCard Lounge in Terminal 2. We had an enjoyable time and would definitely go back without question if in the Prague airport.
Prague is filled with delicious food – from high end Michelin starred restaurants to super casual and inexpensive ones. You will absolutely have a difficult time allocating your meals amongst the options. Despite my deep research on the best places to eat in Prague earlier this year, Dan and I stumbled on a fabulous restaurant while strolling along the Vltava River -Mánes Art Restaurant & Terrace.
As you may know, Dan & I love a food tour. We find them as a great way to experience a lot of local dishes without doing much of the legwork, and we do them on almost every trip (see our tours in Kuala Lumpar, London, Mexico, Paris, Siem Reap, Singapore, Venice, the list goes on… ). Yes, we really do love a good food tour.
A food tour in Venice in 2016.
When visiting Prague, we found Prague Food Tour via a Google search before we left home and took its evening Delicious Food Tour on our second night in Prague. Prague Food Tours is owned by couple George and Leona, both natives of Prague, and this particular tour took participants on a walking tour through central Prague, stopping at four locations over the course of four hours, and eating and drinking a lot! Since the tour is four hours and the owners/guides are Prague natives, we also received a lot of information about Prague and we were welcome to ask questions! We met in the early evening in central Prague and dove right in to the “food” portion of the tour!
Prague is fabulous. But its also super touristy. And super congested,, especially around its main tourist sites, such as the Old Town Square and Hradčany castle. While I loved Prague, there were definitely more than a few times when I just wanted to lose the tourist hoards and enjoy the city.
Crowds at Hradčany Castle at 8:45 AM…
Cue Nový Svet. Nový Svet is a charming neighborhood in Prague behind Hradčany Castle. For whatever reason, Nový Svet lacks the crazy crowds in most of Prague, yet retains loads of classic European charm. We ended up in Nový Svet somewhat on a whim – I had read about a “local” coffee shop there by the same name, and Nový Svet was recommended by our tour guide in Ceský Krumlov. We ended up fitting in a stop on our past day in Prague.
Prague has a popular dining concept, whereby, rather thank picking up meat from a butcher shop, diners order and eat at the butcher shop. Who would have thought?! Clearly, I (or rather, Dan) was super interesting in trying this out in Prague. I initially thought that waiting, ordering, and eating at a Prague butcher shop would be stressful and confusing, but it turned out to be super easy and ridiculously delicious! We went back for a second night!
Ah, Prague. For certain, one of the most beautiful cities in the World. Also, one of the most crowded with tourists. Seriously, SO MANY TOURISTS. In any case, Dan & I spent a really lovely long weekend in Prague in October 2018 with our friends Meghan and Tinh!
Prague 2018.
I first experienced Prague in 2004 (!!), when I was much younger studying abroad, much less traveled, and had barely even heard of Prague. I visited over Halloween weekend in 2004, and I remember it being the most exotic place that I had ever visited. Now all of that has changed, but Prague does still retain a certain Central/Eastern European charm that I really love. In my opinion and experience, Prague is a great destination for travelers who have been to a few “bucket list” places and are ready to brach off, at least seemingly, to a less visited destination.
As you probably gathered from my previous post about the American Express Centurion Lounge in Mexico City, Dan and I did a bit of lounge hopping when flying back from our trip to Mexico City earlier this year. We had a bit of time to kill in the airport (although not as much as I would have liked…), so we first hit the American Express Centurion Lounge and then jumped to The Ground Lounge Elite, a few minutes walk from the Centurion Lounge, via our Priority Pass.
Flying out of CDMX.
Like the American Express Centurion Lounge, the Grand Lounge Elite is airside not too far from the departure gates. The entrance is marked by a visible sign and entrance is complimentary to Priority Pass members. We checked in quite quickly despite the lounge being crowded.
American Express offers a series of airport lounges in the US, as well as a few outside of the US, which are complimentary for certain cardholders, including American Express Platinum cardholders. Since I have the American Express Platinum, I enjoy free access to these lounges. I first experienced a Centurion Lounge in Buenos Aries Ezeiza Airport (EZE), and have been a bit obsessed ever since. The Centurion Lounges in the US are rumored to be much nicer than the international lounges, but I, unfortunately, have not visited enough of these lounges to make a firm decision.
As I mentioned before, our Mexico City trip was alllllll about the food! For our second food tour of the trip, we signed up for an evening food tour through the Navarte neighborhood with Eat Mexico. Navarte is an old school neighborhood in Mexico City with a bit of hipster flair; it’s also where our tour guide grew up!
Cuidad de Mexico City (spoiler alert – this sign is not in Navarte!)
Ahhhhh, one of my favorite, if not my FAVORITE, restaurant that we ate at in Singapore on our honeymoon (sigh, take me back!) was Birds of a Feather! Birds of a Feather is a bit of a swanky sit down restaurant on Amoy Street in the Chinatown neighborhood of Singapore. We walked from the Intercontinental, and it took us close to 45 minutes.
Views of Marina Bay Sands on our walk to Birds of a Feather.
Dan and I visited Kampong Plouk, one of Cambodia’s Floating Villages, for a few hours one afternoon after doing some temple exploring in Angkor and the BEST lunch at The Hut! Unknown to us (although we did specifically request to visit the Floating Village), it was dry season and the experience on the Floating Village was certainly different than we imagined, in more ways than one…. In any case, it was quite interesting to visit the village. I can only imagine what it would look like not during the dry season!
Getting tickets for a boat ride through the Floating Village.
On our honeymoon earlier this year, Dan and I had hoped to have dinner at the famous Cuisine Damnak Wat; however, it was closed during our visit to Cambodia!! In looking for a comparable restaurant, I came across The Sugar Palm in Siem Reap. While I am not at all confident it is comparable to Cuisine Damnak Wat, The Sugar Palm was an excellent choice for dinner on our honeymoon!
Made it!
The Sugar Palm is set in the Wat Damnak neighborhood of Siem Reap. We took a tuk tuk from our hotel, and we ran into a bit of difficulty finding the restaurant. Eventually we arrived, just in time for our dinner reservation.
Dan and I visited Angkor, including the famous, Angkor Wat, earlier this year on our honeymoon. The entire trip was totally fabulous, and you can read more about that here. But, this post is about what to wear!! I was sort of clueless when it came to deciding what to pack for Angkor. I certainly wanted to ensure that I was comfortable and fully able to explore all of the temples in Angkor without issue, but I also did not want to look like I just came from the gym…. I mean, pictures!!
We had to look cute for these ridiculous pictures, right?
Angkor, commonly referred to as “Angkor Wat,” is the humongous, impressive, UNESCO recognized temple complex in Northeast Cambodia. Dan & I had been wanting to visit Angkor for years, and we finally visited in February 2018 on our honeymoon! Of course, I had to write a post about our experience, so here you go! If you are thinking of going there on a honeymoon, I thought Angkor was a perfect mix of adventure, romance, and beauty!
One of my favorite pictures of Angkor Wat in the morning (before allllll of the visitors).
Merced Market is Mexico City’s (and North America’s) largest market and it sells anything and everything that one could possibly need. Located on the fringe of the Zocalo neighborhood, a visit to the Merced Market can be overwhelming, and possibly a bit scary, especially for non-Spanish speakers. As such, Dan and I booked a tour of the Merced Market with a local tour company – Eat Mexico – to eat some good food and explore the market.
While Milan is not a super touristy city, the area surrounding the Milan Duomo and the Galleria Vittorino Emanuale II will make anyone think otherwise. This area is Milan tourist central and a great place to get pick pocketed, scammed, or just overcharged for food and drink. Enter, Liuni Panzerotti, a tiny, local restaurant jammed into the center of touristy Milan (just a block away from the Duomo). You should definitely plan to grab a snack here.
Me, Dan, and Aunt Di at the Doumo – tourist central! But also my favorite cathedral ever!
As many of you may know, the Guinness Storehouse is an iconic stop in Dublin, and a visit to the Guinness Storehouse is a must for any visitor to Ireland! The Storehouse is located an easy 20/25 minute walk from central tourist-Dublin and its open every single day. I’ve been a couple of times and, most recently, went on the Guinness Connoisseur Experience tour last November. This post is meant to give visitors some more information on visiting the Guinness Storehouse and the Guinness Connoisseur Experience!
The perfect pint in the Connoissuer Experience!
To plan a visit to the Guinness Storehouse (or a pilgrimage if you are like me…), set aside a minimum of three hours to arrive and explore the entire Storehouse, longer if you plan to eat a sit down meal or take the Connoisseur’s Experience (highly recommended for true Guinness lovers!). In planning your visit, know that the Guinness Storehouse tour is not an actual brewery tour (there are no public Guinness brewery tours), but an experience to fully immerse visitors into the world of Guinness. And, its where I first discovered Guinness 10 years ago…!!
In honor of our 1 year wedding anniversary, I am sharing some of our favorite pictures from our wedding! All of these pictures were taken by our fabulous professional photographers, The Framers of Lisbon, Portugal!
Dan and I ate lunch at Ard Bia at Nimmo’s in Galway, Ireland a few years ago when we visited Ireland with our mothers. At that time, we had no reservation and showed up on a whim for lunch. We were probably lucky that they had a table, and all 4 of us loved Ard Bia at Nimmo’s and still talk about it to date! What was so great about it? I have a difficult time explaining, but Ard Bia was cosy, friendly, and kind of felt like we were in someone’s home.
The Petronas Twin Towers are one of Kuala Lumpur’s top tourist attractions, located right in downtown Kuala Lumpur. Built in 1993, the Petronas Twin Towers are 88 story twin skyscrapers connected by a skybridge on their 41st floors. The Petronas Twin Towers are the tallest twin towers in the world and, fun fact, were the tallest buildings in the word from 1998 – 2004.
Langkawi is a Malaysian island off the coast of Malaysia on the Malaysia-Thai border. As expected, Langkawi is very much a beach destination, but it does have a few tourist attractions, including the Langkawi Sky Cab and Cable Car!
So before you start reading, know that this was one of Dan and my favorite meals in Mexico City!, and we totally stumbled into having dinner here! I found Broka Bistrot on a travel website (I think Afar…) and I boked a table solely based on the beautiful pictures of Broka Bistrot’s dining roo.. It didn’t hurt that it got good reviews or that it was open on Sunday… In any case, it turned out to be amazing AND, its soft crab shell tacos were better than the ones at Pujol (yep, that was true!!).
If you read this post, you may have gathered that Dan and I planned a trip to Mexico City just to eat. Yes, that did, indeed, happen. Since our trip was all about food, we simply had to eat at Pujol, a Michelin starred restaurant run by famous chef Enrique Olvera that was recently ranked as the 13th best restaurant in the world! I made the reservation in January, before we even booked the plane tickets… Even as early as January, dinner was already full, so lunch it was for us! We booked the 13:30 time slot, the first one available, in an effort not to spoil any dinner…(spolier alert, that was not succesful!).
Entering Pujol!!
Just before lunch, we were in the Zocalo neighborhood, so we took a quick Uber ride to Pujol. We arried a bit early, so we walked around Polanco a bit before entering the restaurant right at 13:30. Polanco is quite swanky – lots of very high end shops, including the most beautiful Louis Vuitton!
As many of you may know, Mexico City is super popular on the travel market right now (and has been for a while), so Dan and I decided that we absolutely needed to go over Memorial Day weekend! Actually, I have been wanting to visit Mexico City for a long time, but safety was always a concern. In any case, we felt that it was safe enough to visit so we booked tickets for the long weekend! It was just enough time to see Mexico City’s highlights, and I would definitely return for more exploration! Mexico City was cool, cheap, and full of delicious, delicious food.
Dan and I spent a few nights in Singapore on our honeymoon earlier this year, and we stayed in 3 separate hotels due to our flight schedule – the Holiday Inn Express Singapore Katong, the Marina Bay Sands, and the Singapore Intercontinental. Of the 3, the Holiday Inn was by far the best value, the Marina Bay Sands was the best bucket list stay, and the Intercontinental was my favorite!
Holiday Inn Express Singapore Katong
Marina Bay Sands
Singapore Intercontinental
As you would think, I totally expected the Marina Bay Sands to be my favorite hotel in Singapore. However, the Singapore Intercontinental totally blew me away! That being said, I would stay at any of these properties again.
Beautiful decor at the Singapore Intercontinental.
Dan and I honeymooned on the Malaysian island of Langkawi. While Langkawi is beautiful, and we stayed in the most amazing overwater bungalow, the food scene on Langkawi definitely left something to be desired, especially compared to Kuala Lumpur (where we LOVED the food).
Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia located a 5 hour drive north of Singapore, has a population comprised of several cultures – all with amazing food – including Indians, Chinese, and Malays. As a result of the varied population, the food in Kuala Lumpur is excellent and, for whatever reason, much of it is casual and really cheap, making for a great vacation destination in my opinion. Before visiting Kuala Lumpur on our honeymoon, we booked a food tour with TK from Withlocals and it was one of our favorite food tours on the trip (we took 3…).
Dan & I visited the touristy Batu Caves in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia earlier this year on our honeymoon. The Batu Caves were pretty cool and definitely worth a visit for passing through Kuala Lumpur. While the caves were quite interesting and certainly worth a visit, I had trouble finding details about visiting online, so here you go – my thoughts on visiting the Batu Caves. Happy traveling!
Dan and I hosted our “rehearsal dinner” the night before our wedding at Quinta do Arneiro in Gradil, Portugal last summer! I have “rehearsal dinner” in quotes, because we did not actually have a wedding rehearsal (we winged it!); this was just a dinner the night before our wedding with all of our guests who were in town! The evening was fabulously fun, and Quinta do Arneiro was the most amazing venue that anyone can visit for a meal! Highly recommended!!
Nope, that’s not a Gray Malin picture, that is a photograph of Ericeira, Portugal!! As you may know, Dan and I got married near the famous surfing destination of Ericeira, Portugal last summer! I was originally going to write a post about Ericeira in the Summer as a follow up to Ericeira in November, but Ericeirais really just a small Portuguese beach town that acts as a beach getaway for Lisboetas and serious surfers. Ericeira is also beautiful, so here are some of my favorite pictures from Ericeira!
The colorful flowers in Ericeira are unreal and everywhere!
If you read this blog, you know that I got married near Lisbon, Portugal nearly a year ago. Due to requests from a number of friends, colleagues, and acquaintances, here are my top 10 tips for planning a destination wedding! Side note – these are probably most applicable for those traveling to Europe (and particularly Portugal) from outside of Europe (I’m from New York).
# 1 – Get Married In A Destination That You Are Somewhat Familiar With, i.e. You Have Visited Before Your Wedding.
To be clear, if you have never visited a destination, do not have your wedding there. Your wedding, which will take months to plan, cost a small fortune, and stress you out to no end, should not be held at some place that you *think* is magical, but to which you have never even visited in person. Save that for your honeymoon. For your wedding, you need a basic understanding as to what you are getting yourself into, the destination, and the culture. We had visited Portugal 3 times before our wedding.
02.09.17. Sintra, Cabo da Roca, and Ericeira, Portugal. 2 days married. Eighth full day in Europe.
Day 8. Wow, our final full day of our European wedding vacation! Since Day 7 was our day of rest (a la our Day at Sea circa 2010 – hello, Pryor!), I planned a full day excursion for everyone’s (everyone who was still in town, anyway) final day in Portugal! I used Tours by Jorge to plan a private day tour to Sintra, Portugal, with lunch and a stop at Cabo do Roca, all starting and ending at Hotel Vila Gale Ericeira! I was seriously the best bride… = )
The beautiful Portuguese countryside that we toured!
01.09.17. Ericeira, Portugal. 1 day married! Seventh full day in Europe.
Ah, the morning after the wedding… We clearly missed breakfast, but work up earlier and less hungover than I expected! When we finally got ourselves together and down to the pool, most of our wedding guests were arriving, too. Everyone seemed pretty tired and hungover, but to have had a grand time and our wedding. Dan and I enjoyed a pool-side lunch of fries and a Somerbsy cider. The classic post-wedding carb overload. It was delightful.
All of the carbs at the Hotel Vila Gale Ericeira pool bar.
Wednesday, 30.08.17. Ericeira and Gradil, Portugal. 1 day until the wedding. Fourth full day in Europe.
Ahhh, wedding eve! If we weren’t already nervous, the nerves really kicked in today! Although, I have to say, day 5 started out pretty easy with some lounging, drinking, and eating European flavored potato chips by the pool! Most people were in town by this point and everyone was starting to hang out especially after Day 4’s big Welcome Cocktail Hour!
Dan & me at our Welcome Cocktail Hour! #warethecozzis
Tuesday, 29.08.17. Ericeira, Portugal. 2 days until the wedding. Third full day in Europe.
Ahhhh, our fourth day in Portugal and 2 days before the wedding. Shit was start to get very real, as we were leaving for Ericeira today, hosting our first official wedding event this evening, and saying goodbye to Lisbon (temporarily, I’ll be back)!
One last shot of beautiful Lisbon before the wedding events commence!
Monday, 28.08.17. Lisbon, Portugal. 3 days until the wedding. Second full day in Europe.
Ah, Monday. Three days before our wedding and our third day in Lisbon! It was really nice not to have to go to work on a Monday or check email (#weddingweek – this would never happen otherwise). Dan and I woke up relatively early and went to breakfast around 9, where we ran into a lot of our guests! I, of course, had another croissant with Nutella…
Sunday, 27.08.17. Lisbon, Portugal. 4 days until the wedding. First full day in Europe.
Day 2 was everyone’s first full day in Lisbon, and it was a packed one! I organized a self-guided tour of Bélem for our guests who had arrived in Lisbon and an evening sail on the Tagus river during sunset. We also had dinner plans with Craig, Michelle, and Andree and Hotel Avenida Palace thew us a surprise sparking wine party! Needless to say, we started early, with a bus picking everyone up (well, 13 of us) at 9:00 AM (after Nutella croissants, of course!). While I think a few people were skeptical of my Portuguese bus renting abilities, our driver arrived early in a nice bus/van with room for everyone. He even spoke a tiny bit of English! Pro tip – if you are traveling with a large group, a bus rental is a FABULOUS idea.
Saturday, 26.08.17. Lisbon, Portugal. 5 days until the wedding. Arrival in Europe.
After a good 2 hours in the Art & Lounge lounge at Newark International Airport, the 9 of us flying from Newark to Lisbon together (me, Dan, Michelle, Andree, Craig, Betty, Tony, Aunt Di, and Nonni!) enjoyed a smooth flight across the Atlantic and arrived in Lisbon bright and early at 5:00 a.m…. A prearranged van picked us up from the airport and drove us directly to the Hotel Avenida Palace, our home for the next 3 nights. Although our rooms were not ready when we arrived (expected), Hotel Avenida Palace was super welcoming and gave us all free breakfast, which was an excellent way to start wedding week… Hotel Avenida Palace also has the most awesome croissants that are terribly tasty when dipped in Nutella! #whatweddingdiet?
Dan and I spent a quick 48 hours in Kuala Lumpur on our honeymoon earlier this year. It was our first trip to Kuala Lumpur and we both LOVED the city! It was easy enough to navigate, it had a distinct culture to experience, and it was relatively inexpensive!
Before visiting Siem Reap, Cambodia (the town from which you visit Angkor Wat!), I researched the airport and was super excited to learn that the tiny Siem Reap “international airport” was home to a Priority Pass lounge! I was even more excited to learn that it was rumored to be really nice, recently re-done, and among the best in Southeast Asia. We got to the airport early to use it! Side note – this ended up being a waste as our check-in for Malaysian Airlines did not open until about 2 hours before our flight and checkin was extremely slow… In any case, we still got to use the lounge, just not as early as we had expected!
Grand entrance to Plaza Premium Lounge, Siem Reap.
Dan and I spent some time in Singapore earlier this year and we had such a difficult time finding reasonably priced food outside of fast food and hawker centers! Legitimate, Singapore is very expensive. Check out the prices for food our the Marina Bay Sands pool bar:
Singapore is known to be a foodie destination and one of its most well-known gastronomic experiences is a meal at a “hawker center.” See anytime Anthony Bourdain is in Singapore. And if you don’t follow everything Anthony Bourdain does, (1) you should, and (2) a “hawker center” is basically a food court (like a mall food court) where Singaporeans eat very high quality food for less than a small fortune.
Dan and I started and ended our honeymoon in Singapore earlier this year solely because we scored some really cheap flights on Japan Airlines into and out of Singapore. While I feel like every travel blogger has been to Singapore, and either loves it or hates it, I could not find a good summary of experience, itinerary, or anything of that nature. After visiting, and as expected, I am firmly in the LOVE Singapore crowd, and Dan is firmly in the don’t love Singapore crowd. In any case, for those planning a trip, here are my highlights of my trip to Singapore and how I think that you can make the most of your time!
Pahn Thai is a Thai restaurant on the premises of the Berjaya Langkawi and while its part of a private resort, Pahn-Thai is one of Langkawi Island’s most popular restaurants! Some may think its weird that a Thai restaurant is one of a Malaysian island’s most famous restaurants, but that’s totally normal because Langkawi is located just off the Malaysia/Thailand border. As such, even if you do not visit Pahn Thai, you try to have Thai food in Langkawi!
Dan & I flew into Singapore Changi Airport’s Terminal 2 on Scoot Air from Langkawi International Airport earlier this year. Since we were arriving and needed to collect our luggage, we were uncertain if we would be able to visit a lounge on our way in. However, given the cost and expense of Singapore, and the number of good lounges in Singapore, we decided to give it a try!
Dan and I stayed at the Berjaya Langkawi for 5 days during our honeymoon earlier this year. We choose the Berjaya Langkawi (and really Langkawi Island) based on the Berjaya Langkawi’s beautiful (and somewhat affordable) overwater bungalows! Before visiting the Berjaya Langkawi, I researched what to expect but, aside from a very few posts, I couldn’t find much information on the Berjaya Langkawi or Langkawi in general. So, here is my post on all things Berjaya Langkawi!
If you read my series of wedding posts, you may know that I had lunch at Restaurant Nortada on the Atlantic coast of Portugal on a day trip to Sintra and Cabo da Roca from Ericeira. What you may not know, are how many restaurants that I looked at before choosing Restaurant Nortada! In any case, Restaurant Nortada was amazing and it was definitely the best choice!!
Taking in the view at Restaurante Nortada, Praia Grande, Portugal.
Restaurant Nortada is an upscale, pricey, seafood restaurant set in a GORGEOUS location between Sintra and Cabo da Roca in Praia Grande. There is no question about any of those adjectives. Restaurant Nortada was recommended to me by a tour company, Tours by Jorge, and I was initially put off and thought this was “referral” scheme. But, it turns out it wasn’t and Nortada was truly an excellent experience that I recommend.
Dan & I went on our real honeymoon to Southeast Asia earlier this year, and we spent a large portion of it on Langkawi Island in Malaysia. Like some of other trips, not many of our American friends knew about Langkawi Island, and we got a lot of questions about it! This post is to answer all of your questions about Langkawi Island, and to help you plan a trip there (which you totally should do)!
LANGKAWI, MALAYSIA.
Langkawi is a group of around 100 Malaysian islands located off of the northern part of Malaysia (north of Penang) in the Andaman Sea. Langkawi is very close to southern Thailand, and its geography is very similar to that you see in pictures of Thailand, particularly the green water and the lush, green mountains. Seriously, Langkawi is really beautiful.
Langkawi Island, Langkawi, Malysia from the Langkawi Cable Car.
Before visiting Singapore, I read and read about “Gardens by the Bay” but, even after I arrived in Singapore, I was still confused as to what exactly they are (it is?) and why I needed to visit. Well, this post is here to tell you…
As you probably know, Dan and I got married in Portugal last summer and spent a lot of time researching restaurants and activities for our guests. After reading about Mar Das Latas in Ericeira, Portugal, we booked dinner here for 7 people the night before our rehearsal dinner. We all liked it so much that Dan and I went back and so did his sister with her Portuguese boyfriend’s family!
Cambodia, and Asia in general, is home of some great and delicious street food, for which some people travel far and wide. Cambodian food, however, and particularly street food, doesn’t really have quite the following as that of Thailand, Vietnam or Hong Kong. Nevertheless, Dan, and to a lesser extent me, love street food and were definitely going to eat a lot of it when we visited Cambodia in February!
Ah, the Marina Bay Sands hotel in Singapore. Yep, this is THE hotel in Singapore – the one that has that famous infinity pool overlooking the city. Yes, THIS infinity pool:
Thanks to Priority Pass, Dan and I have access to a lot of airport lounges throughout the world. Given the cost and the quality of airport food and drink, we always try to take advantage of these lounges, as the food and drink are typically free and usually at least the same quality (if not better)! We were very excited to visit Southeast Asia on our honeymoon, as Southeast Asia is rumored to have some of the best airport lounges on the planet!
The D’nana Lounge in Singapore Changi’s Terminal 1, was the first (and actually last) lounge that we visited on our trip, and its a good one! Lots of space, unlimited free booze, and a solid selection of food that should tied you over for even the longest of flights!
THE LOCATION
Singapore.
This D’nata Lounge is located in Changi’s Terminal 1, post-immigration, but not security (security is at each gate). And I note “this D’nata Lounge,” as the Changi airport is home to another D’nata Lounge in Terminal 3, which we did not visit on this trip. For those interested, D’nata is a Dubai company that supplies food and other products to airlines around the world, and we saw a lot of D’nata branded things at Changi.
In any case, to get to the D’nata Lounge in Changi’s Terminal 1, do not blindly follow the signs for “lounges.” Most of the lounges are located opposite the D’nata Lounge. Instead, upon completing immigration, take a right and proceed up the escalator to the second floor. When you reach the top of the escalator, turn around and and you will see the D’nata Lounge entrance!
For an international terminal, New York’s JFK Terminal 1 is a pretty crappy terminal. Its filled with a couple upscale stores and a lot of cheap shops, in additional to a handful of cheap food vendors. Its also home to the Air France Lounge, which is a surprisingly nice lounge with part-time Priority Pass access!
Honestly, before arriving in Cambodia, I was a bit weary of the food. I had previously read an article detailing how Cambodian food is much less flavorful than Thai or Vietnamese food, and I was really just not looking forward to it… But Cambodia food really surprised me, and I find myself missing it more than the other foods that I enjoyed in my trip!
As you can probably tell from the title of this post, one of the most surprising and most delicious meals that I had in Cambodia (and also in Singapore and Malaysia) was at the Hut, and this was a complete surprise to me.
I went to The Hut for lunch on my Happy Angkor Tour; our tour guide choose the restaurant, and I was not that excited about it (especially after our lunch the previous day…). The Hut is located off a back road, not too far from the entrance to the Floating Village. Again, not excited.
Siem Reap, Cambodia. Not exactly a textbook honeymoon destination for most couples… But, as you may know from reading my blog, Dan & I went to Cambodia as part of our honeymoon and we stayed in Siem Reap – the gateway to the world famous Angkor temples! We loved Siem Reap, and we would recommend it to other honeymooners (although maybe not those who are not adventurous).
First, happy St. Patrick’s Day!! My favorite holiday! Since I’m not in Ireland (too bad!), I will be spending St. Patrick’s Day at my favorite bar, Morgan’s, in Tappan, New York! With lots of inexpensive flights to and from Ireland these days, St. Patrick’s Day is a great time to plan your next getaway to Ireland. Dan and I went most recently last Thanksgiving, and we had a lovely time!!
Kuala Lumpur has no shortage of lodging for visitors. In fact, Kuala Lumpur is packed with multi-story chain hotels (from the West and the East), small hotels, hostels, apartments, AirBnB, you name it! As such, Dan and I were somewhat at a loss when picking our hotel in Kuala Lumpur.
Kuala Lumpur!
We ended up staying at the Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur because we had points with SPG, and the Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur did not see any better or worse than any other hotel in Kuala Lumpur. For our stay, we used 3,500 SPG points/night and accessed the the Club Lounge via this blog’s very own SPG card!
Yes, for all of you questioning the title, Dan and I spent our honeymoon in Singapore, Cambodia, and Malaysia! I get a lot of skeptical looks when I tell people this, but Dan and I like to explore destinations a bit “off the beaten path,” and, since we can rarely take full 2 week vacations, we really wanted to hit a bit Southeast Asia, an area that we had previously not visited!
Khmer buildings in Cambodia.
We planned our initial itinerary based on cheap, cheap mistake fare flights on Japan Airlines in and out of Singapore. We love a good flight deal, and this one was just too, too good to turn down! After booking flights in and out of Singapore, we decided that we had to add on Cambodia to visit Siem Reap. We have been wanting to visit Siem Reap forever and this was the closet we had ever been – just a 2 hour flight from Singapore.
Like its name, Queen of Tarts is an adorable coffee shop/bakery/lunch cafe in Dublin, Ireland. Located not too far from Dublin’s tourist highlights in Temple Bar, Dan and I went here for bunch on our first day in Ireland when we visited Ireland over Thanksgiving last year. It was raining the morning that we arrived, and a meal at Queen of Tarts was just right to warm us up!
Dan signed up for the United Airlines credit card last year to qualify for bonus points and free checked bags, and one of the perks associated with the United Airlines credit card are two United Club lounge passes for one time use give out each year. Since we love a good (or really even mediocre) airport lounge, we were pretty excited to try the United Club lounges! We also usually fly out of Newark, and Newark is home to three United Clubs! Well, not so fast. As it turns out, United is revamping all of its airport lounges and the main United lounge at Newark in Terminal C is closed for renovations and is currently not open to day passes until later in 2018…
Although Dan and I had been to Lisbon and Sintra before our wedding trip, we had never made it to Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe. Cabo da Roca was always on my “bucket list,” but its not the easiest place to get to, especially without a car or a guided tour group. For our wedding trip, we organized a day trip from Ericeira to Sintra for our guests, and were able to tack on a stop at Cabo da Roca in the late afternoon! As you can see, Cabo da Roca is gorgeous and an amazing way to end our day trip (and wedding week!).
Funny enough, for all of my returning readers, the company “Wines of Portugal” originally interested Dan and me in visiting Portugal several years ago – Wines of Portugal did a wine dinner in Princeton, New Jersey and we attended! Little did we know that we would be returning in 2017 to get married in Portugal! Thanks Wines of Portugal!
Ericeira, Portugal is a beach getaway town located about 30 miles outside of Lisbon. Ericeira hangs on the cliffs of the Atlantic and is relatively unknown to foreigners, with the exception of serious surfers. Dan and I have visited Ericeira a few times, as we got married not too far from Ericeira last year and stayed in Ericeira during our wedding!
If you’ve read my blog at all in the last six months, you know that Dan & I married in Portugal last year! We got married in Gradil Portugal, but our closest friends and family spend a few days in Lisbon with us before our wedding! These few days were really fun and brought the group together, and it was really cool to share Lisbon – a LOVEY city – with those closest to us!
Pizza is almost certainly my favorite food, so when I noticed that the top restaurant in Galway is a pizza restaurant, I snuck it into Dan and my itinerary on our Thanksgiving trip to Ireland! Actually, it ended up being our Thanksgiving day lunch and despite being pizza in Ireland, it was excellent!
Sintra, Portugal. Billed as a fairy tale castle city outside of Lisbon that, while not a household name, must be on every traveler’s bucket list. I visited Sintra in 2014, and I definitely had my doubts. Sintra was rumored to be terribly grandiose and was compared to the likes of Neuschwanstein and Disney castles. Despite my doubts, Sintra totally won me over! So much so that I organized a day trip to Sintra for guests at my wedding in Portugal!
Casa do Alentejo is a gorgeous, albeit touristy, restaurant in central Lisbon, very close Rossio Square. Dan and I went here on a food tour years ago, and I remember thinking it was so, so beautiful! Casa do Alentejo is set an an old palace with Moorish feature, the most stunning tiling, and palm trees! So old school Portuguese, and just want you want to experience in Lisbon! So, when we were planning our pre-wedding weekend in Lisbon, we made a dinner reservation for 13 on our first night in Lisbon!
Ah, Galway! Its a perennial favorite of travelers and the city that every says is a “must visit” on any trip to Ireland. Dan and I have been twice, first in the Spring in 2012 and most recently, for Thanksgiving in 2017.
I went to Paris last Summer (2016), but I never could bring myself to write about it. I love Paris so, so much and putting my trip into words seemed too daunting of a task (dramatic, I know!). But, so many people I know are traveling to Paris in the near future and I really want my pictures readily available to everyone on the internet…so I finally decided to memorialize my trip!
Dan & I visited Ponta Delgada after a week on mainland Portugal for our wedding, where we ate all of the delicious Portuguese food (but no pizza)! When researching places to eat in the Azores, I came across Forneira São Dinis and its wood-fire pizzas, and I decided that we had to eat here! I mean, I really love pizza!
One of the very few things that I did not like about the Azores was its lack of modern, upscale restaurants. Everything seemed old and tired. Sooo, I was super excited when we walked into Big21 for dinner on our last night, which turned out to be one of my favorite meals of the week!
After Sete Cidades, Lagoa do Forgo is probably the most popular “bucket list” site on São Miguel Island. Like Sete Cidades, Lagoa do Fogo, or in English, Fire Lake, is a crater lake in the middle of another of São Miguel’s dormant volcanos. Lagoa do Fogo is located in the middle of the island high on a mountain – its the highest of São Miguel’s three crater lakes. Go to Lagoa do Fogo for stunning views and hiking if you are into that! Also, tourists should now that Lagoa do Fogo is protected by the Azorean government and swimming is NOT allowed.
One of the hiking trails to Lagoa do Fogo.
Since Dan and I spent a week on São Miguel, we visited Lagoa do Fogo twice. Once on a tour (the same tour that we took to Sete Cidades) and once on our own as a detour on en route to way to Furnas! As you know from my Sete Cidades post, São Miguel had horrible weather the day of our tour so we really did not get to see Lagoa do Fogo at all…
Ponta Delgada is, by far, the Azores’ largest and most populated city. Located on São Miguel Island, Ponta Delgada is the transportation hub of the Azores and a jumping off point for most travelers to the Azores. Dan & I spent a week here in September on our “mini-moon” (a/k/a the week after we got married in Portugal but definitely not our honeymoon!). We had a great week filled with city strolling, island exploring, and eating lots of Azorean specialities!
If you read my post on Furnas, you know that I was iffy about visiting (thanks, Anthony Bourdain!), but I totally loved it! One of the main reasons that I loved Furnas was our fabulous hotel – the Terra Nostra Garden Hotel, where we spent 24 glorious hours!
Pulling up to Terra Nostra Garden Hotel.
Dan and I almost didn’t stay at Terra Nostra, but we made a last minute decision to stay one night at the recommendation of a friend and the reviews of Terra Nostra online! Definitely a great move, it was fun to spend a night away from our digs in Ponta Delgada, and it allowed us to experience the lavish Terra Nostra Gardens without all of the crowds (see below!).
Dan and I found ourselves flying out of Ponta Delgada airport verrrry early in the morning in September – like 7:30 a.m. flight early – on our way home from our “mini-moon” after our wedding (terribly depressing). We knew that PDL had a SATA Lounge, and we are hopeful that it would be open before our flight. And, it was! We were able to enjoy about 45 minutes in the SATA Lounge before our flight due to our Priority Pass.
Dan & I visited Furnas as part of our “mini-moon” in August. After watching Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations: Azores, we almost didn’t make it to Furnas, but I was so happy that we did, and it ended up being one of my favorite spots on São Miguel Island!
Once again, when I was trying to plan out Dan and my Azores trip, I read about “the thermal springs of Ferraria,” but really could find nothing else to direct me to these “thermal springs.” This is really trend; there is nothing written about the Azores! Our tour guide to Sete Cidades also pointed them out, so I was pretty pumped about my decision to visit, even though I did not really know anything about them!
Dan and I spent the week after our wedding (which took place outside of Lisbon, Portugal in August!) on São Miguel Island in the Azores! One of the main sites in the Azores, if not the main site in all of the Azores, is an area called Sete Cidades, and it is even more gorgeous in person than the photographs portray!
Obviously trolling restaurant websites before my recent trip to Montreal, I continuously came upon a Syrian restaurant called Damas in Montreal’s Ourtremont neighborhood. The menu looked delicious and I was really intrigued by a Syrian restaurant, so I called and barely got a reservation about two weeks before my trip! Great success.
Happy October (and, even though its not in October, happy belated Oktoberfest)! Since a lot of Americas think Oktoberfest is in October and Oktoberfest just ended (sadddd but I am so looking forward to 2018!!) I decided to do a post on – what else – beer!!
Oktoberfest 2014…not Jester King!
Honestly, before I planned my trip to Austin, I had never even heard of the Jester King Brewery (well, maybe once). Seriously. I love beer, but I really had not made it into the Texas breweries. However, Dan had, and he really wanted to try to visit Jester King when we were around Austin. So, I decided that we had to make it happen!
Dan and I spent a long week in and around Austin, Texas earlier this year for Dan’s cousin Claire’s wedding! It was my first time in Austin, and Dan’s first time back in years. So of course, we had to hit all of the food spots on our one totally free day in Austin! Also, the wedding was super fun and totally worth the trip!! Congratulations, Claire and Talor!
South Congress Street. Austin, TX.
To start, Austin was awesome! We walked all over town and I really loved the small town feel of the city! We strolled though the State Capital grounds and shopped on South Congress Street, but the highlight was obviously the food and drinks! I had done some research in advance, and we had quite the itinerary when we started out Friday morning.
Dan & I traveled to the Azores – specifically São Miguel Island – after our wedding in Portugal (!!) for a weeklong mini-moon (our real honeymoon is early next year…you really have to stretch out the wedding vacations!). When I told people that we would be going to the Azores, I received a lot of questions but my favorite, and the perfect response to sum up all of the responses, was “what is an Azore?” Well, this is an Azores!
One of the many volcanic lakes on Sao Miguel Island!
Dan and I went to London over Memorial Day weekend this year. It was Dan’s first trip to London and my first time in London in 13 years, so clearly we had to take a food tour! Of the many options available in London, we choose a food tour that went through East London, a somewhat sketchy part of town that I spent some time in those 13 years ago… The food tour ended up being awesome and East London has changed SO MUCH!
San Marino is its own landlocked country inside Italy, situated right between Emilia Romagna and the Marche, a 30-minute drive inland from Rimini and the Adriatic coast. San Marino has nine castelli, or, generally translated, municipalities, with “Città” being the most popular of the municipalities with tourists. Città di San Marino is located at the tip-top of San Marino, on Monte Titano, boasting both mountain and sea views, as well as a walkable old town and its three castle-like towers.
While the food can be iffy, San Marino restaurant views are on point.
While San Marino is a fully operational country with its own customs, food, and culture, to many tourists, San Marino, particularly Città di San Marino, is somewhat of a “gimmick.” An easy way to tick off another country while visiting Italy, and a pretty place to stop for a few hours, take photos, and depart back into Italy. As such, many restaurants in Città are simply not great, because there is no reason to be. They cater to tourists who are looking to get in and out and will never return (at least not in the near future). This results in a lot of not wonderful meals. In planning our trip, I did a DEEP dive into San Marino restaurants and found some winners, and one big loser. This post details where you should eat and drink, and where you should not eat and drink in San Marino based on my personal experience. For the rest of the trip, including where we stayed, the towers, and the cableway, here is how we spent a long weekend in San Marino.
We spent a weekend in San Marino in May 2026, meeting up with our friend Meghan before attending our friends Laura and Tom’s wedding in Lucca, Tuscany. While it was a tad out of the way, visiting San Marino was beautiful, interesting, and generally a fun time. This post details what we did over a weekend in San Marino.
Sunset over San Marino.
SAN MARINO QUICK FACTS
Where it is: A landlocked country of its own inside Italy, wedged between Emilia Romagna and the Marche, a 30 minute drive inland from Rimini and the Adriatic coast.
How to get there: Train to Rimini, then a taxi or a shuttle bus up the mountain. Our Frecciarossa from Milano Centrale to Rimini took just over two hours, and the taxi took another 30 minutes.
How long to stay: Two nights was plenty. One night covers the towers and the views, and after our wine tasting Dan spent a good part of the second afternoon asleep.
Currency: The euro, used under a monetary agreement with the EU even though San Marino is not an EU member.
Passport: Bring it and expect nobody to ask. There is no routine border check in either direction.
Language: Italian, with a Romagnol dialect spoken alongside it.
Where to stay: Città, the highest of the nine districts, where the towers, the restaurants and the balconies are.
When we went: Late May 2026, which happened to land on the same weekend as the Borgo diVino in Tour wine festival.
SAN MARINO
Before getting into our itinerary, for those unfamiliar, San Marino is its own country landlocked inside of Italy. Situated between the Marche and Emilia Romagna, San Marino feels a lot like Italy, but also a lot not like Italy. While it’s a separate country that, fun fact, is not part of the European Union, there is no routine passport check and one can generally move freely between Italy and San Marino. San Marino is not in the Schengen Area either, so random police checks are possible, but nobody looked at our passports in either direction.
San Marino on the map.
For those planning to visit, San Marino uses the euro under a monetary agreement with the EU, has Italian as its official language (you will hear a Romagnol dialect too), and observes many of the same rules and customs as Italy, at least from a general tourist perspective. It does, however, have many of its own things, including delicious wine, shopping without VAT, and stunning views of both mountains and the Adriatic Sea. San Marino has been in a customs union with the EU since 1991 but sits outside the EU VAT system, charging a single stage import tax called the monofase instead. That is why the leather shops in Città advertise “tax free” prices. From personal experience, San Marino does have good leather prices.
HOW TO GET TO SAN MARINO
San Marino has no airport and no train station, so every route runs through Rimini. We took the Frecciarossa direct from Milano Centrale to Rimini in just over two hours, then hired a taxi for the last 30 minutes up the mountain. A shuttle bus runs the same stretch from Rimini railway station in about 50 minutes (on the bus, not waiting for it, etc.) for 7.00 euro one way. We paid for the taxi to save time, though the bus would have cost a small fraction of what we spent.
Rimini also makes San Marino easy to pair with the rest of the Adriatic coast, including Senigallia down the coast in the Marche, or with a fast 24 hours in Milan at the start of the trip.
OUR WEEKEND ITINERARY IN SAN MARINO
For those stealing our trip, here’s exactly what we did in San Marino, day by day.
Day 1: Taking the train from Milan, and the BEST dinner in San Marino.
San Marino was our first stop on this trip. As such, we took the Frecciarossa train directly from Milano Centrale to Rimini, which took just over two hours. Once in Rimini, we hired a local taxi, San Marino Taxi, to pick us up and drive us to San Marino, which took another 30 minutes. There is also a popular public bus, but we opted for the more expensive taxi to save time. The views driving up to San Marino were truly stunning.
Photos from the car en route to Hotel Cesare in San Marino.
We were dropped right in front of our hotel, Hotel Cesare, located in the Città district of San Marino. Of nine districts, Città is the highest point in the country, and also the most touristy. We were able to check in right away, and we stayed in the hotel’s sole Deluxe room, which truly did offer stunning views of San Marino and the surrounding hills.
After checking in and getting settled, it was just about sunset. As such, our first order of business was for an Aperitivo on one of Hotel Cesare’s many balconies. We met our friend Meghan here! I ordered an Aperol Spritz, and watched the sun set over San Marino. The views in San Marino are truly unbeatable. If you are only here for a few hours, find yourself a balcony and have a drink or coffee (there are many places to do this in Città).
Aperitivo in San Marino! Can’t beat it.
After aperitivo, we walked about one block to Ghetto da Ottavio for dinner. I found this restaurant on Facebook after doing a very deep dive on decent San Marino restaurants, many of which are apparently not great. It turned out to be delicious, by far one of the best meals of this entire trip in San Marino and Italy (and that’s saying a lot!). I have a full guide to where to eat in Città di San Marino, but if you are in San Marino, you must eat at Ghetto da Ottavio.
This pasta was insane at Ghetto da Ottavio.
We called it a night after dinner, as we were exhausted from traveling all day. That being said, there did not seem to be much going on in San Marino after the dinner hours.
Day 2: San Marino Wine Tasting, A San Marino Wine Festival, and a bad dinner with great views
We began our first official morning in San Marino with breakfast at Hotel Cesare. The breakfast was included, served buffet style, and it was giving old school Italian hotel. While not the best hotel breakfast I have had in Italy, it was serviceable.
Breakfast views at Hotel Cesare.
A taxi from San Marino Taxi picked us up promptly at 10:15 AM to drive to Cantina di San Marino for what I thought was a visit to an actual winery in San Marino. Nope! Instead, it is a wine tasting at Cantina di San Marino, which is a consortium of grape growers in San Marino. The Cantina makes San Marino wine out of the grapes it receives from various San Marino growers. Very interesting! We sampled four local wines here, as well as paired the wine with local bread, meat, and cheese. We taxied back to Città after our tasting, arriving around midday. This was actually quite interesting, and a bit off the beaten path in San Marino! We were the only tourists there, and we saw several locals come and fill large containers of wine for home consumption.
San Marino red wine.
Cheese at Cantina di San Marino.
Charcuterie at Cantina di San Marino.
Due to the wine tasting, Dan was in need of a nap. Meghan and I explored the town a bit while he rested, including doing some tax free leather shopping (very good prices, such as a purse for 60 euro and a belt for 30 euro right in town) and taking the cableway down to San Marino’s Borgo Maggiore area and back up. The cableway was a fun little activity that only took about 15 minutes roundtrip.
Views from the San Marino cableway.
We returned to Hotel Cesare to pick up Dan before continuing with the day, which included exploring San Marino’s Towers, eating a traditional San Marino piadina, and having aperitivo overlooking the surrounding area.
Torre Guaita.
Aperitivo in San Marino.
A San Marino piadina.
This evening, as luck would have it, there was a wine festival in San Marino at the exact time we were in town. The wine festival is a traveling one called Borgo diVino in Tour, which apparently goes all around Italy. We had already planned to visit, but our guides at Cantina di San Marino told us to be sure to book the complimentary tasting in Cava dei Balestrieri, which we did earlier in the afternoon when exploring town. We had no idea what this was or what we were in store for. But hey, it was free!
Part of the wine festival in San Marino when we visited.
As such, around 6:00 PM, we checked in and were seated at the most stunning tasting table in the center of Cava dei Balestrieri. There were only 24 seats. We sampled four San Marino wines, and learned a lot about them (in Italian) from the wine makers. This experience was fabulous and truly, entirely free. We could not believe we lucked into this. It was a magical evening in San Marino.
Cava dei Balestrieri set up for a wine tasting.
One more of the wine tasting. Very elegant.
Us and our friend Meghan pre-wine tasting.
We sampled various wines at the Borgo diVino wine festival after our formal wine tasting. There were wines from all over Italy, including the Marche (where we were visiting next), Tuscany, Piedmont and Umbria (our favorite Italian wines!), among other regions.
The wine at Borgo diVino.
Post-wine tasting, it was time for dinner, on which I was sadly a bit iffy. I had made a reservation at La Terrazza Ristorante based on the great reviews it received online. However, I was getting the feeling that the reviews were all done by tourists and highlight the views and not the food and I, unfortunately, was not wrong. I go into the whole meal in where to eat, and where NOT to eat, in Città, but the views were indeed great and the food was, as my not super picky husband described it, inedible. The prices were also higher than almost everywhere else in San Marino. We fished up shortly after sunset.
Dinner views from Ristorante La Terrazza.
This was the best of the dishes we ordered. It was mid at best.
The one highlight of dinner, or rather directly after, was walking out through Piazza della Libertà, which is particularly beautiful at night when it is (largely) devoid of tourists. La Terrazza Ristorante is located just next to Piazza della Libertà.
Piazza della Libertà.
Day 3: Breakfast, more views, and departure for Lucca!
We set our alarms early on our final morning, as we wanted to enjoy every last minute of Hotel Cesare’s amazing views. While it was a bit chilly, we had breakfast outdoors solely for the views.
San Marino Taxi picked us up exactly as scheduled and drove us to the Rimini train station, where we boarded a local train to Bologna, before transferring to Florence and eventually Lucca.
Arrivederci, San Marino! This is the insane view from Hotel Cesare.
The outdoor terrace suitable for breakfast at Hotel Cesare.
HOW LONG TO STAY IN SAN MARINO
Two nights and one full day gave us a full day in Città, a morning at Cantina di San Marino, and enough time to sit on a balcony and do nothing, which is most of the point. One full day is enough to walk the towers, ride the cableway, eat a piadina and have an aperitivo before sunset. If you come up from Rimini only for the afternoon you will see the country, but you will miss the part we liked best, which is Città in the evening once the cableway has stopped running and the piazza has emptied out. I don’t think I would stay more than a 3 nights in San Marino unless you have a specific reason for staying longer.
IS SAN MARINO WORTH VISITING?
For us yes, though not for the reasons we expected. We came solely just to “see it”, as we have traveled a lot around Italy and never been to San Marino. What we did not expect was the food, at least at Ghetto da Ottavio, and the wine. Ghetto da Ottavio was by far one of the best meals of our entire trip through Italy, and the complimentary tasting in Cava dei Balestrieri during Borgo diVino was far better than many tastings we have paid for. The towers are fine, the views are unbeatable, and the restaurant with the best online reviews served us the worst food we ate in Italy. Come with moderate expectations, and you will have a great time.
STEAL OUR WEEKEND IN SAN MARINO
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Hotel Cesare: Salita Alla Rocca, 7, 47890 Città di San Marino, San Marino.
Ghetto da Ottavio: Contrada Santa Croce, 29, 47890 Città di San Marino, San Marino. Open Wednesday through Monday 12:00 PM to 11:00 PM. Reservations recommended. I made a reservation via Facebook Messenger.
Cantina di San Marino: Strada Serrabolino, 89, 47893 Valdragone, San Marino. Open Monday to Friday 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM and 2:30 PM to 6:30 PM and Saturday 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM. Closed Sunday. Email for a tasting.
San Marino Cableway: The cableway runs every 15 minutes from 7:45 AM, with the closing time varying by season. The cost is 4.00 euro one way, 7.00 euro round trip, and 10.00 euro for a day pass. It also closes for maintenance twice a year, which in 2026 meant February 23 to March 20 and October 21 to 23.
La Terrazza Ristorante: Contrada del Collegio, 31, 47890 Città di San Marino, San Marino. Open daily 12:00 PM to 2:30 PM and 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Reservations recommended.
San Marino Taxi: This is the taxi company that I personally used, referred to me by Hotel Cesare. I contacted San Marino Taxi via email. The owner was responsive via email and WhatsApp. Email: https://www.sanmarinosite.com/en/how-to-reach/ropeway/. WhatsApp: +39 331 628 2025.
Borgo diVino in Tour: The traveling wine festival was in San Marino from May 22 to 24, 2026. The dates and the host towns change every year, so check the schedule before planning a trip around it.
Disclosure: this post is not sponsored and nobody paid me to write it. It does contain my referral link, and I earn a bonus if you are approved through it. Fleming and I have carried this card for years and we pay the annual fee ourselves.
Many of you know we are NY/NJ based and fly out of Newark Airport (EWR) constantly. Fleming and I have carried the United Explorer Card for years, and I recommend it to almost everyone locally. Chase renamed it in 2018, so if you are searching for the United MileagePlus Explorer Card, this is the same product. I have earned the signup bonus on this card three separate times. This post is the math on why I keep coming back.
The highlights
As of September 2026, the United Explorer Card has a $0 annual fee for the first year and $150 after that. You and one companion each get a free first checked bag on United and United Express flights, worth $90 to $100 per round trip domestically per person ($180 to $200 for a couple on the same itinerary) as long as you buy the tickets with the card and put your MileagePlus number in the reservation. Award tickets count if you pay the taxes and fees with the card. You also get two United Club one-time passes a year. The current welcome offer is 50,000 miles after $3,000 of spend in three months, plus 10,000 more for adding an authorized user in that same window. With the first year free it is really easy for this card to more than pay for itself.
Why the card is worth it
1. Free the first year, then $150
The card is free the first year, then $150 per year after that. Chase refunds the annual fee if you close the card within 30 days of the fee posting. I usually recommend keeping the card until right at your third anniversary year. That is what makes the next part work: open it, cancel just before the third anniversary, and you pay $150 total for almost three years of benefits.
2. Free checked bags for you and a companion
You and one companion on the same reservation each get a free first checked bag. Great for a couple or a family. Two free checked bags cover the fee on a single trip.
As of September 2026, United charges $45 for a domestic first checked bag (and short international like Canada/Mexico/Caribbean and certain latin american countries) if you prepay online and $50 at the airport each way. So around $180-200 for a couple round trip. $30-50 more than the fee which is waived the first year. Take two trips in two years eleven months and you are positive $200+ not counting signup bonus miles or any other card benefits.
International basic economy is even better. United gives you a free bag on long haul international flights unless you are flying basic economy. On an international basic economy fare the first bag runs $75, so two free bags cover the annual fee one way (note United groups Canada, Mexico, Caribbean and certain Latin America in with the domestic flights.) You are up $150 by the time you land back in the states. One exception worth knowing: most transpacific basic economy fares already include a checked bag, so on those routes there is nothing for the card to save you.
For a couple flying transatlantic, you can book basic economy, save the fare difference, and still check a bag for both of you. That is the entire annual fee covered on one trip.
You have to pay with the card
You have to buy the tickets with the Explorer Card. Your MileagePlus number also has to be in the reservation.
Two more conditions. The free bag only covers flights operated by United and United Express, so a United-marketed flight actually operated by Lufthansa or Air Canada will not get it. And if you are already exempt from bag fees for some other reason, you do not get an additional free bag on top.
Award tickets do count, as long as you pay the taxes and carrier charges on the award with the card. If you have United Travel bank money you can book with that as long as some portion of the flight is on the card.
3. Two United Club passes a year
You get two United Club one-time passes every year the account is open. United sells the same pass for $59 a person. In practice the value is whatever you would have spent at the bar, and at Newark that adds up fast.
Seating pods along the windows in the Terminal C club by gate C73. Fine for an hour before a flight, not a destination.
On the year 3 passes, before you cancel: they have always landed in my account on the anniversary, ahead of the cancellation. Chase reserves the right to pull United Club passes when you close the card, so treat it as a nice-to-have rather than something to plan around.
The booths go first. This was a weekday evening and it was busy without being full.
One annoying thing. United Clubs are frequently closed to one time pass users due to capacity. I wouldn’t count on access.
I live with it at Newark because the alternatives are thin. There is no Chase Sapphire Lounge and no Capital One Lounge at EWR, and the only Priority Pass options are a Be Relax spa in Terminal A and Minute Suites in Terminal C, neither of which is a lounge in the sense of free food and drinks. Amex has announced a Centurion Lounge for Terminal A, still unopened as I write this, which does not help me because I usually fly out of Terminal C.
Cashing in one of the two passes before our flight to Italy. Photo by Pryor.
4. The signup bonus, and paying the fee with miles
Currently 50,000 miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months your account is open, plus 10,000 more if you add an authorized user in that same window. I never do. I prefer for Fleming to just get her own cards.
One thing I learned while researching this post. Chase now lets you redeem MileagePlus miles against the annual fee through Pay Yourself Back in the rewards dashboard. It takes 10,000 miles to pay the $150 fee. Points optimizers may tell you 1.5 cents a mile is not the best redemption but that means you could theoretically have this card for six years with no cash out of pocket: year 1 free, years 2 through 6 covered by miles. That is six years of free checked bags and two lounge passes a year for nothing.
I do not actually recommend that plan if you travel with a companion. More on that below.
Otherwise the sign up bonus is worth at least $400 in flights. Points maximizers can definitely do better. I will note I may consider using the points to offset the fee in the future, I am not the best at maximizing value from airline miles.
5. The small credits
Benefits I do not lean on much, but that are worth knowing: up to $10 a month in Instacart credit (up to $120 a calendar year, and the benefit is scheduled to end 12/31/27), up to $5 a month in rideshare credit (up to $60 a calendar year, and you have to opt in every year), up to $120 every four years toward Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS, and at least 10% off award bookings, which rises to at least 15% with MileagePlus Premier status. There is also up to $100 in JSX credit per cardmember year.
The award discount applies to United and United Express award flights only. Not partner bookings.
The free Global Entry or TSA PreCheck deserves to be higher if you don’t already have it. Both are good for five years. You can also use this for your partner if you already have PreCheck or Global Entry. The fee credits based on the charge, not the name of the person.
How Fleming and I get six years out of one card
This works perfectly for a couple, because Chase gives you two lounge passes a year and extends the free checked bag to your companion. Here is how we do it:
Partner 1 opens the card and earns the welcome bonus. Year 1 has no annual fee.
Pay the $150 fee at the first anniversary. I like to keep a card open past two years so as not to annoy the bank.
At the third anniversary, wait for the fee to post, then call and cancel within 30 days. Chase refunds the fee and closes the account, unless they offer a retention bonus worth keeping.
Shortly before cancelling, Partner 1 refers Partner 2 through Chase’s Refer-a-Friend. It currently pays 10,000 miles per approved referral, up to 100,000 miles a year, and it pays out on any United MileagePlus card the referred person is approved for, not only the Explorer.
Partner 2 opens the card, earns their own welcome bonus, and the couple gets three more years of free checked bags and lounge passes.
That is six years of benefits for $300 total.
Quick note on Chase’s 5/24 rule if you aren’t familiar. If you have opened five or more credit cards from any issuer (not just Chase, Amex, etc.) in the past 24 months you will be automatically denied the card. A denied application does not count, only cards you actually open. Being an authorized user on someone else’s card does count, though you can call Chase and ask them to disregard it.
One other thing, the fee, the benefits and the offer can all change, so check the current terms before you apply.
I would not use miles to pay the fee year after year. If you travel as a couple you can swap which one of you has the card every 3 years or so and get the first year free again.
Why you can do this again in year six
Amex generally limits welcome bonuses to once per card per lifetime, with occasional offers that drop the lifetime language. Chase’s rule is different. Chase’s current wording for this card is that it is not available to current cardmembers, or to previous cardmembers who received a new cardmember bonus on it within the last 24 months.
So guess what? In year 6 you can start all over again with Partner 2 referring Partner 1 for the card, referral bonus, new signup bonus and new first year free. Things change, but I have personally earned three welcome bonuses on this card. Like I said in the title, it is a no-brainer.
Who should get this card
You need this card if your home airport is one of United’s hubs:
Newark Liberty (EWR)
Chicago O’Hare (ORD)
Denver (DEN)
Houston Intercontinental (IAH)
Los Angeles (LAX)
San Francisco (SFO)
Washington Dulles (IAD)
The card also works if you fly United at least once a year with a companion. One round trip with two checked bags pays for it.
Frequently asked questions
Is the United Explorer Card worth it?
Yes, if you check a bag and fly with a companion. Two checked bags on one domestic round trip run $180 to $200 against a $150 fee, so one trip covers it. The first year is free anyway.
Do I have to pay with the card to get the free checked bag?
Yes. You have to buy the ticket with the United Explorer Card and have your MileagePlus number in the reservation. The free bag also only applies to flights operated by United and United Express, not to codeshare partner flights.
Does the free checked bag work on award tickets?
Yes, as long as you pay the taxes and carrier charges on the award with your Explorer Card.
Does the free checked bag work on basic economy?
Yes. Chase’s benefit terms contain no basic economy exclusion. This is where the benefit is most valuable, because basic economy fares are the ones that do not include a bag to begin with.
What is the United Explorer Card annual fee?
$0 for the first year, then $150. Chase refunds it if you close the card within about 30 days of the fee posting. I wouldn’t cut it too close, call to cancel within days 10-20.
Can you pay the United Explorer annual fee with miles?
Yes. Chase’s Pay Yourself Back lets you redeem MileagePlus miles against the fee, 10,000 miles for the $150 charge. The fee has to have posted within the last 90 days, and partial redemptions are allowed. I haven’t personally done this so I am unfamiliar with the mechanics.
Which airports are United hubs?
United operates seven hubs (not counting Guam): Newark (EWR), Chicago O’Hare (ORD), Denver (DEN), Houston Intercontinental (IAH), Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO) and Washington Dulles (IAD).
Can you get the United Explorer signup bonus more than once?
Yes. Chase’s terms make the card unavailable to current cardmembers and to previous cardmembers who received a new cardmember bonus on this card in the past 24 months. Outside that window you are eligible again. I have earned it three times.
Last updated: September 6, 2026. Card terms, bag fees and welcome offers change often. I re-check this post twice a year, but confirm the current terms with Chase and United before you apply.
If this was useful, here is my referral link. I earn a bonus if you are approved, at no cost to you.
We have attended over forty Broadway shows this year; thirty-one of them were through Broadway lottery and rush programs for an average ticket price of about $47. Lottery and rush are both free to enter. Here is how the programs work.
I include Off-Broadway, so Little Shop of Horrors at the Westside and Heathers at New World Stages sit in these numbers alongside the Broadway shows.
Before you start entering, it helps to know how much time you actually have: my Interactive Tracker of Broadway Closing Dates lists every announced closing date and links straight to the lottery for each show still running.
Fleming mentioned in the pre-theatre restaurants post that we see a lot of Broadway, and that most of it comes from lotteries. This is the promised follow-up.
My experience with the Just in Time lottery shows the real benefit of the lottery. Fleming and I were heading to see Book of Mormon for a Sunday matinee and decided we could see a show Monday too. We entered the Just in Time lottery and won second row tickets. Great seats. They would easily sell for over $130 a ticket even with discounts. A couple of months later we wanted to take Fleming’s mom. Because we needed three tickets and we had a set day and time we had to buy in advance. Thankfully, the cheapest seats available were $99 each. Sometimes you can’t take advantage of the lottery because you need a specific time and more tickets. Parting note: the cheap last row seats for Just in Time were really good still; it’s a small theatre.
Just in Time, Orchestra Aisle, Row E. Won by lottery, on Fleming’s account. $49 all in.
Just in Time, Orchestra Aisle, Row K. Bought at full price. $99 all in.
The lottery seats were amazing and cost half as much.
Oh, Mary! is an even better win. On Monday, August 24, Fleming won the Telecharge lottery for Oh, Mary! at the Lyceum: two tickets, $94.00 all in, for the Tuesday, August 25, 7:30pm performance. That evening I opened the ordinary Telecharge sale page and priced the same seats for the same performance one week later, Tuesday, September 1. Two tickets, $450.00, with $44.00 of that in fees.
Oh, Mary!, Center Orchestra, Row O. Won by lottery, on Fleming’s account. $47 a seat, all in.
Oh, Mary!, the same seats one week later. Priced on the public sale page. $225 a seat, all in.
The same seats for $175 less is a major win!
The same two seats, one week later, on the ordinary Telecharge page. $450.00 for the pair.
By the time you read this, some of the shows named below will have closed. Death Becomes Her announced its closing in May and was gone by June, and I saw it twice. Moulin Rouge plays its final Broadway performance on August 30, and Chess closed in June. So treat the titles as examples. The platforms and the timings are the part that lasts.
The Broadway lottery is free to enter and there is no catch
Yes, it is free, and there is no catch. This is the first thing to tell anyone who has never done it. You can enter lotteries completely free and you only pay if (1) you win and (2) you choose to claim the win.
You do not put a card on file. You do not pay a deposit. You are not penalized for winning and then not paying. If you win and let it lapse, the seats go to a standby list and nothing happens to you. We have let thirteen wins expire this year, performances we won but could not attend.
Which means the correct strategy is to enter everything you are interested in seeing and think you can make. The biggest caveat is you can only win one show per timeslot per lottery platform. This means if you enter six Telecharge lotteries for Saturday at 7pm, you automatically lose the other five if you win one. You diminish your chances of seeing your number one show but maximize your chances of seeing a show at all.
Entries are for one or two tickets, and you pick the quantity when you enter. You cannot change it afterwards, so if you are going with someone, enter for two. I hear you can contact Telecharge if you win for two and want to change it, but I can’t personally verify that. Also I know a lot of people use the Theatr app to sell tickets (only allowed to sell at face value) and will sell unused lottery tickets in that manner. I haven’t yet bought or sold on Theatr but I check it.
Which Broadway lottery platforms should you prioritize?
There are five or six worth having, but two of them did almost all the work. Telecharge and Broadway Direct produced 18 of my 23 lottery wins, and 23 of my 31 discounted performances once you add Telecharge rush. Everything else is a secondary tier that is worth entering because it is free, not because I have won with it.
Varies wildly by show (lottery). Rush is separate and opens at 9am.
Assume 30 minutes
$30 to $49
Hamilton app
App only
Weekly. Opens Friday 10am, closes Thursday noon
2 hours
$10
Four differences that matter in practice.
Telecharge gives you two shots a day and offers a relaxed five-hour payment timeline. My Outsiders win arrived at 10:21am with a 3:00pm deadline. Broadway Direct only gives 60 minutes. I get a lot of my information from the Broadway subreddit and just saw a post complaining that the Broadway Direct wins land during Broadway matinees when your phone is off (a thread on the timing of Broadway lotteries). Unfortunate.
Every single one of them warns you in writing that your two seats may not be together. Lucky Seat goes furthest and reserves the right to put you anywhere in the theatre, including boxes reachable only by stairs, and standing room. In all of my wins I have never received seats that were separated.
As of August 16, 2026, Broadway Direct’s live prices were Aladdin and The Lion King at $35, Schmigadoon, SIX, Stranger Things and The Lost Boys at $45, MJ at $49, and Wicked at $55. Those numbers move. The structure does not.
The confirmation emails break that figure out, which is worth knowing before you budget. My Lion King entry for August 26 lists the ticket at $30.00 with a separate handling fee. Add them together and you are at the $35 that gets quoted. Broadway Direct is genuinely all-in at the number on the page; it is just built out of two.
Broadway lottery times: when results come out
Telecharge draws at 10am and 3pm. Broadway Direct reports at 2pm, 3pm or 4pm depending on the show, and gives you sixty minutes to pay.
So a Broadway Direct win that lands at 2:00pm expires at 3:00pm, which is the exact minute Telecharge announces its afternoon draw. You have to commit to one ticket without knowing whether you have also won the other.
August 13 is the textbook case, from my own inbox:
Time
What happened
2:00pm
Broadway Direct: won The Lost Boys for the 14th. $90 for two. Pay by 3:00pm
2:04pm
Paid. Committed
3:09pm
Telecharge results land. No win on Ragtime
It worked out. Had Telecharge come through, I would have missed Ragtime or had one set of tickets I couldn’t use.
What to do about it:
Decide your priority order before 2pm. If a Broadway Direct result lands at 2:00 and you are also in for a Telecharge show that night, you are choosing blind. Know in advance which one you would rather see.
The 10am Telecharge draw is the friendly one. It resolves before any Broadway Direct result, so you can enter the afternoon lotteries already knowing where you stand. I think the 10am draw is pretty limited; I usually win on the 3pm draw. Fleming, however, won the 10am draw for Oh Mary!
A 4pm Broadway Direct result is the easy case. Telecharge has already reported.
The daily clock
Time (ET)
What is happening
12:01am
Telecharge posts performances one to two days ahead (enter any time before 10am for a shot at both drawings, or before 3pm for the main drawing).
7:00 to 10:00am
Broadway Direct entry windows open, varies by show
9:00am
TodayTix rush opens (unlock the show the night before). Popular shows can be gone within minutes
Telecharge digital rush opens and runs until 30 minutes before curtain
Around 12:30pm
Lucky Seat results for tomorrow
2:00pm
Broadway Direct results, some shows. 60 minutes to pay
3:00pm
Telecharge entries close, draw two lands, and the 2pm Broadway Direct window expires
3:00–4:00pm
Additional Broadway Direct lottery wins and/or standby win results.
30 min pre-curtain
Telecharge rush closes. Broadway Direct tickets go up at the box office
Digital rush is a great option
I refer people to the lottery, but digital rush is a great way to get discount seats to shows that have less than full capacity. I find digital rush tickets available all the time on rush.telecharge.com. Rush tickets cost about the same as lottery tickets.
On rush.telecharge.com, cancellation tickets are listed as a separate offer sitting next to the regular rush. On August 24 The Great Gatsby had two tiles up for the same 7:00pm performance, one headed “The Great Gatsby Cancellation Tickets” and one headed plainly “The Great Gatsby.” They are separate pools. The cancellation tickets are generally pricey depending on the show, $90 to $180ish. I haven’t tried for them and I don’t really intend to. Worth double checking to make sure you aren’t clicking cancellation instead of rush.
Two tiles, one performance. Cancellation tickets on the left, rush on the right.
Here is a real Telecharge rush offer, transcribed off my phone:
TICKETS AVAILABLE
Maybe Happy Ending, Wednesday, August 12, 2026 at 2:00PM
10 rows from Stage
This seat offers a partial view of the stage. Moments on the extreme side of the stage may be out of view.
2 tickets. Offer available for 1:54
[ No Thanks ] [ Purchase ] $49.00, $5.00 fee included
The Telecharge rush tells you roughly what kind of seats you get and whether the view is obstructed, and the countdown in that box is two minutes.
Three rows from the stage, two tickets, and 1:58 on the clock.
A lottery win is take it or lose it, and you find out where you are sitting after you have paid. Rush is a decision made on full information. If you care what you are looking at, that is decisive.
One note on “partial view”. A lot of the partial views are still a great experience. If you are going to your dream show and only that show once, maybe buy a ticket at TKTS or another platform. But if you are looking to maximize bang for your buck, lottery and rush offer great tickets and obstruction usually isn’t that bad. At Lost Boys it was missing the top 5% of the stage during flying acts, at Aladdin it was a tiny half-inch pole eight rows in front of me. I think my worst obstructed views come from (un)luck of the draw when I have a particularly tall person sitting in front of me.
Aladdin from Balcony Right, Row K. $35 all in, and you can still see the whole stage.
Nothing at 11am does not mean nothing today
Telecharge digital rush opens at 11:00 but that is not all the availability for the day.
On August 10 I checked Telecharge rush for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at 11:00am. Nothing. Checked twice more around noon. Nothing. At about 12:53pm Fleming clicked and the tickets were there. We saw it that night from Left Orchestra, Row J, $49 a seat. Bonus: we got to see LJ Benet and Paul Alexander Nolan (from Lost Boys) as guest spellers since it was an off night for them.
Six days later, at 4:41pm on a Sunday, with 7:00pm curtains, there were two shows sitting available: Operation Mincemeat at Row 4 of the right front mezzanine, and Spelling Bee at five rows from the stage. Both $49.
The clearest version of this was Monday, August 24. Between 2:59 and 3:00pm, three separate rush offers were live at the same moment: The Great Gatsby at 16 rows from the stage, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at 5 rows from the stage, and The Play That Goes Wrong at 3 rows from the stage. Two tickets each. Three in the afternoon, four hours before curtain, on a Monday.
Three shows, sixty seconds apart, on a Monday afternoon.
Telecharge rush inventory is not a single morning drop. It trickles in all day as holds are released and exchanges come back. Eleven o’clock tells you about eleven o’clock and nothing else. Check whenever you are free.
TodayTix rush runs on the opposite clock. It opens at 9am and the shows people want are gone shortly after. There is no all-day trickle, so if you want a TodayTix rush seat you set an alarm. Unlock the show in the app the night before.
I checked & Juliet at 9:04am on August 27 and the seats were still up: Orchestra Row Q, 105 and 106, $49 each. TodayTix gives you the actual seat numbers before you pay, which is more than Telecharge does. Telecharge tells you “10 rows from Stage”, not the exact tickets.
& Juliet on TodayTix rush at 9:04am. Two tickets, four and a half minutes to decide, and a note that Paulo Szot is on for Lance.
Two things about that $49. The fee inside it is $8 a ticket, not the $5 Telecharge takes, and the $49 was after a $10 Gold Rewards discount off $54. So the price without Gold Rewards is $54. Then the checkout starts its own clock. Mine said the seats were held for 4:35 (probably about 5 minutes and I let the clock run down) and the countdown was running while I read the page. All sales final, and rush tickets cannot be transferred.
Orchestra Row Q, seats 105 and 106. $49 a seat after a $10 Gold Rewards discount, with an $8 fee inside each one.
The checkout page also told me the role of Lance would be played by Paulo Szot that night. It’s nice to have that information displayed up front.
One digital rush purchase locks you out of Telecharge rush for a few days. This generally isn’t a problem unless you are traveling from out of town and want to do more than two shows with a partner (you can each purchase a rush).
The cooldown period is mostly meaningless for me as a local because Fleming can just check if I am on my cooldown.
It is Telecharge specific. TodayTix rush, box office rush and every lottery are unaffected.
The weekly lotteries, and why I have entered Hamilton 100 times
Telecharge and Broadway Direct require that you enter daily. A second tier runs on a much longer clock, which makes it nearly free in effort.
Hamilton, accessible only through the Hamilton app, opens Friday at 10am and closes Thursday at noon, covering the following week. Front row orchestra, $10. I have entered well over a hundred times and never won. Enter anyway, because it takes thirty seconds a week, but do not build a plan around it.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child runs the Friday Forty: opens Monday at 12:01am, closes Friday at 1pm, winners notified that afternoon. Just like Hamilton you can enter for a week at a time. Unlike Hamilton, I have won this one three times, but two of those times Tom Felton was out, so I think my chances may have been higher. It is TodayTix app only.
Lucky Seat you can also enter about a week at a time; Hadestown and Book of Mormon are the big ones available through here (and previously Moulin Rouge, which closes on August 30). I have won Hadestown and Moulin Rouge on this one and Fleming has won Book of Mormon.
Both of you should enter, and here is what actually happens when you both win
Every platform caps you at one win per time slot per account. Not per household. So Fleming and I enter the same lotteries separately, and when both of us hit, we do not get two tickets. We get four. We almost always decline the second set if it’s for the same show or choose which show we want (in June we chose between The Outsiders and Death Becomes Her).
The best night of the year came out of it. Monday, June 15, Just in Time. Fleming won the 10am Telecharge draw. I won the 3pm draw, for the same performance. Four seats at $49 each. My sister and her boyfriend came with us. I found out about my half during intermission in the Eugene O’Neill watching The Book of Mormon.
We hit the double win four times this year and converted it into four seats exactly once. The strategy works perfectly. The problem is that the second pair is only useful if you have friends who are free on roughly eighteen hours’ notice. Three times out of four we did not, so one of us let the win lapse.
And the four seats are not together. Two separate orders are two separate orders, guaranteed. On June 15 my pair for Just in Time was Floor Seat Aisle 3, Row FB and Fleming’s was Orchestra Aisle, Row E. Different parts of the room. Everyone had a great time, but you won’t be sitting together.
The reverse case happens far more often, and it is just as much the reason to both enter. On August 24 Fleming’s Oh, Mary! confirmation came through at 10:23am for the next night’s performance. My own result for that exact same performance arrived at 3:05pm: “Unfortunately, you did not win.” One household, two accounts, one set of seats. Had only one of us entered, it was a coin flip whether we saw the show at all.
One more constraint: both of you have to claim inside the window, for Telecharge it is five hours but for Broadway Direct that is sixty minutes. Two people, two inboxes, one hour. Agree in advance who is buying if you both win.
What do Broadway lottery seats actually look like?
Of those thirty-one performances I have the section and row for twenty-four, taken off the actual stubs rather than from memory. By my reckoning nineteen were good or better, two were merely fine, and three were not great.
Most were better than they had any right to be:
Heathers, Center Orchestra Rows D and E, twice, for $49 a seat. Fourth and fifth row, dead center. Both of those were rush rather than lottery. IMHO Heathers rush tickets have always been amazing.
CATS: The Jellicle Ball, Stage Seating Row D, $49. On the stage, at an immersive production, in seats that normally price as premium.
Just in Time, floor seats at Circle in the Square. These are prime seats on the floor. Typically priced at more than $150.
Schmigadoon, Mezzanine Row A. Front row of the mezz, straight on. These seats were typically priced at $185 apiece.
Aladdin, Balcony Right Row K, $35 all in. These seats weren’t actually great but you can’t beat the price. Most seats in a Broadway theatre are fine and for $35 I would be happy any day of the week.
Schmigadoon from the front row of the mezzanine. Seats that normally price at $185.The Lost Boys at the Palace, won on Broadway Direct for $90 the pair.Schmigadoon at the Nederlander, before curtain.
Check whether your lead is on before you claim
Twice this year I got a “will not appear” email. Both times it was for a lottery win, and both times it arrived after I had paid.
Date
Show
Notice
Sent
Curtain
March 31
Chess
Nicholas Christopher will not appear
3:31pm
7:00pm
June 15
Just in Time
Jeremy Jordan will not appear
2:54pm
7:00pm
Christopher was Chess’s Tony-nominated lead. Jeremy Jordan is the lead in Just in Time. And the June 15 one is the double win, the night Fleming and I both drew the same performance.
I think a headliner being out loosens the lottery, because returns and exchanges flow back into the rush and lottery pools. I cannot prove it with two data points. But Just in Time’s own TikTok account promoted a standby performance with the line “A limited number of $40 rush tickets are available in-person at the Circle in the Square Box Office.” That is the production itself pairing “the star is out” with “cheap seats now.” Two of my Cursed Child wins came on nights Tom Felton was out. So did my brother’s only win. I am fairly sure the pattern is real.
For planned absences, the information is public before you pay. On the ordinary Telecharge ticket calendar, a performance with a principal out carries a small exclamation mark next to the time. Click it and it names the cover. I have now checked this across a lot of shows. And it is not only a same-day warning: on the Little Shop of Horrors calendar it told me “Jeff Sears will perform the role of Seymour at this performance,” with every date across a whole week carrying the mark, which is a scheduled absence rather than a sick day. Planned time off for a star shows up there in advance, which is worth knowing before you enter, never mind before you claim.
Shows with a real star draw often publish absences on their own websites. I won the Cursed Child lottery three times this year. Tom Felton was out for two of them. The one I claimed, July 17, is the one where he was on. The lottery kept handing me the nights he was not playing.
That being said, understudies and standbys bring a lot of energy and it’s great to see them perform. Matt Magnusson, who is Just in Time’s standby for Bobby Darin rather than an understudy (a standby covers a principal and does not otherwise appear; an understudy is usually in the ensemble), was terrific. Check who is on, then go anyway. Some of the best nights we had this year had a standby in the lead. I never mind seeing an understudy for lottery tickets but I am less thrilled sometimes if the purchase was $150–$250.
After you claim, work out how the ticket is going to reach you
Delivery varies by show, on the same platform, in the same week. Two Broadway Direct confirmations from consecutive days:
The Lost Boys, August 14: “Your tickets will be delivered to your email address from Broadway Direct 60 minutes prior to show time… these tickets must be displayed on your mobile device at the theatre and they cannot be printed.”
Aladdin, August 13: “You may pick up your tickets at the New Amsterdam Theatre Box Office beginning no sooner than 60 minutes prior to show time. Remember, a photo ID matching the name on the lottery entry MUST be presented at will call.”
Same platform. Opposite instructions. Read your confirmation email.
In practice I typically receive Telecharge lottery tickets the day before the show and Broadway Direct tickets 3-5 hours before the show.
Aladdin, Hadestown and Cursed Child all required in-person collection this year. And even the digital path for Telecharge and Broadway Direct lotteries have a in-person fallback: if the email does not arrive, you go to the box office with photo ID matching the name on the entry. This is in part why I wouldn’t risk trying to win lotteries for other people when I can’t attend the show.
Do not enter lotteries for shows you are not personally going to. In practice you can usually email a Telecharge PDF, and a Broadway Direct mobile ticket can normally be forwarded, so handing tickets to a friend often works. But Broadway Direct’s lottery terms say the prize is “non-assignable, non-transferable.”
Practical rules: bring photo ID to every lottery show even when the ticket is digital, charge your phone because Broadway Direct tickets cannot be printed, and if your ticket has not arrived an hour before curtain, walk to the box office rather than waiting.
When the lottery is the wrong tool
On August 29 we are paying $439.20 for four Saturday-evening seats to Schmigadoon. Full price.
Two friends are visiting from out of town. They are here for one window. It has to be Saturday evening. They want that specific show. And we need four seats together, which on the lottery would require both of us to win that exact performance.
The probability of getting four seats for a popular Saturday night show from the lottery is basically zero.
Look at some of my full-price shows this year and the same thing is true of three of them. The Book of Mormon at $223 a seat was the final performance of a one-week original-cast reunion for the show’s fifteenth anniversary, with Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells (of the original cast) back. Just in Time in August was three tickets, and the lottery cannot produce a party of three. Giulia: The Poison Queen of Palermo, Jennifer Nettles’s short run musical about the Palermo poisoner Giulia Tofana, played the Perelman Center, a venue that runs no lottery and no rush at all, which is a category of blind spot I will cover in the companion post.
So here is the rule I would actually give someone:
Lottery and rush are tools for flexibility. The moment you add a constraint, a fixed date, a specific show, a group bigger than 2, the lottery loses its value. Pay for those. Use the lottery for everything else.
In my opinion the discount channels are what make the full-price nights affordable. Averaging about $47 a seat across thirty-one performances is what let us spend $200+ for Ragtime, anniversary Book of Mormon tickets and the return of Aaron Tveit to Moulin Rouge.
Reddit is how I found the Tony Awards lottery
On May 27 somebody posted on r/Broadway (Reddit) that the Tony Awards were releasing a limited number of discounted tickets. I had been scoping it out on StubHub but the nosebleeds were like $900. I applied to the lottery that afternoon. Approved on May 29 at 7:52pm, card charged on approval. That is the one lottery in this post that requires payment information up front. On June 7 we were at Radio City Music Hall in black tie for the 79th Annual Tony Awards, hosted by P!nk.
$495 a seat, which is not cheap by any measure. But Tony Awards house seats do not otherwise reach the public at all, and the offer was not advertised on any of the six ticketing platforms I use. It surfaced on Reddit and was gone.
Here is the whole list, rebuilt from our order confirmations. Thirty-one performances between March 25 and August 25, sixty tickets, $2,815.00 all in. That works out to $46.92 a seat, and the median seat cost $49. Prices below are per ticket with every fee included.
Date
Show
How
Per ticket
Mar 25
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Telecharge lottery
$48
Mar 31
Chess
Telecharge lottery
$49
Apr 15
Maybe Happy Ending
Telecharge rush
$49
Apr 16
Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Broadway Direct lottery
$45
Apr 24
Death Becomes Her
Broadway Direct lottery
$45
Apr 26
MJ
Broadway Direct lottery
$49
May 4
The Great Gatsby
Telecharge lottery
$45
May 5
Hadestown
Lucky Seat lottery
$49
May 10
Dog Day Afternoon
TodayTix rush
$42.50
May 11
Heathers: The Musical
Telecharge rush
$49
May 13
The Lost Boys
Broadway Direct lottery
$45
May 15
Chess
Telecharge lottery
$49
Jun 2
Just in Time
Telecharge lottery
$49
Jun 3
Proof
Telecharge rush
$69
Jun 6
Death Becomes Her
Broadway Direct lottery
$45
Jun 9
CATS: The Jellicle Ball
Telecharge lottery
$49
Jun 10
Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Lucky Seat lottery
$49
Jun 12
What Happened Was
TodayTix lottery
$35
Jun 15
Just in Time
Telecharge lottery
$49
Jun 27
The Outsiders
Telecharge lottery
$49
Jul 14
Every Brilliant Thing
TodayTix rush
$45
Jul 17
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
TodayTix lottery
$40
Jul 20
Wicked
Broadway Direct lottery
$55
Jul 21
Are You Now or Have You Ever Been?
TodayTix rush
$49
Jul 23
Heathers: The Musical
Telecharge rush
$49
Jul 30
The Book of Mormon
Lucky Seat lottery
$49
Aug 10
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Telecharge rush
$49
Aug 11
Schmigadoon!
Broadway Direct lottery
$45
Aug 13
Aladdin
Broadway Direct lottery
$35
Aug 14
The Lost Boys
Broadway Direct lottery
$45
Aug 25
Oh, Mary!
Telecharge lottery
$47
Twenty-three of the thirty-one came from a lottery and eight from rush. By platform: Telecharge fourteen, Broadway Direct nine, TodayTix five, Lucky Seat three. The cheapest seats of the year were $35, once for What Happened Was on TodayTix and once for Aladdin on Broadway Direct. The most expensive was $69, a single Telecharge rush seat to Proof. Nothing on this list cost more than $69, and the full-price equivalent of several of them ran past $150.
Broadway lottery FAQs
How much do Broadway lottery tickets cost in 2026?
Between $10 and $55 depending on the show and platform. My 2026 average across 31 lottery and rush performances is about $47 a ticket including all fees. Broadway Direct runs $35 to $55 with fees included. Telecharge runs $38 to $49 with a $5 fee included in that. Hamilton is $10.
Do you have to pay to enter a Broadway lottery?
No. Entry is free on every platform, no card is required, and you only pay if you win and choose to claim. Letting a win expire carries no penalty.
What time do Broadway lottery results come out?
Telecharge draws twice a day, at 10am and 3pm ET. Broadway Direct reports at 2pm, 3pm or 4pm depending on the show and gives you 60 minutes to pay. Lucky Seat results arrive the afternoon before the performance. Hamilton draws on Thursdays between noon and 4pm.
Is rush cheaper than the lottery?
No, they cost roughly the same. The difference is certainty: rush shows you the seat location and any partial-view warning before you pay, and lets you decline. The lottery tells you nothing until the ticket arrives. The tradeoff is flexibility: lottery draws are generally for the next day’s shows, while rush is same-day and you need to get to the theatre, usually before a 7pm curtain. Lottery is definitely the better bet if you don’t work in the city and are coming in from the suburbs. The two rush platforms are also not interchangeable. Telecharge releases seats all day. TodayTix opens at 9am and is usually finished by 9:30.
Can I enter a Broadway lottery for a friend?
You can, but I would not unless you are planning on going together. Tickets are non-transferable and collection requires photo ID matching the name on the entry if you do not receive tickets by email. Forwarding a PDF usually works. When it does not, there is no recourse. Enter as a pair with a friend to double your odds, but go with them.
Are Broadway lottery seats bad?
Mostly no. Of the 24 seats I have documented, 19 were good or better and 3 were “bad”. The bad ones were boxes and extreme side seats rather than cheap sections. The $35 balcony seat was acceptable, and my two best discounted seats of the year, fourth and fifth row center orchestra, were $49 rush tickets. Still I don’t regret using the “bad” tickets.
Can two people both win the same performance?
Yes. The one-win-per-slot cap is per account, not per household. We did it four times this year. The two orders will not be seated together. I have no idea how many lottery seats are available by show but it is typically more than four from what I can tell.
Steal our lottery routine
Sign up once: Telecharge, Broadway Direct and Lucky Seat all run in a browser — rush.telecharge.com (free account), lottery.broadwaydirect.com (email only, no account) and luckyseat.com. TodayTix and Hamilton are app only, so install both before you need them.
Every morning: enter everything open on Telecharge and Broadway Direct, for two tickets. It takes a few minutes.
Every Friday: Hamilton opens at 10am. Thirty seconds.
Once a week: open Lucky Seat and enter every date that is live.
Both of you enter separately. Agree in advance who pays if you both win.
Before you claim: check the show’s Telecharge calendar for the exclamation mark, and check the show’s own site if there is a star you are going for.
If nothing lands and you have a hard date: TodayTix rush at 9am, then Telecharge rush at 11am, and again at lunch, and again at 5. Remember the three-day cooldown before you say yes.
Bring photo ID. Every time. Even for a digital ticket.
Everything that is not a lottery or a rush ticket, meaning the TKTS booth, Broadway Week, discount codes, TDF and the under-30 programs, will be in the companion post. If you want to eat first, Fleming’s ten pre-theatre restaurants in the Theatre District covers where we actually go, and Lillie’s Victorian Establishment is a block off Times Square and worth it at Halloween and Christmas for over-the-top decor.
Some of the shows named here will have closed by the time you find this. If a time or a price has changed, tell us and we will fix it.
Nothing in this post is an affiliate link. We paid for every ticket mentioned.
