Europe

The Perfect Itinerary for 5 Relaxing Days in Chania, Crete!

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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.

Our private pool at Domes Zeen Chania.

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Airport Lounge Review: Primeclass Lounge (US Departures), Bermuda St. Georges’s L.F. Wade International

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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.

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Highlights of Glasgow, Scotland during Hogmanay

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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.

The Duke of Ellington, himself.

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Airport Lounge Review: Skyserv Aristotle Onassis Lounge, Athens, Greece

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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.

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Ristorante L’Altra Mezzanotte – A Delicious Dinner on the Water in Ischia Porto

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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.

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