Finally, I Made It To The European Christmas Markets!

25/08/2026wareontheglobe Leave a comment

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

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

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

A real, live Christkindelsmärik.

DAY 1: WELCOME TO STRASBOURG – THE CAPITAL OF CHRISTMAS

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

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

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

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An Interactive Photo Map of Conrad Rangali Island

16/08/2026dancozzi Leave a comment

Aerial view of Maldives atolls from a seaplane window, titled Rangali Island, an interactive photo map of the Conrad Maldives

We have stayed at Conrad Rangali Island four times now, and I have written about it here in pieces: the resort review, dinner underwater at Ithaa, the wine cellar, fifteen things I wish someone had told me first. What I never had was a way to show the whole island at once.

So here it is.

The map is satellite imagery of both islands with 25 places pinned on it. Click a pin and you get our photos of that exact spot, 171 of them, all captioned. There are 13 videos in there too, including a full walkthrough of Grand Water Villa 418 and one of the sunset water villas. Videos only load if you ask for one, so clicking through the photos stays quick.

None of it is a press photo. If you are deciding between a sunrise villa and a sunset villa, or you want to know how far Ithaa really is from the beach, or what the walk over to Vilu looks like at six in the morning, that is what this is for.

Open the interactive map

Everything else I have written about the Maldives:

And the stops we made on the way there and back:

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

15/08/2026wareontheglobe 1 Comment

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

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

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

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

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Buenaventura Golf & Beach Resort Panama Review: Worth It or Skip It?

09/04/202630/06/2026wareontheglobe Leave a comment

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.

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East Bermuda 1 Day Itinerary (No Car Needed): Caves, Food & St. George’s Guide

21/03/202631/07/2026wareontheglobe Leave a comment

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 large tree on the road between The Swizzle Inn and Crystal Caves in Bermuda

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.