New Years Dinner at Cannonball Restaurant in Edinburgh, Scotland!

19/12/202504/10/2026wareontheglobe 1 Comment

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.

At a pub in Edinburgh on Hogmanay before the New Year's Eve dinner

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.

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Lillie’s Victorian Establishment: One of the Best Christmas Bars in NYC!

02/12/202518/10/2026wareontheglobe Leave a comment

Ceiling of Lillie's Victorian in Union Square covered in giant ornaments, garlands and Santa figures above the bar

*Updated for 2026*

It’s Christmas in New York City, and time to review another one of my favorite holiday spots in the city: Lillie’s Victorian Establishment! Lillie’s is one of those over-the-top Christmassy bars and restaurants, where everyone wants an Instagram picture. I have been to the Times Square location numerous times at both Christmas and otherwise (it is one block from my office), and I want to the Union Square location last November (2025) to see the Christmas decor first hand. This post details a visit to Lillie’s Victorian around the holidays and how to get inside, even without a reservation!

Lillie’s Victorian Union Square.

Long dining room at Lillie's Victorian in Union Square, with red napkins on wooden tables under a ceiling packed with Christmas ornaments

Very fun decorations at the Union Square location starting mid-November.

Lillie’s Victorian Establishment

With two locations, Lillie’s Victorian Establishment is a year-round Victorian-era British Pub in New York City named for late British actress Lillie Langtry. The restaurant’s namesake arrived in New York in 1882. Her American debut was set for New York’s Park Theatre, which burned down on October 30, 1882, the day she was due to open. According to Lillie’s, only a charred sign with her name survived. For your purposes, Lillie’s is most famous for its elaborate Christmas decorations, which go up year in mid-November.

Dan and I at Lillie’s Victorian in Union Square in mid-November.

Lit Christmas wreath with a red bow above a red velvet banquette set for tea at Lillie's Victorian in Union Square

Lillie’s Victorian Establishment, Union Square in November 2025.

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48 Fast Hours in Londontown in Early January!

11/11/202504/10/2026wareontheglobe Leave a comment

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.

Snow in Glasgow before the early train to London

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 in early January

Harrods still decorated for Christmas on January 3rd.

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Salis – Truly the BEST Restaurant in Chania, Crete

22/10/202504/10/2026wareontheglobe Leave a comment

Zucchini flowers stuffed with feta, served with pomegranate and chili at Salis in Chania

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 wine bar on the Old Harbor in Chania, Crete

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.

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

15/10/202504/10/2026wareontheglobe Leave a comment

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 first view of Chania on the Greek island of Crete

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.