Travel

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

wareontheglobe 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 (Georgetown, 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.

The Swizzle Inn, Bermuda.

Continue reading →

Is a Bermuda Food Tour Worth It? Eating Through Hamilton’s Best Spots

wareontheglobe Leave a comment

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.

Continue reading →

Manzana de Java: The [Current] Best Restaurant In San Juan

wareontheglobe Leave a comment

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.

Continue reading →

The Naxos Apothecary: A Portara View Restaurant in Chora, Naxos

wareontheglobe Leave a comment

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 when 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.

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 entry way 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.

View from our table.

Continue reading →

Christmas Tea at Edinburgh Castle: A Festive Treat or Just Regular Afternoon Tea?

wareontheglobe Leave a comment

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.

Continue reading →