wareontheglobe

Hotel Raito – A Magical Amalfi Weekend Away From The Crowds!

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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.

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New Years Dinner at Cannonball Restaurant in Edinburgh, Scotland!

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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.

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

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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.

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48 Fast Hours in Londontown in Early January!

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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.

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A Foodie Adventure Through Monastiraki & Psiri, Greece!

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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.

Monastiraki, Athens. A very ancient Athens area.

STOP ONE: GREEK COFFEE

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