Dublin is a fairly large and spread-out city, so it’s hard to explore the whole of it even over the course of a month. On top of that, the downtown area is packed with places to eat, drink, and visit, so you’ll find your schedule full daily just trying to get a grip on the […]
Tag: exploring
Some of the Many Ways to Enjoy a Guinness in Dublin
When I was 13, my mom and I traveled to Ireland along with my best friend and her mother. One of the first things my mom did after we found a suitable pub was to order a pint of Guinness. She’d been talking about it for weeks. Ever since her first sip, I’ve always associated […]
Rome Retrospective (Part 2): Eating and Drinking Our Way Through the City
After writing this second Rome synopsis post, I realized just how much we saw and did (and ate)! We tried our best to scout out as many neighborhoods and treasures as possible, and we certainly discovered some little gems along the way. I’ve included an asterisk (*) next to my absolute favorite establishments in case […]
Enjoying Low Season on the Bay of Naples
The most popular times to visit Italy are summer and early fall. The weather is lovely, all the restaurants and sites are open, and the fresh produce is at its prime. You can hop from beach to ancient city to airy terrace all in a day’s work. But we’re discovering the benefits – and, indeed, […]
A Nearly Perfect Saturday in Rome
When you think about a perfect day, what comes to mind? Perhaps it involves a road trip or a visit to a local museum. Maybe you like to hop from restaurant to pub and back again. And I bet some of you would prefer to stay in your pjs, curl up on your couch, and […]
Rediscovering the Eternal City One Day at a Time
I love Rome. I always have, and always will. The history, the archaeology, the food, the culture…it’s all right there, at your fingertips, whenever you want it. Joe discovered this, and reveled in it, right away. It warmed the little cockles of my heart. So we’ve been (re)exploring this vibrant place together. It’s an ongoing process, […]
Ah, Florence! Land of Tiny Wine Bars and Gigantic Churches
I have visited Italy several times, but I’ve never been north of Rome. Many of the country’s most famous cities and sights lie north of the capital. So Joe and I planned a long Thanksgiving weekend trip that started in the beautiful metropolis of Florence. While there, we visited many churches, drank lots of wine, […]
How to Enjoy 48 Jam-Packed Hours in Venice
Sometimes I wish this whole year was one big vacation. We would be able to see and experience everything we wanted, and could spend days or weeks in particularly fascinating places. Alas, we’re not on perpetual holiday. But when we do get a few days off, we try to pack in as much fun and […]
Sofia Retrospective: Some Favorites and Some Funny Things
Our time in Sofia flew by, as I expected it would. After all, we were only there for 16 days. For “normal” travelers, that might seem like an eternity – but for us, it was just enough time to explore a bit of the city and discover a number of strange and funny features that […]
Sofia, Bulgaria: City of Many Churches
Neither Joe nor I knew quite what to expect when we got to Bulgaria. We’d done some research on Sofia, our home for about two weeks, but much of the country, its language, culture, and sights remained unfamiliar to us. We quickly learned that Sofia still resembles a Soviet bloc city, that about 1/3 – […]
Berlin Retrospective: 550 Square Miles and Too Much to See
Berlin is a truly huge city. And I’m not really talking about population – although 3.47 million is nothing to scoff at. I’m talking about its actual size. It covers 550 square miles. To put that in perspective, realize that all of New York City – all five boroughs, with a population well over 8 […]
Croatia Retrospective: Eat, Drink, Explore, and Be Merry!
As promised, here is the follow-up to my Zagreb Retrospective. We’ve spent the last 10 days in Dalmatia, the region of southern Croatia, and there is so much to see and do. I’ll also quickly review highlights from our time in Istria just to round it all out. If you get the chance to visit […]
Game of Thrones is Cool – But so is Dubrovnik
When in Croatia, there are several places on most tourists’ lists. One of them is inevitably the walled city of Dubrovnik in the southern region of Dalmatia. Game of Thrones fans will know this red-roofed city as King’s Landing. I’m here to tell you that Dubrovnik was cool long before the Lannisters made it a […]
Three Spots to Drink Excellent Wine in Istria
Joe and I really enjoy sampling local wines wherever we go. When you visit a winery, you learn so much about the history of the place. You get a better feel for the people, their stories, and how they live their lives. When I Googled “wine in Croatia,” I was amazed at the results. One […]
Road Tripping Through Beautiful Istria
When we travel, Joe and I try to see and experience something new everywhere we go. Even if we’ve visited a place before, we add a new town or region to our list. Our sense of adventure has become a part of us. Exploring back country roads in a little rental car is often a […]
Exploring Zagreb: Let the City Find You
What enters your mind when you think of Croatia? For many of you, it will be Game of Thrones. For others, it will be crystal clear waters and pebble beaches. Still others will conjure images of Roman ruins and excellent wine. When I think about Croatia, my mind returns to my last visit here nine […]
Romania Retrospective: We’re Not in Kansas Anymore
Our trip to Romania was unexpected. We had our whole year planned out, but learned belatedly that we’d have to make some changes. While searching for places outside the Schengen Zone (more on that another time) but not halfway across the world, we inevitably found our way to Eastern Europe. There was Romania, beckoning to […]
