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People don’t usually think of Israel as a country that will expand their culinary horizons, but the food in Tel Aviv is outstanding! Of the 90 hours I spent there, I’d wager that 70 of them were spent eating or drinking. Below are some of the places where I dined/boozed: Benedict: Open 24 hours, but I’d recommend going for brunch. Manta Ray: Beachfront dining (literally ON the beach). They are known for their seafood. You cannot, and should not, go there without getting the bread and a bunch of the mezes. It’s a good spot to go for lunch, if you get hungry whilst sunning yourself. Hilton Beach: Go for daytime cocktails and surfer gazing. This is said to be one of the best patches of sea for surfing on the Israeli coastline. The Restaurant at the Hotel Montefiore: It’s like dining in a trendy library. Be sure to order the lamb! Dallal: It’s a chic converted house with courtyards and an open-air bar in the middle of Neve Tzedek. This French-Israeli fusion food was probably the best meal I had in Tel Aviv. Vicky Christina: Tapas restaurant (Vicky) and wine bar (Christina) in a Spanish style patio where a railroad station used to be. The sangria was not very good, but everything else was. Cookies and Cream Bar: This place is a bit of a labyrinth. There is a larger area with a bar that runs the length of the entire room. If you go downstairs, there’s a more intimate, smaller bar. Despite the no smoking signs, everyone inside still smokes. The smoke was gross, but the cocktails were tasty. Radio E.P.G.B: When you enter this basement club, you’ll think you’ve just entered Eastern Berlin. A strange, dark, underground place, but the throwback hip hop music and bottle service makes it a fun place for all night drinking and dancing. NOTE: Israelis tip about 10%-15% in restaurants and cafes. They prefer tips to be in cash (Shekels). Some restaurants won't allow you to tack the tip on to the credit card bill. #food #telaviv #israel #middleeast #drinking #eating #tips

After wandering around the Old City, the Jewish Quarter, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and viewing the Dome of the Rock I entered the Western Wall Plaza and took a tour of the tunnels under the wall. It turns out that there are all these hidden layers underground that have been, and are still being, excavated. The tour was remarkable and I highly recommend it. Seeing the wall underground was one thing, but seeing it above ground was incredible. I was in awe. There was so much history all around me and everything was so beautiful. I stood there for quite some time, watching people who were praying and putting notes in between the stones (they do this in the hopes of enhance their chances of their wishes materializing). Many people facing the wall were in tears, which is presumably why some refer to the wall as the "Wailing Wall.” I was snapping photos and taking it all in when I looked to my Right. I noticed a divider with women peering over the top of it (probably looking at me, now that I think back). It took only a second before I realized that I was entirely surrounded by men. It hadn't even crossed my mind that genders would be separated, but there I was, the dumb tourist, on the wrong side of the partition. I promptly turned around, walked over to the Women’s section and pretended like that mishap never occurred. After doing some research, I learned that women are not allowed to mingle nor pray with men under Orthodox Jewish law, especially at the Western Wall (which is considered to be the holiest site in Judaism). I also learned that the section of the Western Wall set aside for prayer is about 60 meters long, only 12 meters of which are reserved for women. This is a bit of controversial topic at the moment and a group of activists are beginning to protest. They call themselves the Women of the Wall. Unfortunately, some women who have attempted to pray wherever they please have encountered violence from Orthodox men or even been arrested. Luckily I made it out of the Western Wall Plaza unscathed, but I gotta tell ya…For a well-traveled women, sometimes I’m a real idiot! Below are some tips for visiting Jerusalem: The bus from Tel Aviv costs 19 Shekels and takes about 50 minutes (each way). Click here for more specifics. Wear comfy shoes with good rubber soles. You’ll be walking a lot and the stones in the Old City are slippery. Definitely take the Kotel Tunnel Tour. It was excellent! Book in advance. Taking an organized walking tour is advisable. Dress appropriately for the Western Wall (women must cover their elbows and legs). Make sure you only approach the wall on your proper gender’s side! #westernwall #israel #jerusalem #kotel #religion #middleeast

Well-developed motorways, clear signage and Right-hand driving all allow for easy travel within Austria. A road trip here is one of the best ways to get to know the country and experience all the stunning landscapes, magnificent mountain passes, spectacular lakes and beautiful towns that Austria has to offer. One important thing to note: All Austrian motorways (autobahns) are subject to ‘toll.’ Toll in Austria refers to a motorway vignette that is displayed on the inside windshield of your vehicle. Failure to have this vignette can result in heavy, on-the-spot fines. The car rental agency provided us with our vignette, but it’s important to confirm when hiring your car. If it isn’t provided, you can easily purchase one at a gas station or post office. I think it’s something like €8.50 for 10 days. I would also recommend taking a look at this site and learning some of the street signs before you embark on your adventure. We did not, and although it was fun to try to guess what the signs meant, we were often quite wrong. We began our road trip in Vienna. My friend and I rented a car at the airport and drove into the city. It happened to be a public holiday (Whit Monday) so street parking was free, which was a nice bonus. After dropping our bags at the hotel, we hurried over to the opera house to catch the second half of Mozart’s The Magic Flute. After the opera, we headed out for some drinks at Loos and then Onyx at the Do & Co Hotel. We quickly learned that Monday nights are sleepy in Vienna. That night was stayed at the Vienna Hilton. It wasn’t the absolute best location, but we had hotel points to use and the subway system is really easy to navigate, so it all worked out. The next morning, we awoke early and headed west to Obertraun, to the World Heritage Site known as Dachstein Salzkammergut. There, we took the cable car up to the first stop and visited the ice caves (Eishöhle). The guided tour was about an hour and took us through spectacular ice formations. The chill inside the caves felt amazing compared to the stifling heat outside. After the ice caves, we drove further about 6 minutes further west to Hallstatt. There we parked and wandered around the adorable lakeside town. We had lunch at a local pizza joint and then continued on to Salzburg. We checked into the Sheraton and then walked about 15 minutes into Old Town for some grub/drinks. Salzburg has an option to park outside the city, pay a reduced parking fee and then bus into the city. For convenience sake, we just paid to park at the hotel, but I thought it was worth mentioning that this option exists. On day 3, we decided to get up early again and see all that Salzburg had to offer. We took the Mönchsberg lift to the top and then walked about 30 minutes to the Hohensalzberg Fortress, which overlooks the whole city. We then followed a walking tour from Rick Steves’ Salzburg book. After gallivanting around Salzburg most of the day, we took a quick excursion, north to Fucking, Austria so we could take some pictures with the town's sign. Back in Salzburg for the evening, we enjoyed a lovely night out. Dinner at Arthotel Blaue Gans was delicious, but also very expensive. We were surprised to find how dressed up people were in Salzburg, especially on a Tuesday evening. Day 4 of the road trip lead us to Werfen, a quaint ski town. After an unusual breakfast, we kept driving until we reached Zell am See, where we rented a motorboat and toured the beautiful lake. If I had to do it over again, I would have stopped in Werfen for a few photos ops and then had breakfast in Zell am See, as there were more options there. After the boating excursion, we made our way to Krimml Waterfalls. There, we hiked uphill to the top of the falls, it started to rain, but we were already wet from the mist, so we weren’t too bothered. I would recommend carving out about 2 hours for the waterfall hike, if you want to make it to the top. Next, we headed south towards Bled, Slovenia, via Grossglockner High Alpine Road. This famous road is only about 30 miles in length and I’m not entirely sure that it was worth going out of our way, but the hairpin turns were fun. We eventually arrived into Bled and checked into House Klasika before heading out to dinner and to watch the World Cup opening match at a local pub. The next morning had us up fairly early again. We arrived at the 3glav office for the Emerald River Adventure Tour at 8am. Luckily we were staying only about a 4 minute walk from the 3glav office, so getting there on time was no problem at all. It was a full day tour (12 hours) and was exhausting, but it was really great and the staff was so friendly and knowledgeable. The highlight was the whitewater rafting down the Soča River, with Alpin Active. It cost a bit more, but was worth every penny. At the end of the long day, we drove 40 minutes back into Austria, to Worthersee. We checked into the Barry Memle SeeHotel, which felt an awful lot like the adult camp in Dirty Dancing. Then, we headed out to catch some more World Cup action and ate a lovely, traditional Austrian dinner consisting of wienerschnitzel, potato salad and some dish with mushrooms, cream sauce and dumplings. On day 6, we slept in and got a late start. All we had to do was make it to Bratislava, Slovakia via Graz. Graz is a very cool, upscale city and was worth stopping by. We had a delicious lunch at La Enoteca. After lunch, we headed to our final destination, obtaining our first traffic violation along the way. We were going 127 km/hr in a 100 km/hr zone. It wasn’t ideal, but we just had to pay €35 to the cop and then we were on our way. Finally, we arrived in Bratislava, just in time for the World Cup matches. It was there that we ran into a bachelor party. The bachelor was a Kiwi who just recently relocated from London to San Francisco. Small world. We ended up hanging out with them and having a really fun night out. After our massive drinking session, our final morning was a bit rough. We had to get up at 6:50am in order to make it to Vienna airport, return the car and get to our flights on time. Luckily we made it, with minimal frustration. After 1,570 km (975 miles) of driving, we were happy to turn in the car in exchange for a flight where we could catch up on some sleep. Known Before You Go: Austria’s wine and drinking water is excellent, but the food is mediocre. You’ll need to pay a toll to enter and exit Slovenia. You’ll need a separate vignette for Solvenia. You can buy it at a gas station in either Austria or Slovenia. It was €15 for 7 days. Slovenian people are SUPER friendly. Be prepared to be surrounded by smokers, especially in Vienna. #austria #vienna #obertraun #halstatt #icecaves #salzburg #werfen #zellamsee #grossglocknerhighalpineroad #worthersee #graz #bled #whitewaterrafting #emeraldriver #slovenia #bratislava #slovakia #roadtrip

Did you know that pets are required to have passports too? I only just learned about this. My friend, who is in the process of relocating abroad, and is bringing her beloved dog with her, just informed me that this is a real thing. I guess it makes sense, but not being a pet owner myself, it's not something that I have ever really thought about. This new learning prompted many questions: Where does one obtain a pet passport? Does the dog have to go into a drugstore and have a passport photo taken? How long are pet passports valid for? With piqued intrigue, I decided to do a bit of research. It turns out there is a system, in Europe, called 'PETS' cleverly enough (Pet Travel Scheme). PETS allows animals to travel easily between member countries without undergoing quarantine. The conditions of admittance are twofold: 1) Surgically implant a microchip in your pet and 2) Get a pet passport (an official registration document that details vaccinations and other necessary veterinary treatments). The rules for bringing a pet into the USA seem to be very strict and vary by animal. If you're interested, you can read more about these rules here. It appears that there is no real standardized process for travelling with pets overseas. As specific requirements are different for each country, it is wise to request pet travel information from the local consulate/embassy of the country where you and your pet will be travelling, to ensure the pet will be granted entry. Oh, and to answer some of my silly questions from above... You get a pet passport from your vet The photo is optional and it does not have to be taken professionally Pet passports are generally valid for 2-3 years, but that can vary #pets #passports #tips #usa #unitedstates

If you're like me, you've seen loads of pictures of the Tower of London with red flowers all around it. And, although it looks pretty, you have no idea what this is for or that the flowers aren't real. Until I went and visited the site, I had no idea that this is actually an evolving art installation. It's called "Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red." The title comes from an unknown solider's poem. The poppies are porcelain and encircle the Tower of London's famous moat. From 5th August, marking one hundred years since the the first full day of Britain's involvement in the First World War, there will be a total of 888,246 poppies "planted." One for every British military fatality during the war. #poppies #flowers #toweroflondon #london #ww1 #uk #artinstallation

Have you ever been on a trip with an incompatible traveling companion? I had one such occasion, and it was AWFUL. If you prefer not to travel solo, as I do, it's imperative to vet your travel mates in advance. I am currently reading a book called What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding. In the early pages of this book, Kristin Newman (the author) lists nine traits that make someone a good traveler. I found the list to be spot on, so I thought I'd share. 1. You are open. You say yes to whatever comes your way, whether it's shots of putrid-smelling yak-butter tea or an offer for an Albanian toe-licking. You say yes because it is the only way to really experience another place, and let it change you. 2. You venture to the places where the tourists aren't, in addition to hitting the "must-sees." If you are exclusively visiting places where busloads of Chinese are following a woman with a flag and a bullhorn, you're not doing it. 3. You are easy going about sleeping/eating/comfort issues. You don't change rooms three times, you'll take an overnight bus if you must, you can go without meat in India and without vegan soy gluten-free tempeh butter in Bolivia, and you can shut the hell up about it. 4. You are aware of your travel companions, and of not being contrary to their desires/needs/schedules more often than necessary. If you find that you want to do things differently than your companions, you happily tell them to go on without you in a way that does not sound like you're saying, "This is a test." 5. You can figure it out. How to read a map, how to order when you can't read the menu, how to find a bathroom, or a train, or a castle. 6. You know what the trip is going to cost, and can afford it. If you can't afford the trip, you don't go. Conversely, if your travel companions can't afford what you can afford, you are willing to slum it in the name of camaraderie. 7. You are aware of cultural differences, and go out of your way to blend. You don't wear booty shorts to the Western Wall on Shabbat. You do hike your bathing suit up your booty on the beach in Brazil. Basically, just be aware to show the culturally correct amount of booty. 8. You behave yourself when dealing with the local hotel clerks/train operators/tour guides etc. Whether it's for selfish gain, helping the reputation of Americans traveling abroad, or simply the spreading of good vibes, you will make nice even when faced with cultural frustrations and repeated smug "not possible"s. 9. You are able to go with the flow in a spontaneous, non-uptight way if you stumble into something amazing that will bump some plan off the day's schedule. So you missed the freakin' waterfall--you got invited to a Bahamian family's post-Christening barbecue where you danced with three generations of locals in a backyard under flower-strewn balconies. You won. Shut the hell up about the waterfalls. Before you set off on your next adventure, when considering/interviewing potential travel buddies, be sure to keep Kristin's list of distinguishing travel characteristics in mind. it may just save you from a disastrous trip. #travelcompanions #traveltraits #tips #compatibility

When I arrived in London, all wide-eyed and bushy-tailed, my housing possibilities seemed endless. Of course there were going to be heaps of lovely, available places to live in London; it’s such a massive city. Piece of cake! First things first, I started to narrow down the neighborhoods where I was interested in living and figured out where I needed to be, transit-wise. Obviously, my options dwindled slightly as I made these decisions, but I was certain there were still going to be tons of availabilities in those chosen areas. And then I started to consider the amenities that I absolutely could not live without: furnished, spacious, modern, en-suite bathroom, king-sized bed, only 1 flatmate, a guestroom, lots of closet space, washer/dryer, dishwasher, all bills included, house cleaner, etc…and all for a low monthly cost. Wooo, how could this flat hunting stuff be anything other than great fun?! I went on spareroom.co.uk and started reaching out to people. I was excited to potentially meet some new friends and get all settled in to my new life. Little did I know what I was getting myself into... Then the viewings commenced. Why are they all so old? And dirty? And weirdly laid out? And expensive? You call that a double bed? Wait, this is actually the room for rent or just the closet? This doesn’t look a thing like the online photos. Is this the same place? Where is the shower? There’s only a bathtub? Do you honestly believe that this place is a 5-minute walk from the train station? It’s easily 2 miles away! Oh, I get to live with two couples plus three other people as well? Some of these people don’t speak English? One of them is 60-years-old? This should be interesting. The deposit is how much? Oh, you need an answer today? How many people did you say are interested in this place? And they’re willing to pay this amount? For this space? Wait, there’s actually a chance you might not choose me, should I decide that this would be an acceptable living possibility? Surely they can’t all be THIS bad…So I started thinking, am I being too picky? I’m 33; I don’t want to live in a fraternity house, with eight flatmates. I could compromise on the house cleaner perhaps. I don’t absolutely neeeeeeed my own bathroom. I do, however, need a double bed. I’m not six. Maybe if I pay a bit more, I can weed out the crappy places? Urgh. For two solid weeks, I viewed places just about every evening, after work. And by ‘viewed places’ I mean that I interviewed for rooms. Who knew that finding a suitable room was more competitive than looking for new employment? And then I heard about speedflatmating. It’s an organization that holds regularly-scheduled flatmate-finding parties in various areas around London. The idea is that you get the chance to meet loads of potential new flatmates, in one evening, in an informal bar setting, while not having to waste time viewing each flat individually. Since I want to live in SW London, particularly in Clapham Junction, I selected the Clapham location, which was held, weekly, at a bar called Gigalum. Quite honestly, I was dreading attending this event. It took some serious mental convincing, but I went in the end because nothing else was working. I figured at the very least I’d maybe meet someone cool or have a fun story to tell. Also, it occurred to me that at least if it was miserable, everyone was there for the same reason, so we could all commiserate together. Upon arrival, I had to select either an ‘I need a room’ or an ‘I have a room’ sticker. I then had to fill out my name, budget and area where I wanted to live on said sticker. Once that red tape was sorted, the next order of business was getting a drink. I bee-lined to the bar and ordered the largest glass of Sauvignon Blanc that they would serve me (yes, you order wine by size in the UK). I can’t actually find the words to describe the initial awkwardness of everyone standing around, sipping in their drinks and sizing each other up. But apart from the general awkwardness, the main problem was that 97% of people had ‘I need a room’ stickers of the 100 or so people who turned up for the event. I only saw approximately three people wearing ‘I have a room’ stickers. And not one of the people who had a room to let were in the Clapham Junction area. Fail. I don’t think I’ll be going back anytime soon, but at least I can now cross speedflatmating off my to-do list. It’s back to viewing individual flats for me, I’m afraid. Wish me luck! #flathunting #speedflatmating #london #uk #residence

I recently returned from a short trip to Madrid, which spanned over New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Madrid is Spain’s capital as well as the political, economic and cultural center of Spain. The city is easily navigable by foot, places a huge emphasis on the fine arts and boasts beautiful architecture as well as a vibrant nightlife. Madrid has also undergone a recent gastronomic revolution. I spent three full days wandering around, exploring and eating. Must see landmarks include the Royal Palace of Madrid, Retiro Park, the Reina Sofia Museum (which houses Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí collections), Mercado de San Miguel, Plaza de Cibeles, Plaza Sol and Plaza Mayor. As for eating, I’ll limit myself to three recommendations, so I don't bore you... 1) The Guinness Book of Records calls Casa Botin the world's oldest restaurant and Ernest Hemingway called it the best. I don’t necessarily agree with the latter, but the space is quaint and the food edible. If you want to say you dined at the oldest restaurant in the world, then it’s worth a visit. If you don’t care about that claim to fame, than skip it. 2) Ten Con Ten is a casual option, with a posh clientele. I would recommend it as a lunch option. The wine list was plentiful and the starters were delicious. Be sure to get the risotto (which is more like an orzo) with black truffles and also the goat cheese salad with fresh herbs and fruit over thinly sliced zucchini. 3) Do not leave Madrid without dining at Sala de Despiece. It’s far from fancy, but might be the best food I ate in 2014. They don’t take reservations, so go earlier than the typical Spanish dinnertime. The cooks are in white lab coats and orders are taken via iPad. As the dishes are ready, they shout out your name and pass you trays of food over the counter. You may or may not get a seat but the staff is friendly and will do what they can to help you find a spot. They will also help walk you through the menu. The food is innovative and imaginative. The quality of the ingredients is top-notch. Most dishes are smaller and meant for sharing. The carpaccio with crushed tomato, truffles sauce and sea salt is absolutely to die for. The lomo de vaca is another must. It’s a cube of raw meat, served on salt blocks, with a side of raspberries and peppers. They cook the meat in front of you, with a crème brulee torch. You should definitely order the goat cheese as well. It’s grilled until it has a golden crust and then served with wafers and a touch of molasses. 4) New Year’s eve was spent at Casa Corolo. For €60, we had a five-course meal, which included unlimited wine/cava and grapes at midnight. People in Spain typically celebrate New Year’s with their families, at home, so the restaurant wasn’t too packed, which was actually quite nice. At the stroke of midnight, Spaniards have a tradition of eating 12 grapes, one in each of the first 12 seconds of the New Year. This symbolizes good luck for each of the upcoming 12 months. It’s not as easy as you might imagine, let me tell you. I think I only ate about six before the 12 seconds was up. And I was starting to look a bit like a chipmunk as I couldn’t chew them fast enough (and the grapes had seeds). If I were a superstitious woman, I’d be a little worried about July through December this year. #madrid #spain #europe #newyear39seve #tips #restaurants

I had the pleasure of visiting Budapest, Hungary at the end of December. Many people don’t know that it’s actually one city, made up of Buda and Pest, which are divided by the Danube River. It’s a beautiful place, with lots of history and charm. December is a particularly lovely time of year to visit Budapest because of the Christmas markets. I don’t want to spend too much time delving into all the sights that I saw and all the mulled wine that I drank however. I’d like to focus on the geothermal baths in this post instead. I must admit that I had received mixed reviews on the baths when asking people for Budapest suggestions, so I did not go into it with high expectations. Regardless, I felt it was an experience that I needed to encounter. ​There are several bathhouses in Budapest, but my friend and I decided on the Szechenyi Thermal Baths based purely on TripAdvisor rankings. I had done a bit of research in advance, but there were several price options and it was all a bit daunting, as you can see here (note the prices listed here are actually Hungarian Forint, even though it’s indicated that they are in US Dollars and are using the Great British Pound sign). We arrived at the ticket window, and there were only a few people ahead of us in line. A young girl was working behind the counter. When it was my turn to buy my ticket, I asked her if she could walk me through the options/prices. She looked up at me, pressed a button on the cash register, pointed to the price and then promptly went back to looking at her mobile. I asked a few more questions, to which she did not even acknowledge me. After I realized that was all the help I was going to get, I waved my credit card around until she looked up from her phone and took it from me. The young girl went ahead and charged me for two, without asking. She handed us our bracelets and then went straight back to Facebooking. We had no idea what to do next or where to go. When we asked, the girl just pointed to a sign (that was in Hungarian). I said, ‘Thank you! You’ve been incredibly helpful!” and walked away. We eventually navigated our way downstairs. The hallways were cold and sterile. I haven’t actually even been to mental institute to draw a comparison, but they reminded me of Girl Interrupted. The next order of business was hiring towels. We walked down the echoing corridor until we stumbled upon the towel rental counter. It was 1,400 Hungarian Fortin for two towels, with an 8,900 deposit. It had to be paid in cash. The deposit would be refunded after we stood in line for 30 minutes and returned the towels though, so that was good news. After the entrance fees and the towel rentals were sorted, we changed into our swimsuits and walked outside to the pool. We really wished we had flip-flops. Imagine showering in your dormitory bathroom at university, without shower shoes. Urgh. It was absolutely freezing outside. We could not get in the steamy pool fast enough. However, the first pool we selected wasn’t actually that warm. We then dipped into the second pool, which was a bit higher of a temperature. As long as you kept your whole body underwater, to avoid the wind, it was warm enough. A far cry from hot though. After what seemed like an hour, but was probably only five minutes, I was bored and beginning to prune. I noticed a group of old men playing chess and drinking beer. Had I known we could drink in there, it might have been a game changer. Instead, I decided to people watch, to pass the time. It was mostly old, fat people floating around. Apparently the geothermal springs have healing properties. I can neither confirm nor deny this. After my boredom got the best of me, I convinced my friend to make a dash for the building across the way, to see if anything more interesting was going on in there. Inside, we found many more pools that were accompanied by a gag-worthy, sulfuricy piss smell. In Goldilocks fashion, we dipped our toes into each pool. “This one’s too cold. This one is too stinky." Etc, etc. After failing to find any pools that were actually hot, we ended up speaking with a local and asking where the sizzling hot pools were. He grabbed us each, quite harshly, by the elbows and led us to a room with a sign that read “Gőzkamra” above the door (which literally translates into steam chamber). He then opened the door and shoved us in. It was at least one million degrees in there and I couldn’t breathe. I immediately turned around and came back out. He said, “What too hot? I thought you wanted hot?” That was about as much as we could take. We hustled back to the locker room, returned our towels, got our deposit back, tried not to touch anything as we got changed and got the heck out of dodge. I wouldn't recommend not visiting the baths if you visit Budapest, but consider yourself warned. #budapest #hungary #europe #thermalbaths #tips #geothermal

Since I’m coming up on my six month anniversary in London, I thought it would be fun to share six things I have learned in my time here thus far, in no particular order... 1. Hot drinks are my new best friend: Arguably the UK is not the coldest place on earth, but after living in California the past nine years I’m finding the temperature less than agreeable. Although I’ve never been a coffee drinker, I would occasionally consume the odd cup of tea when I lived in the States. Now that I'm living in England, it has become an absolute necessity to have a ‘cuppa’ to warm me up after my commute into the office. Sometimes I find that I hold a mug of hot tea for no other reason than to thaw my frozen hands. I always knew that tea was a universal drink over here, but now I understand one of the reasons why. 2. Posted train times are merely a suggestion: It goes without saying that the public transport infrastructure in Britain is more advanced than in the US. However, there is still room for improvement as far as punctuality is concerned. My morning train to work is scheduled to depart at 8:16am. Many days the train leaves around 8:13am and I end up missing it, which leaves me standing in the cold until the 8:28am train decides to turn up. Although there are handy digital displays all over London, indicating how many minutes you have to wait until the next train/bus, I wouldn’t recommend placing any bets on these 'scheduled' times. (And yes, 'Cockfosters' still makes me chuckle). 3. Detective skills are necessary for navigating country selection drop-down menus: When booking an airline ticket or purchasing something online, I always end up thinking ‘Oh god, here we go again’. Do I look under ‘U’ for ‘United Kingdom’ or ‘UK’? Do I scroll to the ‘E’ section and look for ‘England’? Maybe I am supposed to search for ‘Great Britain’? Perhaps it’s simply ‘Britain’? One time I even saw ‘Kingdom, United’ as an option. It’s probably easier to just move. 4. There are lots of pets…in pubs: Not only do most English pubs have an animal in the name on the outside of the building (Fox and Hounds, Square Pig, White Horse, Red Lion, etc.), more often than not you’ll also find furry creatures inside the venues as well. The local pub across the street from where I live has a resident cat that walks along the bar top and struts around like he owns the joint. There are no laws preventing pets from being in establishments where food is served; it’s up to the discretion of the owner to decide. Clearly the health codes here are not as stringent as they are in the US (as evidenced here). 5. Paint could dry in the time it takes to do a load of laundry: The ‘normal’ cycle on my washing machine takes anywhere from 1:40 to 2:30, depending on the temperature and setting. This ridiculous amount of time to complete a single wash cycle is normal over here. There is an ‘express’ setting, but even that takes nearly an hour to complete. And quicker times often result in less clean laundry. I’ve looked this up on the web and everyone seem to be in agreement that the slower washing machines are more environmentally friendly. I'm no expert, but it seems to me that running your washing machine for over two hours is counter-intuitive as far as the environment is concerned, with increased water and electricity usage. 6. A payments revolution is underway in Britain: London is well on its way to being a cashless society with many non-cash methods of payment already in place. You’d be hard-pressed to find a restaurant, pub, shop, grocery store or café that doesn’t accept a chip and pin card. Many have even implemented contactless forms of payment now (where you simply wave your card over a sensor for a secure payment that requires no additional verification). If you’re looking to jump on a bus, tube, tram or train in London, with a pocket full of pence, you’re in for a disappointment as cash is no longer a valid form of payment. TFL (Transport for London) is also pushing to make card acceptance mandatory in London’s black cabs within the next few years. Could this be the end of cash in the UK? I personally hope so. I despise carrying around all the one and two pound coins. When I become queen, they will be the first thing to go! #london #unitedkingdom #relocation #hotdrinks #transportation #transit #country #pets #laundry #cashlesssociety

In mid-February, I spent the better part of a week in a quaint town in the Italian Alps, called Sauze d’Oulx. It was a charming little mountain village with cobbled streets, family-run hotels, delicious restaurants and small ski/rental shops. Sauze d’Oulx is located just an hour’s drive from Turin and was the venue for the freestyle skiing events during the 2006 Winter Olympic Games. One of the best things about Sauze d’Oulx was its affordability. For a European ski destination, at peak time, it was incredibly inexpensive. A large (delicious) pizza cost me around €6.50, I had glasses of wine for €2.50 a piece and après-ski cocktails often had price tags of no more than €4. Ski rentals were 15€ and my lift ticket was a mere €33 for the day. Here’s where you’ll note that I stated the last costs were ‘for the day’ and not ‘per day’. It turned out that one day of skiing was enough for me. Prior to Sauze d’Oulx, I hadn’t been on the slopes in almost nine years. And, although all the conditions were near perfect in the Italian Alps, complete with fresh powder and no chairlift lines, I just couldn’t manage to enjoy myself. My first run of the day accidentally ended up being on a black trail, which was challenging and tiring. The powder was piled up over a foot high in some areas, requiring more tactical skiing. This was coupled with limited visibility, which was made worse by the fact that I didn’t have goggles to wear as the snow fell. I tried wearing sunglasses, but they kept fogging up. Although, none of these inconveniences were ideal, I probably could have dealt with them if I didn’t also have the worst rental ski boots of all times. To say my boots were ill-fitted would be a massive understatement. They were a bit big in length, causing my feet to slide around whenever I turned, but they were also far too tight around my ankles. At lunchtime, I had to unbuckle them to try to stop the throbbing. I was all set to call it day after lunch, but my friend insisted that I join him for ‘one more run’. Famous last words. Several trails were actually closed for too much snow (have you ever heard of such a thing?), so we ended up having to take a few alternate routes. This ‘one more run’ ended up taking the better part of three hours. By the time I got midway down the final path, my ankles were in such agony that I actually sat down and cried. I considered taking my skies off and walking down the rest of the mountain, but I came to my senses and realized that didn’t solve my problem and would only take longer. I thought about faking an actual injury so that a snowmobile would have to come collect me. I also even contemplated paying a more capable, male skier to ski down the rest of the slope with me on his back. I was desperate! Ultimately, I came to the conclusion that I needed to suck it up and ski down the rest of the trail, even if I sobbed and cursed the whole way (which is exactly what I did)! When I finally got my boots and skies off, the first thing I did was walk across the street to the rental shop to return my kit. I couldn't get rid of the gear fast enough! There was absolutely zero chance I was going to put myself through another day of skiing (AKA torture). I decided then and there that this would be the end of skiing for me in Italy or anywhere else. I think it’s time I grow up and leave this sport to the kids! #italy #ski #italianalps #sauzed39oulx #europe #snow

For the better part of 2002 I was living in Sydney, Australia. During my time there, my aunt and uncle went to Singapore on business and invited me to meet them. Having never been to Asia, I jumped at the opportunity. I immediately went down to my local STA Travel store and inquired about flight prices. STA found me a dirt cheap flight on Egypt Air and I booked it on the spot. The direct, red-eye from Sydney to Singapore spanned about 4,000 miles and lasted nearly 8.5 hours. My aisle seat was in the very last row of the plane, neighboring the lavatories. I remember sitting next to a very nice Australian man, who was all too excited to tell me all about his upcoming trip. After the in-flight safety demonstration (which was conducted in Egyptian Arabic), I put my headphones on, as a polite indication to my seatmate that I wasn’t interested in chit chatting, and drifted off to sleep. I had been asleep just a short while when the smell of cigarette smoke woke me. I opened my eyes and there were tens of people crowded around my seat, taking drags from their cigarettes. It was 2002, how on earth was smoking still allowed on planes? I was half asleep, dazed and massively confused, so I asked my Aussie buddy beside me what was going on. He informed me that smoking was permitted on this flight but that the designated smoking area was limited to the last two rows of the plane. Anyone was free to smoke, but they had to get up from their seat and come stand next to me in order to do so. My lucky day! I can still, to this day, remember how nauseating that flight was. I had my shirt pulled up, covering my nose and mouth, in a failed attempt to curb the level of smoke inhalation. But every few minutes a new batch of smokers would make their way to the back of the plane to blow more smoke in my face. The plane's poor air circulation didn’t help things, my throat was scratchy and my eyes burned. Between the side effects of the second-hand smoke and the constant commotion by my seat, I was unable to sleep a wink. By the time we landed, I was exhausted and I smelled like an ashtray. That was 8.5 hours of my life I would definitely like back! On my return flight to Sydney, I thought I’d outsmart Egypt Air, arrive early at Singapore airport and ask the nice lady at ticket counter for a seat in the front of the plane. After about an hour of whispers behind the desk and issues with an incorrect birthdate on my passport (that’s a whole other story), I walked away with a shiny new seat, nearer the front. I sat and waited for boarding to commence, very pleased with myself for being so clever. The plane was a 777 with a 2-5-2 seat configuration. I had seat B (an aisle in one of the two seater ​areas). I got to my row just in time to see an Ivan Drago look-a-like, with a massive scorpion tattoo on his forearm, shoving a Barbie doll into a backpack. Terrified, I timidly smiled at him as I sat down. It didn't take long to before I learned that this man spoke zero English. Again, I put my headphones on, closed my eyes, quickly plead to God that this guy wouldn’t kill me and attempted to sleep. Just as I was dozing off, I got a very strong whiff of cologne. What now?! Why wouldn’t people just let me sleep? The five grown men, in the middle five seats, directly to my right, were testing each other’s new duty free fragrance purchases. I honestly don’t know if the smoke on the first flight or the cologne on this flight was worse. But the good news was that I didn’t have to decide because the murderer next to me was also conveniently a smoker. The best of both worlds! Since he could not communicate with me using words, he would tap my arm every time he wanted to get up to go to the back of the plane for his nicotine fix, which was at least once an hour. Each time he returned to his seat, he brought that lovely smoke scent back with him. I am now acutely aware why my flight was so inexpensive!!! *I did do a search and found that Egypt Air banned smoking on all its flights in June 2003. Although, they still seem to get quite a few complaints about cabin crew and pilots smoking. #flight #singapore #sydney #australia #eygptair #smoking

Since I have now been to Ibiza, Spain three times in the past ten months, I thought I’d impart all of the knowledge I’ve gained on you folks. Ibiza is a Balearic Island in the Mediterranean Sea. It’s best known for its all-night raving, at enormous nightclubs, where famous DJ’s spin Balearic tunes during the summer months. What most people don’t know is that there is also a surprisingly peaceful side to Ibiza – including excellent restaurants, yoga retreats, quiet villages and sandy coves. All three of my trips have been on the mellower/more luxurious side. I’m afraid I cannot provide recommendations for clubs and parties, but if you’re looking for a list of suggestions for what to see/do/eat and where to stay, here’s a list of all my favorites so far: Stay As long as you avoid Ibiza Town and San Antonio (between May and early October), you should be all set. The first time I visited, I stayed at a lovely hotel in Santa Eulali called Hotel Aquas de Ibiza. The hotel was beautiful, the service impeccable and the spa was tranquil. The only odd part is that the bathrooms are basically in the hotel rooms, separated only by a glass wall. So if you’re going with a new partner or a friend, it could be awkward. If you’ve got a big group, I’d recommend renting a villa. I recently stayed at this one in Talamanca. Do If you’re looking for a typical beach day, I’d suggest heading to Las Salinas. If you decide to upgrade and pay for sunbeds you could lounge at The Jockey Club. If you'd prefer to spend the day at a proper beach club, I’d highly recommend Amante Beach Club. You have to book far in advance though, as they are often hired out for private parties or fully booked up. Another daytime option is go to Formentera, which is another Balearic Island about an hour and half away from Ibiza by boat. You can ferry there or you can hire a boat and go on your own. If you decide to go private, I’d recommend this company. They were professional, on time and incredibly accommodating. Walk around the ramparts of the Old Town – which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage City in 1999. Be sure to wear sensible shoes as the streets are narrow, winding, steep and cobbled. Eat Quite possibly my favorite restaurant on the island is La Brasa. It’s in the Old Town, so you can easily walk around afterward and find a bar or two to frequent. I have been there twice now and would definitely go back. Make a reservation in advance and sit in the garden. It’s absolutely stunning complete with crystal chandeliers, hanging from trees. Be sure to order the cava sangria! Sa Punta in Talamanca was excellent as well! You’re right on the sea and the servers were most helpful. If you make it over to Formentera, you must eat lunch at Juan y Andrea. It’s a beautiful restaurant right on the beach. No footwear required. The seafood is freshly caught. Be careful though, the rosé goes down far too easily! Ibiza Rocks at Pikes Hotel is a very unique place. It’s an eccentric venue that resembles a mix of rock ‘n’ roll, Beetlejuice and hedonism. It was made famous as the set for Wham’s ‘Club Tropicana’ video. It's a boutique hotel, but I only ate and partied. It’s worth checking out, even if you decide not to eat or stay there.

In only one short year as an expat living in London, I have already noticed a blur in the line of my identity. Although my American accent and citizenship are still intact, I now find myself minding gaps, moaning about the weather, queuing, apologizing, burning, embracing new sports and spelling like a true Brit! Below are a few of the quintessentially British things that I have picked up in my stint here thus far: Learning to navigate London’s intricate and sophisticated public transport system is one thing, but understanding and adhering to British public transportation etiquette is imperative if you'd like to avoid contemptuous stares. After learning some of following rules, the hard way, I am now proud to say that I am a protocol-abiding passenger: Always allow all passengers to exit the train before you begin boarding Always allow all passengers to exit the train before you begin to board Give up to your seat to the elderly/disabled/pregnant (you'll know they're pregnant, because they'll most likely be wearing a button) On the Tube escalators, you MUST stand to the right and walk on the left Above all else, avoid eye contact with any other passengers at all costs. If your eyes happen to meet in the window reflection, look away immediately. No, seriously, don't even pretend to look at anyone. Regardless of the weather being too cold or too hot, it is inherently British to complain about it. According to the Daily Mail, ‘The average Briton whinges about the climate four times a day, for a total of eight minutes and 21 seconds.’ I find that I am talking about the weather more these days than any human ever should. I even find that I an now guilty of beginning conversations with statements like ‘Lovely weather today’ or ‘It’s meant to rain this weekend’ Of course it's meant to rain; it's England! Queuing (or as we call it in the US, lining up) is a famous English ritual that is taken very seriously. In the US, long lines often lead to chaos and shoving, but not here. The British are renowned for their polite and patient queuing techniques. At Wimbledon 'queue cards' are handed out, with strick instructions. This is for the benefit of the foreigners, as Brits are well aware of the queuing laws. This is no joke, people. If, god forbid, the high queuing standards are ever breached, the Brits will moan about it, but only to their friends, never directly to the delinquent. If the British made anything other than queuing a national pastime, it would be apologizing. Typically, Brits don’t like to ‘make a fuss’ about things, so they commonly apologize for every small infraction or perceived wrongdoing. It’s not uncommon to hear an apology for things that are out of their control (‘I’m sorry about this rain’) or things that are not their fault, like saying sorry when someone else steps on their foot. Sentences often begin with sorry, even when unnecessary (‘sorry, is anyone sitting here?’). I wonder if a Brit could go a whole day without saying sorry?! Although I haven’t fully adopted the over-apologizing yet, I do find that I say sorry more frequently when I’m in England. It just feels right. Pale skin is a stereotypically English trait. There simply is not enough sun, most of the year, to get a natural tan. Before moving here I would say that I had an olive-colored skin tone. Somehow England has managed to suck it all out of me though. I went to buy new make-up a few months back and nearly cried when my new color was called alabaster. On top of it all, I now burn. I never used to burn. Give me my pigment back, England!!! One of my favorite parts of living in London are the various sporting events...and the drinking that inevitably accompanies all of them. The mainstream sports here are not baseball, basketball and (American) football. They vary quite drastically in fact and I have found that I definitely prefer the British options. In my time here, I have been to see several rugby matches, football (soccer), cricket, the Oxford vs Cambridge boat race, the Royal Windsor horse races, polo, the America’s Cup Sailing World Series and Wimbledon. For the sophisticated spectators over here, apart from the sport itself, the focus of all these events seems to center around champagne, Pimms or a bottle of Rosé. My British colleagues take great pleasure in pointing out my Stateside battering of the English language. When communicating via email during working hours, I’ve had to learn to replace z’s with s’s (i.e. realise, summarise) and throw weird u’s in words (humour, neighbour). Math is now maths, centre is not center any longer and traveling has become travelling. Sometimes it’s just easier to succumb, rather than to fight it. I'm intrigued to see what other English traits I pick up, in the upcoming four years that remain on my visa. Stay tuned for updates... #english #british #american #queuing #apologizing #paleskin #sports #expat #london #unitedkingdom #weather

A top requirement of mine, during the planning phase of my recent Iceland adventure, was to set foot in the Arctic Circle. Luckily, my parents, whom I was travelling with, accommodated my request without too much convincing and my wish became a reality. The only inhabited territory of Iceland within the Arctic Circle is a very small island called Grímsey. It’s about 40km north of the mainland and is only 5.3 square kms in size. Grímsey can be reached by either ferry or air, originating from Akureyi. The ferry takes about 3 hours and, from what I understand, can be a very unsettling journey. Alternatively, the plane takes 30 minutes and is about the easiest flight you’ll ever take… We arrived at the Akureyi airport about 40 minutes prior to our scheduled flight. We walked up to the ticket counter where we were asked our names. The Norlandair representative handed us 3 printed receipts as boarding passes, without ever asking for identification. We went and sat in the gate as we waited to board the plane. There was no security at all – no show removal, no liquids restrictions, no metal detectors, nothing. The flight was delayed slightly, due to weather, but eventually we were called to board. We walked through a door, onto the tarmac, without displaying any ID nor boarding passes. We climbed the ladder to a Twin Otter 19-passenger plane and sat wherever we pleased. The plane was tiny that there were no overhead compartments. Instead, bags were placed on your lap or set on an otherwise empty seat. There was no door to the cockpit and the pre-flight safety announcement was delivered by the pilot simply turning around and speaking to the 5 passengers on-board, without the use of a microphone. During this safety briefing, it was recommended that seatbelts be worn. Emergency exits were not pointed out, life vests were not mentioned and nobody ever bothered to state the smoking was prohibited. I then noticed that the props, which should have been used to deliver the safety demonstration (seatbelt and oxygen mask), were in the seat pocket in front of me. I, momentarily, considered standing up and improvising my own safety presentation, but then reconsidered. We arrived 30 minutes later at the tiny Grímsey Airport and were greeted by a woman named Gagga. In a speech, which I’m sure she repeats daily, it was indicated that the Arctic Circle monument was about a minute walk to our right and the town was to the left. We made our way to the right, to cross into the Arctic Circle and to take the compulsory photographs. Once the pictures were snapped, it started raining quite hard. We decided to walk into ‘town’ and see if we could find a place to escape the elements. We noticed a car coming towards us that seemed to be slowing down. It eventually stopped right in front of us. Gagga rolled down her window and asked us if we’d like a ride. She offered to show us the town church (which is the smallest, cutest thing ever and is used about three times a year). She then dropped us off at the local grocery market. She instructed us to be back around 5:00pm for our return flight, but not to worry if we were late or got lost because she’d come find us. We bought a candy bar in the shop and then started walking in the direction of the airport. Once back at the airport, Gagga handed us certificates authenticating that we had reached the Arctic Circle. These had been hand-written, by Gagga, in calligraphy, and they doubled as our boarding passes. Gagga – greeter, chauffeur, tour guide, calligrapher and airport security - was the only person whom we came in contact with in our short time on the island. It’s said that Grímsey has a community of about sixty inhabitants, but I’m not convinced. #arcticcircle #iceland #grimseyisland #akureyi

As you can see in the map above, quite a lot of Icelandic territory was covered during my 10-day road trip. I won’t bore you with the daily details of the entire trip, but I thought I’d share my favorite bits, along with some photos and general tips. *Since Icelandic words are very long and contain some odd letters, I'll start off by sharing a few word parts that might make the things listed below a bit clearer: foss = waterfall jökull = glacier fjörður = fjord Below is my list of the top 14 things to do/see if you find yourself in Iceland. You will note that about half of them are waterfalls - Waterfalls are amongst Iceland's most recognizable attractions. As you drive around, you see them everywhere - essentially, the whole country appears to be leaking! 1. Blue Lagoon: It seems everyone has heard of the Blue Lagoon and it’s on every must-do Iceland list that you'll read. In all honesty, I didn’t expect to like it very much, as I anticipated it to be a tourist trap. I’ll be clear here, it is in fact a tourist trap, but that said, it’s also pretty great. You must book in advance, online. You cannot just turn up and assume that you’ll get in. 2. Gullfoss 'Golden Waterfall': This is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Iceland. It’s located in the canyon of Hvítá river, in the southwest. It’s been set up really well for viewing, as you can walk along paths overlooking it and also get sprayed by the mist from the top of the falls. 3. Seljalandsfoss: This waterfall is situated in the south region of Iceland. It can be seen from the main road (Route 1). The best part about this waterfall is that you can walk all the way around it. 4. Gljúfurárfoss: To the left of Seljalandsfoss, there’s another waterfall which is often overlooked. It's hidden within a cave and is magical. If you're willing to brave the ice cold water, you can climb right in there. Your efforts will be rewarded. It's amazing! 5. Snowmobiling on Mýrdalsjökull: It was about a 30 minute, VERY bumpy, drive from the Arcanum headquarters up to the ice cap. The snowmobiling portion of the tour is about an hour. All the gear is provided and the tour guides are excellent. 6. Vik & neighboring Reynishöfn: Vik is the southernmost village in Iceland, located on the Ring Road. It’s famous for its black sand beach and puffin sightings (if it’s the right time of the year). Nearby, on Reynishverfi Beach, you can climb on the basalt column rock formations and explore caves. It's like a playground for adults! 7. Svartifoss: A waterfall in Vatnajökulsþjóðgarður (say that 10 times fast...or even once) National Park. It’s a fairly easy hike to get to this foss. The waterfall is nicknamed ‘Black Fall’ because it is surrounded by dark lava columns. 8. Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon: This is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. As huge blocks of ice fall off the glacier, Breiðamerkurjökull, the icebergs float into this lagoon. You aren’t allowed out on the icebergs here, but if you cross the road, there’s a black sand beach where you can climb amongst the glaciers for an iceberg photo shoot!! 9. Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon: Located in the southeast area of Iceland, not far from the village of Kirkjubæjarklaustur. This easy hike, along the top of the canyon, affords you continuously changing views. I’ve read that you can walk through the actual canyon too, but you’ll need to be prepared to wade across the river. 10. Skógafoss: This is one of the biggest falls in Iceland. There are 377 steps alongside the falls that you can trek up. Once at the top, there are some hiking trails and a lot more waterfalls. If you’re really adventurous, fit and properly equipped with the right gear, you can hike all the way to Landmannalaugar (about 55km). 11. Hraunfossar: This is a beautiful series of waterfalls. There was a rainbow across the top when I first arrived, which was spectacular. The water is usually a glacial blue, but it was pretty brown when I visited. ​12. Husafell Ice Tunnels/Caves: This tour takes your through man-made tunnels inside one of Europe's largest glaciers, Langjökull. The ice chambers are backlit with LED lights and there's even an ice room that can be rented out for weddings/events. 13. Whale Watching: I can't say enough about this excursion! Ambassdor has had 100% whale sightings every day since May 2015. Since the whales are found in a fjord, called Eyjafjörður, and the waters are calm, seasickness is very rare. Also, you don’t have to go that far out before you start to see whales. The humpbacks get so close that you can almost touch them. You might even get splashed by one, if you’re lucky. 14. Grimsey Island: This island is about 40km north of the mainland, and is the only part of Iceland that lies within the Arctic Circle. There are about 60 inhabitants in the winter and up to approximately 100 in the summer months. The flight from Akureyri is 30 minutes. There is not much to do once you get there, but you do get to leave with a certification acknowledging that you’ve been to the Arctic Circle. Below are a few tips and pointers for a road trip in Iceland: Everyone speaks English and the Icelandic people are very friendly Wifi is available just about everywhere Iceland is more expensive than you would ever think is possible Credit cards are widely accepted, even at toll booths Tipping is not customary and not expected Food there is very good, but there isn’t a ton of variety – try meat soup and a reindeer burger The butter is to die for Radio stations are few and far between and are not typically in English - bring an auxiliary cord so you can play music from your phone/tablet With such a high number of tourists, all year round, I'd advise that you book everything in advance – tours, hotels, etc. The weather in September is cold, windy and rainy. Northern Lights are possible to see during this time of year, if the sky is clear enough Beware of nature! There is a very good chance that you will get attacked by a herd of sheep and your car might get munched on by horses! #iceland

Many of the budget airlines, particularly in Europe, limit passengers to one piece of carry-on luggage (which also must be within the confines of specified measurements and weight restrictions). Many of these airlines, absurdly, do not allow you to bring on an additional small, under-seat bag (i.e. handbag or laptop bag). And this rule is often strictly enforced. I try to pack lightly for several reasons: 1) I don’t want to deal with the possibility of lost baggage, 2) I’m uninterested in paying extra to check a suitcase and 3) I don’t want to waste time standing in line to initially check my bag and then waste more time on the other end retrieving it. I do have the good fortune of wearing mini-human-sized shoes/clothing, so I can get away with only a one piece of cabin luggage in most scenarios. But even I struggle without the option of that additional personal item. This is especially challenging because I typically travel with a large DSLR camera. However, I’ve discovered a loophole in this luggage limit that I'm prepared to share with you, because I like you! In my experience, even the strictest of budget airlines will allow you to bring on one duty-free bag, in addition to your one carry-on. I’ve also learned that duty-free shops are typically not fussed about giving you an empty bag if you ask nicely, especially if you tell them that you’ve experienced a toiletry explosion incident (that’s the excuse that I always use, but feel free to be creative here). Once the duty-free bag is obtained, I put my purse in it and voila - the extra carry-on bag solution that you’ve been looking for!! How's that for a nugget of wisdom? The other, more random option, is to wear as much of your luggage as possible. I know it sounds a bit ridiculous, but wearable luggage is actually becoming a real thing and is increasingly becoming a way for people to beat the strict luggage limitations. Happy travels!!

In under 2.5 hours, you can fly from London to Portugal’s capital city, Lisbon. With such a quick flight, it's easy to enjoy a weekend in this charming, hilly, coastal city with mild weather, colorful buildings, amazing food and welcoming people. But don’t take my word for it though...The Portuguese love to throw around the odd superlative - some documented and some seemingly self-imposed. Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in the world and the oldest in Western Europe. This is Google verified. However, while I was there, I also walked by the oldest operating bookstore in the world, ate at the oldest hotel in the Iberian Peninsula, had a wine at a bar with the best view of Lisbon and ate the best ham in the world. I’m less convinced that some of the latter claims are verified. Regardless, it was a wonderful 48 hours! Below are my recommendations for how to fill your time, should you find yourself in Lisbon for a weekend. Friday Evening: I stayed at the Sheraton Lisboa Hotel & Spa. It’s a beautiful and modern hotel with perhaps the best views of city from the bar at the top. It’s a little less central that I would have liked, but with Uber readily available, it’s easy and cheap enough to around town. After checking into your hotel, head to Guilty by Olivier for some casual food (burgers, salads, pizza, etc.). Be sure to order the Guilty Roll. It will not disappoint. I am still salivating when I think about it. Following dinner, head to the ‘Pink Street’ for some libations. You won’t find it on a map because it’s actually called Rua Nova do Carvalho. Here you will find an outdoor party on a street that is literally painted pink. I understand it used to be a seedy place, a former Red Light District, but has now been cleaned up and is frequented by young bar-goers most nights of the week. Saturday: A day trip to/around the magical town of Sintra (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) is a must. Its fairy-tale-like feel comes from the vast surrounding forests, gardens, palaces and castles. A taxi/car will get you from there in about 25-30 minutes, from Lisbon. Alternatively, there is a train that takes about 40 minutes, followed by a bus which runs up the hill from the railway station. Be warned that the whole park is incredibly hilly. Buses are an option, but we opted to walk. If you plan to walk/hike, be prepared with sturdy, comfy shoes. Also, it gets chilly and windy at the top, so have additional layers with you. While there, visit the trifecta of enchanted places, with lunch between, as detailed below: Palacio da Pena – This colorful castle is situated on the top of a steep hill and looks like it’s straight out of a Disney film. You can go inside the actual palace if you buy the right ticket, otherwise you're limited to the grounds (which are still worth the trek). Castelo dos Mouros – A few hundred meters away from Palacio da Pena, you will find this medieval Moorish Castle. It requires a separate entrance ticket (€6.50). From here, you’ll have beautiful views of the Pena Palace as well as Sintra. Make your way down the steep hill (either by bus or on foot) to the town of Sintra and have lunch at the Restaurant Lawrence, in the oldest hotel in the Iberian Peninsula. Be sure to order the ‘green wine’ which is a grape that grows in the north of Portugal. Spoiler alert - it isn't actually green. After lunch, head to Quinta da Regaleira, which is about a 5-10 minute walk from Sintra City Centre and is another UNESCO World Heritage Site. I didn’t actually have time to visit, but the palace has its own chapel, park, lakes, fountains, wells and tunnels that you can explore and is meant to be spectacular. Make your way back into Lisbon and get ready for an exceptional dining experience at Jose Avillez’s Minibar (make a reservation in advance). As the menu states, nothing is what it seems, so show up with an empty stomach, an open mind and an adventurous appetite. I sat at the bar, which was really fun as the staff are super friendly and engaging. Sunday: In many European cities, most establishments are closed on Sundays. Lisbon is no exception. However, TimeOut Mercado da Ribeira is open and is a great way to spend your Sunday. Eat and drink, but be sure to save a bit of room for pastéis de nata at the famous Pastéis de Belém. If you're feeling a little full from the market, don't worry, you'll have plenty of time to digest whilst you wait in the long queue for these Portuguese egg tarts sprinkled with cinnamon and powdered sugar. Other Tips: Dinner time is around 8:30pm/9:00pm in Portugal; it’s not quite as late as the Spaniards eat. Be prepared for smoking in bars and restaurants. That still exists. Unless you have fancy dinner reservations, Lisbon is a pretty casual city. No need to be too dressed up. Ladies – wearing heals is near impossible with the uneven stoned streets and hills. Don’t even bother. There is a 5% discount for the sites in Sintra, if you book online.

In the UK, both Good Friday and Easter Monday are public holidays. With 4 consecutive days off, it seemed silly not to get out of town and explore new land! So, while everyone else celebrated the start of Spring, I headed to Helsinki, Finland and Tallinn, Estonia where kids were still wearing snowsuits the Gulf of Finland was frozen solid. The long weekend started off with a late night arrival into Helsinki on the Thursday night. I went straight to the hotel (Hotel Kamp), which I'd highly recommend. It was very nice and very centrally located. Because the next day was Good Friday, almost everything in Helsinki was shut. Given the nature of the holiday, it felt appropriate to spend a good portion of the day searching for Jesus statues in a series of churches/cathedrals. Church Tour 2016 included: St. John's Church, the Helsinki Lutheran Cathedral and the Uspenski Russian Orthodox Church. After the religious venues were exhausted, the rest of the day was spent wandering around, getting acclimated with the city, ducking in and out of wine bars to avoid the hail and snacking on various Finnish treats (like reindeer and pickled cucumbers with honey). On Saturday morning, I boarded the Linda Line ferry (right around the corner from Hotel Kamp). In about an hour and a half’s time, I disembarked in Tallinn, Estonia. It was a 10 minute walk from the port to my hotel. I didn’t stay right in the Old Town, but I would highly recommend doing so. Here are some hotel options that looked cute: Merchant’s House Hotel, Cru Hotel or Savoy Boutique Hotel. Old Town is the historical city center of Estonia’s capital, Tallinn. Its medieval feel and cobbled streets make it incredibly charming. You can quite easily spend two days wandering around, popping in and out of museums, churches, restaurants, bars and souvenir shops. One of the highlights of my time in Tallinn was dinner at a place called Peppersack. It’s touristy, but the food was very good, the service was great and there was even a sword fight! Yes, a sword fight! I recommend booking in advance and requesting a seat on the balcony so you have a front row viewing of the duel. On Sunday evening, after another full day in Tallinn, I got back on the ferry and crossed the (still semi-frozen) Gulf of Finland to return to Helsinki and the comforts of Hotel Kamp. Most venues were closed again on Easter Monday so keeping busy was a challenge. The city is pretty compact and I had already explored a good deal of it on Friday. So, to keep busy, I decided to visit Helsinki’ sea fortress, which is only accessible by boat. The ferry takes about 20 minutes each way and costs €2.70. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site, but I have to say, it’s one of the less interesting ones that I have visited. I only lasted for about an hour over there before returning to the mainland. All in all, the trip was fun and it was great to check out a few new cities, but I don't foresee any trips to Helsinki in my near future. Noteworthy: Both Finland and Estonia use the Euro Everyone speaks English in both countries Finland is quite expensive, whereas Estonia is very affordable The Finns are very heavy drinkers but booze cannot be purchased in supermarkets Tipping is not expected in Finland Be sure to dress appropriately. It was very cold and wet when I visited - even the doggies were dressed to keep warm and dry. #easter #helsinki #finland #tallinn #oldtown #estonia #easterneurope #scandanavia #nordics

On the morning of 8th June, I awoke at the ungodly hour of 3am, dusted off my tiny green shoes after a two-month travel hiatus, finished packing my carry-on bag and headed to the airport. It was off to Dubrovnik for me, to meet up with a few girlfriends for a four-day road trip around a small portion of the Balkans. I knew I was going to like Dubrovnik even as I arrived into the airport. This colorful city in southern Croatia, with endless orange tile roofs juxtaposed against a stunning turquoise coastline, certainly deserves its nickname: the Pearl of the Adriatic! The Old Town is a traffic-free, pedestrian zone, encircled by high stone walls. Within the perimeter of these walls there are infinite shops/restaurants as well as a multitude of steep staircased narrow alleys (I’m told there are 4,343 total steps within these ramparts). The five of us quite comfortably stayed in a three story/four-bedroom apartment, perfectly situated in the heart of the Old Town. After checking into the accommodation and meeting up with the rest of the gang, the first thing on the agenda was a long, boozy lunch and a catch-up sesh. Whilst eating, we started discussing our next meal, as you do. Konoba Dubrava had been recommended by a colleague for traditional Dalmatian food. After a bit of research, we learned that this restaurant received many accolades, including ‘best restaurant in Dubrovnik’ and a 4.5 star rating on TripAdvisor. And so it was decided. I called to make a reservation. It turns out that if you want any of the house specialties, you have to order them well in advance, since they are slow-cooked for three hours, under an iron bell. Seeing as I was not prepared to choose my entrees at the time of booking, I panicked and ordered for an army. Full of sustenance and sorted for dinner, we decided to hike up the stairs to the top of the famous city walls, which have earned themselves a UNESCO World Heritage designation. We had to hurry along a bit because the wall walk was shutting at 7:30pm and we had intentions of taking the cable car 412 meters up Mount Srđ in time for sunset (which was scheduled for 8:24pm). In the end, we missed the cable car and all had to squish into a cab instead. The driver was lovely though and stopped several times along the way for photos ops. We arrived at the top of the mountain right before the witching hour, just in time to snap some scenic pictures, share a bottle of rosé and mingle with some goats. From there, we walked half way back down the mountain to the restaurant. The venue itself had an open seating plan, sort of barn-style. The staff was very attentive and friendly. Upon arrival, we received complimentary shots and a tour of the oven area where our dinner was already cooking. We then ordered a bunch of starters and wine while we waited for the main course to finish being prepared. It turned out that my pre-order of three lambs and two octopus was FAR too much for the five of us. Even with all that food though, the bill was incredibly reasonable. The next morning, we wandered around Old Town a bit more and grabbed some breakkie before all piling into our giant van and heading to our next destination: Blagaj, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since Dubrovnik’s airport is about 30 minutes south of Old Town and we were headed on a northern route, we made the executive decision to save time by collecting the rental when we landed and then parking it overnight in the Hilton’s garage (which was only about 270 meters from the Pile Gate entrance to Old Town). Three hours and three border crossings later, we arrived at the village of Blagaj. It was tough to park our monster vehicle, but our very capable driver managed to tuck it nicely into a tight space in a parking lot that cost us only €3. Blagaj is a quaint place located on the Buna River, surrounded by mountains and known for its mystical Dervish Monastery (AKA Blagaj Tekke). Just as we arrived, it started to rain. We managed to escape the showers my ducking into Restaurant Vrelo. There we had a wonderful waiter named Adi who taught us about traditional Bosnian food and booked us a reservation at his buddy’s new restaurant in Mostar for that evening. Just as we finished up our lunch, the rain dried up and the sun reappeared. We each paid €2 to enter the monastery, which was not worth it. Plus, you have to be dressed appropriately, which we were not. The real money shot, from a photographic standpoint, is free and should be captured from the opposite side of the river. From Blagaj, it was about a 20 minute to drive to Mostar, a city in Southern Bosnia and Herzegovina. Our hotel was in Mostar’s City Center, which was poor planning on my part. We should have stayed in Old Town, which was about a 30-minute walk from City Center. It was a nice stroll though and we got to see a lot of the visible destruction that still exists, post-Bosnian war. Mostar was the most heavily bombed Bosnian city during the war. Although the city is now mostly rebuilt and beautiful, it’s not without its issues. We had been warned about thievery and pickpocketing, so we were careful, but we never experienced any trouble. Mostar’s Old Town is small, cobbled and full of stalls selling all sorts of tchotchkes. It’s situated right under the famous Ottoman-style bridge, called Stari Most (also a UNESCO World Heritage Site). The bridge was destroyed during the war, in 1993 and then reconstructed in 2004. We dined right along the river, at a new place called Divan, which had only opened one month prior. Since our waiter from Blagaj, Adi, had made the reservation for us, we were treated like royalty. The food was excellent and plentiful. The service was impeccable. When it got cold, blankets were supplied. When it started to rain, shelter was created and umbrellas were provided. When we closed the place down and there were no taxis, the owner drove us back to our hotel. Talk about service! The following day was rainy and cool, but we were not bothered because our next stop brought us to Kravice Waterfalls. The drive took about an hour from Mostar and it cost 4 Bosnian Marks (BAM) each to enter. The falls were absolutely gorgeous and very secluded. Perhaps it was due to the rain, but there were only a handful of people there when we arrived, and even fewer when we left. The water was fresh and freezing, but we decided to get in and frolic anyway. It was magical! Soaking wet and happy, we then carried on driving to our final destination: Split, Croatia. That portion of the road trip should have taken about an hour and a half, but was prolonged due to numerous stops made, in various Croatian villages, to try to find food. There were no shortages of cafes and bars, but zero restaurants. It was bizarre. We only spent one night in Split. That felt like enough. The next day, the rest of the troops headed off sailing on Yacht Week whilst I stayed on dry land. I passed the hours before my flight exploring Diocletian’s Palace and hiking up Marjan Hill, which were both beautiful. It's worth noting that the food in both Croatia and Bosnia was incredible. Although menus were somewhat limited and seemed to be similar from place to place, everything was organic and fresh. From lamb cooked under an iron bell for three hours to freshly caught fish and savory donuts accompanied by soft cheese, these countries have both nailed things from a culinary perspective. But, if there’s one thing Croatia and Bosnia have absolutely mastered, it’s the placement of restaurants. Everywhere we ate was outdoors, in cute narrow alleyways, built into the side of a cliff where you could actually feel the spray of the sea or basically in a lake/waterfall. And everything is very reasonably priced on top of it all. I will definitely be back to explore more of the Balkans. It’s a wonderful part of the world and I highly recommend a visit. #croatia #dubrovnik #split #dalmatia #bosniaandherzegovina #mostar #blagajtekke #kravicefalls #starimost #roadtrip