Europe was my first experience with fast paced travel, and what a different experience it was from our South American trip! In short, our summer Euro trip can be condensed into 11 countries, 7 flights, 16 trains & buses, 13 apartments, and 1 mansion. 80 days and 80 Instagram posts. And several lifetimes worth of memories and experiences. I can vividly recall the day I flew into London as a wide-eyed wanderer, and how I ooh‘ed and aah‘ed at everything. As the…
The best of Europe in meals
As I look back on my Europe posts, I feel bad for having slacked on my Foodie Fridays. And it’s really not fair as we did eat a lot of good food. So here, I continue my recap of Europe with the absolute best meal we ate in each city/country. Some are budget and some are more expensive, but each is representative of the local cuisine and worth seeking out. London: English breakfast and tea Ah, the full English breakfast. It’s…
The Best of Europe: Churches (Vol. I)
My first Europe trip is over and I realize that I haven’t written much about it at all. The thousands of pictures I’ve taken lay jumbled in a series of digital folders, unsorted and unedited. It makes me feel a little bad because I saw so many incredible things and now those memories are slowly slipping away. So here goes a series of Europe recaps, mainly for myself so I can always remember. First up: places of worship!
The locals’ guide to Warsaw: Poland’s phoenix city
Warsaw is a city best appreciated through its history. At first glance, Warsaw is neither impressively metropolitan nor charmingly historic (unlike the more popular Krakow). It seems neither here nor there, as if a city not yet come into its own. The result is a very forgettable city, some may even say utterly lacking in character. But to even begin to appreciate the city, you need to understand the history. Warsaw’s story is one of heroism, destruction, and rebirth. Stick with me as…
Of pastel buildings and pierogies: 4 Days in Wroclaw
I believe there will always come a time during the course of long-term travel when new sights start to lose their sparkle, when you want to stop playing tourist, when you don’t give a crap about seeing another cathedral. When that time (inevitably) comes, it is perfectly acceptable to just watch the world go by from your apartment, read books (or blogs), and eat at the same restaurant everyday, twice a day. And yet you will still have the most lovely…
Vienna Zoo: The exhibits – Part 2
Last week in Part 1, I posted pictures of the regular animals. But this week, I’ll be talking about the special exhibits that make Vienna Zoo the coolest zoo I have ever visited! Let’s get straight to it! If you just want to know if it’s a responsible zoo or not, feel free to jump to the bottom! The Rainforest I thought this was the most interesting part of the zoo! As soon as you step into this huge multi-level glass building,…
[Budapest] Traditional Hungarian Cuisine
Budapest marked our first non-euro city, and you know what that means? It meant that for the first time since setting foot on this continent, we didn’t have to worry so much over how much were spending over food. For the first time, both of us could get a drink at dinner, without having to share or go without. And dessert is on the table once again! I realize I haven’t done a Foodie Friday post in quiet some time,…
Vienna Zoo: Meet the animals – Part 1
I admit that one of the things I was most excited for this Europe trip is the Vienna Zoo (or Tiergarten). But for a good reason! The Vienna Zoo is the oldest zoo in history… that’s crazy! It was established in 1752 as the private royal menagerie, as this zoo is actually located inside the Schönbrunn Palace grounds! The zoo has had a colorful history since its establishment. Before World War I, it was a lively zoo with 712 species and over 3500…
Little moments in Budapest
I would really like to start blogging in real-time more… mainly because my memory gets fuzzy when too many days have passed. And well, then it’s impossible to capture your true feelings about something you barely remember. So even though I have a lot of catching up to do on this blog (more of Paris, Antwerp, Amsterdam, and Berlin), I’m here today with a real-time update on Budapest. I had hoped I’d like Budapest, but also didn’t want to force expectations. (Seriously,…
Sainte Chapelle Cathedral… my one Paris love
Paris is such a confusing city. I don’t love it, and half the time, I don’t even know if I like it. BUT… I have never been anywhere that made me constantly want to cry from overwhelming magnificence. There is something about standing in the shadows of centuries-old buildings that will break down even the most iron-hearted of us (though I am pretty emotional). And no building gave me that feeling more than Saint Chapelle Cathedral. Sainte Chapelle Cathedral looks like nothing from the outside…