Lithuania

September 22, 2023May 17, 2024Leave a comment

CITY: Vilnius

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at Jimmy’s Jump House. Overall great hostel! Location was very central to Old Town. Rooms were spacious enough. Had a good common room to hang out in with a tiny bar, but it was fairly quiet when I was there. The owners were incredibly kind & thoughtful. 8/10.

WHERE TO EAT:

Vilnius had so many fun restaurants to check out!

Bull dog burgers– I have been making an effort to get more iron into my diet so I had a burger from here my first night in Vilnius. T’was delicious. I ate outside, which was great for people watching until it started to rain. Luckily I had just about finished my meal so paid & headed back to the hostel.

Crustum– I wanted to try some local desserts so I stopped by Crustum, which was one of the few dessert places still open at 10pm when I began my search. I tried two desserts, and admittedly I didn’t think either was that good. Šakotis (tree cake) was fairly boring & bland tasting. I would say the same for Žagarėliai. But I’m glad I tried them.

Holy donuts– wow this place was 10/10 for me. It goes without saying that their donuts were incredible…. I may have had a few to test different flavors 🙂 But, they also had a yummy alll day breakfast menu. I had been craving some breakfast sandwiches, french toast, and, you guessed it, smoothie bowls so this place delivered. They also had a location in Kaunas (my next stop) so I had some meals at that spot as well. I literally went over 5 times in my 5 days in Lithuania – whoops!!

Rosehip vegan bistro– This reminded me of Wildseed back in SF. Really fresh, colorful, delicious vegan food, that doesn’t even seem vegan. Definitely recommend a stop here.

Etno Dvaras – Lithuanian food is known for being very potato based! So I obviously had to try their traditional potato dumplings, called Cepelinai.

Pirmas blynas – Rated one of the highest rated restaurants in Vilnius, it’s located in the bottom of a church and is a socially responsible business that employs folks with all different types of developmental differences. Has a focus on pancakes so it wasn’t a hard sell for me 🙂

WHAT TO DO:

I did a walking tour, which gave me some background on the city. They recommended climbing to the top of the Medininkai castle & the St. John’s Church Bell Tower at the university for great views of the city – so I did both of those.

Vilnius seemed to have a great food & bar scene. I had so many spots that I wanted to try. I also did a day trip to Trakai, which is a well-preserved historical village with more than 5 000 residents, and includes a castle located on an island. It’s one of the biggest tourist attractions in the country with a million visitors each year. I just took a bus from Vilnius (about an hour). Very easy day trip.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

I loved the food scene here! I mean a cuisine that is centered around potatoes is right up my alley. Also it was a fun city to just explore on foot. Super safe, clean, & bustling with locals enjoying the last bit of summer.

CITY: Kaunas

HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at Monk’s Bunk Kaunas. It was the week after universities had started back up so it was fairly quiet. I ended up having a 4 bed dorm room to myself two of the three nights I was there. I think if it had been full, it would’ve been a pretty fun hostel. Decent kitchen facilities. Beds were comfortable! Location was right on the main walking street in the new part of town and it was a lovely 15 min walk to Old Town. Definitely recommend staying here. 9/10

WHERE TO EAT:

Habits bakery– Absolute divine bakery near the church where the walking tour started. Croissant was so flakey and buttery!

Holy donut – Visited the Kaunas location obviously. I just loved this place.

Soul – Nice little spot near the main square. Reasonably priced for being in a touristy bit of town.

Talutti’s – After a 10 mile run that morning, I decided to treat myself to a nice little dessert. Except I accidentally ordered a not so little ice cream sundae. But don’t worry I happily finished it. This place had an incredible assortment of ice cream dessert options. AND they had peanut butter so I was thrilled.

Angolo Italiano – Best gelato in Kaunas.

WHAT TO DO:

I used my time to here to chill & eat delicious food. I did the walking tour + focused on just walking around the new & old town. I also went on three 7 mile + runs which allowed me to explore the river front & some different parks. There are a few day trips that you can do, but I chose to stay in Kaunas the whole time. I also caught up with so many friends since I didn’t really meet anyone at the hostel.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

I really enjoyed just meandering this sunny, but cooler-temperatured city. It felt clean, manageable, & not touristy at all. I barely heard any English. Fabulous! Truly Lithuania was a complete pleasant surprise. It reminded me of a mixture of Poland, Austria & Switzerland. I would be quiet happy to live here!

BUDGET FOR 5 DAYS IN Lithuania:

Accommodation: $105 ($21 per night)

Food: $159

Activities: $15

Local Transportation: $16.50

Total: $305 (Daily average: $61)

Transportation to next destination: $13 (Bus to Latvia)

Bulgaria

September 14, 2023June 26, 2024Leave a comment

CITY: Sofia

HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at Hostel N1 and it was such a strange vibe. It’s known as the Rules hostel because on their site, it lists all the VERY STICT rules you must adhere to. Despite this, it has great reviews so I decided to give it a go. The rules that were listed, in general, were reasonable. No drinking at the hostel, quiet hours MUST be respected, no outside guests, etc. Overall, it’s like I can’t complain about it because the hostel was clean, safe, beds were comfy, and the kitchen was well stocked. But there were two main issues I had. None of the staff, including the owner, spoke English. Obviously while traveling I encounter folks who don’t speak English, which is completely fine given I am the one in their country where they don’t speak English. However, when you are running a tourist establishment like a hostel, it was very bizarre to have to communicate via Google translate all the time. I also would say they weren’t the friendliest volunteers & workers I have ever encountered. In the end, it wasn’t the worst thing in the world, but it did contribute to a weird atmosphere, which takes me to the second point. Because of all the rules (even though they weren’t unreasonable), I think everyone in the hostel felt like they were walking on eggshells all the time, which led to further weird vibes in the hostel. It just didn’t end up being all that social, & when I finally did have a group of folks eating in the common room with me around 9pm, we were told to be quiet multiple times (even though quiet hours weren’t until 10pm). Like I said, it just was a weird vibe overall. Not warm & friendly. The one friend I made & I concluded that if you are an introvert, this might be your dream hotel! Regardless, I don’t think I would stay here again. 5/10 (since the facilities were still pretty good & the location was great).

WHERE TO EAT:

Boom Burgers and Booze – I have been trying to mix in more red meat into my diet since the anemia diagnosis. This spot did not disappoint! Burger was delicious and the fries were some of the best I have ever had.

Keba – I don’t normally have bars to recommend because I never go out, but Alex (new British friend from the hostel) convinced me to get a drink with her. I am a sucker for twinkly lights and this bar was full of them. Such a cute spot!

WHAT TO DO:

In continuing my kick for trying to remain active on the trip, I decided to join a gym in Bulgaria, which was kinda fun. The gym had locations in each of the cities I was going to so it was perfect. It was only $90 for the month (and since I was in Bulgaria for 12 days, it was a daily cost of $7.5) so I was pretty happy. I think I went about 12 times so it ended up being incredibly worth it.

I did a walking tour and it was pretty interesting learning about the incredibly long history of Sofia and how it was under so many different regimes/empires of the centuries. It’s incredible how all around the city, you can still see the different layers. You’ll see ruins from the first settlements, with the roman empire layer on top of that, then the Soviet buildings on top, and modern buildings next door. They shared that every time the city tries to build a new subway line or dig deep for a new building, it gets very delayed because they inevitable find more ruins and have to stall building to deal with it. Pretty cool!

I also did a day trip with 4 other solo travelers from the hostel to do the Rila Monastery + 7 Lakes hike. I originally wasn’t going to do it, but Alex had signed up so I extended my stay at the hostel one night so I could join her. I am so glad I did! Definitely a highlight from Bulgaria. The monastery was beautiful but obviously the hike was the more exciting part. WOW OH WOW did I miss the mountains. It felt so incredibly good to be in the crips mountain air, hiking past beautiful lake after beautiful lake. Even just eating a sandwich on the trail felt like a bit of home (aka like being at my cabin in Tahoe). There was also just this really lovely vibe around going hiking with 4 other solo female travelers (representing the US, Australia, Germany & the UK) who otherwise wouldn’t have met. It was one of those moments where I am really grateful I get to do what I’m doing.

Starting the hike with a chairlift to the trailhead

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

I really liked Sofia! I honestly felt like I could live there. It was so easy to walk around, felt incredibly safe, and had a real charm to it. Also helps that it’s so cheap.

CITY: Plovdiv

HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

This had to be one of my favorite hostels I have stayed at: Hostel Old Plovdiv. When I arrived they had my name on the whiteboard welcoming me! Then they promptly told me to drop my stuff and head outside in the backyard with them to hear about the hostel & Plovdiv over their homemade lemonade. It was so cute & sweet. The building was incredibly old and it was decorated to maintain its antique vibe. No bunkbeds – all the beds were cool old Victoria looking beds. Cozy atmosphere and it was very easy to meet people. I actually ran into a girl I had met in Kosovo a few weeks prior. Beds were comfy, AC in the room, breakfast was available for a few euros, & location was great. 9/10 would stay again.

WHERE TO EAT:

Rahat Tepe – this spot was recommended by the hostel for some good local Bulgarian food with a view. On a beautiful sunny day that was a bit cooler, it would be great to to sit outside at this restaurant. Unfortunately when we went, it was SO hot outside so we sat inside near a window, which luckily meant we still got a pretty good view overlooking Plovdiv. Food was great + service was lovely.

Green Library– As per usual I am always on the hunt for a smoothie bowl in these hot months. Green Library had a few fabulous smoothie bowls to choose from and I tried a few since I managed to drag friends from the hostel and we split two both times I went.

Savi– Delicious gelato! They even had a peanut butter flavor 🙂

WHAT TO DO:

Plovdiv is a very pleasant town to just explore on foot. I did a walking tour but honestly it was so hot and the guide wasn’t great that I ended up bailing half way through. Given the heat, we decided we needed to find an activity that was indoors & in air conditioning so we landed on going to a movie. I ended up seeing Barbie for the 3rd time – and still LOVED it 🙂

It’s fun walking around the old town, but I liked the Kapana area better. Really cute walking streets and it has a fun, bohemian, trendy vibe. I also found a woman wearing the same dress as me! We got so much joy out of the exchange and chatted for about 30 min 🙂

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

Other than the heat, I loved Plovdiv. Overall just a cute city to walk around and enjoy.

CITY: Burgas

HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

Despite being a major city on the Bulgarian seaside, there were no hostels. Very strange. I ended up deciding to just book an apartment with two twin beds. An Aussie I met in Plovdiv joined me for two of the three nights so that helped lower the higher cost of the apartment. It was so nice to be able to cook and spread out my things a little.

WHERE TO EAT:

I mostly cooked while in Burgas! Such a treat 🙂

WHAT TO DO:

Burgas is a seaside town so the main activity is to head to the beach! I enjoyed walking along it for an afternoon, maybe with an ice cream cone in my hand 🙂

Beyond that, there are many cute smaller towns that are worth day tripping to. Dan (the Aussie) and I headed to Nesebar, with our one day together. It’s an easy one hour bus ride away. Nesebar is an UNESCO ancient city (dating back to 6th century BC), referred to as the “Pearl of the Black Sea. Lots of cool ruins & a beautiful little beach for a dip in the sea. Sometimes it’s hard to go swimming while being a solo traveler since you don’t have anyone to watch your stuff, so it was a treat to be with Dan. We took turns taking our first ever swims in the Black Sea!

Sozopol is another great day trip option, but I didn’t have time to get there this trip.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

Burgas itself didn’t blow me away. Felt like a bigger city with minimal charm, but it just happens to be near the sea so it becomes a “destination”. In hindsight, I would’ve rather stayed in a cuter smaller seaside town.

CITY: Sveti Vlas

HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I had planned to head to Varna as my final stop in Bulgaria, but after realizing that it was just another big seaside town AND ironically, even more importantly, there was no gym location there, I decided to go Sveti Vlas (I did a cross search of where gym locations were near the beach haha). Sveti Vlas is just past Sunny Beach (a very touristy beach town), so I liked that Sveti Vlas was a slightly more chill option. Once again, there were no hostels, but coming off the apartment, I was inspired to just do another stay like that. This airbnb was PERFECT. It was part of a resort complex, so there was a pool & restaurant (but I just cooked the whole time because the kitchen was so fabulous). The place had a laundry machine which was a treat. Most importantly it was a 5 min walk to the gym & 7 min to the beach. It felt like a mini staycation, but in a resort town. So kinda like a vacation, but I am in the middle of long vacation so who even knows what’s happening hahaha.

WHERE TO EAT:

I cooked the whole time so no recommendations.

WHAT TO DO:

Go to the beach 🙂

I spent a lot of time catching up with friends over FaceTime, going to the gym, reading by the pool, cooking & doing trip planning since that is never ending haha.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

I am not sure I can really speak to Sveti Vlas since I almost just treated it as regular life, which meant I didn’t explore too much. But overall I adored my time here. A much needed rest!

BUDGET FOR 12 DAYS IN BULGARIA:

Accommodation: $487 ($40.50 per night)

Food: $124

Groceries: $137

Activities: $68

Health: $100 (gym membership)

Local Transportation: $140

Total: $1,072 (Daily average: $89)

Transportation to next destination: $178 (Flight to Lithuania)

Cyprus

September 5, 2023September 30, 2024Leave a comment

CITY: Larnaca

HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

After an exhausting, but incredible, time in Egypt, Stephen and I knew we would want to have a few days to completely relax & recuperate. Sentido Sandy Beach was the perfect spot to do so! It was such a treat to have no agenda other than to enjoy a resort stay 🙂 We opted for the half board meal plan, which meant food was taken care of. There was a gym we took advantage of. The pool had plenty of spots to find a chair in the shade, and the beach was only a few steps away. I will say it was very, very hot, so we also enjoyed lounging inside the main area of the hotel, which had incredibly comfy couches to read, play cards, and catch up on the blog! Lastly, our favorite thing about the hotel was the free Lemon Water, Sparkling Lemonade, & Pink Lemonade. 10/10 would highly recommend this hotel if you find yourself in Cyprus.

Where to eat:

We mostly ate at the hotel, but we had one INCREDIBLE meal outside the hotel. The reception recommended Lysia Meat Tavern for some local food, and holy moly it did not disappoint. The chicken was cooked to perfection! Stephen raved about his pork as well.

Also, despite being a buffet, the hotel’s restaurants did an excellent job with the food. I felt like everything was delicious!

What to do:

If I haven’t made it clear thus far, we really didn’t do much while here because the main goal was to CHILL (which I am not very good at, but I very much needed at this point in the trip). Our days looked like this:

Sleep in
Workout
Breakfast
Read by the pool
Play cards inside to beat the heat
Eat dinner
Watch a movie in bed

We did manage to get a few games in at the local bowling alley which was quite fun! We were the only ones in there so she let me play my music (obviously I put on Cian Ducrot’s new album). Not your typical fun bowling music, but Stephen humored me. He also managed to beat me in all three games unfortunately. Luckily I schooled him in our running game of rummy over the course of the two weeks so it all evened out 🙂

Lastly, we spent one afternoon exploring the city of Larnaca. We walked by the castle, the beach front & the church, as well as trying some Loukoumades (Greek donuts) since Stephen hadn’t had them before. They were yummy, but nothing beats an American donut hehe.

Overall Thoughts:

I am not sure I can really speak to Cyprus or even Larnaca as a whole, but we really, really enjoyed our stay at Sentido Sandy Beach. We felt like our room had the best view in the entire hotel, and we just fully were able to relax, knowing there was nothing we “needed” to do while here. The only to do was enjoy ourselves. I continue to appreciate seeing some nooks & crannies of the world that a lot of Americans don’t ever get to see in their lifetimes 🙂

Budget for 4 days in Cyprus:

Accommodation: $483 ($121 per night)

Food: $18.35 (because we had half board at the hotel)

Activities: $19.50

Local Transportation: $19.50

Transportation to next destination: $132 (Flight to Bulgaria)

Total: $672 (Daily average: $168)

Comments: This was very much a vacation amidst my trip, but despite this being more expensive than more normal budget, for the experience we had, it felt very reasonable!

Egypt

August 28, 2023September 5, 20231 Comment

This post will be structured a bit differently because Stephen (friend from home) & I traveled Egypt with a tour group. We did it thought Expat Explore & selected the 9 day Egypt Nile Jewel tour (cost about $1000usd). I’ve mentioned this before, but this is definitely not my preferred method of travel. However, traveling Egypt on your own can be quite difficult (although I won’t say impossible), and Stephen & I just didn’t want the hassle of doing all the research & logistics to figuring it out. Also, we wanted to make sure we would be safe the whole time (an armed guard traveled with us for most of the tour, which felt slightly overkill, but what do I know?). Despite not loving group travel, we wouldn’t have done it any differently. After backpacking for almost 6 weeks, it was quite nice to get to turn off my brain, make no decisions, and just follow the leader – literally.

There were 14 of us, representing the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Peru, Mexico, & the Cayman Island. There was one couple around our age, while the rest were older adults (some who had brought their kids). Overall a nice group of people!

Here are the highlights:

We started in Cairo, getting to visit the Pyramids & the Sphinx.

We flew down to Aswan to see Philae Temple & Abu Simbel Temple, before boarding our 3 night Nile River cruise!

We saw the Kom-Ombo, Luxor, & Karnak Temples.

Next up, we traveled to the Valley of the Kings & Temple of Hatshepsut.

A highlight was spending two nights in Hurghada at a resort, swimming in the Red Sea!

Lastly we were back in Cairo to visit the Egyptian Museum.

Overall Thoughts on the Tour:

If anyone in my life was heading to Egypt and wanted my advice, it would be to travel with a tour company. We always felt safe, the logistics were arranged for us, and it was great to have someone to answer any questions that popped up regarding the history of Egypt or any site we were visiting. Despite that, this specific tour definitely could’ve been improved. They weren’t great at disseminating information or changes when they occurred. For example, the itinerary we received ahead of the tour was slightly different than the one we ended up doing. No problem, except they didn’t tell us, which meant folks had to miss out on the Sound & Lights show at the Pyramid. If they had told us ahead of time, this could’ve been avoided. Additionally, timing would often change by the hour, which was sometimes frustrating as someone who likes to know what’s coming ahead. For example, on the last day driving back to Cairo, we were told wake up time would be 5am. An hour later we were told 8am. Then it finally changed to 6am. JUST PICK A TIME!

Also, our tour guide didn’t do a fabulous job on “reading the room” when it came to his lectures at the sites. Some folks wanted to hear him talk for an hour. Others would have preferred to just walk around after getting the quick & dirty summary of what we were looking at. So when he went on & on in the 110 degree heat, a few of us could barely take in the info & would finally mosey off on our own. I wish he would’ve done a 15 min summary, then told the group the next meeting time & location, then offered to stay and continue chatting with anyone who would like to stay with him. Problem solved! I would give this tour a 6/10. It would be a better score if we’d had a different guide (the tour itself/itinerary was fairly standard and what you’d want to see if you were visiting Egypt). Lastly, my biggest piece of advice is to not visit in August (it’s way too hot LOL).

If you want to read a more in depth play by play review of the tour, my new Kiwi friend Mike wrote his hilarious, but biting thoughts here 🙂

Overall Thoughts on Egypt:

Truly it is incredibly difficult to wrap your head around the length of history we are dealing with in Egypt. It’s just so wild, especially for someone coming from a fairly new state in a fairly new country (California, USA). A historic home from CA might be from 1910. A historic temple in Egypt is almost 3,500 years old… pretty big difference haha. I just would walk around these old temples and think about all the different people and different lives that existed between these walls. So much history. My favorite temple was Abu Simbel Temple, located in the southern part of Egypt about 12 miles from the Sudanese border. The size & magnitude of the structures given it was built over 3000 years ago is just so flipping impressive.

While the history in Egypt is incredibly magnificent and awe-inspiring, the modern day Egypt is the opposite. It’s almost like it’s stuck in the past. Nothing about Egypt felt modern, new, or all that developed. It was wild to think about the juxtaposition of hearing about Egypt’s power & imposing reign all those years ago, with seeing so many abandoned and half finished buildings (that people seemed to still be living in). Cairo itself was incredibly overwhelming and I didn’t love it. Stephen and I talked about whether either of us could live here, and we didn’t think we would say yes to that opportunity. I am incredibly grateful for getting to visit Egypt and love that I say most of what I wanted to see, as I don’t think it’s a place I would come back to again & again, like I would some other countries I have visited.

BUDGET FOR 10 DAYS IN Egypt:

Tour (included most food, accommodation, local transportation + some activities): $970

Food: $60 (because we had half board at the hotel)

Activities not covered by tour: $195

Miscellaneous: $140

Total: $1,420 (Daily average: $142)

Transportation to next destination: $181 (Flight to Cyprus)

North Macedonia

August 22, 2023June 26, 2024Leave a comment

CITY: Skopje

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed in Skopje for one night before going to Ohrid and one night after (before flying to Egypt). Weirdly I had health issues while staying at both (some related to the hostel and some not haha)

First night, I stayed at Hi Skopje. This was very far from the city center and it was quite a hike to get there on foot. If you are here just one night and either arriving or leaving by bus, I would recommend staying at Shanti instead (only a 10 min walk from the bus station). Hi Skopje was fairly basic (beds had plugs & curtains), but had a cute golden retriever & some great hammocks outside. Thank god for the hammocks because at 3:30am I woke up with my legs & arms being so incredibly, painful itchy so couldn’t sleep at all. I finally got out of bed and just called my mom (thank god for the time difference) in the hammock outside. Finally got a hold of a doctor who told me just to get antihistamines (spoiler alert it was not an allergic reaction, but more on that later). This was obviously not the hostels fault, but I just didn’t have a great stay here. The host also got slightly snarky at me when I asked some questions (but I was just not feeling well so needed some help). Overall, this place wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great. 6/10

My last night in Macedonia (after Ohrid) I stayed at Shanti Hostel. The beds had curtains & plugs. Smallish kitchen. Little patio outside to sit & chat. Not enough bathrooms. Did have AC. Great location. The people working there were LOVELY. They even let me keep some stuff there while I am in Egypt (I am returning for one night before going to Bulgaria). However, sadly I did wake up at 2:30am to itchiness on my arms & hands…. and sure enough I quickly found 3 bed bugs in my bed 😦 Such a bummer since I had just gotten over the previous health issue while in Ohrid. Also I was leaving for the airport at 5:30am so I decided to just get up and out of the bed/room. I spend the next 2 hours meticulously inspecting everything in my bag and every clothing item to ensure no bed bugs got into my bag. So frustrating! Despite this, I would actually stay here again… and in fact I am as I mentioned, just in a different room this time haha. Bed bugs are bound to happen while staying in hostels for 18 months and when I told the hotel they responded perfectly & said they would refund my stay as well as spending the whole day inspecting the room & working with a outside team to rid the room of them. I thought they handled everyone appropriately, so kudos. 7.5/10.

Where to eat:

I didn’t spend much time in Skopje so the only restaurant I went to was Markt Kitchen. It had yummy salads, avocado toast, and you guessed it, smoothies! It was great to get some eggs + a smoothie in the AC after walking around in the heat of the Old Bazaar in Skopje.

What to do:

I really only had an afternoon here so I chose to just walk around and see all the crazy, large, ornate sculptures & statues as well as the Old Bazaar. It’s really strange how many incredibly large statues there are around the city. It’s like instead of investing money into beautifying the city with greenery, they decided to funnel all the money into over the top sculptures.

The other two main things to do are visiting the caves at Matka canyon & going to the Millennium Cross (with views of the city). If you have time, add these to your list!

Overall Thoughts:

The theme of not loving Eastern European country’s capitals continues with Skopje. I’m glad I only had 2 nights here in total & they are were frankly necessary as it’s a transit hub. I don’t think you really need to spend much time here.

CITY: Ohrid

HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at two hostels, both fabulous in different ways:

Old Town Hostel Ohrid – Wow – this might be one of my favorite hostels of the trip! Sadly I was just too sick to enjoy it much. The beds had curtains, plugs, personal light & a shelf. Great wifi. Cozy space downstairs to read or lounge. Outside had a picnic table under the shade where people tended to gather and meet one another. Staff were INCREDIBLE, especially helping me navigate my health issues, including visiting a doctor. They also organize activities, including some dinners, which were great for meeting people. It’s also in the perfect location, just one street off from the main walking area of town. This place ALWAYS books up, so don’t be afraid to just book this as soon as you know you are going 🙂 10/10

View from my room at the hostel in Old Town!

Robinson Sunset House– as I mentioned, Old Town books up, so I was only able to snag 2 nights there. After I moved to Robinson Sunset House, which has a very different vibe. While Old Town is very social and in the heart of Ohrid, Sunset House is a 15 min bus ride out of town along the lake, and is a tranquil little paradise. Both were fabulous, but make sure you are okay with being out of town with more limited access to town. Although it was very easy to grab a bus or hitchhike into town (I did both). That being said, the family who runs this hostel are incredibly chill, almost too chill. Like I had to track them down to pay because they were no where to be found. Another backpacker checked me in and showed me to the room because they were no where to be found. While comical, and while it all seems to work out in the end, it’s slight too laid back given this is still supposed to be a hostel. The room was very basic and clean. Had an ensuite bathroom. Best part of this hotel was by far the views. It’s perched up on the hill so sunset is dreamy. I loved hanging in the pool & the hammocks. Truly this place is special. 8.5/10

Where to eat:

All these places are in Ohrid:

The Lion – Another backpacker recommended this place to me. It was delicious! Classy vibe and slightly nicer than the normal backpacker dinner spot. Also right along the water front. Great spot for a drink + dinner.

Fruit box – Are we even surprised at this point that I sought out a smoothie spot haha. I went here so often that the people knew my order by the end 🙂 Luckily it was about a 3 min walk from Old Town hostel. The smoothies were dynamite & the customizable Chia pudding was perfection. This is the a great breakfast, lunch or snack spot.

Bros. Burgers– Honestly one of the best burgers I have had. The fries also had a really yummy seasoning on it. Don’t miss a dinner here!

There were also tons of cute little stands that had desserts at night – not sure if that’s just because there was a festival going on though. I had some gelato and a waffle stick covered in chocolate that was so delicious.

What to do:

SWIM IN THE LAKE! Also just enjoy being in the sun & walk around the lake front. There’s a beautiful church to watch sunset from. But truly the main things is to slow down, read by the lake and then cool off with a dip in the water. My favorite kinda place.

The other main thing I did was finally go to the doctor 😦 After waking up in Skopje with the itchiness & starting to take the antihistamines (per the tele-doctor’s instructions), I didn’t really start to feel better (still was itchy + really exhausted) & my joints started to feel incredibly swollen & stiff (which I had never felt before). After getting past the American anxiety of having to go to a doctor and not know how much of my net worth I will have to shell out, the owner of the hostel told me to go to a clinic a 5 min walk away and that it would likely cost $30…So I trudged over and was seen immediately & had blood drawn. They told me to return 3 hrs later to get my results! I couldn’t believe how easy it all was. I went & treated myself to a smoothie from Fruit box before heading back to the clinic. While waiting in the clininc for the doctor to read me my results, I admittedly started to get very scared/nervous/sad/defeated/homesick and began to silently cry. Feeling sick in a foreign country with no one familiar to lean on is not fun!! I was verging on a mini anxiety attack, when a sweet Macedonian grandmother sat next to me noticed and in broken English began chatting with me. She snapped me out of the panic spiral I was heading down and I am eternally grateful for this kind person. She probably doesn’t even know how much I needed the distraction in that moment. Soon after, I saw the doctor, and with the help of a nurse to translate, it was revealed that I was very anemic & had low red blood cells. They said the itchiness is from the anemia & the stiff joints were from all the antihistamines I was taking that weren’t actually treating anything. My friend said maybe all the smoothie bowls are taking a toll, but regardless it was a huge relief to finally know what was going on, and that it wasn’t anything more serious. With my new iron pills in hand, I was already starting to feel better… Oh the joy’s of traveling!! Also, the two doctors visits, the blood draw & a 2 month supply of iron pills cost me $75. Healthcare outside the US is a dream.

Overall Thoughts:

Despite feeling quite unwell while here, I still loved it! I just wish I could’ve spent more time swimming & meeting fun people at the hostel. I truly would’ve been happy to spend another week here. Hopefully I get back here at some point in my life!

Sunset from the beach in front of Robinson Sunset House

BUDGET FOR 6 DAYS IN North Macedonia:

Accommodation: $98 ($24 per night)

Food: $82

Groceries: $15

Health: $83

Local Transportation: $73

Miscellaneous: $5

Total: $362 (Daily average: $60)

Transportation to next destination: $250 (Flight to Cairo)

Kosovo

August 19, 2023September 5, 20231 Comment

CITY: Pristina

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at Oda Hostel – overall a very good, basic hostel. Probably the best bet in Pristina, but nothing overly special about it. There was an area with couches that we used late at night to listen to a bunch of folk songs & singalong to them. The bed had curtains + a plug + a light. Bathroom ensuite. Good location + wifi was decent. Not overly social outside the room, but luckily I met a fun trio from the UK when I arrived in my room so had a blast exploring with them the entire time we were in Pristina.

Where to eat:

I swear to god every restaurant & cafe in Pristina was so flippin’ cute. I wanted to go inside each one. Fairy lights were everywhere and the insides were so adorable & cozy. Our favorite dinner spot was Soma Book Station. Food was so yummy, but cheap. Felt like a fancy meal but us backpackers could easily afford it haha.

The star of the show was Green + Protein. As we all know, I am in constant search of smoothie bowls and this place delivered. They also just had so many yummy (mostly) vegetarian options, between salads, bowls, wraps, and more. We went here probably 5 times hehe.

What to do:

After doing so much sightseeing the previous few weeks, I had planned to have a chill couple days in Kosovo and go see Barbie!! Randomly the British trio also independently suggested doing this, so I extended my stay in Pristina so we could all go together the next day. The main “site seeing” thing the boys wanted to do was go see the Bill Clinton statue haha. We took our photos before heading to the mall to see Barbie. With some time to kill, we grabbed food, did some window shopping, and went bowling. Barbie was INCREDIBLE and I am obsessed. Beyond that, it was incredibly lovely to have what felt like a very normal weekend that didn’t look all the different to what I might do at home.

Overall Thoughts:

While the city isn’t the most beautiful and there isn’t much “to do,” I really enjoyed walking around. In the evenings, the city really comes alive (after the heat subsides a bit) and everyone is out at cafes soaking up catching up with friends. Also, the restaurant scene was wayyyyy better than I imagined it would be. Lastly, English was widely spoken & I was incredibly impressed. It made it very easy to travel here.

CITY: Prizren

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

Ura Hostel – definitely stay here while visiting Prizren! It’s a delightful hostel with excellent facilities. Beds had a curtain, personal plug, & shelf for all your stuff. Rooms were very quiet & there was AC. Lots of cute spots to sit & read or socialize in the common areas. I didn’t cook so can’t speak to the kitchen facilities. Wifi wasn’t the best, but I was able to make a few calls.

Where to eat:

Noja Kuhzine – I ate here both dinners. It might be one of my favorite restaurants of the trip!!! Unbelievably delicious local, fresh vegetarian food. It is a crowd favorite for good reason. The chef came out and offered us something not on the menu since folks in our group had already tried everything on the menu. SO fun and cool. I could keep going, but basically if you ever find yourself in Prizren, just go here.

Cheesy pasta + Cheesy French Toast – can’t explain how good both were

Best Ocakbasi– I had a decent breakfast here. Tried the local breakfast special. Nice, big restaurant with good people watching.

Gazza – Came here for some dessert with some people from the hostel. They had yummy waffles + juices + good wifi. Also when we walked in they handed us sparkles and cranked the music to celebrate Americans visiting their store. Pretty fun!

What to do:

The main two things to do are stroll around the main part of the old town + head up to the old fortress for sunset. The rest of my time here I used to catch up on my blog + call some friends 🙂

Overall Thoughts:

Prizren is definitely the cuter of the two largest cities in Kosovo. I really enjoyed its charming walking streets and the views from the fortress. Overall a very small lovely stop on my Eastern European tour. Highly recommend coming to Prizren if you are in Kosovo!

BUDGET FOR 4 DAYS IN Kosovo:

Accommodation: $49 ($12.25 per night)

Food: $72

Activities: $18

Local Transportation: $20

Miscellaneous: $13

Total: $173 (Daily average: $43)

Transportation to next destination: $10 (Bus to North Macedonia)

Serbia

August 15, 2023September 5, 2023Leave a comment

CITY: Belgrade

HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at Balkan Soul Hostel and it was a pretty great hostel. Fabulous location (15 min walk to the bus station, 5 min walk to old town + main walking street with restaurants + shops). The beds were comfy + had storage lockers underneath the bunk beds. Downstairs there was a a kitchen + common area to hang out in. Each night, the hostel organized something for everyone to participate in. One night was a home cooked meal with traditional Serbian food (super yummy) and another night they took us to some silos turned into a bar.

Where to eat:

The star of the show was Ice Box. They had ice cream + toppings but you do the toppings yourself and pay by weight (just like a froyo place). AKA this was my dream. Toppings at ice cream shops are few and far between in Europe so I literally was a kid in a candy store haha. I obviously went twice (the only reason I didn’t go all three nights was their power was out on my second night there due to all the crazy storms).

Acai Mania was also a hit. I had two delicious smoothie bowls from here.

I didn’t have time to go to Milky, but I wish I had tried this dessert/crepe spot!

What to do:

I did the typical things I do when arriving to a city: walking tour + walk around the main part of old town. Nothing felt overly special about Belgrade if I am honest. Some may feel different, but it just didn’t speak to me. There was a cool fortress over the city, which is good for sunset.

My favorite thing I did was take a day trip to Novi Sad. It was an easy 50 min train ride (and the train was high quality) and immediately I fell in love with the Old Town there. The streets & buildings were bursting with color and I just thoroughly enjoyed my time there. I took myself out to a fun brunch spot called Vida, found a bench in a park to spend an hour reading my book in the shade, and drank some lemonade along the famous street called The Dunavska Street, enjoying the people watching. I wish I had spent one night here instead of spending all three nights in Belgrade.

Overall Thoughts:

I think it’s clear that Belgrade wasn’t my favorite. Consider spending time in Novi Sad vs Belgrade. I don’t think I need to visit Belgrade again in my life.

CITY: Bajina Bašta

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at Mystic River House and it was a perfect base for exploring Tara National Park and it’s located a 10 min walk away from the center of Bajina Basta, which is cute for dinner. The hostel was cosy & basic. The backyard with hammocks and seating areas was fabulous. Easy to meet people because it’s a small hostel. I would stay here again. The owners are generous & kind. They organized day trips & activities for the guests.

Where to eat:

I didn’t eat anywhere notable. I mostly grabbed stuff on the go from bakeries & grocery stores, but there are some restaurants in town if you are here. Bajina Basta is definitely less touristy

What to do:

The main attraction is Tara National Park & Drink River, which is the border between Bosnia & Serbia. You either need a car to explore the park or if there is enough people/interest, the hostel will organize for one of the workers to take you around the park. I was lucky enough to have two Polish guys & a guy from India join me on the day trip. We explored different lakes, view points, a walks, before finishing with a swim! It’s gorgeous!

I also spent one morning kayaking down the Drina River with a guide (turns out he is a semi-professional kayaker and it cost me $30 to have him take me 🙂 ) & we finished with the famous Drina River house. Talk about lakefront views!! It was insanely peaceful and we saw no one else on the river. It was also so interesting seeing the wreckage that still is visible on the Bosnian side (from the Bosnian War).

Overall Thoughts:

Tara National Park was definitely the highlight of my time in Serbia. It was so lovely to get into some nature after being in cities for so long. It was a treat to go swimming in a lake! If you visit Serbia, don’t miss it. Serbia wasn’t my favorite spot, but I am glad I got to experience a taste of it, since I realistically might not be here again.

BUDGET FOR 5 DAYS IN Serbia:

Accommodation: $94 ($18.80 per night)

Food: $73.42

Activities: $59

Local Transportation: $23

Miscellaneous: $28

Total: $276 (Daily average: $55)

Transportation to next destination: $19 (Bus to Kosovo)

Romania

August 2, 2023October 27, 2023Leave a comment

CITY: Cluj-Napoca

HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at Retro Hostel, which is located on a quiet pedestrian street about a 5 min walk from the main square in old town. Overall it was a decent hostel, and I think it’s the best option in Cluj. Good wifi, beds had their own socket + light, and there were lockers in the room. Kitchen was pretty small, but if you wanted to cook something you could. Biggest issue is that there wasn’t really a common area to facilitate meeting other people. Luckily I still managed to meet people by cornering them in the small kitchen 🙂

Where to Eat:

Eggcetera – definitely a must visit. Food was delicious and beautiful! I went twice and both times had a line out the door, but luckily the wait wasn’t more than 20 min each time.

/Form Cafe– I stumbled upon this restaurant the first night I arrived and while I was looking at the menu outside, I noticed a couple waving at me like I knew them. However, given I had only been in Romania about 2 hours at this point, I was quite confused as to how anyone would be waving at me. Upon further investigation, it was the couple who had given me advice on the bus system outside the airport! They invited me to sit down and down them for a drink + food. So fun to have this random run in and it quickly reminded me why I love travel so much!

Roata– The aforementioned couple told me that the dessert I must try before I leave was Papanasi. Given this, while on a walking tour, I asked the guide where I might find the best Papanasi in town. He recommended us to try his favorite restaurant. He had recently celebrated his birthday at this spot. Roata didn’t disappoint. Delicious traditional Romanian food. I went with a German friend I met at the hostel and we tried the Polenta with cheese & pork cracklings as well as the Venison goulash stew. Of course we finished with some Papanasi, which kind of like a donut with sweet cheese + jam.

What to do:

My favorite thing to do was just walk around all the lovely streets in the old town. Most don’t have cars, which makes it especially pleasant. Fabian (friend from the hostel) & I also took a walking tour, which was mildly interesting (wasn’t the best one I had been on). A visit to the Botanical Gardens are a must. My morning runs through Parcel Central were also lovely. Obviously a daily ice cream was also important.

The best thing we did was rent a car to explore the countryside. Fabian and I spent two days exploring the following:

Salina Turda– Part mine, part amusement park. It’s pretty wild. Basically it’s an old salt mine that’s been turned into somewhat of an amusement park. There’s a ferris wheel, a lake with row boats, ping pong tables, & mini golf. You read that right: all that 120m under ground.
Turda Gorge – beuatiful nature reserve. The canyon, formed through the erosion of the Jurassic limestone of the mountain, is 2,900 m long and the walls have heights reaching 300 m. Nice to be able to walk under some trees along a river for a bit. On the drive here, we didn’t see many trees.
Sighișoara – a lovely UNESCO old town in Transylvania. A great day trip from Cluj. It’s not huge, so doesn’t require an overnight stay, but you certainly could spend a night here.
Alba lulia – cool old Roman fortress and it used to be the capital of Transylvania.

Overall Thoughts:

Cluj will always have a special place in my heart. It was the perfect mixture of lovely runs in the morning, meandering the old town streets in the afternoons in search of ice cream, and using the rental car to go on some adventures in the countryside. If you are ever in Romania, Cluj is a must see.

CITY: Sibiu

HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at Pangeea Hostel, which is located right off the main square in town – sweet! The hostel itself is nothing to write home about, but it does the job. At $15 per night, I can’t complain too much. It’s quite a small hostel, which I usually like, but there haven’t been too many people to meet as a result. Basic bed, shower & kitchen, but wifi seems to work fairly well. Location can’t be beat, but I might look at other options if I were to come back.

Where to Eat:

Urban Food – Located on a nice little square, it was lovely to sit out front and enjoy the warmth of the day. Food wasn’t anything special, but they had a huge menu so it was nice to have a bunch of different options to choose from.

Lumos – Yummy food + great vibes (hey the sign even said so!). I loved eating here and spent a whole afternoon working on my computer. Lovely, lovely spot!

Meron– Adorable coffee shop and was great to work at while on my computer. Had a yummy iced chocolate while here.

What to do:

I was pretty tired after all the activities in Cluj, so I mostly used my time here to chill. I went on some long runs in Dumbrava Sibiului Natural Park & spent my afternoons in cafes planning more of my trip + updating this blog! It is a perfectly sized town to spend a leisurely few days. I loved wandering through the streets, basking in the warm sun.

Overall Thoughts:

I really liked that all that I “needed” to do while here was explore town. It lifted any pressure of needing to run around and see everything. I thoroughly enjoyed just hanging out and not doing much of anything. Sibiu is very beautiful and I loved seeing all the funny windows that look like eyes, known as the “Eyes of Sibiu“

CITY: Brașov

HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

Zozo Hostel: Wow – this is an incredible hostel from start to finish! The whole hostel has a beautiful Scandinavian mets cabin vibe (does it get better than that?!) and the beds are so comfy. Best part, no bunk beds and the room is so quiet. Randomly there are two queen beds in the 8 bed room (the other 6 are twin beds) and I magically got the queen beds (hallelujah – what a treat). The hostel also has 5 cute little pods in the back that sleep 2 people. This makes for a very small, cozy atmosphere where everyone gets to know everyone. The backyard also has 3 hammocks, which were lovely in the afternoon to be under some tress away from the heat. Also, there was a free breakfast each morning. While it is slightly far from the main part of town, it’s an easy 20ish min walk or 10 min bus ride.

Where to Eat:

Antreu Focaccerie– This place has the best sandwiches. Holy moly! I got a raclette + prosciutto sandwich and it was divine.

Restaurant Sergian a – Went to dinner with 7 others from the hostel after a walking tour. It’s very close to the main square and serves traditional Romanian food. Great atmosphere + delicious food.

What to do:

There’s so much to do in Brașov. It’s the most visited area of Romania!

Visit Bran castle – While admittedly it’s a slightly underwhelming castle, there’s no way you can go to Transylvania and not see Bran Castle haha. Bran Castle is famous for allegedly spawning the original vampire legend of Count Dracula. but the author of Dracula never actually visited Romania, let alone the castle. We did spend the extra $3 to go through the torture exhibit which was was pretty cool (& CREEPY)

Peles Castle – I actually did not have time to go, but this is supposed to be a far more impressive (albeit less famous) castle in the region.
Piatra Craiului National Park – did a small hike here

7 Ladders Canyon– Easy to get a bus ride to the trailhead and then head up through the forest for a beautiful hike. For ~$10 you can then climb through the canyon through, you guessed it, 7 ladders!

Hike to the top of Muntele Tâmpa – you can either hike (not a necessarily an easy hike as it’s steep and it was so hot when we were there) or you can take a cable car up! Definitely get to the top as it provides stunning views of Brașov below.

Overall Thoughts:

Brașov was a delight! Between meeting fun people at the hostel, there being lots to do, all in the setting of a cute town, I really enjoyed my visit here! Brașov is a must on any visit to Romania!

CITY: Bucharest

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at T5 Social and overall it was a great hostel! Walking distance to old town (15 min), but in a quiet neighborhood. The beds had curtains, personal plugs for charging & the beds were very comfy. I slept great! The best part, however, is the backyard. It’s part bar/part hangout area. Locals mix in with the travelers to create a very social atmosphere. Between hammocks, picnic tables & comfy floor cushions, there were plenty of spots to chill & meet people. If you find yourself in Bucharest, this is the place to stay (but just make sure to book ahead because it’s always full!).

Where to Eat:

I ate at the hostel mostly with groceries I picked up, but I did manage to find a smoothie bowl spot (very on brand haha). Rio Juice Dorobanti was delicious!

What to do:

Given I had just blown through the rest of Romania at a fairly fast clip, I was a little burnt out when I arrived to Bucharest. That coupled with the fact that Bucharest just felt like a large slightly run down Western capital & the insane heat, I wasn’t all that motivated to “do” much.” The two main things I did was walk around a park that had a lot of random sculptures (including one for Michael Jackson) and walked around Old Town. Neither blew me away.

The only thing I can absolutely recommend and that I truly enjoyed was visiting Therme!! This is the largest spa in Europe and it delivers. I felt like a kid in a candy store! There were so many different pools, big & small, of all different temperatures. There were indoor pools & outdoor pools. There were water slides. There were over 10 different themed saunas, including the Hollywood sauna, which was showing a nature documentary inside. There were over 5 restaurants. I only spent 4 hours here and wish I could’ve spent the whole day. Best part: one day admission to the whole facility is ~$32!!!! Run, don’t walk here 🙂

Overall Thoughts:

I feel like it’s obvious, but I wasn’t blown away by Bucharest. I feel like Romania really shines in its quaint small towns so focus your time there vs Bucharest.

BUDGET FOR 13 DAYS IN Romania:

Accommodation: $287 ($22 per night)

Food: $225

Groceries: $60

Activities: $147

Local Transportation: $110

Other: $20

Total: $846 (Daily average: $65)

Transportation to next destination: $63 (Flight to Serbia)

Sheffield + London

July 28, 2023August 28, 2023Leave a comment

Well I made it across the pond! This is the first stop on a crazy 18 month around the world adventure 🙂 I am easing into the trip by staying with friends for most of my time in England. After 10 days in England, I head off to Eastern Europe to start the true backpacking portion of the trip. Apologies that I won’t have many recommendations for places to stay as I don’t think my friends want to open up their places to just anyone hehe.

CITY: Sheffield

HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

Abi & Dan’s house! I met Abi when I was traveling around NZ and we have been close friends ever since. We’ve even been to 6 countries together at this point. I was thrilled to start my trip with a stay at a friend’s place so I could rest & recover in a comfortable place. SO kind of her & Dan to let me crash. Good thing I was here too because my luggage didn’t make it to Manchester so Abi was sweet enough to let me borrow her clothes for the first 36 hours of being there 🙂

WHERE TO EAT:

Kollective Coffee & Kitchen – I had a yummy brunch here while I waited for Abi to get off from work.

Our Cow M olly – Once Abi picked me up, there was only one thing to do: immediately get ice cream in the countryside!

What to do:

Honestly, I spent most of my time resting & getting over jet lag. Also, because I was staying with friends, we mostly just want to spend some time together, rather than do anything touristy. That being said, I went on some lovely runs, Abi & I went on some evening hikes (yay for late summer light in the evenings), and some pub dinners.

Also, more of the our NZ friends came up for the weekend so we had a lovely reunion before I left them for London!

Overall Thoughts:

I just love love love spending time with Abi, so getting to do it in her city is just the best! I am really coming to love the North of England!

CITY: London + surrounding areas

HOW LONG: 6 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

Once again I stayed with friends for 3 nights (2 nights in East Croyden with Caitlin + 1 night in Twickenham with Tony). Always fun to see old friends + it’s lovely to stay in more local spots where normal people live. Also, I am internally grateful to have friends that always put me up when I am around for a visit!

Next up, Lilly (my friend from San Francisco), who is also backpacking around Europe for the summer, and I met up for a few days in London together. We stayed at Smart Hyde Park Inn. Overall, it was a decent hostel. Beds were comfy, had a personal reading light, curtains and plug for each bed. Our room had an ensuite bathroom, which is always a luxury. However, it wasn’t that easy to meet people and it was a fairly large hostel. Lilly & I agreed that while the stay was fine for us because we already had each & didn’t need to meet anyone, we probably wouldn’t have wanted to stay there again solo.

WHERE TO EAT:

I ate at so many yummy places!

M allow– Caitlin’s roommate worked here so we met her here for dinner after her shift. Mallow is an upscale vegan restaurant near Borough Market. So yummy & the service was great! Highly recommend this spot.

The Black Dog – Caitlin & I met up with Joe (friend from SF) for dinner. Nice pub vibe for a casual dinner. It happened to be a Sunday so we got some Sunday Roast dinners.

Brown & Rosie – Super cute brunch spot! Everything we had was DELICIOUS. Located in Kensington so great spot to walk around in general.

Coppa Club, Tower – We went here right after visiting the Tower of London. Definitely priced knowing it’s in a touristy spot and food was average, but the restaurant is decorated nicely and has very cute “bubbles” to eat in outside.

Roti Chai– Indian food that Lilly and I were treated to by some of Lilly’s friends parents! While the food was slightly too spicy for me, the consensus from the table was that the food was incredibly good. Fun to have a family style meal with lots of dishes to try.

Golden Eagle– Classic pub to grab a pint!

Daisy Green – yummy Australian brunch spot

The Riding House Cafe – Lilly and I stopped here for some tea + cards while killing some time in the afternoon. I wish we would’ve had a meal here. It had a very cool modern + old vibe.

Gông Bar – This is the highest bar in Western Europe, located at the top of the Shard (an iconic London building). It’s quite expensive so I looked at this as more of an experience rather than just a drink. It was a £30 per person minimum, but I thought it was worth it as the views are stunning!!

WHAT TO DO:

Admittedly, I have spent a decent amount of time in London so at this point I don’t feel like I have to run around and do “touristy” things, which is quite nice. That being said, it was Lilly’s first time to London so we found some fun things to do!

The Tower of London- I actually hadn’t done this before so it was nice to have an excuse to check it out. While it was interesting to walk around the Tower, the audio guide got a little bit boring at times. If you are super into history, it’s worth checking out. Otherwise, I think I would’ve been okay skipping out on it.
Walking around Borough Market- I don’t think I’ve ever been to London without visiting Borough Market – it’s one of my favorite things to do! It’s fun to see all the yummy food, snacks, baked goods, &, of course, try to some ice cream.
Have a drink at the top of the Shard. There are a few restaurants/bar options. This time we went to Gông Bar, but I’ve gone to Aqua Shard in the past. Don’t miss the bathrooms at Aqua – the views are incredible.
Visit Richmond to see the pub where Ted Lasso filmed.
Walk around and see Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace, St. James Park, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Palace of Westminster, & Tower Bridge.
Walk around Soho for some shopping.
Visit Camden market for some quirky vibes & fun restaurants.
Try fish & chips!

Overall Thoughts:

I mean, I love London, usually because it means I get to see some of my British friends! This particulary was a fun visit because it mixed seeing old friends AND running around London playing tourist with Lilly. This won’t be the last time I’m in London on this trip so can’t wait to be back!

New York City

July 4, 2023Leave a comment

Disclaimer: this highlights my favorite things/places to eat, reflective of two different visits to NYC. Both trips were about 4 days, one in June 2022 & one in June 2023

CITY: Brooklyn/Gramercy Park

HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS 2x

ACCOMMODATION:

Stephen’s apartment in Brooklyn- everyone is welcome!! JK

Honestly I can’t even imagine visiting NYC and having to pay for accommodation. So expensive! Luckily I have a few friends in NYC that have kindly hosted me 🙂

WHERE TO EAT:

Food:

Friend of a Farmer– Great brunch place right next to the famous Caffé Panna. Food was yummy and the vibe was fun/happening.

Sisters– Vibey, earthy brunch spot in Brooklyn. Great food and great atmosphere.

Baker & co. – brunch in the West Village – fun spot.

Novita– Super cute Italian spot. Food was delicious and is a family run restaurant. Great for dinner near Gramercy Park.

Malt & Mold– Came here to have a late lunch/snack. They have great beer + charcuterie boards. We sat outside and played cards, while munching on cheese + prosciutto. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon.

I Sodi– Tuscan food on Bleeker Street in the West Village. So yummy!

Emmy’s Squared Pizza– While they are known for their pizza, the burger is out of this world!

Union Square Cafe– Danny Meyer’s casually refined spot for dinner. Not cheap, but worth the $$$. Very cool building. Food was incredibly delicious & sophisticated. A friend described it as “a great spot to take parents when they are in town” 🙂

Cipriani Dolci – Located in Central station. Great spot for drinks + people watching.

Bergen Bagels – Yummy NY bagels – need I say more??

Modern Love – Great vegan restaurant in Brooklyn.

Lil’ Frankies – Delicious NYC pizza!

Ice cream/dessert

Caffé Panna – very famous ice cream stop. There is always a very long line, but just go and enjoy the experience!!

Magnolia Bakery – my favorite banana pudding.

Levain Bakery – Delicious cookies – but I still think mine are better 😉

Morgenstern’s Finest Ice Cream – Fun ice cream shop – line is long but there is ice cream on the other side of it so just be patient.

Ralph’s Famous Italian Ices & Ice Cream – such a fun spot to get a highly customized ice cream experience. A million fun, random flavors + toppings.

Ample Hills – Closed, but it was so delicious!

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream – A NYC staple. Such fun flavors!

WHAT TO DO:

I admittedly am not a museum person, and given both visits were in June, the goal is always to be outside to soak up the delicious sunny warmth.

Highlights include:

Walking around Central Park
Running through Prospect Park
Walking the Highline
Eating our way through NYC (see above haha)
Going to a Yankees game
Board game nights with friends
Rec league volleyball game

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

New York in June is fabulous. Both times, as I walk around without needing a sweater during the day or night (compared to SF), I thought to myself, why don’t I just move here?! But then I remember this weather is not representative of what NYC faces the rest of the year haha. Honestly, even though I am from another major metropolitan area (the Bay Area), I find NYC to be incredible overwhelming. Not necessarily in a bad way, but it just always makes me feel so small. It’s a humbling city. That being said, I thoroughly enjoy it when I go! The list of great restaurants are never ending, and there is always something to do. I also can’t say enough good things about the people watching. There is always something fun to see or a conversation to overhear. Can’t wait for the next visit!