Friday Our favorite pub in Bruges, De Garre, was absolutely packed so we decided to try another fave, t'Poatersgat, instead. We had about 30 minutes before it opened so we killed some time looking...
Blog posts from International Travel
Euro Christmas Markets 2022: a night in Ghent
Our first two trips to Ghent had been day trips from Brussels in 2012 and 2014, and each time we really liked the city. For this visit we originally considered a day trip from Bruges, then decided...
Euro Christmas Markets 2022: introduction
In 2020 we had planned on a Thanksgiving trip centered on European Christmas markets, as it had been 6 years since we were last in Europe late in the year. Of course, all of our 2020 plans were...
Poland 2022: Krakow food & drink
We tried quite a few different places in Krakow, including cafes, restaurants, bars, bakeries, and street vendors. Our only regret is that we couldn't try even more spots! Thursday Koliba Góralskie...
Poland 2022: Wieliczka Salt Mine
The bus to the Salt Mine looked a bit complicated so we opted for the train. Got up early and grabbed a coffee in the train station, then waited for the on-time and completely uncrowded train. It...
Poland 2022: Auschwitz & Birkenau
A week before our trip we booked transport through Prime Tours Krakow to drive us to/from Auschwitz - Birkenau. Rafal picked us up on time, showed us a (very) sobering documentary on the hour-long...
Poland 2022: Warsaw food & drink
Monday On our first evening in Poland we headed over to The Taps, a craft beer bar. Eric had #15, Funky Fluid Funky Fruit, with nectarine & yellow kiwi, and then a passionfruit and pineapple...
Poland 2022: daytrip to Łódź
We chose Łódź (pronounced Woodge) to visit as it was said to have good street art and interesting architecture, all of which could be done as a day trip from Warsaw. Our pre-booked bus tickets on...
Poland 2022: Warsaw sights + transportation
Leaving the airport Since we weren't in any hurry after we landed, and since our apartment was near the Central train station, we had planned to take the train into town. However, after wandering...
Poland 2022: introduction
We've wanted to go to Poland for a while, and being mindful of the weather, were primarily interested in late spring or early fall. This year we finally found a good deal on Finnair via...
Spain 2022: a day in Madrid
Our flight back to the US left out of Madrid, so we spent our final night in Spain here again. This time we stayed next to the Puerta de Atocha train station, as we were arriving there, plus it...
Spain 2022: Cuenca
Cuenca is known for its historic walled city sitting on top of a rocky bluff between two rivers. Located roughly halfway between Valencia and Madrid, with a stop on the high speed train between the...
Spain 2022: Valencia street art
Before we left on this trip, I researched a bunch of street art places and muralists that I wanted to see. As with most street art, a lot were still visible while others had been painted over or...
Spain 2022: Valencia food & drink
Our week in Valencia was filled with food and drink experiences, from quick snacks to full-on meals. Bar Oliví is a lovely little wine place with a bar on the right and some additional stools on the...
Spain 2022: Valencia museums
To be honest, I feel like we struck out a bit with the 'formal' art institutions in Valencia. The street art was a lot more interesting to us than the two museums we tried. That said, both art...
Spain 2022: Our Lady Of The Forsaken Festival
Midnight on Saturday and BOOM! BOOMBOOMBOOM...!!! Leandra got up to see what was going on and is surprised by a large fireworks display taking place a mile away in the Turia Park, but visible from...
Spain 2022: Valencia – El Cabanyal
We centered our Saturday afternoon around reservations for a late lunch at Casa Montaña, and we were very happy with our choice to do so! From the old town we used google maps to help find a bus...
Spain 2022: Valencia gardens
Jardí Botànic - This small university-affiliated garden has a reasonable admission fee of 3€ and surprised us with its number of specimens and blessedly shady interior. Palm trees, massive oaks,...
Our Itinerary
2026 Trips
Parrish, FL (Jan)
Medellin, Colombia (Feb)
Wilmington, NC (Apr)
Madrid, Spain (May)
Asturias, Spain (May)
Galicia, Spain (June)
London, UK (July)
Cotswolds, UK (July)
Long Island, NY (July)
Ireland (Aug)
Vietnam (Nov)
Laos (Nov)
Cambodia (Dec)
Singapore (Dec)
2025 Trips
Tampa Bay, FL (Jan)
Buenos Aires, Argentina (Feb)
Villa la Angostura, Argentina (Feb)
Bariloche, Argentina (Feb)
Iguazu Falls (Feb)
Miami, FL (Feb)
Richmond, VA (Mar)
Boston, MA (Apr)
Kathmandu, Nepal (May)
Bhutan (May)
Doha, Qatar (May)
Bristol + London, UK (Jul)
Long Island, NY (Jul)
Slovenia (Sep)
Treviso, Italy (Sep)
Bologna, Italy (Sep)
day trips from Bologna (Oct)
Turin, Italy (Oct)
Greensboro, NC (Nov)