For our stay in Florence, we were lucky to get a good deal on the four-star Plaza Hotel Lucchesi Hotel, located just off the river Arno. Although it’s not in walking distance of the train station- especially with our backpacks, there is a bus that stops just outside the building. Of course, we never quite … More Hotel Review: Florence- Plaza Lucchesi
Although the Lord of the Rings movies have irrevocably entangled the novels with the country of New Zealand, J.R.R Tolkien spent much of his youth in Birmingham, England, which has proudly claimed many of his childhood haunts as inspiration for various scenes in the famous stories. As a Lord of the Rings enthusiast (who’s already … More DIY Tolkien Tour
For our visit to Brussels, we were arriving by train and booked a stay at Hotel Indigo Brussel for its proximity to Brussels Nord. The short five-minute walk from the train station juggling our luggage was a godsend after a long day of travel. The four-star boutique hotel is bursting with greenery and brass tones, … More Hotel Review: Brussels- Hotel Indigo Brussels
As the most populated city in central Switzerland, Lucerne (or sometimes Luzern) is a must see for any visitors working their way through the country. Since we were traveling using the Swiss Train Pass, we stayed at the Waldstaetterhof, a comfortable three-star hotel located only steps away from the main train station. Since we were … More A City Stay In Lovely Lucerne
Impossible to miss, Fortress Hohensalzburg dominates the skyline view in Salzburg, Austria. While we originally did not intend to enter the Fortress, I do love a good viewpoint. Plus, the museum was a good way to try to dodge some of the rain we encountered in the city. Although there is a funicular that can … More Visiting Fortress Hohensalzburg
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again- if I do nothing but visit different churches on my next visit to Rome, I’ll be happy. When traveling around Europe, I try to make sure that I visit a church or two- they’re like jewel boxes of art and architecture scattered throughout the city. Even … More Church Hopping in Rome
As a born and raised New Yorker, the state’s namesake doesn’t often figure into my trip planning, but knowing that I wanted to explore cities outside of London, I made sure to add York, England to my trip docket this time around. Since it was around the holidays, York was bustling with crowds and there … More New York Meets Old York
My visit to Italy was already several weeks into our trip around Europe, and we hadn’t quite gotten around to planning our days the way we should have. This, of course, backfired pretty spectacularly when it came to getting tickets to visit the Vatican with less than a 24 hour’s notice.
Cue the frantic googling montage as we tried to figure out a way to get last minute tickets to see the landmark.
Visitors do not need to pay to visit Vatican City itself, but tickets are mandatory to visit St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums- the things I actually wanted to see! … More Visiting the Vatican
When I’m in the mood to stay at a hotel, nothing does it for me quite like a boutique hotel. Boutique hotels by definition are designed to feel small, intimate, and unique. Our stay at Torel Avantgarde in Porto, Portugal went above and beyond our expectations and to this day remains one of my favorite … More Hotel Review: Porto- Torel Avantgarde
When I was living in London a few years ago, my schedule worked out in such a way that I would often have free time on Wednesday afternoons. “Museum Wednesday” quickly became a beloved tradition that has carried on through the years. London is stuffed to bursting with world class museums, but one of my … More Museum Spotlight- Wallace Collection