travel – Scribbles and Snapshots

ATV Adventure on Pacaya Volcano

December 24, 2025December 24, 2025Posted in central-americaTagged adventure, Antigua Guatemala, atv, central-america, Guatemala, pacaya volcano, travel, unesco, volcanoesLeave a comment

November 29, 2025

Saturday morning we woke up and had another great breakfast at the hotel – it was included, but everything was made to order. We had thought we had given ourselves enough time because the morning before we were still chewing our food as we were running out the door, but we found ourselves in a similar situation.

We noticed two other women in a similar situation, but honestly what were the odds that they were heading on the same tour? Andy had mentioned that one of the women was sort of rude – I told him to be careful or she’d end up on our tour. (More on that later…)

We ate quick and then power walked to the tour office and rolled in right on time. Once we checked in, the man working the front desk let us know that there were a number of different tours taking off at 8:30 and that we could use the bathrooms and wander around their office.

Sure enough, the two women from breakfast walked in, which was fine. There was still a chance she could end up on a different tour. A few more minutes went by and loads more people piled in and we were finally ready to go. Our guide called out for our group, and sure enough. They were in our group!

We had to walk a short distance to get in the mini bus to where they stored their ATVs, which was about 2 hours outside of Antigua. The company that we toured with was thoughtful about the excursion – we had a lunch included, but along the way we stopped for a quick bathroom break and to pick up food if anyone wanted something additional.

You might be wondering, how did we decide to ride a couple of ATVs up an active volcano? Or you might be thinking – nothing you do surprises me anymore, Dani. Either way, here’s the scoop.

Antigua is surrounded by active volcanoes (you would see them puff smoke ever few minutes) that practically dare you to climb them.

One of the puffs of black smoke it would produce every 5-10 mintues

Hiking Acatenango is a bucket-list favorite, and you know how much I love a good bucket-list item. But we were short on time (and not looking to sacrifice multiple days). So I found a smarter workaround. Pacaya: an active volcano just outside the city delivers lava fields, steaming ground, and all the volcanic drama without the long-haul hike. An ATV up Pacaya felt like the perfect way to get our volcano fix and fast.

We made it to their garage and got our helmets and a quick lesson on how to start them/operate them/stop them. I do feel like we all could have probably had a little bit of a longer safety briefing because some people didn’t grow up in central Minnesota around them… But then we were off!

We did follow a guide – and there was another guide with a camera woman who was bringing up the rear. They made sure that they were getting a lot of good footage of us. We made our way through some rural villages before making our way out into some hillside.

We rode through some pastures and that’s when things started to get a bit sketchy. They made us go up the hill one by one to make sure we could each safely make it up. Andy’s friend – the unfriendly one from the hotel – went first. Miraculously, she made it. It turns out she was a terrible driver, at this point in the day she had already gotten stopped once and needed help by one of the guides to get unstuck. (From here on out I’ll be calling her the Aussie).

I knew I needed to be able to make it up. Andy went first – and naturally, he made it. The ATVs had been used numerous times so the tires were shot, so they weren’t very grippy. You really had to give it all it had when you were going up the hill in order to make it, but you also had to hit the rocks just right. Thankfully, I made it. It was a white knuckle ride. I was so relieved to have made it through the worst of it.

After that nasty patch we were nearing the “top” of where we were going for the day. We were able to get off and walk around for a bit. We had about 15-20 minutes to take in the scenery and relax before we started the drive again.

Our next stop was a lava field. Normally, the lava field is where we would have lunch. A rainstorm earlier in the week had cooled the rocks too much and we were unable to heat our sandwiches up enough to cook them fully. We were still about to walk out there and experience the steam vent, which was cool enough in itself.

I really felt like this looked like the “Little Mermaid” rock. Not pictured is that I cut my ankle on the lava rock about 3 seconds later walking back from there. Whoops

From there, our guide suggested we go to a local restaurant to sit and eat our lunches before driving to our final stop. This is where the Aussie almost flipped her ATV. Andy was directly behind her – and remember how I said our tires were bad? Our brakes were also bad, thankfully Andy and I knew how to drive so we were both able to stop. But the man behind me had been tailgating me the entire day and had almost rear ended me because he couldn’t stop.

She had no idea how close she was to flipping her ATV and at this point I’m shouting, “This is SO DANGEROUS!” Because she had no basic driving lessons – and neither did the man behind me. The ATVs just didn’t have great maintenance on them – it really could have ended up being a bad situation, thankfully Andy and I had both pulled off in separate directions and had common sense. But man, that was scary.

After lunch, we made our way to a lake. If the weather had been warmer it would have been a fun spot to swim. But we made our way back to their office and rounded out the trip.

We made our way back to Antigua after a long day on the ATVs. It was an 8 hour tour, so it had been a long day. Once we freshened up we made our way to a local restaurant, where we ended up having dinner with a solo traveler from Canada. She was a hoot and we really enjoyed our conversation with her. Like I said, Guatemala really seemed like a hotspot for people who were venturing out on their own.

After dinner we made our way back to Aqua (from our first night!) for a night cap and to take in the views from the terrace. It was a beautiful way to round out our trip to Guatemala. The next morning we had arranged transportation with our hotel back to the airport. We didn’t have too early of a pickup, so we knew we’d be able to enjoy a slow breakfast at the hotel one last time.

Accommodations: San Rafael Hotel

Up Next: 12 Night Bali, Malaysia, & Thailand Holiday Cruise

The slow life

December 23, 2025December 23, 2025Posted in central-americaTagged Adventura, adventure, Antigua Guatemala, coffee, De La Gente Coffee, Guatemala, travel, Travel Day, unescoLeave a comment

November 28, 2025

One of the major pulls for us to Guatemala was the coffee industry. I had done a lot of research on different companies that offered them, but one that had stood out was De La Gente. They are a nonprofit organization that works with local small scale coffee growers that have formed a cooperative to make coffee growing possible for the locals.

It started back in 2014, the plantation that we visited is a part of the San Miguel Escobar Cooperative. There are 16 coffee growers that are a part of it, and they actually renewed in 2021.

We got picked up close to our hotel for a quick bus ride to the coffee farmer’s house. When we booked the tour, we loved the idea that it would include a portion of it that would include a stop at the house. As we made our way out of Antigua, the streets got rougher and you began to see the disparity from the “city” life to rural Guatemala.

The further out we got – we even saw local watering holes where women and children were gathered with buckets collecting it for the day. It was just such a stark difference from back home where we genuinely take for granted turning the tap on and getting hot water. Often times when we travel I’m left humbled and a little in my thoughts feeling both ashamed for complaining about things about utterly grateful for the things that I do have.

As we pulled up to our stop we were greeted by a group of dogs (Guatemala is definitely a stray dog country – not as many cats wandering around!) and our coffee farmer – Andres was out front throwing a biscuit at a rather sad looking puppy.

We had been in a van full of people, but about 5 of us had been called to get out and our groups were split up. We were with a wonderful gal, Ava, from Ireland, Haim, from Florida, and another woman from New Jersey who I don’t know how to spell her name! We had a short uphill walk to the coffee field with Andres, the translator, and someone else from De La Gente (DLG).

Once we got to the field we learned more about how Andres, how he got into the coffee industry, how coffee is grown, and how many fields he owns. It was really fascinating to learn Andres’ story and how much he sacrificed to become successful. He had grown up picking coffee for someone else, and then had spent 18 years waiting tables in Guatemala City while his children grew up to save money, and then finally had enough money to buy his own land to grow his own coffee. In the beginning he sold his coffee to big corporations, and didn’t make a lot of money.

Then came along DLG. DLG made it possible to form the coop, which provided the equipment for them to produce their own coffee end to end. The tours also provide about 30% directly to the coffee farmers themselves (at least according to the fact sheets that they provided to us).

We got to pick the ripe berries from the field and then made our way back down to his house. He told us all about how you need the shade trees and how the berries ripen at different times. Full growing process from a master!

You only want to pick the red fruit, the skin is called “cascara” and the coffee bean is inside. It’s ripe and ready to pick when it’s bright red!

You guys, like his actual house with his wife, daughter, and grandson. Incredible. We roasted the beans on his wood-fire stove with his daughter, taking turns of course.

A machine that separates the fruit skin (cascara) from the coffee bean

Green coffee beans after they have been sun dried for almost 2 weeks in the sun (manual process to keep them moving so they dry evenly and don’t grow mold or rot).

We hand roasted the beans on their kitchen’s wood fire stove; the smell!

Then they broke out their old lava stone metate – a long lava stone tool that is used to grind grain and seeds – and we took turns grinding the roasted coffee beans. We learned that the metate was passed down from Andres’ wife’s grandmother. It was at least over 90 years old, if not older. There I was standing in this man’s kitchen in rural Guatemala thinking about how many women had touched this metate. This man and his family had graciously welcome us into their humble home.

We all took turns hand grinding the freshly roasted beans

And I complain about the most embarrassing things. Haim and I shared a moment where everything truly just felt so small. Like our problems really aren’t problems. That really felt like the theme from the day, because Ava felt the same way as well. That we really don’t need all of these THINGS. As we’re standing in their kitchen and they were all just so happy.

So I started crying, just a few tears. I mean it was beautiful to think about something that was so unbreakable – so valuable – to be passed down from generation to generation. There we were, grinding out the coffee beans (rather poorly might I add) and drinking coffee with them.

I can’t recommend that tour enough.

From there, we made our way back into town and parted ways. Andy and I made our way to get empanadas for lunch. Before making our way to Casa Santo Domingo. We had made deep tissue spa appointments beforehand.

The facilities were incredible – it was a former convent that had been destroyed in one of the major earthquake. We got there early so we could swim in the pool, use the sauna, and the hot tub. By the time it was our appointment we were really relaxed. Both of us had incredible massages – we both thought we might have bruises from how much pressure our therapists were using!

After the massages we made our way back to our hotel. We freshened up and were trying to figure out what to do for dinner when I realize we were close to a speakeasy. It was a no brainer at that point and we made our way over there. The front was a wig shop – which was really funny – we were the first ones inside so we got our pick of the tables.

By the end of the night, after we had wrapped up and the place was full. I was seated next to one of the old school rotary phones and it started to ring. I looked at our server and asked him if I should answer it and he shrugged. So I did. I had to solve a riddle – and once I did I was rewarded with a shot.

Up Next: ATV tour on Pacaya Volcano

Guatemala: Jet Lag and Blog Lag

December 22, 2025Posted in central-americaTagged Walking Tour, travel, adventure, travel blog, central-america, coffee, Guatemala, Antigua Guatemala, unescoLeave a comment

November 27, 2025

Andy and I have traveled to some pretty obscure destinations over the years, and most of the time people don’t even bat an eye. We get an occasional, “Is that place safe?” And I usually respond with, “Is the United States?” (Let’s be honest, no). But what was surprising when we booked this trip, we both got a lot of the same question separately, “Why?”

So let’s start there. I love Central America. I’m not entirely sure what it is, but I love the culture, the climate, and Andy and I both love the coffee. Andy spent about 3 years working for Starbucks as a Store Manager (and a Coffee Master!) and Guatemala coffee is one of his favorite regions. Guatemala has rich history – and amazing natural features – hello? Volcanoes!

I had been researching a trip to Cartagena, Colombia on a Thursday, and when I went to book the trip on Sunday the flight had basically DOUBLED in price. Andy had thought we had gotten priced out and we were going to stay in the US for Thanksgiving and I said, “Hold my beer.” 😏

I looked through a range of countries we hadn’t been to – including Jamaica – which I’m glad with the recent hurricane we didn’t end up booking there. But we finally landed on Guatemala Antigua, a UNESCO world heritage site.

We knew it would be a short trip, but we decided to book it anyway. We booked a red eye flight out of Tijuana the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and we were on our way!

We arrived in Guatemala City on Thanksgiving and I had arranged transportation to Antigua through our hotel, which made it super convenient. Antigua was just under 2 hours from the airport, but depending on the time of day I’m sure the traffic could be way worse.

We had booked our room for the night before since it was such an affordable rate – and so we could check in right away. As soon as we got into our room as we took a nap because we were so tired from the flight. We didn’t want to sleep too long because there was exploring to do!

I had found a boutique hotel that was central to the famous arch in Antigua. We also knew that a lot of our activities could launch from this hotel, so once we saw the price and location we booked it. We grabbed a few appetizers and then rushed back to the hotel to meet our guide for a walking tour.

When we can, we like to do walking tours to familiarize ourselves with a local city if we are staying there for a few days. This helps us find restaurants and things to do. Our guide met us at our hotel and took us over to the Arch (half a block away) to start the tour. It was a private tour, which sounds far more impressive than it is. Everything is very affordable in Guatemala, so I think this tour cost us around $50.

Our guide told us about how Antigua was the third capital in Guatemala, but was eventually moved due to earthquakes. It is still a very popular city, and a destination for locals. It is very expensive though – for the locals – and many people vacation there (or get married there!).

We stopped by many different churches and other buildings that held significance. One thing that stood out to us, is that a lot of the “magic” in Antigua happens behind the walls. From the street you actually can’t tell how beautiful a building is until you walking inside the courtyard and that’s when you can see how special it is.

We walked inside a restaurant called Aqua and were able to see from a rooftop the three surrounding volcanoes. It was such a cool view, we decided we needed to come back later in the trip! Another stop was maybe the most beautiful Starbucks we’ve ever seen, which was pretty cool to see how they infused the local culture in it.

We ended the tour and then had dinner before turning in for the evening. It was a great way to get acquainted with the city and scope out different places to stop by on the rest of our trip!

Accommodations: San Rafael Hotel Antigua Guatemala

Up Next: Coffee Tour with De La Gente
Spa Day at Casa Santo Domingo

The Last Stop: From Zürich to London

October 13, 2025Posted in Europe 2025, Germany, Austria, Lichtenstein, and SwitzerlandTagged Europe, London, Switzerland, travel, travel blog, Travel Day, ZürichLeave a comment

September 12, 2025

We woke up the next morning and packed up our luggage for one of the last times on this trip. I know what you might be thinking, and yes… it was a grueling schedule. There were a number of different moments throughout the trip where I would look at Andy and just say, “I don’t know where (insert clothing article) is!” And not to mention that I completely forgot to pack my rain jacket, which was a rookie mistake… but I digress.

We wanted to get a quick breakfast because we had a few sightseeing spots we wanted to see before heading to the Zürich airport. There was a Starbucks next to our hotel and we collect the “Wish You Were Here” series coffee mugs from our different international destinations, so we figured – why not kill two birds with one stone?

Well that quickly became the most expensive Starbucks visit I think I’ve ever had, $76 later. Yes, you read that right. That was for two drinks and two breakfast sandwiches and a mug. When people say that Switzerland is an expensive country, they aren’t kidding. Despite how expensive it is, Andy and I really want to visit again to do a more extensive trip.

Once we finished breakfast we made our way out into the rain to do a quick power walk around Zürich. I had realized that Grossmünster was known for its stained glass windows, so we made our way back to see if we could do a power walk through the church to see them. But as soon as we got there, we saw a bunch of police officers standing outside.

Gulp, that didn’t look good. Turns out it was closed for some special ceremony and closed to the public. So we continued on our original plan and finished our walking tour. Stopping by a few other sights before picking up luggage and car.

The Zürich airport was really quite lovely, and at this point on the trip we had seen a ton of different airports. I think I’ll rank this one highest for ease of security, amenities, and overall shopping. However, everything was super expensive – so that deducts a few points.

We landed in London without any issues and hopped on the tube to make our way to Marylebone, where we were set to meet Kim and Craig. We had met Kim and Craig when we were in Antarctica and immediately hit it off. We connected with them on the trip and had felt like we’ve known them for years, so when we were planning our Europe trip we had asked them if they would meet us in London for dinner.

Which ended up turning into sharing an Airbnb and having the whole evening catching up on life post-Antarctica. Our Airbnb was directly above a pub, so naturally instead of spending hours researching the perfect place for dinner we just went downstairs and had dinner there. Unfortunately, no discount.

We had so much fun reminiscing about Antarctica, but also talking about how life has been since then.

Up Next:
–Brunch with an old coworker
-Fly back to San Diego

Accommodation:
2 Bedroom Apartment in Marylebone Hight St.

Liechenstein & Switzerland

October 9, 2025Posted in Europe 2025, Germany, Austria, Lichtenstein, and Switzerland, UncategorizedTagged Austria, euro roadtrip, Europe, Lindt, Princess for a day, Roadtrip, Switzerland, travel, Travel Day, ZürichLeave a comment

September 11, 2025

The next morning we packed up our bags and hopped in the car for our next destination – Liechtenstein! If you haven’t heard of it, it’s a small nation nestled between Switzerland and Austria, which was a perfect pit stop on our roadtrip!

We didn’t have long to stop there before moving on to Zürich. We stopped for a quick walk through town and lunch in Vaduz, the capital, where castle views rise above quaint streets lined with cafes and little shops. Though our visit was short, it felt like stepping into a Hallmark movie: clean, peaceful, and surrounded by stunning Alpine scenery. It’s the perfect place to stretch your legs, grab a bite, and check another country off your list!

We hopped back into the car and finished the drive to Zürich. We wanted to drop our luggage at the hotel before heading to the Lindt factory for the tour, yes, that Lindt factory!

We were staying at the Central Plaza Hotel – and I can’t recommend it enough. We were within walking distance to so many restaurants and the sightseeing destinations, plus the service was exceptional. Our room wasn’t ready, but they helped stow our luggage and get us sent on our way in time for our tour.

A coworker of Andy’s had recently returned from Switzerland and had recommended this tour, so we were glad we had gotten tickets. They tend to sell out – for obvious reasons!

From the moment you walk in, it smells like heaven. You also walk in to see the largest free-standing chocolate fountain at 30 feet tall! The tour starts with a fun and interactive look at how chocolate is made and how it became so popular in Switzerland.

Of course, the best part is the tasting. As you explore the exhibits, you can sample different kinds of chocolate – and do a blind tasting to try to guess what kind it is. It is a true test of willpower to stop at just one bite.

At the end, you get to take a bunch of different samples home with you. And just like any amusement park, they pop you out in a gift shop at the end where you can shop for treats to take home. You can shop for classic gold foil truffles to special flavors you will not find anywhere else. The Lindt factory tour is part museum, part candy dream, and all sweetness. We had a blast exploring the factory!

We made our way back to the hotel and this time our room was ready for us! Andy had to run payroll, so I spent some time mapping out how we would capitalize on our time in Zürich since we just had the one night and a few hours the next morning.

Our friend at the front desk had recommended a restaurant that locals (in addition to tourists) frequented, and once Andy was at a good stopping point we made our way there. There was a small line, but because the tables were so large and we were willing to share a table we got seated really quickly.

It sort of made the experience a bit more fun sharing with strangers, unfortunately our table mates didn’t speak much English. Nearby tables were getting to know each other – and sharing fun stories. (You could see the philosophy worked out well in most cases!)

On our walk back to the hotel we stopped by to admire Grossmünster, St. Peter Church, Fraumuenster, and some of the other picturesque sights that the city had to offer. We really loved it there! It felt really clean and safe, and definitely had some of the friendliest people we had encountered on the trip!

Up Next:
– Sightsee around Zürich
– Fly to London
– Meet up with Kim & Craig!

Accommodations:
– Central Plaza Hotel Zürich

Princess for a day

October 2, 2025Posted in Europe 2025, Germany, Austria, Lichtenstein, and Switzerland, UncategorizedTagged adventure, Birthday, Castles, Disney, Disney Princess, euro roadtrip, Germany, Neuschwanstein Castle, Princess for a day, Roadtrip, travel, travel blog, Travel DayLeave a comment

September 10, 2025

We made our way to Schwangau, Germany about a 1.5 hour drive (2 hour train ride) outside of Munich to visit Neuschwanstein Castle (Pronounced Noy-Shvaan-Stine Castle). If you haven’t heard of Neuschwanstein Castle, it’s okay – but odds are you might be familiar with its look alike, the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland. (Also, the castle in the Disney logo itself!)

We woke up to rain, which was a bit disappointing because we were worried about being able to see the castle from the bridge. But nevertheless, we started our trek over to the castle. We had our car, so we had more flexibility with our start time than if we took the train. Once we arrived, we had made the decision that we were going to pay for the bus to make the trek up to the castle.

You have a few options to make the final descent up to the castle. You can walk, pay a few euros for a bus ride (one-way or round trip), or take a horse carriage. Because of the rain, we decided the bus round trip seemed like the most practical option.

I had also read a lot of blogs ahead of time to not be late because they were strict about their timed entries. Their timing was no joke, there was an older couple that couldn’t figure out the tickets on their phone, the worker was basically counting down for them to figure it out or they wouldn’t be let it; we don’t know, but doubt they got in.

We didn’t want to be late, so we got on one of the first busses and high-tailed it over to the bridge to get one of the best views of the castles. Only to be met with a view of… rain clouds. It was disappointing, but honestly. There’s nothing you can do in situations like that, and thankfully we’ve ridden Soarin’ at Disneyland enough times so we at least know what it looks like!‘

Either take off your glasses or squint really hard 🙂

We made our way back down to the courtyard to wait for our timed entry. We ducked under the overhand to try to avoid the rain. The tour itself is rather short, only about 45 minutes. We had a guide with little devices to listed to him on, so great information! No pictures are allowed inside the castle, which was such a disappointment since quite a few rooms were so beautiful!

Only about 15 rooms were ever finished (turns out dream castles are expensive and Ludwig wasn’t exactly practical), but the ones we got to see felt like stepping straight into a storybook. Each room has its own theme, mostly pulled from operas and old German legends that Ludwig was obsessed with. Basically, the man turned his fan-fiction into interior design.

There’s the Throne Hall, which looks like a church without the pews – full of mosaics, saints, and one very dramatic spot where a throne would have gone… except it never actually got built. Then there’s the Singer’s Hall, a massive space painted with scenes from the knightly adventures of Parzival.

Photo pulled from Wiki so you can see how cool it was since we couldn’t take any photos.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Neuschwanstein_throne_room_00180u.jpg

My favorite? The grotto. Yes, an actual man-made cave inside the castle, complete with colored lights and a little waterfall. Ludwig designed it after the Venusberg scene in Tannhäuser, but honestly it felt more like a secret lair. King Ludwig unfortunately passed away before it was completed and officially used.

The rain cleared up enough as we were leaving for the fairy-tale view ❤️

After Neuschwanstein Castle, we made our way down back to town and had lunch. We hopped back into the car before heading to a palace. Because who doesn’t want to feel like royalty on their birthday?

Neuschwanstein Castle is not on Zillow or Redfin, I checked…

If Neuschwanstein is the dramatic fairy tale castle, then Linderhof Palace is King Ludwig’s over-the-top bachelor pad. He was completely obsessed with Versailles and built this as his own mini version, filled with gold, mirrors, chandeliers, and enough sparkle to make you feel like Marie Antoinette’s plus-one. Of Course no photos in the palace either, what the heck Deutschland?!

The palace is the only one of Ludwig’s big projects he actually finished during his lifetime, and it shows. Every inch is dripping with detail. The Hall of Mirrors makes you feel like you’re in an endless selfie booth, the dining room had a table that magically rose up through the floor so Ludwig could dine without servants watching him, and the gardens are so perfectly arranged they would make Versailles proud. The guide said there was over 8 lbs of gold leaf throughout the palace, it was all of the extra you’d expect from a king that never got to really reign over his father’s country.

It is smaller and more intimate than Neuschwanstein, but just as extra. Think of it as Ludwig’s “Versailles starter pack,” created for one very dramatic bachelor with a flair for royal fantasy. He had a much larger grotto here that was recently restored, but we weren’t able to add it on to our ticket last minute. We were pretty bummed about this, but we wrapped up our tour and made our way back to Munich.

We had dinner at NENI in Munich, which is a fusion of Israeli, Spanish, and Romanian. It was delicious. We had a lovely dinner there before turning in for the evening. After a few failed attempts and closed shops, Andy found a bottle Veuve Clicquot for a birthday cheers (again Germany, don’t shut down at 8pm)!

It was a full day of exploring. The next day we would be off again on another roadtrip!

Up Next:
-Roadtrip to Liechtenstein & Switzerland

Salzburg & The Sound of Music

September 23, 2025Posted in Europe 2025, Germany, Austria, Lichtenstein, and SwitzerlandTagged adventure, Austria, Castles, Europe, foodie, Germany, Munich, Salzburg, Sound of Music, travel, Walking TourLeave a comment

September 9, 2025

We had another early morning of travel. Of course these are all self-inflicted because I want to squeeze as much as I can out of a trip. We had to return our car rental and get shuttled over to the airport and we weren’t sure how long any of that would take, since honestly, every airport is so different.

Thankfully, all of that went without a hitch. A lot of reviews talked about how poorly organized the Florence airport was… we didn’t experience that at all. Maybe during peak travel season (July/August) it’s worse? But we got through luggage drop and security quickly and even had enough time to impulse another leather purse before boarding our plane.

When we had woken up Jon and Yvonne had text us saying they were on their way to Florence from Austria. We had thought it would be fun if we could have seen each other in the airport, but the timing was slightly off. But then our flight got delayed for some unknown reason, and then we were just sitting on our plane. I told Andy, “I bet we are waiting for Jon and Yvonne’s plane to land.”

Sure enough, an Austrian Air plane landed and then our plane was allowed to move. I promptly took a quick video and picture and text them and text them, “Is this you?” And we were up in the air. Sure enough, it was indeed them. So that was a lot of fun that we got to “see” them on this trip.

It was a short flight to Munich. Once we landed we picked up our car rental. Our first car unfortunately had low tire pressure in all four tires, we discovered this after we had loaded all of our luggage. So we had to swap the car for a new one.

We made our way to our hotel to drop our luggage off before starting our road trip to Salzburg, Austria. And as soon as we made it to our hotel, we were quickly met with some of the worst customer service we experienced on the trip. We knew our room wouldn’t be ready, and had no expectation that we would be let into our room. But the girl seemed to think I was asking for that? But I was simply asking for our bags to be stored – and Andy was asking about parking.

The couple before us (Europeans – not Germans though) had asked about it as well. She had given them a form to fill out and explained in great detail some information and sent them on their way. When Andy approached she simply stated, “We’re full.” And offered no other information. Andy had to ask a few other ways about where else we could park, what other options we had, etc. before we found out the neighboring hotel options.

Honestly, it was a really poor experience and the only reason we booked that hotel is because one of their affiliate hotels was incredible last year in Sitges, Spain. Keep in mind, this is where I decided to spend my birthday. And at this point, I had even joined the Meliá loyalty program and had points. None of this was even acknowledged.

ANYWAY… bags were dropped. Parking was sorted and we were on our way to Salzburg! Austria requires that you have a vignette for tolls. So if you get a car rental make sure you either get the sticker or a digital one or you can get fined. Not fun.

But we made our own Sound of Music tour. We did our own version of the Do-Re-Mi steps. We tried to visit the nunnery. And we got to see where they had moved the gazebo to, meticulously groomed gardens, fountains, and ponds.

It was a lot of fun! The city was clean and beautiful. We got there before the rain started (we did bring umbrellas from the hotel – they begrudgingly loaned them to us) and only needed them for dinner.

I had picked out a restaurant that had opened in 1663, Bärenwirt. When we were originally going to go, we had thought we were going for lunch. But because things had taken so long, we had revamped our plans and were now doing an early dinner. We found ourselves with no reservation and a very popular restaurant. Thankfully because we were a party of two, and it was early enough – the host said as long as we were okay sharing and willing to be done before 7pm we could join them, needless to say, we received a much more welcoming time in Austria than at the hotel.

I had some of the best dumplings I’ve had in my life – and Andy was happy as a clam with a sausage, potatoes, and sauerkraut. It was such a delicious meal! The atmosphere was wonderful as well.

We made our way back to Munich and turned in for the evening.

Up Next:
-Neuschwanstein Castle
-Schloss Linderhof

Hotel:
– Hotel München City Center Affiliated by Meliá

Cruise ships, trains, and automobiles

September 17, 2025Posted in Europe 2025, Spain, Malta, Greece, Turkey, Italy Cruise, WineryTagged Brunello, Florence, foodie, italy, NostraVita Winery, travel, Walking Tour, Wine, Wine Tasting1 Comment

September 8, 2025

We woke up really early on Monday (4:45 am) to get ready to disembark from the ship. Normally on cruise lines, you can leave your luggage out the night before and they will carry it off for you, but if you need to leave earlier than 7:00 am – you’re on your own.

We got ready for the day and had breakfast – we were quite surprised how many other early risers there were with us. We made sure that we had everything with us and made our way down to the meeting place. We were quite surprised that they were already ushering people down to the gangway.

We actually think we may have cut the line (oops – it was an accident!) and ended up being the first ones off the ship. As we walked off we knew we needed to get to the train station. On Google maps, it looked like it was a short walk, but it was still dark and figured it would be easier to take a cab. Seeing as neither of us speak Italian, we asked the eager cab drivers to take us.

We were met with blank stares and then no one moved. We figured it was because no one wanted to take us because it was a short drive. Little did we know, it was because they had the whole system figured out. They were waiting until they had a van full of us and they wanted to charge 10 euro a person to bring us over.

Thankfully that took 5 minutes total, because everyone else behind us had the same idea. I had already bought tickets weeks before, but some of these individuals hadn’t yet – and some had mistakenly bought their tickets for the 9 am train (that was 2 hours away). We had to wait a little bit, but before too long we were on our way to Rome!

Our train was pretty full with regional folk and people from the cruise alike, and people were hopping on until the last minute. It was pretty chaotic. (Not as chaotic as our ride from London to Edinburgh, but pretty close!)

We pulled into the station and had roughly 15 minutes to haul from our platform to the next that was leaving for Florence. It wouldn’t have been so bad if we didn’t have all of our luggage, but we had to take that up and down stairs (which wasn’t ideal). But we made it with a few minutes to spare – and we were able to help a few Americans figure out their seats and where to stow their luggage as well even!

We love the high speed trains in Europe – on average our train was going about 154 mph. I really wish we had these in the US – makes travel so simple. When we made it to Florence – Andy and I split up. He took the tram to the airport to get our car rental, and I made my way to our hotel with our big suitcases to drop them and freshen up.

We both had one hell of a journey. He was on a “sweat train” and I was on a battle with cobblestones and some of the dumbest tourists (and yes, I’m aware I was also a tourist!). I also want to note that there are a lot of cities in Europe that are known for pickpockets, and Florence is one of them. And being a single female with two large suitcases, a backpack, and a purse – I wasn’t going to fall prey to anyone. I had my head on a swivel and was trying to memorize my Google maps directions as I was walking.

By the time I made it to the hotel I had sweat through my shirt and my muscles were shaking from being so tense – of course it was so early in the day our room wasn’t ready. Thankfully the hotel had a nice bathroom that I could get cleaned up in. They were able to stow our luggage while we were away.

Andy separately was having a heck of a time getting the car, but he was finally on his way to me with the car and our carry ons. We registered the car with the hotel, which allowed us to drive through some of the “local streets” that would have otherwise resulted in a fine. (Last time we were in Italy it took almost 2 years before the fines showed up in the mail, so we won’t hold our breath – they could still show up!)

And then we were on our way to a winery we went to back in 2019 – NostraVita! We were sad we weren’t able to coordinate with Jon and Yvonne on this trip, funny enough they were going the same week – just a few days later.

We had hoped that we would be able to sneak in another wine tasting on this trip, but due to a few things taking longer than expected we were only able to do NostraVita. But it was worth it. We had a great time doing the tour and seeing all of the new art pieces they had installed and the projects they had worked on since the pandemic.

The last time we were there they had recently lost their daughter/sister – and we were able to see how they were paying tribute to her through the winery now. It was really touching and how beautiful it is to be loved so deeply by a family like them.

We were able to catch up with Annibale with some help from Carlotta translating. He asked a lot about how we kept busy during the pandemic, we could clearly see how he had kept busy. At the end, he made sure we knew that we shouldn’t wait six years next time to come back to visit. It’s just a good reminder how short life is, and it really is beautiful.

While we were on the tour Andy had noticed a label that had said 2014 Brunello – which is the year that we got married. So when we were deciding on what we were going to buy, we asked Carlotta how much those would be. And she was able to verify that they had about 12 left – so we were even able to get some of those! It even made the trip more special – she also gifted a wooden wine box for us as well, which was so sweet.

Annibale- Master of all! (artist, wine maker, author, craftsman, and beautiful patriarch!)

We made our way back to Florence and had dinner in the Piazza della Repubblica, which was right by our hotel. We had a few items we wanted to do while in town. We wanted to buy some leather products, find a wine window and buy drinks from it, and look at the duomo. We had a very productive evening and we were able to accomplish all of them.

We love Italy so deeply and don’t want to wait so long before coming back. We definitely think we will be back sooner next time!

Accommodations:
Hotel Pendini

Up Next:
– Flight to Munich
– Salzburg
– DIY Sound of Music tour

Pompeii and Pizza – Naples, Italy

September 14, 2025Posted in Europe 2025, Spain, Malta, Greece, Turkey, Italy CruiseTagged adventure, Celebrity Cruises, celebritycruises, cruise, Europe, italy, Mediterranean, Mediterranean Cruise, Mosaic, Pompeii, Roman Ruins, Romans, travel, travel blog, Walking TourLeave a comment

September 7, 2025

When most people think of Pompeii, they picture the ash-covered ruins frozen in time. But walking through the ancient streets, it feels less like a tragedy and more like stepping straight into a bustling Roman city. It was complete with bakeries, fast food joints, grand villas, and even mosaics that served as cheeky “welcome mats.” (We even saw one warning visitors to beware of dog because clearly some things never change.)

Pompeii’s fate was sealed in 79 AD when Mount Vesuvius erupted, burying the city under 21 feet of ash and pumice. The eruption happened so quickly (and lasted for so long – over two days!) that thousands were trapped, their homes and daily lives preserved beneath the volcanic blanket. What’s remarkable is how advanced this city was for its time: courtyards decorated with colorful mosaics, plumbing systems, and even what we’d recognize today as fast food restaurants. It’s wild to think of ancient Romans ordering food much like we do now.

One of the most haunting things about Pompeii is the casts of the victims. Archaeologists discovered that the ash left behind hollow spaces where bodies once lay. By carefully filling those spaces with plaster, they were able to recreate the final moments of those who perished. We only saw three casts of the victims in the market square, but nearly 100 casts have been made over the years out of an estimated 1,300 victims. Seeing even a few was enough to bring the tragedy to life in a way that history books never could. (If you’re interested in reading more about how they make the casts you can read here).

One of the most well preserved buildings was a bathhouse – the roof was still well intact. It was incredible to see inside – shocking that this was over 2,000 years old!

Only two thirds of Pompeii have been excavated 44 hectares so far – 22 hectares – are still covered in debris from the eruption almost 2,000 years ago. Our tour guide said that they are on track to finish it in the next 100 years, she said she wasn’t joking! They can only do their digging during the winter months because of how many tourists visit the site during the summer months. In fact, she is an archeologist herself and is a tour guide during the summer months.

We only had a few hours to explore, but Pompeii has a way of making time stand still. It’s a city frozen in its final day. I know I’ll be thinking about it long after this trip and doing more research into the history.

We could have spent all day there and still not had enough time. Before we knew it we were on our way back to the bus.

The only original part is the white marble at the bottom – I guess Madonna had an event here last year!

Thankfully, we still had time in Naples before the ship left. Naples is the birth place of pizza, so of course we had to eat it there. We had heard that one restaurant was superior, so of course we hightailed it over there.

Naturally, we weren’t the only ones who had that idea. There was over an hour wait. So we started wandering around and finally settled on this other place who had a rather a very charismatic owner who got us seated right away. He was incredible. The food, drinks, and service were all amazing too.

The owner is the gentlemen in the window

We got to talking with a Norwegian couple next to us who were visiting Naples for a concert. It was a really fun conversation and just a nice change of pace and a good reminder why we love traveling so much. They were meeting up with a group of friends to celebrate a 50th birthday and asked us to help record a video to surprise him with, I’m sure we will be part of the blooper reel.

This was our last day on the ship, so once we got back on board we packed up our suitcases and got ready for an early morning.

Up Next:
-Travel day
-Florence
-Tuscany wine tasting

A Postcard from Santorini

September 6, 2025Posted in Europe 2025, Spain, Malta, Greece, Turkey, Italy CruiseTagged adventure, celebrity ascent, Celebrity Cruises, celebritycruises, cruise, Europe, greece, Islands, Mediterranean, Mediterranean Cruise, Santorini, travel, travel blog, Wine, Wine Tasting1 Comment

September 5, 2025

I have dreamed about Santorini since I first had seen a picture of the whitewashed buildings, the blue-domes, and the blue water in the background. I bought a calendar once and I think I kept that picture for years after because I loved that image so much. When Andy and I got engaged – this was where I originally wanted to get married.

One thing led to another and the universe had other plans and we got married in the Dominican Republic instead. This was the port stop that I was most excited to visit because of how long I had dreamed about Santorini for – and honestly, it didn’t let me down.

Santorini is one of Greece’s most iconic islands, but what makes it truly unique, is that it sits on the rim of an active volcanic caldera. The result of a massive eruption thousands of years ago that shaped its dramatic cliffs and crescent shape.

One of things to note about Santorini is that all of the villages are on the cliffs, and tourists have limited options to get to the top. You can climb up 588 stairs to the top of Fira, ride a donkey, ride a cable car and pay 10 euro per person (one way), or book an excursion with the cruise ship who will arrange travel for you.

We opted for the last option, which took the guess work out of it for us. It did mean we had an early wake up call for us, but we got on tender who brought us over to the new port where our bus was waiting for us. These roads were teeny tiny and would have had anyone who was afraid of heights pinching their eyes closed and praying for it to be over as quickly as possible.

Our first stop was Oia, with its winding alleys and the famous blue domes. We were one of the first busses to pull into the parking lot, and our tour guide was so excited that she hustled us to the meeting point and told us to get to the “Instagram” point as quickly as possible because the crowds would be getting there soon and the lines would get long for the picture.

This is where things got funny. Andy and I ended up splitting up on accident because she told us that the there were two different vantage points for the domes, and both of us were in too deep with our respective lines. Andy’s line moved faster. He then came over to my line to be the ever-dutiful Instagram husband and take my pictures. Another bucket list item secured!

Since he waited, he got his line’s vantage point

Our next stop was a winery – Artemis Karamolegos. We sampled three wines: a crisp white Assyrtiko, a dry rosé Assyrtiko, and a sweet wine that they were famous for, the Vinsanto. Santorini has some of the oldest grapes in Europe because they were resistant to phylloxera, which had devastated the rest of Europe’s vines. We enjoyed our time there before getting back on the bus for our last stop.

They had some local cheese, tomatoes, and olives as a pairing

They have a unique way of weaving a “basket” with the vines underground.

We made our way to the capital, Fira. This is where most tourists make the pilgrimage from the old port (the 588 steps or the donkey route). Thankfully, we were already at the top. We had an hour here, so we made our way to the edge and snuck a peek of the caldera and the donkeys before doing a little shopping.

The height of the coach bus really highlighted the crazy switchbacks headed down to the new port- sorry to the moms out there following along…

We made our way back to the cruise ship after our stop in Fira. Andy and I discussed, and we realized that everything had worked out the way it was supposed to. We were supposed to get married in the Dominican Republic. Santorini was stunning, and beautiful. But it was small – and I think we would have been bored after a day or two. It’s funny how things work out and you just don’t know it at the time!

Up Next:
Naples

Turkey, that’s my second favorite kind of poultry!

September 5, 2025Posted in Europe 2025, Spain, Malta, Greece, Turkey, Italy CruiseTagged adventure, Celebrity Cruises, celebritycruises, cruise, Ephesus, Europe, Kusadasi, Mediterranean, Mosaic, Roman Ruins, Romans, travel, travel blog, turkey, wonders of the world, Zeus1 Comment

September 4, 2025

Our third stop was Kusadasi, Turkey, which was a new country for me – but a revisit for Andy (due to his time in the Air Force). We had booked the “Ancient Ephesus” tour with the cruise line, which would take us a little bit inland to the ancient city. It was an earlier wake up for us, but well worth it!

Strolling through Ephesus feels like walking straight into a history book, only way sunnier and with a lot more cats (and a few dogs!). Once a major city of the Roman Empire, it was famous for its great theater, shiny marble streets, and the incredible Library of Celsus. Back in its day, Ephesus was buzzing with trade, politics, and worship at the Temple of Artemis which is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

What makes Ephesus even more fascinating is its connection to the Bible. The apostle Paul spent years here, preaching and later writing the Letter to the Ephesians. It’s believed that the Virgin Mary lived out her final years nearby, cared for by the apostle John, who continued his ministry in this region. You can still visit Mary’s home, and the ruins of Temple of Artemis. Unfortunately our tour didn’t include these two as options, but if you are going – I’d recommend looking for these as add ons!

It was eventually abandoned as the river silted up and malaria spread through the area, leaving the once-great city to crumble. Today, archaeologists are still uncovering its secrets. They think only about 10% of the site has been excavated so far, making it a bit like Turkey’s own version of Pompeii, with more treasures waiting to be revealed. It was recognized as a UNCESO World Heritage Site in 2015.

Now for the fun part! We had an early start – and glad that we did because each port has been HOT. It hasn’t mattered if we start at 8 or at 12pm, it’s hot. But we were hoping that it would be less busy if we went early.

We were dropped off at one end of the valley and started working our way downhill. This city was incredibly advanced: wide marble streets, aqueduct system with fresh water, and an advanced sewage system.

A few of the major stunners in the valley though are the theaters (one of them could hold over 25,000!) and the Celsus Library, which is one of the third largest library in the ancient world. (Not to be confused with the second or fourth largest).

I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves – and let Andy take over. Because I think the captions might add more value at this point.

This is The Great Theater (almost 24k seating), they are restoring it for modern shows!

After we left Ephesus we went back into Kusadasi. Our tour brought us to a rug factory where they demonstrated how they gather silk from silk worms, and then they showed us how they make rugs. Of course, it’s a sales pitch. The couple next to us asked how much the smallest rug was – $1,300! Our guide had told us that we would get a group discount of 30%, so I tried to help them out and asked, “Is that with the 30%?” And the guy nodded, “Yes – that’s with the discount. Are you interested. Can I help you?!”

We said no and head downstairs to the other part of the store. Not that the rugs weren’t beautiful, just a bit out of our price range. I did buy some jewelry and a few other souvenirs at their shop.

We wandered around Kusadasi a bit more before returning to the cruise ship. It was a lovely town, it definitely had a resort feel. We were even surprised to see pine trees!

Up Next:
Santorini

Our first taste of Greece: Mykonos

September 3, 2025Posted in Europe 2025, Spain, Malta, Greece, Turkey, Italy CruiseTagged adventure, celebrity ascent, Celebrity Cruises, celebritycruises, cruise, Europe, foodie, greece, Mediterranean, Mediterranean Cruise, travel, travel blog, Zeus1 Comment

September 3, 2025

We arrived in Mykonos early today and were awoken by a ton of shaking. Not sure what the shaking was because we weren’t actually docked, (this is a tender port for us – which means they shuttle us back and forth to shore by smaller boats) but it was really windy. I guess Mykonos is notorious for being windy, but without the wind the heat would be unbearable. Honestly, it feels a bit like a hair dryer because it’s hot!

One of my favorite types of cuisines is Mediterranean, so we had booked a walking food tour while we were in Mykonos with Celebrity. It didn’t start until lunchtime so we took it easy in the morning and got ready at a leisurely pace.

We got there a little early, and walked around waiting for our guide to show up. Once Claudio did, we immediately knew that we were in good hands. We could tell that he carried himself with professionalism, was incredibly knowledgeable, and that he was well known with others in the industry.

And honestly, without him we would have gotten lost within the labyrinth that is the Mykonos maze. The maze was set up intentionally to confuse pirates that may have tried to invade to loot the town in the past. Now it just confuses tourists (including us) and makes for a fun adventure when you’re trying to find a shop that you spotted a cute sun dress in the window at earlier!

We had five different stops that included a variety of traditional Greek food and drink. The first stop was a bakery that had a Tiropitakia (cheese pie), which was something that the average Greek would grab when they were “on the go.”

Claudio also wanted to make sure he mixed in cultural stops too – so we stopped to see some windmills and “Little Venice.” It was a really picturesque area!

From there we had kebabs – some people in the group opted for gyros, which were the size of your head. Once we left that restaurant we reentered the maze. As we wove through the streets, we saw the interesting mix of high end stores (Louis Vuitton) with Mykonos branded mugs and keychains shops. And there were so many cats everywhere! Claudio taught us that cats are loved on the island because they help keep both the rodent and viper population under control, plus they’re cute!

The next couple of stops were a little quicker – the next was a sweet. It was called the “Ypovrichio.” The submarine – a rich white chewy sweet that is served on a spoon dipped in a long glass of crystal cold water. So that’s exactly what we did, we all stood outside a candy shop with our glass of water with these!

My 10-year old self would have killed for one of these. But it was a little too sweet for me now, but it was so fun to try!

From there, it was a quick walk over to our next stop where we had a shot of Ouzo and an appetizer plate with traditional Greek items that were all super tasty. The Ouzo was definitely an acquired taste – has a very strong licorice flavor (not my favorite). But, when in “Rome” in this case, Mykonos… bottoms up!

We rounded out the day at The Milky Way, our final stop for Greece’s spin at Turkish Delight and a sample of Mastiha (another one of their liqueurs). The restaurant was hopping so the server actually brought the glasses and the loukoumi out to us on the beach. Both were actually very good, and the liqueur was far tastier than the ouzo we had at the previous place.

After we finished those, we parted ways from Claudio and the rest of the group and made our way into the maze and started shopping. It was fun to drop into different shops, and window shop. But we didn’t leave with too many different things.

We made our way back to the ship with plenty of time because we wanted to make sure we didn’t get lost and left behind in the maze. (Although it might not have been the worst place to get stuck!)

Up Next:
Ephesus, Turkey