Author Archive: Melissa Kaplan

Seattle, And the Pleasure of Staying in the Moment

Travel Musings, US travel

I visited Seattle a few months ago, after spending Memorial Day weekend there. It’s fair to say the city met and perhaps even exceeded my expectations, mostly because I didn’t have that many going in. I just wanted to do a few things: relax after a hectic work month and busy Thailand trip by walking around the city, shopping at Pike’s Place Market, and eating a lot of delicious food; and catch up with my good friend who was making the trip with me, finally getting a chance to have long, in-depth conversations in person for the first time in way too long.

I was excited to see Seattle, a city I’d long wanted to visit, but I was determined not to fall into the trap of “box-check syndrome” and run around trying to see and do everything possible during my brief stay. I didn’t want to be a tourist; I just wanted to be a connoisseur of the best Seattle had to offer, to enjoy it on its own terms without a strict regimen of must-sees.

By that standard, the trip was a resounding success. And I came away from Seattle with a few realizations—perhaps not exactly new, but more finely tuned—about what makes for a good travel experience, and indeed, a good life. But more on that shortly….

Seattle itself, despite the grey clouds that hung over us 90 percent of the time and temperatures that refused to budge out of the mid-sixties (come on, it’s nearly June!) is a delightful city. It has pretty much everything in it that I love for a relaxing weekend getaway: farmers’ markets, water views, cozy cafes, and great brunch spots. How could life be better?

My friend and I began our Saturday by heading over to Pike’s Place Market, which, along with the original Starbucks pilgrimage, was the one touristy thing I really wanted to do. It did not disappoint; in fact, it exceeded my expectations. I love outdoor markets (one of my favorite parts of traveling in Europe), and I could have spent hours wandering through the stalls sampling cheeses, olive oils, piping hot apple cider, and other delights, as well as taking in the lively street life and the rows upon rows of beautiful flowers for sale, which I absolutely would have bought had I had a place to take them back to aside from my hotel. Afterwards, we headed over to the Olympic Sculpture Park, which was a bit light on sculpture but made up for it with beautiful, peaceful green spaces complete with sweeping views of the blue water of the harbor and rows of wildflowers ringing it. We sat on a park bench, where I proceeded to enjoy the homemade chocolate peanut butter cup with Mediterranean sea salt (!) I had purchased that morning in a tiny chocolate shop near the market. Delicious.

That afternoon, we headed over to the Space Needle so my friend could ascend to the top. I declined as paying money to ride to the top of tall buildings is not really something I’m enthusiastic about (she said it was great and well worth doing, however). On our way over, we stumbled across an outdoor festival, and donated a few dollars to get inside. We spent time sitting on the grass, people watching and listening to live music being performed on stage while we devoured the most enormous heaping serving of curly fries I have ever encountered. Literally, they fried an entire batch of potatoes in front of us, divided the fryer portion into two halves, and gave us one. It cost $8 and was probably worth more, but neither one of us could finish it and frankly I never felt much like eating again for the rest of the day. Still, the whole thing made for a memorable Seattle experience!

Sunday morning we woke up with food once again on our minds, and took our rental car over to the Capitol Hill district for brunch at Oddfellows Café. This restaurant had been highly recommended as a brunch spot in my Lonely Planet, and I always like to check out at least a few guidebook-recommended places in any city I visit, so this fit the bill. Happily, it did not disappoint. We began with an order of piping hot beignets, little donuts covered in white confectioners’ sugar, washed down with the daily brunch punch special—I can’t recall exactly what this included, but I think there was lavender and lots of hard liquor involved. Pretty interesting. Then, the main event arrived: I ordered a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit, which thoughtfully was served with a side of healthy, likely organic greens to make me feel marginally less guilty about my brunch choices. Conscience assuaged.

And wow, what a breakfast sandwich—I am not normally a huge fan of biscuits but this one was ENORMOUS, piping hot and buttery, crumbling a bit as I ate it but still sturdy enough to stand up to the crispy bacon—I love when restaurants actually follow my bacon-cooking instructions!—and eggs stuffed inside it. I almost managed to finish it, which was no small accomplishment, and it kept me full for most of the rest of the day. On my way out I snagged a chocolate chip cookie at the counter which I ate for dessert that night and which also had sea salt on top of it. I heartily approve of Seattle-ites apparent desire to add this ingredient to every chocolate product.

After brunch, I wanted to check out another guidebook spot, Victrola’s Coffee Roasters, a famous little café just a few blocks down the street. Neither my friend nor I are big coffee drinkers (Seattle sacrilege, no doubt) so we opted for non-coffee alternatives; in my case, a hot chocolate. I tend to be wary about ordering hot chocolate in unknown coffee shops, because often times even great coffee baristas don’t make this drink in quite the way I’d like—I need LOTS of chocolate and minimal sweetness. I was thrilled to find that Victrola had it covered. They used a rich chocolate syrup melted into hot water and a swirl of heart-shaped froth on top to make a visually stunning and scrumptious treat. Plus, the relaxed vibe, exposed wood decor and great people-watching view from our window seat made it a really charming place to hang out for an hour or so. If I lived in Seattle, I have no doubt I’d be a Victrola regular.

After our coffee shop detour, it was on to the Puget Sound ferry to ride out to Bainbridge Island. I didn’t know a whole lot about Bainbridge except that it was a popular day-trip from Seattle, easy to reach in less than an hour, and made for a great excuse to get out on the water. Any chance for a boat ride is one I’ll quickly seize, so I enjoyed the windy but picturesque ride over to Bainbridge, and getting to see a different view of Seattle’s landmarks as we drifted away. Many photos were taken—yes, embarrassingly, even including a few selfies. Sorry.

Bainbridge itself proved an unexpected delight, and a great example of how having no expectations and keeping an open mind about a place can pay off in spades. When we got to the island, we were given a map and quickly figured out that Bainbridge was best known for its shopping, cafes, and a multitude of wine tasting locales. Yes please! I’m not a huge wine drinker, but I really have come to enjoy wine tasting—the fun, relaxed ambiance, learning about different wines, the ceremony of the pouring, and of course, the accompanying cheese. My friend and I did a tasting—or rather, she did the full tasting and I stuck to a single serving of Riesling, which was excellent and complemented our cheese plate perfectly. The winery’s owner was a really fun and engaging women who clearly loved her job (I would too!) and the afternoon was complete once she put on “Midnight Train to Georgia,” and got most of the wine drinkers singing along.

At that point, we decamped for some ice cream at one of the shops lining the Bainbridge streets, and then it was time to hop back on the ferry for dinner at a barbecue place in Ballard with one of my old roommates from Praha days, who, as luck would have it, lives in Seattle now. After we finished our meal, she invited us back to her house and we got a glimpse of her neighborhood, a residential, leafy area outside the maelstrom of the city, which offered a great peak into a side of Seattle most tourists never get to see. Food, wine, ferry, and friends: the day was a resounding success.

As lovely as Seattle was, I think the thing I will take away from it most isn’t a single sight or experience, but rather, how nice it is to visit a city without a long planned agenda of items to check off but rather, with the intention of simply enjoying it. I think often, we hard-core travelers tend to lose sight of the fact that above all, travel should be fun! We want to get inside places, to experience them on a deep level, immerse ourselves in the cities and towns we visit, and that’s great. But when you only have a few days to see a city, it’s actually quite freeing to just decide on a few things you want to do—see a market, have brunch, and hit a famous café, for instance—and just let the rest unfold as it will.

I realized on the ferry trip back to Seattle from Bainbridge, as I relaxed and tried to take in the beautiful view of the city panorama growing closer and closer on the shoreline horizon, just how fleeting the ride really was, and how fleeting my two-day trip had been. I wanted to try to hold onto every moment, record the memories of all I was seeing in some inviolable place in my brain where they would remain forever. But I’m not sure that’s really possible. I may not always remember the exact way the Seattle skyline looked to me as our ferry pulled up, or the exact colors of the wildflowers in Olympic Sculpture Park, or the distinct flavor of the cheese I sampled in Pike’s Place Market. But what I will (hopefully) always remember about Seattle is that I got a chance to experience a lovely city for a weekend, see at least a little of what makes it special, and relax and have a wonderful time. I hope the memory of how much I enjoyed Seattle will linger long after the specific details I tried so hard to record begin to fade.

And of course, I’ll remember the brunch. And the chocolate. J

Sep

Top 15 Travel Life Lessons

What has travel taught me about life—the big lessons and the small? I thought it would be fun to share a few of my thoughts on the subject. In no particular order, here goes:

My Top 15 Travel Life Lessons

Trains are the most fun way to travel. Getting to spend hours eating, reading, and staring out the window watching landscapes unfold while someone else does the driving and you get to stay on the ground—as long as the distance is reachable by train, it’s always my favorite way to go.

The only food worth eating on Amtrak trains is the cheese and cracker package. Avoid the rest.

Jet lag is best beaten by staying awake until bedtime in your new destination, then collapsing for eight hour or so and waking up ready to face the new day. Get into the rhythm of your new time zone fast. Don’t be one of those people who’s always looking at your watch/cellphone saying “It’s only 4 am back on the East Coast…” It doesn’t matter. You’re someplace else now. Adjust asap and you’ll be very glad you did.

I’ve never regretted paying extra for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. When I visited Capri on my Italy trip a few years ago, for example, I initially hesitated at paying about 11 euros (as I recall) to enter the world-renowned Blue Grotto, with its magical light, via a tiny boat. I hadn’t planned to spend the money, but I finally decided I’d come this far, so how could I not go all the way? And it was such a great decision. If you travel halfway around the world to have amazing experiences, don’t do things halfway.

That said, you don’t need to have an experience that doesn’t appeal to you just because others tell you that you should, especially when you’re on a budget and money is involved. Be open to new opportunities, but also listen to your heart: do you really care enough to shell out for this, or take time out of your trip for it? I’ve been to the Eiffel Tower several times but have never forked over the fee to go up to the top, because it simply doesn’t interest me. I’ve never regretted that either. It’s all about knowing what’s important to you, and what you can gladly live without.

Talk to new people you meet during your travels as much as possible. This is actually something I’m still working on. As an introvert, I generally don’t tend to go out of my way to chat with strangers. But when traveling, it can really make a difference and help connect you with new people and gain fresh perspectives. Even the creepy guy my friend and I met in the hostel in Budapest gave us a great restaurant recommendation that led to the best meal of our trip!

No matter how excited you are to see monuments, museums, and whatever else a new place has to offer, it’s also really important to build in some relaxation time. Have a picnic in a park, while away an hour or two in a café over coffee, or just sit in a plaza and people-watch. Whatever you choose to do, remember that balance is just as important in travel as it is in day-to-day life, and often your best travel memories will be of the times you allowed yourself to slow down and enjoy the moment.

It is possible to pack two week’s worth of clothes and toiletries into one small suitcase. It’s even possible to pack several months’ worth of belongings into two suitcases. I’ve done it, and I recommend it highly. You almost never need as much as you think you will, and less luggage = more freedom!

Take lots of photos. They will be your best souvenirs.

Write down your travel experiences. One of the reasons I started blogging is to do exactly that: have a better and more organized way of recording my thoughts on the places I’ve been. I’m not great about notebook writing on short trips, but when I lived in Praha for a year I was pretty good about journaling, and I’m so glad I have that memento now from my time there.

If at all possible, seize the opportunity to live in a place that interests you, even if only for a few weeks or months, rather than just traveling there. I don’t say that to minimize travel: it’s fantastic to see as much of the world as possible and you can have a great experience in a new place in even a few days. That said, the rewards of digging deeper are manifold, and I’m so glad I lived in Praha and London and had the chance to get to know those cities on a deeper level than I possibly could have if I’d just passed through for three or four days.

When it’s hot out and you’re walking around all day, don’t forget to sunscreen and hydrate! Simple advice, but it saved me in Bangkok and Rome.

As did the gelato in Italy. When you are in that country, or anyplace that excels at ice cream, you have carte blanche to eat it as often as you like. My usual rate is two cones a day. You’re on vacation; just go for it!

Your passport is your single most valuable possession when you travel. Do not let it out of your sight; do not put it down for just a minute and then forget where you left it. ALWAYS either have it with you or stored someplace safe you can easily access it.

While bucket lists are fine, keep your mind open to new possibilities, and seize opportunities to travel any place that interests you. I’m currently contemplating a trip to Guatemala—which was never really on my radar before—because a friend lives there and has invited me to visit. Now I can’t stop thinking about how incredible it would be to go there. Always remember that the world is huge, diverse, and fascinating, and probably contains hundreds more incredible places than any one person would ever get to see. So don’t dismiss a destination out of hand because it wasn’t on your travel wish list for as long as you can remember…chances are that if you go, you’ll love it, and come away with an even richer appreciation of what makes our world so astonishing.

Anything you’d add to this list? Share your thoughts below!

Travel Musings

Paris: The City of Food and Books

Paris: The City of Food and Books

Years ago, I remember a conversation I had with an acquaintance back when bookstore cafes were just catching on as a mainstream concept. He described them as his ultimate fantasy of the hereafter: “If I’m good, that’s where I’ll go when I die…and do nothing but eat and read, forever.”

As someone who adores both food and books, this always stuck with me. It sounds about as perfect a description of the afterlife as any I can come up with (though I might throw in a beach or two). And it also makes me think of one of my very favorite cities in the world: Paris. Because when I think of Paris, that’s what I think of first: food and books. My own personal heaven.

Paris is many things besides, of course: it boasts one of the world’s most fascinating cultures, some of its most amazing monuments, and one of humanity’s richest treasure troves can be found in its museums. Paris is far more than food and books, but nonetheless, isn’t that a great place to start? I think so.

Foodie Paradise

I first came to Paris as a very unappreciative seven-year-old brought along by my parents. It was my first trip overseas, a quick stop on the way to a two-week visit to my mom’s family in England. We spent four days in Paris, and one thing I remember vividly is how much I disliked the food, because it wasn’t like what I was used to at home. I could not grasp the idea of continental breakfasts: where were my eggs and pancakes? What were these croissant-thingys the hotel was trying to foist on me? And why was the only ice cream the street vendor would sell me and my mom vanilla, rather than chocolate?

Ugh. What can I say. I was a kid.

My first adult trip to Paris two decades later was a much bigger success, and the food, happily, was a major highlight of the experience. Childhood breakfast traumas aside, it really is nearly impossible to go wrong when eating in Paris, if you seek out the right things.

Some of the foodie highlights of Paris for me:

Café Breakfasts: One of my favorite, quintessentially Parisian things to do is start the morning with breakfast at a quaint local café. Pan au chocolate (aka chocolate croissant), chocolate chaud (hot chocolate—yes, I tend to go in for overkill), and a French newspaper so that I can practice my middling foreign language skills. I’ve never gone wrong with this order; it’s my absolutely favorite way to start the day, and reminds me that I’m on vacation. In Paris.
Le Relaise De L’Entrecote: This restaurant was a guidebook find from my first visit to Paris with friends in 2007 when I was teaching English in Paris. We didn’t have a ton of cash to splash, but we were in Paris, and we wanted to eat some truly memorable meals, so we found a restaurant that served…steak. And frites. And nothing else. My friends and I had to wait about an hour and a half in line to be admitted to this foodie sanctuary, but it was all worth it: for about 21 euros we were treated to amazingly good steak with a sauce I can’t begin to do justice to in my description, except to say it was delicious and brought out the steak flavors like nothing else I’ve ever experienced. And of course, there were frites, as well as salad. That was all the restaurant served, and they kept refilling our plates every time our supplies ran low. Unbelievable! The meal actually worked out to be a tremendous value, especially as we had been eating bread and cheese (mmm) for lunch most days so we had a bit of extra money to spare for dinner.

Another highlight of the evening: my friends and I got into an amusing conversation with a Frenchman at the next table. The gist: he spoke English, I spoke French. I kept thinking that if I could keep my French conversation going long enough, I could persuade him to switch to French and get in some language practice, but no, he wasn’t having it. It quickly turned into one of the most bizarre yet entertaining discussions I’ve ever had.

Angelina’s: I’ve written about Angelina’s elsewhere, but let’s suffice it to say that their rich, creamy Chocolate L’Africain will change your life. This is the most delicious hot chocolate I have ever had in all my travels, and believe me, I’ve taste-tested far and wide. The thick, steaming chocolate concoction, which comes in a pot with two servings (both for you—don’t even think about sharing) with its own side order of homemade whipped cream, is reason enough to cross the ocean. Paris is full of confectionary delights, but absolutely nothing tops this.

Oh, and both Audrey Hepburn and Coco Chanel used to frequent Angelina’s. No big deal.

Café and Literary Life

Les Deux Magots: While there were plenty of museums and sights I wanted to see on my first adult trip to Paris, the real truth was, I was there to hunt literary ghosts. I am a huge fan of Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway, and like just about every other young literary groupie, I wanted to visit the places where these authors had spent their time, whiling away afternoons eating, drinking, and writing in Parisian cafes. So I took an afternoon to do a café crawl, and it ended up being the most fun I had in Paris. My favorite stop was Les Deux Magots, a well-known café where Hemingway was once a regular. My friends and I ordered a citron-presse lemonade drink (I later returned for the hot chocolate and found that excellent too) and I spent the afternoon gazing around me in wonder, trying to imagine Ernest and Scott eating and drinking at this same table and just maybe, The Sun Also Rises getting a first draft treatment in the very place I was sitting now. Mind blown.

Shakespeare and Co.: I actually didn’t make it to this legendary spot until my next visit to Paris the following year, and I’m so happy I did. As Hemingway aficionados know, the original Shakespeare and Company bookstore was owned by Sylvia Beach in the 1920s, and she used to let then-broke aspiring writer Ernest borrow books whenever he needed. Sylvia helped foster the entire expat writers’ community which blossomed in Paris in the Jazz Age era. The current Shakespeare and Company isn’t the original, but it’s a rebuilt version that maintains much of the spirit and character you’d imagine it once had. Books everywhere, and a chance to get lost in a magical spot that connects to a piece of literary history. It made for a truly magical afternoon.

What are your favorite experiences in Paris? Are there other cities you’ve been to that have captivated you with similar appeal to food and literature?

France

The Land (or Continent) of Chocolate

In one of my favorite Simpsons episodes, Homer’s nuclear power plant is bought by a group of German investors. When Homer expresses his concerns regarding candy, they assure him they’re all on the same page because “after all, we come from the land of chocolate!” (Homer then proceeds to have a pretty astounding and delicious fantasy about what such a place might be like. Suffice it to say, it rains chocolate).

While Germany might certainly have a claim, I’ll venture to say that it’s fair to consider all of Europe “The Land of Chocolate.” They get chocolate there. They do it right. They give this amazing food group the respect it deserves.

If there is one aspect of travel I’m pretty close to expert in, it’s seeking out chocolate in foreign lands. So just for fun, here’s list of my best chocolate experiences in Europe:

Prague: Chocolate (especially my beloved hot chocolate, or horka cocolada) is everywhere in Prague. It’s been a few years since I’ve been, but I still highly recommend a few places: Kavarna Slavia (which has an incredible view of the Vltava River, as well as delicious hot chocolate—you can probably skip the food though). Get a window table; you won’t regret it. And Café Louvre serves liquid chocolate in a cup. There’s no one alive who won’t like that, unless they are certifiably insane.

Barcelona: Oh, how I wish I remember the name, but there was a chocolate/cookie shop I explored with unfathomable delight during both of my trips to Barcelona. Honestly, that’s one of the reasons it’s among my favorite cities. (I’m sort of embarrassed to admit that, but not really). And while the Museum of Chocolate didn’t wow me all that much as an educational institution, go there to have one of the greatest cups of hot chocolate of your life in the café. Oh, and did I mention there’s a gift shop? Because there is.

London: When you’re in London, check out Café Nero and sample their Hot Chocolate Milano. It’s about the best “European” hot chocolate you can find in London, since England, as so many will remind me, is not really Europe. Anyway, this drink is divine, and has the distinction of being the one redeeming feature of my seven-hour layover in Dubai airport a while back (they do have Café Nero in other countries, as you can see, but I associate it with London). And England also boasts something that U.S. Starbucks stores should be ashamed of themselves for not carrying: Chocolate. Chip. Shortbread. It’s even better than it sounds, which is basically impossible, so try it. Even if you’re just on a layover in Heathrow, make it happen.

Budapest: My favorite café in Budapest is Café Gerbaud, which has amazing hot chocolate (I’m sure you can sense a theme to this piece), but also delicious and decadent chocolate cake. Splurge on a few euros’ worth of luxury and sit inside this beautiful fin-de-siecle building or outside on the terrace and watch the world go by. (And yes, I feel a bit silly for having just typed fin-de-siecle, but nonetheless).

Paris: I’ve saved the best for last. While there’s undoubtedly amazing chocolate to be found all over the city pretty much anywhere you look (I did not have a pain au chocolat during any of my trips here that was not worth falling on a sword for), the best place of all to experience Parisian chocolate magic is at the legendary Café Angelina. Wait in line (it’s worth it), gaze around at the beautiful building where Audrey Hepburn and Coco Chanel used to frequent, and once you sit down, immediately order the famous Chocolate L’Africain. I don’t really have words to explain how good this chocolate concoction with a side order of homemade whipped cream is—although, and I am not making this up, I once based an entire chapter of a short story around it—but drink it and you will understand, and words will be both inadequate and unnecessary. Ah, hello, so this is what heaven tastes like. I’m in.

Disclaimer: now that I’ve written an article on the best chocolate in Europe, I have to confess: I have never been to Belgium or Switzerland, and I’ve only spent one day in Germany. Eek! How could my chocolate-obsessed self have let this happen? I promise I’ll rectify it one day, and in the meantime, please feel free to share your best chocolate experiences in these countries, or any others!

Budapest, Eastern/Central Europe, France, London, Praha, Travel Musings

Israeli Adventures

I never win anything. I mean really, who does? Who are these people who magically win trips around the globe to faraway places on someone else’s dime?

Well, for once in my life, I can say that I am, in fact, one of those people. I won two free round-trip tickets to Tel Aviv on El Al airlines a few years ago, leading me and a friend to take a trip of a lifetime to Israel. Woohoo! Thanks, El Al!

The trip was fraught with improbability from the beginning. When I won the tickets, I was given a year to use them, but work at the time was super-busy so I postponed my trip till the last month possible. Then, a few days before I was scheduled to leave for my adventure, things took a sobering turn as rockets started firing back and forth between Israel and Gaza. I generally consider myself a fairly fearless traveler, but I was not keen on finding myself smack dab in the middle of a war in the Middle East. Plus my mom, who normally handles my desire to tramp around the world with as much grace and understanding as any mother could be expected to (thanks Mom), used her maternal veto for the first time ever, and simply told me I was not allowed to go. Of course, being an adult and paying my own way and all, I could have ignored her; but since she never, ever had made a request like this of me before, and since I thought she was probably right, I couldn’t refuse. So I pulled the plug, regretfully, on my Israeli adventure.

Luckily, the folks at El Al were very gracious and offered me another 3 months to use my free tickets given the extraordinary circumstances. Once the situation in Gaza calmed down, I re-booked my flight, and that March we were ready to roll. It would be a short trip, since I had just begun a new job and had minimal vacation time, but I was grateful for the opportunity to make one of my long-held travel dreams come true.

It was a whirlwind visit: one day in Tel Aviv, one day in Jerusalem, and one day at the Dead Sea, sandwiched between two twelve-hour flights. I wish I’d had time to stay longer and explore more (don’t I always wish that?), but I had a pretty fantastic time regardless. Some highlights, and insights, from my time in Israel….

Tel Aviv

This is where we based ourselves for our brief visit. Luckily, since Israel is so small, everything we wanted to see was within an hour or so’s drive, so Tel Aviv made a perfect jumping off point for other adventures.

Tel Aviv felt very Mediterranean, like being in Barcelona or Italy. It’s a beautiful city sprawled along a stunning coastline, filled with good food and sea views and shops and restaurants, where the main goal of everyone seems to be to have a good time. In fact, the city had a very relaxing effect on me. Any residual nervousness I might have had about my holiday in Israel was put to rest here, as I watched the city’s people eat, drink, and be merry as if they had not a care in the world. And I didn’t think that was just an act, or bravado. Tel Aviv’s residents truly seemed to be the type of people who enjoy life on a daily basis, and who excel at living it up and living in the moment without letting worry or fear cloud their lives unduly. More on that later; but suffice it to say that while Tel Aviv was less of a touristy experience for us than other parts of Israel, it was wonderfully relaxing, calming, and fun.

We spent our one full Tel Aviv day wandering up and down the beach, taking time to swim but also just to explore the shops, look at the food and other items on display by the waterfront, drink delicious fruit juices and indulge in some wonderful food. My favorite memory from that day is of sitting at a beachfront café, staring out at the water while eating a plate of falafel and hummus that in and of itself felt as though it had made all my Israeli dreams come true. What a place to savor both life, and lunch!

Jerusalem

Jerusalem was a quick day trip. Since we had minimal time to explore, we decided to join organized tours for Jerusalem and the Dead Sea; not my favorite way to travel, but sometimes it’s necessary and even helpful. So we set off early that morning for Jerusalem, just an hour away, and spent the day exploring the big sights, all of them pretty much focusing on history and religion in one way or another. Unfortunately it was a gloomy, rainy, overcast day, so I didn’t get to see the Dome of the Rock and other majestic sites at their full level of impressiveness. We did a lot of wandering through damp cobblestoned streets, whose stores were laden mostly with spices and touristy goods.

Weather aside, it was clear to me that Jerusalem is quite extraordinary; I wish I had had more time to enjoy it and be able to take it in. If I go back to Israel, I think I’ll base myself there this time and get to explore more beyond the marquee attractions, delve deeper into the life and spirit of the city.

My most memorable experience of the day was visiting the Western Wall. It’s one of the holiest sites in the world, and is divided into male and female sections, so my friend and I separated briefly to see it from our respective sides. Maybe that’s why this is my most vivid Jerusalem memory; it was the one sight I saw without company, save for the many pilgrims (most of whom, I must say, appeared to be Israeli themselves and not foreigners) gathered around the Wall. There’s a tradition that people write out prayers on tiny pieces of paper, then stick them into the Wall’s cracks in hopes that God will answer them. Symbolism and hope; I love it! The Western Wall will always equate to Jerusalem for me.

The Dead Sea

Now in all honesty, this is what I’d really been looking forward to. Of course I love cities, history, and culture as much as the next traveler, but I also really, really love being in the water, luxuriating in anyplace spa-like, and having once in a lifetime experiences in iconic places. Swimming in the Dead Sea? Bring it on!

Well, I learned my first lesson very quickly that day, which is—you don’t swim in the Dead Sea. It’s impossible because of all the salt. Instead, you float. More accurately, you leave all your belongings in a locker, head down to the water empty-handed, and slather yourself in mud. Then, you go into the water, find an available spot among the other floaters, and proceed to do your utmost to keep your balance as the water attempts to have its way with you. Not only can you not swim in the Dead Sea, it’s hard work just to stay in one place. When you’re on your stomach, or your back, the water keeps wanting to flip you over. It’s a challenge simply to stay in the same position you got yourself into. I tried to just sit as best as I could at the top of the water, and it pretty much worked. In any case, the water is supposed to be good for your health, and between the mud and the salt I felt very relaxed and happy by the end of the afternoon.

As I floated in the water I looked out across the vista of sea and sand to Jordan—that’s right, the Dead Sea itself forms part of the dividing line between the two countries. The shore opposite me was actually a foreign land, one I’d never been to (as much as I would have loved to check out Petra, there was regrettably no time on this trip). Can I tell you how tempting it was to think that if I just swum out to the end of my line of vision, I could (hypothetically) obtain another passport stamp? Sigh. Oh, well. Petra (and Sinai and Red Sea snorkeling, for that matter) will have to wait for my next Middle Eastern expedition.

Life Lessons and Takeways

Despite my trip being all too brief, I had a very memorable time in Israel and am incredibly grateful I had the opportunity to go. A few takeaways from the experience:

The world is not as dangerous as it sometime seems. In America, we are often bombarded with news images of the world, and particularly the Middle East, as a frightening place best avoided, and even though Israel is cast in a slightly different light than other parts of the region as a “friendly” country, it’s still often portrayed as unstable and a bit of a gamble to visit. In fact, leading up to my trip I remember reading a comment online (not that I put any credence in it) stating that “Anyone who plans a vacation to Israel, at any time, is insane.” Yet my time in Israel passed in perfect serenity, with no scary moments at all. In fact, I felt very safe in Israel; this is a place where security (at airports, for example) is real and not for show, and those in charge know what they’re doing and don’t mess around. I had always wanted to see Israel but, while I refused to let fear keep me away, I was a bit nervous about going at a bad time and getting caught in a crossfire of some sort. While not totally unreasonable, such fears proved unfounded and drove home the lesson that, while prudence and caution are valuable tools for travelers, it’s also a mistake to let excessive, out-of-proportion fears dictate your life and your experiences on this planet. Do your research, come prepared with knowledge and common sense, and you should be fine almost anywhere you choose to go.

The more you see, the more you want to see. This has been a general travel truism in my years on the road; one minute I’m dreaming of Cape Town, the next I’m contemplating a cross-Africa road trip (well, maybe!) While in Israel, despite being grateful to be able to see all I did in a short timeframe, I still found myself wishing for more: Bethlehem, the Sea of Galilee, and of course, Petra (so close!) Even in such a small country, there was so much more depth to plumb that I could easily justify a return trip.

Being around people who live life to the fullest can alter your own perspective. One of the things that struck me most about Tel Aviv, aside from the beauty of its waterfront and the excellence of its food, was how relaxed and chilled out its residents seemed to be. Often, in America, we panic unnecessarily at even the slightest possible danger encroaching on what we consider to be our safe spaces—which is understandable, in a way. But in Israel, people who only a few months before had been living under rocket fire and whose country’s very existence has been challenged from its creation had a remarkably relaxed, fun-loving, and fearless vibe about them. I think it comes from knowing that, while danger exists around them as it does in many parts of the world, when you live in an omnipresent state of nervousness, your life ultimately falls far short of what it can and should be. There are two ways to handle constant worry and fear: fall victim to them and hide yourself away, or put them in their place and do your best to carry on regardless. And in the meantime, enjoy every peaceful, fun-filled, happy moment that life has to offer, because you have no guarantees about what tomorrow will bring.

This is, in the end, probably what most impressed me about Israel and its people; their ability to enjoy their lives and not give in to fear of what may come next, despite having pretty good reason to do so. It’s an attitude I hope to emulate throughout my travels, and throughout my life.

Travel Musings

Barcelona!

When I moved to Europe in 2006, I was torn between two potential new homes: Prague and Barcelona. I had reasons for my interest in each that were very different. Prague was a city that had long intrigued me, where several people I knew had taught English and had good experiences. It seemed a logical choice to transplant myself to for a year or so and sample life overseas.

But Barcelona tempted me too, for less practical reasons. Something about this city I’d never visited just seemed to call out to me: sunshine, tapas, sangria, beaches! If Prague was a stalwart Central European city weighted down by its own momentous history, Barcelona felt to me like it represented the other end of the spectrum of travel: lighthearted, magical, just plain fun.

Once I settled on Praha as my home for the year, I knew I still wanted to make it to Barcelona at some point while I was in Europe, and I did—twice. The first time, I went with a fellow teacher friend from Prague, who loved it so much that she announced (while we were still in the airport) that she wanted to move there. And so she did. The next year I returned to crash on her couch and re-experience the city with her as my savvy local tour guide.

Both trips were amazing, though I think as with most places, nothing tops the first visit. But regardless, Barcelona has become one of my favorite European cities, and I’m constantly advising friends to go there. So what do I love about it so much? Many, many things…read on.

Melissa’s Barcelona Hits, Misses, and Mehs

Hits

La Bouqueria—I love outdoor food markets, especially in Europe. And La Bouqueria is probably my favorite market of all time. It’s beautifully laid out, featuring displays of bread, cheeses, meats, fruits, vegetables, and my personal favorite—fruit juices in all hues and flavors, spread out in a vivid rainbow splash of color. For just a handful of euros I would buy a lunch of bread, cheese, and strawberries and take it to a nearby placa and eat my picnic under palm trees while watching the city go by.
Gaudi architecture that is NOT La Sagrada Familia—While I’m no fan of the (in)famous Barcelona cathedral-to-be (see my thoughts on that below) I do love the Park Guell, where many of Antonin Gaudi’s sculptures are displayed in bright sunshine on a hill overlooking the city. It’s a bit of a hike up, but worth it for the views and the fun, bright splashes of artwork littering the grounds. If only he’d stuck to sculpture….
Sitges beaches—The second time I visited Barcelona, my friend and I made a pilgrimage to the nearby beach town of Sitges, just a quick train ride away. We were lucky enough to have swimmable weather in late April, the beach was lined with beautiful golden sand and cafes dotted the shore, where we grabbed drinks post-swim and pre-tapas. This beach day came at the end of a week spent traveling through Spain, and it was a perfect end to my journey before I had to return to rainy London to finish out my school year. There’s nothing better than a vibrant, culturally rich city which also boasts a glorious beach just a hop, skip and jump outside of town!
Food!—Chocolate con churros for breakfast. Bread, cheese, fruit picnics for lunch. Dinners composed of every type of tapas you can shake a stick at, washed down with sangria and cava. Not to mention an extraordinary cookie shop, whose name I’ve sadly forgotten but which has taken on mythical proportions in my memory and chocolate fantasies. Really, what’s not to like? Barcelona is a place I could visit for the food alone, do nothing but eat and drink for days on end, and still leave feeling satisfied that I’d experienced the best the city has to offer.

Misses

La Sagrada Familia—I’m sorry, Barcelona, I know this is one of your biggest tourist draws (though I do not understand why). Bottom line is, this cathedral-in-progress may be an architectural feat to behold, but it just isn’t very attractive. In fact, it’s pretty damn ugly. I love cathedrals; some of my favorite European city memories include exploring them in Praha, Krakow, and throughout Italy and taking a million photos of the stained glass whenever I was allowed to. But this building’s frumpy exterior doesn’t do a damn thing for me, and my friend and I weren’t about to pay 11 euros of our teacher’s salaries to enter it. Instead, we sat on a bench, had a picnic, and looked at it from a distance while discussing how little we wanted to go inside. A much better plan, if you ask me.
Absinthe—When I visited Barcelona it was still one of the few places where you could buy this super-potent liquor, associated with Hemingway and his drinking cohorts, legally. So of course, my friend and I saw it as a quintessential Barcelona experience and had to at least try it. After a few sips I realized what a mistake that was. Blame me, not the absinthe; I am just not cut out for a hard-partying, up-till-dawn Catalan lifestyle.

Meh

Museum of Chocolate—Anyone who knows me at all knows that to me, chocolate is life. I didn’t hate the Museum of Chocolate in Barcelona—that could never be—but it wasn’t quite as exciting as I had hoped. That’s probably not really the museum’s fault; as much as I love history, when it comes to chocolate, I’d rather eat or drink it than learn its biography. Luckily, the museum features a café which sell some of the best hot chocolate you will ever taste, and a gift shop that lets you bring some of the cocoa goodness home as a souvenir. I’d say skip the museum and check out these instead.
Picasso Museum—Didn’t personally wow me, even though I like Picasso. If you’re a diehard fan, it’s probably worth seeing, but if your interest is only casual (or nonexistent), don’t feel compelled to go; save your entrance fee for chocolate con churros and you’ll probably be happy you did.

Have you been to Barcelona? Any thoughts on things you loved, were surprised by, or thought were overhyped?

Spain

Planning Your Dream Trip: It’s Simpler Than You Think

Melissa Kaplan1

Over the years, I’ve gotten pretty proficient at trip planning. A few quick internet searches and clicks of the mouse, and I’ve got myself an adventure to look forward to on the other side of the world. Easy peasy.

Yet when I talk to friends who don’t travel often, I notice that for them, the idea of planning a trip–especially overseas–can often be intimidating and seem almost overwhelming. I hear so many people say “I want to go to X country but I need time to plan,” or, “Things are just too crazy right now to make this happen.” And that always makes me sad. It’s not really that complicated to plan a basic trip—hell, I’ll do it for you! I love all this stuff!

So I thought I would post a quick breakdown of all the usual things I do before an international trip, to show how relatively simple the process actually is. Here goes:

10 Quick and Easy Steps to Planning Your Dream Trip

I have a passport, but if you don’t, obviously, you need to get one. Americans can visit state.gov for more information on how to do this. Make sure the passport you do hold is valid for at least six months after the planned end of your trip, as a lot of countries you may want to visit will insist on this.

The vast majority of countries most travelers want to visit won’t require a visa for a short stay, but there are exceptions (Russia, for example). Any guidebook should be able to fill you in on whether you need a visa and what to do to get one for your country of choice.

Pick a place to go! This may be the easiest part of the process for you, or the most difficult. If there’s someplace you’ve been dying to go for ages, and it’s feasible for you to make a trip there now, go for it! If you’re not sure, maybe start by figuring out what parts of the world intrigue you most (Europe? Southeast Asia? South America?) and narrow down from there based on factors like cost, length of travel time, ease of infrastructure for travelers, and of course, if there’s anything special about a potential destination that really intrigues you. Personally I love this part of the planning process: so many possibilities! Get a map or a globe and take a look at what’s out there. We live in a big, fascinating world, and the prospect of discovering more of it is always exciting to me.

Flights. Presumably if you go international, you’ll be flying. My go-to for flight comparisons is always cheaptickets.com. There are other general search engines (Travelocity, Orbitz, Expedia) but Cheaptickets has proven over the years to be the most reliable source for the lowest fares. Use this as your starting point. Do a search between your local airport and the destination you’ve selected, keeping in mind that mid-week travel dates may be cheaper but also may result in fewer travel days if you don’t have two weekends sandwiching your trip. Ideally, you should start looking a few months before you’d like to travel in order to get a sense of the typical range of fares—you don’t need to book right away, but can wait to see if the price may drop in a bit. However, there are often good last-minute fares to popular destinations, and even two weeks or so out from potential trips I’ve found good deals; sometimes the prices start dropping as airlines attempt to fill up flights on less popular routes. It’s all more of an art than a science, but a basic Cheaptickets search will help you begin. (Although once you see fares for different airlines listed, you’ll probably want to buy direct from their own websites, which can often save you $20 or so).

It’s also a good idea to sign up for emails offering weekly travel deals. This can not only give you information on bargains, but over time it will give you a good idea of what types of fares or costs are typically considered good for the places you want to visit in the future. Sherman’s Travel and Travelzoo are two of my personal favorite travel deal emails; there are plenty of others as well.

Hotel/hostel booking. Once you’ve booked your flight, it’s time to think of a place to stay. My first stop, when I’m traveling solo on a budget, is Hostel World (hostelworld.com). You can search for beds or private rooms in hostels, B&Bs, and smaller hotels in nearly any city in the world here. You select the days you want to stay, see a selection of hostel/hotel choices, and when you select one, pay a small online deposit of about 15 percent. The rest is generally payable when you arrive.

Of course, I don’t always go the hostel route. When I travel with a bit more cash or to a less-expensive country, I look for mid-price hotels which are a) in a good location; b) good value for money, and hopefully c) have something extra and fun, ie a pool, a good restaurant, maybe even a spa. You generally can’t have everything on a budget, but I’ve managed to stay in very nice hotels in places like Cape Town and Phuket for a relative steal. You can do a google search for hotels, but my personal recommendation is to look in a guidebook first, get a sense of well-regarded hotels in your price range, then go to their websites to check out current prices, deals, and availability, then book your room.

Buy a guidebook. Another of my favorite parts of the planning process. Get yourself to a bookstore, find a good guide for your trip, and start reading up on the culture, history, and language of the place you’ll be visiting, as well as planning out the practical details of what to do, see, and eat.

Guidebooks may be old-school in our age of everything-online, but to me they’re invaluable. Sure, you can look up locations, hotels, and tours online, but I love having a whole book chock-full of advice, background, and history to pour over before and during my trip. I’m personally a fan of Lonely Planet, which is pretty much the only guidebook I ever buy, but there are loads of options on the bookstore shelves or amazon.com, so take some time to browse and figure out what style and brand of book works best for you.

It’s also important to figure out what type of guidebook you’ll need. For a quick weekend trip, a city guide will probably work best, and gives lots of in-depth information about the city you’ll be visiting that you won’t find in larger country guides. But if you’re going to be exploring throughout France or Italy or Greece, a country guide may be your best bet. If you’re sticking to a specific region of a country—Normandy, Andalusia, the Lake District in England—then you might opt for a region-focused guide. And finally, for a wide-ranging trip through Europe or Southeast Asia, a multi-country guide covering these regions, while bulky, can be a good investment.

Buy travel insurance. You never know what the future will hold, which is why travel insurance when you’re going abroad is a necessity. I’ve always had it; I’ve never used it (so far, fingers crossed). But for a one-week trip I pay an average of $10-15 for overseas health and accident insurance, which gives me peace of mind and security to enjoy my trip with fewer worries. Total Travel Insurance (totaltravelinsurance.com) is the source I use. Fill out a brief questionnaire, compare plan options, and then buy when you’re ready. Simple.

Start booking specific activities a few weeks in advance. Once you know your travel dates, start thinking of the kind of activities you may want to participate in during your trip. Of course, it’s fine just to wing it, but if there are specific things you’d really like to do—a wine-tasting tour in South Africa, visiting elephants in Thailand—you should definitely try to book at least a few weeks out to secure your spot. My usual approach is to look in my guidebook to see if any good recommendations pop up for activities that interest me; or sometimes I just head straight to google, type in what I want to do and where (“wine tours, Santiago, Chile”) and look at details, prices, and customer reviews. Booking ahead of time, as well as conducting a little research into the type and quality of experience you’re signing up for, is always time well spent.

Learn a few words of the language. I’ve said it before, but learning even a few words of the language of the place you’ll be visiting, assuming you don’t already speak it, will be invaluable, and shows your willingness to absorb and integrate into a new culture. If you have time and money to take a class beforehand, even better; but if you don’t, just five to ten words are quick and easy to learn and will pay off once you arrive at your destination. You can often purchase small Lonely Planet or other guides which provide a basic tutorial in a new language, or you can just look at the key words and phrases included in your guidebook. If you happen to have a long plane ride ahead of you, this is a great chance to brush up before you arrive!

Call your credit card company and visit your doctor. Final logistics. If you’re heading anyplace where you might need vaccines before arriving, check with your doctor to find out what steps you may need to take to protect yourself from contracting diseases, which can ruin a trip pretty fast. The only time I ever had to get a shot before a trip was when I went to Thailand. I’d recommend doing a bit of research (guidebooks for the win, again) and seeing if it appears likely you may need to immunize yourself against anything before traveling, then contact your doctor to confirm.

Also, call your credit card company a day or two before you leave to let them know you’ll be out of the country, lest they see a sudden Visa charge in Beijing and freeze your account to protect you from fraud. Let them know where you’ll be, on what dates, and what card(s) you will be using. It shouldn’t take more than five minutes, and can save you a lot of hassle later on.

Read up, get excited, and dream away! OK, enough boring logistics. Now you’ve got your trip planned and organized (and it was relatively painless, right?) So, dive into your guidebook, look up images of your new destination on Instagram or Pinterest, read books or watch movies set there—basically, start getting excited for your trip and how much fun you’re going to have.

Bon voyage!

Any travel planning tips I left out here? Know of any good trip planning hacks? Share below!

Travel Musings

A Perfect Day in Phuket

Yesterday, my friend whom I traveled to Thailand with and I were reminiscing about our adventures there, and it got me to thinking about how much I really loved the country…and specifically, Phuket!
I know, I know…Phuket has a reputation. It’s supposed to be overcrowded/touristy/trashy/insert-negative-cliché-here. But that wasn’t my experience at all. My friend and I spent about five days at a lovely hotel just a few short blocks from the beautiful, very peaceful and uncrowded Kata Beach, and I can honestly say it was one of the best vacation experiences I’ve ever had.
I was about to say “travel experiences,” but that might not be wholly accurate. Bangkok, our first stop in Thailand, was travel…walk around in 102 degree heat and tour temples all day while burning alive kind of travel. (That said, the temples were amazing and once I got back into a place with A/C, I regretted nothing). But Phuket was really more vacation in the traditional sense: beach time. Relaxation. Slow pace, and enough time spent in one location to develop a typical daily routine.
So what was a typical day in Phuket like for us? Read on….

Phuket Daily Rhythm

While we used Phuket as a springboard for a couple of day-trips to other nearby spots (Koh Phi Phi and an elephant sanctuary), we wisely planned a few days to hang out near our hotel and just chill. Our typical day looked something like this:
6:30-7 am—Wake up to a beautiful new day and enjoy the early morning light. And if you know me, this will be pretty shocking as I NEVER rise this early when I don’t have to…I love my sleep. I told my friend initially that as an early riser, she might be on her own for a while in the a.m. while I slowly summoned the desire to get out of bed and go do stuff. But Phuket made me a morning person, albeit only temporarily. It was so beautiful, and the lure of the ocean so strong, that I just wanted to get out there early and explore.
8-9 am—Walk down to Kata Beach, and take in the view while circling the shore a few times.

9-10 am—By now, our favorite breakfast spot, The Andaman Café, is open for business, so we pop in, grab a pastry and a smoothie, and begin our day. I was initially wary about the smoothies as so many people had cautioned against drinking anything with ice in Thailand. But it was HOT, and I figured a reputable, charming café in a big touristy beach town would probably be a safe place to test this out. Luckily, I had no problems and the strawberry smoothies were absolutely delicious and a welcome break from the heat!
10:30 am—3 pm—Beach time. After changing into our suits and grabbing our gear, we headed down to Kata Beach, grabbed a spot and purchased an umbrella for the day, and spent the next few hours swimming in the gorgeous blue-green ocean, lying on the sand reading or just reclining, and making a quick trip up to Andaman Café or somewhere similar for a sandwich to keep us going through lunch.
3-4 pm—Well, given what a stressful day I’ve had so far, time for a massage, wouldn’t you say? I got a massage every day in Phuket (there were half a dozen massage storefronts open on the road to our hotel, all costing around $10 US for an hour-long session). And those masseuses knew what they were doing: the massages were some of the best I’ve ever gotten, even if you had to be prepared for them to work your muscles pretty intensely—these treatments are not for the faint of heart. Perfect for me.
5-6 pm—Did I mention that our hotel had an amazing pool, as well as a Jacuzzi-style bubble pool to hang out in after we finished up with the beach? Well, it did, and this is where we could be found during the pre-dinner hour.
7-8 pm—Head to the local (overly touristy) restaurants to grab some dinner. This, I must admit, is one area where we failed to plan properly on the trip. I had naively assumed that the food would be wonderful anyplace I popped into in Thailand, but after several substandard curries I wished I’d made more of an effort to research good restaurants, and been less lazy about leaving the immediate vicinity to seek out really impressive places. Oh, well, lesson learned for next time!
9-10—Collapse into bed ridiculously early from all the fresh air and sunshine, and wake up the next morning excited to do it all again!

Have you been to Thailand? What were your experiences there like? Did you stay in one place long enough to develop a regular routine?

Thailand

The Indulgences of Budapest

Budapest, Eastern/Central Europe

One of the downsides of living overseas (yes, there are downsides) is that after a while, any place you live for long enough stops being purely magical and delightful and becomes Where You Live. That’s not necessarily a bad thing; living in another country allows you to dig deeper and get to know a city much more intimately than you could in a brief week-long visit. However, we all know there’s a difference between real life and vacation—many differences, in fact. As much as I enjoyed my time living in Prague, after a while it started to feel a bit routine. Oh, that beautiful castle tourists from around the world throng here to see? That’s just something I walk by on my way to run afternoon errands.
When Prague became my temporary home, it also lost the wondrous sense of the new and unfamiliar. It became the place I lived, worked, bought my groceries. As one might expect, while I had a great time there, it certainly didn’t feel like every day was a vacation.
But that’s okay: I had Budapest for that!
Budapest was a city I had been dying to see before moving to Europe. It was at the tip-top of my lengthy travel list; only a seven-hour train ride from Prague would sweep me into an entirely new country and culture. And Budapest did not disappoint in the least. It quickly became, and remains, one of my favorite cities in the world.
Budapest boasts many attractions: it has the usual range of big ticket sights, architectural gems, museums, and so on. Yet, while I did the usual city walkaround and spent time at landmark tourist spots like Castle Hill and the Chain Bridge, that’s not what I remember most vividly years later. What Budapest brings to mind most is the overwhelming sense of delight and even luxury I found in even its smallest experiences. Budapest is a beautiful city, and just walking around and taking it in visually is a treat; but that’s far from the only treat this magical destination has in store. Whether it’s food, café culture, or soaking in majestic and incredibly relaxing baths, Budapest has you covered. For some affordable relaxation and luxury, you’d be hard pressed to do better.
A few of my favorite indulgent experiences in Budapest:
• The Szechenyi Baths: This is my one must-do recommendation for every traveler to Budapest. The Hungarian tradition of communal outdoor bathing may seem a bit odd at first to people from other countries where it’s not so common, but it’s really a complete delight. After dropping off our clothes and valuables in a locker (still in our bathing suits, don’t worry), my friend and I walked outside and left the chilly October air behind as we stepped into warm, enveloping water that relaxed us completely. We stayed for hours, leaning against the side of the enormous bath, letting our limbs just float as all the stress and tension of travel and daily life was slowly washed away. We talked, we watched the people around us—a varied crowd, including young boys, hefty grandmas, and old chess-playing men (just like in the guidebook photos!)—and took the time to rest and rejuvenate ourselves in this beautiful community setting. And oh yes, on our second visit, we discovered the bath also had a section featuring whirlpools. Hell yes!

• Café Culture: I’m one of those people who plans city visits around trips to specific cafes. In Budapest, it was Café Gerbaud, home of delicious, rich hot chocolate and every kind of indulgent pastry you can imagine. And it’s also in a beautiful, elegant building, bringing to mind the imperial café culture of the Habsburg Empire and making me feel I’d stepped back in time a bit whenever I walked inside. I visited Budapest three times and made it to Café Gerbaud each trip without fail; it was always a highlight of my time there, and a nice familiar place to come back to and re-experience with new friends every visit.

• Food, Glorious Food (and Wine): Czech food—at least when I lived there—was not a highlight of my time in the city. Hungarian food, however, was a different story. The first time I visited Budapest, my friend and I checked into a hostel with a rather sketchy character who tried to simultaneously impress us with his knowledge of the city and ask my friend out. But he did give us one piece of excellent advice: he recommended the Soul Café, down the street from our hostel. The second we walked inside, sat down and looked at our menus, we were transported. Gulyash, Riesling, exquisite desserts—it was all so delicious! We were in dire need of a break from the rather bland Czech cuisine and the stuff we were cooking in our flats from Tesco, and Budapest provided the culinary kick in the pants we needed. Paprika, you were never such a welcome addition.

Have you been to Budapest? What did you like most about it—any of the things on this list? Do you enjoy partaking in small indulgences while you travel?