City girl. Traveling soul. Always hungry.
New Year’s Eve is a tricky holiday for us. Katie absolutely loves it - toss together glitter and fireworks with bubbles and a clean slate, and you've got a literal perfect holiday. No stressing over gifts. Celebrate with 2 people or 200. It's socially acceptable to get champagne drunk and hug strangers. Or kiss them.... Continue Reading →
We didn’t have nearly enough time in Sintra, a town described to us as a “fairy tale”. After parking in a tiny lot and underestimating the walk to our hotel (steep hills…very steep), we only had a few hours of daytime left to explore. We set off for Palacio da Pena which required a 30-minute... Continue Reading →
We arrived in Porto, to the bustle of a “big” city again, a feeling that always hits as a bit of a surprise after traveling through little towns. The vibe though was more relaxed than Lisbon – a little more easy going and cool. We stayed at Guest House Douro because it’s where we were... Continue Reading →
Getting to Portugal was a long time coming. For years our family and friends had gushed over it, so we finally mapped out a trip. We were originally going to be there for NYE, ringing in the year in Lisbon’s main square before journeying up and down the coast. But as the Omicron variant spread... Continue Reading →
Lucerne was the final city of our trip – a busy urban spot that hugs a massive lake. The train station in Lucerne was vast and sweeping, with sky high ceilings and hundreds of people rushing past us. It was a complete change from the tiny town of Grindelwald, and for a minute I forgot... Continue Reading →
After 2 days in Montreux, we left to catch the train to Grindelwald. As the days went on, the air grew progressively hotter. It was unusual for Switzerland to be this warm in June and I dreaded the thought of spending our upcoming days in the absence of A/C. But Grindelwald would bring us back... Continue Reading →
It was a bit jarring at first when we arrived in Montreux, a beautiful but bustling waterside city. We’d just spent several days in tiny mountain towns and on trains that snaked through rural land. For a moment I felt completely overwhelmed. But it took surprisingly little time to get used to Monteux. Also, the... Continue Reading →
After spending 8 hours on the Glacier Express, I was thrilled to be moving my feet again. Zermatt, a completely car-free town, was even cuter and quainter than I expected. After aimlessly wandering up the street and attempting to decode roughly 12 German dinner menus, we landed on yet another fondue-focused establishment. I’m not yet... Continue Reading →
The next day we set off for St. Moritz on the first day of our 8-day Swiss Rail Pass. The pass gets you unlimited rides on trains, buses, and boats, and discounted rides on scenic/mountain railways. My favorite part was not having to purchase individual train tickets – you just board your train of choice... Continue Reading →
*Important note* - as is common, I am posting blogs about this latest trip at a slight delay. Doing so always feels preferable to lugging a laptop around on trains, planes, and buses while on the road. But a lot of terrible things have transpired since I stepped off the airplane and arrived home, and... Continue Reading →
Chaos & Coffee Beans 