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Budapest’s Marvelous Margaret Island
When Steve and I arrived in Budapest, our driver suggested we visit Margaret Island. The way she described it did not make us want to head right over there. This view was reinforced the first time Steve and I visited the island. We had been walking for close to an hour when we reached the southern entrance of the island.…
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The Pros and Cons of Skiing in Bansko, Bulgaria
Are you planning a ski vacation this winter? Are you trying to get the most for your money? If so, you may be considering the Bulgarian ski resort of Bansko. Steve and I chose Bansko for our January 2020 ski trip because of the low cost of accommodations and skiing and the fact that we wouldn’t need a car. In…
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Eger and Egerszalók: A Great Hungarian Getaway
If you are looking for a fun getaway in Hungary, consider Eger. It is the largest town in the Eger wine region and only 84 miles (135 km) from Budapest. It can easily be reached by car or train. A visit to Eger will reward you with beautiful views, Baroque architecture, and a valley dedicated to wine. You can also visit…
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Aquaworld Budapest: Tons of Fun in Hungary
Are you visiting Budapest? If so, you are probably aware of the thermal baths the city is famous for, but for something a little different, give Aquaworld Budapest a try. At Aquaworld, you can relax and be pampered in the spa, soak in warm thermal pools, or be a kid at the indoor water parks. Steve and I were enduring…
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Budapest’s Quirky and Colorful Lehel Market
Budapest is full of incredible things to see and do. One that makes every list of things to do in the city is the Great Market Hall (Vasarcsarnok), also called the Central Market Hall. It is worth a trip to view the majestic building with its Zsolnay tile roof. However, for something different, I suggest you visit the Lehel Market…
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10 Must-See Holocaust Memorials in Budapest
If you find the history of the Holocaust as poignant and powerful as I do, you may wish to visit some of the Holocaust memorials in Budapest. This post highlights ten sites in Budapest that keep the memory of that terrible time alive and honor those who lost their lives as well as those who risked their lives to save the…
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20 Quick and Cool Things to Do in Budapest
Updated 11/12/2024 If a trip to Budapest is in your future, lucky you! It is a vibrant and beautiful city with so much to see and do. If you aren’t planning a visit, maybe seeing all the city offers will push it to the top of your bucket list. Steve and I arrived in Budapest in March of 2020, at…
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The Amazing Amaru Bioparque
If you enjoy hiking and love animals, Cuenca, Ecuador, has the perfect place for you. It’s the Amaru Bioparque. You can spend hours there, working your way up and down the side of a mountain as you visit hundreds of species of animals. Steve and I were delighted with Amaru Bioparque when we visited Cuenca in 2019. We spent a…
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12 Things You’ll Love Doing In Cuenca, Ecuador
In June 2019, we were planning our next stop after Quito, Ecuador, when a new name came up. Cuenca. We had never heard of it. We decided to give it a try because some of the places we have enjoyed the most are the ones we had never heard of. We are glad we did. After spending four weeks in…
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The Funky Side of Budapest
One of the things I enjoy when exploring a city is discovering unique and colorful street art. The more eccentric, the better. Quite frankly, I think Budapest is lacking in street art (at least in the form of murals), but it makes up for it with a multitude of quirky novelties. Street art Even though street art is lacking in…
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Beware the E-Scooters
There are many ways to get around in Budapest. In addition to an extensive metro system, there are taxis, buses, trams, trains, and bicycles. There is even a chairlift to get to the top of Janos Hill. But for Steve and me, the most enjoyable way to get around the city is by electric scooter. At least it was until…
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Sintra, Portugal – Stunning and Sublime
One of the best things about traveling full-time is discovering awesome new places. Sintra, Portugal, was such a place. This enchanting town, less than one hour from Lisbon, is brimming with historic palaces and castles. Steve and I spent seven weeks in Portugal visiting six cities in the fall of 2018. Our tour of the country included stops in Porto,…
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The Beauty of Budapest in 50 Photos
In January 2020, Steve broke his pelvis while skiing in Bulgaria. What was meant to be a three-week winter-wonderland ski trip turned into twelve weeks of pain and disappointment. By the time he was healed enough to travel, COVID-19 was becoming a serious concern throughout the world. Instead of returning to the U.S., we decided to go to the place…
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Therme Bucuresti: The Most Beautiful and Relaxing Place in Bucharest
Are you thinking of visiting Bucharest? Great! You’ll love it. Along with seeing the Palace of Parliament, Herăstrău Lake and Park, and the Cărturești Carusel bookstore, there is one other place that should be on your list: Therme Bucuresti. This is a place where you can feel like a carefree kid one minute and a pampered adult the next. We…
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Paris’s Musée d’Orsay
Ah, Paris! The City of Lights! What should you do while visiting this fabled city? Climb the Eiffel Tower, peruse great art at the Louvre, stroll along the Seine? Absolutely. But in addition to the above, there is one more place you shouldn’t miss, the Musée d’Orsay. What is The Musée d’Orsay? The Musée d’Orsay was voted the best museum…
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The Magnificent Estate of Versailles
When Steve and I began our full-time travels in 2018, the first two cities we visited were Barcelona and Paris. Talk about setting the bar high. Between these two cities, three places ruined us for all others:La Sagrada Familia in BarcelonaVersailles (near Paris)Cemetery Montmartre in Paris You can read about why we think Cemetery Montmartre is the coolest cemetery in…
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Zagreb’s Museum of Broken Relationships
In the summer of 2018, Steve and I visited Croatia’s capital city of Zagreb. We loved exploring the various museums, relaxing at Jarun Lake, visiting our first cat café, and strolling through the peaceful Zagreb Botanical Garden. But the most memorable place we visited in the city was The Museum of Broken Relationships. To date, it is the most unique…
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Pickpocketed In Barcelona
When you repeatedly hear that you are in the pickpocket capital of the world, TAKE IT SERIOUSLY. Despite the warnings, Steve was confident that if he kept his wallet in his front pocket it would be safe. During our first week in Barcelona, the first city we visited on our journey throughout the world, Steve was pickpocketed. How It Happened…
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Paris’s Best Cemetery – Cemetery Montmartre
Do you enjoy exploring cemeteries when you travel? If so, Paris’s Cemetery Montmartre is one you shouldn’t miss. Steve and I spent several hours there in June 2018, and it is still one of my favorite places. It’s my pleasure to share my impressions of Cemetery Montmartre with you. Hopefully, you will be inspired to visit if you already haven’t.…
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10 More Things to Love About Buenos Aires
In the fall of 2019, we spent eight weeks in Buenos Aires. The original plan was to spend four weeks but we liked it so much we decided to stay longer. The positive side of not planning too far in advance. In a previous article titled “10 Things to Love About Buenos Aires” I talked about 10 things that we…
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6 Things You Should Know Before Visiting Barcelona
Boisterous and beautiful. That is Barcelona. This city in northeast Spain is a sight to behold and a privilege to visit. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t problems. Here are six things you should know before visiting Barcelona. 1. Gaudi’s Creations Grace the City Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926) was a Catalan architect and a master of the Modernisme (or Catalan Art…
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10 Things To Love About Buenos Aires
It was love at first sight. Within a day or two of arriving in Buenos Aires, we knew we wanted to stay longer than the four weeks we had planned. We ended up staying for eight weeks and we still didn’t want to leave. These are many reasons we fell in love with this amazing city and we think you…
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Bansko, Bulgaria: Not the Trip We’d Hoped For
I could picture it so well. The crisp air, the snow-covered pines, the stillness of a landscape blanketed in white. Days spent swooshing down the mountain until exhaustion sets in. Nights snuggled up in a cozy apartment, watching the snow falling outside. After living in Florida for thirty years, I couldn’t wait to spend some time in a winter wonderland.…
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Hospitalized in Bulgaria
In January 2020, Steve broke his pelvis while skiing and had to be hospitalized in Bulgaria. It was a painful, frustrating, disappointing, and eye-opening experience. All money is in U.S. dollars. Our Take On Bulgaria Before I get into the details, I must say this: Bansko was the fifth city or town we visited in Bulgaria. We enjoyed the capital…
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10 Things to Love About Medellin, Colombia
Are you looking for a city that will leave you impressed and inspired? Look no further than Medellin, Colombia. Yes, that Medellin. The city named the most dangerous in the world in 1988 by Time Magazine. The city that spawned Pablo Escobar and the Medellin Cartel. The city that remained dangerous even after the death of Escobar in 1993 due…
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Visiting Cordoba, Argentina’s Second Largest City
October 2019 found us in Cordoba, Argentina’s second-largest city. We had just spent two months in Buenos Aires, Argentina’s capital and most populous city. It was our favorite Latin American city so far. We wondered how Cordoba would compare. Cordoba didn’t steal our hearts the way Buenos Aires did. Even so, we had some good experiences and an awesome side…
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Stranded on the Road in Peru
As we left the breathtaking oasis of Huacachina, Peru to head to Arequipa, we had no idea that we would be stranded on the road for 16 hours. Are We There Yet? Our tour bus was making good time through southern Peru on our sixteen and a half hour overnight trip from Huacachina to Arequipa. The bus stopped at 5:30…
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Is a Land-Based Galapagos Trip Right For You?
Have you dreamed of visiting the Galápagos Islands? I certainly did. It was right at the top of my bucket list. Then in the spring of 2019, Steve and I spent four weeks as land-based visitors to these famed islands. This was one of our most anticipated and expensive trips to date. We had some memorable adventures, but overall, our…
