Where the comfort zone ends

Portugal – Lisbon, Porto and the Douro Valley

Olá from Portugal! In need of some good weather and relaxation, we selected Portugal for our next trip.

Weren’t we just on a trip? Possibly…

Lisbon

While the hilly streets of Lisbon can be quite a challenge, the locals are incredibly warm and welcoming, and the cuisine is delicious!

An overnight flight brought us to the vibrant streets of Lisbon in time for a leisurely brunch at a trendy spot near our apartment hotel in the Baixa neighborhood. Wandering around a bit, we made our way up to Castelo de Sao Jorge for great panoramic views of the city and a cool castle to explore. We then hopped on the tourist-adored tram 28 for a wonderfully bumpy ride around the city. We finished the day with a yummy (but pricey) fish dinner at Sea Me. To end the night, no visit to Lisbon would be complete without savoring a decadent pastel de nata at Manteigaria, a true culinary delight that Andrew thoroughly enjoyed (and said was the best of all the different ones he tried).

I’ve always adored castles, so a day trip to Sintra was an absolute dream for me! We took the train from Lisbon and hopped on a bus from the train station to reach Pena Palace, a vibrant and enchanting castle straight out of a fairytale. Despite the uphill trek, we managed to sprint to the castle just in time for our ticketed entrance. Although navigating through the bustling tour groups took some patience, the stunning vistas from the summit and the intricately designed interiors were more than rewarding. After Pena Palace, we strolled over to the nearby Moorish Castle to walk along ancient walls and take in the area from a different perspective. Our next stop was walking over to the historic center, where we enjoyed a delightful lunch in town. We then ventured to the quaint Quinta da Regaleira and discovered hidden caves, a magnificent spiraling well, and more towers to climb, making it the perfect final stop of the day before heading back to Lisbon. After a day filled with exploration and marvel, we retreated to Lisbon. Resting briefly back at the hotel, we somehow mustered the energy to climb many more hills and stairs to dine at Leonetta, a trendy Italian restaurant nestled in a vibrant neighborhood. It was the perfect way to cap off our enchanting Sintra escapade.

We woke up feeling a bit sore from all the climbing the day before, but we were excited to explore Belém, another historic area of Lisbon. We enjoyed a scenic tram ride and visited the Jerónimos Monastery, the Monument to the Discoveries, and the Belém Tower (and the best little gelato cart right outside). We couldn’t miss trying the famous Pastéis de Belém, known as the original spot for pastel de nata. In the evening, I had made a reservation for a Fado show at Duque da Rua. We had a delightful dinner, enjoying tapas while being mesmerized by the incredible performers singing traditional Portuguese songs. Lisbon definitely pleasantly surprised us as a city, balancing the old traditions with modern cool spots.

Pastéis de Belém (with a few dairy free gluten free treats)

With one more day left in Lisbon, we opted to get out of the city and take the train to Cascais, a nearby seaside town. We grabbed some fruit (delicious passion fruit!) at the market and walked along the coast to explore beaches and cliffs. We found the Boca de Inferno, a famous opening in the cliffs, and then spent the rest of the day at the beach. After dinner, we headed back to Lisbon by taxi because the train was not in service. Cascais was a bit touristy for our liking but we had a nice day.

Heading to Porto in the afternoon, we grabbed some coffee and took the Santa Justa Lift old elevator down (recommendations say to go down instead of up – no line at the top!!) to the bottom of the city.

Porto (part one)

The train journey to Porto was a delightful experience, as we relaxed and enjoyed the scenic views along the way. The São Bento station’s architectural beauty was truly captivating, adding to the overall charm of our arrival in the city. While navigating the hilly cobblestone streets with our suitcases posed a challenge, Andrew’s lovingly took both our suitcases making the journey much more manageable for me (I think I’ll keep him around). The warm welcome from our apartment hotel host set the tone for our stay, as she generously shared local recommendations, enriching our visit with insider tips. Our room’s breathtaking views of the city and the river instantly made us feel more connected to the heart of Porto. Venturing out for dinner at the local spot suggested by our host was a highlight, as we indulged in a homey and memorable meal at Flor de Bragança.

For a memorable day in Porto, we explored the city by foot, immersing ourselves in the vibrant atmosphere. We stopped at the Chapel of Souls with stunning blue tiles and then the Mercado de Bolhao, where we ate local treats and absorbing the lively market ambiance. For a new perspective, we embarked on the enchanting 6 Bridges Boat Tour, admiring Porto’s picturesque waterfront from the river. Continuing our adventure, we crossed over to the Vila Nova de Gaia side of the river, where we indulged in leisurely exploration of charming shops and local attractions. As the day transitioned into evening, we ascended from the riverfront to the Jardín de Morro with a short and scenic teleférico (cable car) ride. The crowds grew as we joined fellow spectators waiting to see the sunset over Porto. To round off our day, we savored a delightful dinner at another exceptional local establishment, another recommendation from our host.

Douro Valley

The journey to the Douro Valley was brimming with excitement and anticipation as we rented a car and set out from the city in the early morning, eagerly embracing the promise of a new adventure. Along the way, we paused in Amarante, a delightful small city, where we savored a leisurely lunch and enjoyed a brief stroll around the area.

A warm welcome awaited us at Quinta do Romezal by the charismatic sister and brother duo who run the delightful bed and breakfast and the multi-generational winery. Their inspiring passion for hospitality and winemaking was really cool, infusing our visit with an unforgettable warmth. We got to see our room and then headed over to the wine shop for a wine tasting and walk through their vineyards. All the wines and ports we tried were delicious and got to ask as many questions as we wanted. After wine tasting, we spent some time relaxing at the unbelievable pool overlooking the valley. We had dinner at a fantastic restaurant in Regúa, Aneto and Table, with food designed to compliment their great selection of wine.

Starting the morning with a delightful homemade breakfast at our accommodation, we fueled up for a full day in the Douro Valley. We stopped at a family run winery first mostly for the views at the top of the region. The honey there was actually my favorite thing I tried there, but we did enjoy drinking wine while enjoying incredible views. We went down to the Douro River to have lunch and then take an hour long river cruise, which was more relaxing and much smaller than the boat tour we took in Porto. We loved being able to see the area from the water and reflect on our time in the area.

Next, we made our way over to Quinta do Bomfim, a much bigger winemaker in the region as they are part of the renowned Symington family wine group. We did a nice tour there too and tried some awesome wine. We had the luxury of more time to unwind at the hotel’s pool and watch the sunset. We ate at a lovely local recommended spot for dinner and then had to go back to the first restaurant to eat the dessert we didn’t have room for the first night.

Sun sets over valley, view from pool at Casa do Romezal with Andrew standing on the edge

After yet another lovely breakfast from our host, we lost track of time talking to our host and we were a tad late to our tour at Quinta da Pacheca, the last one we booked, which probably the most enlightening tour we attended and on a beautiful estate. After lots of great wine and a walk around the property, we sadly left the Douro Valley and headed for Guimarães, another small city with a gorgeous historic city center. We had some time to eat lunch, walk to the castle, and stroll through the narrow streets. Then it was back to Porto for our final few days!

Captivated by narrow streets of Guimarães

Porto (part two)

We drove back to Porto and set out for the sunset and dinner. Our plan for the final day was to walk over to a fisherman village from Porto and eat lunch at a famous spot for fresh fish that is grilled outside the restaurant that our host in the Douro Valley recommended. We crossed the bridge over to Gaia and walked about an hour along the river until we reached the small charming village. We put our name in for lunch at the restaurant and enjoyed the lively ambiance of the live music and people enjoying their food while we waited. We ordered a big carafe of the local vinho verde, a refreshing green wine, and a few delicious dishes. Very relaxed, we drank and ate while talking to a couple sitting next to us who were much older and had a tradition of visiting the restaurant every year. After double checking that the ferry boat that used to cross to the other side was still out of service, we decided to explore the area instead and walk to some beaches on the coast. Returning to Porto, we enjoyed one last dinner, packed up our memories, and prepared for our early departure.

The journey back to Chicago, with a layover in Lisbon and an unexpected “random” security check for me, was a solid end to our Portuguese adventure, leaving us with stories to cherish and share. We felt incredibly relaxed and more ready to take on the challenges of work and planning our wedding for later this year. We brought back plenty of port wine, olive oil, sardines, and honey so we can share the Portuguese culture with our families.

Thanks for sticking with me till the end! I was too tired on this trip to write blog posts so the whole trip is right here.

Where will we go next??

Japan: Hakone and Tokyo part 2

Japan was a long trip for us, so here’s the final (3 of 3) post detailing the last 5 days of our vacation. From Kyoto, we took the bullet train to Hakone, a vacation town known for hot springs and nature, with great tourist public transit to take us through the sites around the area.

Hakone: traditional Japanese inn

We splurged for a one night stay at a ryokan, or Japanese traditional inn, with an onsen in Hakone. Dinner and breakfast were provided, with tons of delicious food served. We slept on the floor on Japanese mattresses and had to wear slippers when walking around in the hotel. The hospitality was great and the staff were very helpful and friendly.

We checked in, set up a time for our dinner and then went to check out the outdoor onsen baths on the property. The baths were way hotter than the other onsen baths we tried and hotter than any hot tub. They aren’t meant for long term use so after a few minutes, I decided it was probably enough time for me and I headed back. The onsens for men and women were right next to each other but separated, so I knocked on the wall to let Andrew know I was done.

Dinner was an event we were excited about! Courses of vegetables and fish and soup and meat were introduced to us one at a time off the day’s menu. I couldn’t eat everything but Andrew is built differently and was happy to help me finish the food. One dish we found interesting was a clear soup poured from a teapot filled with ingredients and then topped with a squeeze of lime juice. There was raw fish sashimi and a hot pot for each of us cooked on the table. We fell asleep pretty easily after eating all that food.

Andrew in a yukata walking in the woods on the hotel property

In the morning, after another quick dip in the hot spring bath, we were served a huge breakfast. Breakfast was also served at the ryokan with multiple courses. Highlights of this breakfast included a very soft steamed tofu and a yummy fresh soft Japanese egg omelet. The fish was really good too. We wore the yukatas the hotel provided us around the hotel and to meals. I’ll be thinking about these meals for a while. We only chose to spend one night at this hotel as it was a bit of a splurge for us. After breakfast, we checked out of the hotel, left our luggage for later, and set out to explore the area.

Margie at breakfast at the ryokan hotel in Hakone

Hakone resort town adventure

Hakone is a vacation town known for hot springs, nature, and a transit “loop” you can take around the area to access fun tourist destinations. We began by our hotel and took a cable car up the mountain and transferred to ropeway cars to go up to part of the mountain with volcanos and black eggs boiled in the volcano. We ate some black eggs that were boiled in the volcano (we were a little disappointed that they were just normal hard boiled eggs) and walked around a little by the volcanos. We hopped on another ropeway car to go back down and to head to Lake Ashinoko. Our transit at the lake was a pirate ship cruise down the lake to the other side.

We got donburi bowls for lunch with rice and fish on top at a friendly restaurant in town and then walked over to a famous shrine on the lake. The shrine is a great photo spot so of course there was a line of people waiting to have their photo taken there. All the best photo spots had lines of people in Japan. This was a lovely day to spend seeing the area but it was time to head all the way back to the hotel and to Tokyo. We took a bus back to the hotel and it was not only packed but had to wind through the mountains on the way back. We took a few trains back to Tokyo.

Andrew and Margie pose at the front of the ship (it’s windy)

Tokyo part 2

We were back in Tokyo for the last few days of the trip, which was great especially since we did not spend much time in Tokyo at the beginning. This time around, we stayed in Shinjuku, an exciting neighborhood filled with restaurants and bars. We had a lot more we wanted to do in Tokyo in the last few days. We stayed at a chain hotel, Tokyu Stay, and found it to be pretty decent. We also had a laundry machine in the room.

Tokyo again day 1: rainy day and Meji Shrine

A rainy day welcomed us back to Tokyo and insisted we sleep in after all that walking we’d been doing over the past week. We found some coffee at the nearby older style cafe called Edinburgh (funny to me because I visited the actual Edinburgh a few months ago) and then checked out a department store in Shinjuku. There’s a lot of food in the basement but nowhere to eat it in the mall so we walked to a yakitori restaurant for lunch. They sat us down and handed us a menu entirely in Japanese but that did not scare us because the Google Translate app has a photo capability for translating text. We found some chicken and vegetable options that sounded good and pointed out the ones we wanted to order to the waiter. Andrew accidentally said “this one too” and of course that became two orders of that item, oops. The food was grilled right in front of us and served as they were ready. This food was delicious and we could have ordered more but the restaurant was closing so it was time to head back out.

We hopped on the train for a few stops and walked over to Meiji Shrine, a large Shinto shrine surrounded by forests and containing a beautiful garden. The shrine is dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. We witnessed a Shinto wedding walking somberly through the temple with the families dressed up nicely. This was very different from the celebratory party weddings we saw in Oaxaca, Mexico. We walked through the shrine and paid to enter the gardens which were lovely to walk through. We’ve always loved visiting serene Japanese gardens at the Chicago Botanic Gardens and at Japan House in Champaign, IL.

Margie and Andrew at one of the gates of Meiji Shrine

A Shinto wedding party walks through Meiji shrine

We exited Meiji Shrine by Harajuku, a neighborhood known for youth culture and trendy shopping. The first thing we saw was some street performers singing and dancing, boy band (K-pop? J-pop?) style. We stopped to watch their performance because I thought it was pretty cute. I couldn’t figure out who they were, if they were an actual known group, but I enjoyed the performance. We walked through the crowded streets of Harajuku looking for fun shops and snacks but mostly found long lines for items that seemed trendy and fun for pictures (rainbow grilled cheese for example) but probably not what we wanted to eat. I found the area to be very busy and not as cute (or kawaii in Japanese) as I had hoped. We did see a guy walking 16 or so dogs and that was really cute (he posed for myself and some other girls who were sitting by me).

A dog walker and 16 dogs pose for picture as they walk by me

Next, we went to Shibuya to see the Shibuya Scramble Crossing, the world’s busiest pedestrian crossing with up to 3,000 people crossing the streets at once every 2 minutes. It is very crowded, as you can imagine, and feels like Times Square with all the advertisements. We marveled at the area for a little bit and decided to try a standing sushi bar for dinner, even though we were pretty tired. We stood in line for a little bit and then got a place at the small sushi bar and ordered some food. We were able to keep ordering more food from the chefs in the middle of the tables. I also figured out that there were some specials that weren’t listed on the English menu so I translated it and ordered us some more food to try. The food was above average, but still much better than most sushi back home. At the end, we ordered some hand rolls. This was a pretty fun experience we got to check off our list.

After dinner, we headed back to Shinjuku but the area was vibrant and buzzing with activity, so we couldn’t go to bed just yet. We found an arcade and played some games and then Andrew reluctantly participated in a fun girly photo booth with me where you take cute pictures and then decorate your pictures before printing them out. Andrew found another yakitori place while I did some shopping and we decided we probably had room for some more food, especially more yakitori, and put our names in for a table. Torikizoku, a yakitori chain with several locations, has tablets to order food and drinks and they arrive quickly once the order is placed. We ordered more chicken yakitori and some other options along with beer and lemon sour drinks.

Tokyo day 2: cat temple

With a few days left in Japan, we decided to go to the “cat temple” at Gotokuji Temple and find more areas to explore. I saw that there were fun Totoro (from the Japanese anime movie My Neighbor Totoro) themed cream puffs at a Shiro-Hige’s Cream Puff Factory shop along the way so I convinced Andrew to get off the train a few stops early to see if we could get one before the shop ran out. He’s such a good sport when it comes to eating things I can’t have so I can experience them too.

We made it to the cat temple and found thousands of “beckoning cats” in the temple, along with it being a very nice Buddhist temple to walk around and a nice neighborhood around it. Gotokuji Temple became known as the cat temple because of a story about a cat who beckoned a samurai into the temple and brought him good fortune. I bought a tiny cat because they sold out of the normal sized ones for the day.

Margie and Andrew with the many cats at the cat temple

Andrew and Margie at Gotokuji Temple with some nice fall trees

After exploring the cat temple, we got back on the train and went to the Shimokitazawa neighborhood to find lunch. Known for being a hip area with cafes and thrift stores, I didn’t realize it was famous for (or declared itself) being a curry town. I had a hip curry soup place saved so we went to check it out. We walked around a bit and got a tea latte from Brooklyn Roasting Company.

It was a hot day and I needed some rest so Andrew went out again to find himself a fun dinner again. He decided to try the popular Ichiran ramen, a chain that always has long lines and has the fun solo dining experience where you don’t even have to interact with a waiter. He brought me back some food in the hotel and then later we walked around the seedier (adult entertainment) areas of Shinjuku in the Kabukicho area. I did not like this area but I was also very tired. We also walked through Golden Gai, a few narrow streets filled with tiny bars that wouldn’t fit that many people.

Tokyo day 3: museum and rooftop views

We planned some activities ahead of time for our last day in Tokyo – the popular TeamLab Planets immersive art experience and a time slot for the Shibuya Sky rooftop. At TeamLab Planets, everyone takes off their shoes and is invited to experience the different rooms filled with different multi sensory experiences. We really liked the room filled with lights, the room with a few feet of water and light projections of fish and a room filled with real flowers. In one room, we laid on the floor while watching a trippy 3D digital flower show. We felt the experience was definitely worth it if you’ve never gone to a similar experience.

Andrew and Margie in the digital fish room at TeamLab Planets

Margie in the flower room at TeamLab Planets

For lunch, we got Donburi bowls, rice and fish, back at the Tsukiji outer fish market we visited on our first day in Tokyo at the beginning of the trip. We enjoyed another walk through this market but this time we were there at the end since the shops all seemed to be closing at around 2pm.

Making our way to Shibuya Sky rooftop experience for our reservation around sunset, we stopped at Loft to check out the stationary and buy some pens because Japan seems to love stationary.

We made it to Shibuya Sky and put our stuff in a locker before heading up to the top. You could see pretty far over the city and to the mountains from way up there and it was pretty as the sun was setting. It was fun to watch the city light up after it got darker out too.

We were hungry (when aren’t we??) and found a hot pot spot in the building we were in. We got to cook our own food and dessert was included too. This was a nice final dinner to end the trip.

Andrew let me spend some time shopping at the MEGA (bigger location) Don Quijote, a discount store chain that offers tax free shopping for tourists and is open late at night. We bought lots of fun souvenirs and gifts for others.

Andrew and Margie at Shibuya Sky rooftop

Clear mochi dessert with a syrup and a strawberry inside, like a raindrop cake

You can find Don Quijote all over Japan (and other countries too)

Tokyo day 4: garden walk and airport

We’ve made it to the final day of our Japan trip. Thanks for reading through all these posts! I love documenting my adventures and reading them later too. I am very lucky to have the time, energy, and money to travel right now and I try not to ever take that for granted.

On our last day we made it to the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, a lovely park not far from our hotel. It was a beautiful day and it was filled with people strolling and picnicking. We found a tea house so we could have one last matcha and relax a bit before leaving. Our last dinner was some sushi at a small spot with some older sweet sushi chefs.

Margie and Andrew in Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

We had some fun shopping at the airport before our flight and then suddenly we were back home in Chicago dealing with a the worst customs line we’ve ever seen. We somehow ended up with a table full of fun souvenirs and a few days of jet lag as the only proof that this trip wasn’t just a dream.

Japan: Tokyo Part 1, Osaka, and Nara

Konnichiwa from Japan!

Japan is a dream trip for Andrew and I because we love Japanese food and culture. With Japan opening the borders after the pandemic and the dollar being strong against the yen, the timing felt right.

We took a flight directly to Tokyo from Chicago and were delayed on the ground before leaving so we arrived a little later than we planned. After checking into our hotel, we grabbed some sushi and onigiri (rice balls with fillings) at the convenience store. Convenience stores, or konbini here, are nicer than back home and we were excited to try the fun food items. We had an early morning the next day and needed to wake up at 4:30am, so there wasn’t any time to spend checking out the city just yet.

A fish market tour from Airbnb was the activity for the first day, taking us to the giant market where giant tuna fish are auctioned off for distribution to restaurants around the city at the new fish market at Toyosu. After learning about the auction and watching the buyers quickly make their bids before 6am, we went to the site of the old fish market auction at Tsukiji market where there is an outer fish market with food stands and shops. We had time to explore the market, drink matcha, and eat some snacks including mochi with strawberry and tamagoyaki egg omelettes. Heading to the tour guide’s shop for lunch, we stopped at Sensoji in Asakusa, a 1300 year old temple with big red gates and shops all over. We walked 5 miles just in the morning and we were quite hungry by time we made it to the cute little shop with a big table and place settings present for all the tour participants.

Toyosu tuna fish market auction from the viewing platform

I knew we would get to eat a lot of food on this fish tour but I was not prepared for how much food was served at all. The tour guide brought out course after course, giving us generous portions. A lot of the food was purchased at the markets while we were there that day. We got to make our own wasabi by grinding the wasabi root. The meal ended with green tea and meeting the host’s wife who made the food.

We were so full so we went to walk off the meal back at Sensoji temple so we could see more of the area. The area was pretty crowded with tourists but fun to walk around. We found some space in our stomachs for dessert so we bought warabimochi, a softer and less chewy mochi covered in matcha powder. All the walking and the food called for some rest time so we headed back to the hotel.

Forcing ourselves to go back out again, we caught the end of the sunset at a rooftop of a department store in Ginza and enjoyed the views of the city. We ate some soba noodles in soup for dinner and then visited the flagship Uniqlo store before allowing ourselves to go to bed early and logging over 10 miles in walking. We were warned about how much people walk here! Doesn’t make it less tiring! I tried some Japanese cooling patches on my feet and those are nice! We will have to bring more back with us and I’m planning to use them every day.

After eating some ramen at Tokyo station and checking out some shops, we bought our ekiben (bentos for the train) and settled in on a bullet train to Osaka. We accidentally bought first class tickets and it was very comfortable.

We almost skipped Osaka or planned to stop by as a day trip and I’m so glad we didn’t because it’s a fun city, especially at night. We made it into the city in the early evening as it was starting to get dark and we headed straight to Dotombori for the carnival atmosphere and street food. We ate chicken yakitori and Andrew tried takoyaki, piping hot snacks with octopus. Dinner was okonomiyaki, pancakes made with cabbage and topped with veggies for me and some meat for Andrew at a vegan friendly cute restaurant run by one cute little young woman. Walking around after dinner, we found that the city was even more alive and bustling and headed back to Dotonburi to see the area lit up. We found fun alleys full of bars and restaurants and candy strawberries.

From Osaka we took a day trip to Nara to visit the charming town of temples and shrines and very famous for the deer that roam all over the parks and by the temples. The deer learned to bow to you in exchange for crackers or just start nipping at your pocket or purse (or map!!) if they suspect you have food. We walked all over town, saw the huge Buddha at Todai-ji temple, ate udon at a small restaurant in the park, and visited a shrine with lanterns. Feeding the deer was fun but we had to be careful who we fed or more deer would come over looking for crackers. They reminded me of dogs, especially of Andrew’s family dog Roxy. We ended our time in Nara by watching a funny mochi pounding demonstration where men pound mochi loudly with a hammer to the delight of the crowds.

At least the deer is going for their cracker this time

Giant buddha in the temple. Scale was hard to capture.

Back in Osaka, we decided to stay out instead of rest and visited a giant lion shrine with an open mouth to eat up any evil that plagues us at Namba Yasaka Shrine. After the short shrine visit, we went to the Shinsekai district for an old-school area filled with more restaurants, shops, and games, also with a carnival feel. We had some sushi for dinner and then wandered into shops and arcades to play games. Andrew played a shooting game where you shoot little corks at snacks to see what you can knock down with no luck until he let me try and I won a snack for him! This is a very fun area to visit at night too.

For our last day in Osaka, we visited the Kuromon market ready with empty stomachs. My favorite find was a tuna stand where you pick out the piece of raw tuna you want and they cut it for you to eat there. The piece that called to me ended up being quite pricey but it was fun to watch the chef prepare it masterfully for us and serve it to us at the counter and the sashimi melted in our mouths. Many stands had options to pick out the food you wanted and they would grill it right there for you. For dessert I had a persimmon daifuku mochi – a chewy rice dessert with fresh persimmon in the middle.

The chef presented the tuna he prepared for us

After Kuromon market, we had a little time left in Osaka so we went to a Studio Ghibli store (Anime movie studio) and walked around a trendy area called America-mura. We loved Osaka but it was time to head to Kyoto!

Photo with No Name statue, a character from Spirited Away

Japan: Feeling spiritual in Kyoto

We arrived in Kyoto and immediately scrapped our plans to check out any sites in favor of checking out the hotel’s onsen baths, small pools filled with hot water from hot springs, and then having drinks on the rooftop with great views and a foot bath to soak our feet in. The hotel gave us yukatas (Kimono-like resort wear / bathrobes given at onsen hotels) to wear around the hotel. The onsen baths were separated by gender and cultivated a very calm environment to relax in. One of the onsens offered a view of Kyoto, similar to the rooftop, which we loved. We definitely recommend our hotel, Sora Niwa Terrace Kyoto, for awesome value and nice onsens.

Dinner was ramen at a shop that had vegan and gluten free ramen (Kyoto Engine Ramen), but it was filled with foreigners because of this less traditional offering. The ramen was alright, but I pledged to try and find more authentic experiences where I wouldn’t hear people speaking English loudly in a restaurant. Japan’s restaurants are pretty quiet with the exception of bars.

Andrew and Margie wearing yukatas on the rooftop of the hotel

Day 1 in Kyoto: Fushimi Inari Shrine and Uji Green Tea City

We woke up early the next morning to hike Mt. Inari at Fushimi Inari Taisha, a Shinto shrine with thousands of big red torii gates. The hike is mostly up stairs (which I hate) on a warm sunny day but went through gorgeous forested woods, views of Kyoto, and shrines along the way. The thousands of gates were purchased by donors and could cost over a million yen.

Fushimi Inari is free. to visit and there were a lot of people there even as early as 8am when we arrived. If you know us, you know we never wake up early, but we took the advice of other travelers to arrive before 9am. The hike took around 2 hours and when we arrived back at the start, it was getting way more crowded. On our hike, there were moments where nobody was around and we could take some nice pictures. The whole place felt very spiritual and I meditated and prayed a lot for the health of my family and for peace in the world.

Andrew and Margie pose in the gates at Fushimi Inari Shrine

Andrew waves to me at Fushimi Inari Shrine

After Fushimi Inari, we went to Uji, a city a little outside of Kyoto that is known for green tea. We ate green tea soba noodles, drank a lot of green tea, had green tea desserts, and participated in a short private tea ceremony. We loved strolling through the beautiful streets and along the river. It was lovely to escape the tourist crowds of Kyoto and find some peaceful areas to walk quietly through.

I was so tired from the hike and full from the noodles that I wasn’t hungry for dinner and I sent Andrew out alone to get ramen. He says it was the best ramen he ever had!

Green tea soba noodles with herring fish in the soup along with a jello-like jelly dessert

Margie and Andrew after a short tea ceremony (didn’t allow pics during ceremony)

Day 2 in Kyoto: Arashiyama

We traveled to Arashiyama for our second day in Kyoto to visit the bamboo grove, temples, and a monkey park. We started the day with trendy lattes and put in a reservation for lunch at the temple for later. We walked through the bamboo grove and through the neighboring areas that were also beautiful. The bamboo grove is a major attraction and can be crowded with tourists all trying to get a nice photo of themselves with the bamboo, but you can walk a few minutes out of the forrest and find yourself on a nice walk that passes through a preserved old town area with many temples you can stop at.

We walked over to Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple, a more recently constructed temple with hundreds of cute moss covered head statues representing followers of Buddhism. After the temple, we made our way to Tenryu-ji temple for a temple style lunch consisting of many vegetarian small dishes. I really liked this meal as I hadn’t eaten many vegetables in Japan yet and these were prepared in a simple way that I found to be very elegant. We ate sitting on the floor with other visitors and the food was delivered to us along with tea.

After lunch, we headed to the monkey park, where monkeys roam the grounds and if you want to feed the monkeys, YOU go into the cage and they will come to you from outside. The monkeys were really cute and it was fun to feed them and watch kids feed them too. The hike up the mountain was pretty rough but worth it.

Dinner was some nice Kyoto style cuisine at a restaurant by our hotel. We ordered drinks and several small plates of food that were cooked really masterfully.

Andrew and Margie in some Bamboo trees outside the grove of trees

Beautiful views leaving Tenryu-ji temple

We had to hike up a mountain to go to the monkey park

Feeding a monkey! They eat peanuts and apples here

Day 3 in Kyoto: More temples

For our next day in Kyoto we took a bus over to Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion temple, to visit this gold temple and a rock garden at Ryoan-ji. Both of these temples had their main highlights (gold temple and the rock garden) but were nice to walk around as well. The sun reflected beautifully off of the gold covered temple at Kinkaku-ji. We walked to Ryoan-ji from Kinkaku-ji on a nice walk through the neighborhood. We thought the rock garden at Ryoan-ji was pretty cool and apparently it is a prominent example of a rock garden. There were many children on school field trips roaming these temples in matching school uniforms and bright hats for younger kids. We had some matcha and soba noodles at a restaurant in the grounds of Ryoan-ji that we ordered using a ticket machine. We enjoyed these temples but if you are short on time in Kyoto, they aren’t necessarily the most significant sights.

Andrew and Margie in front of the Golden Pavilion temple

After lunch, we returned to Kyoto by bus and headed to Nishiki Market to see if we could find more fun market food to eat. We did not like this market as much as Tsukiji market in Tokyo or Kuromon market in Osaka as this one was filled with more tourists and less variety of food to eat.

We rested a little at our hotel and then walked over to Kiyomizu-dera temple for stunning views around sunset. The temple was very crowded with others who had the same idea, but we were able to walk through the temple and find some less crowded spots. This is one of Kyoto’s most famous temples and is certainly worth a visit.

We made dinner reservations for a tofu restaurant and enjoyed a several course meal prepared partially right in front of us. We got to try yuba, which is tofu skin, and yudofu, tofu cooked in hot broth.

We walked around the Gion area of Kyoto at night and then returned to our hotel for more onsen bath time and more time with the foot bath on the roof of the hotel.

Kiyomizu-dera temple viewed from further away + the sunset!

Day 4 in Kyoto: time for the next part of our trip!

We had quite a bit of time to spread out our activities in Kyoto and see some awesome sights, but it was time to head to our next destination. We bought bullet train tickets and some eki-ben (train bento lunch boxes) for the ride and settled in for another couple hour long train ride back toward Tokyo. I bought a cute train themed kids bento for fun and made Andrew eat it, but I also bought us a few seasonal special eki-bens to try. We did not sit in first class this time and it wasn’t as nice or as comfortable! We had to sit with old businessmen in suits who did not seem as excited about our bento boxes as we were.

I forced Andrew to eat a kids bento box in this train container. Don’t worry, I bought him a real adult size one too.

Here’s my bento box – mostly vegetables with some cooked fish and rice

These blog posts are a bit delayed as we were too tired to consolidate photos and reflect on the trip while it was happening. We’re actually back home now but you’ll have to look out for the final Japan blog post later on because we still have a few days left in Hakone and Tokyo to tell you about!

Scotland: Edinburgh is one of my new favorite cities

I knew I was going to love Edinburgh. From the gorgeous castle and old town, to the fan favorite Harry Potter influences all over the city, I knew I had to visit soon. Mollie had picked Ireland as the destination for our trip, but since she had left most of the planning up to me, I figured I could expand my travel time and make a short trip to Edinburgh work in our trip.

To get to Edinburgh, we took a bus from Galway to the Dublin airport and then a small flight from Dublin. Heading over to Edinburgh for the weekend, we immediately climbed Calton Hill for views of the city and the sunset after checking into our hotel. We could see the Edinburgh castle and the old town as well as the new town (new = 1700s here!) and the gorgeous sunset.

View of Margie in front of Edinburgh at sunset

Arthur’s Seat – wish we had time to climb this!

We found a hip bar and food court for dinner and fell asleep easily from our long travel day.

Determined to make the most of our only full day in Edinburgh, we began the day with brunch in a cute area and walked over to Dean Village, a charming area by a river, that felt like it could be straight out of a Harry Potter movie.

We then walked back to town to walk around the grounds and gardens surrounding the Edinburgh Castle. The castle was built on an extinct volcano and can be admired from all over the city. I wanted to go in the castle, but tickets were sold out. Also the castle being on a mountain – feels like Hogwarts!

Walking uphill to the old town, we walked over to the castle and explored some shops along the Royal Mile, the street that connects the castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. There was tartan and plaid everything everywhere as well as Harry Potter shops. I was determined to hit as many Harry Potter fan sites as possible, so the next stop was Victoria Street, which is the inspiration for Diagon Alley where the Hogwarts students purchase their school supplies and wands.

I’d like an owl please! Victoria Street is definitely Diagon Alley in Harry Potter.

After we got some late lunch, it began to rain so we headed into the National Museum of Scotland, a free museum, to learn more about Scotland’s history. We didn’t make it very far through history due to exhaustion and the museum’s early closure so we headed out again to discover more sights. We found Tom Riddle (Voldemort)’s grave in Greyfriars Kirkyard. After walking around all day, we crashed for a little bit at the hotel and then found some dinner at a classy restaurant and then settled into an outdoor bar with some live music playing song covers.

For our final day in Edinburgh and my final day of the trip with Mollie, we booked tickets to the Scotch Whisky Experience. We ate breakfast at our hotel and then walked over to the Palace of Holyroodhouse but didn’t go in there either. We walked from there back up to the Royal Mile, shopping and watching street performers play bagpipes along the way. The whisky tour taught us about whisky in Scotland and allowed us to taste whisky from each of the 5 regions. Six samples of whisky was a bit much for the early afternoon but we had a fun time.

Finally, for our last meal of my part of the trip, we went to Dishoom, a fancy Indian restaurant in the UK that has long wait times at normal meal hours. We went around 4pm so we were able to get a table and experience the delicious food. Perhaps not the best food to put in my stomach for travel but it was worth it. At the Edinburgh airport, Mollie and I split up. I was headed back to Dublin to catch my flight home and she was headed on to London to continue traveling. Luckily, I caught this epic rainbow from the airport!

Ireland Sisters Trip: Doolin, Galway, the Cliffs of Moher, and the Aran Islands

To learn more about Ireland, we knew we had to explore beyond Dublin. Mollie and I definitely wanted to visit the Cliffs of Moher in the west of the country. Without a car, the options are to take a day trip there or go stay nearby in Galway or a small town like Doolin. Doolin’s hospitality and traditional music scene sounded incredibly charming so I emailed B&Bs until I found one that had availability and sounded like a good fit for us. I did not realize we would end up staying at a bed and breakfast on the list of top bed and breakfasts in the world.

Doolin is a cute small coastal village near the Cliffs of Moher. We took a train to Galway and then a bus to Doolin, arriving in the early evening with enough time to check out the town a little and grab dinner at one of the three pubs, Gus O’Connor’s in town. After dinner, traditional music began with a couple folks playing instruments and as the night went on, more musicians, including some younger newer musicians that were welcomed in to play. We were enchanted by the music and stuck around for a while to listen. We met an older couple from another part of Ireland who asked about our travels and thought Mollie was very funny.

Traditional music session at O’Connor’s Pub in Doolin

Our bed and breakfast included breakfast, but “breakfast” is an understatement as the hosts went above and beyond to create a beautiful meal for us. In addition to freshly cooked food we could order for our main course, we ate yogurt, smoothies, fresh fruit, fresh bread, and other delightful food. The B&B host brought out dairy free and gluten free versions of most of the food and I really appreciated the attention to detail and the warm way I was accommodated and included in the amazing meal. The food was fresh with local ingredients and was excellent fuel for the day’s activity. The weather was looking good so we decided to hike to the Cliffs of Moher from the town. The hike started right at the edge of Doolin and was mostly uphill and pretty muddy from the rain. I would say the hike was challenging and we were often hiking on a narrow trail next to farms with cows and sheep but the views were awesome. We walked all the way to the visitors center for the Cliffs of Moher and took the bus back to town. This 5ish mile hike was enough for us but the trail continues past the visitors center to more viewpoints.

Lots of caution signs on this trail! Okay thanks!

Not so bad… at the beginning of the hike

Parkour! Trying to avoid mud was tricky.

There are several cliffs like this – are they ALL the Cliffs of Moher?

After recovering from our hike, we found another restaurant in town and another pub to watch some music. Everyone in Doolin was so friendly and kind. We would recommend staying in Doolin for sure if you’re ever traveling through Ireland and we say it’s worth going to Doolin just to stay at Sheedy’s B&B even because we loved it there. Unfortunately we only booked two nights in Doolin, so the next day after another fantastic breakfast, we hopped on the bus back to Galway to check out a new city.

Galway was interesting because it has a pretty walkable center but most of that felt very touristy to me and very crowded, especially after leaving the small town of Doolin. The streets are vibrant and just as you walk out of earshot of one musician, you can hear the next one down the street. We visited the free Galway City museum to learn more about the city and Ireland’s fight for independence. Tired, we wandered along the river and through the streets and ate some vegan ice cream (Murphy’s!) while people-watching in Eyre Square. As much as we want to go out at night and go find more live music, we responsibly decide to turn in early so we can make it to another excursion early the next day – we’re visiting the Aran Islands!

The Aran Islands are not far off the coast of Ireland and can be reached by ferry from Galway / Rossaveal and Doolin. The islands are famous for beautiful landscapes, native speakers of the Irish language, and sweaters. We visited Inis Mór, the largest island with the most tourism infrastructure. There are a few options for exploring the island and of course we probably chose one of the hardest ways and rented some bikes for the day. The island is beautiful but biking was a bit stressful and I probably could have grabbed a better map for hiking trails. We visited a seal colony, a 3000 year old fort at Dún Aonghasa, and a spot called the wormhole (!). Some of the biking felt like off-roading on uneven terrain and the trail to the wormhole was based on loose markings, gut feelings and vibes, and occasionally seeing someone else on the trail. We were rewarded with great views and Mollie saw jellyfish in the wormhole pool. Biking back to the port, we were exhausted and needed food desperately so we found incredibly fresh fish and chips at one of the few restaurants on the island. We made it back just in time to return our bikes and catch our ferry back to Galway (technically we took a shuttle to Rossaveal and the ferry from Rossaveal). This ended up being our most active day with biking and hiking several miles!

Trail to the fort was really rocky – harder going up or down?

Finally, we got to rest a little the next day (after some shopping in Galway) because we took the bus from Galway to the Dublin airport and had a flight to catch because we’re headed to another country!

Ireland Sisters Trip: Dublin, Kilkenny, and Belfast

I consider myself fortunate to have been able to travel as much as I have in the last few years. This blog began with my post-graduation trip to Israel and Europe 6 years ago and now I get to share my love for travel with my little sister Mollie to celebrate her graduation from college. She chose Ireland so here we are.

We spent a few days in Dublin as our introduction to the country and as a base for some day trips. I knew rain was common in Ireland but we seemed to experience a way above average amount in our first few days. We weren’t going to let rain stop us from doing anything so we put on our raincoats, grabbed umbrellas, and made our plans flexible so we could see and do as much as we could during our short visit.

We found ourselves in Temple Bar, probably the most touristy bar, pretty quickly, lured in by the crowds and music inside, and also to get out of the rain. Mollie was happy to grab a pint of Guinness (even though this is probably the most expensive place to get a beer in town). I was jet lagged and tired so I was happy to just sit and listen to the music and also happy to be there early in the day because it seemed it would be much crowded later in the day or on the weekend. After a pint and some fun music, we walked around more looking for sights. We found beautiful cathedrals and the Dublin castle. Classic fish and chips were our dinner and then time for bed since we did not get much sleep on the plane.

The next day we woke up to heavy rain and spent a leisurely morning in a cozy cafe where Mollie learned that you have to order an americano to get something resembling coffee in Europe. We had tickets for some attractions later in the day but had some time to spend. We did a little shopping and then made our way over to the Trinity College’s old library for the Book of Kells exhibit. It was cool to learn about the old medieval manuscript of the four gospels in Latin and then see it briefly. It’s mostly an exhibit with pictures of the book’s pages with a chance to see the book and then you walk upstairs to the old library where most of the books were missing due to restoration work (although the collection is impressive). Trinity has a pretty college campus and it was cool to see where my friend studied. Next, we took a bus to the Guinness Storehouse, a big museum dedicated to the famous Guinness beer and a silly experience with many photo opportunities. It’s a top attraction in Dublin so obviously we had to go, but more importantly there are drinks included and great views at the top of the building. We also got to learn how to taste Guinness and we enjoyed the experience overall. We ate dinner at an Irish restaurant and Mollie had some classic Irish stew.

Day 3 began with a trendy breakfast spot and a train ride to the medieval town of Kilkenny for the day. It’s a cute walkable town with lots of shops and a few points of interest you can walk through on the “medieval mile”. We opted to go in the Kilkenny Castle to get out of the rain but I am often more impressed with the outsides of castles than the insides. We then walked to some cathedrals and took a peak inside some of them to see the gorgeous stained glass and awesome old buildings. We stopped into a fun restaurant in an alley for dinner and ate great food from nice hosts before heading back to the train and attempting to go to bed early. If you know us, you know we are not morning people at all, but the next day we booked a tour with a 7am meeting time with an exciting day full of adventures planned.

I like to see a lot on vacation so we figured we could visit Northern Ireland while we were here too by taking a day trip tour bus to Belfast. I chose a tour through Wild Rover Tours that promised a lot and sounded just a little too good to be true (it wasn’t!). The tour guide was awesome and he taught us about where we were going and about the politics of the area while we drove through the beautiful countryside. When we arrived in Belfast, we opted for a taxi tour where a taxi driver drives you around the city, showing you the wall that divides Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods that still experience conflict to this day while telling us stories about living in Belfast during The Troubles. We signed the Peace wall and the tour guide ended the tour with a hopeful message that the younger generations would be more integrated and create a better future.

The tour took us to Dunluce castle next where we were able to walk through castle ruins overlooking the ocean with great views. By this point the weather was great and the ruins and views were fun to see.

Some places on this planet feel like another world and the Giant’s Causeway is one of those spots. Basalt from volcanos a long time ago created odd looking steps you can walk on by the ocean, although myths say a giant created them to go to Scotland. Our tour guide told us of a few ways we could spend our time at the site and of course we chose the most challenging option to hike up the mountain first to get broader views of the area and then go down to the causeway. If you tell Mollie something is difficult, it only makes her want to do it more. I’m not the same but Andrew has trained me well. The hike was beautiful and although we couldn’t see the causeway at the top, the other views were worth it, and the hike wasn’t too bad. The causeway area was beautiful and we spent some time walking around and trying not to go too close to the water where it was slippery. We managed just enough time to try some local Bushmills whiskey before the bus took off back to Dublin again.

Back in Dublin, of course it was raining again but we were prepared and walked through the rain to find my company’s Dublin location and eat dinner at a Lebanese restaurant. We ended the night at a bar with some more drinks (we’re just doing as the locals do!)

We have a few more places to visit and this is just the first couple of days into the trip. Stay tuned!

Mexico: Oaxaca City

Known for its vibrant and colorful culture, Oaxaca is a beautiful city in the mountains that we were so excited to visit. We thought a few days would be enough since the city is not huge, but we wished we had a few more days!

On arrival, we booked a colectivo shared van at the small airport to our Bed nd Breakfast and immediately set out to explore the town toward the sound of festive music. We found a parade celebrating what we think was a graduation and then another parade right after for a wedding. The parades are a joyous time with giant puppets and bands playing loud music and often started by a church or in the Zocalo main town square.

Parade in Oaxaca featuring giant puppets

Dinner was at a nice vegan Oaxacan restaurant, Hierba Dulce. The enmoladas were some of the best food I ever ate and I wanted to lick the chocolatey mole sauce right off the plate. The horchata was amazing as well. While there is way less vegan food in Oaxaca than in Mexico City, Hierba Dulce reassured me that I would eat well here too.

Enmoladas – tortillas with a chocolate mole sauce

The next day began with breakfast at our hotel before joining a tour to learn about Mezcal for the day. We met up with the group and drove over to Tlacolula market to see an old beautiful church and try some tejate, a cold refreshing drink made from corn and cocoa that is mixed by hand by old ladies. The tour guide took us to up into the mountains to a family run Palenque where they make mezcal and showed us the process from the roasting of the agave “pineapples” to the fermentation and distillation. We went on a hike further up the mountain to see agaves growing and learn more about different varieties. The views were stunning but the hike was not easy in the heat! The guide kept offering us mezcal on the hike! Thankfully, lunch was next and the family prepared a vegan Tlayuda (a large tortilla covered in toppings that somewhat resembles a pizza) for me while everyone else had meat and cheese on theirs. After lunch was more mezcal tasting and then a ride back to town where we were able to buy mezcal to take home (but not pressured). The tour guide didn’t tell great stories or communicate super well but the views and mezcal spoke for themselves and we enjoyed the friendly tour group.

Andrew poses with the middle part of an agave plant standing next to a pile of them

Process of making mezcal – the distilling step

Margie and Andrew pose with sun hats in a field of agave with mountains in the background

After some rest and electrolyte drinks, we decided to try our luck (again) at a fancy top-rated restaurant that likely required reservations (worst case we’ll need to find another place to eat). We showed up at Los Daznantes and were told we could eat in the lounge area and of course we decided to stay. We ordered a mole sampler to try some of Oaxaca’s famous moles (with yummy banana dumplings) and some other food that was all pretty delicious. The food is expensive compared to most other food in Oaxaca but is still way less money than a fancy meal at home.

Mole tasting – 5 bowls of different moles with banana dumplings

Other than the mezcal tour, we don’t have any other plans and we have a ton of options for the next day of our trip. Monte Alban is another famous historical site with pyramids and temples and there are busses to easily shuttle people to the site and back every hour. We booked our tickets, took another van up into the mountains and soon arrived at a beautiful spot. We didn’t have a tour booked and figured we would walk around but when we entered, we met an older couple from the US who were looking for more English speakers to split a tour guide cost. Along came a Dutch couple too and we were able to learn more about the people who built the site and more about the region than we would have if we were wandering alone. We took great photos and were able to ask questions too. After an hour and a half, the guide left us there to explore on our own and we climbed more pyramids and marveled at the views.

Andrew and Margie post in front of a view with pyramids at Monte Alban

Not wanting to lose momentum on our day (if we go back to the hotel we will fall asleep), we grab ice cream at one of the main markets, Benito Juárez, at a classic Nieves stand. I wanted to try the tuna flavor! As many of you know, I HATE the smell of tuna fish. Don’t worry, this tuna flavor is actually a sweet prickly pear! I mixed it with mango nieves for a great refreshing snack and Andrew ordered chocolate (classic for Oaxaca) and a flavor called Oaxacan Kiss (turned out to be carrots and pineapple? Apparently it’s good?). We’re still hungry and can’t decide what to eat so we head to the neighboring market, called 20 de Noviembre, to look around more and found the famous meat alley where there are endless stands containing meat that can be grilled on site and paired with salsas and sides like cactus salad. It’s overwhelming but I know this is going to be a great time for Andrew so I push him to order the meat that looks good and we follow the directions of the employees to gather all the ingredients for a meal. We climb into some shared booths where people are already eating and meet a young Mexican girl who is traveling as well. I make some cactus salad tacos and Andrew looks very happy (and sweaty, it’s very hot in there) with his freshly grilled meats. This was more of a late lunch and there’s so much food to eat in Oaxaca so after resting for a bit, we ate dinner at a lovely Israeli restaurant called Adama that had yummy falafel.

Andrew looks at meat and ponders which stand to buy from

We quickly realized we did not have enough time in Oaxaca and there was a lot left to do, but did not know what to do with our final day. Wandering around, we went to a small free textile museum and a chocolate store. After lunch at vegan spot etnofood, we decided to check out a hip neighborhood not too far from the city center called Jalatlaco and were pleasantly surprised by how amazing it was. The area is filled with beautiful colorful murals, cute stores, and lots of coffee and ice cream. The perfect spot to wander and find delightful art around every corner. There is also a pretty church to see. We got some more ice cream because the temperature was “mucho calor” (very hot) and then stopped at a vegan cat rescue cafe.

Andrew and Margie pose by a fun decoration in the street

We walked all the way back to the city center and rested more after walking all day in the heat. I’m sure we had plenty of tacos on this trip, especially in Mexico City, but there’s a vegan taco spot I want to try that has raving reviews on Google maps and Happy Cow (vegan restaurant review app). It’s a small menu so we order almost everything as we sit on rocky stools in the tiny space. The tacos feature a lot of mushrooms and the flavors are incredible.

We’re leaving early the next day so we make sure to do some final souvenir shopping before heading back to our hotel to pack… or drink more mezcal on the hotel rooftop and talk about where we should travel next. Somehow, all the clothes and souvenirs fit in our suitcases and there’s nothing left to do but schedule an early taxi and go to bed.

Travel days are not fun, especially when it is time to leave a gorgeous warm friendly country that has so much more to share. Especially when we are headed back to Chicago winter and work and reality. We head to the small Oaxaca airport for the first leg of our journey home early in the morning. The first flight flies by (ha). We didn’t book a connecting flight for fear we would run into bad luck, so instead we have time to kill at the Mexico City airport and we have to travel far through the airport to our new terminal for the next flight. We are still in travel mode so we order a carajillo (espresso and vanilla flavored liquor) with lunch to try and it’s delicious. With still plenty of time, we find the United Lounge and use my free passes to gain entry to a whole new world of airport waiting. People live (travel) like this? This probably isn’t even the nicest lounge there is but there is guacamole and water and nice bathrooms and fancy mezcal. It’s still early afternoon, but when in Mexico, right? We taste some mezcal and then order some more and then almost miss our boarding time (oops). Almost.

Andrew and I love to travel and I’m so glad we could make it to another country together. We always learn so much about ourselves when we travel and appreciate learning about other cultures as well. Work can be stressful sometimes and it’s important for us to take breaks and relax. We’re already dreaming up our next adventures and who knows where we’ll end up and when.

All we know is we will be back!

Mexico: Mexico City

Hola mis amigos!

We just spent a few days in Mexico City, a city that’s been on our list for a while. We love to eat Mexican food, so why not go to the source!

After checking into our vacation rental (I’m in awe at how nice this place is), we wandered through the gorgeous park (almost a jungle?) near our hotel, Parque Mexico. For our first dinner, we ate at Ojo de Maiz, a vegan restaurant. I ordered a few Mexican dishes to try, some Tetelas, Tacos Al Pastor made with mushrooms, and some stuffed squash blossoms. It was a great first meal and left us excited to try more food on our trip! Looking for a sweet treat to end the day, we grabbed some conchas at a shop we passed and then some paletas at another shop. Our first day was great and had us excited to explore some more!

Unusual for us, we rose early for our first day in the city. We ate at Veguisima, a vegan cafe, for breakfast and headed to Chapultepec Park, a giant park bigger than Central Park, to explore. Our final destination is the Anthropology Museum but we can’t help but take some detours to see the different park attractions, including an audiorama space for relaxing to calm music. The museum is huge and free to residents on Sunday, but we bought our tickets and patiently waited in lines to go learn about the history of Mexico. The museum has exhibits teaching about different time periods and areas of Mexico with artifacts and detailed descriptions. I’m sure one could spend all day here and still not learn everything the museum has to teach you. We took in as much as we could and did some prep work for our tour of Teotihuacan the following day. We walked around the park a bit more, through the huge food market set up and through the huge crowds of tourists and locals enjoying the beautiful sunny day. We ate dinner at the trendy vegan spot La Pitaya Vegana where they serve pretty pink tortillas.

Teotihuacan is sure to be a highlight of our trip so we book a tour to make sure we get the most out of the trip. Our tour guides are brothers who take us first to their grandmother’s house for coffee (cafe de olla) and a quick breakfast before driving us to the site. They spend time teaching us about the temples at Teotihuacan and what is known about the people who lived there. The historic site is very big and the temples are amazing. It’s hard to imagine what life could be like back then but it is so interesting to learn about the beginnings of cities in the area. The tour guide brothers take us back to the house for an incredible meal of enchiladas covered in their family’s secret mole recipes. Mine are made with potatoes, a kind accommodation of my dietary restrictions, and I’m convinced mine are better than the chicken entrees everyone else is eating because they are so creamy. After the food is cleared away, the family brings out way too many little shots of pulque, a fermented alcoholic drink they make out of maguey plants. After all the time in the sun and trying as hard as I could to eat all the food on my plate, alcohol does not feel like a good idea for me. Andrew happily finishes any beverages I’ve left behind, I think he likes pulque now. The tour guides drove us back to the area we were staying at.

After a nap, we decide to try our luck at a fancy seafood restaurant that comes highly recommended. Reservations for the many top tier restaurants in Mexico City are hard to come by and we were a little disappointed that we didn’t make any reservations fast enough (I tried!). Contramar is a bustling busy restaurant crammed with as many tables as possible and sure enough there are some empty tables and we were seated immediately to our delight. We ordered the highly recommended tuna tostadas (raw), fish al pastor, whole grilled fish, and a cactus salad. The food is excellent and this spot is a fun stop on our trip.

We set aside a day to explore Mexico City’s historic center. The city center was built on top of another city and the ruins of Templo Mayor can be partially viewed from the street. Marveling at buildings, we made our way to the Palacio de Bellas Artes, an art space with murals by Diego Rivera, Rufino Tamayo, and other Mexican artists. We walked through the current exhibit of Frederico Silva, a Mexican painter and sculptor. It was nice to get out of the heat for a little bit and see some art.

We stopped at an artisan market and then headed to dinner at Por Siempre Vegan, a vegan street food stand with a small sit down location. One of the top rated vegan restaurants in Mexico City, it did not disappoint. I loved the chorizo taco with cheese on top (again, all vegan!). We had some other tacos too but the chorizo was my favorite.

With tickets booked for Frida Kahlo’s house, called Casa Azul, we took an Uber to the Coyoacan neighborhood to attend the museum and check out the surrounding area. Frida Kahlo was a painter who became disabled in an accident and was known for her unique personality. There was also an exhibit about Frida’s fashion choices and how she used clothes to hide the parts of her body she didn’t like. We stopped at Coyoacan market after for some tostadas and quesadillas sin queso (without cheese). We tried huitlacoche, a fungus that grows on corn, which was tasty. The Coyoacan neighborhood is a nice area with parks and lots to eat and see.

For our last day in Mexico City, Andrew and I had breakfast together and then I set off on a solo adventure to get more of my favorite vegan tacos (chorizo con queso from Por Siempre!) and explore another neighborhood, Polanco. I took a long Uber to Polanco and started my day at a park where I found a small aviary where I could hang out with some cool birds for 7 pesos. The affluent neighborhood is filled with beautiful houses and restaurants but it’s hot out so I decide to get some water based ice cream, called nieve, and I pick the mamey flavor, which is fruit I’ve never tried that resembles sweet potato and melons. I walked all the way to Museo Soumaya, stopping at a kosher grocery store that reminds me of home. The museum is free and filled with assorted exhibits of art from Europe and Mexico. The building has a fun structure and the floors are explored by walking through and then around the ramps up the building. I headed back to Andrew and we got dinner at a ramen spot that serves vegan ramen. Not bad for a last day!

We ate a final breakfast with another delicious café de olla and took an Uber to the airport. But we didn’t go home just yet as we have one more city to visit in Mexico!

Vamos a Oaxaca! Hasta luego, Mexico.

Spain: Granada

Granada is a place where every view is somehow more stunning than the last one. We loved the views from the city of the Alhambra up on the mountain, the views from the Alhambra of the city, and even the views of the Alhambra’s fortress from another spot in the Alhambra.

We arrived in Granada early in the evening with just enough time to check out the great views from our hotel room and find food before attending a Flamenco show. Granada is known for their tapas culture where free tapas are given with each drink you get. In other parts of Spain, the tapas were usually something cheaper like olives, but in Granada, the tapas were a little more food or you could choose the tapa you get. We went to La Riviera for some wine and tapas that we got to choose. I got fried eggplant and Andrew chose a little meat sandwich. We still wanted dinner but were worried about being late for the Flamenco show. Taking a chance on a small falafel stand, we found some decent food to scarf down before hopping on a bus to the Sacromonte area for our show. We wanted to go a little early to walk around the area but we misunderstood the time of the show and probably could have given ourselves a little more time for dinner.

Margie and Andrew in the Sacromonte area with a nice view of the Alhambra in the distance

Flamenco is a music form from Andalusia with a lot of clapping, stomping, vocals, guitar, and dancing, originating from the Romani people in Spain. We picked a show that was performed in a cave in the Sacromonte area which was pretty cool. The spot was called Zambra María la Canastera and had a lively group of singers and dancers. Sangria was given to us during the show as well. We had a difficult time getting a taxi back to the main area of town and didn’t feel safe walking back on the narrow streets in the dark with cars and busses driving fast.

After a quick breakfast at I Need Coffee, we set to wandering the streets of Granada before our timed entry to the Alhambra. We attempted to visit the Museo Sefardi, a museum about the Sephardic Jews in Spain, but it was only open to appointments. We walked around the Albaicín area, discovering great views and very steep beautiful streets. It was very hot outside so I convinced Andrew to let us hop on a bus that would take us a bit higher up so we wouldn’t need to climb all the way. Mirador de San Nicolás, a popular viewpoint for seeing the Alhambra, was a great reward for the journey. It was crowded during the day, and I could see how this would be an amazing spot to watch the sunset as well.

Margie and Andrew sit on a ledge at a viewpoint overlooking the Alhambra

Lunch was at Restaurante Vegano Hicuri, a vegan restaurant. We ordered cold soup and some other dishes to try. Really delicious, I wish we could have tried more food or dessert too.

Finally, it was time to go to the Alhambra. This was one of my primary reasons for wanting to go to Spain, to see this giant Islamic palace and fortress. We bought tickets in advance for a timed entry to the Nasrid Palaces and completely misunderstood how big the Alhambra area was so we showed up at the Palaces over 20 minutes late. They let us skip the line! Once we were in, we were allowed to explore the whole area for as long as we wanted. We wandered for almost 4 hours through the palaces, Alcazaba fortress, and Generalife gardens

Margie stands in front of a patio in the Nasrid Palaces

Margie and Andrew pose in front of an arched window looking out over Granada’s white and tan buildings and lots of green trees. It looks like painting.

Margie and Andrew pose at a cool view of Granada

Margie poses in front of a view of the Alcazaba fortress by the gardens

Exploring the Alhambra was incredible and we spent hours there. We ended the day with great red wine and tapas at La Tana.

With one more half day left in Granada, we visited a cute cafe called La Tienda de Los Unicornios, wandered over to the Cathedral, and then found an area with Moroccan stores and restaurants. We had lunch at a Moroccan restaurant and then headed out for the train to Madrid.