Tourists flock to Mallorca for the beautiful beaches, crazy party scene, and wild scenery. But it’s still possible to take in some of Spain’s food culture in a quieter, more intimate way—and try the best tapas in Mallorca while you’re at it. In Palma’s Sa Gerreria district (just east of the Plaça Cort and Plaça…
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Country 12: France | This post is part of my 30×30 series. Read more here! April 2009 — Paris, France Paris. There’s no other city like it—(perhaps because we keep saying there’s no other city like it). I spent four days in that city and cannot even begin to claim that I have seen it. My…
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Country 9: England | This post is part of my 30×30 series. Read more here! At 10 years old, I was a self-proclaimed Anglophile who wanted nothing in the world more than to live in London when I was older. While I’m a few countries off, London is still a place that captures both my…
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Country 7: Latvia | This post is part of my 30×30 series. Read more here! Cancelled flights. Stolen passports. Bad hotels. When travel goes right, you have the trip of a lifetime. But when it goes wrong, it’s a horror story in the making. And if you travel frequently, travel problems are practically inevitable. Here are…
Read MoreCountry 6: The Netherlands | This post is part of my 30×30 series. Read more here!
My 6th country was your classic study abroad in Europe tour, with a slight twist. Rather than staying in an apartment or university dormitory, I spent four months living in a medieval castle in the middle of nowhere. And you know what? Despite being a city girl, I loved it. We all rented bikes from the local shop and I spent the hours I wasn’t studying or traveling tooling around the Dutch countryside, watching frolicking spring lambs, finding dunes, and rolling through charming little villages.
After we left, my castle friends and I always planned to do a big reunion bike tour, and when I was researching how it could be done, I found Vrieden op de Fiets (Friends with Bicycles), a homeshare program designed for bikers and hikers visiting the rest of the Netherlands. For 19eur a night you get a comfortable bed, a nourishing breakfast, and the chance to meet and bond with local Dutch people. If you’re thinking about doing a biking tour through the Netherlands, I highly recommend checking them out!
Country 5: French Polynesia | This post is part of my 30×30 series (read more here!). Plenty of people visit French Polynesia to appreciate the postcard-perfect beaches, lush mountains, and crystal clear waters. But to me, the most beautiful thing about Tahiti and her islands isn’t the scenery—it’s the people. I’ve been lucky to see…
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Country 4: The Bahamas | This post is part of my 30×30 series. Read more here! If the Cloisters seem out of place in a land of swaying palms and turquoise waters, it’s because they are. Fans of the Beatles will recognize the distinctive arches from the escapade “Help!”, and James Bond aficionados might know it from…
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Country 2: New Zealand |This post is part of my 30×30 series. Read more here! In 2005 New Zealand was top of mind for one very small reason—a reason no bigger than a ring. Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy had wrapped just a few years before, and fellows of the ring were flocking…
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Country 1: Germany |This post is part of my 30×30 series. Read more here! Is it irony or fate that the first country I ever visited is also the place I’m currently living? It was 1993, my grandfather had booked a trip to Germany to revisit the country where he’d spent his time in the…
Read MoreWork trips can be fun, but they are first and foremost work. If you have the chance to do any sight-seeing, it’s usually either through a taxicab window or after 5pm. That’s why I love Michelle’s new blog, Travel After Five, which features sights, activities, and things to see that are open after 5—the perfect guide for the traveling professional. Check out my collaboration with her—a guide on visiting Hamburg—below!