My niece secured an internship with a football club in Madrid, so my family was keen to visit while she was there. I offered to plan their family vacation to Spain to include Barcelona and Madrid. While I would normally recommend a first visit to Europe be at least ten […]
It’s “wave season” and you are likely seeing a lot of cruise commercials everywhere (that dumb jingle is stuck in your head) so let’s talk about cruises. Cruises lines were hit hard during the pandemic and restarted sailing in July 2021 offering cheap cruises to anyone willing to take a […]
I recently visited Las Vegas to celebrate my mom’s 80th birthday and had to treat her to a stay at The Wynn Las Vegas because it’s such a five-star luxury experience. I am a Wynn Rewards card holder and while I rarely earn enough casino credit or comp dollars to […]
For my summer visit to Venice, Italy with my 16 y.o. niece, I originally included the public transit option in our budget and my mom (aka mom-mom) vetoed it. As a solo traveler, I’m keen to save money and would normally take the Alilaguna boat (15 euros one way) from […]
It’s not a secret that I love chocolate. When I travel, I try to find the best local chocolate shops which can be easy or impossible (see Bruges Chocolate Shops). On a recent trip to London, I even tried my hand at making chocolates at Melt Chocolate in Notting Hill. […]
As I exited the elevator to find my room, I noticed what looked like a draft beer bar in the hallway. Of course, it wasn’t free beer, although I’m sure that hotel amenity would get lots of folks to book, it was a water station. With three pulls representing tap, […]
I returned to Paris solo last year and wanted to explore the city differently this time. As much as I love the Louvre and Musee D’Orsay, I wanted a new experience for my three days in Paris. While my cooking skills are severely lacking, I figured learning how to make […]
As I search for a cruise vacation for 2023, I’m reminded of a few things I hate about cruising as I compare itineraries, cruise lines and ships. So, this is the rant of someone who surprisingly loves to cruise solo and with friends/family. I’ve sailed on multiple cruise lines such […]
When I decided to take the train from Barcelona to Paris it was to relax and recharge as my first trip to Europe since the pandemic was a whirlwind of great cities (London, Madrid, Barcelona). With no plans for Paris, I thought it was best to stay again at Hotel […]
I don’t remember how I discovered the Praktik Hotels in Barcelona, however, after my stay at the Praktik Bakery Hotel, I was hooked. For my recent trip to Barcelona, I considered another stay at the Bakery, however, my family is gluten free and it seemed wrong to revel in the […]