I flew into Paris... Orly Airport. I’d never flown into this airport before. Very exciting. Not really. I quickly figured out how to escape by following the city train signs through the airport until I found the right train to jump aboard. Well… “quickly” might be generous. A stretch. First, I had to buy a ticket... which proved to be slightly more challenging for someone like me... with a very small, non-functioning brain at times. After several moments of staring blankly a

I had to be out of my Bratislava accommodation by 10 am on the day of my departure from Slovakia. The day I was heading to Vienna! I couldn't wait. I'd always heard all these magnificent stories about how imperial and regal Vienna was. Oh yes... and so musical and artistic. I seriously could NOT wait. My plan was simple: pack up, sling my big boulder bag on my back, and wander through the old town to find a café for a small breakfast and a coffee before I went to catch my tr

I took the train from Budapest to Bratislava, and it wasn’t a very treacherous journey at all... just under three hours or so. But before I even made it onto the train, I found myself facing one of the great unexpected challenges of European travel... the pay toilet. Ugh! Horrible... I'd gone this long on the trip without having encountered them. The buck stopped here. They're stressful enough at the best of times. Worse when you're bursting... let alone if there's something

I liked Budapest. Like... really liked Budapest. On one side of the Danube, Buda rises in steep hills, with old stone streets, castles, staircases, shadows, and majestic grandeur. On the other side, Pest buzzes with trams, ruin bars, cafés, nightlife, and that chaotic modern energy you expect from a city. Budapest is one of those cities that feels a bit rough around the edges... but full of personality and atmosphere. There are layers of history everywhere... empires, wars, r

Next up: The Budapest Food Tour. Budapest Street Art Now, anyone who knows me knows I LOVE food tours. I do them everywhere, in every new city, in every country. They’re usually one of my favourite ways to further understand a city... because food tells you so much about culture, history, class, geography... all of it. Sometimes, anyway. And yes, before anyone asks, I had mentioned multiple times beforehand that I was a vegetarian. I’d even temporarily abandoned veganism for

I took a bunch of tours while in Budapest. I’m going to list them all, one for one, because there were four of them. FOUR. I can’t even make this up. Who does four tours in two days? Me. *just this one time though... it's not usually my 'norm.' And... never again... So ya... I had two full days in Budapest, and I signed myself up for four different tours. When I casually throw the word “different” out there, what I mean is that I hoped (and prayed) that they were all differe

I’ve noticed one thing while I’ve been here… and this is definitely going to sound a little bizarre. But here goes… I’m sure most of you have heard, from time to time, that Canadians are “so kind.” Yeah… me too. Especially in the hospitality industry. And honestly, whenever people say this to me, I can’t really wrap my head around it. Normally, I respond with some flippant comment about how we’re not all so nice… and how we have plenty of rude people in Canada too. Because… w

Like most of my travels, I’ve had a few, usual, slight mishaps along the way. This trip has been no exception to the rule. Like Murphy's Law... but I prefer to think of it as the law of the inevitable blunder. Somehow, in a feat that still completely baffles me, I managed to spill my entire bottle of body spray all through my bag. It leaked onto absolutely everything inside... including the jeans I was wearing, because by the time I finally realized, the bag had been smackin

Finally got up, showered, and met up with Tom, Merel, and the kids. It wasn't as easy as one might think. The bed was way too comfy and my eyelids were way too heavy... but I fully forgive myself for my extreme laziness, as I'd had an excrutiatingly long journey the day before. I was beat. Tom and Merel were here with their fabulous kids, Aiden & Faye. Everyone had hoped to leave by noon... but as the weary traveller of the group, it was a tremendous freat to actually drag my

For some bizarre, wonderful reason, I landed in Athens with almost no jet lag. Seriously...almost none. I should have been an absolute wreck. I usually am. But considering the length of the journey and how little I slept, I held it together surprisingly well.

I’ve warned myself off this city so many times, listening to everyone's horror stories and convincing myself it wasn’t for me... but with the sun finally out, I decided to give it a fair shot. And honestly? I didn’t mind it. Naples is gritty, chaotic, intriguing in a way that suprises you. Or, at least, me. Considering I was in Maradona’s kingdom, I figured I should pay homage. So I looked up "Maradona" on Google Maps… and off I went, weaving through the city, fo

Yes, we still made it to Ravello and Amalfi... though not without a trecherous detour. The driver had to take a different route, which meant a two-hour journey up and along the winding, mountainous roads over to the coast... full of ups, downs, curves, and constant braking. Packed into the van like sardines with a bunch of strangers, I spent most of the ride silently rocking back and forth, trying to talk myself out of feeling nauseous... and praying I wouldn’t be sick all ov

Pompeii was fascinating. It's one of those places where history rises up all around you. Long before the eruption, Pompeii was a thriving Roman city... lived in for centuries by traders, artisans, merchants, and families who filled its streets with everyday life. It sat at the foot of Mount Vesuvius, close enough to enjoy fertile soil but completely oblivious to the danger.

After a full week, I finally left Palermo… and I really did leave a piece of my heart there. I was absolutely mesmerized by that city… and if I ever return to Sicily… it will be the first place on my list to visit. Cefalù On one of the days I was there, I took the train to Cefalù… a seaside town only an hour away. It was charming… and I enjoyed it, but I felt myself beginning to wear thin. Cefalù was lovely… smaller... and much quieter than Palermo. It was a Sunday, so more

I think I've eaten so many spinach arancini... at this point I could probably become a critic. The bad ones? Sure, I still eat them... but then I get irritated with myself for having ruined a perfectly good meal opportunity on something a bit ick. The Arancini of Palermo But the good ones? Man . l have to physically tear myself away... to prevent me just staying there and eating one right after another... I've taken this strange pride in tracking them down too... pinpointing

The other day, I took a tour up to some of the ancient ruins of Sicily and to a medieval town called Erice… and I will get to that part later, I promise. But first, I need to talk about the conversation that unfolded in the van on the way there. I was riding with three ladies from Houston, Texas... very thick accents, very kind, kinda quirky. Sicilian Street Art BUT... When I mentioned that I loved Palermo because of all its brilliant street art, one of the ladies shot me a

I left Ragusa early to catch my bus to Catania... again ... where I’d have to transfer to a train that would take me all the way up to the northwestern area of Sicily, Palermo. It was going to be a very long day. Ragusa For once, I actually felt confident about my bus from Ragusa. There was actually a bus station... AND a man at the ticket desk who specifically told me where to go, where the bus would be arriving, when to get on, and when it would leave. Phewf! What a refre

I have something I really need to admit... I am absolutely addicted to spinach arancini. I actively hunt them down. Yes, arancini is everywhere; of course, it's Italy. BUT it’s almost always the meat kind. The spinach ones are a different shape and size... and you can usually spot a hint of green peeking through... so I really do have to seek them out. I've become a bit of a pro, though. My two loves I’ve had to limit myself to one a day… even though, in my heart of hearts,

Then came Ortigia... a small island off the coast of Siracusa. The Temple of Apollo “According to the legends of Greek mythology, Ortigia was the island where Leto sought refuge while fleeing Hera's wrath after becoming pregnant by Zeus. Enraged by her husband's affair, Hera forbade any land under the sun from offering Leto shelter to give birth. Eventually, Leto found safety on Ortigia, where she gave birth to the twins Apollo (God of the Sun, music, and prophecy) and Artem

Who takes a carry-on to cobblestone-street-filled Italy? Trying to keep a smile on my face whilst dragging this contraption around. No one. No one in the entire world. Oh... hold on. .. Me. I do. Silly, ridiculous, " not-thinking " me. Of all the places I could've chosen NOT to bring a backpack, I chose Europe … and instead, opted for this roly-poly-ollie, carry-on. Big mistake. BIG . Huge. The only time I will ever succumb to rolling luggage again is if I have some kind of w

Catania. I'm unsure how to say it. Seriously. Do I put the emphasis on the “t”?? Or on the “nia”? I’ve been desperately trying to listen to how people pronounce it, but it seems to vary from person to person. Hmmm... Anyway… the flight from Geneva was relatively drama-free. No significant incidents... except that my phone was dying... but that ALWAYS happens. No big news story there. The flight was far from full... and because of it, I managed to snag myself a window seat.

I want to start off this blog with a little bit of ’splaining. When I travel, I write. I always have. It’s one of the few true forms of expression I genuinely love to do... whether it’s here, rambling on my blog... or scribbled into one of my many memory books. I have quite a few of them. Writing things down is how I make sense of things... no matter what they are. It’s where my ( occasional & perceived ) humour meets honesty ( often mixed with a bit of exaggeration ) ...and

You won’t believe what happened to me. Most of my blog could start that way. Seriously. ZC and I were exploring Siena the other day... and we happened to come across a local market. It was mostly clothes, plants, and shoes... nothing touristy at all... and no artisan stalls. BUT... I happened to find a hoodie that looked cozy... and it was only €6. Steal of a deal! It was off-white, which isn’t usually my best colour, but for that price… and because it felt so snug, I bou

So our final day in my beloved Florence arrived… and I was already sad to leave the city... but I had no idea it would turn out as rough as it did. Something strange happened to me on my final morning... I got "dizzy." Was it perhaps the cause of excessive amounts of wine window Aperol Spritzes? No. At least I don't think so. My dizzy was not your average “ stood up too fast ” or " overindulged " dizzy... but the full-on spinning room of doom dizzy. Ya. Not fun. During that