Istanbul: The most interesting city in the world?
I think so.
When Mike was fortunate to get a job offer to return to work at Boston Scientifc, we knew that this meant we would have to come home three weeks early from our trip. Therefore, our previous plans to travel overland through Albania and Montenegro en route to Croatia had to be scrapped (for now). We were left with five days to fill after departing Greece before making our way back to the states. We decided to spend this time in Istanbul.
Read MoreGreek Isles Tour: Part 2
After spending a week enjoying the quintessential Greek Isle experience in Sifnos and Folegandros, Mike and I prepped ourselves for the big guns: Santorini and Mykonos. Travel articles for these two islands promised big things – from Santorini’s “most beautiful sunset in the world” to “the most iconic party beaches” of Mykonos. For us, they also held a taste of home as my parents, brother, and brother’s girlfriend (Roxanne) were joining us for our final five days in Greece.
Read MoreGreek Isles Tour: Part 1
I can’t think of a better way to wind down both the European leg and our entire 9-month journey than by spending fifteen days in the Greek Islands. We knew a beach vacation here was in the cards at some point in our future, so it was great to have the time to slowly enjoy. There are too many islands to visit them all, but the four we chose gave us a good sampling of what the region has to offer. Our first two stops were Sifnos and Folegandros, two less-traveled islands that pack a lot of cultural punch.
Read MoreIt’s All Greek to Me
After weeks of hiking through the Swiss Alps and a few days guzzling steins at Oktoberfest, I was ready to lose the hiking boots and dirndl and enjoy some beach time in the Greek Islands. But, before I could cash in on two weeks of sunning at my leisure, Mike and I headed to the historic Greek capital of Athens. While we had heard from fellow travelers that Athens was interesting but very dirty, ugly, and chaotic, we were still eager to explore this ancient city. What I discovered was a city steeped in rich history but haunted by modern demons.
Read MoreThe Real Oktoberfest
German beer. Sausage. My wife in a dirndl. I must be in heaven. Nope, it’s Oktoberfest. The real one. Not a makeshift weekend event with seasonal fall beers. The original festival that started in 1810 and takes place in Munich for 15 days every year. I had dreamed of this for years so as soon as Kat suggested squeezing it into our itinerary, she knew we were locked in.
Read MoreSwitzerland: One country, three cultures
I never would have expected Switzerland to be one of the most diverse countries that I have visited. Plenty of cows? Yes. Efficiency? The best. Mountains? Of course. Chocolate? I hoped. But diversity was not rolling off my tongue…until our recent trip through this stunningly beautiful land. I was surprised to learn that in this small country the size of New Jersey , there are several official languages and three distinct cultures (German, French, and Italian). Discovering this cultural heterogeneity contributed towards making our two and a half weeks spent in Switzerland delightful and uniquely interesting.
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