In contrast to France, there is no break in service for places in Portugal, which was helpful as we arrived late afternoon. Restaurants are also open much later than back home, often until 12 or 1 am. Originally we had 2 nights and only one full day scheduled for Porto, but the morning that we […]
La Rochelle is the gateway to Île de Ré, and like it, has a charming coastal vibe. It is very walkable, mostly one way streets with lots of cobblestone, with plenty of bus riders and bikers here as well. While this isn’t a city international tourists come to that often, we still found plenty of […]
We had less than 24 hours in Bordeaux, talk about getting just a taste of a city! Well, we wasted no time dropping off our bags and making our way to the famous La Brasserie Bordelaise. Have to say it was rather disappointing after seeing it recommended by so many – we recommend Le Chien […]
Despite a fantastic sunrise during our train ride from Paris, we arrived to a dreary looking day as we entered the La Rochelle station. Heading out we hopped onto the bus to Île de Ré. This bus comes regularly (the timetables are posted at the bus stops) and it’ll cost you 5 EUR, one way, […]
Et voilà! We are one week into our Around the World trip and Paris was the perfect introduction: a big city with an easy enough train system; a place where bakeries stand on every street (mon coeur!). We got around with our broken French and a lot of “bonjour, parlez-vous Anglaise?” Many would reply “only […]
As we’re wrapping up the bulk of our planning, I realized that there were a couple of crucial parts of trip planning that caught me by surprise when working on our budget and thought that those would be good to share for those who are also going to start their own adventure. They might be […]
Coeur d’Alene (CDA) is a super quaint city in Northwest Idaho, known for its proximity to the lakes and hosting an Ironman race. We came for a friend’s wedding and spent a leisurely week hiking in the Coeur d’Alene National forest and walking through the downtown area. It’s a great city for outdoor and water […]
Maui is a main hub and typical entry point into the islands. It’s a great option that’s inbetween ultra touristy Big Island and low-key Kauai. There’s plenty to do – like learn how to scuba dive! – whether you’re looking for luxurious relaxation or beautiful outdoor adventures. Spend a day split between golfing on the […]
Ever consider scuba diving? Do it. But carefully consider where you take your certification course, it can make all the difference! We choose Maui because we knew it would be idyllic warm water and the island is renowned for diving. While diving in warm water will require us to later do a cold water conversion, […]
Kauai is the island you go to really unwind and experience island living. It has an amazing contrast of climate zones and environments all within one island: one side of the island is dry as a desert and one side is wet as the tropics, where rainclouds roll in at anytime. You have black sand […]
