Venturing off the beaten path in Hungary beyond Budapest offers a more secluded, less expensive and more authentic experience into Hungarian culture, history, and life. Opportunities for finding travel perks like curative thermal baths, luscious and quality wine, hospitable people, and enchanting medieval villages abound too. What more can you ask for? Not only Budapest awaits the traveler in Hungary!…
Moldova is not one of those countries most people dream of going to. In fact, this small nation is completely off the radar to many...even European travelers. Moldova, when heard, is evidently mistaken by some as “the Maldives”. But we can attest, for a small landlocked country, its people, food, and wine pack a big punch and are absolutely worth…
Continuing on, our travels took us to the biggest country in Europe (unless you side with the people that argue that Denmark, combined with Greenland, is the biggest.) With only a 24-hour layover in Kiev (pronounced Kee-v) en route to Odessa we had just enough time to nibble at what Kiev offered up. The golden domes, clean, dynamic, and exciting…
Western Ukraine is a bit like trying to break your spoon through the tough outer shell of a creme-brûlée. It’s a little tough on the outside, but inside once you break through there is a sweet surprise oozing with creamy deliciousness. Two radically different cities awaited us as we entered our most “foreign” country yet in our travels, and as…
No trip to U.K. is complete without dropping some time, some £s, and some major pedometer-busting days into this legendary city of 8 million founded in 50 AD by the Romans. The iconic Tower Bridge was completed in 1894 although its gothic architectural touches make it seem much older. Note: not the same as London bridge which is .5 mile…
Awww, Southern England. It brings to mind picturesque rolling landscapes amongst cute-as-a-button stone villages with mossy roofs which inspire literature. It also makes you think of quintessential market and spa towns with ancient Roman ruins, and prestigious universities that your dictionaries are named after. Needless to say, there’s a lot to explore in this part of the country and we…
From medieval masterpieces to royal remnants to lush landscapes, this UNESCO treasure founded prior to 7th Century AD, Edinburgh is unlike any city we’ve seen. After wrapping up our Knaresborough housesit, it seemed only appropriate to meander north for a gorgeous glimpse, and a flight deal ($36/ticket...yes, cheaper than a bus) on our journey back to the south of England. …
Several years back, we read Bill Bryson’s “Notes from a Small Island.” Since then, we have always been drawn to the idea of living in England as a local, experiencing cultural differences of language and quirks and walking endlessly on countryside footpaths meandering their way to villages with funny names like Follifoot, Poole in Wharfdale, and Bridge-near-the-church-by-the-water. (Yes, that last…
