It was also a classic example of fast versus slow travel, a topic I’ve been pondering a lot these days. Fast travel is exciting: you’re on a whirlwind adventure, taking in a flurry of amazing sights with the thrilling sense that you’re out experiencing the world. But slow travel can reward you with wonders fast travel never could: the opportunity to really get to know a place and its culture, true and potentially lasting connection with the people you meet, and time to process it all and find meaning in what you discover. I’m of the opinion that both are well worth doing, especially because not everyone has time for slow travel—but no matter how you swing it, fast travel has many more pitfalls, and it takes much more care to do it right.

Back in April, our two-week train trip from Budapest to Milan was definitely fast travel. We’d just gotten our residence cards renewed and could finally travel in Europe again, and we wanted a whirlwind trip where we could really revel in being able to bounce across borders—we ended up exploring five countries in two weeks! In Budapest, we had more than the one night I had the first time, but not by much: this time, it was two days. That’s nowhere near enough time to see it all. It’s not even time to see half of it. I knew that if we spent our time rushing from thing to thing, we wouldn’t enjoy ourselves, and we’d end up exhausted.

With all this in mind, when planning this part of the trip, I gave myself a prompt: what does a great day in Budapest look like? Forget trying to see everything—just plan a lovely two days, made up of lovely things you can only do in Budapest.

It worked really well, and I think this is my new motto for whenever I find myself doing fast travel. What does a great day in this place look like? To be honest, our two days were still just a touch too full—it’s incredibly hard to pick and choose, especially if you don’t know when you’ll be back in that place. But we saw what was most important to us, we had some really Budapest-y experiences, and we weren’t dead inside at the end. I’ll take that as a win!

Great Day in Budapest #1: an intro to Hungarian cuisine, a lovely tram ride + walk, and a soak

As we all know, pastry research is an essential component of trip prep, and it was while I was doing this important work that I first read about pogácsa (pronounced “po-GA-cha”). They’re often described as Hungarian scones, and one of the most popular flavors is cheese. As someone who loves any opportunity to consume cheese in bread form, I was immediately intrigued; little did I know I was about to meet my new great love in the international pastry world. It turns out pogácsa are bleeping incredible. I’d describe them as somewhere between a scone and an American biscuit, but the cheesiness takes them into a whole new stratosphere of carby delight. So, after a late flight the night before, our first day in Budapest started with me making really a lot of sounds over a Hungarian cheese scone, plus one of the famous (and also delicious) cocoa snail pastries. I highly recommend you do the same.

From there, we boarded the tram. Not unlike the #28 tram here in Lisbon, Budapest’s #2 tram follows a scenic route that showcases some of its best scenery and offers a great first look at the city. It’s a regular route often used by commuters (just like the 28), so be sure to let them board first if the tram is short on room—but, if you can, sit on the river side for the best views! We rode to the terminus, and then walked across the bridge and wandered around Margaret Island, a lovely green space full of walkers, runners, and families with strollers. We then headed back to the beautiful Hungarian Parliament building and into the center of Pest. This whole morning was a perfect introduction to the city; powered by pogácsa, we saw some of Budapest’s grandest scenery on the tram, and then got to see more of its daily life side on Margaret Island.

Then, it was time to eat again (hooray!). One of the things I knew we had to try while in Budapest is lángos, a dish featuring fried dough topped with sour cream and cheese. At Retro Lángos, we split a lángos and some cottage cheese pancakes, and prepared ourselves for deep-fried, dairy-based death (what a way to go!). To our surprise, the lángos somehow didn’t feel like a total gut bomb, and it was absolutely delicious to boot: crispy and pillowy at the same time, with a delectable tang from the sour cream. I also ordered an apple strudel craft beer, which was really nice—not too sweet, but comforting and complex in a deeply apple-y way. This whole meal was an excellent first foray into the culinary scene in Budapest, and though we resolved to find a fresh vegetable soon (spoiler alert: we did not, and now that I know how much we continued to fail for a couple more countries, I think it’s hilarious we even tried), we loved every bit of it. To top it off, after lunch, we headed to Gerbeaud to experience one of the classic grand cafes of Budapest, sharing a rosemary-flavored fancy dessert that delighted us both.

Finally, it was time to head to the baths! There are many baths in Budapest, but because there’s something so special about taking your person to a place that’s been important to you since before you met, I had to take Nate to Széchenyi to show him where I had my excellent solo adventure. And just like last time, after a late flight the night before and a ton of walking in the first part of the day, it was pretty much heaven. There are so many ways to combine travel with relaxing in hot water—the grand baths of Europe, onsen in Japan, thermal pools in Iceland!—and I have yet to find one I don’t absolutely adore.

After a luxurious few hours of soaking, we headed to Gundel, a classic Budapest restaurant right by the baths. Founded in the 1860s, this historic spot has a beautiful setting and serves elevated Hungarian cuisine; Nate had an excellent mushroom soup and chicken paprikash, and I ordered a pheasant dish with sunchokes. We knew Hungarian food would feature lots of paprika and dairy, but here was where our understanding of its characteristics started to deepen—this meal had lots of foresty flavors, like mushrooms and wild game. Every bite at Gundel helped enrich our understanding of Hungarian cuisine, and it was a perfect way to wrap up our first day in Budapest.

Great Day in Budapest #2: Castle Hill, Hungarian history, and an evening on the Danube

I’m going to assume that at this point, you can guess what we ate for breakfast to begin our second Great Day in Budapest (this time at Artizán Bakery, which definitely lived up to its reputation for excellence!). Once we were sufficiently covered in cheesy crumbs, it was time to head up to Castle Hill, a historic district overlooking the Danube with several sites to explore. To reach the top, there’s a funicular with a delightful retro vibe—it’s worth seeing even if you don’t ride it. We chose to save our pogácsa pocket money and hoof it to the top, which gave us great views of the city from several different levels on the way up.

There are a ton of really cool sites on Castle Hill—but we weren’t there to see them all. We were just there to have a Great Day in Budapest. Right? Right! An immediate favorite was Fisherman’s Bastion, a fortress overlooking the city with a style I found completely captivating; there’s something about its white stone walls, arches, and pointy, hat-like tower tops that I fell in love with instantly. Right beside it is Matthias Church, whose roof has colorful tiles arranged in a geometric pattern we’d never seen before. There are more buildings on Castle Hill that feature a similar technique, like the one pictured above on the right; and each time we saw one, the design of the colored tiles reminded me of sweater patterns, lending a cozy vibe I found absolutely delightful. As we walked down from Castle Hill on our way back to Pest, we stopped by Prezent, a local store I highly recommend—I just love finding little shops like this. It’s where I found the postcard I put in my travel journal below.

We also visited the Hungarian National Museum that afternoon, and I definitely recommend budgeting more time than we did! The rooms toward the end of the Hungarian history exhibit are particularly interesting, and we just didn’t have enough time to see them properly. This was the only time we felt rushed during our two days in Budapest, so I’ll still take it as a win—but next time, we’ll budget a longer window for this museum. If you’re like us and find yourself in Budapest without having a great handle on Hungarian history or culture, it’s a great place to start.

It turns out pogácsa and cocoa snails can only get you so far (shocking!), so we were starving by the time we sat down at Gettó Gulyás. We started with a goose liver pate with brioche and pear, which completely stole the show, and I had a roast duck leg with a braised red cabbage that was also excellent. For dessert, we tried some cottage cheese dumplings in a cinnamon sour cream. Delicious!

Finally, it was time for the grand finale of our time in Budapest: a sunset river cruise on the Danube. We left the dock right as the sun was setting, the sky ablaze with various shades of oranges and pinks; and over the course of the next hour, we watched as the lights of the city slowly flickered on as it got darker and darker. By the time we finished, the Hungarian Parliament building was fully aglow, and it was just utterly magical. A boat cruise is something you can do in pretty much any city with a river, but I’d argue that because of how simply stunning the Hungarian Parliament building is when it’s lit up at night, this is one of the places where the experience means a lot more. For me, when it comes to things to do in Budapest, this one is a must-do.

And with that, our two Great Days in Budapest came to an end, and it was off to Bratislava the next morning. Did we see it all? No! We didn’t go to the market hall, or the most famous of the grand cafes, or any ruin bars… but we also weren’t shells of human beings by the end. I keep joking about this, but it’s actually really important, because here’s how I see it: travel should light you up! Always. And if you find yourself dying a slow death by overstimulation, it’s a classic sign that you’ve been trapped by the pitfalls of fast travel. It happens to the best of us, and when it does happen, it’s never too late to slow down. Just ask yourself: what does a great day in this place look like? Choosing quality over quantity will reward you every time, I promise.

Except when it comes to pogácsa. You never want anything less than an absolutely enormous quantity of pogácsa.

Budapest recommendations:

• It’s hard to find cheap accommodation that is both convenient and comfortable, but our stay at Dean’s Home Budapest was perhaps the best sweet spot on that spectrum we’ve ever found. The rooms are home to a mix of students and travelers, but it was quiet, perfectly clean and comfortable, and super affordable. It’s also right near a metro station, so while it is a little further out, it’s still convenient. And if you do stay here, nearby Mátyás Bakery had our favorite pogácsa!

• Where to eat: Retro Lángos, Gundel, Artizán Bakery, and Gettó Gulyás

• A lovely shop: Prezent local design store for artisan-made gifts and souvenirs

• Budapest river cruises vary a lot in vibe and character. This is the one we did, and the mood was perfect for us (no one around us was doing shots!).

• I also highly recommend this website, which was tremendously helpful for planning.

That’s all for now, but I’ll be back soon with more, including a great story from our trip to Spain plus more recaps from this train adventure—Bratislava’s up next!

Cheers and happy travels,

Kate

But three days after we got back, we had to rush our beloved dog to the emergency vet; she had scary symptoms that came on out of the blue, and they turned out to be the first signs of what we eventually found out was lymphoma. Andie, a super quirky and incredibly sweet pup we’d adopted from a rescue back in Boise, had changed our lives and been our best buddy for the past nine years. In that time, we’d already saved her from four separate rounds of mast cell tumors—so we knew that when the time came, it would almost certainly be cancer. But we weren’t prepared for it to be such a fast and aggressive one, nor were we prepared for the constant, agonizing gut punches of the next two months (how could we have been?). All at once, you’re juggling tons of vet appointments, you’re embroiled in all the new and ever-changing tasks of caretaking, you’re pre-grieving despite your best efforts to stay present, and you’re desperately trying to make meaning out of every moment you have left.

Suffice to say: this was not the time for writing, and you guys probably wouldn’t have enjoyed what would have come out if I’d tried.

I don’t want to talk about the end, but I do want to talk about Andie. She was just the best thing that could have ever happened to us. She brought the most joyful, exuberant, weird-in-the-best-way energy to our little family—for our party of two, fellow fans of 30 Rock will know what I mean when I say she was “the third heat.” And she had the weirdest habits. She somehow got it in her little head that the weekly affair of changing the sheets was something she needed to be both present for and highly invested in. While we wrestled the duvet back into its cover, she’d sit by the bed with every muscle tensed and laser focus behind her bugged-out little eyes, putting her snoot on the mattress and looking at us with great intensity. We finally just leaned into it, making a big production of having her wait until the whole process was finished before inviting her up with great ceremony; and then, while we applauded and cheered, she’d run around in circles on the bed, sneezing with excitement and smiling at us with this huge goofy grin. (I honestly still have no idea.) Other times, if you happened to be sitting down when she was really excited, she’d keep her back paws on the ground but jump up and down with her front ones, bouncing up and giving you a little (or big, overexcited, and mildly terrifying) kiss on the chin (or lips, or nostril, or eyeball) on the upswing each time. And at bedtime, she’d stare at the top edge of the covers with bizarre intensity until I lifted them up so she could crawl all the way under to be a little spoon right against me, until she’d eventually emerge, gasping for air but smiling a huge, goofy doggie smile that got me every time. All day every day, she followed me with little clicking paws on the hardwood floor around the entire apartment, and she made the most hilarious sounds when she was eating something awesome, and she loved to pounce on and play with this stuffed toy shaped like a Thanksgiving turkey, which was just about the cutest thing I’d ever seen. When we finally lost her, I honest to goodness pretty much just cried for days. It was inconceivable that she was somehow no longer there, and her absence felt like physical pain. Man, did I love that little dog. I always will. There will just never be another Andie.

As the excruciating days wore on, it became clear to us that what we needed was a trip. We needed to get out of the sad, too-quiet apartment. We needed to eat good food, and go for leisurely walks, and read our books. We needed to explore somewhere new, and there was only one real requirement: it needed to be someplace sunny.

Luckily, we live right next door to Spain.

Never in my life did I imagine that I would be able to take an impromptu road trip to Spain from where I live, but as they say, life is full of surprises. We’d barely explored it since we arrived, and our limited Spanish adventures had only taken us to the northern half of the country. But we had friends living on the southern coast who we’d been meaning to go visit—and we had the ability to rent a car, throw some crap in a bag, and go. So, we did!

We began with a one-night stop in Córdoba. We picked it partly as a great spot to break up the drive, but also because I’d read it was an under-visited gem, which proved to be true—it ended up being one of my favorite stops on the trip! The Mosque-Cathedral—a perfect symbol of the different periods of Moorish and Spanish rule in this part of Spain—was fascinating and visually stunning, the Córdoban flavors we sampled were delicious and unique, and the traditional flower-filled patios were a lovely balm to the soul after everything we’d been through.

When you go, be sure to bring small change to put in the donation box at every patio you visit (it goes towards keeping them blooming!), and don’t miss Churreria Victoria, a friendly local spot where they make their churros fresh right before your eyes.

Recommendations for Córdoba: Churreria Victoria, Bodegas Mezquita Ribera for Córdoban tapas, and Casa Pepe de la Judería for a special meal (book a table in the courtyard if you can!)

After bouncing around the country a bit on their own expat journey, our friends had ended up in Salobreña, so we headed their way next. Holy smokes! I was not expecting this small town to be so visually stunning. While we were there, we mostly just caught up with our friends, hung out on the beach, and ate excellent Spanish food, but we also took a day trip to the nearby town of Frigiliana. Frigiliana was gorgeous and full of cute shops to pop into, and we had one of the best meals of the trip overlooking a stunning view out to the sea.

One thing I loved about this part of the trip is that Salobreña is mostly visited by Spanish tourists, and it doesn’t see quite as many outsiders. We managed to catch it right before Spain’s tourist high season started, so for us, it was a nice and relatively quiet little glimpse into life on the southern coast of Spain.

Recommendations for Salobreña + Frigiliana: Pura Cepa restaurant in Frigiliana, the paella from Mar Azul in Salobreña, and Hotel Boutique Alcazaba Salobreña, which is a brand new hotel run by the sweetest guy—good luck, Javier! We know you’ll do great!

It was mid-June and we’re not big fans of crowds—especially crowds of tourists—so we decided to save the Alhambra for our next visit to Granada, sometime in October or November of a to-be-determined future year. This made me wonder: what smaller sites would give us some of the Moorish vibe of the Alhambra, but without the crowds? There are several good candidates, and we picked the Palacio de Dar al-Horra (at which we saw four other people) and El Bañuelo, the ruins of the Moorish bathhouses from the 1100s (which we had all to ourselves!). Both were fascinating, and gave us some of the flavor of the Moorish history of Granada without the crowds. To be clear, we’re excited to see the Alhambra, as its scale and sheer magnificence is unparalleled—but, if you’re in Granada in high season and don’t want to deal (my hand’s in the air), it’s a great time to check out some of the smaller sites while everyone else is at the biggie.

We also had some of the best Moroccan food of our lives, found more amazing churros, and discovered two wonderful artisan shops, one specializing in remarkable inlaid wood boxes and chessboards and the other in traditional ceramics. The ceramics shop is housed in a beautiful Moorish house from the 1500s; to get in, you ring the bell outside during shop hours, and the family will let you in and tell you about their work making the traditional pottery of Granada. The ceramics shop is incredibly special because of its setting, but at both shops, the artisans were very friendly and eager to tell us about their families’ legacies of carrying on their traditional crafts. I highly recommend visiting both when you’re in Granada!

Recommendations for Granada: Cerámica Al Yarrar ceramic shop, Artesania González for inlaid wood boxes, Restaurante Arraynes for excellent Moroccan fare, Andalusí Nujaila for Arabic sweets, and Alhambra Churreria

Finally, after driving past countless fields of sunflowers and olive trees, we arrived in the small town of Vejer de la Frontera, which was to be the true vacation part of the trip. We’ve done a ton of fast-and-furious city travel in the past year or so, and it’s been a long time since we stayed in a small town without too much to do and see—the kind of trip that’s part travel and part vacation. That’s exactly what we found in Vejer.

A favorite of weekenders from Seville and Madrid, there weren’t a ton of outsiders here either, and the rhythm of the day is distinctly Spanish: the morning starts late, everything closes somewhere around 2-3 and reopens somewhere around 5-6, and the earliest you can get dinner is 8—and if you go at that time, you may as well hang a giant sign that says “I’m not from here” around your neck as you sit alone and eat your delicious Spanish bluefin tuna in silence. We found a favorite breakfast spot we’d hit around 9, then we’d take a leisurely wander and pop into some shops before a late lunch, then take a siesta, and finally have a cold drink and play a board game in the early evening while waiting for a semi-acceptable time to eat dinner. It was delightful, and just what we needed. We also had one of my favorite travel experiences in recent memory in Vejer, which I can’t wait to tell you all about—dedicated post coming soon!

Recommendations for Vejer: Casa Varo for bluefin tuna (pro tip: stick with the fresh/raw preparations, which are excellent), plus every spot we tried from the Califa Group: La Teteria del Califa, Califa Express, and Fez. We’ll try their main restaurant, El Jardin del Califa, next time—you definitely need a reservation made well in advance!

To close out this post, one last thing I’d like to talk about is how incredibly different Spain is from Portugal. Because of their proximity, they often get lumped together by those who are unfamiliar; we were once chatting with a shop owner here in Lisbon who told us that it seems like some Americans think of Portugal as a village in Spain (ouch!). But the more I get to know Spain, and after living in Portugal for almost four years, the tendency to lump them together seems increasingly wild to me. They’re so culturally different! Much of Spain is fiery and passionate and exuberant—Nate and I found ourselves constantly chuckling at how loud it can be, like one morning at a churreria in Granada, where the servers were yelling across the patio to each other and every customer seemed to be either telling a wildly entertaining story or engaged in some sort of spirited debate. By contrast, much of Portugal is often pretty chill, relaxed, and relatively quiet, even in Lisbon. They have very different energies, and distinct cultural norms to match. So, when you’re planning your next Iberian peninsula trip, try to visit both places if you can! Sometimes travelers think they can get the flavor of the region by visiting only one, but they are truly both wonderful in such different ways.

Alright! We’re back from our trip, we’re getting used to the rhythms of our new normal, and I’m finally starting to feel good about getting to get back to work. That means the long-promised posts from our amazing train trip are coming, plus some juicy travel reference material, plus that dedicated post about our surprise amazing local experience in Vejer. Good stuff is on the horizon! I’ll be back soon with more.

In the meantime, hug and scritch your best animal buddies a little extra for us. They deserve the whole world—so when we’re not out exploring it, let’s all spend the time we have together trying to give it to them, shall we?

Cheers,

Kate

In memory of Miss Andie Bean

All this is to say: by the time we finally had renewed cards in hand, we were ready for a big Europe trip! And while we normally favor slow travel, for this trip, we were craving a messy whirlwind of places in order to really celebrate being able to get back out there. We also wanted the trip to include Italy, because… it’s our place. Y’know? It’s where we got engaged, we’re obsessed with the food, and we love so many of its cultural traditions: aperitivo, the passeggiata, well-dressed little dogs running through pasticcerias while their owners sip espressos at the counter… all of it. We also adore train travel, and I’ve long dreamed of a real European train trip. This felt like the perfect occasion to go for it! When we saw a cheap flight to Budapest and pieced together a train route that would also take us to Slovenia, which I’ve been curious about for ages, all the pieces clicked into place—and we ended up with one of my favorite trips we’ve ever taken!

We started with a couple days in Budapest, and then took the train to Bratislava for a quick half day of exploring before continuing to Vienna. (That made for a three-country day. So fun!) From Vienna, we took the train to Ljubljana, which was our base for three days of exploring Slovenia. Then it was onward to Venice for another whirlwind half day, followed by a night in much quieter Treviso. From Treviso, we took the train to Torino for three nights in one of our favorite cities in Italy. Finally, we ended the trip with a quick stay in Milan before heading back home to Lisbon.

It feels like we lived a lifetime in two weeks, so I’m planning to do individual posts about each place. But in the meantime, here are ten of the coolest things we did on the trip!

#1: We watched Budapest light up at sunset from a boat on the Danube

Boats go up and down the river in Budapest all day long, but I read a tip that an evening cruise was the way to go, and I’m so glad we went for it! I booked us an hour-long river cruise that began at sunset, and the slow, relaxed experience of watching the lights gradually flick on throughout the city was the loveliest way to end a day exploring Budapest. By the time we finished, the Hungarian Parliament building was fully aglow, and the sight was utterly magical.

#2: We saw Bratislava’s beautiful Blue Church in spring

We only had a half day in Bratislava and the Blue Church was slightly out of the way, but I’m so happy we went anyway! I actually think this is one of my new favorite landmarks I’ve seen throughout all my travels—there’s something about it that’s so uniquely beautiful. The color of the church is just stunning, and getting to see it in spring with that tree in full bloom made it an even lovelier sight. More photos and information to come in my Bratislava post—our afternoon there was fascinating!

#3: We ate breakfast made and served by Austrian grannies

While researching where to eat in Vienna, I stumbled upon Vollpension, which calls itself an “intergenerational cafe.” In an effort to combat poverty and loneliness among seniors and foster community across generations, they employ seniors in front of house positions and in the kitchen, and other employees to fill in the gaps. I absolutely love this idea, and I hope it catches on everywhere! Our hostess was a really charming and charismatic Austrian woman probably in her early seventies, and the dishes we ordered—Bircher muesli (a necessary reset after the cuisine in Hungary and Slovakia!) and buchteln, yeasted rolls filled with plum jam and covered in vanilla sauce—were absolutely divine. They’ve decorated the place like your grandmother’s living room, and the whole experience was just so lovely and cozy. This cafe was one of my favorite finds in our recent travels, and I highly recommend it whenever you find yourself in Vienna!

#4: We sampled the full spectrum of Vienna’s music scene

OK, “full spectrum” might be overstating it slightly, but we did take in both a classical music concert and a jazz concert, which is pretty good for 36 hours! The classical one was set in a beautiful old church, and was without a doubt our favorite classical music concert we’ve ever been to. The “holy trinity” of incredible acoustics, insanely talented musicians, and what we suspect were very high quality instruments all combined to make the sound just positively sing. I’ve never heard a violin sound like that before—the high notes sounded out in a way I can only describe as sweet! And on the other end of the spectrum, the jazz concert at Porgy & Bess was wild. The 15-piece jazz orchestra was captained by a very charming bassist who was probably in his seventies and had multicolored painted nails and electric blue velvet pants, and the tunes ranged from really groovy to super experimental. It was so cool to check out such different pieces of the music scene in Vienna, and we can’t wait to see more next time we’re there.

#5: We took in incredible views on a UNESCO-listed train route

When we left Vienna, our next stop was Ljubljana, which meant we got to experience a very special train route. Once per day, the Emona Express leaves Vienna in the morning, snakes through the Austrian countryside and hills, crosses through Slovenia—where we disembarked—and ends up all the way in Trieste. Part of the route follows the Semmering Railway, a UNESCO-listed train route famous for being the world’s first true mountain railway. The scenery was simply stunning, and getting to see it by train—with a pretzel to snack on from the station in Vienna—was a really special experience. This is one I’d really love to do again someday. Also, a pro tip: bring cash for the dining car. The hot cocoa with whipped cream I had was delicious!

#6: We ate dinner inside a castle in Ljubljana

By this point in our Europe life, we’ve been fortunate enough to get to see a lot of castles. We even live in a city that has one—the Castelo de São Jorge here in Lisbon is a must when you visit! But we’ve never seen a castle like the one in Ljubljana. Part of it has been perfectly preserved as a fascinating slice of Slovenia’s history, while other parts are fully functional, really cool spaces that are actually in use by the public today. There are several restaurants, a spot for wine tasting, and we even saw signs for a jazz club—definitely on our list for next time! When we found out we could have dinner in a castle, how could we say no? We had an absolutely fabulous meal at a restaurant set right inside the castle walls. It was such a unique experience, and the food was excellent!

#7: We hiked the Vintgar Gorge in Slovenia

Those of you who know I’m from Montana will understand the full weight of what I’m about to say: I have a new favorite hike in the whole world. The hike through the Vintgar Gorge in Slovenia is an experience unlike any I’ve ever had: the first part winds along a boardwalk set down inside the absolutely stunning gorge, and the second is one of the most beautiful alpine trails I’ve ever seen. After the crystal clear and deep green waters of the gorge, the view opens up to these spectacular vistas of valleys dotted with sheep, cute towns, and traditional Slovenian churches, all framed by towering mountain peaks in the background. I’ll write much more about this in my full post on Slovenia! (Honestly, it’s bound to be more than one post—Slovenia knocked our socks off, and there’s so much to cover!)

#8: We ate tiramisu in the city where it was invented

I knew, but I didn’t know. That’s all I can say to sum up my experience of eating tiramisu in Treviso, the city in Italy where it was invented. How can I describe this tiramisu without making us all really uncomfortable? It was… luscious. That’s the best word I’ve got. It was super thick and creamy, and utterly perfect. One of the secrets is it’s made with mascarpone, not cream. The other secrets are… wizardry?? Bargaining with the devil? We’ll never know—but this was a before/after moment in my life. There were all the tiramisus I’ve known before, and then, there was this one. I’ll tell you where we had it in my post on Treviso.

#9: We had lunch at the original Slow Food restaurant

In the 1980s, the first fast food restaurant near the Spanish Steps was about to open, and the good people of Italy revolted. (Bless them!) This was the start of the Slow Food movement, and the first official Slow Food restaurant is located in the town of Bra, which is roughly 45 minutes by train from Torino. We took a day trip there to have lunch, and what a lunch it was. We began with asparagus in basil sauce—spring on a plate!—and then each had an incredible pasta dish before capping it all off with semifreddo for dessert. The whole meal was spectacular from start to finish, and knowing it was made in accordance with the Slow Food credo of “good, clean, fair” made it feel even better. More details to come in my post about Torino!

#10: We ate breakfast in a candlelit Italian cafe from the 1700s

Torino is one of our favorite cities in Italy, and this cafe is one of our top spots in the city. It’s called Caffe Al Bicerin, and they’re the ones who came up with the bicerin—Torino’s famous and wildly delicious coffee-and-chocolate concoction. The cafe was founded in 1763, and was beloved by the likes of Puccini, Dumas, Nietzsche, and the Count of Cavour. Now, it’s beloved by us! In our book, no visit to Torino is complete without it, and stopping for a bicerin and a pastry there truly feels like a trip back in time. It’s quiet, the tables are all lit with real candles, and the bicerin? Heavenly. No wonder it’s been popular for over 250 years.

That’s all for now, but I’ll be back soon with more from this epic and amazing trip, including:

• Individual posts about each of the places we stopped

• A post about the merino wool capsule wardrobe I tested out on this trip! I traveled for two weeks with just two wool t-shirts and a couple layers, and—spoiler alert—I’m a total convert.

• I’d also possibly like to do a post about how I planned this trip, because I feel like it could be a good subject for kind of a “masterclass” in travel planning. With two full weeks, tons of logistics, and eight cities on the list, there was a lot to plan! Does that sound fun and helpful? Let me know in the comments. I always want to know what you guys are most curious about!

Cheers and happy travels,

Kate

This is the mental chant moving me along as I joyfully limp down the street. We’re at the tail end of six incredible days in London—a lovely whirlwind of festive lights, unbelievable food, and delightful double decker bus rides… with 20,000 steps a day, every day, for six days in a row.

In short, we are bursting with happiness, and we have positively destroyed ourselves.

I’ve eaten so much sticky toffee pudding I feel like I’m made of it, my glutes are occasionally spasming in a way that makes me unconsciously put my palms to them when it happens—which I’m sure looks totally normal and not at all like I’m about to do something unsavory, in several possible directions—and, in this moment, there’s a good chance my feet are about to fall off.

“Just a couple more blocks,” I lie to my husband, casually glancing sideways to make sure his legs haven’t given out.

Our hearts are full. Our bodies are broken. And we’ve got one more giant Christmas tree to see.

Our love affair with London began just after we moved to Portugal, when we took our first trip there together. For me, it’s addicting because of a duality I find really fascinating. On the one hand, it’s hugely multicultural, with an incredibly diverse population and restaurants from just about every cuisine in the world. And on the other, all the homegrown British things are just so lovely! Double decker buses, tea and scones and clotted cream, cozy pubs, Sunday roasts… being as addicted as I am to far-flung travel, I wasn’t sure if the UK would feel exciting enough for me at first, but I’ve come to really love all things English. And when you combine those two sides of the city, and throw in the incredible theatre scene and all the festive vibes at Christmas… come on. So good! We’re hooked, and we can’t quite seem to stop going to London.

This trip was back in late November, and I think it was my favorite London adventure so far! Here’s a sampling of what we did over the six days leading up to our death march to see that last Christmas tree:

We had the perfect Sunday roast

Roasts are near and dear to my heart. My parents lived in England for a few years before I was born, and when I was growing up, our family Christmas dinner was basically an English roast. We’d have roast beef, delicious side dishes, and finally, the element I’d wait for even more excitedly than presents: Yorkshire pudding. If you’ve never had it, Yorkshire pudding is kind of like a popover—but my dad made it in one big pan, so it was more like a giant, savory Dutch baby. And when I say it’s one of my absolute favorite things on earth, I’m putting it that way because they’re the only words I have to describe my love for it that won’t make us all wildly uncomfortable. You’re welcome.

In planning this trip, I made sure to include a Sunday, as we needed a redo after a good-not-great roast experience on a previous trip. They’re not all created equal, and while I did more research than I care to admit to make sure we found a great one this time, it was worth it to have found our new favorite spot: the Fox & Pheasant pub.

This roast was perfection. Absolute perfection. The roast beef was excellent, as it should be, but the side vegetables were treated with just as much respect. When we paid our compliments to the server, he told us that he always recommends this place to people because they really care about the food. (As a side note, this was the same man who’d happily listened to and granted my empassioned plea for a second Yorkie, because this was the only Sunday of our trip and I never get to eat them and I love them, sir, and I have a Yorkshire pudding deficiency, sir, please!) We also followed up the excellent meal with a sticky toffee pudding to share, and it was hands down the best one we had the whole trip.

I think it must have been either the second Yorkie or the sticky toffee pudding that put me over the edge, because folks, when I say I was unwell after this meal, I mean I was UNWELL. I’m not sure I’ve ever been so full in my life, and if you know me, that is saying something. While we walked to the Tube, I had to shuffle along so slowly I felt like a car with its flashers on, wishing I could put my hand out the window and just wave people around me in the sidewalk traffic flow. Nothing to see here, folks, just a classic double Yorkie pile-up. Worth it. Would do it again in a heartbeat.

We fangirled over the Wes Anderson exhibit

Wes Anderson’s collection of props, costumes, planning notes, and more from all his films are currently on display at The Design Museum, and it’s a must-see if you’re as big of a dork about it fan as we are. Getting a peek behind the scenes gave me a whole new level of appreciation for the way he sees the world and translates that perspective into storytelling—and it was so much fun to see the items from the films in real life! I nearly swooned seeing the luggage from The Darjeeling Limited in person, and when we got to the puppets used in Fantastic Mr. Fox, I ran up to Nate, grabbed his arm and got as far as a half-screamed, “OH MY G—“ before I realized it wasn’t Nate at all, but a wildly surprised British man who looked at me in stunned silence before I said, “Oh my! You’re not my husband!” and we both burst out laughing. What can I say? I’d just met Fantastic Mr. Fox. I wasn’t in my right mind.

We ate some more (and ate… and ate… and ate…)

I’m not going to say we only go to London to eat, but… let’s just say, as reasons go, it would take up an embarrassingly large share of the pie chart. It’s no secret that London has one of the best food scenes in the entire world, and in case you couldn’t tell from the novella I composed about our Sunday roast, we run through that foodie playground like sticky-toffee-pudding-crazed children. There is just so much fantastic food to be found in London, from all cultures and at all price points.

Here’s the thing: you could drop an absolutely absurd amount of cash eating in this city, if you have it and if that’s your jam. But you don’t need to chase Michelin stars to find some of the best food of your life in London. We do a fair amount of research about where to go and seek out a lot of recommendations, and we always end up with a great mix of incredible cheaper bites and mid-range spots, with a special meal or two thrown in. And for us, a mix of international and British fare always feels perfect. Here are some of our favorite spots!

I’ll start with our favorite cheap-and-cheerful bites. First, our love for Three Uncles runs so deep we keep trying (and failing) to recreate it at home. They specialize in Cantonese roast meats, and there are several locations around the city. We always share the combo option, which gets us crispy pork belly, Chinese roast duck, rice, and bok choy all for the price of £14.50. It’s plenty of food—and oh, what food it is. If you go to the St. Paul’s location, you could start there, then walk or hop on the tube to Chinatown and make it the first stop on a Chinese food crawl. Yes please! And our other top spot for a cheaper bite is Roti King, a Malaysian joint that serves incredible roti canai. The curry comes with two pieces of roti, but trust me, you’ll want more. The roti here are not just flat planes, but ruffled, multi-dimensional objects; with their textured canyons and valleys, they’re like little topographic maps leading you to sheer joy. Just say yes to the journey.

We also decided to try some of the city’s Italian offerings on this trip, and that turned out to be an excellent choice. We enjoyed a great meal at Bancone, which has lots of creative and fusion pasta dishes. We loved their signature dish—a beautiful and inventive silk handkerchief pasta served with walnut butter. And for my birthday dinner, we went to Bocca di Lupo, which was simply fantastic. The menu has smaller-size pasta plates available so you can taste lots of different dishes, which was so much fun! We sat at the counter and had a great meal sampling different kinds of pasta while the chefs yelled to each other in Italian and fired the dishes right in front of us. The pasta was all excellent and the whole experience was really fun and memorable.

Other favorites from this trip: Dishoom (a classic—we go pretty much every time!) and Sushi Show Shoreditch. The latter is run by a professional fish supplier, which cuts out the middle man and gets you incredibly fresh fish at non-fine-dining prices. We had the best tuna we’ve had outside Japan there!

We saw two amazing shows

We haven’t gotten there yet in our trip recaps, but you may as well know now: I’m completely obsessed with Japan. So when I found out there was a stage production of Totoro playing in the West End with an ten-foot-tall Totoro puppet (!!), we clearly had to go. Having now seen this production twice because I’m a giant nerd, I still can’t quite find the words to describe how utterly delightful it is. Just like the original, the stage version is incredibly heartwarming, and so charming and quirky in that uniquely Totoro way, and truly beautifully done. If you’re a Ghibli fan, or—in the words of Jack Donaghy—if you’ve got two ears and a heart, you gotta go. (Note that the seats at the very back of the theatre block some of the beautiful set design, so while I’m normally a total cheapskate, you’ll be glad you invested in good seats for this one!)

We also saw a production of A Christmas Carol at the Old Vic, which was the perfect way to ring in the start of the festive season. Before the show, actors in costume were chucking clementines into the crowd and passing mince pies down the rows of seats—a hilarious endeavor, especially if you don’t know your seat neighbors!—and for the feast at the end of the play, a massive turkey was ziplined from the balcony down onto the stage. It really brought the convivial festive energy, and was such a fun way to start getting in the spirit of the season. The lighting design was also incredible—look at those lanterns!

We visited Richmond, home of the Greyhounds

Raise your hand if Ted Lasso got you through the pandemic. That was definitely us, and we have such a special fondness for the show because of it. We were in the middle of a rewatch during this trip, and we decided it was time to head down to Richmond and see Ted’s old stomping grounds. We walked the little street where his apartment is on the show, saw Richmond Green, and had drinks at Ted’s local, which is a real-life British pub packed with regulars and their dogs (genuine question: is it a true British pub if it doesn’t have dogs under the tables?). There are a few nods to the show throughout the pub, but it’s primarily just a favorite neighborhood spot for locals, which we love. The mulled wine hit the spot, and when we watch the show now, it’s so fun to see the table we sat at when we were there! We highly recommend a visit—and if you can blend in, respect the local-watering-hole vibes, and not draw too much attention to the fact that it was once a TV show set, you’ll get major traveler points from me.

We basked in the glow of the festive season

London is world famous for its holiday season, which begins in mid-late November. Between all the beautiful lights, the department store displays, the Christmas markets, and all the special seasonal food and drinks, there is so much festive joy to be had it’s hard to fit it all in! It’s a choose-your-own-adventure situation to see which elements you want to prioritize and combine, but when you go, make sure to leave plenty of time for leisurely wandering to see the lights, visiting the classic department stores to see their holiday displays, and grabbing a festive drink at a pub, whether it’s mulled wine or a holiday cocktail. A favorite treat we tried this time was Mello, a new hot chocolate bar from the folks behind Chin Chin (our favorite ice cream spot in London!). I think this might have been the best hot chocolate we’ve ever had!

And with that, we return to our opening scene, with our protagonists crawling along the streets of London towards that last Christmas tree—one last taste of festive London to tuck into our pockets and carry back home to Lisbon. It was the St. James tree, and in the end, it was worth every painful step. A tree not at the top of most travelers’ lists, it stood quietly glowing at the end of the street, away from the crowds at Covent Garden and Trafalgar Square. It lit up the darkness, but was beautifully understated. Swaying a little on our aching feet, we quietly basked in the glow, both of the beautiful tree and our lovely time in London; and finally, sighing the sigh of the traveler whose trip has come to an end, we hobbled our way to the Tube.

Tips & Tricks

For every trip recap post, I’ll include a section at the end with tips, tricks, and recommendations. Here’s what I’ve got for you for London!

These are the strategies we used for saving money on this trip, because more savings = more travel:

1. We traveled in late November. Would I do this again? 100%. London’s holiday season starts up in mid-late November, and going at this time is an excellent way to enjoy it before the prices really ramp up. You’ll likely pay more than you would in October, but far less than if you went in late December.

2. We shared a suitcase. Would I do this again? Absolutely. We do it all the time. We each take a backpack at the maximum size of the airline’s personal item allowance, and then share a hard-sided suitcase. Sometimes it’s a carry-on, and sometimes it’s a bigger checked bag (especially if we want to bring home any liquids, like the Scotch Nate got on this trip—it’s way easier and cheaper to get it in the UK than Portugal!).

3. We stayed far from the city center. Would I do this again? Yes, but not how we did it this time, even though we saved a ton of money. The hotel we picked was out in Ealing, but far from the main station in Ealing. This meant that at the end of a day walking all over London, we not only had to get to Ealing, but then had yet another leg of the journey still to go. We were exhausted every single night. It was worth it to avoid the eye-watering hotel prices in central London, but we were so far out it impacted the trip a bit too much. Next time, I would strike a compromise by staying somewhere outside the center but very close to a major public transit station.

4. Hilariously… we booked a Groupon spa deal so I could shower after my run in the city center. Would I do this again? 1,000 times yes! Runners, I highly recommend this strategy if your hotel isn’t in the city center. I really wanted to go for a run along the Thames one morning (12/10, by the way—so amazing and so worth it!), but I didn’t want to be gross for the whole rest of the day, and going back to our hotel in the outer orbits of Ealing and then all the way back into the center would have been nuts. I looked at all sorts of odd solutions until I had the idea to look for spa deals on Groupon. Lo and behold, there were excellent deals, and we got a morning of soaking in the hot tub, using the sauna, and yes, a lovely hot shower, all for a super affordable price. It was just perfect for after a run and all the walking we’d been doing in the cold!

Our top London recommendations:

• Fantastic cheaper eats: Three Uncles + Roti King

• Sunday roast: The Fox & Pheasant pub (don’t miss the sticky toffee pudding!)

• A classic, but we’d be remiss not to mention: Dishoom (pro tip: they only take reservations for breakfast and lunch, so that’s when we go, because we’d rather skip the wait)

• Incredible Italian: Bocca di Lupo + the walnut butter pasta at Bancone

• Sweet treats: hot chocolate from Mello + ice cream from their sister biz, Chin Chin

• Favorite London shops: Fortnum & Mason (a must!), Stanford’s travel shop, The Transport Museum gift shop (worth it even if you don’t go to the museum—great souvenirs!)

• More London favorites from past trips: Buns from Home, cream tea at The Wolesley, negronis at Bar Termini, Ye Olde Mitre pub, Cahoots Underground, the Churchill War Rooms, London Sky Garden, and the walk along Regent’s Canal to get to Abbey Road

And that concludes this London trip recap! Let me know if you’ve got London questions, or if you have a favorite spot we should check out next time we’re there—we always love a recommendation. For now, I’m back to planning our big train trip adventure in a couple weeks: Budapest to Italy via Bratislava, Vienna, and Ljubljana on the way. There will be lots to share when we get back, so stay tuned!

Cheers and happy travels,

Kate

Welcome! This is the little corner of the internet I’m just beginning to carve out, and I’m so glad you’re here. It’s always so weird getting started on a fresh, new, completely blank space to fill with words (helloooo, cursor!), but I think this could be the start of something really cool, and I’m very happy to have you along for the ride.

If you don’t know me yet, I’m Kate—hi!—and I live in Lisbon with my husband Nate and our rescue pup, Andie. About three and a half years ago, we sold or gave away around 80% of our worldly possessions, basically burned down our entire lives, and moved from Boise, Idaho to Lisbon, Portugal. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made, and there are so many things we love about our life here, from the ability to go car-free to the amazing group of friends we’ve made from all over the world. Every single day is an adventure, and we are so grateful to live in this beautiful place where the lifestyle is such a great fit for us. We love it!

But of all the awesome things life in Portugal has brought us, one of my absolute favorites is how much easier it is to travel. And that’s because I’m completely travel-obsessed.

It’s going to sound like I’m hyperbolizing here, but it’s literally the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning, and I pretty much spend my free time being a massive travel dork. I tabulate miles, I do a daily scan for deals with my morning coffee, and I keep detailed, meticulously organized Pinterest boards full of amazing hole-in-the-wall dumpling places in Hong Kong, cooking equipment stores in France, and scenic train rides in Sri Lanka. When a friend messages me for recommendations or advice on how to book a trip, they always say, “So sorry to bug you!,” but secretly, I’m doing a little dance inside at the thought of getting to research, weigh in, and talk travel—even for someone else’s trip! I simply love it that much.

My dad worked in study abroad when I was growing up and was very passionate about helping people see the world. It took me awhile to figure this out, but I definitely inherited that passion (see: secret internal dance above). But while my dad had a clear and direct application for it—it was literally his job to make it possible for American students to study abroad, and for international students to come to our local university—my brain and my skills have always skewed creative, not practical, so I’ve been trying to figure out what following this passion looks like for me.

I first dipped a toe into the water while I was an author and artist back in Boise. I wrote and illustrated a book called Around the World and Back Again, a guided journal full of writing prompts, lists to fill out, and all kinds of other fun, meant to inspire the kind of travel that’s about more than collecting selfies and souvenirs. I’m really proud of it, and I still use it myself to record my own travels. It’s my favorite thing I made in that era of my career (maybe ever!), and it makes sense—it’s the first time I really allowed myself to bring that lifelong passion for travel, and helping others do it well, into my work.

But since moving to Portugal, my work life has become way less structured—and I really, really like it that way. I’m not sure if I’ll make another book, or begin another illustration business, and I’ve been waffling about these questions for so long that it feels like it’s time to just do something else in the meantime, without feeling like I need all the answers right now. (Because—ha!—I really don’t have them!)

But I desperately both love the life I’m living here in Portugal and all the traveling we’ve been able to do since we moved, and, because I am who I am, I’d really like to share it with you all. And I know my novel-length social media captions aren’t cute. It’s time for a fresh format.

So! That’s what we’re doing here. We’ll experiment as we go, but here’s a bit of what you can count on for sure:

1. Travel stories, told thoughtfully and written with care. I’m a hopeless travel addict and I love to write, and I think we’re going to find some really good stuff in the middle of that Venn Diagram.

2. Recommendations for where to go and what to do, presented in a richer and deeper quality than what’s out there in the travelspheres of Instagram and TikTok. If it was delicious and served up a real slice of life in that part of the world, I’ll share it with you, even if we’re in a potato-and-cabbage-forward place and the whole plate is beige. My worst nightmare is Instagrammable food that tastes like garbage (or nothing at all!).

3. Travel tips and tricks—how to plan trips, pack well, and save money when traveling. This is something I’m very passionate about. I want everyone to see as much of the world as possible, and I’m excited to share everything I’ve learned about how to travel better and more often. Honestly, that right there is the general prompt I’m thinking about in most of my free time. I can’t wait to share what I’ve discovered already, and what I’m continually figuring out in real time as I go. The travel nerd life doesn’t quit, and neither do I!

Basically, I see this being a place to share our travels plus a bit about our life here in Lisbon, and any other travelly things that feel fun and worth exploring. There will be some illustrated bits, and some writing bits, and whatever else seems right along the way. The answers are still playing hard to get, so we’ll make it up as we go. But if you, like me, are generally curious about the rest of the world and are interested in finding out more about it, you are most welcome here. And I hope you get some good things—inspiration, knowledge, ideas for where to go eat pastries across the world!—out of our time together.

I’ll be back soon with a trip recap post from our trip to London back in November, and then—onward! We recently went to Ireland, and up next is a massive train trip from Budapest to Italy (via Bratislava, Vienna, and Slovenia on the way—so excited!). Let me know what you’re most excited to hear about, as well as if there’s any travelly topic—from destination specifics to general travel know-how and tips—you’re particularly curious about. I’d love to hear more about what you’re interested in!

Cheers and happy travels,

Kate