Category: Europe
Hotel Review: Aria Hotel Budapest
One of the first decisions we made after booking our Viking River Cruise trip was to fly into Budapest, our embarkation city, the day before to give us a chance to stretch our legs & explore a city that has long been on our travel bucket list. While there are many places to stay in Hungary’s capital, the Aria Hotel…
A Visit to Europe’s Christmas Markets
Our week long trip to some of Europe’s most festive, vibrant Christmas & Advent Markets on the Viking River Jarl was exactly what we needed to get into the holiday spirit. One thing that surprised us was not only how different each market was from town to town, but also how different markets were within each city.…
My Favorite Evening in Iceland
Our third night in Iceland was spent in a tiny town (population: 120) whose name I cannot pronounce (Kirkjubæjarklaustur), watching the Iceland men’s national soccer team lose in the quarter finals of the Euro Cup & eating dinner surrounded by loud Americans in our hotel’s dining room. And yet this was my favorite evening of our…
48 Hours in Reykjavik
I think it’s safe to say that Iceland is the hottest travel destination on the planet right now & the majority of visitors spend the bulk of their time in Reykjavik. This capital city feels part Scandinavian, part European, part eclectic town. 48 hours is the average length of time that visitors (especially stopover visitors)…
Why We Went to Iceland and Didn’t Visit the Blue Lagoon
When planning our summer trip to Iceland, everyone said the same thing: “Oh! You must go to the Blue Lagoon!” But our five days in Iceland came & went & a trip to the Blue Lagoon just wasn’t on the agenda. What is this famous Blue Lagoon, anyway? The Blue Lagoon is a geothermal lagoon…
Exploring Vik & Dyrhólaey: Black Sand Beaches, Cliffs & Puffins
Two of my favorite stops on our 5-day south coast road trip in Iceland were also the most picturesque: Vik for its famous black sand beach guarded by towering basalt columns & Dyrhólaey for its stunning views & an up-close look at some of its most famous residents – puffins. Vik Located about two hours from…
