Castles, Ranked

I've started to figure out a possible reason why more people don't visit Luxembourg as they hop and skip across Western Europe: It's rainy! It's rained almost every one of the last 30 days. But usually only a little at a time. And let's not forget that Austin has done that to me too (looking at you, May 2015).

So we got a little bit wet as we ventured out for our castle tour, but we found that Luxembourg has many more palaces than we could squeeze into our 3-day trip. Some of them now hold hotels, youth hostels, and restaurants so you might end up near one without trying, and, in an 80 km country, the next one won't be too far away.

4. Château de Mersch

I don't think we would've even visited this very un-castle-like castle had it not been less than a mile down the road from Mike's apartment. It's currently being occupied by administrative offices, doesn't give off many castle vibes, and could easily be driven past if you were out searching for any distinguishing features that castles normally supply. I would have given it a 1 out of 10, but it was saved by the cool dragon statue out front. 2/10

Uncle Rick slaying le Dragon de Mersch

3. Château de Clervaux

We skipped going inside this one, due to cold rain and afternoon sleepiness, but it was indeed very castle-y as it stood out on the hill above town. Its classy white walls in contrast with the lush greenery of the Ardennes forest region were enough to raise my spirits after spending a day in the rain wearing absorbent canvas shoes. As we visited the church next door, we were lucky to take in our first Luxembourgish wedding and hear "Lean on Me" performed in English by the choir. 7/10

2. Palais Grand-Ducal

Our first castle of the trip is home to the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, the guest of honor for Luxembourg's National Holiday/birthday party, which was happening the day we arrived in the city. For us, that meant kebab, crepe, and beer trucks in the main square and a free concert by the Queen Symphony Orchestra (an orchestra that plays songs by Queen, not songs for the royal family). This is a very castle-like castle, and the only one we saw that is fully functioning today. We walked by as guests were leaving the Grand Duke's party, and I am taking off 2 points for us not being invited. 8/10

1. Château de Vianden

Vianden is the type of castle that sneaks up out of the hills and takes your breath away before you wind down hairpin turns into the town below. We were able to go inside and tour the reconstructed bedrooms, ballrooms, and dining areas. There was also an unexpected and slightly out-of-place art exhibit featuring paintings of Albert Einstein, Superman, and other iconic figures in neon blacklight paint. If you can't find what you're looking for in a castle at Vianden, you may want to end your search.  10/10

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Lovely Lux

Luxembourg is quite charming. We've nearly drunk and eaten our gracious host, Mike, out of wine and cheese. If the euro declines any further in value, I think we'll buy a castle and stay!

If you’re interested in travel around Luxembourg or other European destinations, consider Trainline, Europe’s biggest train and coach app.

Brexit!

In spite of all the newsworthy excitement going on in the UK right now, our overnight stay in London Gatwick was pretty uneventful. So we Brexited out of there yesterday afternoon and made our way to Luxembourg to enjoy the fromage and bretzels!

The joke was on us though. Had we stayed a few more hours we could be buying Harrod's out of tea and biscuits for 73 cents on the dollar.

Dubrovnik's Walls

It seems to me that Dubrovnik is a city that sucks us into its lengthy history, no matter how hard we try to resist and taint the past with our iPhones, kitschy souvenirs, and loud foreign banter. Maps will do you little good in Old Town, where unexpected winding stairwells sweep you from your predetermined path and lift you up to breathtaking panoramic viewpoints, however opposite they may be from your intended destination.

You’ll be thankful for the towering city walls letting you know that, while you’re not so certain where exactly the “You Are Here” circle might be placed on your map, you’re still well inside of Old Town, and once you find a church or a bell tower you will be on your way.

You can get comfortably lost here, as you search for a wifi hotspot or an air-conditioned bar. Instead you’ll find yourself in someone else’s garden patio or tucked away on a basketball court overlooking the rocky beach. There’s no need to worry—the ocean’s salty breezes will be there to reassure you that this city has withstood much more than teeming crowds of tourists and hungry merchants pushing their wares. The friendly faces and upward-looking awe of everyone around you remind us visitors that it’s not all buying, selling, photographing, or hunting for the right glass-bottom boat to take you to the next offshore island.

It’s Dubrovnik’s subtle charm—the ladders on the sides of shoreline rocks, perfectly placed for an impromptu swim; the climbing staircases and dead-end paths that lead to abandoned archways or hidden coves, seemingly designed for lovers sneaking away from the watchful eyes of passersby; the sneaky cats that sulk in shade and graze the smaller side streets—that we’ve really come to see.

And in every darkened corner or concealed space, you’ll find that there’s an extra place for you in the Old Town’s extensive history of protection. Centuries have passed, and this ornate fortress is still here to offer you respite from whatever present invaders you might find sailing up to your shores.

Paradise Found

I was going to tell you guys about arriving in Croatia and exploring Old Town, Dubrovnik but it's all been overshadowed by today's visit to Lokrum Island, one of the greatest places of all time!

Because it's inhabited by BUNNIES. And PEACOCKS. And turtles, butterflies, and donkeys. On top of that, there are fig trees, olive groves, hidden swimming holes, and an outdoor fitness center. But mostly, bunnies. Here, there, and everywhere.

If I miss my flight home, now you know where to find me.

Lon-done

London is looking lovely as ever!

We spent less than 24 non-airport hours in the UK and we had to make the most of it. Luckily, making the most of it included walking around Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, Big Ben, and Buckingham Palace, and consuming some majorly tasty Indian food (coconut naan!). Fortunately for the bellies, our hotel came with a fitness center, so we spent our last few hours getting into all of that. I'm sure by the end of it we managed to work off about 5 bites each.

Our evening also delivered just enough Victoria Station-at-rush hour and impromptu train cancellations to fully prepare us for our next destination. On to the beach!

Eating in Reykjavik: Don't be skyred!

*Disclaimer: I didn't actually eat that many adventurous Icelandic foods. I just wanted to make this pun using skyr, a delicious yogurty dairy product that they eat for breakfast, snack, and dessert.

So I didn't try whale, puffin, or seal because I didn't feel like eating whales, puffins, or seals, but I did eat a tiny bit of lamb, A LOT of wonderfully fresh fish, and as much skyr as I could get my hands on. 

Our first coffee on the island

Our celebratory, start of trip meal at Kopar could go toe-to-toe with most top restaurants in Austin, and our servers were always perfectly friendly and helpful. We even ate a traditional, mayonnaise-slathered hotdog on the last day, despite the fact that neither of us likes mayonnaise or hot dogs.

Then we went and swam in some geothermal pools, and all was fine and good.

Iceland: First Steps

We made it to Iceland, y'all!

And I am ashamed to tell you... I have read a lot of books in my life; I have been to a number of countries in this world; I've even had friends who have visited Iceland and shared pictures with me of Iceland, but until I stepped off the plane, none of those things had really convinced the artist in my imagination that Iceland was not a land of cold, white winter, empty of vegetation and full of moose, caribou, and puffins roaming all over the place.

But today I found out, of course, it's not!

It's beautiful! It's green! There are flowers! Everything is alive! And the puffins live somewhere else that it costs 100 dollars to visit.

So we're here, and we love it. We pried our sleepy, five hour flight eyes open to eat, drink, tour, and walk forever, admiring cute patios along the way. Click the image below for a slideshow!

Was the Phallological [Penis] Museum a tourist trap? Maybe. (Yes, definitely). Will we ever see so many whale, seal, bear, mouse, goat, and so on penises in one place? I sincerely hope not.

This land of trolls and constant daylight is magically calling to me, but for tonight, my body is very, very excited to meet its bed.

Brooklyn, New York

Sunday gave me a quiet morning filled with love and bagels, a much needed coffee in the park with much missed friends, and a buzzing street fair on Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg.

  Brooklyn Charm gave me a free necklace, so I like them a lot now, too.

Post #1: How to Pack for a Month Overseas

1. Take over your entire dining room table. Ask for your roommate's forgiveness later (if she/he is a goddess/god like mine is, she/he will pretend not to be annoyed!). Eat all of your meals on the floor in fire log pose to stimulate your digestive fires and sculpt your bikini body.

*Don't put anything on your bed, you'll need it for sleeping after you spend all day putting off packing!

2. Bring enough underwear for 3.5 weeks to make up for the time your dad told you to bring only 5 pairs for a month-long study abroad trip to Argentina. Know that bidet-washed underwear is not machine-washed underwear. I spent one summer working at Victoria's Secret and can make you an instructional video on how to fold them into 5-pair bundles. 

3. Put everything on the table, take many things off the table, put (too) many things in the bag, take everything out of the bag, etc. etc. Pack your computer because you are an adult, unpack your computer because you are a light-living summer gypsy, repack your computer because you are a slave to the internet and want photosharing and Netflix in airports. Remember this is a trial and error process and all you really need is your passport, then go!