Can I Drink the Water?

One of the many great things about Central and Eastern Europe is that the water there is potable.  We hadn't really thought about this aspect before planning to travel in this part of the world - but being able to brush teeth and fill up bottles with sink water is really convenient.  Not having to worry about whether or not the food we're eating has been washed or prepared with germ-infested water also reduces illness worries.

We thought it was appropriate to give a shout out to the helpful website www.canidrinkthewater.org - as the site has provided us with much water drinking guidance on our trip.  

Pubs in Prague

We had heard that Prague was beautiful, but we were pleasantly surprised by just how beautiful it really was. Because the city wasn't heavily bombed during World War II, most of its historical architecture is still intact and preserved, which means there are old, ornate buildings and bridges everywhere. It's a gorgeous, walkable city.

Our journey into the Czech Republic from Poland became an unexpected adventure when the conductor on the train we were traveling on refused to accept Polish zloty for our fares. He shamefully kicked us off the train somewhere in rural Czech Republic, which had us a bit panicked until we realized we could purchase tickets with our debit cards at the station where we were abandoned. The silver lining was that our tickets ended up being $110 less this way, as we had already crossed the Czech/Polish border and were not required to pay the commuter tax normally associated with border crossing.

We purchased our cheaper tickets and boarded the next train departing for Prague, getting into the city not much later than initially expected - travel win!

Our favorite Prague moments:

- Visiting the Prague Ice Bar, which is a pub chilled to below freezing and made entirely out of ice. We donned the bar-provided parkas, drank from ice block glasses, and took silly photos of the experience. It was goofy and a lot of fun.

- Sampling as much cheap and delicious beer as possible in the city's numerous outdoor pubs. We especially enjoyed accompanying our drinks with pivni syr - a soft local cheese served with raw onions.

- The anticlimactic wait for the world's oldest working astronomical clock to chime in Old Town. Every hour tourists gather to watch creepy moving sculptures on the clock announce the time and it was an experience to join the crowd for the lackluster show.

Next stop: Budapest, Hungary

Krakow, Poland

Our trip out of Romania was much more comfortable than our trip into Romania thanks to the sleeper car that we secured for ourselves for the train ride to Krakow.  Equipped with A/C, bed linens, and electrical outlets, European sleeper cars are an amazing way to travel.  The rhythmic rocking of the train unexpectedly manages to lull one into a particularly restful sleep.  

Thanks to our sleeper car we arrived in Krakow fairly rested, though in bad need of showers.  We were grateful that our hostel let us check in right away so that we could clean up and start exploring.

We started off learning more about the area we were staying in, which was curiously referred to as the Krakow Ghetto.  It turns out that the neighborhood was first created by the Nazis during World War II to house Polish Jews.  The Ghetto was a prison of sorts, it was adjacent to Oskar Schindler's factory, and surrounded by walls that separated it from the rest of the city.  We found so much of Krakow to be full of sad, but important, Holocaust history like this.

Our favorite moments in Krakow:

- Taking a very somber day trip to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp sites.  From the entrance gates - infamously labeled with the phrase "Arbeit macht frei" (work sets you free) - to the gas chambers, our time at Auschwitz-Birkenau was disturbing and emotional.  We were especially overwhelmed at the enormity of the 425 acre Auschwitz II site, which stretched virtually as far as the eye could see.

- Getting caught in a downpour while visiting Krakow's beautiful Main Square, one of the largest public squares in Europe.  Most of the other tourists cleared out due to the rainfall, but we purchased umbrellas and braved the weather, enjoying the square and the river walk in virtual solitude.

- Drinking local beers at an outdoor pub in the old Jewish quarter, Kazimierz.  Romania didn't have any domestic beer options, so we welcomed the chance to get to sample brews again.  We especially liked the Polish custom of adding raspberry or ginger flavored syrup, which added a pleasant sweetness to the beers.


Next stop: Prague, Czech Republic

Brasov, Romania

Nestled at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains, the medieval settlement of Brasov served as a lovely home-base for us in Romania. The city was clean, picturesque, and centrally located, making it easy for us to take a number of day trips into the Transylvania region using the country's surprisingly well developed bus and train system.

Our dollar went unbelievably far in Romania. We stayed in a very comfortable, updated guesthouse - equipped with cable TV, kitchen, and private bath - for less than 90 lei ($25 USD) a night. It ranked among the cheapest and nicest lodging that we've secured to-date. Heavy, delicious, multiple course meals, accompanied by Romanian house wines (a local beer option wasn't available), managed to cost even less than our guesthouse - inclusive of tax and tip!

We were pleasantly surprised by how adequate the tourist infrastructure was, especially considering that Romania doesn't draw a large number of visitors. All in all, things were so comfortable, so wonderful, that it was really difficult to leave!

Our favorite moments in Romania:

- Eating! Like so much of Eastern Europe, Romania's cuisine is a tasty hodge-podge mix of neighboring countries - and with prices so cheap, we were free to liberally sample from menus ("We'll have one of everything!"). Some of our favorites: beet and horseradish salad, Transylvania bread, peasant potatoes, sour soup, sheep cheeses, polenta with cream, and cooked cabbage. About the only thing we missed while we were there was ice cream, as we found Romania's Betty Ice brand to be rather unpalatable.

- Climbing the black tower located outside of the Brasov's city walls for a bird's eye view of the gorgeous Gothic Black Church.

- Making day trips through the countryside to neighboring villages in order to see the historic sites of Bran Castle (more infamously known as Dracula's Castle), Pele's Castle, and the Rasnov Citadel.  We got a kick out of the white font hillside signage (very like the Hollywood sign in California) that marked each town we visited. 


Next stop: Krakow, Poland

Better Luck Next Time, Bucharest

Getting to Bucharest was a 24-hour ordeal involving trains, a bus, and a taxi (proudly only our first marked cab of the trip!), so when we finally arrived, dirty and exhausted, we were especially annoyed to discover our bank had shut off both of our debit cards.

We had been unlucky in attempts to reserve the comfortable sleeper seats for our journey, so by the time we sorted our bank situation out we were pretty grumpy from lack of sleep.

Given our crankiness, our initial lackluster impressions of the drab-looking city, and the fact that many of the other backpackers we had met advised against spending much time in Bucharest anyway, we made the split-second decision to cut our losses in Bucharest and try our luck elsewhere.

Favorite Bucharest moments:

- Elatedly being able to use the ATM and withdraw Romanian lei after the holds on our accounts were removed!

- Being seated in a train car with an eccentric old Romanian woman who didn't speak English but insisted on talking to us. At first, when we didn't understand she just repeated herself over and over, louder and LOUDER until she was yelling. Eventually, she grew frustrated at our inability to comprehend and perhaps our unwillingness to give her further attention (after an hour-or-so of yelling David put in his headphones to drown her out), so she found someone aboard and invited him into our cabin to translate for her. The highlights of her message: David has three girlfriends and will never marry because he values freedom over family, Bill Clinton was a good president to whom she once wrote a letter to, and Romania has a lot of homeless dogs (she began weeping very loudly while talking about the strays). Though we were really tired, this situation was bananas and provided quality entertainment for a few hours on a long train ride.


Next stop: Brasov, Romania

Vrsac, Serbia

The only Belgrade-to-Bucharest ground transit option included an unavoidable layover in a small Serbian city called Vrsac. We thought it would be cool to check out a less crowded part of Serbia, so we actually departed earlier than necessary from Belgrade to extend our time in Vrsac.

This ended up being a mistake, as there was painfully little to see or do in the rural Serbian town. After walking around aimlessly we bought some snacks at Vrsac's box store grocer and tried to make ourselves as comfortable as possible among the stray dogs at the rundown train station.

Our favorite Vrsac moments:
- Leaving Vrsac.

Next stop: Bucharest, Romania

Biking and Bumming Around Belgrade

After visiting almost all of the countries that once made up Yugoslavia, differences are so apparent that it's a wonder that they were ever a single, united nation at all. Serbia felt like the biggest outlier of the bunch, even using a different written language called Cyrillic.

Serbia has historically been known as a place that doesn't shy from conflict, and Belgrade's violent past is apparent in its architecture - buildings have been damaged throughout the years, in both World Wars, and as recently as 1999 by NATO bombings related to the Kosovo War.

We noticed that Serbians tend to be opinionated and proud people, who take special care in their physical appearance. It's the only place we've been to since leaving North America that has had a semblance of a weight-lifting culture, with a number of gyms, ads for fitness supplements, and an abundance of muscle-heads who look like they could be on Jersey Shore.

We got a good laugh when the cocky, routinely shirtless guy in our hostel motioned to AD's biceps and asked in broken English if Dave worked out (Why yes! Thanks for noticing!).

Our favorite moments in Belgrade:

- Taking a four hour guided bike tour - a great way to get the blood pumping while checking out different parts of the city, including the famous party barges on the Danube, the ugly, communist-era buildings in New Belgrade, and the happy beach goers on Ada island.

- Having a traditional meal and drinking Jelen beers in the quaint cobble stoned Skadarlija district. Our dining companion was an American currently teaching in Tanzania that we befriended. It was refreshing to talk to someone from home while learning more about life in Africa.

- Eating bureks, delicious, fattening, savory pastries purchased from one of the cheap walk-up bakeries scattered throughout the city.

- Molly accidentally being mistaken for a prostitute while sitting in the park across from the bus station. The language barrier and Molly's naivete created a rather comical situation that was awkwardly remedied when AD returned to the scene and wasn't open to bargaining. :)


Next stop: Vrsac, Serbia

Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina

The strong Turkish influence in Sarajevo reminded us a lot of Istanbul, though Sarajevo is tiny in comparison and seemed much more relaxed. Beer, for instance, was sometimes difficult to obtain in Istanbul, but was readily available in Sarajevo. Dress was also much more casual in the Bosnian city, with women baring shoulders and legs even in cafes immediately adjacent to mosques.

Relaxed attitudes towards alcohol and dress are symptoms of a larger culture of tolerance in a city that celebrates its diversity. Sarajevo is one of the only cities in Europe where synagogues, Christian churches, and mosques can be found on a single city block. The harmonious mix made for friendly, good vibes.

Our favorite Sarajevo memories:

- Discovering that there are no Google street maps for the country of Bosnia, and having to rely on an old fashioned paper map to navigate our way through Sarajevo. Other than Bosnia, there are very few places in the world that Google has not street mapped (North Korea, for instance), so this made us feel a bit like travel adventure cowboys.

- Sipping traditional Bosnian - AKA Turkish - coffee in Bascarsija, the beautiful old part of the city. Though served very ceremoniously in special antique-looking serving ware the coffee was as sludge-like and bad as we remembered it to be from Istanbul.

- Skipping the packaged tours and choosing instead to make our own way out to the suburban town of Ilidza, to visit the Sarajevo War Tunnel Museum. Our independent tour involved taking a rickety old tram and walking a few miles but we arrived eventually and got a taste of a bit more of the common man's version of the country along the way. The Tunnel Museum itself showcases part of the secret underground passageway used to move people and supplies between Sarajevo and "free Bosnia" during the four years that Serbian troops surrounded the city. It is a remarkable testiment to the ingenuity and strong will of the citizens of the sieged city.

- Visiting the Historical Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which houses an exhibit on the siege of Sarajevo. Though the museum lacks the funding to properly pay staff or provide heating in the winter, it still manages to give a moving and emotional glimpse into life in wartime Sarajevo.

- Treating ourselves to a fantastic meal at the pescetarian-friendly downtown restaurant, Karuzo.  A culinary one-man show, Karuzo does not necessarily serve traditional Bosnian cuisine, but it does serve delicious gourmet faire; we ate mint soup, stuffed squid, smoked tofu with swiss chard, grilled peaches, and olive oil ice cream. Everything was refreshing, creative, well presented, and a fraction of the price it would have been in the US.


Next stop: Belgrade, Serbia

Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina

In Slovenia and Croatia, the effects of war were there, but reflected only in subtle ways. In Bosnia, however, the scars of war hit us directly in the face.

Out of all the countries that made up former Yugoslavia, Bosnia experienced the most violence while trying to gain independence. Directly bordering Serbia, it was first damaged by the Serbian-dominated Yugo army, and then experienced further turmoil in a bloody civil war between ethnic groups trying to lay claim to territory after the fall of the regime.

Mostar is a small city divided physically and psychologically by the Naretva River. The Bosniaks, liberal Muslims, live on one bank, while the Roman Catholic Croats live on the other. A beautiful 16th century bridge united the riverbanks, and when Mostar was part of Yugoslavia the two groups were tolerant of one another, living peacefully.

In 1993, however, violence erupted between the Croats and Bosniaks in Mostar. The beautiful stone bridge was torn down, buildings were bombed, and thousands were killed as neighbor turned against neighbor.

Though peace was established through the Dayton Treaty in 1995, damage is still evident everywhere in the city. Bosnia's national government is still very fractured; foreign investment is lacking, unemployment is at 40%, and many Mostar citizens were killed or left the area, leaving abandoned homes and businesses behind.

There is hope in the ruins, however. The spirit of the Bosnian's remains, and the people of Mostar seem ready to forgive, though not forget. A few years ago outside funding was even provided to rebuild the old bridge. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, generating tourism revenue and symbolizing a reunited Mostar, a place moving forward from a violent past.

Our favorite Mostar moments:

- The scenic bus ride from Split to Mostar. The majority of the route took us down the spectacular Croatian coast, where mountains met the sea. We were inexplicably forced to change buses three times - at ad hoc bus stops - but the comedy of the situation and the scenery well made up for it.

- Walking through one of the many cemeteries in Mostar and being overwhelmed by all the graves from 1993.

- Watching an emotional video in the Mostar museum of the Croat forces shelling the bridge until it collapsed.

- Eating amazing traditional faire at Sadrvan, a restaurant near the old bridge. Our meal: duvec (vegetarian stew), stuffed onion, stuffed pepper, grape leaves, and smothered mushrooms. The food was so good we came back the next day for more.

- Surveying the damage on the street that was known as the front line during the conflict to see the severely shot-up and bombed buildings, debris, and abandoned structures firsthand. Making the haunting climb to the top floor of the "sniper's nest," an eight-story former bank that had been used as a gun tower.


Next stop: Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina

Hangin' in Hvar

Earlier in our trip we met some backpackers from the University of Florida who encouraged us to add Hvar to our Croatia itinerary. Heeding their advice, we boarded a ferry from Split bound for the small island.

Once ashore we were reminded why so many Europeans vacation in Croatia: green mountains, warm sunshine, blue water, and cheap beer... a small slice of paradise!

Our favorite Hvar experiences:

- Riding on the jam-packed bus between the ferry dock and Hvar Town. There was standing room only but that didn't stop the driver from speeding down mountain roads, brazenly passing bicyclists and motorists as he used his cell phone.

- Walking through the harbor, people watching and gawking at the expensive yachts.

- Watching the beautiful sunset from the deck of the ferry.


Next stop: Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina

Sea and Sunshine in Split, Croatia

Split is Europe's waterfront playground - a city of orange roofed buildings standing in sharp contrast to the blue Adriatic Sea.

European tourists have long recognized Croatia's coast as a holiday destination so infrastructure is in place to keep things comfortable for vacationers.

We lucked out with our accomodations, ending up in a private three room cottage in a pedestrian cul de sac near the old part of the city. The place had powerful AC and an equipped kitchenette and was less than $50 USD a night. The communal feel of our street, where people opened their doors and drug dining tables to the sidewalk, was enjoyable.

An elderly non-english speaking neighbor motioned that we were welcome to use his clothesline to dry our laundry and we were moved to later find the clean clothes had been left neatly folded on our doorstep.

Our favorite Split memories:

- Walking through Diocletian's Palace - Roman ruins that Split city center has been incorporated into. Instead of being untouched and preserved the site is used as it was designed - it's lived in, worked in, and enjoyed, with shops, lodging and restaurants built into the crumbling ancient architecture.

- Enjoying the cool evening air while taking in the nightlife on Riva Harbor, where thousands of gather to walk, drink, and listen to live music.

- Waiting in line for a table at Fife, a very popular family-style restaurant at the far end of the harbor. When finally seated we feasted on black cuttlefish risotto, swiss chard, gnocchi, and fresh whole fish while chatting up our Irish tablemates. Croatian cuisine has Italian and Greek influences, and relies heavily on seafood, which was perfect for pescatarian Molly.

- Bravely jumping off the high rocky ledges at Bacvice Beach into the warm saltwater below. AD demonstrated the most courage, easily conquering the highest perch. Molly took some cajoling but eventually lept as well, albeit from a lower point.


Next stop: Hvar, Croatia

Lost in Plitvice

We discovered early into our trip that if we preloaded a google map of an area the GPS on our tablet would function even without an active internet connection. This find has been a godsend, helping us navigate everywhere from hidden Venice back alleys to remote Iceland roads.

In Plitvice, however, our beloved GPS failed us.

When our bus dropped us off in the Croatian countryside, we headed off on foot, towards the lodging marker we had pre-plotted on our tablet. Immediately things didn't seem right; nothing was pedestrian friendly, and roads seemed to be missing and mislabeled.

With no buildings in sight we began walking along the winding shoulderless highway. Realizing we weren't a safe distance from the cars speeding past, we moved to a small wooded path shadowing the road. As the path faded, however, we feared getting even more off track and Molly, remembering the Plitvice landmine warnings she had read on the State Department's website, became alarmist over the unlikely possibility of hidden explosives. The pavement felt like a better bet so we decided to take our chances back on the road. We were grateful when a man pulled over and gave us a lift to our guesthouse - which ended up being nowhere near google map's stated location.

Our favorite Plitvice memories:

- Hiking Plitvice National Park, with its gorgeous waterfalls and turquoise colored lakes. The park was like no other habitat we've ever encountered, almost like a swamp of fast flowing fresh mountain water.

- Resting our tired feet while eating apricots and pistachios on the porch of our cute and clean guesthouse after a long day at the park.


Next stop: Split, Croatia

Zagreb, Croatia

The EU had been skimping us on passport stamps so it was nice to venture to Croatia, where customs gave our passports a workout and we got to exchange our money for a new currency, the kuna.

Zagreb is Croatia's capital and biggest city, a bustling departure from tranquil Ljubljana and a nice change of scenery. The weather was sticky and hot, so we were thankful our Old Town hostel had AC. The hostel also had a friendly house dog, an adorable black lab mix named Nika, who liked to hide under our bed.

We found the coffee to be a bit more expensive than our last few stops, but the beer was cheaper so we called it a toss up.

Our favorite Zagreb moments:

- Visiting the Museum of Broken Relationships, a quirky, sometimes-funny, sometimes-sad, thought provoking collection of momentos and stories from failed couples. It was a good reminder to keep cherishing one another.

- Sipping espressos on popular Tkalciceva Street while taking in the city's fantastic cafe culture.

- Splurging on a fancy meal at Trilogija, an intimate restaurant in Upper Town where the menu changes daily based on fresh market offerings. Our meal: lemon trout, truffle risotto, and Croatian wines.


Next stop: Plitvice Lakes, Croatia

Ljubljana, Slovenia

Our accommodations at the University of Ljubljana were comfortable and affordable, so we decided to extend our stay in Slovenia's pristine, pint-sized capital to a total of four nights. It's the longest we've stayed in one place, but allowed us time to get ahead on trip planning and do some laundry. It was also nice to slow down for a bit as we will need to travel at a breakneck pace for the rest of our time in Europe in order to visit the places we intend.

We knew very little about Slovenia before getting here and we've really enjoyed learning more about the history of the country. Slovenia single-handedly won independence from communist Yugoslavia in the 1990's, in a rather remarkable ten day war. The Slovenes are hardworking and extremely proud of their heritage, and since gaining independence the country has flourished, becoming the first former communist country to join the EU. It's been very interesting to study this part of the world and learn more about Slovenia's struggles and triumphs.

Our favorite Ljubljana experiences:

- Eating Mexican food and drinking margaritas at a cantina downtown. The Slovenes are unexpectedly nuts about Mexican faire, and chowing down on a familiar comfort-type food was a real treat after a month on the road. The interpretation of the cuisine was peculiar but good.

- Sipping Lasko beers with the alternative crowd on the adult jungle gym at Metalkova, the former army barracks-turned spray painted, super cool counter-culture hub. 

- Bypassing the elevators and making the sweaty hike up to Ljubljana Grad, the castle in the center of town, on foot. Climbing the spiral staircases to the top of the torrent for awesome city views. 

- Eating venison goulash, fish stew, and polenta at Abecedarium, a restaurant located in the oldest building in town. Slovene cuisine is a pleasant east-meets-west, north-meets-south mixture of neighboring nations and it was great to sample local flavors at one of the most famous dining spots in town. 

- Having a hilarious late night chat with an inebriated young Slovene whose knowledge of the US seemed to be limited to gangster rap references. 

Next stop: Zagreb, Croatia

Bled, Slovenia: The Most Beautiful Little Town You've Probably Never Heard of

Bled is an absolute hidden treasure.  A small town nestled at the foot of the Julian Alps, it has all the makings of a storybook setting: a blue lake, an island with an old church, and a castle perched on a cliff.

It's so pretty it doesn't seem real.

Our favorite experiences in Bled:

- Renting a boat and rowing out to the tiny island in the middle of the lake.  There, AD (kindly) carried Molly up the 99 cobblestone steps of the old church.  Per local custom this brings couples good luck.

- Making the 6.5 mile hike around the lake and to the top of the Osojnica viewpoint where we were rewarded with the most spectacular views.


Next stop: Ljubljana, Slovenia

Villach, Austria

Our transportation schedule luckily left us with an afternoon in Austria, in a little mountain town called Villach.

The train station was even equipped with some nifty electronic lockers to store our bags in, which allowed us to explore burden-free.

Our favorite Villach memories:

- Having an authentic Austrian meal at a lodge in town; local beer, homemade pretzels, wiener schnitzel, cheese dumplings, and apple strudel.

- Visiting the local supermarket - Molly's favorite thing to do in a new place - to peruse the aisles and look at the different products.


Next stop: Bled, Slovenia

Venice, Italy

First and foremost, Venice is a beautiful, one-of-a-kind city.  It is postcard pretty, and a place we're glad we saw.  That being said, it's also an absolute zoo, with hoards of tourists and vendors.  With the aggressive crowds, cheesy shops, and terrible restaurants the place can really feel like a floating tourist trap.

Since the prices on Venice are so inflated, we made the wise decision to stay on mainland Mestre, near the airport, for our first night in the country.  This saved us quite a bit and allowed us to experience another, perhaps more authentic, area of Italy.

On our second day in the country we moved to an expensive, though not fancy, room in historic Venice, near Piazza San Marco - AKA the heart of the city's contrived touristy chaos.

Ironically, we spent most of our time on Venice trying to avoid the area we had paid so much to stay in.  Instead, we tried to find the residential, quiet pockets on the islands.  We think we succeeded fairly well - finding legitimate, lived-in neighborhoods near both the university and soccer stadium.

Our favorite Venice memories:

- Marveling in the unique beauty that is Venice.  Winding through the pedestrian alleys and getting lost on purpose - every turn leads to another waterway, bridge, and photo op.

- Eating gelato. Lots and lots of gelato.  Every day.

- Filling our hungry post-flight bellies with delicious fresh-from-the-oven pizza in Mestre.

- Wising up to the fact that much of the Venetian food scene is lousy and overpriced and making our own meal of store-bought wine, antipasti and caprese salad.  Finding a quiet square overlooking the water on the east side if the islands and dining in peace.

- Discovering a cheap cafe (no cover charge or service fee!) with AC and wifi that we returned to again and again for cappuccinos, Prosecco, and campari cocktails.


Next stop: Villach, Austria

Portugal - Lisbon & Cascais

By the time we found ourselves back in Lisbon we felt pretty good about Portugal.

We now know that all the decent restaurants don't open for dinner until after 7pm, and we can decipher most menus and order ourselves a decent meal.  We've learned sardines are almost always a safe bet, and at this point, we can debone the fish with finesse.

We own a metro card, and we've gotten darn good at using the transit system - jetting across town or the country with relative ease.

We're speaking in euros now, too - calculating cost in our heads in terms of the European currency instead of dollars - and can readily identify euro coins at glance.

We're looking forward to learning new skills in the weeks to come as we transition from tourists to travelers.

Our favorite Lisbon & Cascais memories:

- Drinking sangria and dancing the night away at the Lisbon Gay Pride event in Palace Square.

- Discovering that the pair of double french doors in our room opened to a gorgeous fifth floor deck overlooking the water and a bustling Lisbon pedestrian street.  We spent hours on that deck - reading, eating breakfast, taking in the stunning cityscape and feeling like the luckiest people in the world.

- Taking a day trip to the lazy beach town of Cascais, where we drank Sagres beer among the topless sunbathers.

- Dining at a fantastic hole-in-the-wall in the historic neighborhood of Alfambra.  Our delicious meal included a bottle of wine, bread, soup, fresh grilled swordfish and squid.  With tip and tax: about 20 euros.


Next stop: Venice, Italy

Portugal - Sintra

No trip to Portugal would be complete without a visit to the tourist mecca of Sintra.

Just an hour outside if Lisbon, Sintra is set atop a small, green mountain of sorts.  Its position high above the sea brings fantastic views and cool breezes, making it a long favorite destination for rich and royals.

The town's long history of affluence means there are plenty of fine estates for tourists to explore.

Our favorite Sintra experiences:

- Eating a mouthwatering meal of grilled octopus and sardines at an authentic, small neighborhood eatery tucked away from the throngs of Sintra tourists.

- Making the hike up to the Pena National Palace, the colorful royal castle that looks as if it belongs in Disney's Magic Kingdom.  Spending hours walking the lush, fairy tale-like grounds and taking in the beauty of the Artist King's wild creation.

- Getting lost in the maze of grottos and passageways at Quinta da Regaleira, the wacky 19th century estate of an eccentric Portuguese merchant.


Next stop: Lisbon, Portugal

Portugal - Coimbra

We will spend nearly two weeks in Portugal, which is plenty of time to add stops in off-the-beaten-path type places like Coimbra.

Located in central Portugal, Coimbra is a cute college town full of narrow, cobblestone streets.  We liked that Coimbra fit into the mid-sized city category, as it was a departure from the urban and rural Portugal we had experienced to date.

Our favorite Coimbra memories:

- Triumphantly hoofing, packs and all, to our B&B, which was located at the peak of Coimbra's Upper Town.  Though our host had pre-warned us that our accommodations were difficult to reach and it would be best to take a taxi, we fought burning legs past the Quebra Costa (back breaker stairs) and successfully navigated our way there.

- Our B&B itself, Casa Pombal, is one to be remembered: charming and adorable, it was all pink, flowery frills.  Super romantic.

- Eating bacalhau fresco (fresh cod) at a bar full of university students while the Portugal vs. Spain Eurocup game aired.


Next stop: Sintra, Portugal

Portugal - Porto & the Douro Valley Region

Porto didn't immediately strike us as a beautiful city, but over the course of our time there we came to appreciate the soul and grit of the place.

The funky guesthouse we roomed in - full of eclectic Urban Outfitters-ish bric-a-brac and run by the fantastic Pedro - added to our positive experiences in northern Portugal.

A Portuguese hotel norm that we've come to appreciate is the acquaintance period that occurs during check-in.  At all of our Portugal stays thus far our hosts have taken thirty minutes to an hour to not only show us property details, but to offer trip suggestions and answer any questions we may have.  We've managed to source some particularly great advice during these briefings.

In the case of our Porto stay, Pedro sensed that we were the type of folks that liked "the naturals" (as he put it) and recommended we take the scenic train out to the vineyards of the rural Douro Valley.  It was great advice, and the train ride has been a highlight of our Portugal trip thus far.

Our favorite Porto and Douro Valley memories:

- Taking the aforementioned train ride through the Douro Valley wine country.  Occasionally deboarding to sample port and check out tiny towns, but mostly just eating fresh cherries and watching 250 miles of gorgeous landscape speed past our train window.

- Sitting at an outdoor cafe in Porto's historic center trying the region's famous francesinha, a steak, ham, salami, and sausage sandwich smothered in a cheesy beer sauce.

- Grocery shopping at the local market and cooking a homemade meal in the tiny kitchen of our funky Porto apartment.  Eating our dinner on the deck, taking in the cool night air and city sounds.

- Walking the bridge from Porto to Vila Nova de Gaia, where the historic port cellars are located.  Touring the dark, musty wine caves and indulging in countless glasses of port with pairings.


Next stop: Coimbra, Portugal

Portugal - Belem

Our first two days in Portugal were quiet, as they had been earmarked for rest.  We had read that it's important to schedule R&R days into the itinerary to avoid travel burnout, so though we were itching to explore Portugal, we took some time to catch up on sleep, do laundry, and book future hotel stays.

We stayed in a fun, brightly colored hostel in the sleepy, historic Lisbon suburb of Belem.  We think it's unfortunate that hostels have a reputation for being loud and cramped, because from our experience, they can be great places to sleep and socialize and almost always offer private, non-dormitory style rooms.

This was our first hostel stay of our trip, and we are fine with sleeping in hostels moving forward, provided they are well reviewed on forums like hostelbookers.com and we're able to secure our own room.

Our favorite Belem memories:

- Happening upon the lovely alley restaurant, Enoteca de Belem, where we ate a fine meal that included fresh bread with goat butter. After dinner we lingered for hours, drinking wine, smoking cubans, and chatting politics with the locals.

- Visiting the famous bakery, Pasteis de Belem, where we waited in line to sample the sweet egg tarts made by Portuguese nuns for the past 150 years.  Dave loved the treats so much that he went back the next day for a second helping.

- Feeling the futbol frenzy - catching the France vs. Spain match of the Eurocup at the local community center which had been temporarily converted to a spectating area complete with a bar, big screen and bleachers.


Next stop: Porto, Portugal

Iceland: Land of Fire and Ice

It's summer in Iceland, which means 24 hours of sunlight and a local population that is anxious to be outdoors.  Though the weather feels damp and chilly to us, the Icelanders seem immune to the cold - they are wearing sandals and dining at outdoor cafes.

Reykjavic is an expensive place and we've paid a seemingly large sum for our smallest accommodations yet.  We're staying at a cute and clean guesthouse that looks, as much of Reykjavic does, straight from an Ikea catalog.  The proprietor, Igdlo, is about as genuine and nice as they come.

Cold tap water at the guesthouse, and throughout Iceland, is delicious and refreshing.  Hot water here is geothermically provided and is endless, but stinks of sulfur.

Though Reykjavic has a lot to offer we chose to spend a large chunk of our time in Iceland driving the countryside in an itty-bitty compact rental.  We were in awe of the beauty on this island: waterfalls, geysers, mountains, gorges, and rolling hills full of Icelandic ponies.

Our favorite Iceland experiences:

- Dining at Saegreifinn, a nautical-themed local favorite tucked among the old harbor's fishing boats and docks.  Though the menu included foal and whale meat we stuck to less heartbreaking selections of lobster soup and halibut kebabs.

- Seeking refuge from the damp in Reykjavik's cozy, artsy coffee houses - Iceland has a unique and thriving coffee culture and several independent roasters.

- The surreal feeling of drinking under the midnight sun - chasing a celebrated Baejarin's beztu hot dog with a Viking beer and Brennevin shot on lively Laugavegur Street.

- Eating a picnic of rugbraud (traditional Icelandic sweetened rye bread) and caviar at the spectacular Gullfoss Falls in central Iceland.

- Trading our winter gear for swimsuits to take a dip in the hot pots and geothermically heated ocean lagoon at Nautholsvik Beach.


Next stop: Lisbon - Belem, Portugal

Boston Commoners

Passage to Boston was smooth, though US border crossing via bus at 2am was a slow, sleepy-eyed process.  Seeing the sunrise over the misty mountains of Vermont and driving through Dartmouth's campus were unexpected treats of the ride.

In Boston we stayed downtown, in the historic Courtyard Marriott on Tremont Street.  The location was great, but we think the hotel's best feature was its fitness center.

It can be hard to strength train on the road and the gym was equipped with adequate weights to make our muscles sore for the first time on the trip (I guess carrying around our packs doesn't substitute for real gym time).

Our favorite Boston memories:

- Eating lobster rolls and New England clam chowder al fresco at James Hook & Co. on the waterfront.

- Drinking martinis while taking in sweeping city views from the 52nd floor of the Prudential Tower.

- Walking to Cambridge to tour the utilitarian campus of MIT and the colonial-feeling campus of Harvard.

- Comparing gourmet ice creams from Boston's famous scoop shops: Toscanini's (Dave's favorite) and Christina's (Molly's favorite).

- Getting tipsy off of the generous and complimentary pours on the Sam Adams brewery tour.


Next stop: Reykjavik, Iceland

Montreal's Great Bagel Showdown

Montreal is famous for its bagels, which are much smaller and sweeter than the New York variety and most commonly sold in sesame flavor.  Two historic bakeries rule the Montreal bagel scene: St. Viateur and Fairmont.

During our stay in the city, we made the pilgrimage to both bakeshops to sample hot, fresh-from-the-oven bagels and to declare our favorite.

While the St. Viateur bakery was a bit more customer friendly and offered a wider selection of bagel accoutrements, we both agreed that it was the Fairmont that sold our preferred bagel. 

Though the Fairmont variety was smaller, it had a distinct honey flavor and was softer and more cake-like than the bagel offered at St. Viateur.  Our vote for best Montreal bagel: Fairmont.

Our favorite Montreal memories:

- Strolling below 200,000 suspended pink balls at the outdoor Aires Libres event in the Gay Village.

- Eating poutine at charming, vegetarian-friendly Patati Patata on Boulevard Saint-Laurent.

- Walking to the Mount Royal viewpoint to take in the gorgeous, panoramic views of the Montreal skyline.

- Drinking wine and eating baguette, cheese, and fruit at our very own french-inspired picnic on the green space of McGill University.


Next stop: Boston, Massachusetts

Toronto by Train

We arrived in Toronto via Canada Rail from Windsor (thanks Mom and Dad Remley for the ride to the station!) and stayed in the University of Toronto dorms.  Accommodations were spartan but comfortable, and suited our needs well.

We have long preferred to explore cities by foot, and that is exactly how we spent our favorite day in Toronto; walking the entire length of Queen Street.

At nearly nine miles long, Queen is a main thoroughfare that runs through a number of Toronto's neighborhoods: Parkdale, the Fashion District, Chinatown, Downtown, the Historic District, Corktown, Broadview, Leslieville, and the Beach.  In all, we logged about twenty miles walking from the dorm, down Queen, and back.  Throughout the walk we stopped frequently for various edibles and libations - getting a small taste for many of Toronto's different areas. Despite a little rain, we think it was a perfect day.

Our favorite Toronto discoveries:

- Peameal bacon sandwiches at the St. Lawrence Market.

- The eclectic vibe of the artsy neighborhoods of West Queen.

- The dazzling selection at Loblaws grocery in the Church and Wellesley area.

- The sprawling, central campus of the University of Toronto.

- Cheap and filling dolsot bibimbap in Koreatown.


Next stop: Montreal, Quebec

Pre-trip Planning: Insurance

We were surprised to discover that even robust US-based medical plans often do not cover overseas treatment.   We have, therefore, chosen to supplement our standard health insurance with special travel coverage.

Our travel insurance was relatively inexpensive and covers us in the event that we have any mishaps while abroad that require medical care.  Or, in the unlikely event that something catastrophic happens, our travel insurance will pay for immediate evacuation or the repatriation of our remains. 

We purchased our insurance through HCC Medical Insurance Services, but there are many companies that offer this type of coverage.  For us, the peace of mind of knowing we’ll be covered in the event of an unfortunate event is well worth the premium cost.

Pre-trip Planning: Stateside valuables

We have found that flashy jewelry and watches can draw unwanted attention in many places across the world. To avoid this, we have decided to leave our valuables behind while we are abroad. 

We originally considered leaving these items in the care of family, but realized babysitting our jewelry was not only a lot of responsibility for loved ones, but it would require us to maintain insurance on the items. We have instead decided to rent a stateside safe deposit box to safeguard small valuables while we are abroad.

Though it will be difficult to leave behind cherished items (especially our engagement ring!) we think it’s much safer and economical to leave our shiny stuff behind in our super secure safe deposit box.
 

Pre-trip Planning: The gentleman's packing list

Bottoms:

Jeans 

Athletic shorts

Swimming trunks

Cotton twill shorts (2) (one pair dark tan, one pair blue/grey)

Boxers (10)

Tops:

Various t-shirts (8)

Golf shirts (2)

White undershirts (5)

Zip-up, cotton hoodie

Old wool sweater (disposable, for Iceland)

Feet:

Merrell barefoot shoes

Navy Havaianas

Old New Balance running shoes (disposable, for Iceland)

Socks (2) 

Containers:

The 65L+ backpack described in an earlier post
North Face backpack, for day trips

Misc:

Black belt

Brown belt

Sunglasses
Kindle (well stocked)

iPod (well stocked)

Toiletries

Cocoon cotton travel sheet

Fast drying towel (Micronet microfiber towel - size large)

Pre-trip Planning: The lady’s packing list

"When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money.  Then take half the clothes and twice the money." -Traveler's Proverb

Jeans (though many seasoned travelers advise not to take them I have decided I can’t leave home without this wardrobe staple)

Black yoga pants (useful for sleeping and working out)

Khaki shorts

Black tank

Grey racerback tank

Purple racerback tank

Green dri-fit tank

Pink T-shirt

Orange cardigan sweater

Black dri-fit athletic jacket

Black scarf

Green scarf (scarves will be useful for places that require more modesty or have chilly A/C)

Brown leather belt

Baseball cap

Bikini

Black Havaianas

Purple Havaianas

Merrell barefoot shoes

Orange striped sundress

Purple strapless maxi dress

Black Patagonia Morning Glory dress (my favorite! Quick drying, wrinkle resistant, just lovely)

Black strapless maxi dress
Cute black printed sundress thoughtfully gifted by S-Fo

Not pictured:

Undies (12)

Bras (2)

Sports bra (1)

Strapless bra (1)

Socks, running shoes, fleece, winter hat and gloves (will be disposed of after we visit Iceland)

Dooney & Bourke over-the-shoulder handbag

Ray-Ban New Wayfarers

Micronet Microfiber Towel – size large (this quick drying towel will come in handy if we end up in places that don’t provide linen)

Cocoon cotton travelsheet (lightweight individual sleep linen for beds that don’t seem so fresh)

Pre-trip Planning: Itinerary (a work in progress)

While the first month of our trip is pretty well organized, most of our journey will be planned on the fly to allow for maximum flexibility. The map below shows cities we have prearranged travel to but doesn't yet represent our complete itinerary.

View Our RTW Trip! in a larger map

Pre-trip Planning: Shoes

We need to keep our packs as light as possible, so trip footwear needs to be versatile, lightweight, and comfortable.   Other than an early stop in Iceland, all of the places we will be visiting will be sunny and warm, which is great from a packing standpoint.  Our plan is to bring warm socks and old running shoes to wear and ditch in Iceland, and then spend most of our remaining days traveling in our trusty Havaianas flip flops. 

For running, light hiking, and days when our dogs are just barking, we will slip on our new Merrell barefoot shoes. 

His: Merrell Trail Glove in Deep Olive

 

Hers: Merrell Pace Glove in Lychee

We’re just breaking these shoes in but already love the look and feel of them.  They are small but mighty - comfortable, breathable, and washable.  Their low-profile look works with shorts or jeans and since they are designed to be worn barefoot, we can cross having to pack socks off of our list!

Pre-trip Planning: Gadgets

While you can’t beat the convenience of having a laptop with you on the road, the idea of lugging around a heavy and expensive piece of electronic equipment wasn’t exactly something we were excited about.  After having valuables stolen from a hotel room on a prior trip to Istanbul we were reluctant to bring anything we’d be heartbroken about losing, but at the same time we knew relying on internet cafes probably wouldn’t suit our computing needs.

We decided that we really needed some kind of gadget that would allow us to perform the following tasks:

1.)    Storing photos

2.)    Checking email

3.)    Social networking

4.)    e-Reading

5.)    e-Banking

6.)    Web surfing

We also decided that we wanted this device to be feather light so that we could carry it with us at all times in order to reduce the likelihood of it being lifted.  Finally, as the device was to be shuffled and moved, used and abused, we wanted it to be relatively inexpensive in case it was damaged or broken.

We ultimately ruled out laptops and netbooks and settled on a tablet, specifically the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2.0.  Priced at only $250, this tablet is itty-bitty and has a fancy Andriod Ice Cream Sandwich platform (which not only sounds yummy but allows the tablet to do all the nifty tech things we need it to).  The coolest feature is the microSD slot which will fit our camera’s memory card, allowing us to send photos directly from our camera to our digital dropbox.  This means the photographer in the relationship can take many, many photos of our adventures that can all be safely and easily backed up in cyberspace.

Pre-trip Planning: Backpacks

Having traveled abroad using roll-aboards previously, we initially toyed with the idea of taking traditional suitcases on our journey. Internet opinion on the subject is mixed, though the majority of long-term travelers who are vocal on the web seem to support the use of backpacks over roll-aboards. Smaller and easier to navigate down dirt or cobblestone streets, backpacks eventually seemed like the better choice for us (though the lady in the relationship is admittedly PANICKED at the idea of restrictive packing ability!). Our backpacking fate was sealed after we secured inner-European flights with restrictive luggage weight limits of 20 kg (44 lbs).

After two trips to REI and countless hours spent researching pack options, we’ve made our selections and purchased our packs. We present to you, our new homes: the Women's REI Venus 70L and the Men's Deuter ACT Lite 65+10L.

His: Men's Deuter ACT Lite 65+10L

Pros:
- Good fit.
- Multiple compartments for packing.
- Optional 10L additional packing space.
- Ultra lightweight at under 4lbs.

Cons:
- Will require separate duffel for airport check-in so that straps won't be damaged in flight.
- Isn't completely waterproof.

Hers:
Women’s REI Grand Tour 80 Travel Pack
Though I liked many features of this pack I ended up returning it due to shoulder pain caused by improper fitting.

Women's REI Venus 70L

Pros:
- Great fit.
- Great price ($199 at REI – Plus we had a 20% member coupon and store dividend to use).
- Top and front-loading for easy access.
- Dark in color to hide stains.
- Multiple inner-compartments allow items like dirty laundry to be held separately.
- 70L is the sweet spot size between “too large” and “too small”.
- Backpack can later be repurposed for camping and hiking trips.
- Not an ultra-lightweight pack, meaning it’s made of heavy duty fabric and should hold up well.

Cons:
- Will require a duffel-stuff bag for airport check-in since straps aren’t self containing and could be damaged during travel.
- Doesn’t have a separate removable daypack.
- Top drawstring access isn’t lock securable, making it vulnerable to theft.
- At 5 lbs 6 oz, it’s not the lightest pack on the market.

Pre-trip Planning: Passports and visas

Visas are required for entry to many places across the globe and can be both time consuming and costly to obtain. While certain countries allow visas to be obtained immediately upon entry, other countries require that visas be obtained stateside prior to trip departure. This means you have to mail your passport back-and-forth to embassies or enlist the help of third-party agencies to do so on your behalf. The whole process can not only be expensive, but it can take weeks or months and you’re without passport the whole time.

This was a problem for us, because both of us needed service completed on our passports. Prior trips had left us with very few blank passport pages, which meant that we needed to ship our passports off to a passport agency and pay the $82 fee required to add additional pages. This service had an estimated processing time of six weeks and presumed added delivery time meant we were a bit close for comfort on obtaining any special visas.

Our required passport service immediately ruled out travel to countries with finicky visa policies, which in some ways has been a blessing in disguise as we’ve had a hard enough time limiting our travel scope and sticking to our budget.

Pre-trip Planning: Financial stuffs

We’ve been fortunate to travel abroad quite a bit and our banks have hit us with foreign transaction fees on every trip. On shorter vacations we chalked these 2 -3% transactional charges (+ ATM fees) up to the expense of going abroad. On a trip of this length, however, we realized our bank fees were really going to add up to a substantial amount. Determined to find a bank that didn’t charge foreign transaction fees we eventually came across the High Yield Investor Checking account through Charles Schwab.

We cannot say enough good things about this amazing checking account! There are ZERO foreign transaction fees associated with the Schwab debit card – meaning that when we use our Schwab Visa/MasterCard in Europe, or Asia, or wherever we might land, we won’t be charged a thing! Yup, ZILCH! The exchange rate offered is very competitive and, also, Schwab provides unlimited ATM fee rebates so we can grab cash from any ATM, anywhere, without paying fees!

In addition to our fabulous Schwab accounts, we have backup debit cards from three large institutional banks that we’ll use if money in our Schwab accounts is ever inaccessible for whatever reason. For added protection, we intend to leave letters on file with each of our banks that details our predicted itinerary so that our accounts are (hopefully) not frozen for suspected fraud. We’ll also store all card and account numbers, along with bank contact info, in an email and with trusted state-side loved ones in case of theft.