My epic purge in Seattle came after a few longer trips with a carry on, so I’m familiar with packing in layers for varying climates. As a general rule I spot clean as I go and air out clothes a few times before washing. When laundry is inevitable, as with most Plan A – Z…

While I was admiring the RIva Promenade, I came across an artist demo/kid hands-on workshop for painting Easter Eggs. We are not talking about the standard eggs you buy by the dozen and then dye using various kits, tips and tricks for Easter. I’m talking about massive eggs that are hand-painted works of art that…

After almost a week of grey overcast days, the sun peeked out and I took a break from daily mall walks to go to the Old Town section of Split, a short bus ride away. I understand now why this is such a popular destination for other EU members. On the way to the water…

I will be in Split through May 11 so I’m approaching the next 30 days a little differently and will learn how to navigate as a local so I can test drive Croatia as a possible country to retire in eventually. I was a little terrified of the apartment I had rented sight unseen on…

After face planting on my bed at the end of my WarsawPass day, I decided to sleep in a little and woke up around noon to hit the 4-5 museums I hoped to visit. As soon as I pulled up the first one in Google Maps, I saw that every possible route had a large…

Most of my adult friends don’t know this, but my mother was a classically trained pianist who toured throughout South America, sometimes accompanied by my Aunt Maru, who was a classically trained Opera singer. She left La Paz right after middle school and studied in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil until her late teens. Classical music…

When I have a mixed drink, it’s almost always based on vodka. I like it icy cold right out of the freezer. When I saw the WarsawPass featured a museum dedicated to my favorite spirit, I had to see it. There were many options for the tour, all including a tasting room, including Connoisseur, which…

In sharp contrast to my navigation struggles getting to the Palace of Culture, Google Maps nailed the location of the closest Metro station that would take me to East Warsaw and the Polish Vodka Museum. Unfortunately, God started to laugh as I walked in because the signs were only in Polish and I couldn’t discern…

First mishap on my Warsaw Pass Day was catching my friend Lena in Norway and talking to my unofficial Godson August until 1am the night before, so I wasn’t ready to start until noon. This automatically deleted the Royal Lazienki museum because of both routing and the vast amount to see there, so giving myself…

I had read about Podwale 25 on a few different travel blogs and it was less than 10 minutes from the Chopin concert, so I headed out, foot sore and stomach growling, towards this local favorite. Wednesday night had one of their signature dishes on special, crispy roasted pork knuckle, and if it was anything…