Tag: Europe2017

Vienna (+ Bratislava)

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City: Vienna

How Long: 4 nights

Accommodation:

I stayed at Hostel Ruthensteiner Vienna while I was here. The hostel itself is great. Tons of fun people, and there’s a bar within the hostel. There’s a guest kitchen and a 4.5 euro breakfast option. Good security lockers in the room and comfy beds. However, unfortunately it is fairly far from the city center so it takes 40 minutes to get anywhere (walking). I just find that I prefer to be able to walk right from the hostel to where I want to go without using public transit.

Where to Eat:

I ate a delicious traditional Polish dish at a restaurant called Mozart’s Restaurant. It was almost like pasta/dumpling combo with scrambled eggs. Sounds weird, but it was awesome. Otherwise, I chose to buy groceries and cook in the community kitchen with some friends I made.

While I didn’t eat here, Mozart + Beethoven did! In fact, Mozart’s last performance was here. This place has been opened for over 200 years. Pretty incredible.

What to do:

I visited the Easter markets here as well, but they weren’t as fun as the ones in Krakow I found. I also did a free walking tour with some friends, where we saw some of the old government buildings and some cool churches. I also met two other Americans staying at my hostel and ended up going out on a pub crawl with them which was fun!

Painted eggs at the Easter Markets!

Unfortunately the next day it rained and even hailed a bit. I chose to spend the day inside and catch up on reading, writing, and editing some videos. While it was nice to have a relaxing day, it meant that I did not get to see the palace or the gardens which I have heard are amazing.

On my last day in Vienna I did a day trip to Bratislava, which is the capital of Slovakia. I took a 5 euro bus ride there in the morning, early enough to catch the free walking tour. I really enjoyed learning about this tiny country that most American’s probably don’t know much about if they have even heard of it. Bratislava looks like it was torn out of the pages of a fairytale. In fact, the famous fairytale writer from Denmark, Hans Christian Andersen, spent time here. He famously said to the citizens of Bratislava, “If you want a fairy tale, look at your city.”

View of Bratislava from the Castle

We walked around most of the city in about 2.5 hours, as the city is fairly small. We saw the grand castle (although technically a fortress), a blue Church, and adorable cobblestone streets. I learned that Vienna and Bratislava are the two closest capitals in all of Europe, at just 34 miles apart. After spending just 5 hours in this city, I wish I had spent a few days here instead of staying in Vienna. Definitely don’t skip visiting Bratislava, even if it just for a day from Vienna or Budapest.

Main square in Bratislava

The Blue Church!

Bratislava Castle

Bratislava Castle

Overall Thoughts:

Vienna did not wow me. I am not exactly sure why, but overall it was not my favorite. The city is huge and I have learned that I tend to prefer more manageable cities. It’s also more expensive than some of the other cities I am visiting right now. I wish I had stayed in Bratislava and done a day trip to Vienna, instead of the other way around. I can certainly see why so many people love Vienna (amazing food, beautiful architecture, top-notch museums) but I just don’t think it’s for me.

 

London + Cambridge

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Sadly, this is my last stop on my trip! BUT I made the most of it with a final visit with my favorite British people. (You may remember them because I stayed with them all the way back in June 2016 and then again in February 2017.) Originally I had met them at a hostel in Barcelona in May 2015 and have visited them 4 or 5 times since then. So without further adieu…

CITY: london

HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at Astor Hyde Park while in London for the final time. I booked super late so there weren’t many options left, but I ended up getting one of the last beds at this hostel. This place had large under the bed lockers and an en suite bathroom. There’s a large guest kitchen and two great common areas for socializing. Also the hostel is right next to Hyde Park!! Definitely recommend a stay here.

WHERE TO EAT:

The main thing I did while in England was go to Cambridge for the day with my British friends! To start off the adventure we went to Copper Kettle for a full English breakfast. This was the first time I had one, and while I can’t get on board with beans for breakfast, the rest was delicious!

Enjoying brunch

Full English

After a full day of exploring Cambridge, we all went to Bill’s for dinner + drinks. It had a good vibe and could seat all 6 of us. I got a tomato soup because I wasn’t super hungry, but AJ and his gf, Chloe, split a halloumi burger and it looked great!

I went to Nandos, a staple in the UK, for the first time on my last night in Europe. I met Henry and one of his high school friends for dinner. It’s a Portuguese chicken chain and it’s pretty good, although I was surprised by how spicy it was! There are tons of different menu options. Definitely recommend a visit here if you have the time.

The most perfect hot chocolate I got while Henry and I were waiting for the rest of the crew to show up

WHAT TO DO:

As I mentioned, the main activity of my visit to London was a day trip to Cambridge. Henry and I met up at the train station in London and headed to Cambridge, while AJ & Chloe and Tony met us there as they drove. After getting brunch, we walked around the town before finding a grassy spot to enjoy the sun. Around 2pm we loaded into a boat to go punting, which is very popular in Cambridge.

Meeting Henry at the train station on our way to Cambridge

Cambridge

Enjoying the sun!

The crew

Busy day for punting

Aj, Chloe, Tony, & Henry

We made it on the boat

The bridge of sighs

On the boat!

After punting we again found a grassy spot and just enjoyed the rare sunny day.

Sitting in a park

Henry planting a garden on AJ

My fav’s

The most exquisite roses I have ever seen

Other than Cambridge, I did spend a day at Hyde Park reading my book. A wonderfully relaxing day.

Hyde Park

My last day on this wonderful trip I spent hanging at my hostel, meeting some people, and working on my blog 🙂 That night I grabbed dinner with Henry and his friend and we were some of the last people to leave the restaurant.

It was really, really hard to say goodbye to my friends because they ended up being such a big part of this trip!! Each time I visited before, we knew there would be at least one more visit ahead. This time, we knew it would be an indefinite goodbye. HOWEVER, I am trying my hardest to convince them to come to CA to visit me sometime in the future.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

As always, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in England, and it is has furthered cemented my dream of moving here. I hope to eventually find a path to living in London, even if it’s just for a few years.

See ya soon California! While I will miss Europe with all my heart, I am excited to go home and sleep in my own bed for the first time in a while 🙂

Montenegro

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After Dubrovnik, I crossed into Montenegro! This was my first time to this tiny country of  only about 700,000 people.

CITY: Kotor

HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at Montenegro Hostel 4U and had very mixed feelings about this place. On the one hand, the facilities were great- Big rooms, big lockers, nice bathrooms, and good kitchen/common area. There were kayaks and bikes available to rent and it was right on the water. HOWEVER, this hostel had the most aggressive organized drinking I had ever seen. I mean it’s one thing for the staff to encourage people to socialize and drink, but it’s another to pressure a kid into drinking so much that he had to go to the hospital. I found the staff to be very sexist and too involved with getting people to drink. When I would say that I was fine drinking water, they seemed to be upset and continually asked me to drink alcohol instead. Despite the aggressive staff, I did meet some awesome people here!

WHERE TO EAT:

The hostel had organized BBQ’s most nights so I tended to join in to meet people, but my favorite restaurant I went to was called Konoba Akustik. They had delicious Cevapi and other yummy food.

WHAT TO DO:

The most important thing to do while in Kotor is hike the old fortress. It’s not the easiest hike (about 1,300 steps straight up the mountain) but the views make it worth it. It was only 3 euros (as opposed to the 20 euros it costs to do the city walls in Dubrovnik).

Walking across the bridge into Old Town

Heading up with Jacob, a guy I met at the hostel

View over old town

Up we go!

The old fort at the top over looking the bay

Old Town

Next up was renting some kayaks with some new British friends (Yay Louisa + Matt!). We spent many hours joking about our mutual appreciation for good butter (butterbaes for life) and Louisa does an amazing valley girl accent so we also had many made up conversations about our alter egos Becca and Ashley! We literally couldn’t even….

Lastly, I decided to do a day tour of Montenegro because apparently with one day tour you can see about 60% of the country. Crazy right?! While I did see some cool things and we went for a boat ride on a river, the tour wasn’t anything special. I probably would’ve preferred to just hang around Kotor.

View over Bay of Kotor

the Mausoleum (the second highest peak of mount Lovcen) where is buried the great Montenegrin ruler and poet Petar II Petrovic Njegos

Cetinje Monastery

River Crnojevica

Budva

Budva

 

 

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

Despite my hostel being less than ideal, I met some fun people and enjoyed exploring Kotor/ other parts of Montenegro. Kotor and Montenegro in general are so untouched compared to many other parts of Europe. But, slowly it is being discovered. In Kotor, more and more cruise ships are stopping for a visit and surely, it will become a hotspot in the next 5 years.

 

CITY: Ulcinj

HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at Hostel Pirate and it couldn’t have been more opposite to my hostel in Kotor. It was so relaxing and because Ulcinj is not very big, there wasn’t much to do at night so all the guests would drink beer and just hang at the hostel. I had a great time meeting new people and playing cards. The rooms were nice and the lockers were big enough for valuables. A large guest kitchen and common room were available for use. Also the staff were super awesome, helpful, & generous. ALSO as a bonus there was a Belgian Shepard and the house cat had just had kittens!!!!

WHERE TO EAT:

I mostly cooked my own food while I was here so don’t have any recommendations unfortunately.

WHAT TO DO:

Despite being fairly small, Ulcinj has plenty to do! First up for me was a walk through the old town, which was literally empty (again polar opposite to Dubrovnik). Fun views of the little cove and town below the old town.

Walking through the Old Town

View of Ulcinj

Next was a day trip to ALBANIA!! I went to Shkodër which is near Skadarsko Jezero, a huge lake that is half in Montenegro and half in Albania. I spent a couple of hours exploring the town and went to some castle ruins. Rozafa Castle was built around the 14th century. Definitely cool to walk around the ruins, and it wasn’t really regulated in terms of where you could go, so you can essentially walk everywhere and can climb up all the old walls.

Rozafa Castle ruins

Albanian flag

Ebu Beker Mosque

The best day was my first proper beach day in a while. I ventured out with an American couple I had met on the bus from Shkodër that also happened to be staying at my hostel. First, I went with Tess to a women’s only nudist beach, which is interesting as this is a Muslim dominated area, but we had a very relaxing time. After an hour in the sun we walked 40 minutes along the coast to another beach (14km long!!!) We met up with her boyfriend, Aaron, here. Our hike ended with a treacherous bridge, but we survived! I honestly thought this might be how my life ended (or at least how I ended my trip with a broken leg). After the adrenaline wore off, the three of us enjoyed the breeze and sun rays for a couple of hours.

Views along the hike to the beach

The beach all to ourselves

THE CRAZY BRIDGE

I ran out of time so was not able to do all I wanted to do in Ulcinj, so if you have time definitely explore all the forests and hikes in the area!!

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

Ulcinj was awesome!! I barely heard any english being spoken as I walked around and all the locals were so friendly!! There was so much to do and I enjoyed everything I did while here. I would love to come back some day!

 

 

Living in Spain- Thoughts

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This post will be a little different as it is not about traveling, and rather it is about my time spent as an au pair with two different families in Spain! My first family was in Galicia, which is in the Northwest part of Spain, right on the Atlantic Ocean. No really, right on the water.

Vilanova de Arousa

Vilanova de Arousa at sunset

Everyday I would go for a walk or run along the waterfront. So beautiful.

I spent 4 weeks there with a lovely family with three kids. Twin girls who were 10 years old and a boy who was 16 years old.

My next family was just north of Barcelona in a town called Vilassar de Dalt. Lucky for me, there was a direct bus to downtown Barcelona that was just 35 minutes, making it easy to head in to meet friends. The house here was also near the coast, although the Mediterranean this time.

Can’t complain, this was waiting for me after a 2 mile run from my house!

Vilassar de Mar

I spent 5 weeks with this family, which consisted of one girl who was 6 years old, one girl who was 8 years old, and one boy who was 12 years old. This family loves to ski so almost every weekend we went to their ski cabin in France! Such a fun time!

I had such amazing experiences with both families, but life is definitely different in Spain then it is in the States! I wanted to write about some of the fun/funny/strange differences 🙂 (Also just want to preface this with the fact that this is just my observations from living with two different families. In no way am I saying these observations are applicable to a greater population.)

Eating times

This is an obvious one but it is such a big one that I thought I would still mention it. Here’s roughly the eating schedule in Spain:

Breakfast- 7:30-8:00.

Snack- 11:00-11:30

Lunch- 2:00-3:30

Snack- 5:00-6:00

Dinner- 9:00-10:00

I definitely struggled with eating lunch and dinner so much later than what I’m used to. My stomach would often grumble around 12:30 and 7:30, so I would grab a piece of fruit or some crackers to tide me over.

Another difference when it comes to eating is that lunch in Spain is the big meal of the day, whereas in the States dinner is more often the important meal. In fact, in the middle of the day, often people stop working and go home to eat lunch with the whole family. There is a pause in the work day for 2-3 hours to eat lunch in your home. Lunch is the heavier meal with more meat and sides, and often 2-3 courses. Dinner in Spain tends to be lighter. My first family actually only ate sandwiches for dinner. Every night. Like they had the same thing every single night for dinner. After the first week, I started to make my own spinach salad instead of eating a sandwich everyday.

Food quirks:

Speaking of eating, they have some weird food habits. Although for them, they thought some of the things I do is weird too! One example is that the grandma of one of the families would always give the kids milk as part of their snack in the afternoon, which of course isn’t weird at all until you consider the fact that she would put sugar in it. And it wasn’t non-fat milk, it was WHOLE MILK. I repeat, SUGAR IN WHOLE MILK. For me that seems crazy as whole milk already so sweet and fatty, but I’m sure it is tasty.

Another example is surrounding cereal. The kids in my second family would eat their cereal either dry, as in without milk, or with hot milk, but never with cold milk. When they saw me put the milk on my cereal right out of the fridge their jaws dropped. I was so confused as I had never seen another way to eat cereal. I mean, cereal without milk I understand because it is sort of like a trail mix/snack thing, but hot milk in your Cheerios seems weird to me. Sometimes they would even put their hot Cola-Cao (which is like a powder chocolate milk mix) on their cereal. To me, it seemed strange, although I’m not knocking it because I’m sure it would be good.

Another new one for me was one of the dad’s loved his toast with olive oil and sugar. At first I was suspicious but after trying it, I really liked it.

The mom of one family would make fresh squeezed orange juice and add some lemon and honey to it before heating it in the microwave for when one of the kids was sick. Sounds strange to me, hot orange juice, but after trying it, I absolutely love it. It is super soothing for a sore throat.

As for things the families often found weird about my eating, one was my love of peanut butter and how I put it on everything. Cereal, apples, bananas, carrots, toast, ice cream, you name it. Peanut butter is not very common in Spain, so most of the kids hadn’t even tried it before, but after trying it, all but one loved it! I even gave the twins from my first family a jar of peanut butter each for their 10th birthday, which I happened to be around for while I was staying with them. Also on a peanut butter note… I made PB&J’s for the kids and they took it for school as a snack. They loved it!!

Assembling the PB&J’s

 

 

They thought it was weird that I put butter on untoasted bread. They always dip their bread in the sauce of whatever dish they were serving or in olive oil.

They thought it was weird that I put salt on everything from salads and soups, to meats. (America is wayyyyy addicted to salt)

One night my second family made beef and as a side dish they made apple puree (or apple sauce), but it was hot. At first I thought this was strange, but, once again, it ended up being tasty!

Pets:

Birds are very popular as pets because in small apartments in Barcelona, not much else fits. Dogs and cats are popular as well, but I noticed some interesting things about these pets. The most obvious and interesting one for me was that the German Shepard at my first house was not allowed inside the house. As in, it was kept outside 100% of the time. For me this is so strange! Even when there were thunderstorms and even when it was cold, he was kept outside. It also meant interactions with the dog were minimal as the only time spent with dog was when we left the house or were arriving. I think the whole month I was there they took him on 2 walks. The whole thing made me sad because my dogs are such an important part of my daily life. Whether I am walking them, or snuggling with them, I spend a significant amount of time with them. Also they fed him whatever human food we didn’t finish including bones or chocolate, which made me uncomfortable because depending on the type, they both are dangerous for a dog. But alas, different customs I guess. Also, there are a significant number of stray dogs and cats in both places I lived, although less stray dogs in my second town. I know this does happen in the US as well, but where I live I rarely see a stray dog and most cats I see are just outside cats, rather than stray cats.

Zapatillas (slippers):

Both families would take off their shoes as soon as they enter their house and put on zapatillas. They never were barefoot or walked around with shoes on. When I told them at my house, everyone either wore their “outside shoes” or were barefoot they were shocked. I always forget to put on my zapatillas so sometimes I would just be wearing my socks and the mom of my first mom would say that I would get sick without wearing my zapatillas. I figured in my head that if for the first 22 years of my life I managed without zapatillas then I would manage to not get sick the month I was there- and I was right- but as often as I could I would try to remember to wear my zapatillas.

Cleaning:

It was clearly quite important to both families that the house was always clean. And obviously that’s not a bad or unique thing, but it felt more important than what I have seen in my experiences in the States. I mean, my family has someone who cleans the house every week or every other week, so I can appreciate having a clean home. But one of my families had someone come EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. to clean the entire home. This seemed a bit excessive to me. The other family had me vacuum and dust every single day. I didn’t mind doing it, of course, but it just seemed again a bit excessive. Another difference that I think might affect this behavior is that I’ve noticed a lack of carpets in Spain. Homes here tend to have a few rugs here and there, but in general it’s all hard floors, whether it is hardwood or concrete. This means dust and dirt is more visible and gets onto your feet more, as opposed the carpet which sort of ends up absorbing the dust and dirt. My house is certainly a higher percentage carpet than it is hardwood.

Playdates:

I don’t know if this is applicable generally to Spain or if I just got two families that don’t participate in this, but in my 9 weeks total with Spanish families there was not one playdate. The only time a kid came over to one of the houses was a birthday party for the twins in my first family. I asked the families about this and their replies were similar: Time away from school and work is for family time. Interesting right? This is so different to my experience growing up where almost every day I had some sort of playdate where I was going to someone’s house or someone was coming to mine. Not only was it great for the kids, it allowed parents some extra time to get stuff done. I never really met any of the friends of the 6 kids I au paired for. Sort of strange to me.

Vacations:

With my two families, it seemed vacations were for the entire family or no one. For example, when I told my first family that growing up sometimes my parents took a weekend away just the two of us or that in the past 7 years, vacations are spent with some combination of the family (as in sometimes my sister isn’t there, or sometimes my dad misses it), they again were shocked. To them, vacation is for the whole family. They don’t want to spend time with one family member missing. Between the playdates and vacations, my takeaway is that the family unit is very strong in Spain. They value spending time as a full unit and don’t want anyone outside the family a part of it. It’s not time for friends or other groups- just family. In my experience, once my sister and I were a little older, we almost always brought friends on vacation with us, or we went with family friends, so again just a slightly different way of doing things.

Family:

On the theme of family, extended family seemed to be much more involved in the daily life compared to my experiences growing up. Both families had one set of grandparents living about a 5-minute walk away. Often part of the daily routine was having a snack at the grandparent’s house before Grandpa would take some of the kids to an extracurricular such as track and field or music class. They pitched in to help with the grandkids on a daily/weekly basis. In my experience growing up, while I definitely saw my grandparents a decent amount because luckily they lived in the next town over, they weren’t part of the daily routine. Obviously, if my parents needed help in a pinch, my grandparents would help out, but like I said, they weren’t part of the daily routine. In fact, the mom of my second family had grown up in downtown Barcelona, but once married she moved out to the town they live in currently. Her parents, who had lived in Barcelona their entire lives, followed her and bought a house a five-minute walk away to be closer to their daughter and future grandkids.

 

Anyway, these are just some of my thoughts and observations after living in Spain for just 9 weeks. Like I said at the beginning, I’m not saying these observations are applicable to all of Spain, just what I noticed after living with two families! Hope you enjoyed reading this!

Bath + London

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In between my homestays I took a week to travel, spending time in England and Barcelona!

City: Reigate

How Long: 3 days

Accommodation:

I stayed with my friend Tony, who I met two years ago in a hostel in Barcelona. So while his parents are super generous I don’t think I can recommend staying at their house :). Reigate is about a 30-minute train ride south from London.

Where to Eat:

Well, we mostly ate at his house, so again I probably can’t tell you to show up there! But we did have a great sandwich in Brighton, where we visited for the day. Before visiting Windsor Castle, we ate lunch at The Carpenters Arms, a pub that has a tunnel that used to run from below the pub into the medieval Castle. Food was good and it was fun to see a piece of history with the tunnel. Also, we stopped for some tea and desserts after going to Windsor Castle at Madam Posh. It was yummy but nothing to write home about.

AJ’s burger at The Carpenters Arms

What to do:

We essentially had two days to sight-see and we made the most of it. The first thing we did was participate in a local 5k run right near Tony’s house! It was the first race I’ve done since my marathon and it was super fun to be back in that environment. It makes me want to sign up for another half-marathon when I get home! After a lovely breakfast at Tony’s house we headed out on the road. Our first stop was South Downs National Park and Seven Sisters Country Park, which houses the UK’s highest chalk sea cliff. It was super cool and the cliffs were incredible. Definitely not a lay out in the sun kinda beach as instead of sand there were pebbles. Tony did find some pebbles that had been made from the brick in the houses above the beach, which was cool.

The Cliffs

Sitting on the beach

After a walk around the cliffs, we took off for Brighton, a big beach town directly South of London. I really liked it! So many cool shops and restaurants.We walked past the Royal Pavillion, an exotic palace that was built as a seaside pleasure palace for King George IV. It felt so out-of-place as it was built in the visual style closer to that of India and China, rather than Central Europe or England. Also there is a long pier which is home to an amusement park with rides, attractions, and an arcade. We managed to be at the end of the pier at sunset, which was stunning. Also we saw two swimmers without wetsuits on swim to the end of the pier and back… in February.

The beach

The Royal Pavillion

The sunset over the pier as we were leaving

That night we ate dinner with his parents again, which was so fun. I really enjoyed hanging out with them. His mom and I ended up staying up late chatting about anything and everything—Including Trump/Brexit. Super interesting talking to people about their opinions and thoughts; it’s actually one of my favorite things about traveling.

We went to Windsor Castle, one of the Queen’s homes, on our second day. We met up with AJ and Henry, two of the other guys from the Barcelona weekend 2 years ago. I usually end up meeting up with the three of them when I am anywhere near London! We purchased our tickets (student rate: 18.70 pounds) and began walking the castle grounds. Despite seeing my fair share of castles on this trip, this one is a must-see. It’s one of the bigger castles I’ve been too and the rooms we got to go through were incredible. Definitely some cool history in this castle and the Queen was actually there while we were. Surprisingly I was not able to schedule a meeting with her… After saying goodbyes to Tony, AJ, and Henry, I took off on a train to Bath!

Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle

Tony, Me, Henry, & AJ

Overall thoughts:

I really enjoyed my weekend exploring England by car (Thanks Tony!) It allowed me to see a bunch of new places that normally would have been tough to see all in two days. I also absolutely loved staying with a local British family! I kept telling Tony that if an American were to imagine a stereotypical British couple that his parents would be it. They are the most lovely, kind, generous couple. They made me a roast the first night I arrived, filled with potatoes, carrots, and chicken. Most importantly, they drank so much tea. To me that’s about as British as it gets 🙂

City: Bath

How Long: 3 days

Accommodation:

I really enjoyed my stay here. There seemed to be a lot of people staying here long-term (as it is cheaper to stay in a hostel than renting an apartment, especially for those only working in Bath during the week), but everyone I met was super nice and friendly! Great guest kitchen and there was common room with sofas, tables for eating, and a tv. The lockers were small so I couldn’t store my whole bag in the locker, which is always a bummer. But I was able to just put my valuables in the locker and lock it with my padlock. The staff was all super nice. Absolutely would stay here again.

Where to Eat:

I mostly ate at the hostel, having bought groceries to save money, but I did go to one café in Bradford-on-Avon called Coffee, etc. It was delicious. I had a deluxe hot chocolate and yummy sandwich. If you end up in the quaint town, I would absolutely recommend this place. However, there definitely seemed to be no shortage of cute, more upscale restaurants that were out of my price range, so don’t be afraid to explore other options.

What to do:

Bath is not all that big so to start I went on a walking tour to get a comprehensive understanding of the history of the city. Obviously the Roman Baths were a big part of the city’s history. The water was thought to heal all types of diseases so royalty from all over would come to the baths to heal their ailments. Also the architecture is very important to Bath. It is all made from Bath stone. Because the whole town is essentially built with the same stone, it is stunningly cohesive. I really enjoyed my time just walking around the town. Also the Abbey is not to be missed.

Bath architecture

The Abbey

Because Bath is fairly small, I decided to use a half-day to take a train two stops down to Bradford-on-Avon. It is a small town right on the river, as the name suggests. Its population is less than 10,000 people. There isn’t much to do other than take a walk through the hilly town with stops at the Saxon Church and Holy Trinity Church. I ended up walking along the river to the next train stop towards Bath to enjoy the sunny day as it wasn’t that far. After enjoying my three days in Bath, I was off to London.

Clearly a very old building 🙂

The bridge in Bradford

Overall thoughts:

I really liked Bath! It was fun to see a smaller British city as opposed to London. Obviously it was still touristy, but it felt much more local than London. The architecture is beautiful and I absolutely loved just wandering the city. Definitely recommend a visit to this city and if you have an extra half day, Bradford on Avon is worth the time!

City: London

How Long: 1 day

Accommodation:

I stayed at The Walrus Hostel. My sister stayed here and recommended it to me! Overall great hostel. Beds were comfortable (although the pillows were not very good) and the lockers were big enough to fit my bag. Small guest kitchen. There’s a bar downstairs that locals seem to frequent as well. I only stayed here one night and wish I could have stayed longer. The bathrooms weren’t the cleanest I have ever seen but it wasn’t that big of a deal for me. You need your own padlock here or you can buy one. Definitely would stay here again!

Where to Eat:

I was only here one night, but I met up with Henry for drinks at The Southwark Tavern. It was right by the London Bridge and clearly a popular place. It was definitely a British pub. We sat at a table downstairs where there were all these small alcoves. It gave it a more private feeling and allowed you to actually hear what people at your table were saying. I really liked this place! After drinks I headed back to the hostel and grabbed some food from a supermarket on the way.

What to do:

Essentially all I did was meet Henry for drinks because I arrived in the late afternoon and left early the next morning for my flight to Barcelona!

Overall thoughts:

Well this was a quick trip in London, so now major thoughts about this specific stay in London–but I love London, and hope to move here at some point, even for just a year or two.

 

Hostels/Airbnb Reviews

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A list of all the places I have stayed over the past 2 years! I will update it as I keep traveling 🙂

Austria

Vienna– 7/10 The hostel itself is great. Tons of fun people, and there’s a bar within the hostel. There’s a guest kitchen and a 4.5 euro breakfast option. Good security lockers in the room and comfy beds. However, unfortunately it is fairly far from the city center so it takes 40 minutes to get anywhere (walking). I just find that I prefer to be able to walk right from the hostel to where I want to go without using public transit, which is why I rated it 7/10. I would try to find a hostel closer to town if I came back to Vienna, but if I couldn’t find anything closer that looked good I would stay here again.

Bosnia & Herzegovina

Mostar– 10/10 This place is incredible!! The owner, Miran, was an incredibly nice man who is extremely knowledgeable about the history of the region, as he had grown up there and actually lived through and fought in the Bosnian War. I learned so much from him. The hostel had small lockers in each room to store valuables but not big enough to store your whole bag, but I found everyone at the hostel to be very friendly and nice so I wasn’t worried about anyone stealing stuff from my bag. There was free breakfast and often at night Miran would BBQ so there was a free dinner sometimes. Small kitchen, but food is so cheap you will want to experience the local cuisine. They also offered a great tour of the region (don’t miss this tour). Highly recommend this place!!

Croatia

Dubrovnik– 7/10 I had very mixed feelings about this hostel. The beds were comfy and had individual plugs and lights, which is always appreciated. Small lockers for valuables in the room. Guest kitchen and common room were available for use. BUT the staff were sorta of rude and the staff wake you up every morning. The shower always flooded the entire bathroom, which is gross. The kitchen was quite small so only one person could really be cooking at one time. It wasn’t as social as I would have liked. I would not stay here again.

Plitvice Lakes National Park– 10/10 This hostel was GREAT. I was in a 10 person room and there were large locker under the bed (my favorite type because it’s so easy to just grab what you need!) Nice guest kitchen and plenty of bathrooms/showers. There was a common room with plenty of seating. My favorite part of this hostel was all the board games they had!! Tom, Sam and I played Settlers of Catan on our table while others at the hostel played other games, and others still were playing guitar and singing. Such a fun scene. Would absolutely stay here again!

Split– 5/10 While the facilities were for the most part adequate as there was a guest kitchen, nice sized lockers, and a common room, but my experience here was ruined by the staff. They were unavailable, rude, and seemed annoyed to help me whenever I had questions. Also there were not enough showers/bathrooms. The beds were also super squeaky so whenever someone turned over the whole room could hear it. Also, security was sorely lacking, as a girl turned up around midnight, somehow got into the hostel and crashed in the bed above me, without having a reservation. There was no staff around to stop this so I think she just left in the morning and the staff were none the wiser… Would not stay here again. Would definitely not stay here again. However, if they got better staff I would consider it.

Zagreb– 7.5/10 This was a larger hostel with two separate bars that were filled with both locals and guests staying at the hostel. It also had a common room attached to the guest kitchen, which was just for guests. I did find it a little hard to meet people but that is to be expected at a larger hostel with a bar in the building. The beds were comfy and the lockers were big enough to hold my backpack. I will say that the staff were spectacular! I was sick and asked for extra blankets and they were happy to help me. They also made sure the heater was working. I just felt they consistently went above and beyond! Might stay here again if I couldn’t find a more homey hostel.

Czech Republic

Prague– 9/10 Great hostel, very social. I don’t think there was a kitchen but Prague is so cheap that eating out wasn’t a big deal! There was a bar downstairs where I met a lot of people. Lockers were under the bed and spacious. Generally I found the hostel clean. The only annoying part of the hostel was its location. It felt a bit far from the city center and you have to take public transit to get there. Despite that, I would absolutely stay here again.

Denmark

Copenhagen– 10/10 WOW Cannot say enough good things about this hostel. Had really great beds and storage lockers underneath. Great location. It was easy to walk to anything you would want to see. There was not a bathroom/shower in the room, but there was a sink. There was a guest kitchen and free dinner each night if you were there early enough to grab a coveted seat. The absolute best part about the hostel was the common area/bar. The vibe was so friendly and everyone mingled with everyone. It was so easy to make friends and socialize. One of the nights I was there, there was a live guitar player who took requests, which was super fun. There was a happy hour where you could get two ciders for the price of one. One of my favorite hostels and I absolutely look forward to going back.

Estonia

Tallinn– 8/10 Great location as it was right outside the walled in Old City. It was a perfect location and was easy to get to from the bus I took from the Tallinn Airport. The rooms itself were fairly basic but had everything you needed. The only issue I really had was that the lockers provided in the rooms were too small to fit my bag so I had to remove my valuables from my bag instead of just being able to put all my stuff securely away. I tend to find that people don’t go through your stuff though so I wasn’t too worried about people stealing my clothes. The hostel had coed bathrooms but this wasn’t an issue for me. The hostel also had a kitchen so I prepared most of my meals there. There was a bar attached to the hostel which had some activities most nights. Overall the hostel was fairly empty, meaning it wasn’t very social which is tough on solo travelers. But I don’t think this is the hostels fault, it was more a by-product of it being January in Estonia. Not exactly prime time for travel in Estonia!

Finland

Helsinki– 6/10 The room was fairly basic and the bathrooms were TINY, but not really an issue for me. There was a kitchen so I was able to save money by buying groceries and cooking for myself because Finland is SO expensive. Because I was there in winter there weren’t many guests and there wasn’t much social interaction at the hostel, but I bet it would be better in summer. There were lockers. Good location. I possibly would stay here again but I would have to look at the other options before I decided.

France

Paris– 6/10 This was a large, chain type hostel, which I don’t like as we know. Very hard to meet people as it’s impersonal and this type of hostel tends to attracts groups. Location is horrible as it’s far from everything. Definitely would not stay here again.

Paris– 4/10 This was one of those huge chain hostels that feel very impersonal and is very hard to meet people. This hostel did have a free breakfast if you book directly through their website. The beds were comfy and had a curtain for privacy in addition to personal plug and light. However, I was here with my sister and when we showed up to our 10 person room, we were the only girls. Usually this wouldn’t be an issue but 3 of the guys were very creepy towards us and spoke very little english, however what we could understand was that they were all from Paris. BUT why are you staying in a hostel in Paris if you are from Paris?! Anyway Ellie and I barely slept and did not have a good time here. Would definitely not stay here again.

Paris– Airbnb 10/10 This was the cutest, little apartment in Paris in the 3rd Arrondissement, which is a great neighborhood. I will reiterate that it was small… but it had everything you needed and it was cozy. Very modern and white. There were two full beds (futons) but only separated by a curtain for privacy so only stay here with people you are very comfortable with! Absolutely would stay here again! Loved everything about this cute little apartment!

Paris– Airbnb 10/10 I stayed here with my parents and absolutely loved its Parisian charm. Up-to-date without losing its historic nature. Great location near Notre Dame and the 6th Arrondissement. Tons of great restaurants nearby. Overall would absolutely stay here again.

St. Malo– Airbnb 7/10 This Airbnb was super cute and within the walled in part of St. Malo, which is exactly where you want to be. Had everything you needed, although the bed was a full so not exactly great for sharing with someone you don’t know as well. I was with my sister so this wasn’t a problem. The only issue we had was the wifi was horrible and at times altogether stopped working. When I emailed our host he took hours to respond. Normally this wouldn’t be such a huge deal (I can live without wifi for a couple of days guys…) but I had scheduled an interview and needed access to reliable wifi to be able to skype. Unfortunately this meant I missed my interview. But other than the wifi issue this place was a great find!

Germany

Berlin– 5/10 This was a large, chain hostel, which I don’t like. Very hard to meet people as it’s impersonal and this type of hostel tends to attracts friends traveling in a group. There is a communal kitchen. Good location. Beds were comfy. I would not stay here again.

Greece

Mykonos -10/10 I stayed Orpheas Rooms hotel and it was GREAT. It was reasonably priced and we had two separate bedrooms as I was with a friend. The location was perfect and close to everything. The shower was AMAZING, we both had never seen anything like it. It had like 4 different water spouts and was piping hot. We also had a little patio with a table and chairs where we spent hours playing cards and drinking wine. Definitely recommend a stay here!

Santorini– Airbnb 10/10 We stayed at an airbnb that was literally carved into the cliffs. It was accurately described as a cocoon. It was on the small side but had everything you needed. The best part of the airbnb was the incredible patio that offered chaise lounges to view the incredible sunsets every night. The bathroom was spacious and there was a tiny kitchenette. The bed was comfy and there was also a table with two chairs. Really enjoyed this special airbnb.

Hungary

Budapest– 10/10 Stay here if you end up in Budapest!! Smaller hostel which meant everyone all hung out together, and you sort of became like a family by the end of your stay. I met so many people at this specific hostel that I am still touch with today; someone of whom I have met up with when I visited their home town! Guest kitchen and the hostel also had cheap group dinners. Every night there is a planned activity such as a pub crawl or karaoke night. This hostel is part of a family of 5 hostels so each of the night activities is open to all five hostels so you end up meeting a bunch of other people from the larger sister hostels but when you want to go home and sleep you get to go home to your quiet room. Would love to stay here again!

Iceland

Reykjavik– 7/10 This hostel did not have a super social vibe, but I was here with a friend so it mattered less. There were a lot of older couples and school groups that stayed at the hostel while I was there. Good location close to downtown Reykjavik. Clean facilities and guest kitchen. There was an expensive buffet breakfast, which I would recommend skipping and finding a cute cafe instead.

Ireland

Dublin– 6/10 It was a big hostel so that sometimes made it feel more like a hotel. Great location (Close to Temple Bar, on the river, and close to bus stations). Free breakfast of cereal and toast. The hostel had a kitchen that was open for guests to use. There were showers and toilets in the room. The most frustrating thing about this hostel was that the rooms had no security lockers in them, even though the website said they did have them. Instead, the hostel offered security lockers in the lobby but they cost money. I had to spend 14 euros to store my electronics the four days I spent in Dublin. Would not stay here again.

Galway– 10/10 Overall a great hostel. Close to restaurants, bars, and shopping. The hostel was clean and had a kitchen that was open for guests to use. Free breakfast of cereal and toast. Security lockers in the room. Keycard access to room. Wifi was good. Very easy to meet people. There was an organized dinner at a restaurant close to the hostel. Would stay here again.

Tralee– 2/10 Did not like this hostel. The room was a little dirty and there was only one shower and toilet (which were in the same room) for 9 of us. This meant anytime someone was taking a shower, no one could use the restroom. From the start the staff was rude and unhelpful. When I booked hostels I made sure they mentioned having security lockers and this hostel basically didn’t. What they offered was a tiny locker that barely fit my computer in a hallway downstairs from the where the rooms were. Very inconvenient. I asked the staff to help me print my boarding pass, they stared at me blankly and said they didn’t have a printer. When I asked what other travelers had done in the past, they said they didn’t know because they were both new. Would never stay here again!

Italy

Florence– 10/10 So I say this is Florence, and the hostel is listed under Florence hostels.. but in reality it’s pretty far outside of Florence. It’s about a 30 min bus ride to the center. BUT, this place was a gem. Felt like you were living in an Italian Villa, complete with an olive and fig orchard. You were allowed to literally pull the figs off the trees and eat them… SO yummy. This place was great. The Place had free breakfast. Met some nice other travelers. I think I remember it used to be a hospital but not 100% sure. No lockers, but felt fairly safe. Definitely recommend this place if you don’t mind be a little in the Tuscan countryside 🙂

Florence– Airbnb 10/10 Stayed here with my dad and we felt like Italian aristocrats. The owner’s nephew manages this place and told us it has been in the family for something like 5 generations. So cool. Definitely not modern or up to date amenities, but it would be a shame to remodel this place. We loved all of its charm. Also the location was out of the touristy areas and rather in a more local area of town. Great restaurants and bars, but still walking distance to all the touristy stuff you would want to see. It’s also very spacious and can sleep up to 8 people I think. Would absolutely stay here again.

Ischia– Airbnb 8/10 This Airbnb operated more as a B&B so there were other guests at this  B&B. The room was large and beautifully decorated. I really liked the location as it was in a small town and about a 5 min walk to the beach. Free breakfast in the mornings. There was a small pool, but I can’t imagine why anyone would use it when the Mediterranean is 5 min away. Would definitely stay here again.

Naples– Airbnb 1/10 AVOID THIS AIRBNB LIKE THE PLAGUE because I got bed bugs here and have read other reviews on airbnb that they also got bed bugs… This airbnb was super sketchy and my friend and I only booked it because it was last-minute and cheap. It felt like there were 10 other people at this airbnb, which is probably illegal, and like I said sketchy. Skip this airbnb!

Rome– 6/10 I stayed at Hostel Alessandro Downtown and it was not my favorite, but only because it was very big, which means it is difficult to meet people. The kitchen was only available after breakfast. The common room was too big so people ended up sitting alone at different tables instead of all close together. The rooms were big, but the lockers were a little janky. Some worked and some did so I was a little paranoid that it would be easy to break the locks (luckily no one did). Anyway, I wouldn’t stay here again.

San Gimignano– 9/10 This was such a cute place in a such a cute town. This was definitely not a hostel… more of a B&B but no breakfast. Very quaint and old. Felt like you were living in another era… even down to the beds which felt like they are from the 1800’s. Despite the hard beds, this place was great!

Sestri Levante– 10/10 This was a literal castle… I think that makes me a queen. Stayed here with my dad and it was awesome!! It’s been completely renovated and retrofitted into a hotel. Right on the coast near the Cinque Terre, Portofino, and Santa Margherita. Amazing views overlooking the Mediterranean. Can’t recommend this place enough… although don’t know when I’ll be able to afford to come back.

Luxembourg

Luxembourg– Airbnb 8/10 My sister and I stayed in this Airbnb, which was just a room in someone’s apartment. Because we were only there for one night and had to leave at 6am the next morning we didn’t even see anyone at the apartment. Very basic and reasonable for an expensive city. There are probably better spots than this in Luxembourg, but this fit our needs quite well.

Montenegro

Kotor– 3/10 I stayed at Montenegro Hostel 4U and had very mixed feelings about this place. On the one hand, the facilities were great- Big rooms, big lockers, nice bathrooms, and good kitchen/common area. There were kayaks and bikes available to rent and it was right on the water. HOWEVER, this hostel had the most aggressive organized drinking I had ever seen. I mean it’s one thing for the staff to encourage people to socialize and drink, but it’s another to pressure a kid into drinking so much that he had to go to the hospital. I found the staff to be sexist and too involved with getting people to drink. When I would say that I was fine drinking water, they seemed to be upset and continually asked me to drink alcohol instead. Despite the aggressive staff, I did meet some awesome people here! I would not stay here again.

Ulcinj– 9/10 I stayed at Hostel Pirate and it couldn’t have been more opposite to my hostel in Kotor. It was so relaxing and because Ulcinj is not very big, there wasn’t much to do at night so all the guests would drink beer and just hang at the hostel. I had a great time meeting new people and playing cards. The rooms were nice and the lockers were big enough for valuables. A large guest kitchen and common room were available for use. Also the staff were super awesome, helpful, & generous. ALSO as a bonus there was a Belgian Shepard and the house cat had just had kittens!!!! I would absolutely stay here again.

Norway

Bergen– 7/10 The facilities were sufficient but there was nothing special about this hostel. I did not really meet anyone at this hostel and there was not much of a social atmosphere. There was a guest kitchen. The location was great and super close to everything. Ensuite bathroom. Bergen is small though so I am not sure how many other hostels there are to choose from. Would stay here again, but mostly because the lack of other options. I might look into airbnb if I were to ever be back in Bergen.

Oslo– 7/10 This was a hotel that had rooms with bunk beds, so it definitely didn’t feel too much like a hostel. Not too social. Nonetheless, I still met a lot of people in my room and at the free breakfast in the mornings. There were security lockers, but you needed a padlock. The rooms were clean and filled with a lot of light. There was not a bathroom/shower in the room, but there was a sink.

Poland

Krakow– 10/10 Great sized lockers. Guest kitchen. Free breakfast and free dinner. Free laundry. Great location. Every night there were organized social activities and it was super easy to meet people. Nothing to complain about! I HIGHLY recommend this hostel

Portugal

Porto– 10/10 Another great hostel! The beds were comfy, free breakfast, and great location! Super social, even when I was there in October. Good seating in a communal area to meet people. I went on a great pub crawl there. Would definitely stay here again!

Slovenia

Bled– 10/10 I would highly recommend staying here if you ever get to Lake Bled. It was 5 minutes from the lake and 1 minute to the bus station. The hostel itself has a great communal kitchen and common room. There are big lockers in the room, but you needed your own padlock because sometimes they run out. The only annoying thing was that sometimes all the bathrooms were full (right before bed + in the morning) but overall wasn’t that big of a deal. It was super, super easy to meet some amazing people, and the staff were very helpful. Would absolutely stay here again!

Ljubljana–  8.5/10 At first, when I arrived I feared it would not be that social, but I found some awesome people at this hostel! There was a good kitchen/ common room and plenty of bathrooms and showers. It was about a 15 minute walk to the center of town, but it’s a lovely walk along the river. The lockers were good-sized and the beds had personal sockets for charging devices. I would stay here again.

Spain

Alicante– 7/10 Cute hostel and very cheap. Storage lockers available and there was a breakfast available for 3 euros. Great location. I was only here for a night so I can’t remember whether there was a guest kitchen. There seemed to be a friendly vibe, but like I said, I was only here for a night and didn’t get to experience the whole hostel for everything it had to offer. There were good-sized lockers. Would stay here again.

Barcelona– 10/10 This is my favorite hostel in the world. Seriously. It was also the first hostel I ever stayed in! I have stayed here 4 separate times and each time has been awesome! I have met some of my favorite people here and had some of my favorite memories. I don’t know how but the hostel has created such a social, friendly vibe that only seems to draw in good, interesting people. Theres a communal kitchen as well as 4 euro hostel dinners. There are fun pub crawls every night with the sister hostels. The staff is super friendly. The rooms are really dark, which is great after a late night of drinking. The lockers are large and activated by your key card that gets you into the hostel and your room. Anyway STAY HERE if you are going to Barcelona.

Granada– 8/10 I only stayed here one night and was with a friend so we didn’t get the full social experience here but did end up meeting a group of girls that we went out for dinner with. The beds were comfy and the lockers were big enough to store both my friend’s stuff and mine in the same locker (but this was a weekend trip from Barcelona so we both only had a small bag with us). Not sure if there were kitchen facilities as we didn’t use them. No free breakfast. Would stay here again.

Madrid– 8/10 This was a great, social hostel which is perfect for solo travelers. I met a lot of people at the hostel and we spent the days exploring the city and the nights going out with the whole hostel on the organized pub crawls. Guest kitchen. Cheap group dinners at the hostel, which was great for meeting people. Lockers were on the smaller side, but when I was there I just had a small backpack, which fit. Great common area attached to the kitchen.

Valencia– 7/10 Nothing really stood out at the hostel but I was traveling with a friend so we mostly stuck to ourselves and we only stayed for one night and left early the next morning. There were good-sized lockers. No free breakfast. Bed was comfy and there was a guest kitchen. Would stay here again.

Sweden

Stockholm– 7/10 Cool hostel. Only spent a day here but it was good. There was a guest kitchen and breakfast was served in the morning although not free. There was a bar next door with a shared patio with the hostel. There was a reasonably priced bike tour put on by the hostel. It felt very modern and sleek. Needed a padlock for the in room security lockers. The room was very dark though because it was in the basement. The bathroom/shower was far from the room. One odd/interesting thing about this hostel was that you were not allowed to wear shoes inside so you had to take them off before going to the room.

Stockholm Archipelago– Airbnb 10/10 What a great find this was. On an island in the archipelago, we stayed in a one-room structure in the backyard of an adorable Swedish couple. The structure had bunk beds, a little kitchenette, a breakfast table, and a dresser. Also, outside there was a table with four chairs. There were two bikes that we were free to use. We did have to go into the house to use the bathroom or shower, but this was not an issue. The house was about a 5 minute walk to a small beach and about a 15 minute walk to a larger beach. Just stunning. Would definitely stay here again!

The Netherlands

Amsterdam– 8.5/10 Really liked this hostel! Close to restaurants, bars, canals, the train station, and shopping. The hostel was clean and had a kitchen that was open for guests to use. Free breakfast of cereal and toast. Security lockers in the room, but you need your own padlock. Keycard access to room. Ensuite bathroom. Wifi was good. The only downside was I happened to stay in the room right above the hostel bar, which would play loud, bass heavy music until 2 am. With earplugs, it was manageable though. Because I was with a friend, I did not really test out the social scene within the bar so I am not sure how easy it was to meet people. We did meet some lovely people in our room. Would stay here again.

United Kingdom

Bath– 8/10 I really enjoyed my stay here. There seemed to be a lot of people staying here long-term (as it is cheaper to stay in a hostel than renting an apartment, especially for those only working in Bath during the week), but everyone I met was super nice and friendly! Great guest kitchen and there was common room with sofas, tables for eating, and a tv. The lockers were small so I couldn’t store my whole bag in the locker, which is always a bummer. But I was able to just put my valuables in the locker and lock it with my padlock. The staff was all super nice. Absolutely would stay here again.

Cardiff– 7/10 More social atmosphere, with a great outdoor seating area. The hostel had a kitchen that was open for guests to use. There were security lockers in the room but the guy at the front desk said that they didn’t have the keys for them………. so that was unhelpful. Luckily he found a key to a locker in the lobby area that I could use. Not a great solution, but at least my electronics and passport were safe. The location was a bit far from the city center and I would not have wanted to walk back alone at night. The one night I went out I had to take a 5 pound taxi ride home. Would stay here again.

Cardiff– 6/10 Location was great. Right on the river and close to the city center, but at night it was not all that safe to walk back along the river. It was very difficult to meet people, but I’m not sure whether it was the vibe of the hostel or whether it was just the people who happened to be staying at the hostel at the time. Free breakfast of toast and cereal. Oddly, there were only 2 security lockers in a room for 6 people. Luckily I was the first person to arrive so I picked one of them, however, if there had not been one available when I arrived I would have been pissed. The hostel did not feel that clean. The shower and bathroom were on a different floor which was inconvenient. Room was accessed by key card, and my locker was accessed by a key. Would not stay here again.

Edinburgh– 10/10 Loved this hostel! Really central location. Close to the Royal Mile and it’s literally next to the Grassmarket area, which has tons of restaurants and fun bars. The hostel has restaurant and bar inside it, which is convenient and cheap. It also makes it fairly easy to make friends. Wifi was good. No free breakfast, but a cheap breakfast was available to purchase from the restaurant. There was a kitchen for guests to use. Keycard access to room, but needed your own padlock for the security lockers. Fairly clean hostel. Staff was super friendly and helpful. There was toilets and showers right outside the room. Would definitely stay here again.

Edinburgh– Airbnb 10/10 Once again stayed here with my family so this is not the normal budget traveler’s digs. This place was right on the Royal Mile and was beautiful. Super cozy for our stay in the cold winter. Great kitchen and super comfy beds. This place is definitely 1st class. Would definitely stay here again if it was in my budget!

London– 5/10 Felt like a hotel rather than a hostel. Very difficult to meet people. The only common area was in the bar, which was dark and created a tough atmosphere to meet other travelers. Close to a tube station. No free breakfast. The hostel had a kitchen that was open for guests to use. Security lockers and room accessed by same key card. Would not stay here again.

London– 9/10 My sister stayed here and recommended it to me! Overall great hostel. Beds were comfortable (although the pillows were not very good) and the lockers were big enough to fit my bag. Small guest kitchen. There’s a bar downstairs that locals seem to frequent as well. I only stayed here one night and wish I could have stayed longer. The bathrooms weren’t the cleanest I have ever seen but it wasn’t that big of a deal for me. You need your own padlock here or you can buy one. Definitely would stay here again.

London– 8/10 I stayed at Astor Hyde Park while in London for the final time. I booked super late so there weren’t many options left, but I ended up getting one of the last beds at this hostel. This place had large under the bed lockers and an en suite bathroom. There’s a large guest kitchen and two great common areas for socializing. Also the hostel is right next to Hyde Park!! Definitely recommend a stay here.

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Estonia + Finland

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Wow! It’s been a while since I’ve posted! Sorry about that….After arriving in Barcelona to study Spanish for 4 months I got immersed with my day-to-day life and decided to stop posting on here. But I’M BACK! I’m also going to try a different posting style to see if I like it better.

City: Tallinn, Estonia

How long: 3 days

Accommodation:

I stayed in Red Emperor Bar&Hostel, which was right outside the walled in Old City. It was a perfect location and was easy to get to from the bus I took from the Tallinn Airport. The rooms itself were fairly basic but had everything you needed. The only issue I really had was that the lockers provided in the rooms were too small to fit my bag so I had to remove my valuables from my bag instead of just being able to put all my stuff securely away. I tend to find that people don’t go through your stuff though so I wasn’t too worried about people stealing my clothes. The hostel had coed bathrooms but this wasn’t an issue for me. The hostel also had a kitchen so I prepared most of my meals there. There was a bar attached to the hostel which had some activities most nights. I only went for one of the activities which was a trivia night. I was lucky to find a pair of girls (British + German) who let me join their team. We didn’t win but the British girl, Katharine, and I hit it off so we planned to meet for dinner one of the other nights I was there. She also gave me some recommendations for places to go which was great! Overall the hostel was fairly empty, meaning it wasn’t very social which is tough on solo travelers. But I don’t think this is the hostels fault, it was more a by-product of it being January in Estonia. Not exactly prime time for travel in Estonia!

Where to Eat:

As I said I mostly cooked my meals in the hostel to save money, but I did go to a pancake restaurant at the recommendation of Katharine. Kompressor was within the Old City and is definitely worth a visit. It was delicious! The pancakes were sort of thick crepes and there must have been 30 different types. I ended up with bacon, egg, and cheese–my favorite combo. Definitely recommend a stop here during a visit to Tallinn.

Another restaurant that was good was Must Puudel. I had a burger that was awesome and Katharine had the steak, which she raved about.

On the way to Must Puudel, Katharine had actually wanted to go to Popular but it was too full. The place looked super cute and trendy so this would be another spot to try.

What to do:

The first full day I was there I went on a free walking tour, which left from the tourism office within the Old City. It was about 2 hours long and took us through the history of Tallinn/Estonia, which is quite long as I found out! We walked all around the city and saw some great views and some very old buildings. During the tour I met an Aussie and we decided to get some hot chocolate after the tour because we both froze our butts off during the tour. Highly recommend approximately 16 layers of clothing if going on a walking tour during January in Estonia!

Overlooking the Old City

From a different view point

The next day I headed out on my own and just walked around the Old City, popping into shops and exploring some of the old walls and buildings. It’s so different from walking around cities in the US!

Overall thoughts:

I really liked Tallinn and would love to come back during the summer when it’s easier to spend time outside. I’m sure it would be beautiful. Also the hostel would probably be more social and fun during the summer. Definitely recommend a visit to Tallinn if you get the chance. Also Estonia is super cheap, which was great on my budget before heading to the EXPENSIVE Finland!

City: Helsinki, Finland

How long: 3 days

Accommodation:

I stayed at Hostel Diana Park, which was fairly centrally located. I took the ferry from Tallinn and was able to walk about 20 minutes from the port to the hostel. Easy when all you have is a backpack. When I arrived before check-in time, they were nice enough to let me into my room early because I was super tired. I took a quick nap and then a British guy showed up in the room so I ended up talking to him for a while. He was about to take a train from St. Petersburg all the way to China! That is practically halfway across the world! Then he heads to Australia, South America and eventually the States! It’s going to be a bout a 2 year trip he said. Pretty cool. The room was fairly basic and the bathrooms were TINY, but again not really an issue for me. There was a kitchen so I was able to save money by buying groceries and cooking for myself because Finland is SO expensive. Again, however, because it’s winter in Finland, there weren’t many guests and there wasn’t much social interaction at the hostel. I did run into the Aussie I had lunch with in Tallinn and he was actually staying in my room!! Coincidences like this happen a lot when traveling for a while I find.

Where to Eat:

Because it was so expensive to eat out in Finland I ended up cooking most of my meals, however, I did go to breakfast at Café Engel. It was good but nothing spectacular. Also, it was about 16$ for some eggs, toast, and an OJ so that ended my attempts at eating out.

What to do:

I walked around Helsinki for about 2 hours on my first full day and saw the Uspenki Cathedral which was quite beautiful. Also the Helsinki Cathedral, which is the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran cathedral, was stunning on the cloudy day I saw it.

Helsinki Cathedral

The highlight of my trip to Helsinki was actually not Helsinki itself. It was a town about 45 minutes away, which I went for a day trip on my last day there. The name of the town is Porvoo. It is one of the quaintest towns I have ever seen with all of its buildings painted in different colors. I REALLY enjoyed my time there.

The colorful houses!

Porvoo

Next to the church

Exploring the site where a medieval castle used to stand

Overall thoughts:

I didn’t love Helsinki, in fact I was supposed to stay longer but with the short days and lack of sun, I was starting to feel depressed so I decided to head to Barcelona a few days earlier than scheduled! I really regret not going to the northern part of Finland instead of Helsinki so that at least I would have been able to see the Northern Lights and maybe a reindeer or two, but it just means I have to come back! However, I really liked going to Porvoo, although it only requires a day so it wouldn’t make sense to stay overnight there. Also it was super cold in Finland, so again bring layers upon layers.

Now off to Spain because I can’t seem to stay away for too long 🙂