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Fashion, food, & travel

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Hiking the "W" Day 3: Italiano --> French Valley --> Los Cuernos

Hiking the “W” Day 3: Italiano –> French Valley –> Los Cuernos

Italiano –> Up and Down the French Valley –> Los Cuernos

Day 3 emerged cold, foggy, and starkly beautiful. Italiano, although limited in resources, has to be one of the most peaceful places to camp on earth. The river streaming out of the French Valley gently lulls you into sleep while the forested campsites teem with chirping birds and whispering winds, granting you a welcome respite from the…

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Hiking the "W" Day 2: Refugio Grey --> Camp Italiano

Hiking the “W” Day 2: Refugio Grey –> Camp Italiano

Refugio Grey –> Camp Italiano

18.5 km -and- the day of the stomach bug

Our day started out cold and drizzly, a bit dark but otherwise uneventful. We packed up camp outside of Glacier Grey, got breakfast going, and headed out. The hike out of the glacier and back towards Paine Grande was actually much more enjoyable than I had anticipated it would be. We stopped several times to soak up the view,…

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Hiking the "W" Part 2: Our choice of route, day one

Hiking the “W” Part 2: Our choice of route, day one

Our route:

Day 1: Puerto Natales–> Visitors Center –> Lago Pehoe –> Glacier Grey

We took the bus from Puerto Natales (another conversation in and of itself) into the Park. This took roughly 2 hrs and 20 minutes. The bus will automatically stop at the Visitor’s Center where you must either pay an entrance fee or demonstrate prior proof of payment. There is also a short video played discussing…

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If you have more than 72 hours in Paris...

If you have more than 72 hours in Paris…

Then consider adding these things to your list… Montmartre The neighborhood in the north of Paris that previously housed Le Chat Noir and Moulin Rouge, Montmarte is remarkably well preserved and is worth at least walking through. Montmartre was the home of such notables as Degas and Renoir, and today remains a haven for artists- if you’d like your own portrait painted, go to the Place du Tertre…

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Housing in Lauterbrunnen

Housing in Lauterbrunnen deserves its own article, simply because I can cover almost all of the major options on one web page. Keep in mind these places can fill up fast, especially during high season, and since many of the room rates are completely dependent on occupancy it really does pay to have a plan. Whatever price I’ve listed is an average and will probably be different by the time you get…

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How to get to and from the Brussels Airport Getting to and from Brussels Airport can definitely be confusing. The airport train is in the basement level of the airport.

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Public Transportation in London

Public Transportation in London

There are a myriad of options for transportation in London. Of course, you have the option to take a taxi, but I want to cover buses and the underground as well. London Buses: This is a cheap, efficient, and fun way to get around the city. These red, double-decker buses are awesome for sightseeing and are only £1.50 a ride. You NEED AN OYSTER CARD (you can read about them here.) If you are doing…

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How does the London Oyster Card work?

How does the London Oyster Card work?

The Oyster Card is, in my opinion, the easiest way to travel around London. It’s an electronic card that you can re-load as you need to and gives you access to most public transportation in London. To place credit on the card, you have to buy it first (£5) and then load money onto it. Some are opposed to purchasing the Oyster card because of the £5 non-refundable charge, but it makes public…

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Where to Stay in Brussels

Where to Stay in Brussels

There are 19 different boroughs within Brussels that you can choose to stay in. I’m only going to cover a few here in this article.  Saint-Gilles: It’s a mix between hipster and dirty, fun and kind of funky, vibrant and loud. The closer you to stay to Avenue Louise, the safer it is. There are several sites that say it isn’t safe to be out in Saint-Gilles after dark, but the reviews are mixed. …

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Weather in Brussels Summers are very humid and often rainy. It doesn't get crazy hot, but it does get very humid so it can feel warmer than it is.

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Public Transportation in Brussels

Public Transportation in Brussels

Metro The Metro in Brussels consists of four lines, Line 1 (magenta), Line 2 (red), Line 5 (yellow) and Line 6 (blue). I’ve included a picture of the metro above, but I also have the site linked here if you want to print a copy. Read up on ticketing before you go, because we found several automated ticketing machines that were most certainly not in English- just French and Dutch. That can make a…

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Schönbrunn Palace

Schönbrunn Palace is strikingly beautiful. Although I’m sure some would argue with me, I believe its beauty far exceeds that of Versailles. What is inarguable is Schönbrunn’s remarkable accessibility and affordability in comparison to its European counterparts. This ease of access should rank Schönbrunn extremely high on any budget-conscious travelers list. The Palace audio tour detailing of the…

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Eltz Castle, Germany

Eltz Castle (or Burg Eltz, in German) is buried in the forest near the town of Moselkern, Germany. There are a seemingly infinite number of castles in Germany, and if that’s your thing, there are dedicated castle tours of Germany that only stop at the biggest and most beautiful of Germany’s castles. Some tours are as short as a week; some extend much longer than that. I found Burg Eltz to be…

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The Golden Circle

The Golden Circle is made up of three primary places-  Þingvellir National Park, the Geysir Geothermal Area, and Gullfoss waterfall. Although these areas tend to be over-toured and crazy crowded, they should be seen at least once. If you are spending time in Iceland and want to do more than a day trip through the Golden Circle, you should really consider going during shoulder season. Tour buses…

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Bocas del Toro

I kept seeing Bocas del Toro, Panama, pop up in “Places to See Before they Disappear” and “Endangered Regions” type lists.  I particularly love traveling to places that haven’t yet become inundated with tourism, and we had credit card points that were calling our names, so we booked our tickets for early September. It was after the purchase of two non-refundable tickets to Bocas del Toro that I…

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Water Taxis in Bocas del Toro

Water Taxis in Bocas del Toro

As I researched transport in Bocas, I read several stories of water taxi drivers falsely elevating prices whenever they saw a tourist headed their way. I can’t speak from personal experience as to whether or not this is true, because we always used the water taxi service Boteros Bocatorenos Unidos on Calle 3 and were always  treated  fairly and with respect. When we entered the building, a taxi…

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Restaurants in Bocas del Toro; Isle Colon

Restaurants in Bocas del Toro; Isle Colon

These places were recommended on various sites – we were able to make it to most but not all of them, but they all had pretty rave reviews. Here’s some addresses and names to save you time. Keep in mind the hours for the restaurants in Bocas are pretty sporadic. Alberto’s Pizzeria (Sardinian) Calle 5, Isla Colon $10 per pizza Noon- 10 PM Monday- Saturday Lilli’s Café Calle 1a next to the Tropical…

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