Copenhagen Guide

Necessary attire for my free walking tour

Gearing up for an outdoor concert at the museum

Moving exhibit at the Louisiana Museum

Top-notch yogurt at my home-away-from-hostel, Kompa'9

Coming from Tunisia this past August, Copenhagen was a complete change (including the unseasonably dreary weather) but I embraced the Scandinavian city and tried to find my inner hygge!*

Where I stayed: Copenhagen Downtown Hostel

PROS: good location, nightly family dinner for a nominal fee, luggage storage for a fee

CONS: very big and informal, pricey

Good places to eat/drink

• Kompa'9- quaint breakfast/lunch spot for decked-out yogurt, good coffee/tea, delicious unfiltered apple juice, friendly service, and free wi-fi, all in a very Scandinavian pinterest-esque setting
• Torvehallerne Market for smørrebrød, aka open-faced sandwiches, at Hallernes
• Streetfood on Paper Island for great international food (I heard from several people that it may be closing so get there quick)
• Ruby for excellent craft cocktails. I walked past the place twice thinking I was lost. The signage to this place is very discreet- if the sign says you're at the Georgian embassy, you've come to the right place. Just take the first right once inside the building, sit at the bar, and watch the mixologists do their magic.

Things to do:

• Nyhavn- walk around the harbor and take in the picturesque buildings
• Louisiana Museum- this may be one of my favorite museums ever, as the entire grounds make up the museum and there is art and beauty to take in whether you are inside at an exhibition, or outside enjoying the seaside, sculptures, and live music that I was lucky to enjoy. (Yayoi Kusama's "Gleaming Lights of the Souls" is a favorite exhibition.)
• Tivoli Gardens- has bragging rights as the world's second oldest amusement park (the other one also in Denmark). Come here to test your fear of heights, listen to live music, stroll through the gardens, and relive your childhood.

Interesting observation:

• *On my free walking tour, I learned more about the danish concept of "hygge" which very loosely translates to cosiness (although it seems difficult to translate). Visit Denmark says that hygge "is as Danish as pork roast and it goes far in illuminating the Danish soul. In essence, hygge means creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people. The warm glow of candlelight is hygge. Friends and family – that’s hygge too. There's nothing more hygge than sitting round a table, discussing the big and small things in life." For whatever reason, hygge seems to be all the rage now thanks to a recent New York Times article.

Torvehallerne

Can't go to Denmark without having smørrebrød

Rooftop views in Copenhagen

Tivoli Gardens madness- somehow I thought getting on this torture device would be fun

Craft cocktails at Ruby

On the left: a "postie fizz" containing homemade rhubarb syrup, geranium leaves, blanca rum, lemon juice, egg white, and soda water

On the right: a "green bees" made up of pisco, thyme, sorrel, and honey

Cooking Class in Malaga

It's no secret that I love food tours and have written about my positive experiences with them here, here, here, and here. This past August, I really wanted to do a food tour with Devour Malaga, the same company I used for my amazing tours in Madrid and Barcelona. Unfortunately, due to the Malaga feria (a crazy shit show of a "festival" which merits its own post), no tours were operating that week. After a little online sleuthing, I was happy to discover a company called Spain Food Sherpas that was offering a tapas cooking class so I quickly signed up along with three of my travel buddies.

The cooking school is located in the funky art district of Malaga and we were led there by Mayte, a Spain Food Sherpas representative. The kitchen is open, airy, and spacious, and there were multiple stations which allowed each group to contibute to the cooking process. Before starting the cooking portion of the class, however, we enjoyed an extra virgin olive oil tasting of different Spanish oils ranging from grassy to peppery. 

A wonderful mother-son duo were our teachers for the day, showing us how to prepare fresh gazpacho, prawns al pil-pil, Spanish omelette, and meatballs with a traditional almond sauce. I really enjoyed how hands-on the class was, with plenty of opportunity for interaction with the teachers. The highlight was sitting at the table and trying our dishes, sipping on refreshing local white wine from Antequera, and enjoying the company of the other participants, who were from England/Ireland and Germany. The day after the class, we received the recipes in our inbox and I plan on making everything soon. I highly recommend Spain Food Sherpas if you're looking for a food experience in Malaga!

Video of gambas sizzling in action

East coast style subs

Growing up with a mother from Massachusetts, I spent my fair share of vacations in the state. One of the best things about returning to her oceanside hometown is the obligatory visit to Victoria's Subs in in Hingham (the next town over). It's a no-frills joint and one of many excellent sub shops that dot New England towns all the way up to Maine. Locals know to call in their orders ahead of time and I have always the same thing waiting for me: roast beef with provolone, lettuce, tomato, onions, "hots", oil, and spices. Cape Cod potato chips are a must as well. The subs at Victoria's are so good that I, along with the rest of their large clientele, put up with the snarling, grumpy man behind the counter. You'll want to do the same should you find yourself in these parts.

Victoria's Subs is located at 345 Rockland Street in Hingham, MA.

Our last visit was in April during a snowstorm. Ah.....Massachusetts...

Roasted salmon glazed with brown sugar and mustard

Weeknight meals sometimes stump me- I want something tasty, nutritious, and easy to prepare. So when I saw this five-ingredient New York Times recipe for roasted salmon glazed with brown sugar and Dijon mustard, I was sold. It's extremely simple to prepare but packs a lot of flavor. Next time you're overwhelmed on a Wednesday evening, try it out. And here's an added bonus- clean-up is a cinch as well!

New Year's Eve in Boracay

Boracay seemed like the place to spend New Year's Eve, and a good place to get partying out of our system before heading on to calmer Palawan. Our reveling had to be put on hold, however, as our AirAsia flight was delayed for about 4 hrs in Manila. Funnily enough, I had spent a lot of time researching whether to fly into Kalibo Airport or Caticlan, the closer one to Boracay. I eventually decided on Kalibo as there were many (cheaper) flights to chose from and I had read that it wasn't uncommon for Caticlan flights to be canceled due to there being only one runway. In the end, even our flight to Kalibo held us up- it seemed as though everyone was going to Boracay for the New Year and the crowds were taking a toll on the airlines. 

Once we arrived at the Kalibo airport, we exited the building and found a stand outside where we bought bus tickets to Caticlan jetty port. The bus ride took a few hours and again at Caticlan, we had to queue up for the small boat to Boracay. Upon docking in Boracay, there are many vans that can take you to your hostel and we were soon at ours, the lovely MNL Beach Hostel Boracay.

Sunset from the hostel roof- beaches on both sides!

Requisite fire throwers on White Beach

We rented a scooter and took it to the northern part of the island where we had the beach (Puka Shell Beach) to ourselves

Filipinos do fireworks in style. We were treated to a long show at midnight.

Beautiful Boracay beach

Lavaux Vineyard Terraces in Switzerland

As someone who grew up in the beautiful Pacific NW and is spoiled by mountains, I remember laughing when I recently did a "hike" in my mom's home state of Massachusetts. Around these parts, we'd have called it a hill. Switzerland, however, can hold its own. In addition to the stunning landscapes, the country also offers superb under the radar wines that any oenophile should explore.
The sloped Lavaux Vineyard Terraces are a short train ride from Lausanne and offer stunning views of Lake Geneva. This spot also happens to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the NYTimes picked the Vaud region as one of its 52 places to visit in 2016. I was in Switzerland 3 years ago (yes, it has taken me that long to post about this visit!) in the fall and happened to get to the vineyards at the perfect time when the late October sun bathed the vines in a golden hue.

Golden hour

After walking the vineyards on our own, we crossed under the busy highway and came to Vinorama, a winery. They first presented a beautiful video about the family history of a Lavaux vineyard throughout the seasons and we then did a tasting opting for Switzerland's best whites. I recommend you follow do the same as that is Switzerland's speciality, especially the Chasselas grape.
While Swiss wine should be enjoyed by us all, they only export roughly 2% abroad so be sure and try this unique wine in its original setting.

Tasty meats, bread, and cheese accompanied our wine and after seeing how beautifully the cheese was sliced, we even bought a fancy cheese slicer (you can find them at Globus in Lausanne!).

El Nido, Palawan Guide

The first time I heard about Palawan was through a picture that looked similar to the one I took above. I mentally bookmarked the place and when I knew that I would have some vacation time coming up at Christmastime, I jumped on the opportunity to book a trip to the Philippines, with Palawan being the main reason. Turquoise waters, jagged limestone cliffs, island-hopping, and fresh grilled fish are promised to those who endure the long journey to El Nido. We were granted all of that and more. 

Palawan is definitely in a transition state-- somewhere between best-kept secret (at least among Americans) and mass-tourism. On multiple occasions, we bumped into travelers that we had met earlier in Manila and Boracay. That's how small El Nido, Palawan feels. It's on everyone's itinerary and rightly so. The funny thing is, the options for accommodation fall on two sides of the extreme- very basic (yet overpriced) and luxurious. Since we didn't properly reserve in advance, we were stuck with one of the worst rooms I'd ever stayed in for the first two nights. It was extremely overpriced considering it had an unbearable moisture smell (which meant we had to sleep with the window open and DEET ourselves up at night), a non-functioning toilet, and questionable sheets. When a room freed up two nights later in an excellent, albeit relatively pricey, "designer" hostel, we felt like kings with an aerated room, a clean and functioning bathroom with a shower, a tasty breakfast, and more. We moved accommodation one more time just to see what else was on offer and ended up in a very comfortable hotel. Read on for my guide to Palawan!

Where to stay: SPIN hostel, Sea Cocoon Hotel
Where NOT to stay: Mochileros Guesthouse

Good places to eat a meal or snack:

• Shakes at Shady rest cafe 
• Crepe stand next to Shady rest cafe (this place gets a lot of action at night)
• Burgers at Alofa
• Drinks at Pukka Bar
• Breakfast at Art Cafe
• Altrove for good crispy pizza- get there early to snag a seat
• V and V bagel- The pan bagnat was out of this world and made by a French expat
• Happiness bar- satisfying shakshuka and good homemade bread. It's in Corong Corong like Republika Bar (see note below) but directly on the beach and not up high.

"Nightlife":

Unlike Boracay, there's no raging club or bar in Palawan but laid back bars dot the beach and the town's main drag. Here are a few I enjoyed:

• Reggae bar- drinks and live music on the beach
• Habibi- for shisha at a beachfront cafe (upstairs)
• Kalabar- bar run by French expats (seeing a theme here?) with delicious cocktails like pineapple mojitos and good ceviche and tartare, pingpong, and a DJ (inside "The Bazaar")
• Republica Sunset Bar- take a trike to Corong Corong (just past El Nido) and catch the sunset of your dreams at this place run by Spanish ex-pats. They have a good Spotify channel on play and tasty if not weak pitchers of sangria. The Spanish tortilla and ceviche are very good.

Activities:

• Island hopping tour- there are plenty of places to book this- we used Art Cafe and did Tour C- the snorkeling was amazing and we saw blue star fish, tons of little biting jellyfish, and lots more. The boat capitans grill lunch while you're out at sea and then you have a meal of fresh fish and fruit waiting for you when you hit the sand.
• Nacpan beach- we rented a scooter to this beach (which was NOT easy to get to- we got lost muliple times. If you're coming from El Nido, the turnoff on the left is very subtle.) Good swimming here and good restaurant on the beach
• Kalit waterfalls- with that scooter you should also go here- you'll need a local guide and flip flops are essential (sneakers don't work because you keep crossing rivers)- the ice cold falls are a refreshing and scenic way to cool off from the Philippine sun
• Rent kayaks (they go quickly so do it in advance!) and head away from the El Nido coastline until you can veer left. Around the corner is a beautiful secluded beach where you can enjoy a quiet swim and a picnic lunch. I brought a pan bagnat from V and V bagel! Watch out for the strong current on the way home.

Interesting observations:

• It's custom to take off shoes before entering restaurants and other businesses in Palawan (For some reason, I didn't encounter this on the other islands I stayed)
• Lack of internet-wifi sucks in Palawan. Even if your accommodation says there's internet, it's often through one cell phone and you'll never get connected. Singh's is the only foolproof solution. A very entrepreneurial Indian guy runs it out of his upstairs apartment in town. Bonus: you get free wifi if you buy Indian food!
• Daily power outages- these are the norm so get used to candlelight. One night we were having dinner and the power was out from the moment we ordered our drinks until right before we finished our meal. Another evening while at Happiness Bar, it was the same story so their menu was limited and they gave me a lantern when I went to the restroom.
• Lots of mosquitoes in Palawan
• "Hello, sir ma'am" is the standard introductory greeting. For some reason I enjoyed this.
• El Nido airport is an experience- we had to take two trikes to get there. It's totally worth it to fly back to Manila from this "airport" instead of going back to Puerto Princesa. There are cows on the runway and you're given a wooden boarding pass which you sadly have to return when you board. It's a small plane back to Manila but luckily the flight is short.

Tips:

• Book accommodation early as El Nido proper is small and the decent (read: reliable plumbing) places go fast
• Rent a scooter and explore the surrounding areas
• Buy bug spray and make use of it from day one!
• Fly back to Manila via the El Nido airport. Yes, the airfare is a little higher than going back to Puerto Princesa, but remember how long the ride took you? Time is money, baby. Plus it's worth it if only for the experience of getting a wooden boarding pass

Snorkeling crystal-clear Palawan waters

Waiting for the sunset at Republica Bar

Aforementioned Republica Sunset Bar with their chill music accompanying the sunset

(Not too shabby) view from room at Sea Cocoon Hotel

View of the bay from my hike for wimps (as opposed to the death-defying Taraw Peak hike)

Singh's Internet Cafe (and living room Indian restaurant!)

Sign: "Fastest INTERNET connection in town! Wifi is not free unless you order Indian food"

Wooden boarding pass at El Nido airport

The "runway"

Our plane back to Manila

Bye, Palawan!

Christmas in the Philippines- Manila

If there's an award for most festive Christmas in the world, the Philippines is way on top--sorry, Germany. This was the nativity scene I encountered as soon as I walked into the arrivals area at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila.

Fried chicken for breakfast on Christmas morning! Being that Christmas is such a huge holiday here, not much was open on December 25. I spent the morning eating fried chicken (apparently that's a thing in Japan?) with a Korean guy from my hostel talking about everything from Hank Aaron to guns in America...all thanks to the help of his trusty horrible e-translator. If that's not an international Christmas experience, well then I don't know what is.

 Christmas mass was so full that crowds gathered outside the church

 Intramuros

Tagaytay volcano. Was it worth the traffic jam spent in a squished van? I think so.

And halo-halo because, well-- it wouldn't be the Philippines without it.