Author Archives: Kelsey

Day 5 in Malta – Blue Grotto and Goodbye Malta

Posted on May 20, 2026 by Kelsey

On Saturday, May 9, I had one remaining thing on my Malta bucket list (although I would love to go back sometime). I got up and packed my suitcase and got ready to check out of my apartment. I got my last pastry and iced tea from the cafe across the street and sat at my covered balcony to take in the beautiful view for the last time. I took my luggage to a nearby storage location for the day and headed off on my daily adventure.

Houses in my neighborhood, I love the architecture!

I got on the bus towards the Blue Grotto, which is on the southwest coast, and it was very crowded as we went through the busier areas of Sliema and Valleta. Once we got outside of the main cities though, it got a lot emptier. I had to change buses once, and was happy that the next bus came just a few minutes later, so I made it to the Blue Grotto in about an hour.

Once I arrived I walked down the short boardwalk to a lookout spot, which had the most beautiful view of the cliffs and the large rock formations and caves called the Blue Grotto. It turned out to be a much clearer day and I was so glad I made the trip to see this incredible landscape.

After spending a few minutes enjoying the view, I started to walk down the path towards the area where you can get on a boat to see the Blue Grotto up close. It was an enjoyable walk along the coast and I eventually reached a couple restaurants and souvenir shops, which led down to the boat service where you pay €10 for a ticket and then wait in line until there is a boat available. It wasn’t terribly crowded, so I only waited about five minutes until I was able to join a couple other people on a small, colorful boat.

The boat driver took us out of the small bay and into some of the caves along the coast and pointed out different rock formations and things we were seeing. It was perfect weather and the water looked so clear and blue, I thought it looked like a great place to swim, although when we felt the water it was definitely cold. When we got to the Blue Grotto it was amazing to see it from this different perspective. We saw more coral underneath the water, and some areas with white sand below, so the water looked especially bright and even reflected up onto the ceiling of the cave. It was truly magical!

After about 20 minutes we headed back to the dock and I could say this was well worth the trip- one of my highlights of the week for sure!

I walked back up to the bus stop and waited for the next bus that would take me straight back to Valletta. I decided I would have just enough time to make a couple last stops in the capital city and take the ferry back to Sliema to get my luggage before having to go to the airport. In Valletta I got my last pastizzi of the trip, walked through the streets noticing places I first learned about on my first day walking tour, and got a bubble tea from Tea Fusion again. I stopped into a couple shops along the way and then made my way to the Sliema ferry, where I got to enjoy a trip across the harbor one last time.

I picked up my luggage and took the express bus to the airport. It was pretty busy at the airport drop off and I was in the front seat, so I got to watch the bus driver parallel park this huge coach bus, which I thought was particularly impressive. Once in the airport I got through security quickly and found out that the Malta airport is pretty small, and everyone has to just wait in a big communal area until their gate is called. It was packed when I first got there, and there were only a couple options for food, but I found a seat at one of the restaurants and decided to get dinner and try Kinnie, a Maltese soda, that I had heard about but was a little scared to try at first. The tour guide on the first day told us that people either love or hate it, but since I know root beer has that reputation as well and I love root beer I thought I would give it a try. After all, this was pretty much my last chance. I could see the similarity with root beer, but it was more of an orange flavor with a bitter aftertaste. I don’t know that I would have it again, but it wasn’t horrible.

Once my flight was finally called, I boarded the flight and was happy to see that I again did not have anyone sitting next to me. Taking off was a very cool experience because I could see so much of the island. It’s so small that as we turned I could recognize several of the cities and places I had been.

It was just a three hour flight back to Copenhagen, where I had an overnight layover. Because of this, I was excited to take advantage of being able to get a full night’s rest and have a few hours in the morning to explore the city. Copenhagen is a great place for a layover as well because it is so quick and easy to get from the airport into the center of the city. Within 30 minutes I had taken the metro and walked the few more minutes to my hotel. I was a little hungry, so stopped by a churro stand on the way, and I saw a huge banner saying the Copenhagen Marathon- May 10, 2026. I thought, wait, that’s tomorrow! I had no idea until then, but was excited to see what that would be like the next day for my morning in Copenhagen- stay tuned!

Categories: Malta - May 2026 | Tags: adventure, Architecture, Blue Grotto, Boat, europe, malta, nature, Sliema, Travel, Valletta | Leave a comment

Day 4 in Malta – Mosta Dome, Mdina, and Dingli Cliffs

Posted on May 18, 2026 by Kelsey

On Friday, May 8, I planned another full day of sightseeing, and was excited to head towards the western part of the island to visit a couple locations that had been highly recommended. My first stop was Starbucks, since I am always curious what different types of pastries and drinks they have in other countries. I settled on a chocolate filled donut and cool lime refresher (my dad can attest this is the best flavor and has sadly been discontinued in the US). I took my treats and headed to the bus stop to get on the road to my first stop of the day, Mosta Rotunda.

Mosta Rotunda is a unique domed church in the city of Mosta and is the third largest unsupported dome in the world! It was built in the mid-19th century and replaced an older church once the population outgrew it. The architect decided to do something a bit different and create a circular layout with a huge dome, based on the Pantheon. I went inside and got an audio guide and was excited that the first stop was up in the gallery to view the dome. They are currently doing some restoration work, so there was a lift with people working inside the church, which I found very fascinating to watch. I couldn’t help but think how they must really not have a fear of heights to do that job.

Once I went back down to the ground level I continued the audio tour and learned about lots of different pieces of art and architecture around the church. The other interesting thing about the Mosta Rotunda is that during WWII a bomb actually fell through the roof during a service, but did not explode. It left a hole in the dome but because of the nature of its shape, it otherwise stayed completely in tact. The inhabitants now see this as a miracle and the bomb was displayed in one of the other rooms. The marble floor has also been left with damage from the bomb as a reminder of that moment. Once back outside I was able to go next door to the visitor center and watch a short video about the construction of the dome, which I thought was very interesting.

The areas of the ceiling that are still being restored

I went back to the bus stop to wait for the next bus and found out that what I had read online was true- there may be a schedule that is posted, but there is no guarantee that any bus will show up at the time you expect. I later found out that if you scan the QR code on the bus stop signs it will give you live updates for that stop and that was much more helpful. After waiting a little while, the bus finally arrived and I was on the way to Mdina, the medieval Silent City. On my way out of Mosta, however, I saw a sign on the side of the road that caught my eye. It had Millbrae, CA listed as a sister city and I thought what a small world, since I know people who live there!

Once I arrived in Mdina I actually saw my tour guide I had earlier in the week in Valletta finishing a tour- I guess Malta is a small enough place there are only so many tour guides! Since I was a bit hungry and I had some time before my walking tour, I decided to stop by a small restaurant called Is-Serkin, which I had read has the best pastizzi in all of Malta. It is located just outside the Mdina city gates and while I may not be a pastizzi expert, I definitely could tell the difference between this one and the last one I tried in Valletta. This one came straight from the oven, so the cheese was perfectly melted and the outside was super flaky and crunchy.

After finishing my snack, I decided to walk into Mdina and explore a little on my own. The walled city was truly magical to walk around, with all these small alleyways with the limestone buildings on each side. I expected it to be busier, but I guess it was a quiet day and I could see why it gets called the Silent City, especially as it got later in the afternoon.

I took some photos of the famous blue door, and then went to Palazzo Falson, a 13th century palazzo turned museum, which was really cool to see. It was owned by Maltese nobility and showcased lots of artwork and collections from over the centuries. I really enjoyed the audio tour here as well and it felt like I had the whole place to myself!

After the museum I had just enough time to stop by the Fontanella Tea Gardens, which I had read is known for their cakes and beautiful views. Mdina is built on the top of the hill, so when you look out over the walls you can see all the way to the Mediterranean. I got lucky and was seated right at the edge of the terrace, and was treated with a great view while I waited for my iced tea and chocolate cake (there were lots of cake options to choose from but they are famous for the chocolate so I thought I had to give it a try). The cake was delicious, and the ambiance made it even better, so this was the perfect stop to refuel before my free walking tour.

I could see Mosta Rotunda from where I was sitting

I then made my way back toward the Mdina city gates to meet my walking tour guide. As per usual, the tour was great and Ben, the guide, gave so much interesting history along with some interesting facts about Maltese culture. I found it particularly entertaining that he could point out cars that he believed belonged to nobility as we walked around. Mdina is still really just home to nobility and nuns, so the cars he said all belonged to people who either worked or lived there. When we would see an expensive car he could point out the license plate and say those letters stand for the last name of a noble family, etc. Apparently the Maltese really like their vanity license plates!

Baroque Mdina gate- you can see the older opening has been closed up to the right

After the tour finished up, I had just enough time to go back to look in some of the stores. Mdina is known for their glass and so there were several stores selling all sorts of glass objects, and I was able to pick out a vase to take home as a unique souvenir. I went to a Mdina restaurant for a quick dinner, and then decided I would try and make it to Dingli Cliffs for the sunset. This was highly recommended as some of the best views in Malta, but it had been another hazy day, so I wasn’t sure how the sunset would be. It was only a 15 minute bus ride away though, so I thought I would check it out.

From where the bus dropped me off I walked probably about a half mile down the coast to an area where you can get an excellent view of the cliffs. It was a beautiful walk and a great view at the end, even though the sunset was not terribly impressive. There were several other people doing the same thing, but I imagine on a clearer night the area is much more crowded.

After the sun set, it was starting to get dark so I decided to just call a Bolt (the Maltese version of Uber) and that took me back to my apartment in Sliema, on the exact other side of thr island. This trip, however, still only took half an hour which really solidified how small the country is. After a long day I had a relaxing evening enjoying the rooftop hot tub and reflecting on all the amazing places I had seen.

Categories: Malta - May 2026 | Tags: Dingli Cliffs, europe, history, malta, Mdina, Mosta Dome, Mosta Rotunda, Pastizzi, Rabat, Travel, Valletta | Leave a comment

Day 3 in Malta – Day Trip to Gozo

Posted on May 15, 2026 by Kelsey

On Thursday, May 7, I had booked a full day tour of Gozo, the second largest island that makes up the country of Malta. It was a great way to get to see a lot of the island, but it was definitely a long day, so buckle up!

I got picked up at 8:15 from outside a nearby hotel and driven up north to the very top of the island of Malta (only about 45 minutes away). There, we met up with several other vans of people who also got picked up from around the country. Because it was a bit windy that morning the tour company opted for us to take the ferry over, rather than the smaller boat they usually do. It was a bit chaotic as they tried to round everyone up, as it was a pretty large group and there were a couple other tour companies doing the same thing. We eventually all got in the line to get on the ferry and made our way on board. It was a short 15 minute ferry ride, and we could see Comino, another smaller island that is between Malta and Gozo. Comino only has two inhabitants, but has the Blue Lagoon, a popular swimming spot that supposedly gets very crowded in the summer.

These towers can be found all over the coastline of Malta

After we got off the ferry in Gozo we were met with a group of tour guides and their Jeep buggies. Every tour guide had a sign with the names of the four or five people in their group, so we had to all go find which group we belonged in. Luckily, I found Sam, my tour guide, right away. There were already two people in the buggy, who I later found out were Jason and Emily from Syracuse, NY, and we were also joined by a couple from Latvia who had come over on the ferry with me. Jason and Emily had come to Gozo to run a half marathon trail run in a couple days, and as we traveled around the island we saw some of the areas marked out for the run and it looked like it would be beautiful, but very hilly.

Once we all got into the buggy, Sam sped off and we began the tour. I quickly found out that this little vehicle can get very loud, especially when going up hills, so it was a little difficult to hear his commentary from the back seat while we were driving. Sam explained to us that we had some options of where we could go throughout the day, so it could be a little customizable, although we mostly deferred to what he thought would be best. He first quickly stopped at an overlook to show us the view and some local plants, including the Prickly Pear!

Here you can see the small island of Comino and the larger island of Malta behind

Our first stop was at Ramla Bay. We pulled up to a beautiful sandy beach with large hills on either side, and Sam told us that you can hike up to the top of one to a cave called Calypso’s Cave, which is supposedly where Calypso kept Odysseus a prisoner in the Odyssey. He told us that the hike would take 20 minutes, although we were a little doubtful of this time estimate by how far away it looked, and opted not to do the hike. Nonetheless, we had a few minutes to enjoy the beach before heading back to the buggy.

We then drove to the Ggantija Temples, which I was very interested in seeing. These are known as the oldest freestanding structures in the world. It was interesting to see after just having been to some other Neolithic sites the day before. The museum showed some artifacts found at the site, and some seemed similar to what I had seen at the other sites. But what I thought was most interesting was that the stones looked a bit different. The Hypogeum and Tarxien Temples were made of the yellow limestone that is seen all over Malta as a primary building material. A lot of Ggantija, however, was made with a harder, different type of limestone and had a more gray look to it.

After taking in these ancient structures, we got back in the buggy to go back to the busier city of Victoria and visit the Cittadella. This is a small, fortified city from the 15th century on top of a hill complete with a church, small alleys between tall stone buildings, and fortress walls that you can walk on top of. We had only a half hour here (longer would have been nice, but I knew that some things would feel rushed since we were trying to see as much as possible in one day), so we did a quick walk around the walls and through some of the streets, taking in the beautiful views of the island. On the way back to meet our driver, we saw there was a small doorway at the base of one of the walls, where there were WWII shelters dug out underneath. Malta was bombed significantly during WWII, so several of the places I visited had shelters dug out below that you can still visit.

We then drove a little way to a restaurant where our lunch was being served. It was an interesting buffet that had nothing labeled, so I got a few little snacks, but was not too adventurous. We were laughing that that’s why Sam asked us if we were allergic to anything before we went in. They had a delicious pound cake for dessert though, so I definitely enjoyed that!

The next stop was the Munxar Path, where we had incredible views of the sea cliffs, and even a little stone bridge. Sam dropped us off and showed us the path to walk, so we got a little hike around to the next village where he drove to pick us up. It was a very scenic walk, and we saw that the marathon was going to going through this area, which seems like it would be quite challenging!

Seems like a challenging location for a marathon!

Sam got us back in the buggy and drove us down winding roads and through many small villages. It was interesting to see all the houses, and you could tell that by the names many were owned by people from other countries. Sam explained how when he was growing up there were a lot more local people in Gozo, but over time it has become a lot more mixed with people immigrating from other countries and Maltese people moving abroad.

Our next stop was quick but very cool to see. Sam pulled over on the side of the road and we could look down into a limestone quarry, where we could see the people working to cut those yellow stones that are everywhere in Malta. Because the limestone is such a soft stone, it wears away in the sun and wind, and buildings need to have their stones replaced every so often, so obviously this is still a very necessary process. It was really cool to see where all of this material is coming from and the process they use today.

Next, we drove to the Dwejra Inland Sea, which was another of my favorite stops of the day. Here, you walk down to a little cove where you can get on a boat and they will take you completely through a cave out to the other side where you are back out in the Mediterranean. They took us into a few other sea caves and we could see the beautiful blue water (although I’m sure it would be nicer if it wasn’t so hazy out) and even coral growing on the side of the rocks. I love a boat ride, and this was one of my highlights of the day!

Our last stop of the day was at the Xwejni Salt Pans. This is an area right on the coast of the island where there are shallow shapes cut out of the rock. During the summer months salt water is left to evaporate and the remaining salt is harvested. This tradition has been happening for 350 years, and still continues today, so when we arrived we were able to sample and buy salt that came from right where we were standing!

We then had just a short drive back to the ferry terminal, but instead of taking the ferry back we were informed that the wind had calmed enough that we could take the smaller boat trip ride back. We all got on board a wooden boat and were off back past Comino to Malta. The wind may have calmed, but it was still a pretty rocky ride, so I was glad we hadn’t gone in the morning if it would have been worse. The views were pretty even though it was a bit of a hazy day, and we made it back safely to the island of Malta, where we found our vans to drive us back down to where we had been picked up in the morning.

You can see how blue the water is at the Blue Lagoon

I made it back to my apartment around 6, went out to a local pizza restaurant that was highly recommended, and then finished the night with a walk on the Sliema promenade with some gelato and views of the sea. I definitely slept well after this long day of adventure!

Categories: Malta - May 2026 | Tags: Buggy, europe, Gozo, history, malta, Salt, Tour, Travel | Leave a comment

Day 2 in Malta – St. John’s Co-Cathedral and Neolithic Structures

Posted on May 12, 2026 by Kelsey

On Wednesday I started the day in Malta by taking the ferry back to Valletta and going to St. John’s Co-Cathedral. This was one of the “must see” buildings and it certainly was impressive. When I went inside it was pretty crowded with lots of tour groups, but I really enjoyed the in depth audio tour.

The building was built by the Knights of St. John in the 16th century, and was initially very plain, but over time they added much more decoration to the interior once that was the style of the time. This created a mismatched look between the plain exterior and ornate interior that is pretty unique among many other cathedrals. Going around to all the chapels I learned that each one was dedicated to a different division of the Order of St. John. There was a French area, a German area, an Italian area, etc., and each was decorated with symbols representing the country, as well as monuments for various Grand Masters of the Order. You can also see the eight pointed cross many places, which is the symbol of the Knights of St. John.

In addition to the beautiful architecture and decoration, the co-cathedral is also well known for having a couple Caravaggio paintings, including the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, which was his only work that he signed. There was a whole section set up more like a museum with an exhibit and video about Caravaggio which was really interesting. He had quite a temper and killed a man in Italy, so was sentenced to death in Rome, but once the Knights of St. John heard about his amazing painting they offered for him to come live there (and pardon him) if he would paint for them. However, he soon got in another fight and was arrested and expelled. But, he did leave behind some amazing works of art!

Caravaggio’s Beheading of Saint John the Baptist

After leaving the co-cathedral I needed to make my way to the Hypogeum for my tour that I had booked the day before. It was only a short drive away, and the building was hidden amongst normal shops and houses. I really had no idea what to expect, and they did not allow any photos inside so you’ll have to trust my description. They only take about 10 people into the tour at a time, several times a day, which is why it sells out so quickly. When we got inside they had us put on shoe covers and we watched a short introduction video about when the Hypogeum was discovered. There were houses built on top and when a worker was cutting down into the ground below he found a large network of underground rooms and caves that were built over 5000 years ago (older than the pyramids)!

They explained that when it was discovered the archeologists found lots of human remains and bones that showed that parts of it were most likely used for some sort of burial rituals. Now those have been taken out, but we could walk on elevated walkways through multiple levels of the caverns, looking at some remaining paintings, carvings, and structure that was created so long ago. There was an audio tour that played as we were ushered from room to room and it pointed out some of the unique features that we were seeing and gave some possible explanations for what the structure was used for, but of course no one knows for sure. One of the things that I found most interesting was that they created doorways and ceilings completely underground that are similar to other Neotlithic structures, but much better preserved. They also did not have metal tools at the time, so it is even more impressive to understand how much skill and time it would have taken to create these structures. There was also a room that was designed to resonate at a certain frequency, which was very interesting and also gives more possible context as to what these types of structures were used for.

A photo from their website showing one of the rooms with doors and ceilings carved into the stone

After this tour I walked to a nearby cafe for a quick lunch with a view of the local church, then I walked to the nearby Tarxien Temples, which is another Neolithic site built around 3400 BC. This time it was completely outdoors but covered with large tents. This also had an audio tour, so I walked around the site and listened to that which was also fascinating.

After finishing up there I took the bus back to Sliema, did some souvenir shopping, and of course got a bubble tea! At night I found a local restaurant that served fried shrimp and had a delicious dinner to round out day 2 in Malta.

Categories: Malta - May 2026 | Tags: Caravaggio, europe, history, Hypogeum, malta, Neolithic, St John's Co-Cathedral, Travel, Valletta | Leave a comment

Day 1 in Malta – Exploring Valletta and Crafting

Posted on May 11, 2026 by Kelsey

At the same time that Mom and Dad left for England, I went on my own trip to Malta. I’m a little behind but now that I’m back home I’m going to try and get my blog posts up too and hopefully it’s not too confusing!

After a long travel day (Atlanta to Copenhagen to Malta) I got to the apartment I was staying in Monday evening. It was the top floor of a traditional Maltese building, complete with one of their iconic covered balconies and a rooftop with amazing views of the sea. I went out on a short walk to explore Sliema, the town I was staying in, and got a great initial view of Valletta, the capital, across the harbor. I was pretty tired, so I went to sleep with plans to get up early and really start sightseeing the next day.

I stayed at the top floor where the light is on!

On Tuesday I got up and took the ferry from Sliema to Valletta, which is just a short 10 minute journey. I always enjoy being out on the water, so I was excited that this is the easiest and fastest way to get there from where I was staying. Once in Valletta I walked to Fort St. Elmo, at the far end of the peninsula where Valletta is located. Here, I waited to get tickets to the Hypogeum, which are extremely limited and sold out online months in advance. But, you can go to this location to buy next day tickets first thing in the morning if they are available. Luckily, I was successful so I will share more about my visit to the Hypogeum in the next post.

I then strolled through the city and grabbed an iced tea and pastry to eat while I killed a little time before my walking tour. I found a square where there was a really nice temporary installation of tons of flowers and trees and sat on a bench to enjoy this pseudo botanical garden. I learned later on that historically plants were not allowed in Valletta as they have a problem with getting enough water. It rarely rains in Malta and their only source of fresh water is groundwater from that rain. Now, they also desalinate sea water to supplement that. At 10:30 it was time to meet my free walking tour to get my introduction to Valletta.

Walking towards the tour I was shocked by how many more people there were. I clearly had found the busy tourist area, and quickly learned that Valletta sees up to 50,000 people a day (cruise ships dock here as well as it just becoming a more popular travel destination in the last few years). This is particularly impactful once you learn how small the city is. The entire city is only 0.6 miles long and 0.4 miles wide, making it the smallest capital city in Europe. There are only about 5,000 residents, so 50,000 people coming in every day is quite a lot!

The walking tour was great and I learned a lot of context about the history and culture of Malta. Valletta was built by the Knights of Saint John, who created the fortified city in order to protect the island that they called home. The city has a grid layout and a lot of the buildings we saw could be attributed to the Knights. We started the tour at the new Parliament building, which was made in the same yellow limestone that most buildings in Malta are made out of, but with an interesting texture to represent how these stones wear away over time. Next to it was the opera house, which was mostly destroyed during WWII, but now has been reopened as an open-air theater. We ended the tour with a view of the Upper Barrakka Gardens, where they fire a canon twice a day. Our tour guide had timed it so that we could watch the canon go off, and it was a little underwhelming.

The tour also gave some great information about what Malta is like today. It has two official languages, Maltese and English, and both have equal importance, so most signs would have both. The tour guide also explained that Maltese is a mix from several other languages, primarily Arabic with some Italian, French, and English thrown in, which makes a lot of sense based on Malta’s location between Sicily and Africa. She also told us how before 2018 Valletta really run down, but was then designated as a European Capital of Culture, which gave a lot more funding and led to a huge resurgence of development and tourism. Now, the real estate in the city is super expensive, many of the buildings have been restored, and they see millions of tourists each year.

After the walking tour I needed a snack so decided to try a pastizzi, one of the traditional Maltese pastries recommended by the tour guide. They are filled with either ricotta or mushy peas, so I definitely went with the ricotta. I don’t know that I’d want to eat it every day, but for a quick and cheap snack it was pretty good. Then I quickly stopped to get a bubble tea before catching another ferry to the Three Cities, which are located on the harbor on the other side of Valletta.

The Three Cities are known for being quieter, more residential areas and the streets I walked down were definitely that. I made my way to a crafting class, which I had booked through Airbnb Experiences. It sounded like a fun way to spend an afternoon and make a souvenir in the process. I met Dilara, the host of the class, at her apartment and she showed me to her balcony with an amazing view of Valletta, where she had laid out all the supplies needed for our drawing and embroidery class. It turns out I was the only one signed up that day, so I had a private class and it was nice to chat and get to go at my own pace. Dilara had printed out pictures of different Maltese flowers to use as inspiration, and I was able to trace and color, and then embroider over the image to add some texture. I asked her which one she thought I would most likely see while I was there and she recommended the Prickly Pear, since they are everywhere (I can confirm this!). I had a great afternoon working on the project and was happy with the finished product that I could take home and frame.

After I finished that up it was getting towards evening, so I took the ferry back to Valleta, walked through the Upper Barrakka Gardens and back through to the ferry to Sliema, which I took back to where I was staying. Overall, a great first day out getting the lay of the land and seeing what Malta is all about!

Categories: Malta - May 2026 | Tags: europe, history, malta, Mslta, Pastizzi, Sliema, Tour, Travel, Valletta | Leave a comment

Budapest Day 2

Posted on April 25, 2023 by Kelsey

On our second day in Budapest we decided to explore the Buda side of the city. This was across the river from where we were staying, so we got to cross one of the several bridges across the Danube River. We listened to an audio tour on our phones that guided us around Buda Castle and the surrounding area. Most of the castle is now broken up into different museums, so we didn’t really go inside, but we could walk around, discover little corridors, and see the beautiful architecture and courtyards (along with a good amount of construction).

One part of Buda Castle that I had read about and wanted to explore was called the Labrinth. This was a series of underground cellars that had been connected and created a sort of maze. You could go down and pay a small fee to explore, which ended up being a bit spookier than I had thought. It was very dark and even foggy in some areas, and the faint opera music they had playing with wax statues did not help! There were plaques along the way telling stories and urban legends about Count Dracula as well because it has been said that he was held in prison there, but it turns out that was not true.

After we finally found our way out we made our way to St. Matthias Church and Fisherman’s Bastion. This was one of my favorite stops on the trip because the architecture was so pretty and unique. There were lots of tourists but we were able to go inside the church and look around, and the views over the Danube River were amazing!

Later in the afternoon we decided to go check out one of the famous Hungarian Baths. We ended up going to the biggest and most famous one, Szechenyi Thermal Baths. Budapest is home to a lot of geothermal hot springs, and for hundreds of years people have gone to thermal bath houses like this one. I didn’t know what to expect but it was a huge complex with many smaller indoor pools surrounding a larger outdoor pool, all at various warm temperatures. We ended up going from pool to pool, and even in a sauna or two, and then braved the cold outside to get into the famous outdoor pools. Overall it was a very relaxing and unique to Budapest experience.

Had to stop for a photo on another bridge!

After a relaxing evening, we got dinner and Chimney Cakes (a fantastic discovery of dough baked into a cylindrical shape and covered in cinnamon sugar) and then decided to take the bus back over to the Buda side. I had read that going over to where we were earlier in the day but at night would be a fun thing to do and it did not disappoint. We went up on Fisherman’s Bastion, which was no longer crowded with tourists, and were able to sit and look out at the city lights over the river. What a fun way to end our second day in Budapest!

Categories: Budapest 2023 | 1 Comment

Budapest Day 1

Posted on April 23, 2023 by Kelsey

Our trip to Budapest started off with a bang- it was Hungarian National Day, which is the Memorial Day of the 1848 Revolution. We had no idea when we planned our trip, but it ended up working out so well that we got to be there on a national holiday. While some museums and restaurants were closed, there were a few places open for free and we also got to see a bit of a ceremony and parade in front of the Parliament building.

After waking up early to go to this ceremony, we got in line to go inside the Parliament building, which was open to the public for the holiday. We ended up waiting over two hours, but the line was even longer when we left. The building was huge and incredibly beautiful inside and out. Inside we were able to see the crown jewels in one of the main halls.

The line to get into the Parliament building wrapped around the whole square!

After leaving the Parliament building, we got lunch and then headed to the House of Terror, which is actually a museum about the fascist and communist regimes that used the building throughout the 20th century, as well as a memorial to victims who were tortured and killed there. The museum was open for free that day, so it was very crowded but it was very well done and had a lot of information both in the exhibits and on the audio guide.

That night we walked down by the Danube and then went by the National Museum which was lit up in honor of the holiday.

Categories: Budapest 2023 | 1 Comment

London, Take Two

Posted on April 28, 2022 by Kelsey

Back in March I took another trip to England, and after some last minute changes to plans I ended up spending the first weekend on my own in London! Since I had already been and gone to most of the common tourist locations, I had a more laid back time and was able to explore some lesser known places.

I stayed in a very unique hotel right in Picadilly Circus called Zedwell. It was a great central location in a very busy area, but I thought it would be convenient for me coming from the airport and leaving on the train. The hotel has many rooms of various sizes, called “cocoons” where they are extremely simple and modern, but do not have windows, so are able to be packed into the center of the building and take you away from the hustle and bustle of the area. I thought it was pretty cool- the whole check in process is done by yourself on a tablet, and the whole place feels very modern and sleek. The room was very small, however, so I was glad to be alone and only be staying for a night. But, for what I was looking at and at a less expensive price point, it was perfect!

After checking into the hotel on Saturday I had the rest of the afternoon to myself, so I decided to go to Hampton Court Palace, a recommendation from family friends. It was about a two hour train ride outside of London, but I got there and was able to get the audio tour and walk around this incredible palace for a few hours, learning about the past kings and queens who had lived there, and the different architectural styles that were added throughout time. I didn’t have much time to walk around the grounds because it got late in the day, but I thought it was an amazing day out and definitely worth a visit. I took the train back into London and got pizza that night for dinner back in my hotel room.

On Sunday I woke up and got a donut and hot chocolate for breakfast, and sat out in a park to eat. I was really lucky with great sunny weather both days, even though it was a bit chilly. Next on my list was to visit the London Mithraeum, which I had found on TripAdvisor, but didn’t know much about. This was the site of ruins from back when the Romans occupied the area. There was a cult that worshiped the Roman god Mithras and created this Mithraeum, which has recently been discovered and turned into a museum. While not a lot is known about this cult, the museum had lots of artifacts from the excavation and audio and visual presentations about the cult members and what is believed to have gone on in the Mithraeum.

The London Mithraeum ruins, with the image of god Mithras that would’ve been present in the building.

I found the museum to be really well done, and the immersive presentation was fascinating. It wasn’t a long visit, but very cool to learn about something I had never heard of before.

My next stop was the nearby Monument to the Great Fire of London. It was only a short walk away from the museum and I hadn’t been so I got in line and walked the 311 stairs up to the top for a great view of London. The only hiccup was that several small children were scared on the way down the spiral staircase, so it took quite awhile to slowly make my way down.

I then got bubble tea, stopped by my hotel to get my bags, and took the Tube to the train station, where I got on the 1.5 hour long train ride up towards Leek.

Overall, I had a great weekend in London, and while it wasn’t what I had originally planned I felt like I made the most of it and enjoyed getting to explore a couple more places that I hadn’t known of when I first visited!

Categories: England and Spain-2022 | 5 Comments

Cancun, Mexico – March 2020

Posted on April 13, 2020 by Kelsey

A little over a month ago, Lindsey, Mom, and I went to Cancun, Mexico for Lindsey’s spring break. We stayed at Occidental Tucancun and had a really beautiful week there! I couldn’t have asked for better weather.

On the flight to Cancun!

The resort was much smaller than the one we went to in the Dominican Republic last year, but there were still three pools and several restaurants, and it didn’t seem particularly crowded. This time there were not as many activities, but we were all happy to spend our time relaxing by the pool and going for walks on the beach. The ocean water there was super clear and warm, so it was ideal for swimming.

For the first few days, we tried out the different buffet and reservation restaurants, and decided that the main buffet was the best for breakfast, and the seafood and Italian restaurants were our favorites for dinner. At lunch, we sometimes went to one of the buffets, but a few days they were cooking hot dogs and hamburgers outside by the pool.

Every night the resort had a different show, so we went to a few of them, some definitely better than others. Part of the fun was watching the others in the audience, so it was usually pretty entertaining. Unfortunately, we did not get to see the Michael Jackson show, which Mom had read in a review was the best one.

While we spent most of the vacation relaxing and getting to nap and read by the pool, we did go on an excursion to Chichen Itza for one day, but I will be putting that in a separate post – stay tuned! Overall, the week was amazing and I was so happy to be able to spend time with Mom and Lindsey, especially since that involved relaxing on a beach. And, due to the timing, we were lucky to be able to travel safely before needing to stay in at home for quite awhile. Thanks for reading about our recent travels!

Categories: Cancun - March 2020 | 2 Comments

Chichen Itza – March 12, 2020

Posted on April 13, 2020 by Kelsey

On Thursday, we decided to go on an excursion to Chichen Itza, which I was very excited to visit ever since learning about it in Spanish class years ago. I also was very excited to learn about the Mayans since ancient cultures are really interesting to me.

We left the resort early in the morning and got on the tour bus. We were actually very lucky to be on a pretty empty bus, so had plenty of space to spread out. To Chichen Itza, it took about 2.5 hours, but we also stopped along the way at a cenote, which is a large sinkhole in the limestone bedrock that exposes the groundwater below. There are several around the Yucatan peninsula, and the Mayans used certain cenotes for rituals and even sacrifices.

At the cenote, Lindsey and I were able to swim for a bit, which was very refreshing since it was pretty hot out. The water was very clear, but the cenote goes down about 40 meters, and is surrounded by tall limestone walls, so it was still pretty dark where the sunlight didn’t hit. There were even some sizeable fish that swam around us!

After swimming, we went into the restaurant there for lunch and then were back on the bus to go the rest of the way to Chichen Itza. All throughout the ride there, the tour guide told us about the Mayans, their culture, and the history of the civilization. This was pretty interesting and a good way to practice some Spanish comprehension since she said everything in both Spanish and English.

Once we arrived at Chichen Itza, our bus got separated into groups for the English and Spanish tour. We had a tour guide who was American but had been living in Mexico for quite awhile, and he was able to share a lot of information as we walked around the entire site.

Not only did we see the famous main Temple of Kulkulcan, but we also walked around to several other ruins and learned about what they were used for. The many columns were a covered area for spectators when there were large ceremonies and I found it interesting that that was actually one of the largest covered structures in the Americas at the time.

We also learned about the Great Ball Court, which was where the ancient ballgame was played. This is the largest one in ancient Mesoamerica, and we learned that the way it was played was by hitting a large rubber ball without hands or feet and trying to get it through the high hoop on the wall. It seems like that would be almost impossible and very painful, so I’m glad we don’t play that game anymore. There were carvings along the walls that showed the game being played and other scenes that were important to the Mayans.

After the guided tour, we had some time to ourselves to walk around and take pictures. Our tour guide was very nice and showed everyone how to take fun photos with the ruins.

After our time at Chichen Itza, we got back on the bus to head back to Cancun. Along the way we stopped at Valladolid, a historic colonial Mexican town with a cute square and one of the oldest churches in Mexico. We only were able to stop for a short time, but we walked around a bit and got ice cream and (of course) churros.

After this stop, we headed back towards Cancun and were dropped off back at our resort. After a long day of travel and sightseeing the three of us were tired and hungry, so we had dinner, showered, and went to bed. It was definitely my favorite day of the week, and a nice addition to our overall very laid back and relaxed vacation!

Categories: Cancun - March 2020 | 1 Comment