An Introduction to the Magic of Spain

March 30, 2015

Oh España…where do I start? Let’s just say I fell hard for the country and it will for sure not be my last trip there. The thing that makes it so interesting that we felt this way is that Spain was never high on our list. When people would ask us where we wanted to head to next, they would always say, why haven’t you been to Spain? I know it’s always been popular, but for me, it just wasn’t ever that high up on our list. I guess I pictured more of a party country, a warm spot for a beach…both of which aren’t really me. But oh how I was wrong.

Spain first popped up on Nick and I’s radar about a year ago when a Spanish restaurant opened in Portland and we first tried the cuisine of España. We were blown away and immediately started opening up to the idea of Spain for our Spring trip. We were previously looking at the Amalfi Coast of Italy as an option but moved our focus West to Spain and Portugal. Long story short, we are incredibly grateful that we did.

Spain is an incredibly diverse country, from the playful Catalonian atmosphere of Barcelona to the more grounded central part of the country including Madrid, to the Moorish Southern section of Spain to the Basque North. Each part is truly very unique and it is incredible as you travel around how much you notice a difference in language, in food, in architecture throughout the different parts of the country. Those cultural diversities make for an incredible mixture throughout the country, adding texture and diversity to everything. All together, Spain is a beautiful and magical country filled with cheerful people, fantastic food and a landscape that rivals the most beautiful in the world.

Spain for me was everything that I always expected from Italy but never really got. While much of Italy seems to be falling apart around you, with run down buildings and littered streets, Spain keeps the magic alive with impeccable ancient streets and buildings, incredible clean atmospheres and a magic all its own. From the whimsy of Barcelona to the organized charm of Madrid, from the orange groves of Sevilla to the Moorish charm in Granada, Spain is a country that I will now forever hold dear to my heart in more ways than one.

There is magic in Spain, a feeling that will linger with me for a long time to come. There are certain places in this world that we feel a connection to, places that we really do have a sort of a love affair with, that create in us this feeling that we belong, that we can’t wait to see again and that we find ourselves thinking about months and years later. I have a handful of places that I feel that way about, and now I will be adding Spain to that list, in particular Sevilla which I fell entirely in love with. So my advice to you: get yourself to Spain and let its magic envelop you.

Traveling to Spain?

See all of my posts on the country!

And for your trip to Spain, here’s where to stay!

The Truth About Traveling : Seeing More vs. Experiencing More

March 26, 2015

I find that with each trip and each adventure that Nick and I take, my idea of travel in general changes bit by bit. As a kid, I saw travel as fun, as a way to spend time with my family and to see different places without any true emotional realizations, after all I was just a kid. Then when I was traveling to Korea for work a lot straight out of college, I saw travel as an exotic adventure, work hard and play harder: spend all day at the office, then head out and experience Seoul at night, exploring the city streets and hip neighborhoods. Then when Nick and I got married and we started traveling more and more, I saw it as a unique adventure between us, a way to see the world together, to take risks, see all we could and experience different places. Now at almost 29 years old, I see travel as a way to expand our knowledge, a way to connect with places in our world on an emotional level, a way to find spots on this globe that feel entirely right, places that move us, that bring emotions out of us that not every place can, to feel and be inspired and learn. A way to find those places on this planet that speak to us, that give us that feeling you can’t quite explain but almost literally takes your breath away.

I feel more and more in the travel blogging community that it’s just post after post about where to go, what to do and what to eat and while I do much of that too, I also hope to inspire you to go beyond just seeing as much as possible. Travel is about feeling something too. When you stop and ask yourself why you travel, I hope the reason isn’t just to see as many places as you can, to mark it off a list, to see every site in the guidebooks. Because I’m realizing more and more as I see more of the world that what makes travel so magical for me, what makes it inspire me and push me forward, are the emotional connections: experiencing more than just seeing. We all can just see, we all can follow a guidebook and mark off the list of landmarks it tells us to see, but when there is an emotional connection, when you find those places in the world that literally take your breath away, those places that change you, those places that you might only see a tiny part of or that you decide to just wander instead of seeing the tourist attractions…those are the travel memories that I find mean the most. It’s about finding those significant places in the world that truly change you; for me it’s the Udaipur’s of the world, Paris, Sevilla, Iceland, Rhode Island… you’ll find your own magic in the places you see, but when you find the ones that leave a true mark on your soul, that’s what travel is really about.

Travel after all is about learning, it’s about doing more than just seeing, it’s about feeling too, about believing, about inspiring us. So I urge you, the next trip you take, the next place you go…it might not need to be about seeing all the landmarks or tourist attractions, take some time to just wander, to breath in the place, to really experience it instead of just seeing it and I guarantee you’ll find those places that leave something within you that is more incredible than any tourist spot on the planet.

Landmarks and Baclava : London’s South Bank

March 25, 2015

Since we only had one night in London, we awoke fully rested at the lovely Ampersand Hotel in South Kensington, enjoyed breakfast at the hotel and then headed out to explore. Our flight to Barcelona left in the evening, so we had basically the whole day in London and I knew when we booked the trip that I wanted to spend it wandering along London’s South Bank. In all our trips to the city, we’d never made it to that side of the Thames and I wanted to take in the views of the London skyline from the South Bank, check out the Borough Market and wander for hours…and that’s just what we did.

For anyone heading to London, don’t miss putting the South Bank on your itinerary. I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to get there, but it’s so worth it. We jumped on the tube at South Kensington and got off at Westminster, a tube station that you arise from and are immediately overwhelmed with views of Big Ben and Parliament. We wandered along the Thames to the Embankment tube station and then crossed the river on the Golden Jubilee bridge. After arriving on the South Bank, we just wandered the Queen’s Walk towards the Tate Modern, passing the Globe Theater, with views of St. Paul’s across the River. As you keep walking, the landmarks of London rise on her horizon and it’s a tour of London that’s truly remarkable, the history, the buildings you know from movies, and on a beautiful crisp day like we had, I fell in love with all that is London all over again.

As you continue on, you can make a slight detour and stop at Borough Market, which I’d heard about over and over and never had visited… lesson learned: it will now be a stop whenever in the city. From fresh produce, to meat to flowers, to cheeses to the absolute best Baclava I’ve ever had in my life, the Borough Market is not to be missed. Wander through, grab a snack and then wander back to the South Bank, grab a bench and enjoy your treats. We sat with a view of the Tower Bridge and the Tower of London, with blue sky shining brightly, on a cold crisp morning in London eating Baclava, cheesy olive bread and a fresh smoothie and couldn’t have asked for a better adventure in one of our favorite cities.

Don’t Miss on the South Bank

-Views of Big Ben, Parliament and the London Eye

-Wandering around Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre

-The Tate Modern museum

-Stopping for views of St. Paul’s, the Tower Bridge and the Tower of London

-Borough Market

-Views of the Shard

Headed to London?

Check out our London Travel Guide in the Land of Marvels Shop for only $5!

Charm and Meanderings : South Kensington + Hyde Park

March 24, 2015

As I mentioned yesterday, London is a pretty fantastic city and I always cherish our time there. From the moment we arrived on our honeymoon almost 5 years ago, I knew it would be a city that would show up on our travel itineraries for years to come. And while we try to alternate during our trips through Europe with stops in Paris, London will always be a close second for our affection. This last trip was no different and as with every time, when we came up from the escalator in Paddington Station after arriving into the city on the Heathrow Express from the airport, and I love that scene of the taxis all lined up, it’s all so very London. It’s that moment when you really know, you’re in London and it’s brilliant (cue the British accent).

On this past trip, we only had one night in London and after arriving on the red eye around 10am we were exhausted. We headed straight to the Ampersand Hotel and were able to check in early, so we unpacked and spent a couple hours taking a nap and getting organized. Once we felt a little better, we headed out into our hotel’s neighborhood in South Kensington and wandered through the streets as we made our way up to Hyde Park, taking in the gorgeous white row houses of the Queen’s Gate and past the V&A and Natural History Museums, finally making our way to Kensington High Street and one of the entrances to the Park.

Hyde Park has been a long favorite spot of mine in London and I love meandering through each time, enjoying just the company of Nick and I, taking in the sights, watching the locals, and this time, enjoying the gorgeous blue sky weather. We spent a good 45 minutes wandering through the park headed towards Oxford Street and Selfridges for dinner with my dear cousin and as we meandered through the park, by the Serpentine Gallery, over the water, up through where children were practicing horseback riding, and then out onto the busy streets of Oxford Street, I couldn’t help but smile at the fantastic place around us.

Don’t Miss in South Kensington:

-Wandering the streets, checking out the small shops and restaurants.

-V&A Musuem

-Natural History Museum

-Wandering the Queens Walk Road

Don’t Miss in Hyde Park:

-Views of the Royal Albert Hall

-Kensington Gardens

-Rent a bike and meander through.

-Albert Memorial

Top 3 Reasons to Visit London

March 23, 2015

London is a place I’ve visited many times, it’s a city that I know the layout of, that I know how to get around, that I know what to expect and yet, each time I visit, the city blows me away just a little bit more than I thought it could. The famous UK city is home to so much, from famous people to gorgeous buildings to landmarks we all know to an accent we all wish we had, but the real reasons to visit London lay much deeper and they are perhaps the better reasons to visit this magical place.

An energy like no where else.

I love it when we travel somewhere and that place has a unique energy and a vibe all its own. London definitely fits that category and exceeds it. There is an energy in the city streets, cabs zipping past, locals heading to work and to tea and lunch every which way, the tube buzzing at rush hour as people come and go and a feeling that is just thrilling. You want to be those locals buzzing about, you want to be on those platforms “minding the gap” as you board the tube, you want to be wrapped up in everything that is London. The city’s energy is all enveloping and there is no where else I’ve ever felt the vibe that is London and yet, there are also quiet moments at quiet spots in the city when you look around and are suddenly amazed at how the city seems to have stopped, just for a quick second, to let you catch your breath.

You can do a lot for free.

One of the things I hear all the time is how expensive London is but here’s the thing, there is also a tremendous amount of things to do in this great city completely free of cost. From hours meandering through museums to walks through Hyde Park at dusk to wandering the South Bank of the Thames and taking in the landmarks of London completely for free, the city is bursting with activities that are completely free to visit and experience. Set your sights on wandering the neighborhoods, strolling along the Thames and taking it all in… those views are worth more than any tour you might find yourself spending money on.

Be a part of something.

I always find myself with a unique feeling in London… a feeling like just being there, just looking out over the Thames and Big Ben from the Golden Jubilee bridge on a chilly sunny Spring day or wandering through Borough Market or spending an evening at dusk meandering through Hyde Park is more than just the activity you happen to be taking part it. Being in those moments in London evokes a feeling that you are part of something more, part of a city that is truly great, part of a history that is still being written, part of something….more.

When you book that visit to London, take a look at my hotel recommendations for the city here.

Headed to London?

Check out our London Travel Guide in the Land of Marvels Shop for only $5!

Favorite Moments : London, Spain + Portugal

March 19, 2015

Every major trip we take, I like to record some of our favorite moments here on Land of Marvels, not only for my own reference to remember but also for all you lovely readers to see what we loved, what the best spots were and to help you plan your own amazing adventure. We were blown away by how much we loved Spain and Portugal and fell in love with lots of things on the trip, but when it comes down to it, here’s my top 5 favorite moments from our 11 days through London, Spain and Portugal.

We’ve been through London many times and we use it often as a stop over in Europe. We usually stay a couple days and try to see some new spots each time, but we had never made it over to London’s Soth Bank until this trip. I had of course heard about it for years, and now I know why. With gorgeous views of the London skyline, this walk along the Thames is a fantastic way to get acquainted with the city. We happened to have a gorgeous blue sky day on our walk and while chilly, it was insanely beautiful. We made stops at the Borough Market and took in views of St. Paul’s and the Tower Bridge and it was such a beautiful quintessential English day.

We arrived in Barcelona after dark and while we saw the view of Sagrada Familia from our hotel the night we arrived, it wasn’t until the following morning when we opened our hotel room window shade and took in the incredible view of the church with our own eyes from our hotel room bed that we were completely blown away.

Nick and I love a good market in Europe and our afternoon at La Bouqeria market in Barcelona did not disappoint. Filled to the brim with food of every kind, spices, meats, vegetables, fresh juices, this market was so inspiring and charming. I longed to buy the meat to bring home and to collect as much of the fresh produce as I could.

Sevilla completely stole my heart and the city will forever be so special to me, but one of my favorite moments there was wandering the windy streets of old Sevilla at dawn, before the street lamps turned off, before anyone was awake, before the dawn colors painted the sky. The tiny streets with the deep navy blue sky overhead were pure magic.

Our final night in Sevilla, Nick and I made our way down to the river that dissects the city and picked a spot amongst the locals on the banks of the water. We picked a spot and Nick set up to take some photos as twilight began to fade. I sat there and watched the sun set beyond the horizon, taking in everything that was happening and in the moment, felt so grateful to be able to experience this incredible world we call home.

Traveling to Spain?

See all of my posts on the country!

How to Pack for 11 Days in a Carry-On

March 18, 2015

This post has been on my mind for a long time and after always getting numerous questions about how we pack for 11-12 day trips in carry-ons, I thought it time to show you a behind the scenes of me actually packing for a real trip. I filmed this video in the days leading up to us leaving for Spain and Portugal, so it’s truly me packing for the trip. You’ll see in the coming days as I start posting about our trip, that the actual outfits in this packing video were what I wore on the trip and it all fit in my Tumi hardside carry-on. And so, here is how I packed for the trip and what I brought with me for 11 days!

Here’s what I brought:

An Envelope of Old Spanish Pesetas

March 17, 2015

First off, even though it has nothing to do with this post, Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Since I’m Irish, I feel the need to shout that from the rooftops!

And moving on, before we get full blown into trip posts from our adventure through London, Spain and Portugal, I wanted to touch on something that occurred during our trip and my reactions to it. Two days into our trip my grandfather had a stroke and has been in the hospital ever since. The thing is, a few weeks ago, doctors were actually nervous about him having an aneurysm which in the end turned out to be nothing, only for this to happen just days later.

Two days before we left I saw my grandparents in Portland, where my grandpa handed me an envelope of old Spanish money that he had kept from his travels there years ago, a token of their adventures to extend to ours. In the moment, it didn’t seem all that important, I was grateful of course, but looking back now, it’s a memory that keeps replaying over and over in my head. The thing is, we run round and round working, taking care of our daily lives and running from one thing to another that those small moments are often overlooked, often brushed over. And yet when it really matters, those are the only things that matter at all.

It’s been a rough six months for my family, beginning in the Fall with my mom’s cancer diagnosis and now this, but out of it comes lessons that perhaps only situations like this can teach us. We stayed and finished our trip in Europe even after the news because my mom and aunts were there to help, but also because every day during the trip I would look down at that envelope of old Spanish money and know that my Grandpa would have wanted us to enjoy the experience and to create as many memories as possible.

So as we wandered the streets of Spain and Portugal, as we traveled through the countries and fell in love over and over again with that part of the world, one thought kept coming back to me over and over: we don’t know what the future holds, we don’t know when the hard times will come or what they will entail, so living each moment to the fullest, seeing the world, chasing dreams, following your heart…all those things that are easier said than done, we really must do them. We must explore our world, we must fall in love, we must contemplate this life we lead and we must do them now because we don’t know what tomorrow will bring.

I wrote this post sitting on the train from Madrid to Sevilla, as tree groves and small villages flew past the window, as views of vineyards up the sides of mountains and green pastures created a gorgeous view. And all the while, that packet of old Spanish pesetas sat tucked away in my purse at my feet, a constant reminder of what it truly means to live.

Travel Tips : What to Do the Day Before You Travel

March 3, 2015

We are headed to Europe tomorrow for a 12 day vacation through London, Spain and Portugal and we couldn’t be more excited, but there is also a lot of work to do before you leave! I wrote a complete pre-trip checklist last week with general things, but there are so many little things to do the day before, so here is an extended version of that list. So as I’m running around today getting everything done, here’s what to do the day before you travel.

Clean out your wallet and purse. I always go through my wallet and purse and take out all the miscellaneous stuff that collects there in my daily life. Go through and clean out garbage, take out all those punch cards you won’t need on your trip and take out any credit cards that you won’t use while traveling. I usually just keep my Global Entry ID, my debit card and about 3 credit cards that don’t have foreign transaction fees (usually my BA card, my Sapphire Preferred card and my American Express).

Pack toiletries. I wait until right before my trip to pack all my toiletries as most of them I use on a daily basis. Go through and make sure all of them have enough in them for the duration of your trip and see how many plastic bags you’ll need to accommodate all of them.

Do laundry. I always do a few loads of laundry the day before we leave so that when we return, I don’t have added stuff to our already big laundry load after a trip. Make sure you have towels clean for when you get home and do a couple normal loads so that when you get home, you just have to focus on your trip laundry.

Set your mail hold request. This is the one thing that I always seem to forget until the last minute, luckily, it’s a perfect thing to do the day before you leave. Set it to start the day of your trip and end the day you get home. You can do this on USPS’s website and it’s fairly straightforward.

Let colleagues know you’ll be on holiday. Make sure to let your colleagues know you will be on vacation and confirm they have everything they might need from you before you leave. I always answer email while traveling anyways (just so I don’t have a million when I get home) but you probably won’t have access to all your files while you’re gone, so make sure everyone has what they need.

Download all airline or travel apps necessary. I always go through the day before we travel and make sure my phone is stocked with all the travel apps I’ll need. Flying a new airline this time around? Make sure to download their app so you can access flight information and mobile boarding passes. Also add in your flights to Flight Tracker (my favorite for keeping track of flights) so you can see all your flight times and terminal information.

Confirm what time you need to arrive at the airport. Go through all your flight information the day before and confirm how early you need to be at the airport. If you’re checking bags, be there at least 2 hours before your flight. If you carry on like we do, a solid hour before the flight is usually enough for us.

Get excited! One of the best parts of the day before travel is the excitement for the adventure ahead… don’t let the stress of getting everything done overshadow the fact that you’re going on vacation the next day!

Travel Plans You Should be Making Now

March 2, 2015

The year is slipping by us and we’re already in March! It’s semi-crazy to me how fast the time is already going in 2015 but that makes it all the more important to cement your 2015 travel plans in the coming months. Once the time starts going, it’s often hard to really make plans, as life gets crazy and busy, we tend to push things aside. So now is the perfect time to take a weekend and sit down and plan out your travels for the rest of the year! Here’s the travel plans you should be making now…

Book Your Summer Escape

Now is the time to cement those Summer travel plans. With schools out and so many people opting to travel during the Summer, you should be booking your hotels and flights now to get better deals and to make sure you get the selection you want. The longer your wait, the more expensive it will be.

Sign Up for Global Entry

If you haven’t heard of Global Entry, I did a post on it a while ago and you can read it here. In short, this is a government program in the US that basically pre-screens your for security and immigration, so when you go through security, it’s the quick line without having to take off shoes and coats and such. It also allows you to go to a Kiosk at Immigration when returning to the US from overseas, which saves a tremendous amount of time and you never have to wait in the long Immigration lines. It’s saved us so much time over the years, I love this program and more and more airports are becoming part of it, so now is the time to do it!

Plan a Fall Getaway

If you’re looking at a Fall getaway later this year, start figuring out where you want to go and researching flights. We’re looking at a New York escape for our 10 year anniversary in October and I’m beginning to do all the research so I know how much flights are looking like. Now is the time to start planning any getaway you want to make later this year.

Start Looking at Holiday Plans

I know this seems super early, but in all honesty, if you’re going to be traveling over Thanksgiving and Christmas, now would be a great time to figure out where you think you’ll be headed and start looking at prices. If you can get a good baseline of flight costs for a few months now, you’ll know later what you should be paying. Also, if you’re traveling and will need a hotel over Christmas, start planning that now. Hotels book up fast around Christmas time, especially in popular spots, so start looking!

Start Thinking About Spring 2016

It’s never too early to start thinking about next years’ destinations as well… so start brainstorming and making mental lists of destinations you might want to consider for Spring 2016! Let the inspiration flow…

An Introduction to the Magic of Spain

The Truth About Traveling : Seeing More vs. Experiencing More