Category ArchiveEverywhere Once |

Our Introduction to Greece: Stunning Santorini

by Shannon on June 25, 2015 in Europe, Greece

With hundreds of inhabited islands scattered in the seas off the coast of Greece, how do you choose which ones to visit?

For us, Santorini was a given.

Not only is the island’s beauty legendary, everyone we know who has been to Santorini has high praise for it. Good friends of ours honeymooned there, while one half of another, well-traveled couple we met recently told us it’s her all-time favorite place.

Santorini is popular for a reason. During our six-day stay on the island, we found that it lived up to the hype…and then some.

One Night in Vienna

by Shannon on June 22, 2015 in Europe, Travel

On route from the U.S. to Greece, we made the most of a 23-hour layover in Vienna. This brief but memorable visit not only introduced us to a beautiful city but also reminded us why we love Europe so much—breathtaking architecture, history at every turn, and delicious food and wine.

During our whirlwind visit to Vienna we had just enough time to…

Where in Westeros Have You Been?

by Brian on June 9, 2015 in Europe, Travel

The Roman Bridge in Cordoba, Spain is also . . .

I have to say that this has me geeking out a bit. It’s not every day you come across something that wraps travel, fantasy, television, literature and European maps all into one beautiful package. So it’s no surprise that when I discovered a map showing all the Game of Thrones filming locations it consumed way more of my time than it should have.

The Long Bridge of Volantis (with added CGI)

The fun thing about this for us is seeing just how many of these places we’ve been to. We never got around to exploring any of the Lord of the Rings filming locations in New Zealand. Somehow, though, we seem to have found ourselves at several spots used as backdrops for Game of Thrones.

Things I Miss About the U.S.

by Brian on February 23, 2015 in Asia, Europe, Travel

Like our second-to-none national parks

It’s been nearly a full year since we last set foot inside our home country. And while I can’t remember experiencing a single bout of homesickness during the past 342 days that we’ve been overseas, there are definitely things I miss about traveling in the U.S.

Europe on Sale

by Brian on January 8, 2015 in Europe, Travel

Bad news for the European Union is good news for U.S. travelers. Over the past six months renewed economic concerns in Euroland have driven the area’s currency down nearly 16% versus the U.S. dollar. That means every country using the Euro, all 19 of them, is on sale. Every hotel, every meal, every taxi ride is 16% cheaper than it was just six months ago.

As with most sales, these bargains won’t necessarily last. So if you’ve had your eye on a shiny new European vacation, it’s just gotten a whole lot more affordable.

If you’re in the market for even deeper bargains look further east where the Russian ruble is down about 45% versus the dollar.