Sunday, July 6 (Mallorca, Spain) – When I arrived at my hotel in Playa de Muro, Mallorca, I spoke with my concierge about finding a place to go horseback riding.  There were books with offers from different tour companies, but he told me that last summer he went on a ride at Rancho Can Picafort and that it was really nice, so I trusted him and signed up for a three-hour late afternoon ride.

I was picked up at my hotel and then we made another stop to pick up two French girls at another hotel.  When they walked towards the car, I couldn’t believe what I saw – one girl in short shorts and the other in some kind of skort…. For a three-hour horseback ride!  Ok… so when we arrived at the ranch, I was happy to see an area where guests could borrow helmets and half chaps, so I snuck a photo of the French girls in their ridiculous ‘riding’ outfits and half chaps.

So after getting situated with my gear, I realized there were five other people already there, and we were all going on this ride together.  Eight people on a three-hour ride which is supposed to be advanced… that seems like a lot.  Anyway, the owner asked if I know how to ride and of course I said yes, and that I’ve been riding for a while.  So the next thing I knew,all of the other riders on my trip were all mounted on horses that had been patiently waiting out front, but two workers were running towards me with a beautiful grey Andalusian mare trotting beside them.  A problem horse? A fancy horse?  A crazy horse needing some schooling by ‘someone who says she knows how to ride’?  

Anyway, I noticed as riding crops (whips) wre handed out to each of the riders (I have NEVER seen that on a trail ride, especially with people on a horse for their first time), but when I reached for one, I was immediately yelled at that ‘No!’ my horse does not need a whip… oh boy.

It was a little after five in the afternoon and the sun was blazing, but the horses seemed to love it and were forward, active and happy to be on the move.  We walked through some beautiful forest areas with green leaves against a bright blue sky.

Then we turned and emerged on a beautiful secluded beach.  There were only a handful of people there - clearly locals as no tourist could have found this spot.  We were then invited to gallop if we wanted and about half of the group moved up.  I am always curious about why some barns outside of the US (as American places would never risk the liability) will skip the 'canter' and instead go for a full gallop without knowing anything about the riders.  But I'm not asking questions because was SO much fun.  The first gallop was a bit scary because all of a sudden we went from a standstill to a full out gallop.  It felt like in a cartoon when the horse starts moving really fast and the rider is still in the same place as if the horse ran out underneath him.  Yup, that was me.  I soon found out why my horse was 'special'.  She not only clearly loved to run, she immediately passed all the other horses in the group (including the guide's horse) to be out in front.  I didn't feel like I was on a runaway horse, it was actually a very adjustable, comfortable gallop once she got ahead of the pack.  By the second time galloping, I knew what to expect and we went for it - SO much fun.

By now you're probably wondering about the nudist beach part of the story?  Well, you know how I said I saw a handful of locals on a secluded beach?  They were the only clothed ones I saw.  The rest of the time on the beach, the only people I saw were naked!  I tried to snap a photo but we were moving pretty past and I didn't get it.  But the images are forever in my mind.  Sorry I can't share that with you!  But here are more pictures of the amazing ride!  (Trust me, these are must more attractive pictures).

Wednesday, June 25 (Vigo, Spain) – On another chilly, overcast day in Galicia (today, in Vigo), I realized I wouldn’t be able to do the boat ride to the Islas Cies which are known for their incredibly beautiful beaches, just off the coast of Vigo.  Being that Vigo isn’t a very touristy city, and it was the middle of the work week, there wasn’t an overwhelming amount of things to do, so I ventured into Casco Vello, the old city.

The old city is next to the port and is a small maze of cobblestone streets with a variety of cafes, bars and shops.  My favorite street in the area is Rua de Cesteria, where wicker products are weaved and sold.  Here you can get beautiful picnic baskets, rustic chairs or even sun hats.  It is a small street and easy to miss, so make it a priority!

What I love about this old city is that it is well inhabited and isn’t purely an attraction.  In fact, walking down one street I saw a golden retriever on a second story balcony staring out between the terrace bars.  All of a sudden he started jumping back and forth and ran back into the house, and I looked at where he had been staring and realized his owner had come back from an errand and the dog was excited for his homecoming.  This simple moment was nice and reminded me that real people are living real lives here, not just crazy people like me who come to take a peek.  (It also made me miss my – I mean my aunt’s – dogs).

There another notable street in the old town that is nicknamed the Oyster Street because it is where you can go to get fresh oysters.  In fact you can buy them at a kiosk and then enjoy them at any restaurant you choose.  I sat down at one restaurant and noticed the menu was mainly large portions for sharing.  But I expressed my concern and the waiter brought over a tapas menu so I could taste a few small plates!  Apparently many restaurants have ‘secret’ tapas menus that only come out when asked for (because the items are cheaper).  I had three Galician classics that were all very tasty.  (See more in my post about what to eat in Galicia, Spain)

In the old town is a market where you can buy mainly fresh fish and meat (although you can also get some fruit, veggies, cheese, and flowers).  It was already later in the day when I walked in, so some of the booths had run out of food and closed down, but a few were still open.  I loved seeing all the unnamed varieties of fish and that to my surprise, most of the people selling the fish were women.  Turns out the husbands go fishing and then the wives sell the fish.  Interesting family business!

After my rendezvous in the old city, the weather was not improving and the one museum I visited was having a siesta and wasn’t open.  So I became determined to find a place to treat myself to a (much needed) manicure and pedicure.  Vigo was the first city where I noticed a large number of hair & nail salons, so I thought it would be easy to walk in and get a little pampering.  Nope.  Every place I found was filled with women getting primped.  Finally, I just picked one salon that looked the nicest and had the recognizable O.P.I. nail polish brand and I made an appointment for later in the afternoon.

I’ve heard some bad stories about people getting their nails done in different parts of Europe – it’s just not the same as home.  So I wasn’t expecting much but at the least I would have a pretty color on my nails and toes – and instant way to feel pretty and like a lady (especially after 2+ months of walking on my poor overused feet!).  Well, was I in for a surprise or what!?

I arrived for my 5:10 appointment and it didn’t start out too well.  I was waiting (with my feet turning into prunes in the water) for about half an hour before my pedicure began.  Eva was my nail specialist and from the moment she sat down, everything changed and I knew this would be a different kind of pedicure.  After 15 minutes, she was still on my first foot, meticulously shaping, filing and buffing each nail.  Then the exfoliation began and she would touch my heel (with gloves on) and then keep scrubbing until she was satisfied with the softness of my foot.  She took her time (too much time in NYC standards, but I had no plans and was loving it!) and we chatted in Spanish the whole time.  My toes and fingernails came out perfect and it was well worth the time and money spent!  My feet feel refreshed and ready to go site seeing for another three weeks (or months!).

Eva wouldn’t let me get the same color on my hands and feet because apparently that is ‘not cool’ in Spain, haha!  So I appreciated her looking out for me and I went with a complementary bright pink on the toes and subtle orange on my fingers.

After the appointment the salon was closing and Eva invited me out to get a beer with her and a friend!  Hours later we were still out at a local café having delicious food and drinks and my Spanish was improving by the minute (maybe that’s the beer talking?).

The morals of today’s story are 1)  Markets are awesome  2) Sometimes you deserve to pamper yourself and 3) You never know where you will meet your next friend!

Monday, June 16 (Grunau im Almtal) – One month from today I will be home in New York.  I can’t believe that and I have very mixed feelings about it.  I’m having such a great time and feel so lucky to be experiencing this, and I don’t want to go back to reality.  At the same time, summer in NYC is my favorite and there are a bunch of people I miss a lot.  What am I going to do when I get back to New York?  What have I learned about life? About myself? 

These questions and more are questions I have been putting off until now.  I really wanted my first two months to be about travel and having fun and experiencing everything without reality holding me back.  But month #3 is going to be a bit different.  I plan on staying in the places I visit more than just a night or two, to unpack my suitcase and feel like I am somewhat settled.  I want to use this more relaxing, less action-packed month to really think about me and what the heck I’m going to do come July 16.  I’m not going to over-analyze or stress about it, but I’m going to let my natural thoughts come up since I haven’t made time for them in two months!

Today is the beginning of this third phase, and without even realizing the date, I had booked myself at a little B&B in the middle of nowhere for some relaxation and nature.  I am in Grunau im Almtal, which is about halfway between Vienna and Salzburg, Austria.  See more about this highly recommended town and B&B in my next post.

I’m currently sitting on a chair behind the hotel (“The Treehouse”) with a stream flowing just in front of me and a mountain with trees densely packed together just beyond the stream.  There is something comforting yet unsettling about the juxtaposition of the ever-flowing stream and the trees that are forever in the same place.  The water gets to travel and see the world, but the trees get to see how the world evolves from one place.  I could get super philosophical right now, but I’ll stop here and leave you to your own psychoanalyses.

Food is a big part of the Viennese culture.  From weiner schnitzels to apple strudels there are a lot of delicacies to try when you're in town.  I had limited time in Vienna, but I made sure to taste as much as I could! Here are some of my favorites:

The Naschmarkt is a great way to spend a Saturday morning, especially if you’re hungry.  On Saturdays, the food market extends to a flea market where people sell all kinds of junk that is fun to look at.  But for me, the real fun is walking through the food market and tasting all kinds of delicacies (like dried watermelon, yum!).  

After being tempted by almost everything I saw, I finally stopped for breakfast at a Turkish café (ironically I was in Turkey the day before) in the heart of the market.  The food and coffee were fresh and delicious and it was a great place for people watching.

Coffee houses are a huge part of the Viennese culture.  Many of the traditional cafes are decorated beautifully on the inside and feature a variety of picture-perfect pastries.  People often linger for hours enjoying their mélange (local coffee with warm milk and foam, to me it tastes like a cappuccino) and conversation.  

There are hundreds throughout the city and it’s hard to go wrong (except Café Griensteindl - I didn’t like this highly-rated breakfast spot / coffee house.  I ordered yogurt with fresh fruit which was very watery (gross) and the coffee only came half full.  The prices are also quite high and I don’t think it is worth it).

Figlmueller is home to the schnitzel of all schnitzels.  With a few locations throughout the city, it is still difficult to get seated without a wait – so make a reservation or go early.  The schnitzels are huge (definitely good for two people) and are surprisingly not greasy at all for a dish that is fried!  But if you still want something to balance the fried meat, the salads are fresh and tasty.  

Note:  at the end of your meal you will have to tell the waiter how many pieces of bread you had from the basket… and you pay per roll!  

Konoba is a delicious fish restaurant that is far from the touristy city center and home to locals and regulars.  My cousins who have lived in Vienna over a decade took me here and it was delicious!  We ordered an appetizer platter and then a fish platter so we got to try a little of everything.  You can’t go wrong here, especially with the calamari or cod-like lake fish (don’t know the name)

On my first night in Vienna, I started walking in the neighborhood by my hotel (near the Westbanhof train station) for something quick to eat.  There wasn’t much going on on the main shopping street-by-day, and I was about to call it quits when I saw people coming out of a small alleyway.  I looked in and there were a bunch of tables outside of a restaurant called Kantine with people eating and drinking while watching a huge screen set up for watching the World Cup!  

I went in and had a grilled chicken salad and a Radler to drink (apparently popular for girls who don’t like the bitter taste of beer, Radler is also part lemonade… I was not a fan!).  I got to watch some of the World Cup around a bunch of in-the-know locals who wanted to enjoy the nice weather over a drink and a soccer match.

Café Sacher is part of the Sacher Hotel and is famous for its original Sacher Würfel, a mini chocolate cake with a twist.  The treat has a light layer of apricot jam in the middle and is covered with chocolate frosting and a chocolate decal on top.  They are quite delicious and worth the three Euro+ per bite size treat.


The hotel claims to have the original - and secret - recipe for the torte that dates back to 1832, so it is truly the place to get a real taste.

As with many cities in Europe, gelato is the local ice cream, and you can find it everywhere.  I was taken to the ‘best’ gelato in the city, at Eissalon Tuchlauben.  Even on a Sunday night, this place was busy and their homemade gelato was running low!  About half their flavors were completely sold out.  I may have had a triple scoop on a cone…. Delicious!

One of the most famous coffee houses in Vienna is Demel, located on the popular Kohlmarkt street next to some of the most expensive and fancy shops in town.  Demel is known for their intricate interior, candy shop, and delicious pastries.  It is pricy – as expected – but worth the cost for a one-time pastry and coffee and a couple of photos.  


TIP:  Demel's pastries can be found at Dean & Deluca in NYC!

Friday, June 13 (Antalya & Vienna) – After my first Hamam experience in Morocco (nakedness and confusion), and my second in Istanbul (dirty and left early), I decided to go one more time.  It was my last day in Turkey, and Tali and I were referred to the Sefa Hamam, a 600+ year old traditional Turkish Bath.  We went first to look at it, and when deemed clean and acceptable, we went for it.

It was a little different than the experience in Morocco, but overall it was really nice!  Tali and I seemed to have the Hamam mostly to ourselves which was an added bonus.  We started in the steam-less steam room with hot, humid air to open our pores and get us to relax.  We stayed there about twenty minutes until a man came to get us to go to another room for the rest of the treatment.  

One by one, Tali and I were scrubbed, soaped, washed, and rinsed.  Part of the soaping included a nice massage as well.  Tali continued with an additional oil massage, but I had to go back to the hotel and catch a cab to the airport!

There are no female masseurs at Sefa, but the place seemed professional enough that we didn’t mind.  It was a great experience and highly recommended for anyone looking to have a real Turkish Bath in Antalya.  Note:  a Hamam is not a high-end spa experience, especially the old, traditional Hamams.  If you are looking for something a bit more luxurious and less traditional, try a hotel Hamam or one described as modern.

Wednesday, June 11 (Antalya) – Antalya is a region on the southern coast of Turkey with beach towns and ancient ruins scattered along the Mediterranean Sea.  After touring Istanbul and Cappadocia, I was ready for some relaxation so a stay in Antalya seemed perfect.  Tali and I decided to get a hotel in the old city (Kaleiçi) so we could be in the center of history, an old town to explore, and a variety of beaches.  TIP:  The Tuvana Hotel in the old city is great and highly recommended!  It has one of the area’s best restaurants, great service and a pool.

Antalya was said to have been built by the Greeks in about 150 B.C. and was later taken over by the Romans, so there are ruins of ancient cities across the region.  I visited Phaselis and Olympos – both are ancient cities dating far back, but have been preserved to different degrees over the years.

After exploring some ruins and enjoying some beach time (see my post on “Beach Hopping in Antalya” for more on that), we were headed to the site I was most excited about when planning the trip to Turkey:  Chimaera.  Chimaera is a rocky mountain in Olympos, near Çirali, that has a very unique quality.  Coming out of its crevices is fire!  It looks as if there are a dozen campfires set up along the mountain, but there are no sticks or stones, just mountain.  It is truly an incredible site to see this naturally and eternally burning fire, especially approaching sunset. 

The mountain is open until midnight and many locals come at night for a different experience.  TIP:  If you want to go at night, bring a flashlight and wear good shoes like hiking boots or sneakers.  The hike to the mountain is about 25-30 minutes and parts are steep / have slippery footing from worn-down rocks.

Monday, June 9 (Cappadocia) – I’ll start off by saying what happened before 7AM this morning made today one of the best days of my life. 

After my alarm woke me up at 3:40AM, I got myself washed and dressed and went out into the pitch black and chilly night and stood in front of the hotel.  Tali and I had barely slept but we were wide-awake with excitement.  We were about to take part in one of the best-known and most exciting activities in Cappadocia:  hot air ballooning at sunrise!

As we waited for our bus, about seven other hot air balloon company buses drove by to pick up other excited and terrified tourists.  Finally our bus showed up, took us for a light breakfast at their main office, and then took us into a field in the middle of nowhere, where dozens of different hot air balloons were at different stages of inflation.

We were in awe of what we were seeing and the sheer size of the balloons – and we weren’t even inside yet.  Finally our balloon was up and without any instruction or Americanized safety warnings, we climbed (literally) into a basket that was divided into four sections, each holding six people.  The pilot was in the center to navigate.  Soon we felt our basket slide a bit on the ground, and then it slid a bit more.  All of a sudden the sliding stopped and we were floating!

It was slow, calm and comfortable.  There was no fear, just adrenaline and excitement – but I’m not sure if I was more excited to see the mind-blowing view of colorful balloons all over the sky against the beautiful rock formations or to actually be floating 800 meters above ground in a balloon!?

Everyone was snapping photos left and right (myself included) as we floated up in the sky, but I made an effort to stop and enjoy the scenery and the experience instead of living through my camera lens (or my phone lens or my GoPro…).

It is hard to imagine, but the feeling of being in the sky was of such serenity and calmness.  I’m used to being in loud airplanes with engines running and babies crying, but there was no sound to be heard except for the occasional release of fire into the balloon for steering.

I didn’t think this experience would be as moving as it was, but it was truly stunning from balloons to the landscape to the quiet.  I felt like the world was sleeping but I got a VIP pass to get up extra early and experience this magical hour.

After we landed, we had a champagne toast and were given certificates of participation.  We watched the fascinating yet grueling job of deflating and folding up the massive balloon, and we took a bunch more photos.  Then it was back to the hotel around 7AM, giving us an hour to comprehend what we had just experienced before breakfast opened up.

If you can’t tell, I HIGHLY recommend hot air ballooning in Cappadocia to anyone who visits Turkey.  Make sure a stop in Cappadocia is on your itinerary and do it.  Wake up at the ungodly hour, bundle up in the chill of the night, I promise it will be worth it.  TIPS:  In reality, all the balloon companies are the same, offer the same program and experience and are at the same time (which is half the fun because you get to see all the other balloons in the sky).  I paid 130 Euro, so something in that range is to be expected.  If you are unsure, you can always go on TripAdvisor, the balloon company websites or the company offices and ask to see a proper license.

Monday, June 9 (Cappadocia) – On day two in Cappadocia, Tali and I thought we would rent a car and drive to a couple of the sites we wanted to see.  (Note: this is after our 3:40AM wake up for the hot air balloon trip, which ended at 7:00AM and is written about in a post of its own!)  But when the car arrived in the morning, we realized something pretttty important:  neither of us knows how to drive stick!  We stood there hopelessly for a few minutes and were then presented with another idea.  For 50 more Turkish lire (about $25) we could have a private driver for the day.  Done!

Rafet, our personal driver, arrived moments later.  Having been in the tourism industry for years, he was very familiar with the roads and with the sites we had in mind – as well as a few more that he recommended. 

We started at the Derinkuyu Underground City, the largest of 36 underground cities in Cappadocia that were built in the 8th - 7th centuries BC.  Derinkuyu goes down 85 meters and could hold thousands of people, livestock and food!  The  belief is that the underground cities were used as temporary homes or used for protection, but they weren't for permanent housing.  I was a bit nervous about going up to eight stories underground and navigate around tunnels, because I’m not a fan of small spaces.  But I went anyway and as we walked in, we soon realized we were next to an English-speaking tour so we secretly tagged along.  It was really interesting to see how these people lived, and simple things like where they cooked or poured wine.  But to be completely honest, while walking down what seemed to be an endless staircase where you have to duck to not hit the ceiling, I started panicking from claustrophobia and turned around.  I crawled back up the steps and finally found a landing to catch my breath… as well as a Greek woman who was in the same condition as I was!  We made it to the top together, through more tiny tunnels and waited for our partners at the top.  WTF?! I was able to fly in a hot air balloon but not go through a tunnel??

When Tali emerged from the underground city, I was over my traumatic experience and we continued along to the Ihlara Valley for a hike.  The Ihlara Valley is a 16km stretch of gorge that is famous for its rich history.  If you look up while walking through the gorge, you will notice tons of what look like windows and doors cut out of the rock.  These were created during the Byzantine empire as dwellings and churches.

Our hike led us to Belisirma, a restaurant where I had one of the best meals I had in Turkey.  We sat on the floor of a bridge that was hovering just a few inches from a stream.  It was very relaxing and the fresh fish we ate was delicious!  The restaurant was definitely touristy because the tourists are generally the ones hiking in the valley, but it didn’t take away from the food or atmosphere at all.

After the hike and lunch we were pretty tired and started heading back towards Goreme.  We made one stop along the way at a winery where we tasted and then purchased some local white wine that we enjoyed later in the evening.

Another great day in Cappadocia!

Friday, June 6 (Istanbul) - Throughout my travels, I have been extremely lucky with weather.  Other than a 10-minute rain and hailstorm in Ireland and short-lived downpour in Italy, I have had sunshine just about every day.  Then I arrived in Istanbul and the rain began.  I was originally going to take a trip over to the Asian side of Istanbul, but with the rain and choppy water, I felt that was not the best idea.  But there are a lot of things to do when it rains in this city, so here are my recommendations.  (I didn’t have time to do all of them, but they were all recommended!)

The Blue Mosque and Aga Sofya are both indoor sites, so those are good bets and must-sees, as long as you didn’t do them already.  There is a line at Aga Sofya because there is an admission fee (the Blue Mosque is free and no line) so keep that in mind if you are umbrella-less.  Fore more tips about these places and others, read this post about what to do in Istanbul.

I really enjoyed Istanbul Modern Art Museum, especially their permanent exhibit “Past and Future” which looks at the evolution of contemporary and modern art in Turkey since its inception.  Not all of the pieces are what you would consider ‘modern art’ because it is more of a stroll through Turkish art history, so there is definitely something for everyone. 

One of their current exhibitions is a photography collection called “On the Road:  Images of Turkey from the Nar Photos Archive” that documents current events in Turkey – political, social, lifestyle – in unique, thought-provoking ways.  I wasn’t allowed to take any photos in that room, but some of the prints were extremely powerful.

Some other museums to check out (that I would have visited with more time) include the Istanbul Archeology Museum and the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum.

You may remember my post about my first Hamam experience in Morocco… well, I tried again on this rainy day in Istanbul.  Tali and I were recommended a place by a woman who worked at the café where we had breakfast, so we went to check it out.  Maybe we should have known by the dead cockroach on the floor, but it wasn’t the nicest of places.  Long story short, we sat in a hot, humid room with a bunch of men and women – including one towel-covered gentleman who was getting a soapy bath – for about 20 minutes before deciding to bail.  We will try again in a TripAdvisor-approved Hamam in either Cappadocia or Antalya.  BUT, there are tons of reputable, beautiful spas to get a Hamam treatment in Istanbul, and it is the perfect thing to do on a rainy day.  Just do your homework a little better than we did!

Istanbul – particularly the Taksim area – is filled with live music!  When the weather is dreary and you don’t want to sit outside, live music is a great reason to go inside and have fun.  Modern Turkish rock is really great and regardless of the genre, who doesn’t love a man with a guitar?

Wednesday, June 4 (Rome & Istanbul) - Somehow my '100 days of travel' posts got a little messed up over the weeks, so today is actually day 51 (even though my last numbered post was 48!).  That means I am more than halfway finished with my 100 Days of Travel!  It is a bit crazy to think that I have been on the go for so long, without staying in any one place more than a few nights.

I have definitely learned a lot - about myself, about traveling and about the world - and I thought I'd share some random thoughts, lessons and highlights from the last 50 days.

Cross-country riding clinic in Ireland

Hiking the Cinque Terre with my mom

Feria de Abril in Sevilla

Celebrating the Europe League champions, Sevilla

Riding a camel and camping in the Sahara Desert