For Andy's 30th birthday, we met one of his childhood best friends in Amsterdam for a fantastic three-day weekend of celebrations. Despite The Netherlands suddenly announcing a partial lockdown (basically just bars/restaurants shutting down at 8 PM) the week before our trip, we still had so much fun celebrating Andy's birthday and exploring a new city with an old friend.
One of my travel-related goals while we are living in the UK is to try to visit smaller cities and other places that would be challenging and/or less of a priority to visit from the United States. This well-intentioned mindset is how we ended up spending a weekend in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania and a place I had barely even heard of, last November.
Throughout the pandemic I read several articles that mentioned how incredible Venice has been with such a reduced number of tourists and the dramatic improvement in the canals' water quality, which is due in no small part to the local government (finally) issuing a permanent ban on cruise ships. I was eager to visit Venice without the crowds, and I am so glad we prioritized it as our first continental trip this autumn.
The trip I get asked about the most is the two weeks we spent with Andy's mother in Italy to celebrate her retirement and the completion of his MBA. It was Andy's mom's first time in Europe and there is also just SO much to see and do in Italy, so I spent a lot more time planning this trip than I typically would...and it paid off! During our 12-day trip to Italy, we spent a few days each in Milan, Vernazza (Cinque Terre), Florence, Montepulciano (Val d'Orcia region of Tuscany), and Rome.
As cliché as it sounds, I think Paris will always be my favorite city in the world. I've been 7 or 8 times over the past few years and there's something special about the energy and culture that keeps me coming back. Paris travel guides are a dime a dozen and I am certainly not an expert, but I've compiled a list of some of my personal favorite restaurants, attractions, and shops for anyone who might be interested. Bon voyage!
Lindsey in London 