Poland

Krakow 

I LOVED Krakow. Where do I begin....we stayed in a private room at the Greg and Tom Hostel. It was only $120 for three nights with Breakfast and Dinner included! The room was really nice--minus the curtains, it was a room out of the Ikea catalogue.  There are three different Greg and Tom hostels, all walking distance to the train/downtown, but they have very different vibes... so be sure to double check which one will suite you best. 

Small deck off the kitchen.

Pierogis...so many pierogis. The food is so affordable and there is a 24 hour Pierogi and kebab place.. which led to us eating.. A LOT. 

In the square there was a HUGE festival with crafts, art, music and food. We went there everyday and I had my fill of sweet waffles and Adam devoured the savory meat plates. 

Meat for days....

The city of Krakow is relatively small, making it easy to walk around and soak up the culture.  From castles, to amazing food, market squares, gardens, and more, you will enjoy every second. 

Salt Mines--A Must Do while in Poland

We booked the tour same day, so no need to book far in advance. It is the only museum where you can lick the walls...and it is SO cool. First, you do have to walk down a lot of stairs.. so have your Fitbit on. You will be 450 feet underground. 

The oldest part of the mine was from 1280. It was a huge underground city filled with cathedrals, cafes, a spa, and even a venue for parties! Everything is made out of salt! 

Warsaw

We took the train from Krakow to Warsaw. The trains here make the commuter rail in Boston look like a joke! The seats recline, have trays, individual lights and they come around to serve you coffee. Our first stop was downtown. 

Warsaw was quite a bit larger than Krakow and we did have to take an Uber to get to the park and Museum area. 

It was well worth it. The parks were so beautiful. Filled with tulip gardens, fountains, colorful ducks and hidden art museums.

Not to mention, amazing views...

Funky tree branches...

and people dressed just like you and I. 

We stopped to eat at a local bar, and the decor was quite odd, there must have been hundreds of watches all over the walls. Nevertheless, the locals were very hospitable. Everyone we encountered was genuinely helpful and kind, and not to mention, look what $15 can get you. 

If you're wondering how many pierogis I ate over the course of the trip, probably around 50. It is safe to say I turned into a PierYOGI. ;) 

Our last stop of the day was this Art Museum. Besides the awesome cafe, the museum was quite...imaginative. I can't even put to words the exhibits that I saw and heard. I guess you will just have to go for yourself! 

TakeAways

• Stay at the Greg and Tom Hostel--free breakfast and Dinner

• You will overload on Pierogis

• Beautiful and lively City Squares

• Festival of food, arts, and crafts

• Everything, including fancy dinners, are VERY affordable

• Make reservations if you want to go out to one of those fancy dinners

• Visit the salt mine with a tour group--no need to book far in advance

• Visit Auschwitz either with a tour group, or you can book tickets for free on the website and go on your own. Do this far in advance as you can only enter on your own before 10am. That is what we did and to get there, you just book a bus ticket from Krakow station.

• Be present and soak up the what the cities have to offer

• Norwegian Air was surprisingly very comfortable and they have 8 bathrooms on board-yay. They also have adjustable dim settings on the windows--it was pretty neat. We did not pick seats in advance nor did we check a bag, so the tickets were VERY cheap.

Latvia

Riga

The beautiful Riga! We stayed in Old Town at the Forums hotel. The room came with free daily breakfast and had a perfect view of the cobble stone streets below. It was such a welcoming city with old world culture and hip vibes. 

The narrow streets were filled with medieval-era architectural gems and various styles of colorful buildings. 

O. M. G. The food. Or should I say dessert.

The food really was out of this world. Every meal looked like a work of art... that you could eat!

"House of Blackheads" in town hall square. 

We visited Europe's largest open air market that is housed in old German hangars. There were halls with seafoods, meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts and more. It made Haymarket in Boston look like a corner store!

Love is in the air at the lock bridge in Riga. 

There was almost no space to put our lock with all the love birds that visited the bridge!

The parks in Riga are magnificent, filed with funky trees and yoga statues. 

Speaking of yoga... a pose I like to call "rainbow dancer" ;)

Jurmala 

Beach town of Jurmala is just a $2, 45 minute train ride from Riga. 

We (of course) had our fill of desserts. 

Cute little bakeries and cafes line the beach town. 

Cesis 

The city in the forest! A beautiful mix of medieval history and modern culture. Complete with a 13th century castle! 

Naturally I had to do some yoga.

I can't say enough about the food. That right there is a THREE dollar work of art that you can eat...minus the birds nest.

Untouched nature makes up HALF of Latvia. Perfect for exploring. 

These are the doors to someone's home! The lay out of Old Town Cesis has been preserved since the middle ages. 

13th Century castle ruins! 

I was too scared to go down into the dungeon, but Adam went down to check it out! They literally let you roam the whole castle with just a candle lit lantern. 

Although cold to sit on, this was a perfect spot to get a quick meditation in. 

Takeaways 

• Medieval-era architecture 

• Amazing, artistic, and affordable food

• Colorful cobble stone streets in old town

• Friendly, trusting, and welcoming culture

• Beaches, parks, and untouched forests

• Rich culture and castles

• Eco-Friendly Tourism 

• Largest European market and bazaar

• You should make reservations at most of the restaurants 

• Restaurants Muusu and Domini Canes are absolute musts in Riga, and Izsalkusais Janis in Cesis

Iceland, Take Two

Reykjavík

Take two in Iceland! I didn't think it could get any colder than my last visit, but Iceland delivered! I finally made it to the top of HALLGRÍMSKIRKJA CHURCH! You take a very small elevator up to the top that is undoubtedly blasting veggie tale sing alongs. 

Its quite windy, but the 360 panoramic views are worth it. The colorful roofs light up the otherwise grey surroundings. 

For breakfast saturday morning we stopped at the Laundromat Cafe, yes, you can do your laundry there. This amazing dish of skyrr, pancakes, and the infamous rye bread was accompanied by freshly squeezed orange ginger juice. Needless to say I was full for the day. 

The famous hot dog guy is still here. 

Although I did not try them, everyone will agree they are the best hot dogs in the world. They are also the most affordable thing to eat in Iceland besides rye bread. 

Every year Reykjavik hosts a gay pride parade that 200,000 people attend--that’s almost half the country.

I was very excited to see a yoga handbook at the local bookstore. Joga, anyone?

If youre in Iceland on the weekend--you have to make a stop at the flea market. Loaded with food, used clothes, and knick knacks--you can try a sample of fermented shark and also buy nice wool hat. 

We did go out on a romantic date. Ooo lala. Of course the dessert was my favorite. You're looking at strawberry mousse with foamed skyrr and gooseberries. In the back was skyrr mousse cake with blueberry sorbet. OMG. It. was. amazing.

Also, we can't get enough of the fermented shark. JK. It honestly smells like ammonia and you're about to eat jello thats made with bleach-it’s truly the worst thing. At least they gave you wind blown dried fish and sea kelp to help wash it down. 

Iceland parties loud and publicly. They tied the soccer game against Kazakhstan and there was a DJ on site ready to get things started. 

Along the water is a nice bike/walking trail that runs alongside downtown Reykjavik. There are runners, cute dogs and amazing views to your left. 

Half a tree pose on some slippery rocks. Or am I cheering Iceland on in soccer...GOALLLLLL!

My favorite part of the whole trip was going inside a volcano. You hike 45 minutes to base camp wearing long yellow rain coats that protect you against the rain and wind over the lava fields. Once you arrive they give you tea and coffee and go over the safety guidelines. 

You get lowered down in a German made window cleaning shaft with six other people. They don't even make you sign a waiver! 

The chemicals from the lava melted all over the walls and created an array of colors. Some rocks even looked like gold!

There goes the shaft--dropping 450 feet down into the volcano. This is the only lava chamber in the world that you can descend into as most chambers get destroyed by the eruption. With that being said, they don't know if it is 100% safe--but hey, we have helmets. 

One of my favorite pictures from on the way down. You can see how the lava melted the rocks and the eery light shines up from below. 

To think we were following the natural flow of lava as it leaves the magna chamber--it's quite a unique feeling. 

That tiny opening is the hole the shaft passes through and the same hole the lava flooded through over 4500 years ago. 

The view from the ground is unlike anything I have ever seen before. The solitude on the ground was like an ever lasting savasana. The only noise you could hear was the water dripping from the top onto the rocks below--so peaceful. 

The grounds around the volcano are just as peaceful. You can almost see little flowers growing on the hill. 

The blue lagoon. As sad as it is to leave Iceland--stopping at the blue lagoon is a motivator to pack your bags and head towards the airport. I love the all natural sulfur masks and the healing effects the lagoon has on our bodies. 

Takeaways 

• Dress warm--It always feels like winter

• Very very expensive food. A small salad could cost you $20!

• The tap water is naturally filtered over hundreds of years through the moss in the lava fields

• Hot water smells like sulfur

• Check out the famous hotdog stand

• Skyrr is everywhere and many desserts are made with it

• Rye bread and yummy butter is also everywhere

• Iceland is 90% lava and gives the country the black/gray color

• It doesn't get much higher than 60--if it does, locals say they run around naked

• There is free wifi in almost every store/cafe