The country of Malta is made up of three islands, two of which are inhabited: mainland Malta and the smaller island of Gozo. We visited both during our week in the country, and based on our experiences and research, here’s what we would recommend for your trip.
Read MoreThere is a beautiful, haunting sadness that permeates this novel beginning with the early introduction to National Suicide Day, a solution dreamed up by Shadrack, a World War I veteran returning to town with visible and non-visible scars. Without giving away too much of the plot, there are a series of unfortunate accidents - slight slips of hand or errant strands of hair - that create life-altering and life-hardening ripples in the lives of the characters living in the area of town known as The Bottom.
Read MoreThe Battleship North Carolina is anchored on Cape Fear River, a short distance away and visible from Wilmington’s Riverwalk. For anyone who loves ships, military history, or has never had a chance to explore a military ship, this is an activity you may enjoy.
Read MoreFor the second year in a row, we rented a beach house with a couple of family members for a Christmas/winter getaway. Our goal in picking a destination was to find somewhere warmer than Virginia but within a reasonable driving distance. The destination we picked fit the bill perfectly!
Read MoreThis novel is a tale of Uganda, written by an expat and with a primarily Ugandan audience in mind. This novel pushes the narrative of Uganda’s colonizers aside and focuses on the history, culture, and society of the Kingdom of Buganda as modern people seek to understand their own valuable story.
Read MoreOur final day of our week-long trip to Malta and Gozo took us almost as far as was possible across the country as we traveled from Victoria, Gozo, all the way to the far end of Malta, where we ended the day dining at the water’s edge of Marsaxlokk Harbor, an important spot in history and home to the unique and beautiful Maltese fishing boats!
Read MoreOn our second day on the island of Gozo, we returned to the walled city of Cittadella to finish exploring the parts we hadn’t gotten to the prior day and were particularly surprised by the contents of the Shipwreck Museum. Then, wanting to spend some time along the coast, we had a wonderful harbor-side meal and 3-mile hike starting out from Xlendi Bay with exquisite views!
Read MoreWe started the day returning to our new favorite breakfast spot in Valletta and ended it by finding our new favorite dinner spot on Gozo. Sandwiched between those meals (pun definitely intended), we explored a final spot in Valletta - the mesmerizing St. John’s Co-Cathedral - took a cross-country car ride to the Malta to Gozo ferry, and explored the walled Cittadella, perched in the middle of Malta’s smaller island of Gozo. With two days in Gozo, we made sure to quickly get our bearings to enjoy this portion of our trip.
Read MoreOur fourth day would be our last in the Valletta area before heading to the island of Gozo. We had a relatively quiet morning in Valletta before heading over to the walled medieval city of Mdina, which we fell in love with. Other than the draw of tourism, I would love to live there! Mdina is also known as the Silent City - more info below on how it got that name - and has been a filming spot for you Game of Thrones fans out there. Read below for more on our explorations of Mdina, and some great dining recommendations for both lunch and dinner.
Read MoreThis third day of our trip was the first time we ventured outside of the capital city of Valletta, and we managed to pack a lot into the day! In a way, we spent the day time traveling. We started the day by visiting two UNESCO World Heritage sites: Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum, an underground Neolithic necropolis that pre-dates the Pyramids, and visited Tarxien Temples, a megalithic site that dates back almost as far. From there we headed to the Medieval Era by exploring the quaint streets and Inquisitor’s Palace in Vittoriosa (also known as Birgu), caught the ferry across the bay and entered the modern era with the long elevator ride up the Barrakka Lift and then an evening watching Malta’s Independence Day Military Tattoo event from an rooftop terrace restaurant.
Read MoreSeptember 21st is Malta’s Independence Day to commemorate when it gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1964. It also just so happened to coincide with our visit. We had looked into any special events that would be taking place, and the main one is a 3-day (Fri-Sun) Military Tattoo evening performance in St. George’s Square in the central part of Valletta. Walking into town we passed right by the square with the temporary bleachers set up.
Read MoreOur travel to and first day in Malta’s capital city of Valletta was a whirlwind of new sights and sounds. We spent time getting oriented to our new surroundings and getting a taste of Malta’s flavor.
Read MoreFor a country we had really never heard of prior to booking our trip, Malta was awash with so many of the things that appeal to us about traveling. We had a wonderful week-long trip to this three-island nation and managed to enjoy a wide array of activities.
In this blog, we will share how we ended up booking a trip to Malta in the first place, will provide an overview of the country (from language to culture to history to transportation), will share an overview of our itinerary and how we spent the week, and share our thoughts on whether we would return again (spoiler alert: we would) and what we’d do differently in retrospect.
Read MoreTraveling to Scotland or simply interested in learning more about the world beneath your feet? Check out our review of Set in Stone: The Geology and Landscapes of Scotland and other books by Alan McKirdy.
Read More2019 was a big year for us as we officially launched our blog with the first post on March 4th! We also celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary on July 4th in Scotland. With 2020 on the horizon, we decided to sit down and reflect on this journey we’ve been on.
In retrospect, it seems surprising we never thought about travel blogging given our love of travel, writing, photography, and reading (often travel-inspired or travel-related). Writing the blog, sharing our experiences and travel stories with our readers, and working together on this creative endeavor have brought yes, more work, but also more fulfillment to our day-to-day lives.
Read MoreLocated in the town of Callander, Scotland, right near the boundary between the Highlands and Lowlands and nestled against The Trossachs National Park, Westerton Bed and Breakfast is a luxurious, adults-only Victorian home. Westerton has large rooms, a garden for a yard, and considerate and attentive host/owners.
Read MoreMost of us have someone in our lives who loves to travel or is dreaming of taking more trips to explore the world. Check out our 2019-2020 annual gift guide for ideas centered around all sorts of different travel interests - from literary travelers to practical travels and foodies.
Read MoreHere are some tips that we picked up in advance of and while on our trip that will hopefully help you plan yours! Read more about car rentals, tickets to purchase in advance, and packing tips.
Read MoreScotland is a country with a long, sordid history. Perhaps its struggles match the dueling nature of its own environment: grandeur and beauty mixed with its hard-scrabble northern world. There were two non-fiction books I read before traveling to Scotland for our 10-day road trip that set the backdrop and provided context that made our trip more meaningful. Neither are quick reads, but both are truly worthwhile reads for those wanting to better understand this country that has long labored to define itself.
Read MoreDuring 10 days in Scotland, we had the opportunity to check out quite a lot of the food and drink scene - everywhere from big cities to small towns! In this blog, we’ll provide our perspective on what you can expect, provide tips for what to order as you eat and drink your way through Scotland, and offer a few of our favorite restaurants as recommendations.
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