Mykonos, Greece

I wish I could say that over the past years of living overseas we significantly shortened our 'Bucket List.' This pesky little thing seems to happen once you start traveling . . . for every new place we visit, we somehow add about three more to our ever growing list of must - see - before - we - die locations. I love to ask fellow travelers where their adventures have taken them, what their favorite place was and where would they eat if they happened to return. Instagram has also given us way too many ideas for future trips. The list just keeps getting longer, but for our anniversary, Chris helped me check off a location that had been on my 'Bucket List' for as long as I can remember. 

The Greek Isles - Mykonos, Greece

Mykonos is known as the island of the winds, and I have always been enamored with the ancient white washed homes accented with a blue almost the same color as the surrounding ocean. In my mind, Mykonos screamed romance. Chris was more interested in the Greek mythology (you don't remember reading about Zeus battling the Titalns and Hercules killing big-ol giants? Yeah, me either!) than the pretty buildings and fancy (expensive), waterfront cocktail bars. 

We were interested for different reasons, but in the end, we both loved weaving in and out of the narrow streets, and sipping local wine and beer on the waterfront. I even talked Chris into renting a 4-wheeler and putting around the island. Once he agreed to the rental, I started asking every agency if we could rent. (Come on! Take our money!) I must have asked four or five different rental companies, and I was denied every time. Either the bikes were all rented out (lies - because there were parked all around), or I was 'too young' (yeah right), or I got no explanation, just a simple 'no.' We gave up and decided to walk down towards the water for a coffee. The bar tender laughed when we told him we were not allowed to rent a 4-wheeler. He promised that if Chris asked, we would not have any problems. Funny thing, as soon as Chris asked, we were given the vehicle, two helmets, a map of the island, and sent on our way. Guess I was the issue!

We spent most of our day at beautiful Paradise Beach, soaking up the rays and getting away from the crowds in Mykonos. We enjoyed local pastries that we bought from a sweet little man carrying a basket and hawking his delightful treats. After several hours, we hopped onto our 4-wheeler and tried to put-put back into town. We tried and tried, and couldn't get it to start! Oi! After about 30 minutes of trying, I called the company from a beach bar phone, and we waited. After a jump, we finally did make our way back into town, but I think our 4-wheel days are over. Next time, we will opt for a Jespa. 

Here's a few pictures! Hope you're loving your summer!

Dubrovnik, Croatia (Game of Thrones Anyone?!)

I know that everyone is getting sick and tired of winter (especially our friends and readers in America! What a wild winter you have all had!), so summer 2014 holiday plans are hastily being made. 

While Regensburg, Germany has been experiencing a relatively mild winter (knock on wood. There's still time for a blizzard or an ice storm to hit.), Chris and I are already dreaming about lazy summer afternoons spent by the sea. We've been trying to get our travel plans straightened out, and sadly, we've realized that budget flights are not as accessible (or cheap) as they had been in Brussels, Belgium. We're having to get creative with our travel plans. In any case, in an effort to inspire myself, I started looking through photo albums from last summer. We've visited Croatia two summers in a row, and we think we may go back again this year! We just cannot get enough of the incredible beaches, warm locals, fresh seafood, and affordable accommodation. If you're considering a trip to Croatia, this is the year to go! They just received their European Union status, so prices have not had too much time to skyrocket! Croatia is a hidden gem that hopefully stays unspoiled and mysterious. 

Chris and I have documented our Croatia trips to Krk, Hvar, and Plitvica Lakes, and this post contains a few pictures from our time in the walled city of Dubrovnik. If there are any Game of Thrones fans reading this, then you already know that Dubrovnik is the set for King's Landing. We rented kayaks on the beach that Game of Thrones also films on. Chris was totally geeking out. I guess I was too. The city is ancient and perfectly preserved, and no visit is complete without an hour (plus) walk around the thick city walls which were constructed between the 12th and 17th centuries to protect the city. If you have time, a kayak adventure will allow you to explore some of the hidden coves surrounding the city. Or rent a little boat and explore that way!

Food Tip: We had an authentic Balkan meal (made us really miss Serbia) at a little place called Dalmatino Knoba. They found out that we could speak a little bit of their language, and they completed our meal with a shot of complementary cherry rakija.  

This is making me want to get back to Dubrovnik! 

Doesn't Mallorca Sound Wonderful About Now?

Towards the end of May, we booked a spur of the moment (stupid cheap) Ryan Air flight to Mallorca, Spain. I told Chris that it would be a delayed present for his 28th birthday; but let's be honest, it was more of an excuse to escape a miserably long Belgian cold spell. Spain had also claimed a special place in our hearts and a prominent spot on our travel calendar after a trip to Barcelona (If you're interested, find some of our Barcelona info here, and here). 

I think there was still snow on the ground as we boarded a flight bound for Spain's largest island. I had heard about the neighboring party island (Ibiza), but the only reason we chose Mallorca was because there was a direct flight from Brussels to Mallorca for less than an Italian dinner for two (Italian is about the cheapest sit down dinner option you'll find in Europe). My type A-must-research-every-detail-of-a-trip-to-a-new-city-personality sort of took a vacation, and I threw planning out the window! I mean, how hard could it be for us to get down to a beach, lay out our towels, and relax on the warm sand?!

I learned my lesson (again), because what we wanted and what we walked into were so completely far off from each other!

 At the airport, we caught the local bus #21, and within ten minutes we were walking into the lobby of Java Hotel. Our accommodation was right in the middle of Playa de Palma, and while the hotel itself was newly remodeled and reasonably priced, the long stretch of beach outside of the hotel was less than relaxing! What we had wanted was a slow couple of days sprawled out on the sand followed by seafood dinners at beach front restaurants. What we actually got was this:

The Grand Canal Party in Roeselare

The Grand Canal beach party in Roeselare, Belgium. Photo credits here. 

Several weekends ago, Chris and I experienced The Grand Canal beach party in our land-locked, Belgian home of Roeselare. It initially sounded suspect, but naturally, the McCoy's are always up for new adventures. Niekie (my first Belgian friend), rallied her posse to come out, enjoy the sand, dance the night away and support a great local DJ who just happened to be her hubby, Tim. It didn't take that much convincing to get Chris and I there. 

On the other side of the tracks, in the tired, industrial area of Roeselare, we walked through an arch built entirely out of wooden pallets and we completely forgot where we were. The set up was brilliant! Belgians are really great at capitalizing on their summers, and The Grand Canal beach party was a perfect example of just that. A wall of several thousand wooden pallets encompassed the make shift beach, restaurant, bar and DJ area. For two months in the summer, parties and events take place here when the weather is favorable. 

I love those moments when you blindly walk into a new place and feel immediately at ease. It didn't hurt that we were enjoying the balmy, Belgian evening with a big group of friends. What a difference a year can make! I remember walking through Roeselare as a complete stranger; watching people greet each other on the street, and stop at sidewalk cafes to kiss each other on the cheek. I wanted so badly to walk past someone familiar, to be recognized, to feel valued, to be known. A year later, I am being greeted everywhere I go, I am being kissed on the cheek and I am no longer a stranger. 

Eating Our Way Through Barcelona

Barcelona kisses in Placa Reial - "Royal Plaza"

 Slowly but surely, spring has slipped into a mellow Belgian summer, and the days have gotten longer and longer. Western Europe is reporting one of the coldest spring seasons on record, and they aren't predicting a freakishly long, hot summer to make up for the extra wear and tear on our boots and rain coats. As soon as the sun makes an appearance, Roeselare's sidewalks erupt with smiling shoppers and the terraces are full of friends meeting over aperitifs and coffee.

By early May, Chris and I were totally over waiting for that occasional sun break, so we booked last minute flights and headed south to Barcelona. I am finding that summer is the hardest time for me to blog (for many reasons), but if I don't write about our trips, I quickly forget all of the fantastic meals that we had, the places we stayed and the adventures that we shared. Barcelona became one of our favorite summer spots, so I expect to get back some day and I want to revisit a lot of the restaurants that we discovered.

Chris and I met up with our best friend, Reece, and we were lucky to get a really great rate at a B&B right on the beach, Bed and Beach Barcelona Guesthouse. The location was perfect since the guys really just wanted to relax on the beach, and I had the flexibility to easily get into town and explore on my own. In my last blog, I posted about my relaxing day exploring Park Guell. There is so much to see and do around Barcelona that you could probably spend months in the city and not even scratch the surface!

We got a lot of food/drink recommendations from Reece's coworker who spends loads of time in Barcelona. We tried almost every single place that she suggested, and we were never once disappointed! Megan, if you ever read my little blog post, thanks a million for taking the time to share some Barcelona love with us! Below is a list of the restaurants and bars that we loved. I don't want to forget these places, and I would love to pass on some (of Megan's) information to others who are planning a trip to the lively city of Barcelona!

Nieuwpoort, Belgium

A storm rolling in over Nieuwpoort, Belgium.

Chris and I have been living in Roeselare, Belgium for 7 weeks now, and I still feel scattered and unsettled. There is so much to explore and friends to be made and jobs to be found. The weather is flighty and unpredictable, so discovering my new home on two wheels can sometimes leave me looking like a drowned rat. I am not quite sure how people still manage to look presentable riding a bike around town in the rain?! Maybe I just need to invest in a good rain coat. The saying around here goes something like this: "If you don't like the weather, wait a few minutes because it will surely change; and if you like the weather, well, sorry to say that after a few minutes your new found appreciation for the weather will change too." I have to laugh because I feel like I am back in Portland, Oregon. The climate here is so similar to the Pacific Northwest. I guess I have just been living in Kentucky and Serbia too long to appreciate sporadic rain showers. It will grow on me . . . I hope!

One of the great things about our new home is the number of visitors that we have had in the past 7 weeks. Chris and I have had an excuse to get out and explore a little more since we are entertaining visitors most weekends that we stay in town! One of my college friends, Ben, is an expat living in Rome, and we invited him to hop on over to Belgium for a long weekend. Of course, the three of us explored Brugge, but on Sunday, we decided to drive 30 minutes to the city of 

Nieuwpoort on the North Sea. 

Paradise Found - Nocelle and Positano, Italy

From Nocelle looking back on Positano, Italy. This is the stuff dreams are made of. 

Summer traveling in Italy. Oh where to begin?! No matter how thoroughly planned your vacation, the Italian summer has a way of reminding you to relax, be patient and enjoy a glass of wine along the way. It doesn't matter that you carry a shiny Capitol One credit card (no international transaction fees - yes please); you'll still find yourself scurrying to the nearest ATM when the tour company discovers their credit card machine mysteriously "broken," or your B&B simple doesn't even have said machine.

Lucky for my organized-type-A-self, a sweet girl friend in Rome warned me to hold my schedule "loosely" while exploring Italy. Heather said something to the extent of, "In the summer, you can expect train strikes; sometimes you'll be warned and sometimes you'll be caught off guard. Oh yeah, and often public transportation is late or just doesn't show up at all. That's totally normal. You have to just enjoy the country and don't have too many concrete plans while in Italy. If you can relax and drink up the culture (and some wine and lemoncello), you'll love every second in Italy."

I met my best friend from Kentucky, Lindsay, and her Hubby, Evan, in Rome (blog to come), and the three of us made our way towards the Amalfi Coast. Heather had warned us of a 8:30am train strike the day we were leaving Rome, so we caught an earlier train out of the busy city. Once in Naples, we were met with one of those surprise strikes that Heather had warned us of. There was nothing we could do but wait around for three hours and finally push our way onto an overcrowded, un-airconditioned commuter train bound for Sorrento. From Sorrento, we took an hour long bus ride to Positano, and then our final leg was a 20-minute bus ride through narrow, cliff side roads wide enough for only one vehicle.

Needless to say, we were exhausted by the time we got off the bus. Our six hour journey had turned into more of an 11-hour-trek, and I could not help but remind myself of Heather's wise words. Just enjoy the journey, Lana. . . .

In the next moment, I turned around - and gasped! Evening rays kissed the landscape, and the view from Nocelle back on the hillside town of Positano was simply breathtaking. As we walked towards our B&B, I couldn't stop taking pictures. We arrived at Villa Sofia  and were warmly greeted by Luciana and her brother Raffaele. Raffaele showed us to the poolside terrace where he treated us to homemade lemoncello. We relaxed as the sun slowly slipped into the ocean. The moment was worth 11 hours of traveling and every stressful leg of the journey from Rome-> Nocelle. I have to give Evan mad props for picking Villa Sofia.

Had Lindsay, Evan and I just discovered paradise?!

Lemoncello on the terrace at Villa Sofia in Nocelle, Italy. 

Lindsay and me on our terrace overlooking Nocelle.

Evan and Lindsay - Starting our hike down 2000 stairs. 

Beauty everywhere you look. 

Small little beach we found at the bottom of  our 2000 step hike.

Entering the dreamy town of Positano, Italy. 

View from the main beach in Positano, Italy. 

Italian coursed dinner recommended by Villa Sofia.

So much dessert!

How we ended the night - with the owner, his son and a HUGE bottle of lemoncello! Fun memories. 

Goodbye Nocelle, Positano and Villa Sofia. You're in my soul and I will visit again!

Heather was right, if you can see Italy at a leisurely pace, you'll fall head over heals for her beauty. I cannot wait to get back to Amalfi with Chris, and Villa Sofia has so be on my itinerary.

This may be the closest to heaven that I have ever been. Seriously!

Our Hvar, Croatia Favs

Hiking down to Dubovica Beach - Hvar, Croatia

We initially planned to spend three days in Hvar, but after our first full day of exploring, we extended that to five. Lucky for us, the super affordable place we were staying at (Pansion Lacman) could accommodate us for a couple more nights. I think we could have stayed for 55 days without getting restless. Okay, maybe not that long, but really there is so much to do in Hvar! We found a helpful tourist office on the harbor called Atlas Travel Agency and they listened to what we were interested in doing and then pointed us in the right direction. The owner of the agency grabbed an island map and circled his favorite vineyards, hidden beaches, bars, and hiking trails. We visited almost every place he suggested and even booked a tour through him to see the mystical Blue Cave. Our trip to the Blue Cave was one of our most memorable experiences from this past year. I am going to beg Chris to write about that excursion in a later post. *Hint hint, Hubby . . . You're just so good at story telling!

Over the past years, charming Hvar Town has earned a reputation as a coastal party spot. It seems that celebrity sightings and lavish yachts have done quite a lot to boost tourism. Adriatic cruise ships frequently unload 1000's of tourists, and British youth spend part of their "gap-year" (it's a new fad to take a year off in between high school and college) drinking the summer away at hip beach bars. Chris and I walked past the famous Hula Hula Hvar and Carpe Diem bars, but we were more interested in exploring hidden treasures on the island known for lavender and wine. 

Breathtaking Dubovica Beach just for us!

We hiked around Hvar Town quite a lot, and while we found several remote and romantic beaches, my favorite beach was Dubovica. You have to drive about ten miles east from Hvar, park your vehicle near the road, and hike 20-ish minutes down to the beach. The beach is marked along the road, so it's pretty obvious where you have to park and hike. It was totally worth the trouble! Chris and I were some of the only people on the beach, but apparently it gets more crowded in high season.

Taking in the silence on Dubovica Beach.

Mustaco Beach and beach restaurant. 

Checking out the beach from inside Mustaco beach restaurant. 

There is only one small beach in Hvar Town (in front of Hotel Amfora) and other than that, there are beach chairs (for rent) precariously set up along the jagged rocks overlooking the water. We decided to take a hike and check out a more proper beach. We left Hvar Town and made the 20-minute walk to Mustaco Beach, and we really liked the vibe. On Mustaco, you can rent chairs and umbrellas, and there's a good mixture of families, elderly couples and young people soaking in the summer rays. I think it's a clothing optional beach because a lot of ladies had their tops off. The little seaside restaurant is rustic and "beachy" and the pizzas are pretty tasty. I was surprised that they will let you enjoy your beer or cocktail down on the beach.

On one afternoon, we took a $5 round trip boat-taxi to Mlini Beach on one of the Pakleni Islands. You can choose to taxi to several of the islands in front of Hvar - some FKK (nudist) and some not, some with hopping beach bars and some totally remote. We chose to check out Mlini Beach and it was a relaxing and quiet (but rough and rocky) beach. 

We took a water taxi to Mlini Beach on one of the Pakleni Islands. 

Beach Bar Mlini is owned by a family that lives on the island. 

You cannot go wrong with pizza in Hvar! We always split one!

After you've spent the entire day roasting your skin, swimming in the clear water, and sweating like a pig, the only thing you really want is a good meal with an ice cold pitcher of water. As I said in my last post about Hvar, the food is a blend of Balkan and Italian. Of course you're going to find pizza and pasta and tons of seafood, but you'll also see more traditional Croatian dishes like mixed meat platters and goulash. On our first night, Chris and I had dinner at Dalmatino . . . and we loved it so much we went back two more times! I know, I know, we're already like a totally boring old couple; but we found something we loved and we stuck with it. The restaurant is tucked away from the hustle and bustle, and everyone sits out on a covered terrace. The service is the clincher! The whole staff works as a team to make every single dining experience superb. They start your meal with a shot of traditional brandy (rakija), give you a little appetizer and then finish you off with a sweet, dessert wine. Their attention to detail is spot on and they are friendly and engaging. The food is amazing as well. Chris tried their Filet Mexico the first night, and he loved it so much . . . guess what. . . he had it two more times! I cannot fault Chris, I ate their homemade gnocchi every single time just with different preparations. They take credit cards and that was another plus!

Our favorite restaurant in Hvar - Dalmatino. 

The most handsome date in the world!

Homemade black gnocchi with shrimp at Dalmatino.

On one evening, Chris and I had dinner at a fancy restaurant called Giaxa. The setting is so romantic. Giaxa is housed in a 15th-century palace and the architecture and design of the place are so classy. I could not stop taking pictures! Unfortunately we were a little disappointed with the service after our experience at Dalmatino. It was not bad, but it was nothing special. The food is very tasty and artfully designed, but the portion sizes were sort of small for the price. Our meal was about double what we had paid the night before for a similar meal at Dalmatino. I would absolutely recommend seeing this place, but maybe just go for a post dinner drink and dessert. And to take a bunch of pictures of course!

Octopus salad starter at Giaxa Restaurant - Hvar. 

Sea bass with grilled local veggies. 

Good bye Hvar! This time - next year??

Hvar on Dwellable