For years, I had a dream: to welcome the New Year not wrapped in wool and sipping mulled wine, but barefoot in a bikini under the palm trees. There was just one catch—I’m a Christmas-at-home kind of woman. So, that left exactly eight days to jet off somewhere warm during my daughter’s winter break. The rule? It had to be sunny, not too touristy, and no more than six hours away by plane.
Enter: The Gambia. Read more
The moment you land at Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, you feel it. That vague, stiff air of communism—like a flashback to a different era, especially if you’ve lived through one. The border agent looks at you like you’ve just been caught with a suitcase full of secrets, eyes sharp, posture military. Maybe it’s just the uniform. Maybe it’s my 17-hour flight-induced paranoia. Either way, I found myself wondering if I’d accidentally broken a law just by blinking too often.
One thing’s for sure: do not take photos in the airport. I made that mistake with the enthusiasm of a clueless tourist and was swiftly, politely-but-firmly shut down by the Chinese police.
Welcome to China, land of dragons, dynasties, dumplings… and very clear rules. Read more
I’ll admit it—I boarded that plane to Cape Verde with the same level of preparation I give to IKEA furniture assembly: overconfident and underinformed. Life had been hectic, and unlike my usual travel-nerd self, I hadn’t done my homework. Originally, we wanted to go to The Gambia, but apparently, so did half of Europe—no vacancies. So, second choice was Boa Vista, Cape Verde.
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Saturday morning started the only way any good Saturday should—coffee first, always. (Coffee addict here, remember?) Once the caffeine hit just right, we packed a few bags and headed off on a little adventure to the north of the Netherlands.
Our destination? Julianadorp aan Zee, a charming village just 4 km south of Den Helder, the northernmost city in the Netherlands. We booked a cozy bungalow in Strandslag, nestled right at the foot of the sand dunes lining the North Sea. Read more