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With only 3 short days in this beautiful city, here are some of my favorite stops and recommendations: - Hiking up Arthur’s Seat day or dusk! (especially when these golden flowers are in bloom around May) - had the. best. fish. soup of my life at Fishers right on the water in the harbor. Also greatly appreciated the amount of salt flakes on the butter🧂 - mandatory coffee and pastry at The Milkman ☕️ - I sat in Princes Street gardens for a whole afternoon with my book and it was glorious 🌞 - visiting the Portrait Gallery museum, the inside is stunning and with so many interesting portraits of people important to Scottish history - explored some of the many gardens and meadows - more Scottish art & making me dream of a trip to the highlands 🐑 National Scottish Gallery - all the museums in Edinburgh, like in London, are free admission. So don’t miss out! This one is right across the Walter Scott monument - walking around Victoria Street (aka Diagon Alley) - Arthur's Seat hike at dusk Other food ideas: - Mussel & Steak bar for dinner. - Honestly any fish and chips should be okay haha - Ting Thai Caraven for lunch (one of my favs) - Kim’s mini meal (Korean and not mini) A short train ride up the coast to St. Andrew's Just 30 miles (50 kilometres) northeast of Edinburgh - shopping for books in Topping & Company - Hiking in the lush Scottish greenery - A completely different lanscape and feeling than Oxford. It was so fun to see what a different college experience could have been like in the Scotland Things not to miss: Fife Pilgrim Way take bus back Castle Sands beach Anne Strugar (town) fish and chips, boat history, 20 min ferry to puffin island Forgan’s for brunch St Andrew’s Cathedral (for sunset?) St Andrew’s Castle Dunvegan (the Dunny) The Criterion for pub pie (outdoor seating) Ladebarse St Mary’s Quad

I loved getting to explore more of London while living in Oxford for a year. It was always fun to slip away on the weekends to go to a museum, walk through some parks, explore the markets or eat a nice dinner out. Every time I saw something new and I can't wait to go back and explore another new corner. The following guide follows this structure: (click on one of these below to jump to that section) Where to eat & drink coffee (pit stops for coffee, baked goods, lunch & dinner, pubs) What to see & do  (tours to take, museums to visit) Where to stay (cute Bed & Breakfasts to give you a few differerent ideas from Airbnb's) A Morning at Portobello Road Market  (for some unique souvenir ideas) First things first, food. Where to Eat & Drink Coffee A Google Maps guide to my favorite food and coffee stops: LONDON eats · Josephine Henze Tip: add the Google Maps guide to your phone and then whenever you're hungry or in need of a coffee you can locate the nearest pin! Cafés and Bakeries Layla Bakery (rhubarb & hibiscus bow tie, etc.)(Notting Hill) Chai Guys Bakehouse (Notting Hill) Kuro (Notting Hill) Hummingbird Bakery (Notting Hill) Fortitude Bakery (beignets) Eric’s Bakery Host cafe in St Mary Aldermary Church Restaurants Darjeeling Express (Indian food) Dishoom (10/10 for the black daal and Ruby Chicken Dishes) Ordered signature dishes like the chicken ruby and black daal, grilled butter mushrooms, garlic naan, mango lassi - so amazing!! Afternoon high tea at the Orangery (Number 16 Hotel) NOPI (Ottolenghi) Buttery potatoes ROVI (Ottolenghi) Starters: celeriac root crisps with truffle apple labneh, grilled cabbage with sunflower seed tahini and smoked honey, and celeriac schwarma with lots of things inside include crème fraise and crunchy things Main: grilled Jerusalem platter with different types of mushrooms, homemade small pita, tahini and pickled vegetables and extra side portion of truffle apple labneh Dessert: free happy birthday black sesame miso caramels (perfect ratio of sweet to salty), and then as our main dessert rhubarb rice pudding with cardamom custard and pistachio with a creme brulee crust (soooo good) Bun house in Chinatown Noci for Italian in Islington Campania + Columbia Road Flower Market Cocktails in SoHo at cool Tokyo and Lima mashup bar called Chotto What to See & Do Google Maps guide to all my favorite things to see and do in town: A Google Maps guide to things to do in London: LONDON things to do · Josephine Henze Museums Wallace Collection (in a house museum) a beautiful, opulent house filled with art! Before perusing, we shared a “Cream Tea” of 1 currant and 1 plain scone, with strawberry preserves and clotted cream which is almost butter but not quite. Tate Modern (especially fun in the evenings) Courthauld Museum British History Museum Victoria and Albert Museum Design Museum Markets Spitalfields Market Walking down Brick Lane for vintage shopping Camden Market Borough Market Really crowded unless you go at the right time The strawberries and chocolate are sadly worth the hype Sights to See Greenwich park Uber boat down Thames Primrose Hill - amazing views of London Walk through Regent’s Park lots of good dogs and Queen Mary’s rose garden with beautiful blossoming cherry trees and tulips. Lots of meandering and a peaceful walk outside of London downtown craziness! Go to a service (or Evensong) at Westminster Abbey Evensong Easter service at 3pm at Westminster Abbey, continued walking along St James Garden w/ daffodils blooming! Sitting along Regent’s Canal Southbend River Thames Walk with great views of the London Eye and House of Parliament Where to stay Finding affordable housing in London can be difficult. When I can, I always opt to stay in a Bed & Breakfast to get to know the locals better and have a warm breakfast. Almost all Bed & Breafast's on this website are still cheaper than an AirBnb and breakfast is included :) London B&B Ealing Broadway – Gordon Road Acton Town – Grove Road A Morning at Portobello Road Market Shopping around Portobello Road Market which I was honestly so pleasantly surprised by! A varied mix of vintage, quilted jackets and fresh produce (not as mass-produced things as other markets I've seen) A store just for doorknobs! So fun!! = Cute little drawers with different doorknobs and art nouveau tiles from 1890-1920s (see photos below) Brass door knockers and signs that were also so cute! little seashell hangers and bathtub soap dishes Print & map shop with floral prints that caught my eye Stamps (love!!) from this adorable man who bought old Victorian letters from a printing press and re-molds them to make new stamps (got the letter J and little floral stamp with bluebells). So many cute unique antiques !! from cutlery sets to teacups and watches Offered free chai at Chai Guys Bakehouse which was so yummy and authentic (10/10) Explored Books for Cooks bookstore with all cookbooks (across the street from the Notting Hill Bookstore and honestly so much nicer and more interesting!) chatted up the owner who might sell my cookbook!

A few of my favorite things to do, see and eat in my dad's hometown. Visit to the Botanical Gardens + coffee and cake at the Garden Academy (Garden Akademie) —> this is in Steglitz which is a bit more out of the center but worth it on a sunny day :) Walk around in the evening and bring a picnic dinner at the Tempelhofer Feld (the old airport for the Germans and US Army base) —> there might be an interesting tour here if your fam is interested but I didn’t do one since I was only there in the evening (probably also another good thing to do on a sunnier, non-windy evening) Walk around Mitte (a very cool, hip up and coming neighborhood with nice shops and cafés), here you can walk through the Hackeschen Höfe (or small courtyards with different special goods, like shoes and a tile job that you should visit with art nouveau style East Side Gallery for a closer look at the wall, recommend a guided tour for more history and information on the murals Maybackufer flea market —> this is near Mitte so could be good to combine with that morning, here there are a lot of random people that just set up a stand and sell their old things, there are also food stands and coffee and good vibes (the pro flea market shoppers wear black tights so they can quickly try anything on, I learned) Exploring around the Charlottenburg neighborhood, this area is super lovely and has nice restaurants and a bakery called Zeit für Brot (which is known for its circular buns, kind of like a cinnamon bun but different) Sometimes cool exhibitions at the Amerika Haus for a rainy day Neuköllen is also a cool new up and coming neighborhood which is near the East Side Gallery to explore Things to eat (according to my German grandmother): Any and all Landliebe yogurt Vanilla dessert sauce on top of soft cooked sliced apples with cinnamon A slice of streuselkuchen (cake with butter crumbs on top) daily

Welcome to my Copenhagen (mini) guide! I've been wanting to visit this city for SO long, espcially during my four years of living in the Netherlands, but I was never able to make it happen. This was a much shorter trip (around 5 days) versus actually living in some of the other places for which I made guides (like Amsterdam and Oxford ). Consequently, this is an intro guide and an overview of the things I focused on seeing, what I enjoyed eating and some things I'd like to see next time I come back. The following guide follows this structure: (click on one of these below to jump to that section) How to get around  (biking, bus, train system) Where to eat & drink coffee (pit stops for coffee, baked goods, lunch & dinner, pubs) What to see & do  (tours to take, museums to visit) A Love for Danish Design (some of the key principles I learned and aim to recreate) Where t o shop  (design stores, thrifting) I stayed at the Next House Copenhagen hostel, which was in a great location and really nice amenities. I was surprised to even see families and kids running around as they also have rooms for two or four that you can book. I booked early enough and paid about $35 per night. Apps to download & set up before your trip: Donkey Republic DOT tickets for public transportation Uber (for car & Lime bikes) Holafly for e-sim (this worked so well for me!! and only $3.90 per day) How to Get Around I actually really loved biking around Copenhagen and found it to be relatively easy. However, I did draw on my 4+ years of living in hectic bike-centric cities in Europe as necessary experience. I mostly used Donkey biking for a normal bike. This cost about 15DKK per minute. I also used a couple e-bikes to get to further places for which I tried both Lime bikes via the Uber app as well as e-bikes from Donkey. What I loved about the bikes is that every single one had a built-in phone holder so you can have Google Maps up while navigating through the city, keeping both hands on the bike handles. So smart! First things first, food. Where to Eat & Drink Coffee COPENHAGEN - Where to Eat & Drink Coffee · Josephine https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZvGjQanmGvZdkuYq6?g_st=i Tip: add the Google Maps guide to your phone and then whenever you're hungry or in need of a coffee you can locate the nearest pin! Cafés Because you know we have the start the day with a cardamon bun! Juno the bakery had the BEST cardamon bun of my life, definitely, 100% worth the journey out there, they don't have any seats to sit inside so everything is take-out and the line moves quickly but get there early in the morning! Sankt Peders Bageri for the BEST cinnamon bun of my life. Perfect parts buttery and spiced. And still hot from the oven HART bakery (personally not my favorite, found it very underwhelming versus Juno and St Paders Bakery were actually worth their hype, in my humble opinion) HANS bakery (was a cute option very central but off the main road, I got my first Danish breakfast here with a sourdough bun and soft-boiled egg) Lille Bakery (I sadly got here at the end of the day and they were sold out of baked goods but I sat upstairs next to the window with an iced tea, overlooking a courtyard and jasmine) Sing Tehus (in the Vesterbro neighborhood) with some incredible matcha. Learned more about the world of matcha and how many different things go into it like coffee. Whether leaves are grown in the shade or not, how mineralized the water is and whether it brings out notes or not, etc. Sonny (they have a few different locations across town, but I ordered a matcha which they serve to you in the matcha-whisking bowl itself!) Apotek 57 (located right next to FRAMA, I didn't personally buy anything but the vibes are cute, it's a small store, definitely get there early again for them to have pastries left). Atelier September (for the iconic whipped butter, that actually just needs a lot of salt and buttermilk) I got a rye bread, comté cheese and whipped butter plate which was delicious, but very pricey Prolog for coffee (they didn't however serve any decaf coffee, which I found to be the case in most places!) What pastries to try? Kanelsnegle: Classic Danish cinnamon swirl. Spandauer: Flaky pastry with a custard or jam (the original “Danish”).  Tebirkes: Light, layered roll with almond filling and poppy seeds. Rugbrød: Dense, seeded rye bread. Romkugler: Chocolatey, rum-flavored cake balls.  Sourdough Croissant: Flaky and tangy; a modern twist. Cardamom Bun: Sweet, spicy, and fragrant Restaurants I didn't eat many meals out because it's very pricey, but here are some places that were recommended to me: Noma  (I mean if you can, eating at one of the top restaurants in the world is such a cool experience!! I went and visited the pop-up store and it was super fun as well to get a little taste of their creativity at the forefront of food) Mirabelle  (yummy pistachio pesto and white wine and sourdough bread and basque cheesecake) Gasoline Grill (a famous burger chain in Copenhagen which is relatively affordable compared to other options, great to grab take-out and head to the King's Gardens) La Banchina  (so fun to bike out here and grab a glass of wine and snacks while sitting on the pier and jumping in for a swim, peak Copenhagen life) Reffen (a food market which had a lot of great options and you can sit right on the water) Grød for breakfast (I got yummy warm porridge bowl that was super creamy with granola, banana and berry compote with rhubarb & black currants (made with whole milk that’s why it’s so creamy I think) Street market Broens for lunch (also by the water and lots of options to try) What to See & Do COPENHAGEN - What to See & Do · Josephine https://maps.app.goo.gl/DyaJATUsk4TD9mgM9?g_st=i Nyhavn for the iconic view of Copenhagen (The canal tour from there is quite nice and a great perspective through which to see the city. Stunning golden hour boat ride, so lucky!!) King's Gardens (was so beautiful to hang out in on a sunny day and I found myself keep coming back here) you can also visit the Botanical Gardens which is right next to the King's Gradens Christianshavn was a lovely quieter addition, right across a bridge from central Copenhagen where Nyhavn is, I loved biking around here and visiting the Noma pop-up as well as La Banchina, Lille Bakery and Reffen Royal Danish Library (a stunning central library that I used for some quiet working hours during my trip, they also have a very cute café for lunch or snacks right on the water) Museums Statens Kunst Museum (SKM) Glyptotek (sculture museum with a beautiful glass center room) Danish Design Museum (personal favorite) David Collection A Love for Danish Design I went wanting to learn more about Danish and mid-century modern design. As I've recently been getting more into interior designing, mostly with second-hand and pre-loved items, I wanted a bit more inspiration. Honestly my dream career (or side hustle) would be running an interior designing business using all second-hand items. I love timeless, well-crafted, high quality home items that last for awhile. As the saying goes, " buy it nice or buy it twice ". Someone explained to me some of the key tenants of Dutch design & creating a hygge (cozy) interior: never use harsh overhead lighting, warm smaller lamps around the room create a more even glow & ambience (ideally a PH lamp) candles are used everyday & everywhere 🕯️(not just in the dining room and not just at special occasions) plants plants plants 🌱 to bring a bit of life inside warm colored couches, blankets & pillows 🤎 high quality cotton bedding & plush towels (because who doesn’t love a hot shower & cozy bed after biking in the rain?!) 🛌 I left with some Danish design inspo 🛋️ to bring into my everyday life & try to thrift. Where to Shop COPENHAGEN - Where to Thrift & Shop · Josephine https://maps.app.goo.gl/nSECsAKMtscRWW9j7?g_st=i HAY Design store is very cool and where I got a lot of my inspo from, I only left with a few stainless steel egg cups for Danish/German breakfasts at home Illums Bolighus has a very large selection of Danish and Scandianavian designed items (I left with a small book on the topic of hygge but could have very much bought many more items here) Studio Arhoj for ceramics and glass (honestly so pricey, like $50 for a mug!!) Dora shop (for home goods) got some adorable fish clips and loved everything else in the shop, including lots of Alessi, inspiration for thrifting!! 2nd Rag thrift store (small cute shop by too pricey for me) Pico (hairclip store but quite expensive for plastic) Antique pottery from Antik K ( www.antikk.dk ) FRAMA for Danish design homeware as well as soaps, candles & other scented things ARKET for more Danish design & clothing Still Eben design store which was good for inspo Other Things That Were Recommended to Me (that I'll do next time I come back) David Collection - private collection that you can visit for free and has some of the most incredible Islamic art from around the world The old Carlsberg brewery area is super unique and lovely. 200-year old buildings with a large gate guarded by elephants. Very 19th century display of opulence Sauna and cold plunge experience Sunday? Loppemarked, flea market with over 90 stalls Danish design decor, ceramics etc Talent Garden co-working space for $15 per day Tybo art studio for handmade pottery Evening drinks at Pompette wine bar and chicken sandwich across the street at Poulette Louisiana Museum of Art (incredible combination for the nature around the museum with the museum pieces) Esso cph (a bit outside the city center) Grundtvigs Kirke (incredible church architecture) Visiting the Noma Projects Pop-Up Shop Sitting by the water Statens Kunst Museum (SKM) Outside Antique Market Walking Around the Neighborhoods

Welcome to my Amsterdam guide! I'm so happy you've found your way here. In this guide I'll share some of my favorite places to eat, including a special farm-to-table option, neighborhoods to stroll though and museums to enjoy. If I had one day in Amsterdam, I'd visit the Van Gogh museum, eat at Ceppis, get matcha and afternoon cake at Yuzu and stroll through Vondelpark or the Botanical Garden. The following guide follows this structure: (click on one of these below to jump to that section) How to get around (biking, bus, train system) Where to eat & drink coffee (pit stops for coffee, baked goods, lunch & dinner) What to see & do  (tours to take, museums to visit) Where to go thrifting (because would it be my favorite things without this?!) What to bring home  (unique souvenir ideas) I have so much love for this city. Out of unforeseen circumstances I was able to spend more time here in my final year in the Netherlands, while dog and housesitting in different neighborhoods. This unique experience opened the door for me to more slowly explore this city and live in a few different corners. I love that it's a capital but also only 800,000 people, feeling much more manageable and approachable than London or Berlin. However, that being said, it's also a lot more tightly packed. I think this ends up being a benefit as well. You can spend the morning in one area of Amsterdam and within 30 minutes on the tram (or less) be completely on the other side exploring a new musuem or café. Amsterdam is approachable and the incredible public transportation is the cherry on top. My second biggest tip is to avoid the center of Amsterdam (or the area around the Dam). I personally think where Amsterdam shines (in ways other than coffeeshops and tightly packed chain shopping streets) is on the outer ring of town. Whenever I would arrive at the central train station (Amsterdam Centraal) my immediate first step was to get on a tram or a bike towards either the left or the right of the station, and not down the middle. Again, personal preference but most of the cafés, restaurants and stops in this guide follow my general goals in traveling. Amsterdam weather can be funky, which is no big surprise. I've selected hopefully a good mix of both indoor and outdoor activities depending on the season and weather. For example, a rainy day could call for a visit to the Van Gogh museum followed by cozy ramen upstairs in the Dun Yong grocery store and an evening movie at the stunning Tushinski Theather. On a less wet day I would stroll Vondel Park with a coffee from Luuk's or visit Noordermarkt on a Saturday for fresh produce or interesting vintage items. I've included links to Google Maps lists organized by food and thrifting (my general areas of focus) which I recommend saving to your phone in order to find the nearest location to you wherever you may be in that moment. How to Get Around The best and most accessible mode of transport (besides by foot) is the tram and train system , called the OV system (OV or = public transport system). Since only recently, you do not need to purchase an OV chip card  to use the public transport system but can simply tap on and off with your debit or credit card (make sure it is the same one). I personally do not recommend biking in Amsterdam  if you a) don't know the streets well and b) aren't very comfortable on a bike. Even as a pedestrian, make sure to watch out for the red-paved section of the streets as these are designated bike paths and fast commuters will not expect you to step into their lane). There are some unwritten rules of how to bike in Amsterdam and I don't think it's worth trying to learn them (or risk your life) for a few days trip. Moving to the Netherlands? That's a whole different story and we can chat then. To visit other cities within the Netherlands I also recommend using the well-connected train system , no need to rent a car. Cities like Leiden, Utrecht, the Hague and Haarlem are easily acceesible within less than an hour from Amsterdam. If you are traveling with a Dutch friend who has an OV card with a subscription, make sure to get a ticket with a discount for traveling with them. This can all be selected at one of the ticketbooths within the train stations. First things first, food. Where to Eat & Drink Coffee A Google Maps guide to all my favorite food and coffee places: AMSTERDAM - Where to Eat · Josephine Henze Tip: add the Google Maps guide to your phone and then whenever you're hungry or in need of a coffee you can locate the nearest pin! Restaurants: Pata Negra (spanish tapas) one of my favorite places to grab authentic spanish tapas and enjoy the liveliness of this restaurant Ceppis (Italian, great for lunch too) Had one of the best pasta dishes of my life here! A ragu with ricotta salata cheese on top Jansz (pricier but Dutch local cuisine, need to make reservations beforehand) Williams Farmhouse (similar to Jansz) New Dutch Amsterdam (great brunch place by a canal) nNea Pizza (new Neapolitan award winning pizza in Oud West) Salvatorica (small homemade pasta place where you can sit at a few tables) Chez Nina Brasserie (kinda pricey but famous vegetarian brasserie) Ramen at Dun Yong Asian grocery store (upstairs, get there early bc a line does form) A very small menu but delicious ramen on the top floor of an Asian grocery store Go right in and take the elevator upstairs De Kas (quite fancy but amazing farm to table restaurant slightly outside of town) Incredible farm to table dinner and dining experience Make sure to not miss the dessert, it's always amazing Bird (great Thai food!!) Twee Prinsen natural wines, beers and snacks This place was right around the corner from my office and I loved stopping here after work for a glass of wine De Tros Bar Babar another great wine bar Carmen Brasserie Margaux Brasserie Lolita Esh Pitabar (for amazing fresh pita and hummus) Papillon Bakery & Café (in Noord, a fun bike ride over) Cafe’s (not coffeeshops hehe): YUSU BOCCA Rum Baba Luuk’s My favorite decaf latte in town! Fort Negen Screaming Beans Uncommon Ams Near Vondelpark, great to stop in for a coffee after walking through the park De Koffieschenkerij A small cafe inside a courtyard of a church Incredible apple pie here! Saint Jean Known for their vegan pastries, great to stop here while shopping at the Nordermarkt Winkel 43: best apple pie in all of Amsterdam often very long lines, but likely worth the wait Rum Baba Baking Lab De Deli Plantagebuurt Right across from the Zoo or Micropia museum, great to grab a bite before or after visiting! The School of Life great co-working place Coffee Company (a chain but great!) get their chai latte !! Lanskroon Bakery (for stroopwafels) Haku Speciality Coffee Good Tea Stories (vegan boba) What to See & Do Areas to walk around: the Jordaan the Vondelpark (my favorite nearby coffee place Uncommon Ams) —> this is next to Van Gogh Museumplein is where most of the big museums are located don't miss the Rijksmuseum free garden on the side 9 streets area (small shops that are super fun) De pijp (lots of cute restaurants and cafes and Sarphatipark) Saturday Morning Market: Noordermarkt (lots of yummy fresh vegetables, vintage items, fun to get a feel of normal Amsterdam life) Lindengrachtmarket Westerpark Vondelpark Sarahatipark Museums: Van Gogh (favorite!!) Rijksmuseum Micropia (really interesting about bacteria and microbes, next to the Zoo) Museum Van Loon Eye Filmmuseum (Film) Foam (Photography Museum) Fashion for Good Wereldmuseum of art from non-Western cultures Anne Frank House (book in advance!!) Cheesemuseum Houseboat Museum Rembrandt House Museum Other (but worth it!) Do a boat tour and see the city from the water! Shop around in a Dille & Kamille my favorite home goods store which truly embodies how Dutch culture is able to make indoor-living more pleasant during the many dark, rainy nights Watch a movie at Theater Thuschinki on a rainy day! Where to Thrift Google Maps guide to all my favorite thrifting in town: AMSTERDAM - Where to Thrift · Josephine https://maps.app.goo.gl/j1KV1CBHkjXcL35WA?g_st=i 1. We Are Vintage Kinkerstraat 193, 1053 DR 2. Bin Ons Vintage Reestraat 13 1016 DM Amsterdam 3. Penny Lane Vintage Eerste van der Helststraat 11 1011 HE Amsterdam 4. Episode (this one specifically) Nieuwe Spiegelstraat 61 1017 DD Amsterdam 5. Kilo Store (vintage sold by the kilo) Albert Cuypstraat 94, 1072 CX 6. Vintage 2.0 Spaarndammerstraat 34, 1013 SW Amsterdam All on Haarlemerdijkstraat: Zipper Rumors Vintage Outlet Betty Jane (where I got my favorite summer strawberry dress!) Studio Onrust What to Bring Home (my personal favorites to bring home as souvenirs) Kitchen items from Dille & Kamille loose leaf tea cooking items adorable cards Delftsblau pottery (make sure to get the original) We love our beautiful large vase or Christmas tree ornaments or small Dutch houses as candleholders Stroopwafels Vintage thrifted items Plastic tulips (there are some really real looking ones and we have a set sitting in a Delftsblau vase at home) Skincare and beauty products from Rituals (a relatively afforable and classic Dutch store for when you want something to treat yourself, or a loved one back home) My favorite market (Noordermarkt) Inside the beautiful Theater Thuschinski Walking the Canals

Welcome to my Oxford guide! I'm so happy you found your way here. I completely my Masters of Science at the University of Oxford and got the incredible opportunity to live in this magical city for a year. Given that my degree was only a year, I was determined to say "yes" to everything I possibly could knowing my time was limited and precious. Leaving Oxford, I really felt like I got to know most of its special nooks and crannies. Here is an overview of some places I'd recommend you visit! The following guide follows this structure: (click on one of these below to jump to that section) How to get around (biking, bus, train system) What to see & do (tours to take, colleges to go into, museums to visit) Where to eat & drink coffee (pit stops for coffee, baked goods, lunch & dinner, pubs) Questions and history about Oxford (matriculation, graduation, exams) What to bring home (unique souvenir ideas) Have more time on your trip? I recommend a visit to one of the beautiful villages in the Cotswolds, an easy train ride from Oxford. More on that soon. How to Get Around You can take the train from London (about 50 minutes) or take the bus (often cheaper but takes longer). To get to Oxford from London Heathrow or Gatwick I always took a bus from Megabus which was generally the cheapest. From Heathrow it takes about 1hr 50 minutes and from Gatwick about 2 hr 50 minutes. Oxford is small enough that you can truly walk most places (and that's definitely part of the experience, looking up at the different colleges and seeing why it's called the "City of Spires"). The bus system is pretty well connected, however, most streets in the center of town are pedestrian only , so you will likely do some walking anyways between bus stops. Google Maps should show the next bus and how to connect between them quite accurately. You can tap with your credit or debit card and a single ride will cost about £1.10 (last updated May 2025). I do not recommend biking around Oxford , as roads are tight and weaving between busses and tourists in torrential rain without a helmet was probably the most dangerous part of my year (sorry mom!). What to See & Do My Google Maps guide has all the following suggestions in one map (for all you visual folks!) and may be easier to navigate when planning how to spend your day(s): OXFORD - What to See and Do · Josephine https://maps.app.goo.gl/NXRWxcvcfgBLcGHh7?g_st=i Walking, Library & Boat Tours (to structure your time around) Free Walking Tour by Oxford Students: https://footprints-tours.com/oxford/oxford-walking-tours/2-hour-free-oxford-walking-tour/ getting a free walking tour first can help you get a lay of the land and decide what else you want to go see Tour inside the Bodleian Library : https://visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/tours/library-guided-tours Make sure to book early as these sell out MONTHS in advance If possible, try to get the tour where you can go inside the Radcliffe Camera (the famous, circular building in the center of town, perhaps Oxford's most famous building) Sit and read in Blackwell’s Norrington Room on a rainy day Walk inside the book store and head towards the back where there is a staircase that goes downstairs to the Norrington Room (don't miss this!!) Go to a concert at the Sheldonian Theater: https://www.sheldonian.ox.ac.uk/events Or walk around inside and go to the top for another great view of the city Go on an Oxford River Cruises b oat tour up and down the Thames River: https://oxfordrivercruises.com Go punting on the River Cherwell (by Magdalen College): https://www.oxfordpunting.co.uk Go to the top of St. Mary’s Cathedral: https://www.universitychurch.ox.ac.uk/content/tower-visit visitors will need to purchase a ticket for the Tower (£6) 127 steps up to the top Go inside one of Oxford's 39 colleges I highly recommend going inside one of Oxford's beautiful 39 colleges. The University of Oxford has 36 colleges, three societies, and four permanent private halls (PPHs) of religious foundation. What are colleges you may ask? In simple terms, Oxford's colleges are small, multidisciplinary communities. Each one has students, academic staff and administrative staff. For most undergraduate students, their college will be where they live, eat, study and take classes in small tutor-style classes. Each college has a different flavor and reputation, with most students being extremely proud to be at their chosen college. For example, Christ Church is the most "Harry Potter" college because many scenes were filmed here and the dining room inspired the one in the films. If you don't want to pay admission fee but just want to go inside a college's chapel (since most have one), you can attend a choral evensong . This is a religious Christian ceremony which is a traditional Anglican service of sung evening prayer. It is open to the general public but please be mindful that this is at the core a religious event. You can find more information about visiting Oxford's colleges here: https://www.ox.ac.uk/visitors/visiting-oxford/visiting-the-colleges These are some of the most popular to visit and definitely worth your time: Christ Church College Entry by paid self-guided ticket, purchasable online one week in advance. Tickets include cathedral and quadrangles Guided tours of Christ Church also sold separately Choral Evensong Wednesdays at 18:00 Magdalen College In my opinion, the most beautiful college with an incredible center quad (white hydrangeas are overflowing in the summer), deer park and path along the river to wander. This is also where you can see a lot of punting start on the River Cherwell. Hours: Oct–Mar: 10:00–16:00, Apr–Jun: 10:00–17:00, Jul–Sep: 10:00–18:30 Admission cost: Adults ≈ £8 All Souls College This might be one of the most unique, but also beautiful colleges that only admits 2(!) research fellows each year who pass a grueling exam. I somehow found myself accidentally in an info session to take the test (got a free tour and wine tho!) Hours: Weekdays & Sundays only, 14:00–16:00 Admission cost: Free entry Final evening sunlight on All Souls College, caught on my dad's Leica film camera Worcester College Hours: Daily from 14:00 to 16:00 Admission cost: Free, just sign in at the Porters’ Lodge Trinity College Hours: daily, typically from 10:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 17:00 during term time, with the afternoon session starting earlier at 13:00 outside of term Admission cost: £7 for adults and £5 for concessions/students (free for under-12s) Balliol College Hours: Usually open 10:00-17:00 or dusk (whichever is earlier) Admission cost: £6 for adults and £3 for concessions/students New College Hours: Spring and summer 10.00 am-5.00 pm (7 days a week) Admission cost: Adults £12 Evensong : 18:15 on weekdays (not Wednesdays), Saturday evenings, and 17:45 on Sundays Places to walk around (on a sunny day) Botanical garden Walk through Worcester College gardens Walk through University Parks Walk along the Thames by the boathouses Walk around Magdalen College Walk in Port Meadow at dusk with the horses Museums to Visit Museum of Natural Science Stunning neo-Gothic building with dinosaur skeletons and fossils Home to the famous dodo remains Excellent for science, evolution, and natural world enthusiasts Entry cost: Free Pitt Rivers Museum Dense, fascinating collection of global artifacts arranged by theme rather than geography Great for anthropology, archaeology, and cultural history lovers Entry cost: Free (donations welcome) Ashmolean Museum World’s oldest public museum, with art and archaeology from across civilizations Highlights include Egyptian mummies, Renaissance art, and ancient pottery Well-curated and easy to spend hours exploring Entry cost: Free (general admission) History of Science Museum This is where Albert Einstein's handwriting on a blackboard is preserved Showcases scientific instruments that shaped modern knowledge Displays include Galileo’s telescope and Einstein’s blackboard Perfect for science, physics, and innovation fans Entry cost: Free (donations welcome) Museum of Oxford Tells the story of Oxford and its people from medieval times to today Focuses on local history, culture, and everyday life Entry cost: £4 adult / £2 concession (students, young people), under-5s free The Story Museum Immersive museum dedicated to stories, books, and imagination Especially great for children and creative minds Entry cost: Paid entry (prices vary by age) Bodleian Libraries Exhibitions & Weston Library The Bodleian Libraries host major exhibitions of rare books, manuscripts, and historical objects in the Weston Library Exhibitions rotate and are free or ticketed depending on the show Bate Collection of Musical Instruments a collection of historic musical instruments, mainly for Western classical music, from the Middle Ages onwards More than a thousand instruments by important English, French and German makers, are on display Since 2025 it is now housed in the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities Where to Eat & Drink Coffee A Google Maps guide to all my favorite food and coffee places in Oxford: OXFORD - Where to Eat & Drink Coffee · Josephine https://maps.app.goo.gl/Q1h1DuRA1fiyZWt68?g_st=i Tip: add the Google Maps guide to your phone and then whenever you're hungry or in need of a coffee you can locate the nearest pin! My personal top favorites for... Coffee: The Missing Bean Brunch: Handlebar Café Scones: Vaults & Gardens Dinner: The Punter Pub: The King's Arms Cafés for Coffee or Breakfast Paper Boat Café next to Folly Bridge (super cute seating area down by the river) Green smoothie from Tree Artisan Cafe (with delish chocolate cake) Grabbing a coffee from the Weston Library Café and sitting out front, looking at the Sheldonian (I’d bring my laptop & work here a lot too) Hot chocolate from the cafe inside Blackwell’s Bookstore (right next to the Weston Library) On Turl Street, decaf cappuccino from the Missing Bean & Thursday morning pastries! jelly donuts Oat milk matcha (oat milk doesn’t cost extra here!) @ the Independent Café with the coziest window nook to look out at Christ church gardens & watch the tourists (& get no school work done) Coffee (and co-working) at Common Ground Knoops (hot chocolate shop where you get to choose your % of chocolate for your hot chocolate, a very cool experience and perfect for a rainy day!) Baked goods from Hamblin Bread  + stop at vintage store by Magdalen Bridge Brunch at Handlebar Café Sunday roast at Head of the River - my favorite spot for sitting by the river, watching live sporting events (like Wimbledon!) Restaurants Inside the Covered Market (on Main Street) my favorite spots are: Hamblin Bread Sartorelli's Pizza Ben’s cookies Cardew's tea shop Gulp Fiction Lunch spots Ramen at Ramen Kulture Especially delicious on a rainy day (of which there are many!) Ice cream at G&D’s across from Christ Church Warm chocolate chip cookies from Ben’s Cookies   Wood fired pizza at Sartorelli’s Najar's Place for quick, yummy wraps that are affordable (cash only!) and you can go inside John's College to eat the wraps anytime after 1PM Ramen Kulture for delicious ramen bowls on a gloomy day For dinner The Punter  (a little bit outside of town but I LOVE their food) truffle fries, paneer curry dish Fancy dinner at Gee’s  in their backyard garden or beautiful glass dining room (get their lemon pie for dessert if it’s on the menu) Cycle to the Perch  to have a drink under the willow trees, or at the Medley with wood fire pizzas closer to Port Meadow Tse Noodle is a family Chinese restaurant which is homey and delicious Lula's Ethiopian and Eritrean Cuisine for the most delicious warm dinner on a rainy day next to the train station Wine and jazz nights at Gulp Fiction  bookstore in the Covered Market The White Rabbit for pizza and drinks outside on a warm day Pubs King’s Arms Fun to sit outside on one of the tables and look out at the Old Bod and Sheldonian on a nice day and take in the hustle & bustle of Oxford Turf Tavern Tucked away near the Bridge Lamb & Flag where Tolkien and C.S. Lewis used to meet & host their club Questions and history about Oxford What are students wearing in white and black running around campus? During matriculation, exam period and graduation, students are required to wear an outfit called a "sub fusc" (from the Latin "sub fuscus" meaning very dark). This is the academic outfit that is required at these events and is black pants, black socks, black shoes, and a white button-up top. For matriculation, you add a specific cape and a tassle or bow around the neck. It all felt a bit silly but very special at the same time to be continuing traditions that have existed for hundreds of years. Where do students take exams? Once wearing the subfusc, exams are completed in the third trimester, called Trinity Term, all within the Examination Schools building. This building was completed in 1882 and since then all exams were conducted in this building. In Michaelmas Term, the Examination Schools are host to the university's Freshers' Fair where students get introduced to different clubs and sports committees. Most students have three exams, and for each day of those exams they wear a different colored carnation flower (white for the first exam day, pink for the second and red for the third and final day).The flower shop within the Covered Market specifically sells groups of three carnations during exam time. Some students would buy the flowers for their friends to wish them good luck which was very cute to see! What was graduation like? On May 31, 2025, almost half a year after I completed my Masters, I went back to Oxford with my family for my official graduation ceremony. At Oxford, you graduate with your college, not your program, thus, instead of graduating with my classmates from my MSc in Water Science, Policy and Management course, I graduated with a cohort from Mansfield College. All graduation and matriulation ceremonies occur in the Sheldonian Theater where I was allowed maximum two tickets automatically. Thankfully we were able to get one extra ticket for my sister to sit inside rather than watch the livestream. The majority of the graduation ceremony is in Latin, following hundreds of years of traditions. We had a special lunch at Mansfield College before getting ready to walk to the Divinity School which led into the Sheldonian Theater. It was so special having my family there to celebrate with me. What "formals" did you go to and which were your favorite? Truly one of the most special and surreal parts of Oxford is dining at the different colleges (39 in total) for formal dinners. College formals I went to (more photos below): 1. Mansfield College - probably 6 or 7 times, love the chapel and stained glass and Christmas dinner, loved when they pulled out the port at the end of dinner lol 2. Worcester College - big blue room, most different from any of the other colleges, really good food and sticky toffee pudding for dessert 3. Oriel College - this was probably the strangest formal, where you are barely allowed to take photos and are rushed to finish before they serve the normal dinner, however it was super special to eat in their rare books library while their dining room was being renovated 4. Merton College - best dessert and after dinner second dessert (yes this is a thing) and INCREDIBLE to listen to the massive organ 5. Wadham College - felt the silliest next to big portraits of medieval queens, best MCR hehe and parties 6. Linacre College - food is always 10/10 and had one of my favorite mains here 7. Keble College - favorite overall formal, food was amazing, vibes were 10/10, raspberry chocolate ganache for dessert and sneaking into the chapel to listen to the organ playing (see video of very intricate walls of chapel and organ music) 8. Lincoln College - this formal was honestly so much fun, beautiful vines around the college, good drinks for the second dessert (weird cheese bomb thing) and toured their most INCREDIBLE library I biked by everyday not knowing it was a library inside a church, this is what made the formals so special, getting an inside glimpse into other colleges 9. Magdalen College cheese & wine exchange - not actually a formal but an incredible array of wines and cheeses (you know when the organizing committee is French the cheeses are gonna be top-notch) in what I think is the most beautiful college at Oxford 10. St Antony College - my final!!!l formal with incredible food and many many drinks, delicious salad and I loved ending on a hot tea or coffee with chocolate Interesting Facts about Oxford Oldest teaching since 1096 3 miles of shelving space in the Norrington Room (in Blackwell's Bookstore) STEM undergraduate degrees are 4 years with the last year as a research year Oriel College admitted women only in 1984 Rad Cam was built in 1784 Tolkien incentivized CS Lewis to include the lampposts in his story somehow and then they became an important part of Narnia Thomas Bodley’s wife had the endowment from her first marriage for the Bodleian libraries which was made by the sardine business (fish money) Thomas Bodley engravings on pipes along the old Bodleian (TB) Bodlein has copyright status in 1610 which allows the university to get a copy of any book published in the UK During the Reformation, 80% of the existing books were destroyed Christopher Wren was a student at Wadham College before becoming a fellow at All Souls College What to Bring Home (as a unique souvenir) Shortbread from M&S (not in boxes but in plastic wrapping which takes up less space in your suitcase!) usually around £1 and tastes the same, if not better! Tea from Cardew's Tea Store within the Covered Market For example, the Oxford Breakfast Tea (which is their own blend similar to English Breakfast but slightly milder) Anything from Objects of Use, a home goods store with incredible high-quality home and garden objects that have a very specific use I bought my dad a cleaning scrub for the grill and dishes here Oxford sweaters, notebooks etc. Super cute Christmas tree ornaments at the gift shop by the Weston Library A Blackwell's library tote bag which you can get within the library (about 8 GBP) And a book from Blackwell's! I love the book Babel which is fiction but based in Oxford and written by an Oxford alum Mansfield College All Souls College Magdalen College Lincoln College Old Bodleian Library Sheldonian Theater Duke Humphrey's Library Oriel College Christ Church College's chapel and cafeteria Port Meadow with the horses and the Medley restaurant

A mini guide of some of my favorite things to see, do and eat in sunny Barcelona. A Vocados con Gràcia, Boulangerie Mayer, La Caravana, Mr. Kakigori, Xurreria Trebol, breakfast cinnamon bun from Flor de Gràcia & coffee from OZ bakery & Baluard bakery (all in Gràcia area) Pottery classes I wanted to join in at Atelier Moli Novela Coffee or Three Marks Coffee El Nacional Tapas Bar Rooftop drinks at Ciutat Vella 🍸 or ice cream nearby from Gianduia (you know I’m always on the lookout for a good ice cream) Walking around Parc Güell & snacking on fresh strawberries with a little (potentially not allowed) picnic on the benches Strolling around Eixample & the Gràcia neighborhood (maybe my fav!) Buying the best olives & strawberries of my life at the Mercat de la Concepció Truly truly in love with all the architecture and beautiful facades, could walk around all day just looking up and admiring them (& dreaming of future apartments some day 👀) The stunning Palace of Catalan Music (Palau de la Música Catalana) with super cute streets (& bookstores) to explore around Lots of good thrifting at HUMANA stores (especially when they have “happy hours” where everything is 25% off) especially in the Santa Caterina area For vintage shopping: - Vintage AE5 - Any Humana (there are so many good ones!!) - Mahalo Vintage - El Indio Vintage - Zoetrope Vintage churros, churros, churros from Xurreria Trebol birthday dinner at La Pepita! So yum! Order the patatas bravas! DeLaCrem for ice cream, check out the different flavors available on their board 🍨 long line at night! I think I could never get sick of this city! Can’t wait to go back in 2026 when the Sagrada Familia is complete! Gaudí was truly a genius and this trip reminded me of his insane architectural talent and vision! 🍇🍒🍊🍋🍐🫐

Here are some memories and account of our week long trip, biking across islands, taking long naps on the boat, eating gelato while strolling a new city every evening and falling in love with Croatia. We love going on family summer bike trips, such as in 2023 to Puglia, Italy and this year we decided to go to the northern islands of Croatia, located along the Kvarner Bay. The Kvarner Bay, is a bay in the northern Adriatic Sea, located between the Istrian peninsula and the northern Croatian Littoral mainland. The bay is a part of Croatia's internal waters. The largest islands within the Kvarner are Cres, Krk, Pag, Rab and Lošinj; all islands we biked across and sailed between. We went with a guided tour from the company Islandhopping (or Inselhüpfen in German) which was a great balance of following a local guide who could share lots of history, incredible meals cooked for us after we returned from each bike ride on the boat, and truly being able to relax without coordinating. Find the exact tour we went on here . We started with a full day exploring the capital of Croatia, Zagreb, before taking a transfer bus to the starting point in Omisalj. Zagreb, Croatia Here is the route we followed and the islands we stopped at the bike around while the boat took us from island to island. Day 1 of cycling & boating through northern Croatia We started in Zagreb on a rainy, chilly morning grabbing cappuccinos at a local bar with all the folks headed to work & attempted to read the Croatian newspaper. 2 hour drive winding through the mountains to the coast, I snacked on salty, oily borek that was perfection. Boarded the Linda in Omisalj on the island of Krk and navigated almost four hours to the city and island of Cres. Thankfully we emerged from our naps with the rain clouds gone and sunshine highlighting the many colors of the water and islands we weren’t able to see before. Dinner was served with truffle polenta, fresh goat cheese salad and cheese cake for dinner (all cooked in the very small square kitchen onboard). We did a quick evening tour through the city, bundled up as it was very cold and very windy (the famous bora winds in this area that can get up to 300km/hr). Nightcap of traditional Croatian grappa called Teranino (yum! Like condensed glühwein) and Biska (nope). Day 2 aboard the Linda Started with breakfast on the back deck before getting our bikes ready for the first ride out of Cres. We had to adjust our plans because of strong winds & started with a steep ascent out of the harbor over the ridge to see back across the islands toward Rijeka and Krk where we were yesterday. The views over the islands and water as well as cherry trees and occasional bee hives making the local sage honey along the olive groves provided good distraction during the hard parts. It was a quick descent down and I caught my breath while trying to spot little sailboats out on the blue water. Went for a quick, cold swim (early summer season water temps) & biked back to the boat for lunch which was fresh caught fish. Navigating four hours meant more naps, more reading in the sunshine and more cappuccinos on deck with a little chocolate until we reached the island of Losinj (more in part 2). Truly spoiled with these incredible days. Film photos from aboard the Linda Day 2 Evening stroll through Mali Lošinj Complete with ice cream, more jasmine-lined streets, getting lost in narrow alleyways & deck top picnic dinner with the sunset. Day 3 Biking around Lošinj I don’t think anything can top the bike path today - a narrow paved directly along the water with large forested Aleppo pines on the other side. Dream hotel in the Čikat area (coming back for brunch on their terrace one day). The city of Mali is known for its pristine air quality and was considered a “Luftkurort” or city for air quality recovering (health tourism focusing on the medicinal properties of the climate). We continued biking along the sea path until we crossed over the island to the other side to Veli Lošinj, a cute small port town with colorful buildings. Affogato before getting back on the bikes to head to the boat for lunch. Quick detour with my dad to go back down one of the baths and jump in the water for a swim. SO worth it! The beautiful city of Mali Losinj where we stopped for a coffee and gelato break Day 3 Evening ride across Molat Second bike ride of the day across the island Molat which has no police, small hidden villages built to be protected from pirate invasions, and undulating hills with views over the ocean. My legs hurt from the morning’s ride but the evening light and incredible views made this ride so worth it and almost just as incredible as the morning. In the evening was Captain’s Dinner which meant with ate with the boat’s captain who gave us traditional Croatian grappa, Rakija Šljivovica, made from plum’s at Ivan’s, one of the guides’ farm! Followed by many rounds of karaoke. My cheeks hurt from laughing so much this evening. Day 4 Biking up and down Dugi Otok Not a lot of photos today because it was a tough biking day - Island hopping is fun but islands also mean steep hills and descents because you start at sea level. Quick swim to cool down (no wind today) and latte (that I had big regrets of on the hill I had to climb shortly after). The boat picked us up on a different end of the island, which meant different views coming back. Fresh figs, olive trees and bright yellow flowers lined the roads. Lunch on the boat was truffle and grated zucchini risotto (truffle comes from the Istria region in Croatia). Sophia aboard an old wooden sailboat, catching the final sun rays of the day. Day 4 Afternoon exploring the old town of Zadar Too short of a nap before we docked in Zadar and started a tour with a local guide (Lucija who I would def be friends with if I lived here). Highlights were the Church of Saint Anastasia (with both gothic and Romanesque architectural styles), Church of St Donat (combination of architecture styles influenced by trips to Byzantine and Frankish Empries) and sea organ that is built to make sounds as the waves come in (see videos to hear it). 3000 years of history in a 360 degree view. Roman forum (marble columns), Church of St Donat (from medieval times), tower & socialist architecture. The city has a distinctly Italian feeling. Watched sunset sitting above the sea organ with glasses of Croatian wine and shared this moment with a lot of other tourists & locals. Humans just being humans. The city of Zadar also caught on film Day 5 Bike ride across Pag & evening in Rab Rab stole all of our hearts (while Pag did less so and hence no photos of it included here). Windy, long bike ride across Pag which is the least forested island of Croatia and we felt it with the hot sun and no shade. The best part of Pag is definitely its sheep cheese made from milk from their 20,000 sheep (highly superior to manchego sorry). Boat ride to the island of Rab, which is the MOST forested and truly magical. We got lost in its limestone alleyways, found baby birds, admired its four bell towers, ate rab cake (yum! Orange marzipan cake baked in the shape of a spiral called rapska torta) and had hugos on the beach at sunset. A moment for this stunning olive tree in the center of a courtyard Courtyard olive tree in Rab Day 6 Bike and swim on Rab & final boat trip to Krk Active recovery day with a short bike ride next to the water and hour to swim. Time to stop in an organic local products store family-run for over 110 years (olive oils, local sage honey, olive tree wood). In Rab, visited a small store to buy more rabska torta made by this sweet lady who has been making it for 25 years. Quick anchored stop for a chilly swim, made better by warm cappuccinos. Evening in the old town of Krk and a special dinner under an olive tree with new friends, sharing fluffy still-warm bread, homemade olive oil and honey wine. Special special days. This week has reminded me how much can be fit into a week, versus the ones that seem to just fly by. Rainy evening walk back to the boat. Day 7 Final day on the Linda & bike ride across Krk back to Omisalj Ride from Krk Town to Vrbnik, which is known for its wine so we biked through many vineyards. Exploration through Vrbnik including the “narrowest road in the world” (not so sure about that but definitely narrow!!). Continued to a small village on the beach near a mud bath and shared a large Erdbeereisbecher (Kindheit!!). The final segment rode along olive trees (surprise surprise), white and purple flowers and big fluffy clouds bringing in rain for the evening. Arrived back at our boat and first stop of our bike tour in Omisalj and we were all super sad to pull in and end the bike tour. Final views of Croatian islands within the Kvarner Bay and dinner on the boat, with more slivovitz (Croatian brandy) and watching the sunset while playing games.

Florence has to be my favorite city to explore in Italy. Here is a bit of its history and a few favorite things to do. Quick Fun Facts: Birthplace or cradle of the Italian Renaissance Ruled by the wealthy Medici banking family Center of Medieval trade and finance Located on the Arno River The UNESCO, a UN agency, has created a list of all arts in the world, and 60% of items from this list are actually in Italy. A bit of history: How Florence has grown throughout its history:   800-300 BC  Etruscans lived for 500 years. 59BC   Julius Cesar was the ruler of Rome 476      End of the Roman Empire 1248 1400    Renaissance (rebirth) began in Florence, art, architecture and science 1500 1861    Italy becomes a unified nations under King Victor Emmanuel II 1865-1870        Florence was the capitol of Italy, later moved to Rome The height of building was determined by how much money the owner had. Consequently, walking down the street and looking up, one can see the varying amounts of income. Three floor buildings beside four floor or even two flours. Stairs entering in a house were always made of stone so that enemies could not burn the wooden stairs. The horses lived on the main level, while the owners lived on the first floor, and the servants on the top floor. Taxes were based on the width of the façade facing the street so many houses had a narrow façade with an incredible depth. For wandering in the Center Storico (Historic Center), don’t miss: There are no words for the Piazza del Duomo and Santa Maria del Fiore getting a guided tour is worth it as well as to get a description of the Duomo inside Walk along the famous Villa dello Studio: Visit Zecchi, an art store where Michelangelo bought his art supplies!! (so much good stuff to see on this street) Don’t miss the photos of celebrities Make sure to buy a pack of beautiful Florentine paper with wax drawings to bring home Further down on this street is a leather goods store called Brunelleschi And Vecchio Lotto, an antique store worth wandering in If you keep walking on this street and take a left, you’ll get to a bookstore and café The Paperback Exchange, Anglo-American Bookstore (i bought Braiding Sweetgrass here) Coffee or lunch at the La Grotta Toscana Visit the Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio for a taste of local Italian life: This is the second famous market after the main Florentine market, where the locals buy their food. Start early in the morning Marvel at the tomatoes & fresh produce Buy a few pieces of fruit to snack on during the day Coffee at Café Cibreo around the corner At the end of our three-hour tour, as she launched us out on our own, reminded us, “keep looking up!” Too often once people are tourists on their own, they begin to only look at eye level as they enter and exit and small stores. Looking up we saw and learned the history of shutters. Before glass, windows in buildings were covered with a block of wood. However, during the Crusades, when the Florentines were conquering the Muslims in Persia, they noticed that there were slats in the shutter, which let in light and air throughout the day and night. Their conquests helped improve the housing in Florence. - my mom Martha Visit Museo di Bargello and Palazzo Vecchio Paying the extra 5 Euros for a person to guide 5 of us through the secret passages of the Palazzo Vecchio, where the Medici family stored their treasures was worth it. Our English-speaking guide Giacomo made the people of the Medici family come alive, particularly Cosimo I, who was a power and prestige lover to his son Lorenzo who was shy and just wanted to be a quiet researcher in a chemistry lab, a quirky collector (does anyone you know have a collection of bezoars, a tennis ball size ball of indigestible material from the stomach of animals, sometimes called hairballs?) and artist, and not a leader of Florence, Italy.   Lorenzo was a great patron of the arts and supported artists by the names of Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Botticelli.   Palazzo Vecchio The Old Palace is a famous landmark in Florence and a symbol of political power – first for the Republic, consisting of 500 representatives and then for the Medici Dynasty which lasted 100 years. The Republic consisted of governmental representatives from the kingdom who lived at the palace and wore red robes with hoods which was the traditional business attire. Fun Fact: Dante, who is known as the father of the Italian language, was also an elected government official is often depicted wearing a red robe with a hood. Walk along the Arno river and cross at Ponte Vecchio   Side quest: take the Dante train from Florence to Ravenna Who was Dante? And what do you see and hear on the train? A restored historical train from Florence, where Dante was born, for three hours to Ravenna, where Dante died. Along the way, we learned a lot about Dante, who is considered the Father of the Italian Language. Dante was born in Florence in 1265. As was customary in that time, he was betrothed to Gemma, a girl from a wealthy family at the age of 12. Even though he had fallen in love with a girl named Beatrice, he married his fiancé Gemma at about age 20.   Dante, who is considered the Father of the Italian language, due to his political beliefs was exiled and thrown out of his favorite city of Florence. He roamed the Tuscan and Emilia Romangna countryside.  Though we were not allowed to exit the train, we stopped in the four towns important during his wanderings: Borgo San Lorenzo, Marradi, Brisghella, and Faenza. Taking the train allows you to see beautiful views of the Italian countryside. In Ravenna Buy tickets ahead of time for the famous Byzantine mosaic exhibits located in seven churches Make sure to not miss the small rectangular mosaics on buildings indicating street names If you can, talk with artists and workers in mosaic stores who are keeping the tradition alive The workers were completing a mosaic for a custom floor designed by a customer in India. It was fascinating to see the stacked three feet by three feet completed squares which would be transported to India with directions on how to put the mosaic puzzle together. Have the most magical lunch at Antica Tratorria Al Gallo 1909 Following lunch you can have a dessert and coffee in their beautiful backyard garden that is truly magical, I never wanted to leave We not only had an amazing lunch, with purple pasta with made with a fresh blueberry sauce, but afterwards the waitress kindly asked if we wanted to sit in the garden and enjoy a Caffe’ and dessert, of white divinity like cookies. We finished our wine, drank our Deka coffees, nibbled on the cookies, and thought we were in paradise. It was exactly what we needed and made our day in Ravenna complete with happy memories. - my mom Where We Stayed (a unique art residency outside the main city): Since we visited during my father's sabbatical year, we were able to stay at a large artist residency as part of Sabbaticalhomes.com , called Residenza del Palmerino (their new website: https://www.palmerino.org ) . So, sadly this would not be an easy place to stay at as week-long guests (most stay at least 6 months) but it's worth describing and showing a few photos of. Information from their website on the Residency Program: "Open year-round, our Residency Programme can be of varying lengths depending on each participant’s creative project and Il Palmerino’s availability. They can last from one week, to three months, or personalized. There are no particular preclusions concerning art work or scholarly research studied or produced during one’s residency, because the association believes in the heterogeneous and multi-disciplinary nature of knowledge and artistic media. ​ We offer support to our resident artists and scholars by providing information on where to find materials and how to establish contact with the Florentine art scene, or by organising presentations and internal discussions or events with other guests. We also help foster external events with the wider Florentine community, and often facilitate exhibitions and conferences at the end of one’s residency, or organise visits to other events or locations that are relevant to the research in progress." Pretty unique!

Cafes Barista Cafe Bartine (close to central station) Favorite decaf cappucino in town! Their Turkish Eggs are incredible for a brunch Bookstor (super cute but can sometimes be chaotic and full) Really popular cafe with books lining all the walls Lola Bikes and Coffee (secret back garden! generally a lot more chill than Bookstor) Further down the same street from Bookstor is this cafe Pompernikkel Any Boulangeri Michel location (French bakery) Order their chocolate almond croissant - an incredible combination! House of Tribes Restaurants Vincenzo’s Pizzeria (any location) Atithi Indian restaurant Everything is super delicious here! Order the mango lassi too, of course! Ali’s Incredible Lebanese Sandwiches (get their potato wedges!) Museums Kunstmusem (honestly one of my favorite museums in the world! A bit out of the center but worth it) Even just grabbing a coffee in their cafeteria is worth it Hanging in the ceiling are wooden beast installations by a famous Dutch artist MC Escher museum (also big love) Small museum within the summer palace Incredible art by MC Escher using linocuts Mauritshuis (surprisingly very full of art but cool) This is where Vermeer's "Girl with the Peal Earring" is located This museum is right next to the Binnenhof or Parlimentary building of the Netherlands that you can also just walk right through! Panorama Mesdag Large panorama painting that is quite impressive of a view of the beach by the Hague Pulchri Studio (free art gallery with cute cafe inside) Thrifting Episode downtown Other Walk around the royal gardens behind the palace! Or great spot for a picnic Bike to Zuiderstrand (avoid the main beach area, and walk along the dunes here) Emma’shof (cute neighborhood garden)