To preface, Rome has and always will be my favorite city from this entire 2-month trip (supposed to be 4 but we’ve since gotten over that). Alas, I’ll be sharing pics from Rome in a separate post, so just know that it sits at the top of the list forever and the rest of these rankings are what would come after.
Prague, Czech Republic. I was fortunate enough to send it last-minute on this trip with three of my roommates! Though it was a short stay, we made the most out of it and truly turned it into a food-tour lol. I just loved the atmosphere there! Everything was relatively cheap, the food was amazing, the shopping was plentiful, the scenery was beautiful, and the architecture was inspiring. What more could one ask for? Here are a few of the cool places we went while we were there for the weekend:
Prague Castle (landmark), John Lennon Wall (landmark), Clock Tower (landmark), Bistro Monk (brunch), Den Noc (pancakes), Anonymous Bar (unique cocktails), Hemingway Bar (unique cocktails), Las Adelitas (mexican/margs), Lemon Leaf (thai)
Vienna, Austria. Vienna comes in a super close second to Prague and that’s solely because it was not as walkable. We had to use the subway/Uber for many adventures which was not bad by any means, but it wasn’t AS easy to get around as Prague was. That being said, Vienna was also super fun and I’m SO glad I got to go! The city itself is beautiful and the buildings are surprisingly modern, except for the amazing cathedral of course. On one evenings, we decided to do a group wine tasting experience in a random cellar in the city and it was by far one of my favorite things from abroad. I had an absolute blast! Here are some recs to go along with the pics:
Schonbrunn Castle (landmark), Cathedral (castle), KLYO (brunch), Motto Am Floss (brunch), Onyx Bar (view + drinks), wine cellar (wine duh!)
Florence, Italy. Florence was just as cool and beautiful as everyone says! Sadly, I only got to experience all it has to offer for a short day :(. In that time, though, I did cover a lot of ground and, of course, eat a LOT of yummy food! The main reasons Florence has ended up at #3 for me is because I barely got to see it and it’s actually more touristy and expensive than Rome. I know right. But it’s true. Sorry! Anyway, here’s the list of places we went while we were there for a short 24 hours…
Il Duomo (landmark), Piazzale Michelangelo (view + landmark), Hotel Lugarno (waterfront hotel), Il Buccheta (dinner), 4 Leoni (dinner), Gelateria Neri (gelatoooo)
Copenhagen, Denmark. To start, I have nothing against Copenhagen as a city, except for the fact that the exchange rate is insanely high! Minus this, Cope was seriously so dope. The food was insane, the people were strikingly beautiful (literally every. Single. person), the architecture was cool, the shopping was rad, and everything was within walking distance! ‘Twas amazing to say the least. Just watch out for the gnarly inflation. As promised, recommendations by me:
Rainbow houses (landmark), Christiania (landmark; v trippy), GROD/Glass Market (breakfast + LA vibes), Union Kitchen (brunch), Cafe Norden (brunch + yummy hot chocolate + views), PS Grill (dinner; best burger I’ve ever had in my entire life), Stix n Sushi (dinner), A Bar (fun bar!), La Tequila (another fun bar!)
Bologna, Italy. Ok, so bummed I didn’t get to spend more time here! I still have no idea why, but for some reason I just really felt at home in Bologna. It’s insanely charming and petit, and is chock-full of history (my fave)! We spent the night here for a school trip, so we only got to roam around on our own for a couple of hours. BUT, we did stumble upon the most amazing, homey restaurant a few blocks from our hotel. Of course I don’t remember the name, but I do remember the melt-in-your-mouth truffle ravioli I consumed! Alas, I have photos from the trip, but little written recommendations. Guess I gotta go back!?
Naples, Italy. Napoli! That’s amoreee! Lol Naples was such a last-minute plan, so we kind of just sent it without any expectations. I was pleasantly surprised with what we discovered, however. Our airbnb was super cute and central, so it was easy to take a stroll over to the water-front castle and beachside restaurants for some delicious pizza and aperol spritz! It rained on our second day there, so we went shopping and found our way through several museums. Overall, solid trip, but Naples just simply doesn’t compare to the above cities. I have a feeling it’s more enjoyable during the summer months. Again, I messed up with the recommendations, sorry peeps. I was too caught up in our first trip of the semester.
Parma, Italy. Tbh the woat (of these options) except that it produces parmigiano reggiano cheese and balsamic vinegar. That’s all.
