Travel Superlatives 2018

December 19, 2018 Lana @TravelSavvyGal Comments 0 Comment

Wow, 2018 turned out to be quite the travel whirlwind – filled with many travel highlights, good and bad!

Last year, I explored 2 new countries. This year I made it to 5: Denmark, Honduras, Malta, Nicaragua, and Norway.

Not that I’m so into the whole country counting thing, but I keep track every so often and realized with my recent cruise stop in Honduras, I’ve now been to 59 countries!

This year, with some strategic planning around holidays and generous leave at my full-time job, I also managed several longer trips, many of them returning to some favorite countries and cities I’ve visited before – like Belgium, Italy (where I lived for 3 years!), New Orleans, Philadelphia, and San Francisco.

Across my many trips, there were those moments that stood out for being blissful, with the stars seemingly aligning just right. There were many visually beautiful moments, meandering on a road trip through picturesque scenery or hiking through breathtaking nature. And also hilariously terrible moments when everything seemed to go incredibly wrong and I tried to recover as best I could – or at least wallow in misery and live to travel another day.

Here are some of those memorable travel experiences:

A Multitude of Travel Fails

Sure, I’m Travel Savvy Gal, but how do you think I got so savvy? By doing things wrong, of course! Sometimes repeatedly.

And with all of my travel this year, even with all the things I did do right, it inevitably didn’t *all* go according to plan.

There were the little things that I kicked myself for – not paying attention to my direction and ending up on the sunny side of the bus or train, picking the one seat without a power outlet, or somehow finding the seat with a bar underneath and no space to stow bags.

But my most panicked moment came near the start of my first two-week trip to Europe. And I hadn’t even left the US yet!

After going through security, I was sitting at the bar at one of the airport restaurants and dropped my phone. Which of course I had done dozens of time before, but this was the drop that broke my cell phone for good. But it was so close to boarding time that all I could do was take my flight completely phone-less. On top of which, I had forgotten to set an out-of-office message on my work e-mail and couldn’t complete the authentication to log in without a working cell phone! (Luckily when I arrived in Milan, where I have a lot of friends from my 3 years living there, I was able to borrow a friend’s spare smartphone for the trip – phew!)

Then somehow that carelessness was like a curse that extended through the entire trip. As that two-week European adventure in April progressed, I just was not at my best for staying on top of all my belongings.

In Belgium, after a day of exploring when I first arrived, I took a train to Antwerp to reunite with my best friend from my time in Milan, and completely walked off the train without my main luggage that I had stowed on the shelf above the seats. Luckily, Antwerp was the final stop of the train, so when I realized I had left it behind a minute later, the train was still in the station with its doors open and I was able to walk back on and fetch it.

Then, at the last destination that same trip, on my final day in Copenhagen, I lost my Copenhagen Card – which was basically my pre-paid admission to all of the local attractions and my card to access public transit. So for things like the Carlsburg Brewery tour, I had to pay again to enter. Luckily, it was only about a $20 mistake in the end, but it literally cost me.

New Food Obsession

I don’t get obsessed with a new food every time I visit a new country (I swear!) but my Copenhagen obsession started long before I landed, just by reading a description of local delicacy, smørrebrød. Sure, it’s just an open-faced sandwich – Danish-style – but there is a whole lot more that goes into the perfect bite after perfect bite that I enjoyed there.

It is color, it is texture, it is flavor. All mixed together with the Danish design sensibility that extends to many area of life in Denmark. Plus, it’s incredibly delicious. So yeah, I admit it, I’m totally obsessed.

Luckiest Budget Moment

My first big trip of 2018 was a week in Nicaragua. I was meant to visit with a friend but she had an emergency (don’t worry, everything is fine now!) and had to back out last minute. I briefly debated whether to still go, although let’s be real, being on my own has not dissuaded me from a trip yet. It just meant that it would be a slightly different trip without her company and that I needed to make some adjustments to my plan to account for not splitting expenses two ways anymore.

My biggest in-country transit was between the island of Ometepe and the town of León, and certainly the budget way to traverse the distance was by bus. Although I had taken the converted school buses known as chicken buses on other stretches, on this journey it would have involved going into the capital city of Managua, transferring buses, and leaving again on a different bus.

With the buses stopping frequently, the trip would have taken all day.

I decided that even though I was traveling solo, I would splurge on a private car transfer to the ferry and then from the ferry on the other side, to minimize how much of the day I’d lose in transit.

My lucky moment came when I approached the reception desk at my guesthouse, and I happened to ask about the trip just as a couple was making the exact same inquiry. We even were targeting the same departure time.

So instead of footing the bill alone, I got to split the ride – 3 ways!

And of course, in true travel fashion, it turned out that there was a lot to connect me and the random couple – from hearing about their home in Denver, where my sister had recently moved, to conversing in Hebrew because she turned out to be Israeli. The driver even got in on the lively conversation along the way, with me translating since I was the only person in the group who spoke Spanish.

READ MORE: Top 13 Reasons to Visit Nicaragua

**While Nicaragua was a lovely destination when I visited in January 2018, it is currently not safe for tourists. Be sure to do your research and keep safety as your top priority before booking a trip.**

Craziest Hiking Conditions

I like to hike. Usually with a friend, and often sandwiched in between two city sightseeing days to get some time in nature. Occasionally, I hike solo. I’ve done some serious hiking on my own, but the last time was back in 2016 on a solo weekend in Liechtenstein.

Only because I am a semi-serious hiker, had done multiple 6+ hour hikes on my own before, and had trained before the trip, did I even attempt to hike high up in a Norwegian fjord while solo in late September. Which is basically the beginning of their winter.

Despite the cold, there were a lot of fun elements of the hike, however the final section was so brutal that all four people who started out ahead of me turned back before reaching the end. At that point, I was literally alone. In the middle of nowhere. With no cell service.

At the top, with a third of the hike still remaining, the wind was merciless and there were large patches of black ice, where the rock had iced over but you couldn’t tell if it was wet or icy until you extended a tentative step. Plus, the fog had rolled in and there was barely enough visibility to see from one bright red trail marker to the next.

But I am nothing if not persistent, so while continuing to be cautious, I slowly made my way toward the famous wedged boulder known as Kjerag. As its slightly rounded top was covered in a layer of ice and show, standing on it was not possible, but seeing the spot in view was still so incredibly rewarding.

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Most Drinks Consumed

This one might be a tie. Between a cocktail crawl, giant boozy slushies, a distillery visit, and wine tasting in New Orleans (let the good times roll!) and also California wine country, where a friend and I road-tripped with just two winery reservations and still managed to squeeze in tastings at 12 wineries in basically 2 days.

In both cases, a lot of different venues were involved, and getting to sample all of the delicious concoctions was also incredibly tied to the sense of place in each location.

Travel Research Fails

While in Belgium during my April trip, my main concern when picking when to take a day trip to Ghent, Belgium from my home base in Antwerp was centered in part on the weather and in part on my friend’s schedule. And I didn’t know any better, so didn’t do my due diligence until I was en route and realized just how many museums and restaurants would be closed since it was Wednesday. Which seemed awfully random but now I know and you should, too – so it featured in my blog post with tips for visiting Belgium.

READ MORE: 9 Top Belgium Travel Tips

In Philadelphia in the US, I thought I had done my due diligence when I found a spot with great cocktail reviews close to where I’d be exploring on Saturday afternoon of my weekend trip. After trying and failing to find this amazing bar, some closer looking led me to realize that it was a cocktail school, not a bar where I could order drinks! (Luckily, some alternate options were also nearby, and I enjoyed a great pre-dinner cocktail.)

Most Unexpected Outing

I had briefly been to a secluded beach in the north of Haiti on a cruise with my family over a decade ago. This past February, I returned to a completely different part of the country on a work trip, splitting my time between the capital of Port-au-Prince and the northern Artibonite region. As you might imagine about a country with many travel warnings in place, security is key and was my main focus there.

What was completely unexpected was the cosmopolitan and – thanks to the many aid organizations and non-profits – thriving expat scene in Port-au-Prince. The one Friday night I spent there, I went salsa dancing! Read all about how salsa dancing in P-au-P was different than I expected in the caption below:

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Best Sunsets Enjoyed

I’m not much of a morning person, so I’m far more likely to catch sunset than sunrise (other than in winter, like this recent gem spotted on my way to work). After a year of traveling, a few of these stellar sunsets stand out more than most:

I saw several great sunsets in Malta, but the one that stands out the most was spotted toward the end of a whirlwind day I later called my perfect sightseeing day. After many buses, city exploring, a wine tasting, and some coastal hiking, I swam and took in the views as I swelled with the satisfaction of a wonderful, full day of solo exploring and enjoyed the lovely colors as the sun set over the water.

As someone who loves water views, I also took *so many* pictures of sunset on my Caribbean cruise. I still think my favorite views though, were on the first night as the ship left port in Miami just as the sun was going down:

READ MORE: Top Tips for Taking a Cruise

On vacation, watching sunset it usually an item on my itinerary, while at home, I often get caught up doing something without remembering to glance outside. I almost missed this boldly colored one while at home in Baltimore, but then I just happened to look out the window and see how stunning and bright this one was. Luckily I have a rooftop deck and was able to rush up there with both my phone and camera to appreciate its beauty. Plus, snap a few shots, of course.

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Most Unexpected Foodie City

You’re probably expecting me to list some famous city that you have heard of or been to, but may not have realized has a foodie scene.

Well, here goes: Stavanger, Norway. No, doesn’t ring a bell?

Honestly, I had never heard of Stavanger either until I realized that it was the most convenient jumping off point for all of the hiking I wanted to do in the nearby Norwegian fjord. But critical to its foodie scene is the fact that Stavanger is also an oil city and has plenty of high-paid executives that frequently dine out for business and sustain some fancy and delicious places all around town.

Norway’s first Michelin star awarded outside of Oslo was to a Stavanger restaurant back in 2016 (now there are more). And I enjoyed some of my most memorable meals of the year there.

Most Last-Minute Flight Purchase for Vacation

I thought it was cutting things close when I lived in Milan and didn’t buy a ticket for a weekend trip to London until the Wednesday before a Friday afternoon flight. For the first time in my life, when I scanned my boarding pass at the gate, it beeped.

Because I had been tagged as a high security risk.

“Did you by any chance by your ticket in the last 48 hours?”

Why yes, yes I did. After breathing a sigh of relief as they confirmed the likely reason for my being flagged, the flight attendant fortunately had no problem letting me on the flight.

This year, I topped that moment.

I had planned months ahead for my Norway trip, securing a one-way evening flight to Bergen (via Stockholm) on Norwegian Air. Early afternoon the day before my flight, I started getting a series of text notifications about problems with the airplane.

Twenty texts and two hour-long phone calls later, it became apparent that my original flight would be canceled. And I’d be delayed at least one day – if not more – due to the connection I’d then miss.

So I did what any frequent traveler would do – right? I started a whole flurry of activity.

I checked with travel insurance to see what extra costs would be covered. Then I called Norwegian Air on different numbers simultaneously (one on my cell, one on Skype) to get a hold of a person as fast as possible to refund the original flight.

AND then, once my confirmation e-mail came through, I bought a completely new one-way plane ticket to Bergen on a different airline.

By the time this all got sorted out, it was so close to 24 hours before my flight departed the next day that my purchase confirmation and check-in reminder came within 10 minutes of each other!

(And just for the record, Norwegian Air’s Customer Service is excellent – My request took a month to process, but not only did they refund the cost of my original flight, they also paid me for the $300 fare difference for the last-minute flight I booked. So I never did have to make that claim with my travel insurance.)

Biggest Travel Win

A Romanian friend who has been living and working in the US quit her job to return to Europe and wanted to go on a girls’ road trip to San Francisco and nearby wine country in the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. So she called me, obviously! (No arm twisting required.)

We booked flights to California three weeks in advance. As is my usual, I booked the flight, told my friend, then added us to the wait list for all 3 of the nights we’d be in wine country for the most outrageous restaurant in the region, The French Laundry. Which is considered one of the hardest reservations to get in the US (even if you book months ahead of time).

I didn’t think much of this, and had pretty much forgotten all about it by the time we started our trip.

After all, I had joined a wait list for Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy and for Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark when I visited both areas in April of this year – and didn’t hear from either restaurant. But of course you can’t get in off the wait list if you don’t even try.

So imagine my surprise when I got a call from a California number I didn’t recognize as we were wine tasting up and down the Napa Valley on Sunday afternoon.

The French Laundry has a spot for us? What?!?!??

YES, of course we want to come for dinner on Monday at the French Laundry. Most people make a dinner reservation at The French Laundry, and only *then* book a plane ticket to California. Which was the only way I thought I’d ever be able to go. Then here they were offering me a spot! (Although of course also asking me to pre-pay the $700 for two on my credit card online within the hour at a moment’s notice.)

No problem, sign us up!

In the wake of the flurry of activity securing the reservation, I felt like pinching myself to see if it was all really happening.

I’m still in such disbelief that the website confirmation of my reservation is still open in the browser on my phone 2 weeks later:

After the call and confirming our seats, my friend and I were finally grabbing some lunch in between wine tastings and just looked at each other – did that really just happen??

Those ‘pinch me, is this real?’ moments are what makes me love the travel experience and continue coming back for more. More new experiences, more elation, more crazy disappointment that sometimes is so ridiculous that it borders on the hilarious.

You need the travel blunders to appreciate the wins. Without the lows, you can’t fully appreciate the glorious highs when everything goes right. It may sound counter-intuitive, but it’s true, I promise.

I just try to be present in the moment and savor it all as it comes, grateful to be here and able to experience it all.

For more highlights from recent years, check out my previous Travel Superlatives round up posts:

READ MORE: Travel Superlatives 2017

READ MORE: Travel Superlatives 2016

What were the highlights of your travel year? And what was the craziest thing that happened to you on the road? Any place that I mentioned you’d like to see more blog posts about?

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Foodie Travel – Top Thing to Eat in Copenhagen, Denmark: Smørrebrød

September 4, 2018 Lana @TravelSavvyGal Comments 0 Comment

Sometimes I’ve been known to get obsessed with one specific thing when I travel.

In San Sebastian, Spain, I was consumed by seeking out the best pintxos – the beautiful small bites along with your drink – at local bars.

In Oman, it was the aflaj, the ancient waterways, that I was so fascinated by I took road trip detours to find them.

In Italy, truffles held my focus – buying truffles at local artisanal food fairs, attending truffle festivals all over the country in different seasons, cooking with truffles – I just couldn’t get enough.

My foodie obsession to eat in Copenhagen? Smørrebrød.

Although I had never heard of smørrebrød before I started planning my Copenhagen visit, it didn’t take much reading to become intrigued even before I went. These open-faced sandwiches sounded to me a lot like the Danish version of Spanish tapas or Venetian cicchetti, and I always jump at the chance to have small bites on the road when I can, because it means sampling more dishes of the local cuisine.

The more I ate smørrebrød and their balance of flavors and textures, the more I wanted to seek out just one more version, sampling yet another new combination to eat in Copenhagen. And the more I wanted to know about the culture surrounding them.

What is Smørrebrød

Not only was smørrebrød listed as the top local food to try, there is an art and science to how each slice is constructed. It’s definitely not your basic open-faced sandwich. It literally means buttered bread, and then anything else can be piled high for that perfect bite.

Smørrebrød starts with a slice of dark, rye bread, often with seeds or nuts inside, although certain toppings merit a different type of hearty bread. Then there is butter or lard of some kind spread across the bread from end to end. I enjoyed the extra richness and thought it was to add flavor – which it is in part – but of course those clever Danes also know the layer of fat keeps the bread from getting soggy as you pile on the other ingredients.

From there, the only limit to what goes on a smørrebrød is the imagination of the chef, although there is a focus on local ingredients as well as creating a balance of both flavors and textures. And of course the final products should be visually appealing as well.

A post shared by Lana Cohen (@travelsavvygal) on Apr 30, 2018 at 8:02am PDT

The smørrebrød I saw most frequently were either seafood or meat based. Copenhagen has been known for its herring for centuries, especially in pickled form, and you’ll see plenty of herring smørrebrød options. There are also tiny shrimp and other types of fresh and smoked fish that are almost always offered. In terms of meat, there were a lot of variations of roast beef with some type of horseradish and also various pates. And if you still have space after both seafood and meat smørrebrød, usually the final traditional smørrebrød you’ll eat in Copenhagen is topped with cheese.

A slice of smørrebrød really is constructed, with the different ingredients built on top of one another into a work of art that also happens to be delicious. Proteins typically get layered first, then are topped by a series of garnishes. These toppings are chosen to add color, crunch, or perhaps moisture via a jam or remoulade.

Although originally a lunch on the go for factory workers in the late 1800s, today’s smørrebrød can be a snack, a hearty lunch, or part of a spread while hosting a party.

Just don’t forget to eat these piled-high creations like the Danes do – with a fork and knife.

Why Smørrebrød Intrigued Me

Maybe I’ve just been impacted by the Italian way of life after my 3 years living there, but there is something I find appealing about particular acceptable combinations of local flavors developed over the centuries.

And smørrebrød definitely fits the bill.

Yes, it’s food. In some cases, it’s a way to repurpose leftovers. And to highlight local specialties.

But it’s really the Danish sensibility that gets me. The balance of flavors – sweet and salty and sour and bitter – just like you’d find in Asian cuisine. The textural contrasts between often soft pieces of fish or meat, topped by crunchier elements like fried onions or crispy bacon. And the culture of design in Denmark that leads to expertly layered smørrebrød where the final product has a great balance of the size and colors of the different components.

Luckily my servers at smørrebrød spots around Copenhagen were friendly and helpful, guiding me through lengthy menus and helping me to fully appreciate these beautiful bites.

What to Drink with Smørrebrød

Of course, the smørrebrød experience is not only about savoring the food, there are traditional beverage pairing as well. Or really, two main ones.

Beer is the go-to drink to accompany smørrebrød for many locals. There will likely be multiple beers on tap at any smørrebrød restaurant. Servers were great at pointing me toward traditional options, and there are several breweries in the city of Copenhagen, so I tried to sample as many different local brews as I could.

The other far more potent beverage pairing for smørrebrød is aquavit, a local type of schnapps that is infused with different herbs and flavors. So of course this means that only certain types of aquavit go with certain types of smørrebrød, but rest assured there will be an ideal chilly sip of aquavit to pair with any food you’ve ordered. The few times I enjoyed aquavit, I usually only had it with my final smørrebrød, and left it up to the server to decide which flavor would be best.

But like with other local, traditional food and beverage pairings I’ve enjoyed in my travels, it all just goes so well together.

Best Places to Enjoy Smørrebrød in Copenhagen

There are plenty of spots around Copenhagen to enjoy smørrebrød, but not every spot you see is worth eating at. For some delicious plates of smørrebrød in Copenhagen, check out the following places:

Cafe Gammel Torv

Serving up smørrebrød since 1910, this spot is a classic location that has maintained a lot of the same décor from when it first opened. Fish is its specialty, with a lot of different herring options available, and plenty of other smørrebrød options as well as their extensive beer and aquavit selection. If you’re having trouble deciding which smørrebrød to order, there is also a lunch tasting menu available.

TIP! This spot is not open on Sundays, except for the first Sunday of the month.

Hallerne Smørrebrød

There are a few market locations around town, and I visited the one in Torvehallerne. The Torvehallerne market is a stop on a lot of food tours, so there was a mix of locals and tourists in the queue. This was actually my first moment spotting smørrebrød the morning after I arrived and they all looked so beautiful I couldn’t resist purchasing (and immediately sampling!) a delicious few.

Restaurant Kronborg

Thanks to the friendly service and convivial atmosphere (and delicious bites, of course), this was my favorite smørrebrød restaurant of my time in Copenhagen. Their cozy atmosphere makes the food experience even more pleasant, and the waiter offered excellent advice on both food and aquavit pairings. This was also one of the few places, where I got to assemble my own smørrebrød – the fried camembert with jam and fried parsley on rye.

TIP! Restaurant Kronborg has the additional benefit of being open 7 days a week.

Even, the Aamann’s stand I spotted at the airport had some great looking bites, and I couldn’t resist one more smørrebrød that I ate on the plane ride home. (They also have several locations around the city of Copenhagen.)

I didn’t realize this when I booked my trip, but I ended up visiting during a public holiday weekend, so every restaurant I wanted to sample was not open, especially on the holiday Monday. Several smørrebrød spots operate only during the week and there are others that are closed on Sunday and public holidays.

The other main two spots that came up in my research and are ones that I’d like to check out on my next visit:

Rita’s Smørrebrød. A more local spot that is a bit away from most tourist attractions in a residential area, this spot is only open Monday through Friday.

Restaurant Schoennemann. Possibly the most historical (and fancy) of all the smørrebrød options, there is a wealth of options at this spot, categorized by the protein used. In addition to the mainstays, you’ll also find venison, duck, and veal as smørrebrød on their menu. Open since 1877, it’s had plenty of time to build up its reputation, so online bookings are recommended. It is closed on Sundays and public holidays.

You can see how I couldn’t get enough smørrebrød during my long weekend in Copenhagen, and I’m not alone in my fascination. Lonely Planet recently named eating smørrebrød in Copenhagen as one of the top 10 food experiences in the world.

So what are you waiting for, head to Copenhagen and try them for yourself!

Have you ever tried smørrebrød? What else do you seek out in your travels? Have you experienced a singular obsession in a specific destination like I have? Tell me in the ‘Comments’ to inspire what obsession I should seek out next in my travels!