Year: 2024

Tips and Advice for Hiking Mount Etna in Sicily

If you are planning to spend any amount of time in eastern Sicily, the presence of Mount Etna looms large. From Catania to Taormina and further, the volcano is visible from great distances.

Naturally, if you're like us, you'll want to head up it to get a closer look. For those who are the most adventurous, perhaps even take a hike on an old lava flow.

This is what we did during our journey up Mount Etna, and while you can see quite a surreal and barren landscape here, you'll do well to plan ahead before tackling any trails. Hiking on a volcano is unlike anything we've ever done!

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Orval Abbey is a Must Stop on a Belgium Road Trip

When visiting a Trappist brewery in Belgium, most of our experience was simply seeing them from a distance- picking up beer just inside the gates of Westvleteren or a tourist-oriented museum with bar and restaurant at Chamay. Getting on the grounds of a Trappist producer is, well, quite impossible most of the time.

But there was one Trappist brewery whose historic grounds were (mostly) open to explore, and that was Orval in southern Belgium. Although we went out of our way to check this one out, we'd do it again in a heartbeat as it was one of the biggest surprises of our trip!

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Where to Stay in Flam – In Town Or Nearby?

When it comes to planning a trip around Norway's western fjords, odds are good you will have Flam as a stop on your itinerary.

This town is one of the most famous spots for tourism in western Norway for its gorgeous fjord, train ride up to the mountains, and so much more.

But in being high on virtually everyone's list, so come the crowds. Although we still recommend visiting Flam when traveling in Norway, the simple truth is that you may not want to stay in Flam proper on your itinerary.

So in this one, we thought we would share a bit more why you may want to stay in Flam and also why you may want to stay in another town nearby.

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How to Plan Your Mezcal Tastings in Oaxaca

If you are planning a trip to Oaxaca, odds are good you have mezcal tasting on your mind.

The good news is that you won't go wanting for more mezcal in Oaxaca. The stores, tasting rooms, and cocktail bars are plentiful beyond even what we expected. The bad news is that mezcal, particularly good mezcal, is expensive and may come at quite the sticker shock.

So in this one, we thought we'd break down ways you can taste mezcal in Oaxaca, share why it is so expensive, and help encourage you to plan a trip out to a palenque to see how agave is grown and mezcal is produced!

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