2025 - Page 5 of 14 - LIVING THE DREAM

Bougatsa is the One Greek Pastry You Absolutely Must Try

Bougatsa is one of those things that when you see pictures of it or read about it you instantly start drooling, even if you’ve never eaten it before.

Such was the case for us when we heard about it on Anthony Bourdain’s show “No Reservations,” and again from one of our friends who traveled to Greece. (Okay, fine, so you have heard about it, but you probably have long since forgotten).

So what is bougatsa? It’s a Greek pastry consisting of buttery, flaky phyllo dough wrapped around either a cheese filling or a sweet semolina custard filling.

Drooling yet? Yep, I thought so.

The bourbon trail in Kentucky is a pilgrimage spot for those who love this amazing spirit. Being bourbon lovers ourselves, we finally got the chance to visit the region to check out some of our favorite distilleries as well as others we’ve always wanted to try.

During our visit we stayed for four nights, three days, and learned a lot about what goes into planning a good bourbon trail itinerary. As such, we wanted to share all those tips with you in our three day bourbon trail guide!

Our five days of exploring Tuscany are over, and we can safely say it was one of the most interesting experiences we’ve ever had. We got to see the sunflower fields Angie was desperately hoping for, toured medieval cities, and even spent a day driving through the vineyards of Chianti!

But while this all sounds exciting (and it was), we have come to realize that driving in Florence and the surrounding regions of Tuscany is quite possibly one of the worst tortures a traveler can subject themselves to.

From obscene driving laws to poorly marked signs and hundreds, if not thousands, of speed traps, the cards are stacked against you from the moment you place a reservation for your car.

All you have is the hope that you don’t screw up, because your mistakes may cost you more than your entire trip to the city, and then some! But if you absolutely must drive in Tuscany, which is something we advise against, please keep the following tips in mind for a more enjoyable experience.

Enjoyable being a relative term, of course.

Your nightmare is about to begin.

One of my favorite travel blogging images is the digital push pin travel map that highlights cities and destinations that its creator has visited.

In one quick glimpse you can see every place in the entire world they have been and with just a little thought, imagine where they may be going next.

As we are building a home full of travel decorations, I knew that one day I would be taking this popular digital map and converting it into a real-life decoration to be used as the centerpiece for one of our rooms (with a fantasy of it being in a travel-inspired bar room).

I always expected these maps to cost upwards of $150 or more when finished, as is the case with some of the nice ones available on Amazon or Conquest Maps, but I couldn’t bring myself to spend that kind of money right away.

Instead, I put on my crafting hat and ended up being able to make my own professional style travel map with pins at home for just about $50 US and an hour of my time.

If you’ve ever fantasized about making a push pin travel map of your own, here’s what you do.

Bougatsa is the One Greek Pastry You Absolutely Must Try

Kentucky Bourbon Trail – A Three Day Guide to Pack it All In

6 Tips and Traps to Avoid While Driving in Tuscany

How to Build a Beautiful Push Pin Travel Map for Under $50