I’ve now been to Egypt twice in the last 6 months and not written a word about it, so I think it is time to start unpacking my adventures in my beloved country. Egypt holds a special place in my heart, and each time I go, I find myself wanting more, already looking forward to…
Tag: #wanderer
Sniffing Through Istanbul’s Spice Bazaar
Istanbul’s Spice Bazaar is a foodie’s dream come true. The covered market is lined with vendors selling spices, teas, dried fruits, and Turkish desserts. Mounds of jewel colored spices and teas line the walls of the market, and dried clusters of herbs and loofahs are strung up from the ceilings. The different aromas create an…
Weekend Wanderings: Washington, DC
I’d like to interrupt your regularly scheduled programming, namely, me slowly but surely completing my recap of my travels to Istanbul and Cairo, to pause for a moment, and update you on a little weekend wandering I’ve done recently! It has taken me quite a long time to get around to writing about it (more…
Baklava For Days at Mado Pastry
Let me start out by saying that I don’t really like baklava. Growing up in a Middle Eastern family, there was no shortage of baklava, kunefah, basboosah, etc, but as more of a savory than sweet kind of girl, none really held much appeal for me. My tooth has gotten slightly sweeter with age, however, even…
Worth the Ticket Price: Topkapi Palace, Istanbul
As a die hard budget traveller I am super skeptical of tours, tourist trap sites, and basically anywhere that charges an entry fee that I haven’t heavily vetted/weighed the value of the ticket price. I’ve mentioned before, if you’re travelling all the way to Istanbul, it’s worth it to set aside maybe $30-40 of your…
Is it a Mosque? A Church? A Museum? Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia
I wouldn’t necessarily describe my travel style as super sight-seeing oriented. I like to see stuff, but I usually don’t arrive armed with my fanny pack and maps, with a minute by minute itinerary and a list of 15 sites I want to cram into the day before lunch. As a budget traveller, I’m also…
Hey Wanderers, I’m Back!
Hello wanderers, I’m sorry things have been so quiet on the blog. I’ve been busy the past couple weeks exploring Istanbul and rediscovering Cairo. I had an amazing week or so soaking up every moment and enjoying time with family. Between that and very very sporadic internet access in both countries I’ve had limited opportunity…
How I Like to Travel vs. How Travel Blogging Wants Me to Travel
This article was supposed to be a Weekend Wanderings post about my visit to Manhattan this past weekend. Last weekend, I posted a bunch of photos from my Labor Day Weekend back home on Cape Cod. They were beautiful to look at, and I enjoyed reflecting on how picturesque my home is, but as I said in…
How to Maximize Your Entry Level Vacation Time
Getting your first “big kid” job is an exciting time. All of a sudden, someone is paying you more money than you’ve ever had in your life along with a suite of mysterious “benefits” like healthcare, 401K’s, commuter benefits, and other fun things that you aren’t quite sure what to do with. Among this list…
Weekend Wanderings: Portuguese Festival in Provincetown, MA
In the spirit of sticking to my 25 for 25 goal of taking advantage of local culture and travel opportunities, last weekend I went home to Cape Cod and took a day trip to Provincetown for the annual Portuguese Festival and Blessing of the Fleet. Provincetown, a tiny spit of sand on the outer tip…
How to Minimize Stress at the Airport
Know your airport. Know what terminal you need to be in, and when the gate closes. Seems simple, I know. But getting to the airport and realizing that you’re in the wrong terminal is bad news. Especially if you’re in a large airport, it could easily take you 30 minutes to get over to the…
Change in Travel Plans: No Egypt in August
I’ve had yet another twist in the plot of my 2015 travel plans. As I’ve mentioned before, #taxpocalyse in January really put a damper on my travel plans, knocking the conference in Paris in July off the table, and making Egypt and London planned trips unlikely. I did manage to get to London few weeks…
The 9 to 5 Wanderer 