A Weekend in Haro: What you Can’t Miss

You simply can’t come to La Rioja, Spain without spending a weekend in Haro. All the best bodegas and pinchos are right there in one of the quaintest towns this small region has to offer.

Several months ago (before the madness of the pandemic), I went to Haro with friend and fellow blogger Alex from East Coast Contessa. Since we both live nearby in Logroño, Haro was the perfect weekend escape. In this post, I’m going to go over all that you must see, do, eat and drink while in this magical town.

Continue Reading

A Spanish Winery you need to visit

Living in Spain without visiting a classic Spanish winery would simply be foolish. It would be even more foolish when living in La Rioja, the capital of Spanish wine country!

Several months ago, I had the pleasure of spending my morning touring Gomez Cruzado, the oldest winery in Haro, a small town in the La Rioja region of Northern Spain. Haro, in fact, is the capitol of the wine region. Don’t get it confused with Logroño! It is true that Logroño is the governmental capitol of the autonomous community La Rioja. However El Rioja is the wine region that also includes some of neighboring País Vasco. Haro is the capitol of El Rioja, the wine-making region. Basically if you come to La Rioja to experience the wine, you have to come to Haro!

Continue Reading

A Barcelona Hostel You Will Love

When traveling to a big city like Barcelona, you want where you stay to be comfortable. After hours of walking around, the perfect Barcelona hostel has space for you to kick up your feet. From the dorm beds to lobby to the second floor common area where nightly movie nights are held, Unite Hostel was one of the most comfortable hostels I’ve ever stayed at.

Several months ago before the full Corona Virus outbreak, I went to Barcelona with Alex from East Coast Contessa. While I had been to Barcelona a few times before, I knew there were things I still hadn’t seen. Plus it’s always fun to revisit places with new people.

Continue Reading

Exploring a Family-Owned Winery in La Rioja

Several months ago before the big quarantine, I was driving through the countryside of La Rioja with my boyfriend (I live in La Rioja). We were discussing all the wine in La Rioja since this region is quite well-known for what it can ferment. He said there are potentially 1,000 wineries in this tiny region, from the family-owned winery in La Rioja to larger-scale operations.

It’s amazing to me that so much wine can fit in such a small region. The overachiever in me thought “1,000? I’ve only been to like 5-6! I need to get to work!” While actually visiting 1,000 wineries is nearly impossible, visiting more than one is worth your time as no two wineries are identical.

Continue Reading

The Cutest Hostel in Haro, Spain

My weekend travels don’t always have to involve a flight to a different country. In fact last weekend, I escaped to the cutest hostel in Haro. Instead of having to find my way through the airport and catch a flight, I simply met my friend Alex at the Logroño bus station and we caught the next bus to Haro.

Unless you’re from Spain, live in Spain, have traveled throughout Spain or simply know a lot about wine, you’ve probably never heard of Haro. That’s what I love about this blog. Just as much as I love writing about my travels to places like London and Madrid, I also love tell you all about the lesser-known towns of Spain with just as much charm as the places that draw in more tourism.

Continue Reading

Visiting a Classic La Rioja Winery

One of the best things about where I live is the wine. The autonomous region of La Rioja is filled with wineries. Since I moved to the region a year and a half ago, I’ve only visited a few of them. So last weekend I decided to change that and visit a classic La Rioja winery: Muga.

Muga might be one of the more well-known wine brands of the region. In fact, they’ve been featured in publications such as Vogue. However the impression I was left with after my visit was how much care they take with every little detail. Everything from how they make their wine down to how we were treated by their staff was simply excellent.

Continue Reading

Stonehenge Day Trip from London

Stonehenge day trip

Some experiences are a little too good to be true. That’s how I felt when I took a Stonehenge day trip back at the beginning of the month. I simply could not believe that I was seeing it in-person.

In fact, that day also included stops at the Windsor Castle and Bath. For a girl who always seems to end up in London at least once a year, it was good to explore a bit more of UK this time around.

Continue Reading

The Cutest Rooftop Bar in Budapest

I’ll admit that I look for rooftop bars when I travel. When the weather is right, there’s nothing like enjoying a drink with a lovely view beside you. Last fall, I found the cutest rooftop bar in Budapest and I have to share it with you!

First of all, this bar couldn’t be in a better spot! It sits above the Aria Hotel right in the center of Budapest. So if you’re looking for a place to stay in comfort, look no further!

Continue Reading

Four Expat Challenges and How to Overcome Them

expat challenges

Whether you have secured the job of your dreams in a location you have always wanted to live, or are moving abroad for more practical reasons, working as an expat is an exciting prospect. There is so much to do in the run up to the move and when you first arrive, it can be some time before you realize moving to another country can bring its own set of challenges. 

An important thing to remember is you are not alone, many of these challenges are also encountered by the wider expat community. That is why Allianz Care has some actions you can take to help deal with the most common problems of expat life.

Continue Reading