After the wedding in Tuscany, we drove for ~1 hour to Florence. Florence was the birthplace of the Renaissance, so much of the major sight-seeing is focused on Renaissance art and architecture. The historic center of Florence is quite small, so we found it very easy to walk around and explore the sights. Activities Free …
Tuscany, Italy
We have been so lucky to visit Tuscany for two different weddings: one in September 2021 and one in September 2023. While the focus of each trip was each wedding, we rented a car and made an effort to visit a few other spots as well. Food & Wine Conti Di San Bonifacio: In 2021, …
Rome, Italy
We had a friend’s wedding in Tuscany, so we chose to fly into Rome and explore for a few days! Below are spots we enjoyed as well as spots we didn’t have time to hit but want to go to when we visit Rome again. Activities Pantheon: The Pantheon was built to celebrate the Roman …
London, United Kingdom
In early August 2023, Melanie had a work trip in London so we decided to make a 1 week trip out of it! Despite some rainy days, we had a great time and definitely want to travel back to London again soon! Here is our Google Map of recommendations. Activities Afternoon Tea: Given we were …
Porto and Douro Valley, Portugal
During our trip to Portugal, we spent two nights in Porto. We stayed at Pousada do Porto - Rua das Flores which was very clean, new, and in a great location. Porto Similar to Lisbon, the buildings in Porto are covered in beautiful tiles. Unlike Lisbon, the sidewalks are wider and there is no "Portuguese …
Óbidos and Nazaré, Portugal
When planning our trip to Portugal, we wanted to visit both Lisbon and Porto. After doing some research (car vs. train vs. plane), we decided to hire a driver to take us from Lisbon to Porto and make a few stops along the way! Óbidos The first stop from Lisbon to Porto was Óbidos, a …
Sintra, Portugal
While staying in Lisbon, we booked a day trip to Sintra via AirBnB Experience! We had the best time with our tour guide, Gui! Sintra National Palace The first stop of our day trip was Sintra National Palace, which is located in the historic center of Sintra and is a unique and unmissable monument. It …
Lisbon, Portugal
In late July 2023, we took a family trip to Portugal, with the first stop being Lisbon! We stayed in an AirBnB in the Chiado neighborhood, which we absolutely loved! We got many recommendations from friends, all of which are here. Activities Walking Tour: As we do in all cities, we started our trip with …
Tel Aviv, Israel
Our last destination on our HMI trip (after Jerusalem, the Judaean Desert, and Northern Israel) was Tel Aviv. On our drive to Tel Aviv, Lior shared a song about Tel Aviv and it was stuck in our heads for the rest of the trip! January 12, 2023 We arrived at our hotel just in time …
Northern Israel
After our time in Jerusalem and the Judaean Desert, we then went to Northern Israel. January 11, 2023 After a good night's sleep in the Kibbutz, we went to Tsfat, which is the highest city in Galilee. Tsfat achieved fame and a reputation as the “City of Kabbalah” during the 16th century when the rabbis, Kabbalistic …
Melanie & Cody 