Tag Archives: budget travel
The Liminal Space of Premier Inn
For a couple of decades HOB and I slept in budget hotels and guest houses. In some countries (memorably Albania) the cheap rooms were clean and sometimes even lovely. In other countries (looking at you, France) there seemed to be a national effort to make these rooms poorly heated with sketchy beds reeking of body […]
Dublin: Run to the Theatre, Run Away from the Stewed Prunes
Take some advice from a legit theatre nerd: go see theatre in Dublin. I chose my hotel because it is next to Abbey Theatre, a company I saw in Chicago years ago and was determined to see again. The first play I went to in Abbey Theatre was in the smaller space. I came back […]
Cooking (and a magic refrigerator) in Reykjavik
Not to ruin my budget travel cred or anything, but I didn’t try super hard to have a cheap trip to Iceland. (And by Iceland, I mean Reykjavik, because we didn’t leave the city other than a couple of day trips.) The last minute nature of the travel, plus the Covid situation meant I tried […]
How we ate cheap in Norway
When we got back from Norway several people asked me “How was the food?” and I answered “I don’t know.” That’s because, instead of seeking out local specialties and eating in restaurants, we just bought basic groceries from supermarkets and prepared the food ourselves. That’s not a romantic way to eat and it doesn’t make […]
Your budget traveler’s favorite souvenirs are…(hint, real estate agents)
I don’t buy myself souvenirs when I travel, mostly because I’m cheap. I love clothes and lipstick, but otherwise I’m not a “thing” person. I am a food person, but most of what I want to bring home is liquid; local honey or you know, about twenty bottles of olive oil, which certainly would exceed […]
Do you cook while traveling?
The top three things I miss while traveling are; My cat Taking a shower without wearing flip flops Cooking Happens every time: HOB and I are in the midst of a fast-paced trip when we visit a local market and I’m overwhelmed with longing to cook all that beautiful produce. Now that Airbnb is a […]
An express tour of Lublin, Poland (be advised that this post makes reference to squirrel testicles)
We ended up in Lublin because we missed our bus to Sandomierz. We woke up early in Zamość because HOB was having coughing fits and, though the guy at our hostel had explained how to get to the bus station by local bus, we decided to walk instead and enjoy one final stroll through the glorious […]
Milk Bars of Poland; cheap eats, kind strangers and two lumps of potatoes
Normally our go-to travel meals are picnics and street food. While our Polish picnics were delightful, the street food was…..well, I wouldn’t eat it. I know, that’s totally out of character (one of my adorable qualities is that I’m not a picky eater). The ubiquitous street food of Poland is the Zapiekanka: a piece of […]
Lunch boxes in Taiwan, budget traveler’s best friend
People, I am loving Taiwan so much. Not only is this country busting out all over with gorgeous cultural heritage, but it is a traveler’s dream. THERE ARE PUBLIC BATHROOMS EVERYWHERE. Clean, safe, public bathrooms (heart heart heart smiley face exclamation point). The transportation system is a snap with low prices and an easy-to-understand system […]
Mini-bus magic: tips for traveling in Albania
Followers of Picnic at the Cathedral will recall that this fall my husband HOB and I spent two weeks in the country of Albania. If you haven’t had the chance to visit, allow me to highly recommend it. Albania has spectacular (surprisingly mountainous) geography, an interesting mix of classic Ottoman architecture and Communist era monuments, and a […]
Picnic at the Cathedral 