Sweet Tooth Traveler:Whitby

Hello? Anyone still out there? Sorry it's been so quiet here this past week. Since I last posted I enjoyed a lovely Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year), took a quick trip to Liverpool, finished Zoey's nursery, and introduced Zahara to the pool. I have so much to share--once I've edited my 1,000 pictures.

In the meantime, have you been to Whitby, England? If you live in Northern England, I'm sure you have. It's a must-see location for me. Getting there is half the fun, as you drive up the steep cliffs of the Yorkshire Moors. The town itself is so charming, and the abbey ruins are beautiful. But, you know me. My favorite part of Whitby is the cake shop :)

Sweet Tooth Traveler: Whitby, England
Whitby, England is best known for its stunning sea-side views; gorgeous abbey ruins; and links to Braum Stoker’s Dracula. But let me tell you, don’t leave town without sampling the sweets. In particular, I never miss a chance to eat cake at Marie Antoinette’s Patisserie. These sky-high cakes and super fresh scones are worth the trip. Last time I was there I got a slice of chocolate brownie cheesecake and a slice of banoffee. Delicious! The cafe is tiny, but charming. With only a few tables downstairs and a few more upstairs, it makes for an intimate tea-time setting.

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Sweet Tooth Traveler: London

Happy Monday everyone! I'm back over on Tripwolf describing some of my favorite treats from my trip to London. Enjoy!

Sweet Eats in London, England
Millions of tourists flock to London each year to see historical sights such as the British Museum, Tate Modern and the Tower of London. While those sights are great, to get a real feel for the city you need to eat your way through it. My favorite places were Harrods department store, Brick Lane Market and Camden Market. Each stop was very different from the last, but no less delicious. Start with an empty stomach and a full wallet.

Harrods is legendary for its size and opulence. With more than 300 departments and over a million square feet of retail space, you really can buy anything in this store. The food hall is not to be missed. Plenty of delicious savory foods were for sale, but I made a beeline for the sweets. There were cases full of freshly-made pastries, giant meringues, gorgeous petit fours, and oh-so-much chocolate! I splurged on two fresh macarons--a salted caramel and a melon. Though pricey for such small items (each one was £2.80), they were easily the best macarons I've had outside of Paris.

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Relaxing in Lithuania

One of the best parts about living in Europe is the ability to explore new territory relatively cheaply. It's not that I'd never heard of Lithuania before, I just didn't know that I wanted to go there until I found incredibly cheap flights to Vilnius, the capital.

What made Vilnius the perfect destination was that it is a small town with a concentrated old city. There is not too much to see, which, at 31 weeks pregnant, was perfect for me. I needed a place where I wouldn't feel pressured to do too much.

If I were not pregnant, I think one day in the city and a couple days in the rest of the country would be the perfect amount of time in Lithuania. We had five days! Even the tourist information representative was shocked that we were in her country for so long. You know what though, it was one of the most relaxing vacations I've taken in a while.

As usual, we spent most of our time eating :) I am pretty much an expert on every bakery and cafe in Vilnius now.

How we spent most of our time

I really love Lithuanian food! It's basically down-home comfort food. I couldn't get enough of the mushroom and cheese dumplings and beet soup. The food may not look like much, but trust me, it was amazing!

Dumplings at Koldunine

Amazing beet and mushroom soups at Gedimino 9

I always try to find free tours in new cities. We lucked out and found a great three-hour walking tour put on by the Tourist Information center. It was more of a local's point of view, rather than a tour specifically for tourists. I loved it. My favorite part was when we crossed over to the artist colony of Uzupis. This quirky neighborhood considers themselves separate from Vilnius. They have their own constitution and mayor, and once a year they have an Independence Day celebration. Fittingly, their Independence Day is on April 1st. If you want to visit Uzupis on that day, make sure to bring your passport. You'll need it to enter their "republic."

Vilnius has an absurd amount of churches. We only managed to see a few, but there are more than forty. Like Saint Petersburg, many of the façades are painted in pastel colors to make the city appear brighter during the long, dark winters.

One of the main sites in town is the Gediminas Tower. It is the only remaining part of the upper castle, and it offers some great views of the city. You can walk to the top of the hill, or you can take a quick funicular.

View from the top of the tower

On our last day in Lithuania we took a day trip to Trakai. It's a quick mini-bus ride away and will only set you back a few bucks. The town is even smaller than Vilnius, but it has a gorgeous castle that is surrounded by water. It makes for some dramatic views. In the summer you can rent boats and paddle around the castle. Doesn't that sound lovely?

One of my favorite things we did while in Lithuania was seeing the Cirque du Soleil show Alegria! I've wanted to see any Cirque du Soleil performance for a long time now, and it seemed like the perfect opportunity. Tickets weren't that much less expensive than they are elsewhere, but the theater was tiny, meaning every seat was practically front-row!

Unfortunately we were not allowed to take any pictures in the theater, but trust me when I say it was incredible! The sheer athleticism required by the performers is breathtaking! My favorite acts were the trampoline (where the whole stage turns into a giant trampoline), and the balance beams (where men fly through the air and land on beams held by other men).

And thus marks the end of flying for a while. It's strange to think that this was the last vacation with just Dan and I before our lives change forever. Though things will never be the same, I can't wait to see what comes next.

P.S. Check out my post on TripWolf for a more detailed look at Lithuanian sweets. 

Sweet Tooth Traveler: Spain

I'm back on Trip Wolf chatting about Spanish treats. I was lucky enough to be in Spain for Holy Week, which has it's own set of unique desserts.

The Sweet Tooth Traveler: Great Finds in Malaga Spain
On my first day after arriving in Malaga in Southern Spain, I was greeted with a bit of culture shock in the form of a cookie. It was mid-March, two weeks before Easter Sunday. Unbeknownst to me, I stumbled into the beginning of one of the most important weeks in Spanish culture: Semana Santa. This week, also known as Holy Week, celebrates the end of Lent with huge parades through the city streets. The main event is the procession of the brotherhoods who are dressed in their traditional uniforms (capirote). The capirote on the cookie looked a little too familiar…

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Read about my other Spainish adventures:

Malaga, Spain

Sevilla, Spain
White Towns, Spain
Granada, Spain
Tangier and Gibralter

Sweet Tooth Traveler: Israel

I'm back on Trip Wolf chatting about Israel. This is probably my favorite sweet tooth adventure so far. Check it out!

The Sweet Tooth Traveler: Israel
The Bible describes Israel as the land of milk and honey. I would add cinnamon and chocolate to that description. I’m not sure if it is because I grew up with them, or if I just really love the flavor profile of Israeli sweets, but I was literally as happy as a kid in a candy shop in Israel. During my ten days traversing the country, I gorged myself on cinnamon buns, rugelach and ice cream…and I would do it all again in a heartbeat!

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Read about my other Israel adventures:
Jerusalem, Israel
Tel Aviv, Israel
Northern Israel
Ein Gedi; Masada; Dead Sea, Israel

Sweet Tooth Traveler: Malta

I'm back on Trip Wolf chatting about my sweet tooth travels in Malta. Check it out!

The Sweet Tooth Traveler: Malta
For such a small country, Malta packs a culinary punch. While Malta’s proximity to Sicily means you can find tasty Italian sweets like cannoli and gelato, I was delighted to find many unique treats as well.

One sweet I found all over the island is called prinjolata. It looks like a mess, but it’s quite tasty. It is made from shortcrust, candied fruit, cream, nuts, chocolate and meringue. Apparently, when shops all over the island start making this dessert, it is a clear sign that the Carnival season has begun. My favorite version was at the Marsaxlokk market on a Sunday morning. The cake towered over a table full of pastries.

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The Sweet Tooth Traveler

You didn't think I went to Poland without trying out their local desserts, did you? Of course not. Check out my blog post on TripWolf. It's a really cool travel website and blog that has tons of information on practically every vacation spot you can imagine.

The Sweet Tooth Traveler: Krakow
One of my favorite things to do when visiting a new city is to check out the local desserts. I have a huge sweet tooth and love trying new things. When I went to Krakow, Poland a couple of weeks ago, I was thrilled with my findings.

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