Mallorca, España (Spain)

Photaytoes June 19, 2022

*Lone Palm by Catedral de Mallorca. May 2021.*

Like most people living through the pandemic, by May of 2021 I really needed a vacation. There were still restrictions in place across Europe, but it was possible to fly to Spain with a negative Covid test. And as long as you wore a mask outside. And there was a 10pm curfew. But in my opinion, it was still well worth the trip for the food, sun and beaches.

*A Suite in Casa Delmonte. 10/10 Recommend.*

Always tip your live musicians if they don’t completely suck :)

Shout out to the incredible Casa Delmonte, where the rooms feel like staying in an actual museum.

If you’re searching for beaches in Mallorca, you’d better head for the Cales. They are the famous rock-shelf-lined waters that end in beautiful beaches.

Mallorca/Majorca is a popular summer destination for a very good reason. The food is amazing, the beaches are absolutely gorgeous, and it won’t break the bank. Actually, the best tacos I’ve had so far in Europe were in Mallorca. Not that they come close to touching a taco truck in San Diego County, but still quite good.

Here are some things I recommend in Mallorca:

Casa Delmonte - Clearly. It’s beautiful, posh, and there’s an amazing private garden with white wicker chairs and a fully stocked cigar and whiskey bar. I mean, c’mon.
TaqueroMucho - Those tacos I was talking about. Best I’ve had so far in Europe, and certainly the closest representation to their SoCal counterparts.
Bakeries - Any well respected bakery in Spain will have my favorite breakfast - Jamon Serrano con Queso Manchego. Best breakfast/ham and cheese sandwich ever, hands down. It feels sacrilegious to even label it a ham and cheese sandwich. The best versions have butter and/or a crushed tomato spread.
Cala - Any cala. These beaches are really amazing and they are scattered across the island.
Bocalto Tapas - Eat all of the things here.
San Lorenzo - Hotel I stayed the first time I was in Mallorca. Also a very very nice hotel with a beautiful pool and patio area. Great for photoshoots :-D

Questions? Comments? Criticisms? Hit like and make a comment below…

Lofoten, Norge (Norway) Part II (Now with SNOW!)

Photaytoes April 18, 2022

Snowy time in the coolest archipelago in the world!

*Gulls chasing Fishing Boat to Church. April 2022.*

*Setting Sun Behind the Ridgeline. April 2022.*

*Salted Dried Cod Production in Svolvær. April 2022.*

*Vågan Kirke, Outside of Svolvær. April 2022.*

*Frosted Tips Outside Svolvær. April 2022.*

*Fjord Near Narvik (Evenskjer, I Believe). April 2022.*

*Snowscape outside Björnliden, Sweden. April 2022.*

So I cheated, these last two are from the drive back into Sweden, just outside of Björnliden. But the sunset was beautiful and the snow was blowing around making a crazy mist so I had to post them. (Please don’t) sue me.

*Sign and Sleds on the Harbor Ice. March 2022.*

Luleå, Sverige (Sweden) Part II!

Photaytoes March 20, 2022

San Gimignano, Italia

Photaytoes March 9, 2022

A two-night adventure just a short train/bus ride from Firenze…

Right, so one of the ways I “plan” weekend vacations is by searching Google Flights across a general area. I have the luxury of being a short thirty minute train ride from one of the busiest airports in all of Europe, and said trains run every fifteen minutes or so (man I love Utrecht so much). So this means I can set my departure airport to Amsterdam Schiphol, and my destination to something like “Western Europe” or “Spain” or “Italy”. Then change the filter to Direct Flights Only and see where I can go for a cheap weekend getaway. I have found this method yield some really cool results.

*Twin Towers of San Gimignano. November 2021.*

I can never argue against going to Firenze, but having been several times in the past few years, I wanted to find something a little different. Not inconsequentially I had also just completed a playthrough of one of the best games of all time, Assassin’s Creed II which takes you climbing and leaping and stabbing your way across Renaissance-era Tuscany with Leonardo Da’Vinci in tow. In ACII you not only get to leap and climb around a beautifully modelled late 15th-century Firenze, but you also get to scale each and every tower in il Comune di Belle Torri,

The City of Fine Towers, San Gimignano.

*Torre Chigi in the Early Morning, November 2021.*

*San Gimignano and Toscano Valley Fog, November 2021.*

San Gimignano happens to be a pretty popular day trip down from Florence and boy is it worth the trip. Even better if you are going to stay overnight because, like in Cinque Terre, you get to stick around and enjoy the peaceful evenings after the day crowds have all dissipated.

Oh! And not only can you enjoy the town, walk down the streets, visit shops, drink and eat local fare, but you can also rent a tower to stay in overnight! Whattt??? Yes! That is right! Said tower may even have its own scary and very tiny elevator that takes you all the way up to the roof! Then you can wake up slightly earlier than most people in the town, grab a nice extra large coffee from the café nearby and ride the terrifying elevator up to watch the sun rise and slowly clear the morning fog from the hillside valleys (see images above). Or you can relax with some assorted boar meat antipasti and local wine and watch the city lights come on as the sun sets behind the Tuscan hills (see images below).

*Duomo di San Gimignano (and il Calcio!) at Dusk. November 2021.*

*Night Lights of San Gimignano, November 2021.*

I would highly recommend this town if you are looking for a quiet getaway from some of the busier Tuscan cities while still being able to enjoy phenomenal food and drink. Plus the once-in-a-lifetime experience of staying in a medieval tower. With a table and chairs on top to enjoy the view. And a secret room behind a bookcase. And a history of a family rivalry. Scandalous.

Anywho, here are some tips and recommendations for San Gimignano:

Renting a car is probably far more convenient (there are large parking lots outside of the city walls so you’ll still need to do some hill walking) but taking the train/bus combo from Firenze is cheap and not difficult. Especially if you are already familiar with the Italian public transit system, or European public travel in general.
Actually scratch that, you wouldn’t have to walk hills if you don’t want to. There is a tiny bus that drives up and down the main street of the city, but I never used it.
The Piazza del Duomo and Piazza della Cisterna are basically the center of the city, so stay somewhere really close to there. Then you are a short walk to most of the cafes, restaurants, and bars. Remember, this is a relaxing trip so no need for extra stress.
REMEMBER THE EATING SCHEDULE! Especially during the week and offseason, many places close between lunch and dinner. So don’t expect to find the best food in town at 17:30 on a Tuesday. You’re going to have to wait until at least 19:30.

La Cisterna

Vianao

Bar Ristorante Boboli - Inexpensive and delicious, and just down the street from the main squares. Lots of menu items to choose from!

Vinaio di San Gimignano - Right on the Piazza della Cisterna. Great wines and all kinds of sandwiches with fun new sliced deli meats to try. Including the local Soppressata Toscana, which I was told is made from “pig’s head”.
La Bottega San Gimignano - Towards the northern gate, this place was open later than most and had great drinks and really nice owner/operator staff. I can’t speak to the food, but the sevice was far better than the larger place across the street that barely gave us the time of day. Go here instead :)
La Cisterna - Right on the main piazza and definitely touristy, but the focaccia sandwiches are tasty and so is the coffee.
For things to do between meals and drinks, check out the Palazzo del Pópolo and the Torre Grossa (the Fat Tower!) The former is a nice museum and you can climb to the top of the latter if you didn’t happen to book a place that had its own tower.
Walk the city streets! I know, this is my tip for every place I visit, but San Gimignano has some beautiful views of the surrounding landscapes, awesome little side shops and alleys, and torture museums.

san gimignano towers and soccer field — *il Calcio! with the Twin Towers in the Background. November 2021.*

san gimignano towers in late autumn — *San Gimignano Towers in November of 2021.*

*Birds around the Fat Tower. November 2021.*

That’s it for now, please click the heart below and leave a comet if you liked it!

Mallorca, España (Spain)

Lofoten, Norge (Norway) Part II (Now with SNOW!)

Luleå, Sverige (Sweden) Part II!

San Gimignano, Italia

Search Posts

Featured Posts