Top Takeaways (Twenty Three) - Western Europe

We've covered a lot of ground during two months in Western Europe but we feel like there is still so much more to see! Here are our top takeaways from our time in the Netherlands, Spain, France, Portugal, England and Italy.

One of our favorite spots: The Amalfi Coast.

1. Tourism is alive and well. While we knew that the countries we visited in Western Europe appealed to many tourists, particularly Americans, we still weren't prepared for the hoards of people we encountered near ever major sight. We tried to adjust to waiting in lines and fighting for the best view but we never really enjoyed the experience as much as some of our previous sightseeing.

2. Having said that, it's still possible to get off the beaten path. If you are comfortable missing some of the "must-see" places, you can easily create a unique and enjoyable travel experience, even in crowded cities. We bypassed the Uffizi gallery in Florence and didn't venture inside St. Mark's Cathedral in Venice but instead found empty side-streets and perfect hilltop views. Our preferences have definitely evolved over the past year and we now actively seek the road less traveled.

3. Besides maybe Japan, Western Europe is the most expensive area we've visited. Portugal aside, we found most places to be very pricey. If you are looking for a more budget-friendly trip, we would recommend Southeast Asia or Eastern Europe first!

4. Unfortunately, crime can happen anywhere. Of all the places we've been, we didn't expect France to be the sight of the single worst occurrence during our journey. We consider ourselves pretty tough New Yorkers and are constantly alert, but the truth is no one is immune from opportunist criminals.

5. Paris remains the city of romance. Alex and I had both separately been to Paris in our teenage years and didn't have particularly fond memories of the city; coming back together was a completely different experience. Given the city's size, we found it easy to just wander around and get lost in the charming streets and neighborhood parks. Even after five days, I felt like we didn't get to see everything and now I can't wait to come back!

6. England's reputation for disappointing food is unwarranted. Seriously! We admittedly had excellent hosts who directed us to the best restaurants but we had some of our best meals in the land of the British. Alex and I can definitely get behind the local pub food and traditional Sunday night roast!

7. Italian food really is as delicious as advertised. Speaking of food, we really can't deny the appeal of Italian cuisine. In addition to the perfectly cooked pasta, oven-baked pizza and fresh tomatoes and mozzarella, the local seafood and cured meats were equally tasty. Certainly not the healthiest way to end our journey, but probably the most delicious!

8. Nearly everyone speaks English. Alex and I rarely encountered a serious language barrier - the major cities in Western Europe attract so many tourists that English is widely spoken. My favorite example of this was an American mom and teen who commented (negatively) on my outfit in English while I stood next to them at a crosswalk in Rome; I assume my deep tan implied that I was an Italian, but seriously the Italians speak English too!

9. Traveling within the Eurozone is very efficient and highly convenient. In complete contrast to the US, train travel in Europe is fast, easy and relatively affordable. We were most surprised that no one checked our passports between countries (until we got to the UK) - guess we'll just have to come back for those passport stamps!

10. There will always be a reason to come back to Western Europe! We still feel like we barely scratched the surface and we are excited that we still have so many future trips to take. Completing the France road trip we didn't get to take and visiting Scandinavia are probably the two standouts for us.

Peak: Celebrating the wedding of our friends Blythe and Cody with our friends in Levanto

Pit: Getting robbed in Marseille

Next Stop: Japan (by way of New Jersey / New York)

Top Takeaways (Twenty Two) - Central & Eastern Europe

Alex and I spent the last two and a half weeks exploring Central and Eastern Europe. The weather was a bit colder than we've been used to, but the cities we saw were amazing. Here are our top takeaways.

Sunrise in Budapest.

1. The Holocaust, World War II and post-war Communism have really impacted these countries in a meaningful way. From the killing of innocent civilians to economic hardship, we definitely felt the lingering effects as we explored. We made a point to see many of the museums / monuments dedicated to these horrible times in our history along our trip and they left a lasting impression on us.

2. That said, we found it a bit jarring that in each place we went there seemed to be a competition of sorts about who was worse off during and after the war. Obviously each country wants to tell its story, and there were absolutely atrocities that occurred in each place we went, but we would've preferred to hear the history without the "Oh, you think Poland had it bad, let me tell you about Hungary!" attitude - it felt like some tour guides were unintentionally minimalizing the experience in other countries to highlight their own.

3. On a lighter note...wine is really cheap and the "house" varieties are quite good! Most people probably think more of beer in this area - which is definitely popular - but we continued to find that the local wines were great (and about $2 per glass!).

4. Meals are hearty and perfect for cold, dreary days - comfort food perfected! We loved the meat and carb-heavy dishes after a long day of walking around outside. And it went well with the cooler weather we had in each city!

5. Architecture is stunning and charming - the castles are straight out of Disney movies and fairy tales. Even walking down a quiet street we were in love with the old buildings (Mama Foster would be proud!).

6. While not as obvious as in India, there are definitely people aiming to take advantage of tourists. Taxis were our biggest problem but after our first unfortunate incident we were always on the lookout.

7. Waking up early for the sunrise has many benefits - not only did we get to enjoy beautiful scenery, but virtually no other tourists were in sight. We were then able to walk through the most touristy locations alone - very different than during the day!

8. All the cities we visited were very pedestrian friendly. Not only were the urban areas condensed enough that walking around wasn't a problem, but we found that motorists almost ALWAYS stopped to let pedestrians cross at crosswalks. A similar courtesy would not be extended in New York City!

9. Train travel in Europe puts everywhere else (except Japan) to shame. Our trains were very clean, ran on time and had top-notch amenities. Our sleeper car from Prague to Krakow seemed like the Four Seasons compared to our overnight trains in Thailand and Vietnam (though that's not really a fair comparison...).

10. English is everywhere. We thought that when we got to Europe we'd have to fend for ourselves with the local language more often, but so far everyone we've encountered has spoken at least some English. Makes it incredibly easy to get by!

Peak: Budapest. A completely unexpected gem and our favorite city in Central / Eastern Europe. HIGHLY recommend to anyone looking to take a trip to Europe!

Pit: Cab scams - be prepared for a hassle in each of these cities (though to a much greater degree in Budapest and Prague).

Next Stop: Amsterdam

Top Takeaways (Twenty One) - Turkey & Greece

Like the last time we came to Turkey and Greece, we are sad to leave! We didn’t get to do any proper island-hopping this time around so I know we will definitely come back at some point. Below are our top takeaways.

The magnificent Celsus Library in Ephesus, Turkey.

1. We love the food in this part of the world! Besides Japanese, Greek / Turkish is definitely one of the most unique and delicious cuisines we have enjoyed. Alex and I can always get down with a Greek salad, kebab or mezze platter washed down with a glass of Raki or Ouzo!

2. Sadly, the dishes we love so much are not as healthy as we remembered. The amount of olive oil used during our Turkish cooking class was scary and it was impossible to avoid massive portions of (admittedly delicious) bread served alongside every meal.

3. Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar, potentially the world’s oldest mall, is a fascinating place. We had fun wandering through the maze of shops (well, at least I had fun!) for a couple hours. I even made a few purchases...which always involves an interesting negotiation process on price. (Alex had more fun with that part I think!)

4. April still feels like winter in Turkey! We definitely expected warmer temperatures given our proximity to the Mediterranean but Turkey was just as cold as New York would be during this time of year. The weather improved as we moved into Greece, but it was still too cold to hit the beaches and islands we had been planning on visiting!

5. It’s easy to be awed by the historic ruins and artifacts scattered throughout both countries. Walking through the ancient town of Ephesus and exploring the Acropolis were definitely highlights of our trip.

6. Tea drinking is basically a required pastime in Turkey. The small, tulip-shaped glasses containing Turkish tea were easy to find during any time of day – on café tables, in restaurants and even on trays being delivered to shop-owners in the Grand Bazaar!

7. Both Turkey and Greece have locally produced wines – who knew? While darker and dryer than some of the wines we are used to, we definitely enjoyed being able to try something local besides Raki / Ouzo!

8. People are pretty friendly. While the language barrier was more difficult in Turkey than Greece, we had a pretty easy time getting around and everyone we spoke to was very helpful. Even the hawkers who tried to sell us trinkets or convince us to eat at a specific restaurant left us alone quickly after a simple “No thanks.” Many even told us to have a nice day (as opposed to some of the less friendly hawkers we ran into in India and Southeast Asia...).

9. Unemployment is bad - really bad - in Greece. Despite a 25% overall unemployment rate and a nearly 50% youth unemployment rate, we didn't notice many adverse impacts in Athens. There weren't any protesters or an abnormally large number of homeless people. We were prepared to see some effects of the country's perilous economic position given a nearing debt payment deadline but the touristy areas have largely been isolated from the rest of the country's woes.

10. Athens had WAY more tourists visiting than Istanbul. I think a lot of people still view Istanbul as an incrementally exotic destination, but we find them to be more similar. Didn't matter to us though - just meant we had a shorter wait for our kebabs than our gyros!

Peak: Ephesus (Turkey) and the Acropolis (Greece) - hard to decide which one we liked better!

Pit: Cold weather in Turkey - we weren't ready for temperatures in the 30s!

Next Stop: Budapest, Hungary

Top Takeaways (Twenty) - South Africa

We know that we have barely scratched the surface of Africa by only visiting South Africa but we look forward to future trips to Kenya, Egypt and Tanzania, just to name a few. Here are some of our top takeaways from our time in South Africa.

With our friend Dana at the top of Lion's Head, looking down on Cape Town.

1. Game is ubiquitous – both on the various animal reserves and in the local restaurants! In addition to the amazing time we had on our safari tours, we also tried biltong (similar to beef jerky) and loved ostrich!

2. The scenery is stunning. Beaches, mountains, cliffs and panoramic views are abundant; driving through the country was definitely a highlight for us. The coastline was very similar to parts of California and Australia.

3. South Africa has something for everyone! Cape Town is a modern city with great restaurants and shopping but is also surrounded by beautiful mountains, perfect for hiking or walking. The world-renowned vineyards of Stellenbosch and Franschoek are within a 45-minute drive from the city, plus golf courses and game reserves are easily reachable by car. It’s really hard to go wrong here and we feel confident in recommending South Africa to just about any type of traveler.

4. Apartheid was uncomfortably recent and its impact can still be felt throughout the country. Understanding what happened only 40 years ago left us feeling bewildered and extremely aware that tragedies like this can happen – and are still happening in other countries – while the rest of the world keeps spinning.

5. The racial and socioeconomic disparity in South Africa is sadly very black and white. Between every beautiful town and city were impoverished townships – overcrowded slums – where local residents tried to hitch a ride from passing highway traffic. Beyond just seeing the vastly different living conditions, Alex and I detected what we could only describe as very clear, direct racism during some of the conversations we had with locals.

6. (Local) wine is very cheap. Actually, everything was much cheaper than we expected! For some reason I expected New York City prices but we found restaurants, hotels and shops to be very reasonable. The ZAR / USD exchange rate was also pretty favorable – yet another reason to visit!

7. Every South African is an amateur weatherman. Anytime we spoke to a hotel staff member or waiter about our upcoming plans, we received an opinion on the current wind conditions or cloud cover. Apparently the weather patterns are highly variable so we appreciated the extra concern!

8. Hiking trail maps do not provide consistent difficulty scales. Our hike to the top of Table Mountain was described as “moderate,” and was one of the most difficult we have ever done! On the other hand, our hike in Betty’s Bay was estimated to take anywhere from four to eight hours and we were done in less than two. Lesson learned: take hiking guides with a grain of salt!

9. Cape Town’s close proximity to beautiful beaches reminded us a little of New York City and the Hamptons, although South African beach towns are a lot less crowded!

10. The city of Cape Town is very diverse and modern so it was sometimes easy to forget we were actually in Africa. That feeling ensures that Alex and I will want to return to other parts of the continent when we can.

Peak: Hike up Table Mountain - the views were stunning and the sense of accomplishment we both felt after finishing such a challenging hike was a natural high unto itself!

Pit: An unnecessarily hostile B&B host along the Garden Route...

Next Stop: Istanbul, Turkey

Top Takeaways - Nineteen (India)

Our time in India consisted of very stark differences and many contradictions; honestly, the past two weeks have been a little difficult for us. As the world's largest democracy, India is developing rapidly and already has some of the advances we have in America. However, many Indians remain mired in poverty and the economic disparity has perpetuated appalling displays of racketeering, outright theft and antiquated views on gender. Never have Alex and I felt so out of place or so at risk. At the same time, we loved admiring the historic sights, tasting local cuisines and exploring each beautiful place we visited. While we understand the sadness and level of desperation that forces one to try and cheat or steal or take advantage of our obvious Western tourist status, being scammed, groped, stared down and pick-pocketed is still a horrible experience and it really took away from our time here. Having said all of that, we were lucky to meet some truly kind and welcoming people in India - most notably the Reddy family! - and we are doing our best to let the great memories outweigh the bad.  Below are our top takeaways.

The Taj Mahal: the highlight of our trip to India.

1. The first thing we noticed upon arriving in Mumbai is that there are not nearly as many tourists and very few Westerners. We stick out and people stare at us - at length and without discretion. By now we are pretty used to it, but it still makes me feel a little uncomfortable since it's mostly Indian men who look me up and down.

2. There is a very serious though unspoken dress code. Shoulders and knees are essentially never shown - for both men and women - and most women wear very modest, loose-fitting outfits. I unknowingly made the mistake of wearing shorts and a tank top on our first day in Mumbai and while no one said anything to me, I quickly realized why we were being stared at (more than usual).

3. Poverty is omnipresent. We thought we were prepared but we didn't appreciate the average living conditions until seeing firsthand how many people live. Much of the urban areas are littered with garbage, creating a landscape that hardly seems livable. We felt sad, helpless and dumbstruck a lot of the time - it was very difficult to keep from feeling overwhelmed.

4. Indian food is delicious and much more varied than we previously thought. Approximately 50% of the country is vegetarian (India has more vegetarians than the rest of the world combined!) so we tried a lot of different items and particularly enjoyed the chickpea and lentil dishes. Having missed oatmeal for the past few months, I fell in love with Dalia, a split-grain breakfast food similar to porridge. Luckily, we weren't afflicted by the infamous "Delhi Belly" but I'm not so sure we avoided Buddha Belly - most Indian food seems very rich and heavy. Diet starts tomorrow, right?

5. Antiquated gender roles are deeply entrenched in India's culture. After a few early incidents, we learned to let Alex do most of the talking as some men would simply not address me. (At one hotel, I was asked to sit down while Alex checked in...even though the reservation was under my name!) Women rarely work outside the home, dress very conservatively so as not to attract attention and are almost never alone. Alex and I found this to be very unnerving but still respected the cultural norms while out and about. Harder was biting my tongue when asked if I'd pose for a picture with a group of men or when a group of teenagers bent down and tried to look up my dress.

6. Walking is almost never the way to get around. In each place we visited, we found the major sights and destinations to be very spread out, which makes sense because the main cities are massive, each with millions and millions of inhabitants. Additionally, many of the streets are crowded and without sidewalks, making walking a particular challenge given the traffic (and tuk tuks!)

7. Trust won't get you very far. After a few early encounters where Alex and I were very obviously being taken advantage of, we essentially adopted a "trust no one" attitude (or as he might say it, we adopted an "everyone is trying to scam us" attitude). It was a very sad shift for us but one we felt was necessary in order to avoid being cheated. Whereas previously we were of the more traditional "innocent until proven guilty" mindset, we realized that 90% of people who approached us had ulterior motives and we always needed to have our guard up.

8. Honesty isn't always the best policy. We found ourselves experts in the art of deception pretty early on so as to avoid unnecessary confrontation. Saying we already had tours and transportation booked, that we weren't interested in shopping and that we were out of money are a few examples that quickly come to mind.

9. Not everyone is out to take advantage of you. Despite our negative experiences we still met some of the nicest people during our time in India. The staff at most of our hotels, the family we stayed with in Chennai, a few taxi drivers and fellow tourists all left us feeling grateful to have met them.

10. Political corruption is rampant throughout India. The Reddys, our hosts in Chennia, thought this was the single biggest issue holding back the development of the country. Based on some of the things they described, we have to agree: for instance, less than 50% of funds allocated to help the poorest citizens arrives at its intended destination. Middlemen take a piece of all public funds spent throughout the country. It's so bad that there is an advertising campaign encouraging everyone to open a bank account so that government money can be deposited directly (to cut out the scammers in between). The plight of many of India's citizens is heartbreaking; the fact that a minority of corrupt bad actors perpetuate the problems of the less fortunate is disgraceful.

Peak: Sunrise at the Taj Mahal

Pit: Alex getting robbed

Next Stop: Dubai