BEIJING, CHINA

Without a doubt, one of my biggest surprises! 

There are plenty of amazing places to visit in Beijing but, in my humble opinion, nothing can compare to a tour to the "Great Wall of China". It is one of the most amazing structures I've ever seen. It's definitely worth the trip. Just be advised that temperatures will easily go below 0F in the winter and the ground is extremely slippery (I almost fell on my face several times), hiking shoes or sneakers are highly recommended.

The Great Wall

When you come from a country with a strong currency, like I do, shopping in Beijing can be quite appealing. Even though my husband got a little freaked out by how brazing the sales people were in the beginning (they literally grab you by the arm), by the end of the week, we were quite comfortable with the grabbing and sharp at the art of "haggle". 

Definitely the best Chinese food in the world. Completely different from the "Chinese Food" we have outside China. Although the "Eccentric" dishes they offer were a little too much for me, my husband, was delighted to try them out. 

It is amazing how "Different" we look to the Chinese people. My husband and I were stopped by locals several times only because they wanted to take a picture with one of us. Even though the language barrier in China is unbelievably high (only hotel workers can get by with basic English), it was an amazing experience.

Cabs can be extremely cheap (compared to NYC) but you should be careful and ONLY catch cabs that accept turning on the meter. They usually don't speak a word of English and most of them refuse to turn on the meter to charge as they please. Besides that, cabs were the best bet for us. I found the subway system quite scary and dirty so that was a big NoNo for the neat freak that I am. 

Bathrooms in China were a little bit of a shock to me at first but I got passed that (apparently, it's an Asian thing). They only have "Latrines" and even though there are public bathrooms in every corner in Beijing, there's NEVER toilet paper so, you better carry your own.

Forbidden City

The "Forbidden City" and "Tiananmen Square" we're some of our favorite places to go. Our hotel was about a 10min walk and even with the "airport security" they have to get in, it's worth the wait. 

The "Summer Palace" is a little bit far but it's beautiful and worth the time. 

The "Beihai Park", "National Stadium" and "Aquatic Center" are also a good bet.

Temple of Heaven 

The temples, OMG, so many gorgeous temples! Our favorites were "Temple of Heaven" and the "Yonghe Temple" (also known as "Lama Temple") so beautiful and peaceful. 

The air quality was only an issue on the first day, after that, it cleared out and it was just like anywhere else. We didn't even got to use our masks. Definitely a country worth exploring!

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM

I was very surprised (in a great way) with Brussels. I didn't expect much but having decided to go over the Christmas Holidays was the best bet. Even though we caught heavy snow while we were there, it was amazing!

Grand Palace (Christmas Light Show)

The "Christmas Light Show" it's simply spectacular! A must see for sure! The Xmas markets they have outside by the "Grand Place" are great, located in the heart of the city, it's filled with restaurants, chocolate shops, cafes and souvenirs, you just don't know which one to go to. 

Brussels Waffles with Hot Wine

Oh my God! The chocolates and deserts they have are absolutely the best we ever had (after my mom's, of course). You must try the "Brussels Waffles" with everything, the "hot wine", the "Truffles" and the "hot chocolate". Unbelievably delicious!

Cinquantenaire

A few tourist attractions I think are worth visiting are the "Manneken Pis", "Brussels City Hall", "Cinquantenaire Park & Museum", "Royal Palace of Brussels", "Atomium", "Mini-Europe", "Belgian Comic Strip Center", "Jeanneke Pis", "Museum of the City of Brussels" and "Place Royale". 

You ask me if Brussels is on my returning list? Absolutely!

MADRID, SPAIN

Definitely one of the cities I fell in love with. Madrid is beautiful, fun and there's so much to do there. So many gorgeous sights and amazing museums.

Plaza de Cibeles

The main plazas of Madrid are "Plaza Mayor", "Plaza de Cibeles" and "Plaza de Espanã". All three are absolutely beautiful but if you don't have much time, I'd go to Plaza Mayor. It was my favorite. With many great restaurants around the plaza and walking distance to other tourist sights like "Gran Vía" and "Puerta del Sol". I could just sit in a restaurant and watch people walk by all day. It's such a beautiful sight.

The Fallen Angel

In a short walk from Plaza de Espanã (about 10min), walking down "Calle Gran Vía", you will find the "Parque de El Retiro".

An enormous park right in the middle of the city. It's unbelievable. Absolutely a must! Take a day to walk around the park, it's worth it.

Royal Palace of Madrid

Another short walk from the city center is the "Royal Palace of Madrid". A very beautiful building with a cute little park behind it. I'd advise you to get tickets online, the lines there are massive and as it's the official residence of the royal family, the hours are limited. 

The silver lining is, take your time to walk around Madrid and just relax. It's a beautiful city with very pleasant and helpful people. 

SAN FRANCISCO, UNITED STATES

Before moving to NYC (from Brasil) SanFran was my dream city. I don't know why I always wanted to go there. 

To be honest, my experience was very underwhelming. I had high expectations but only after almost 10 years living in the USA I managed to visit "the city of my dreams".

Golden Gate Bridge 

The "Golden Gate Park" is beautiful and it's worth it to spend a day having a picnic there and walk to the "Golden Gate Bridge". The bridge is the most important attraction of the city and its a must see. 

Be aware of the long lines and extremely high volume traffic.

The Painted Ladies

It is a good option to book one of those "Hop on Hop off" buses, even though they are unbelievably over priced. Another great option is to take the "cable cars" although, they won't take you to all the major tourist spots. 

The "Fisherman's Wharf", "Alcatraz Island", the "Full House Houses", the "San Francisco Pier", "Lombard Street", "AT&T Park", "Ghirardelli Square" and the "Twin Peaks" we're all in our itinerary. 

Yosemite National Park

Now, to me, the best part of the trip was that we had booked a day tour to the "Yosemite National Park". It was a great experience, the tour bus picked us up early in the morning and dropped us off late at night. 

I was very impressed with the amazing sights, specially the "El Capitan" and the "Dome" where we could spot climbers all over the mountain. 

The "Sequoia Trees" were also very impressive. Bottom line, no matter how long you have in SanFran, always manage to go to "Yosemite".