PISA, ITALY

A small town in the Tuscany region of Italy that holds a huge name thanks to it's iconic "Leaning Tower". 

In my humble opinion, there's not that much to see in Pisa (compared to other cities I've been in that country), a day or two should be more than enough. 

There are great options of transportation to Pisa from most of the Italian cities, you can drive, take a tour, a train... I opted for taking the express train and I loved it. The ride was very smooth, they have power plugs on every seat, complimentary snacks and clean bathroom.

Leaning Tower of Pisa

From the train station to "Piazza dei Miracoli" (formerly known as "Piazza del Duomo"), it's just about a 10 minute walk. The Leaning Tower can been seen from quite a distance, it is indeed magnificent (I expected it to have a deeper angle though). It is possible to go up the Tower but, you must leave your personal items at the locker in their office and go through a metal detector. My advice is, DO NOT LEAVE YOUR WATER! There is no elevator and the tower is very high, most likely you will be very thirsty and exhausted by the time you reach the top. The views are worth it and you can stay up there for as long as you want. 

The square is also home to four great religious buildings: the "Pisa Cathedral", the "Pisa Baptistry", the "Campanile" and the "Camposanto Monumentale". They are all worth visiting, specially the Cathedral and the Campenile. 

Pisa has many beautiful churches that are a great option for those who love architecture.

Piazza dei Miracoli

To me, the highlights of the city are all gathered in Piazza dei Miracoli. It's an amazing place to sit on the grass and have a picnic or just hang out surrounded by all that history. 

I'm pretty sure NO ONE will resist taking some pretty funny pictures with the Tower. If you are wondering if Pisa is on my "WORTH VISITING AGAIN" list, unfortunately NO. I think the city is gorgeous but once was enough for me. 

LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES

Most people associate Los Angeles with Hollywood and I was one of them but, there's a lot more to L.A.

Being a movie fanatic, obviously, I had to begin with the "Hollywood Walk of Fame". Honestly, go as early as possible, Hollywood Boulevard is ALWAYS crowded and it's very hard to get a pic with (or even find) the Star of your idol. There are plenty of street performers, fast food restaurants and souvenir stores all over. There's always something different to do around that area.

Hollywood Walk of Fame 

"The Chinese Theater" is one of them, catching a movie is a great way to cool down and have a snack. 

The "Dolby Theater" is right across the street in case you rather watch a live performance. 

For those who like shopping, "Sunset Boulevard" is just right. It's one of the most famous streets in the world. It's insanely long and I'd advise driving instead of walking. The boulevard goes through "Beverly Hills" which is a MUST for the shopaholics everywhere and the "Pretty Woman" movie fans. 

Every time I go to L.A., I need to go to Beverly Hills. It's like walking into a parallel universe if you go to "Hollywood Boulevard" first. It's such a beautiful neighborhood, a lot of green and gorgeous people. Shopping at "Rodeo Drive" literally made me feel like I was in a movie. It's a great bet to take a lunch break in the area and relax for a while. It's absolutely one of my favorite places to go in Los Angeles.

Beverly Hills 

The "Griffith Observatory" at the "Griffith Park" will definitely take some time so, plan to spend the day there. The views of the city are amazing and you will see the "Hollywood Sign" without having to climb the mountain. Even though (in my opinion) the sign is a bit far, it's a great alternative.

There are great hiking trails at the park as well along with the L.A. Zoo, great idea for a family day out. They have limited days and hours so plan ahead. 

The beaches are also a MUST for those who visit L.A. 

The "Santa Monica Pier" and beach are amongst my favorites. It features the "Pacific Park" what makes it a big attraction for families. 

Santa Monica Beach

"Muscle Beach" is another SPOT of the pacific coast shore. There's basically an outside gym where A LOT of bodybuilders hang out. 

"Venice Beach" with it's world famous Boardwalk was a little bit overwhelming to me. With an unbelievable amount of street performers and vendors it makes it a bit hard to enjoy but, everyone has their own opinion so, it's always good to check it out for yourself. 

"Disneyland" is about 1 hour ride from downtown Los Angeles and it's definitely worth a day trip. After all, it's the "Happiest Place on Earth" and even us adults will enjoy.

Disneyland

There's something about L.A. that always makes me go back, I don't know what it is but, it's been a lot of fun every time. The museums, the galleries, the sports arenas and everything else makes it an unforgettable city.

San Diego is about 2 to 3 hours south of Los Angeles and gives you great views of the Pacific Coastline and you can make several stops at great beaches along the way but, that's for another post...

BARCELONA, SPAIN

Without a doubt one of my "TOP 10" destinations in the world. With countless museums and galleries, amazing food and gorgeous landscapes, what makes Barcelona (to me) one of the greatest cities in the world. 

Palau Nacional

"Museu Picasso", "Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya", "Fundació Joan Miró" and "Gaudi House Museum" are among my favorites to visit. When visiting a museum or gallery, plan for at least 3 hours at each location. For a few it will be more than enough time, for others, it won't be even near enough. 

"Barri Gòtic" (Gothic Quarter) is a wonderland for the gothic architecture lovers like myself. It's just so beautiful! Every building is like an artwork. I would suggest taking about half day to walk around and enjoy the beauty of that neighborhood.

La Sagrada Familia

"La Sagrada Familia" is another gothic masterpiece. The Roman Catholic Basilica is definitely one of my favorite buildings in Barcelona. It's a breathtaking sight. Book your tickets online in advance in order to avoid the massive lines outside. 

"Parc Güel" is a very different kind of park. Definitely a MUST, filled with architecture gems. Plan ahead and book tickets online if you want to get into the "private section" of the park. In general, the park is public but there's a catch. ALL of the amazing sculptures are "hidden" at it's private section and tickets are limited and the sales ends at 5pm so it's smart to start your day there.

Parc Güel

f you have children, the best bet for your family is "Parc de la Ciutadella". It's an enormous park with lots of green, great view, nice markets, street performers and a playground. "Tibidabo Parc d'Atracciones" is an amusement park on top of the "Tibidabo Mountain". It's a great family day trip and as a bonus you get panoramic views of Barcelona. 

To get a gorgeous skyline view of Barcelona I'd suggest taking the cable cars to "Montjuïc" hill. There you will find an strategic place to relax and also the "Monjuïc Castle". Nearby the "Magic Fountain of Montjuïc" is a must for the nighttime when it's light show begins.

There's so much more to Barcelona than I can write, it's absolutely worth the visit so you can see for yourself. I believe it to be a very safe city to go to. I would easily return.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM

London is one of the places you have to take your time to visit. With so much to do, so much to see. I absolutely loved London and I cannot choose one favorite place in that city, I could just wander around for days with nowhere to be and it would still be worth it. 

It was very easy to get around London, the subway system was clean and always on time, cabs were just as good and inexpensive. The cigarette smoke bothered me but I guess that's an European thing. 

We chose a hotel that could give us easy access to all major tourist spots by subway and we only took cabs during the holiday when the public transportation system was closed. 

Tower Bridge 

"Tower Bridge" was our first stop, so gorgeous, day or night. The "Tower of London" is nearby, it is beautiful and worth the extra time. 

A piece of advice for those who don't celebrate the Christmas Holidays, (Europe is nothing like the United States) EVERYTHING WILL CLOSE very early on the 24th of December and all day on the 25th, not even the subway runs. So get yourself prepared for NO shopping, NO restaurants and very limited cab service (coming from NY, that was a BIG SURPRISE because here, everything works 24/7). 

Buckingham Palace 

So then, we decided to make the most out of our holiday and we took a cab to the "Buckingham Palace". It was quite an amazing day. The "Buckingham Palace Gardens" are so beautiful and relaxing. Definitely take your time there and then walk to "Trafalgar Square" which is really nice (high volume of people, tourists and locals), it has a great atmosphere, many talented street performers and is right by "The National Gallery". 

If you feel like taking another walk, the "Piccadilly Circus"  is a short 10min away. The iconic statue is right across the street surrounded by great restaurants and shops (unfortunately while we were in London, the statue, was under renovation). 

Big Ben

"Westminster Abbey" is an amazing piece of Architecture with a lot of history behind. 

A few minutes (westbound) down the street is the "Palace of Westminster", another beautiful building with the "Big Ben" right at the end. It's a perfect location nearby "The Victoria Tower Gardens", "House of Lords" and "Elizabeth Tower". 

The "Westminster Bridge" gives you breathtaking views of London, it's absolutely phenomenal. Across the bridge you will find the "London Eye" and the "London Eye Pier".

The "Abbey Road Studios" and "Abbey Road" are always crowded with tourists, what makes it very difficult to recreate the famous "Beatles Pic" so, if you're a fan like myself and absolutely must have that pic, go first thing in the morning and you might just get it. 

Abbey Road

One of my favorite things about London is the gothic architecture all over the city, which is fascinating to me. YES, London is on my "WORTH VISITING AGAIN" list, at the top of the list, I might add! 

MOSCOW, RUSSIA

Russia is definitely a country I've never thought I would go to. Fortunately, I was so wrong! 

Moscow was so much fun, OMG what an amazing architecture that city has. One gorgeous building after the other. 

The people are unbelievably nice (not everyone speaks English, thank God my hubby speaks Russian) and very welcoming!

Forget about everything bad you might have read about Russia, just get a visa (only downside of Russia, extremely difficult and most expensive visa we've EVER needed) and hop on that plane. 

One of the things that I liked the most about Moscow was the fact that EVERYTHING is walking distance from the city center so, choose a strategicly located hotel (like we did) and enjoy the beauty of the city (and their low currency compared to the US Dollar).

Red Square 

The "Red Square" is located in the heart of Moscow at the city center and you can't get enough of it. There's everything you'll need there (the "airport" security to get in an out though is a little annoying but the safer the better). 

The impressive master piece of architecture known as "Saint Basil's Cathedral" is one of the most beautiful buildings I've ever seen, inside and out. Many people believe it to be a castle but, no, it's a church. Although nowadays it works more like a museum (there are no masses being held there anymore).

Saint Basil's Cathedral

We went over the holidays and I was quite surprised by the weather, I expected it to be a whole lot colder (normal NYC winter weather). I absolutely loved that we had flurries once so, we spent the whole day going from one museum to the other. Our favorites were "State Historical Museum", "Kremlin Armoury", "Moscow Museum of Modern Art", we also loved the "Tretyakov Gallery" and the "Bolshoi Theatre". 

The "Kremlin" is a huge complex so definitely take a full day to go there. Arrive early to get tickets and also make sure the President isn't having anything there that day because it will close. There are quite a few museums inside as well as gorgeous churches. It's definitely a must once you're in Moscow!

GUM

"GUM" is considered a department store in Moscow (main department store of the former Soviet Union) but, to me is just an awesome mall. There are stores for all kinds of "tastes" not mentioning the food and snacks carts all over the mall. 

Russia is definitely one of the countries that surprised me in a great way, I can't wait to get back to explore a different part of the country.