Here in London Town. A food adventure – with a side of migraine

 

Anyone who knows me knows that my travels revolve around food. No distance is too far for a delicious bite. So imagine my surprise when we landed in London, and I didn’t have dinner mapped out for the first night.
 

With no reservations, no plan, and a growling stomach, we wandered through Notting Hill, eventually stepping into one of those classic British pubs named after a prince. The menu wasn’t exactly thrilling, but we made do with an avocado salad (which, as it turned out, was made of frozen avocados, what an undelicious disappointment) and a sirloin steak sandwich, where the ratio was about 80% sandwich and 20% steak. After the lame dinner, we walked through Kensington and made it back to our hotel by 10 p.m., fast asleep by 11.
 

On Friday I woke up at 5 a.m. with a migraine that could have taken down a small army. Two painkillers later, it was still going strong when we got up at 8. Spoiler alert: this migraine stayed with me until early afternoon.
 

But a headache wasn’t about to stop my food tour. We kicked things off with brunch at Duck & Waffle, consumed on the 40th floor with breathtaking views over London. I ordered the overnight oats brûlée—except there were no oats. Instead, I got a chia pudding with a caramelized sugar top, and honestly, no complaints.
 

Next stop: Tower Bridge, one of my all-time favorite bridges (yes, I seem to have a list of favorite bridges). After some sightseeing, it was time for a snack, and we headed to Borough Market for some crème brûlée doughnuts. One crème brûlée, one raspberry—both absolutely divine. A small blessing that our hotel wasn’t right next to this market, or I’d have bought a dozen more later.
 

London Eye was next on the list, but after seeing the ticket price (a €50 per person), we decided our money could be far better spent on food. Instead, we admired Big Ben through the classic London fog before walking through Trafalgar Square and ending up at a noodle shop where they hand-make each portion to order. The noodles? Incredible. The beef? Let’s just say it wasn’t the highlight.
 

On the way back to the hotel, we made a few more stops: Scott grabbed a hazelnut cookie, and I treated myself to a slice of Basque cheesecake. Both were absolutely worth it.

It always rains in Ljubljana. Sun, Snow, and the Eternal Mystery of Unlit Christmas Lights

 

Welcome to our Slovenian adventure, where Uber doesn’t exist and Christmas lights are shy.

The flights were blissfully uneventful - a traveler’s dream. But upon arrival, we discovered that Ljubljana has decided to forgo modern conveniences like Uber and Bolt. With no app-based savior in sight, we turned to an old-school shuttle service, wedging ourselves into a shared shuttle for the ride to the city center.

After being dropped off and a short walk later, we arrived at our hotel, where the streets were decked out in lights! Or so it seemed. I was super excited, imagining a dazzling winter wonderland come nightfall. Spoiler: it didn’t happen. By bedtime at 9 PM, those lights remained firmly in the "not today" category. Weekend magic, perhaps?

Friday started early, as I had a meeting to attend at 10 AM. Brunch was a blur of caffeine and eggs benedict, and by noon, I officially kicked off my vacation.

Snow had fallen overnight - picturesque for about five minutes before the great melt began. We strolled around the charming old town for hours, dodging puddles and admiring the city’s unique blend of medieval and modern architecture. The highlight? A climb to the Ljubljana Castle, rewarded with stunning views.

Dinner was a seafood feast at a nearby restaurant. Delicious, yes. Christmassy? Nope. The lights stayed off, and my holiday spirit remained firmly on hold.

Saturday’s agenda was clear: Lake Bled. Scott had researched this gem, and we were ready for an adventure. After a cozy breakfast at a charming café, we picked up our rental car (impressively punctual at 10:01 AM) and hit the road.

By 11 AM, we were standing in the parking lot of Bled Castle, overlooking the serene lake. Hiking trails beckoned, and though the muddy paths tested my patience (and mood), the views made up for it. Lunch was a quick casual picnic of fresh sourdough, cheese, and salami - a simple but delightful treat.

The famous Lake Bled cream cake awaited us at Kaverna Park, and energized, we decided to explore Kranj, a charming town with stunning views of the Alps. The sunset over the mountains? Absolute magic.

Returning to Ljubljana in the evening, we found the streets unchanged. No lights. No fanfare. Just the same streets, which were now packed with people – all enjoying Saturday night on the riverside terraces. Dinner was a reprise of our earlier picnic, and we fell asleep with tired legs and happy hearts.

Go Blue. An unhaunted house and many squirrels

 

After our failed attempt to catch up with Rebecca for dinner, we decided to give brunch a try. I found this cute little spot called Stray Hen Coffee, which had an "interesting" (read: borderline irritating) system in place. No reservations. Instead, you wait in line to place your order at the counter, then pick your drinks up yourself and hope to snag a table. The best part? When I went to pay, they hit me with a screen full of tip options — 18%, 20%, or more. I almost asked if the tip was for me, given all the self-service involved! I mean, I did place the order and fetch the drinks pretty well. Honestly, I think I deserved at least a 20% tip for that performance.

After brunch, Scott and I wandered around downtown and the University of Michigan campus, enjoying the fall weather and watching squirrels furiously burying their food for the winter. It was like they were hosting their own tiny, frantic treasure hunt. We also swung by our old neighborhood for a quick nostalgia-filled stroll.

On the way back, we made a stop at the Dexter Cider Mill. I’m telling you, nothing says fall like a dozen fresh cider donuts, crisp apples, and a gallon of apple cider. We left the place fully loaded with goodies and continued on our way home, where Marcie and the girls had prepared an amazing seafood dinner. Ever tried sheephead fish? Or was it sheeplegs? Either way, alongside crabcakes and shrimp, it was delicious.

That night, it was time for the weekend's main event: my very first haunted house. Now, haunted houses are a pretty big deal in the States, and Jackson is home to one of the most notorious. Scott, Rubie, Grace, and I were all geared up to face the thrills. Marcie was genuinely surprised I even dared to go, but I wasn’t too worried just yet. While waiting in line, we overheard people saying that some visitors couldn’t handle it and had to take the emergency exit. There was even a Trump supporter in front of us warning about tight spaces, but after checking out some of the “wider” guests in line, I decided I’ll be just fine.

The haunted house was a four-story abandoned building decked out in classic horror. Each room was like a scene straight out of a nightmare, with spooky setups, loud thunderous sounds, and actors jumping out at every turn. While I definitely got startled a few times, it was more of an entertaining thrill ride than an actual "haunting." In the end, I survived my first haunted house unscathed and un-haunted.