Lanikai Beach (Hawaii 2022)

I was able to visit my favorite beach in the world again!! Lanikai Beach in Kailua, Oahu is clean, and has the most gorgeous water, and fine white sand imo.

Lanikai during the day, above, and during sunset, below.

Koko Head Crater Hike (Hawaii 2022)

Traveled to Hawaii this year with a large friend group to attend my roommate's wedding! I chose this hike because I wanted to conquer these stairs 👊

I'm grateful and happy I brought food and friends on this hike.

(going up!)

(close up on how they converted the old rails into stairs)

(almost to the top!)

(view from top - facing North)

(view from top - facing South)

(going back down!)

TIP: Start early in the morning if you want to avoid baking under the hot noon sun!

Mad por Madrid

A quick 3 hr train ride from Barcelona is Madrid, the capital of España. We could only stay for dos dias, but they were filled with delicious food and an exciting flamenco demonstration!

[Had my 32nd birthday dinner in Plaza Mayor!]

(Museo del Prado)

(Royal Palace of Madrid)

(Almudena Cathedral)

(EatMyTrip Brunch & Cocktails)

(Taberna 4 Tapas) 

 

The food in Madrid was muy delicioso!! 

 

Overall, the rainy and windy weather in Spain gave me a cold, and Spain didn't wow me like France, so I don't know if I'd visit again... but maybe I'm too judgmental 😅

Barcelona es Gaudí

After 5 days in Paris, we took a train south to Barcelona and reunited with a precious friend who flew up from Liberia!

 

It was my first time in Spain/España and I enjoyed the people, tapas, and sangria! However, I must confess that after 4 years of Spanish in high school, my speaking accent is horrible.

 

We visited most of Barcelona's major sites:

(Mercat dels Encants)

(Arc de Triomf)

(Palau Güell)

(Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria)

(La Rambla)
 

(Sagrada Familia)

(Casa Batlló)

(National Art Museum of Catalonia/Museu d’Art de Catalunya)

(Parc Güell)

Oops... I went to Europe again!

So, I went to Europe again 😅 Because my sister found round trip tickets for $400 (a price I couldn't refuse)!! 

I'm so grateful to go on another sister's trip overseas, and it was exciting to experience springtime in Paris, and see Spain for the first time!

We chose Paris to be our first stop, again. We are both boosted, so we entered France with ease.

This time around we visited:

(Père Lachaise Cemetery)

(Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile)

(Vendôme Column)

(Palais Garnier, also known as Opéra Garnier)

(Montmatre Sacré-Cœur basilica)

(Parc Monceau)

 (Musée de l'Orangerie)

My Roman Holiday

I didn't see all the same sites as Audrey Hepburn, or fall in love with a Gregory Peck, but I did learn and witness history (President Biden and First Lady Biden visited the Pope and Vatican on our last day!!)

Highly recommend visiting:

The Vatican Museum - amazing artwork and architecture; we spent a whole day here and went through the museum twice!

Saint Peter's Basilica - free entry! View St Peter's last resting place, and Michelangelo's beautiful Pietà

Colosseum - entry is not free, and not easy to buy tickets day-of. Lots of people using casual racism to sell their guided tours 😒

Pantheon - free entry and last resting place of Raphael!

Trevi Fountain - it's illegal to sit on the fountain!

Jump below for other random Roman sites