Rome (4 Days)

DAY 1

1) Campo Dei Fiori

Rome’s best pizza come from Il Forno di Campo de’ Fiori. Choose pizza bianca topped with olive oil or rossa with tomato sauce.

Nearby Dining Option: Insalata Ricca (L.go dei Chiavari 85) – This is a chain restaurant with several branches around Rome. Despite being a chain, I had a pleasurable dining experience and would easily go there again. Extensive menu with many dishes to choose from and English friendly. My ordered dishes were satisfying and at a reasonable price point.

2) Piazza Farnese 

Very close to Campo dei Fiori, it is a beautiful piazza designed by Michelangelo. The main palazzo, the Palazzo Farnese, is now the site of the French Embassy. Walk about 5 minutes to reach the river Tiber.  Cross the river via the stone bridge, the Ponte Sisto, to bring you to the heart of Trastevere.

Nearby Eating Option: Per Te Gourmet (Piazza Farnese 102) – Located in the right hand corner facing across from the French Embassy.

3) Trastevere

Head towards Piazza di Santa Maria, the heart of this labyrinthine district. This lovely neighborhood square is dominated by 12th-century Basilica di Santa Maria (Rome’s first Christian church); step inside its dimly lit interior to see the glittering Cavallini mosaics depicting the font of oil that spouted when Christ was born – according to myth, the church was founded on that very spot.

4) Jewish Ghetto

Take the Ponte Fabricio Bridge from the Tiber Island to the Jewish Ghetto. There are several places to sample Rome’s interesting Jewish cuisine in the Ghetto. Al Pompiere and Sora Margherita (Piazza delle Cinque Scole 30) are recommended.

 5) 5:30 PM Free Walking Tour: http://www.newromefreetour.com 

Starts at the bottom of the Spanish Steps (Piazza di Spagna) by the entrance of the Keats Shelley Museum at 5:30PM. Print your reservation voucher and give it to the guide. You need to follow the appropriate dress code to visit the churches that are part of the free walking tour. Too short skirts and pants and sleeveless shirts are not allowed. Be sure to have with you a jacket, polo or simply a scarf to wear around your shoulder and/or your waist. Tour ends at the Trevi Fountain.

Iceland (6.5 Days)

DAY 1: Reykjavik

1) Hallgrimskirkja Church: Opens 9am

2) Einar Jonsson Museum

• Facing the main entrance of the church, the museum is located on the right across the road. Get a free glimpse of this gloomy sculptor’s weird works in the garden in the back.

The Leifur Eiriksson Hotel lies directly across the main entrance of the church. Continue walking down that street to reach the city center. Along the way, you will walk along Skólavörðustígur Street with many crafty little galleries. Once in the center, the first house is Center Hotel Reykjavik. Under that house are the ruins of the farm built by Iceland’s first settler Ingolf Arnarson. You are now in Aðalstræti with Parliament Square on your right. At the end of Aðalstræti, you´ll find the tourist information center of Reykjavik, in an old merchant house.

London for Second Timers (4 Days)

Heading back to London? Seen the main attractions first time around? Never fear, there’s always more to see and do!

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DAY 1

If your flight arrives in the morning or early afternoon, you can easily fill up the rest of your day with these activities:

1) British Museum

Walk over to Tottenham Court Tube station, which will bring you to one end of Oxford Street. 

2) Oxford Street Shopping

• Be sure to visit Primark for trendy clothing at super low prices!

3) See a Musical

• Tickets are almost always cheaper than what you will have to pay to see it in NYC.
• Lotteries are available for a chance to nab front-row seats at bargain prices (e.g. Book of Mormon: “Twenty-one top-price tickets for each performance will be sold through an on-the-day lottery at the theatre for just £20 each. Entries will be accepted at the box office, beginning two-and-a-half hours prior to each performance for up to two tickets. Two hours before curtain, names will be drawn at random for a limited number of tickets. Limit one entry per person and up to two tickets per winner. Tickets may be purchased in cash or with a valid credit card and are subject to availability. Entry cards will be checked for duplication prior to drawing. Winners must be present at the time of the drawing and show valid ID to purchase tickets.”)
• If you are interested in seeing Wicked cheaply, you can purchase discounted tickets for seats with semi-obstructed views at http://www.apollovictoriatheatre.org/. I was able to get a stall seat in row O for £32.

Brussels (1 Day)

Getting to the City Center from Brussels Airport:

A train to all 3 main Brussels stations (Nord/Noord, Central/Centraal and Midi/Zuid) runs from the airport station located at the -1 level of the terminal. Tickets can be bought at the counter in the train station hall. In case they are closed, a ticket can be bought from vending machines (they only accept Maestro cards). If boarding a train without a ticket, it can be bought on board, but notify the attendant when getting on the train to avoid paying a fine.

Bruges (1 Day)

1) ‘t Zand Market

• Have breakfast here. Try the pastries and grilled chicken.