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Amsterdam is packed with so much to do, it's hard to choose how to best plan 2-days there. We went in the early fall, and got lucky with one sunny day (normally, the weather is notoriously gray and rainy). So, we revised our museum / indoor plans and stayed outside as much as possible! Where to stay: Hotel Eden Manor is in the east end, a bit removed from the city center, but a lot more "neighborhoody" and has a boutique, intimate feel. We had a cozy top floor / attic room. The internet was spotty though - and largely unreliable. Luckily, a McDonald's isn't too far from the hotel, and they have free and solid wifi if you're desperate like I was. Day 1: If you get lucky with the weather, too, pick an outdoor market to start. If you're staying at the Eden, there's a small market around the corner but it doesn't compare to the big, famous Albert Cuypmarket . Pick up some oddities, some funky jewelry, and a coffee and pastry to prepare for the day...

In my last trip for a while, S and I spent a weekend in Dublin after my weeklong work trip in the city. The weekend was pretty near perfect - a bit of city and a bit of the stunning countryside, with some tasty bites in between. During the week, I stayed at the cozy Cliff Townhouse at St Stephen's Green. The guestrooms have a lot of character and the staff was extremely friendly. My rate (EUR 115/night) included a large breakfast in the dining room overlooking the Green. The only downside was there were a lot of stairs to climb - the elevators only go to half-floors. The location is superb - three blocks to Grafton Street , easy access to taxis and the Luas Green Line . For the weekend, we moved into the Conrad Hilton , just a few blocks off the Green, on the other side. I combined Hilton points with euros for a manageable EUR 66/night, and walked into the gorgeous lobby and well-designed guestroom. With my Diamond status came a room with a view of the concert hall across the ...

Ah, the South of France at the beginning of springtime. A clear sky and bright sun bouncing off the blue waters of the Mediterranean. Fresh fish, oh so fresh, along with seafood of all varieties. And of course, pastries made only the way the French can (lots of butter?)... if only every weekend was like this. I get pretty homesick pretty frequently, but weekends like the one I took to Sète are a good reminder of how living in Europe isn't so bad. Ryanair flies into Montpellier and Beziers, both about 30 mins by car to Sète, and I managed to score a crazy-cheap Friday night to Sunday night fare of EUR 25 for the roundtrip flight. With airbnb, a weekend getaway can get even cheaper: we found a 2 bedroom / 2 bathroom apartment for only EUR 50/night, in the heart of town. Finally, free parking is available along the east end, along Quai d'Alger. You don't need a car to wander Sète once you've made it to town; it's small and easily walkable. Many of the places we vis...