theViatrix

Last week, my dear friend Erin over at La Tortuga Viajera invited me to participate in HostelBookers 7 Super Shots, and while I wanted to take her up on it right away, narrowing down my favorite photos to just seven was really tough! If the assignment had been to simply choose the seven shots I consider my best, it would have been much easier, but the images would probably have been very different from the ones presented here (save the last one). But throw me a bone, I’m trying to stick to the categories! For some of the ones I’m truly proudest of, check out my photo page at stephaniedosch.com/photos. While you’re at it, stop by my Flickr stream as well. In the meantime, enjoy these 7 Super Shots. [...]

This week I’ve written a post on Iberian hot chocolate over at my dear friend Erin’s site, La Tortuga Viajera. Make sure to head over there to learn how to tell your suís from your chocolat mousseux, as well as just how crazy Madrileños went for chocolate back in the day. And don’t forget to check out Erin’s fun entries on everything from traveling in Istanbul to obsessing over Spanish grandpas.

But getting back to the sweet stuff, here are my favorite places to sip hot chocolate around Iberia. [...]

“See this red line here? That’s the average,” said Christian, owner of Wetter Café in Innsbruck, Austria, pointing at one of the screens behind him. “And these two bumps way up here mean that the next two days are going to be way above average.” And he was right, though not only in terms of temperature. [...]

Amsterdam is one of my favorite cities. Its abundance of greenery and water remind me of home in Seattle, while its freewheeling attitude couldn’t be more European. To me, it’s the ideal combination. Whenever I visit, I think, “I could live here.” There’s tons of culture, people are friendly, and everyone speaks English. Perfect!

Usually, though, I only have a few days to enjoy the city. But just a few days can be all you need—as long as you know how to make the most of your time. Here are my top tips. [...]

One of our top priorities when planning our trip to Sicily was the Aeolian Islands. And we weren’t disappointed. [...]

After ten days on the island, one of the things that stood out most were the local sweet treats. [...]

Dublin surprised me with its beautiful weather, high culture, fascinating history, and variety of pubs. [...]

A bewildered Viatrix tries her hand at relaxing Turkish-style. [...]

Pretty much all our food was good, but there were some places that stood out [...]

Talk about a shopper’s paradise! I’m not usually much of a shopper, but Istanbul makes me want to buy everything in sight. [...]