Coffee - The Universal Language

There is no better way to hone in on the real vibe of a place than to pop into a local coffee shop. Whether there to grab a latte and a quick bite to eat on the way to work or squatting at a corner table to get some work done, locals congregate at their local coffee shop. In recent years, with the boom of third-wave coffee roasting, this has become even more common.

Not only can you get a great feel for a city and its people by visiting your local coffee shop, you can also get some great souvenirs to take home with you. This is why we make it a priority when visiting any new city or country, to do our due diligence and find the go-to local spot to pick up a fresh bag of beans to take home with us.

Almanegra in Mexico City’s Colonia Roma was one such go-to place. Just a few block from our AirBnB, this hip, hole-in the wall was a great place to get your morning cup, or a mid-day pick-me-up.

Another great spot in CDMX is the even-more-hole-in-the-wall shop, Café Avellaneda. At this bustling shop on a side street of CDMX’s vibrant Coyoacán neighborhood (home of Frida Kahlo), you’ll find only a hand full of of seats (mostly bar seats) and a great selection of roasts, as well as some interesting specialty house drinks.

Even the heat can’t keep us away from a good latte! You’ll find Cogito Coffee in a few locations throughout Croatia (and even one in Philadelphia?) but we were drawn to the Zadar and Zagreb locations (with a special affinity for the Zagreb shop). Not only do they serve a great latte, but they also sell adorable cold brew bottles for those hot days.

Then there are those locations whose weather just requires a nice cup of coffee. Despite the (relatively) nice weather we experienced in Iceland (60 and sunny!?), nothing beat a nice hot latte from resident Reykjavik Roasters on a cold morning

While there is something to be said for the simple home-brewed cup of coffee, nothing quite beats discovering a new-to-you coffee shop on your travels. Grabbing a cup of coffee or a latte and simply blending in with the scene, taking in the locals going about their days, is one of the great pleasures of travel. And at the end of your trip, with any luck, you’ll have a suitcase full of fresh coffee beans to bring home. What’s better than that?

Our Best (and Worst) Road Trips

What’s more freeing than packing up a car, grabbing some friends (or in my case a significant other), and hitting the open road? It is the America (or Icelandic, or Canadian, or Croatian) dream! Throughout our travels, we have traversed some great landscapes. Here are some of our favorite (and at least one not-so-favorite) drives.

Adriatic Highway

Croatia

The Adriatic Highway, stretching along Croatia’s Dalmatian Cost, through Bosnia and Herzegovina, and into Montenegro, is a must-see for any road trip enthusiast. While not for the faint of heart (get used to hairpin turns, switchbacks, and hundred-foot drops) the vistas from the road are more than worth the white knuckles. In addition to views to write home about, the highway is dotted along the Croatian cost with adorable and quaint villages. Stopping along the route for a quick bite to eat, an ice cold Karlovacko Limun Radler, or simply to stretch your legs and take in the sites is definitely recommended.

US 101

Oregon, US

While not as popular as its neighbor, Highway 1 in California, the stretch of US 101 that snakes its way up along the Oregon coastline is just as breathtaking, if not more. Even though we were welcomed to the Pacific Coastline with Oregon’s emblematic doom and gloom-y weather, driving along cliff sides and rocky beaches, even in the rainy weather, was a great experience. Like many other roads on this list, make sure to leave yourself time to stop in some of the small towns along the way, paying special attention to the small town of Newport, home of the great Rogue Brewing Company.

Ring Road

Iceland

If you are on the travel up-and-up, you’ve undoubtedly seen and heard your fair share about this northern Atlantic island. Iceland has been the haute travel locale for at least a few years now, even to the point that it has become overcrowded, and dare I say, even passé. However, if you are willing to brave the public ridicule of being “behind the times” on travel trends, Iceland’s Ring Road is definitely worth a visit. Make no mistake, even though it can technically be completed in under a day, you will need to give yourself at least a week to see all there is to see around this circular road. In the four days we drove the road, we covered less than a quarter of it. When you need to stop every few minutes to stare in awe at another gorgeous waterfall, cliff, or alien landscape, short drives tend to stretch longer than expected.

Phoenix to Flagstaff

Arizona

We went into this drive not expecting much — just a way to get from A to B (A being Phoenix-Scottsdale and B being Flagstaff/Grand Canyon). However, this stretch of I-17 ended up being more than we bargained for, mostly due to the route’s proximity to Sedona (which admittedly is a slight detour, but one I would recommend).

Well, enough of the positives. Let’s talk about some negatives. When I think of “bad drives” one on thing comes to mind (other than my nightmarish daily commute) and that is the dreaded ON-401. We have taken this stretch of highway between Windsor and Toronto on two separate occasions; once to Toronto itself and again en route to Montreal. When driving through the area around Toronto, this highway certainly earns its reputation as North America’s Busiest Road. If you find yourself with the poor luck of hitting this stretch around rush hour, all I can say is good luck, you better get comfortable. While this road has made a victim of many unexpected travelers, the end result makes the trek more than worth it (I think?). Both Toronto and Montreal are beautiful cities that should be visited if you have a chance, but maybe consider flying in or taking the less-stressful Via Rail (which affords the added bonus of allowing you to enjoy a nice beer on the journey).

Things That Surprised Us About Mexico City

When we first decided to take a vacation to Mexico City, we received two very distinct and opposing reactions. From our parents and slightly older coworkers, we often heard: “Why would you want to go there?” or “Nice knowing you” and from our more travel-savvy (and often younger) friends and coworkers, we heard things like “Wow! I’ve heard great things!” or “I’ve been wanting to go there!” While we had done our due diligence researching and planning our trip, we have to admit, we were a little apprehensive leading up to the trip. Who was more in the know, the doom-sayers, or the modern explorers?

This leads me to the first thing that surprised us about our trip to Mexico City…

Safety

…just how safe we felt throughout our entire trip. Don’t get me wrong, there were moments where I felt like I had to watch my back (as you should an any large city) and we definitely took some additional precautions, but overall, we never once felt in danger. If two Midwestern güeros with limited Spanish can navigate the city, pretty much anyone can.

Architecture

It is hard to research “must-sees” in Mexico City without reading about the architecture. Names like Barragan, Le Corbusier, and van der Rohe made frequent appearances in architectural guides and histories of the city. It wasn’t until we arrived in the city, though, that we realized that the architecture wasn’t relegated to just a few “must-sees” but was absolutely integral to the city. From the noticeably art deco facades of Colonia Condesa and La Roma, to the modern museums and shopping of Polanco and the post-Colombian Spanish Palacio de Bellas Artes and La Casa de Azulejos in El Centro Historico, you couldn’t walk more than a few blocks without being awe-struck by a new beautiful structure. By far our favorite architectural stop, was Casa Gilardi in the colonia of San Miguel (pictured above). Luis Barragan’s final house, Casa Gilardi (still privately owned by the original owner) is an Instagramer’s dream come true. From the striking pastels and harsh lines, to the large jacaranda tree around which the courtyard (and by extension the entire house) was built, make sure to clear space on your phone (and bring the 500 pesos for the photography fee).

Coffee

As avid coffee-drinkers, we have long made a habit of seeking out the best local brews and roasts in any city we travel to. It isn’t always easy (looking at you Malta), but sometimes we hit the jackpot. Mexico City was one of those times. There is a lot to be said about Mexico City’s coffee offerings and coffee culture (more than I will put in a short, listicle-type blog post), but I will say that if you are a coffee connoisseur you will find yourself right at home among both the haute third-wave roasteries and the hole-in-the-wall neighborhood joints. Here are a few of our favorites:

• Almanegra Café (pictured above) - Tonalá 53, Roma Nte.

  • While there are multiple locations, their Roma location was a frequent morning stop for us.

• Buna - Orizaba 42 Roma Norte

  • Grab a latte and walk around the beautiful Plaza Río de Janeiro

• Café Avellaneda - Higuera 40-A, La Concepción, Coyoacán

  • If you find yourself in Frida Kahlo’s old stomping grounds of Coyoacàn (which you should), make sure to stop by this tiny, but delicious, neighborhood shop.

Museums

Mexico City has an absolute glut of museums. Almost to a fault, Mexico City is packed with amazing museums. More than you could ever see in one trip. In fact, we only made it to three museums in our 7 days in the city. While we can’t speak to all (150!!!) museums, we can personally vouch for the Museo Nacional de Antropología, Castillo de Chapultepec (both conveniently located in Parque Chapultepec), and Museo Frida Kahlo. While we had to cut many great museums from our list, these three that we were able to visit were definitely worth it.

If Mexican history (both pre- and post-Colombian) interests you, you can’t go wrong with a day spent in the Museum of Anthropology. Boasting a massive collection of indigenous and colonial artifacts (even the “infamous” Mayan calendar), you can definitely get lost in the rows and rows of history. If you have been hitting the StairMaster, definitely make the trek up to Castillo de Chapultepec, if nothing else, at least for the view. While the castle, and the artwork within, are worth a visit, the view down the Paseo de la Reforma simply can’t be beat. Finally, any Frida Kahlo fan would be remise if they didn’t visit the former home of the artist in the Coyoacàn neighborhood. Just make sure to buy your ticket ahead of time, as the lines can be quite long.

It is Overwhelming…

….but, like, in a good way. With a population of almost 9 million (closer to 30 million if you count the surrounding areas) it is easy to get a little overwhelmed in Mexico City. Venturing through the densely packed Centro Historico can be a little harrowing if you are unaccustomed to the crowds. However, if you are able to look past the hectic and chaotic surface, you will be able to find some great gems in the area. The heavy-hitters (Palacio de Bellas Artes, post office, and Zocalo) are of course must-sees, but if you are brave enough to venture into Mercado Merced, you’ll find streets and alleys packed to the brim with color and intrigue. (I will note that many online tour guides recommend avoiding this area. While we felt safe in this market, we did have a local tour guide).

If the hustle and bustle of Centro Historico starts to give you anxiety, I recommend heading a little bit west to amble down the (comparatively) quiet and peaceful tree-lined avenues of Condesa. The Hipodromo area is especially recommended. Strolling past the quaint houses, shops, and cafes of Avenida Amsterdam on a warm, sunny morning is a great way to leave the crowds behind.