First weekend of the year exploring Europe and I have a new country to add to the list of the ones I've visited: the destination is Budapest, Hungary. After spending years gathering dust on my list of places to see, I finally got the chance to visit the capital on the Danube. Unfortunately, my expectations—perhaps too high—were not met. Whether it was the bad weather, the difficulties caused by the Independence Day celebrations, or the inevitable "tourist tax" that makes the city quite expensive, I left Budapest with a bitter taste in my mouth.

Il 2024 non poteva che concludersi con un altro viaggio, ecco che le ultime ore di ferie disponibili vengono sfruttate per un weekend lungo nella capitale della regione dell'Andalusia in Spagna: Siviglia. Temperature miti e decisamente più sopportabili di quelle irlandesi, birra locale a prezzi umani e tapas bar ad ogni angolo della strada: direi che non serve altro per prenotare i voli e dove dormire!

While it's true that "Paris is well worth a mass," my first visit to the city consisted of a leisurely weekend spent exploring the boulevards and boulangerie. I have chosen to divide this story as if it was one of the most famous cakes from French patisserie, the Opera Gateau. It is formed of three layers: the primary layer is made of Joconde biscuits, named for the Monna Lisa; the intermediate levels are composed of chocolate ganache and coffee syrup cream. I think this analogy does a pretty good job of summarizing what I have seen in Paris.

There are numerous options available to you while planning a vacation to Portugal, including: Lisbon, Porto, Azores, Madeira... One that is rarely mentioned is Faro, a tiny town in the nation's extreme south that is very popular with tourists but is unquestionably worth visiting.

Combine a cheap trip to a convenient destination with a weekend before Christmas, and the outcome is Alicante. The Spanish town, which lies near Valencia in the country's south, is the best option for anyone wishing to spend a budget-friendly weekend overseas. Twenty degrees in late December and Alicante offers much more than just delicious food.

East Europe has emerged as one of the top travel locations for budget conscious travellers over the past few years. The days of Russian control are long gone, and globalisation is removing linguistic barriers. That's how I found myself going to Sofia, Bulgaria's capital, in October 2022.

Since I currently reside in Cork, Ireland, any British airport is within a one-hour flight: London, Liverpool, and Manchester are all close by and the ideal locations for a weekend away from home. I have been some times in London so I made the decision to visit the Merseyside city where the Beatles were born and raised because it had ties to my current city's past. The first Liverpool mayor was from Cork and many Irish people used Liverpool as the chance for a fresh new start after the "death of the Celtic Tiger".

I had the good fortune to travel much in 2023, including my first visit to the US. I spent a week in New York City's "Big Apple" in March 2023. The weather was cold, but neither snow nor rain interfered with my stay because I was fortunate enough to arrive a few days after the snowstorm that affected the entire eastern coast of the US.