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Cambridge, MA Maternity Photos

6/25/2015

I planned on taking maternity photos three weeks before Benjamin's due date. It was the ideal time - my belly was big, spring was at its peak and the weather was typically beautiful over Memorial Day weekend. Our plans were foiled when, Benjamin, eager to get in front of the camera, swiftly arrived the afternoon of our scheduled shoot. Lesson learned: schedule maternity photos two months ahead of time.

Luckily Chris and I had scouted a few spots the day before so here are some of our (practice) maternity pictures taken around Cambridge. These picture are particularly special to us because they were taken the day before we met our baby boy!

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Where to Stay in Umbria, Italy: Altarocca Wine Resort

6/18/2015

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During our trip around the world, we spent a month in Italy over the summer. Initially, we only planned to stay near Orvieto for three days, but we fell in love with Umbria and and extended our stay almost two weeks.

During out drive from Tuscany to Rome we stumbled, randomly, upon an agroturismo online called La Rocca, located in the countryside near the old town of Orvieto. In Italy, an agroturismo is a working farm with guest accommodations. They are ideal for people traveling via car since they tend to be less expensive than accomodations in town, parking is easy (it's a farm after all), and the scenery is usually to die for! Also, your room fee supports the farm, which typically produces the delicious fresh produce and wine sold in the region.

As I mentioned above, we'd only planned to stay for three days, but fell in love with our apartment and the laid back pace of life in the Umbrian countryside. We we were so delighted with our countryside discovery that we came back with Chris' parents after our adventures in Rome, Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast!

During our stay, the owners were doing work on the property - mainly improving the already beautiful pool area by the apartments. I recently revisited their website, and they have completely updated and rebranded themselves as Altarocca Wine Resort which encompasses not only their apartments, but a hotel, various restaurants, cooking classes, a spa, and weddings & events. Although we stayed in the apartments, we had visited the resort area for breakfast and a swim but had no idea how comprehensive the rest of their services were!

We'd recommend the apartments in a heartbeat, for the stunning views, the pristine accommodations, the comfortable beds (a rare find in Italy) and the pools set among the vines. We LOVED having an apartment with a full kitchen and spent our days picking up fresh food from the local markets and enjoying our spoils on a private patio overlooking the golden fields surrounding Orvieto.

Here are some pictures from this gem:

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Why I Want to be Locked in a Room in Munich, Germany (plus a special offer for BV readers!)

6/11/2015

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Photo credit: HintQuest.com

The Wall Street Journal recently published this article about the swarm of travelers that will inundate Europe this summer, thanks to the strong US Dollar, the continued rise in tourism from Asia and the World's Fair in Milan. Some of the more famous attractions are actually asking people to delay their visits to avoid overcrowding.

Like most people, Chris and I abhor crowds. While we love visiting museums and historic attractions, we try to visit during non-peak hours. We also love finding activities that are unique to each destination and less frequented by the masses. Sometimes, these are the most memorable experiences of our trip.

I was recently made aware of an alternative attraction, called HintQuest, located in Munich, Germany. It is a "live escape game" or a real life version of those video games where you have to solve a series of puzzles to unlock a room. While I have not experienced it myself (yet!), I thought it was an intriguing idea that might appeal to BV readers.

The Concept:
You and a group of 2-6 people are locked in room and given 60 minutes to figure out how to escape. You must work as a team to solve a series of puzzles & riddles in order to unlock the door to your room before time is up. The game requires all group members to work together creatively and efficiently!

The challenge: Use the clues in this room to unlock the door. Photo credit: HintQuest.com

Ok, admittedly being locked in a room with a group of people may seem like a rather odd activity to try in Munich, but if you think about it, it could be a lot of fun and the source of many funny stories for years to come. I see this being a particularly fun activity for a couple of scenarios:

Family-friendly activity that will provide entertainment for both adults and kids. Now that Chris and I have Benjamin, we keep a running list of activities that we can enjoy with him when he is a little older. This seems like a good way to break up a day of historical sightseeing for kids.

Team building fun for corporate groups, students, bachelor/bachelorette parties or just a group of friends looking for something different.

Perfect activity for inclement weather. Avoid the rain/snow/heat at HintQuest and then celebrate your victory with a stein of fresh beer at a local bierhaus.

It's a great way to exercise the mind, challenge yourself and take a break from the massive tourist crowds.

HintQuest receives phenomenal reviews on TripAdvisor, with over 220 ranked as "excellent".
Sadly, Chris and I won't be in Munich for a while to try it out, but I reached out to HintQuest for more information and they kindly offered a 10% discount for the first 20 Beyond Voyage readers that book a room! Just mention our blog when you make a reservation.

Upon further research, there are several of these live escape games located in major cities throughout the world, so if you can't make it to Munich, there might be a similar activity at your next destination, or better yet, in your hometown.

If you try HintQuest or any other live escape game, PLEASE write in and let us know what you think!

Note: HintQuest did not sponsor this blog post. I'm writing about it because I think it would be a fun activity and a unique way to spend a couple of hours in Munich :)

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We've Been Nominated for a Liebster Award!

6/5/2015

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A few weeks ago, ETSY (ET & SY) from etsyexplores.com nominated Beyond Voyage for a Liebster Award.

What, you may ask, is a Liebster Award?

The word Liebster is German for "dearest" or "beloved" and , while no one is certain how it began, the award is something bloggers give to other blogs that they love. Though it's not doled out by an esteemed panel of travel writing and photography critics, it was awarded to us by a fan of our site, which is a huge compliment and the recognition means a lot to us! So thanks for the shout out ETSY and BV readers - make sure you check out their site and IG feed!

Here is how the Liebster works:

1) ETSY nominated us for the award and asked us to answer 11 questions.
2) We answered their questions below.
3) We created 11 new questions and nominated five of our favorite blogs to do the same.

So without further ado, here are our answers to ETSY's questions:

1. Which is the most underrated country you've been to and why?
Germany. We expected to find Germany interesting from a historical perspective - which it was. But we were blown away by the culture, the lovely people and the phenomenal creative / design / art scene. Berlin is now one of my favorite cities. And Chris was a huge fan of the orderliness & politeness!

Berlin LOVE. I could easily live here one day.

2. What excites you most about travel?
We love to learn, and when you travel, you are learning something new every minute of the day.

3. What is the strangest thing you've eaten?
Eva: It's a tie between grasshoppers or Luwak coffee (made from coffee beans pooped out by a Luwak)
Chris: Guinea pig is the strangest thing he knows he has eaten, but there is a good chance he has unknowingly consumed far more peculiar things than that. The man has sampled his fair share of mystery meats!

One of the stranger food we've consumed: liquid poo (aka Luwak Coffee)

4. What inspired you to start a blog?
We started Beyond Voyage as a way to keep friends and family updated on our trip around the world.

5. What was your most embarrassing moment while traveling?
In Sirince, Turkey we accidentally turned down a pedestrian only street in our rental car. The street was too narrow to turn around and too twisted to back up. Luckily, a shepherd (as in a man who herds sheep for a living) escorted us through networks of pedestrian streets on foot. People had to dismantle their kiosks so we could drive through. The whole town was outside watching us. To make matters worse, or rental car was an obnoxious bright orange Volvo.

We were escorted out of a Turkish mountain village by a shepherd on foot whilst in this car. So embarrassing.

6. What is the most off the beaten track experience you've had?
We've had a lot of off the beaten track travel experiences, but one of the most interesting was being shown around Bali by local friends who live in a small village near Ubud. We attended the village temple ceremonies, visited a local school, met local families and even had a private Balinese welcome dance performed by the village girls. It was a truly unforgettable experience!

Chris, showing a local Balinese villager how a contact lens works. Mind blown!

7. How has travel changed you?
I know it sounds cliche, but travel has made our lives richer and more exciting. It has also made us more empathetic, braver and appreciative of everything we have.

8. If you are craving comfort food while on the road, what would you look for?
Eva: A coffee and a pastry, or some kind of yummy cheese with freshly baked bread.
Chris: Meat and a pint of beer.

9. What is your favorite travel hack.
The old throwaway ticketing trick. In other words, booking a cheaper connecting flight going through your destination to another city, and ditching the second leg.

10. Which is your favorite foodie destination and why?
Tie: South Africa and Mexico. We love South Africa for the abundance of fresh delicious produce and interesting tasty game meats. Mexico is home to our favorite type of cuisine, and nothing beats motulenos for breakfast and fresh margaritas on the beach!

11. What is the one travel website you can't live without?
Tripadvisor

The five bloggers we nominate are:
1. Allasia & Casey @ The Piece Collection (professional global shoppers)
2. Andrew & Adrienne @ A and A Take The World (beautiful nomadic couple; fab IG commentary)
3. Shobha @ Just Go Places (adventures in family travel)
4. Rafael @ Pixamundo (gorgeous photos from some of my favorite places)
5. Ana @ The City Sidewalks (city focused travel guides)

...and here are our 11 questions for them:
1. Where are you going next?
2. What destination or experience are you scared to try?
3. If you were to open a bar on a beach anywhere in the the world, where would it be, what would you name the bar and what album would you play every evening at sunset?
4. What is your favorite travel photo that you've taken and why?
5. What is the most unique hotel / accommodation you've ever stayed in?
6. What is the worst travel experience you've ever had?
7. What was your favorite music discovery while traveling?
8. In your experience, where are the world's friendliest people?
9. What is the most memorable meal you've had while traveling?
10. Who is the most interesting person you've met while traveling?
11. What is the one clothing item you always pack when traveling?

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Cambridge, MA Maternity Photos

Where to Stay in Umbria, Italy: Altarocca Wine Resort

Why I Want to be Locked in a Room in Munich, Germany (plus a special offer for BV readers!)

We've Been Nominated for a Liebster Award!

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