A Side of Sweet

Beautiful Food, Travel & Design

Flying SF to Manchester with Virgin Atlantic

The start of our San Francisco to Manchester adventure flying direct with Virgin Atlantic, plus a look at Virgin’s Upper Class Cabin and SFO Clubhouse lounge.Flying Direct San Francisco to Manchester UK Virgin Atlantic

If you follow me on Instagram, you already know Cynthia from CynEats and I spent a few days in Manchester, UK earlier this summer thanks to my friends at Virgin Atlantic.

I obviously jumped at the chance to help celebrate the launch of their new direct flights from San Francisco’s SFO Airport to Manchester, United Kingdom. If there’s one thing I know about Virgin Atlantic – they know how to travel in style…. Read More »

Chic Airline Travel + London!

Tips for Chic Airline Travel - Beautiful travel products to make sure you arrive in style!It seems like I just got back from Australia a few minutes ago, but I’m off again on my next adventure! The amazing folks at Virgin Atlantic have invited me and a couple of my blogger girlfriends to a long weekend in London!

I fly Virgin Atlantic every chance I can because of their amazing customer service, comfortable planes, low fares and dependability. Side note: does anyone else count their safety video as one of their favorite music videos of all time? I’m so grateful that they’ve chosen me to be a part of this trip. Make sure you check out my Snapchat and Instagram accounts to follow along on our adventures!

I’ve been on long flights enough in the last six months (both Cape Town and Australia had 18+ hours of flying time one way) to qualify as a savvy traveler. Click through for some tips for what to wear for a long flight and what to pack in your carry on.

P.S. – We’ll have a bit of unscheduled time in London when we’re not having epic adventures. Any recommendations for things to do or see?… Read More »

Tips for Traveling on a Budget

I just finished my first block of exams this semester, and I’m already looking forward to my next escape from the US (3.5 months!).   Since I finally have time to think about something other than working out and studying, here are a few tips for pinching pennies while traveling!

Tips for Budget Travelers

  • Figure out what your bank/credit card company charges for foreign transactions and withdrawls from foreign ATM machines
  • Pay attention to exit and entry taxes. Charges in customs can add up!  Also, ask for a receipt.  Sometimes employees will tack on a “surcharge” that goes in their own pockets.  A receipt can prevent this practice.
  • Take public transportation! It’s a fraction of the price and a great way to get integrated into local culture.
  • Get the most updated guidebook for a country. Prices for recommended hotels, restaurants and travel options change all the time so you’re less likely to be surprised if you have a current edition.
  • Be careful when exchanging money. Look up the exchange rate online and shop around.  As a rule, banks offer the best rate.  I’ve also had good luck with money changers at the border if you bargain.  Airports tend to be a rip off.  As long as the surcharge is resonable, ATMs are also good.
  • Eat off the main path. Comedors and small local run places give a ton of food for a great value.
  • Travel with earplugs. You’ll stand a much better chance of getting a good night’s sleep in that noisy dorm or budget hotel overlooking a busy street.
  • Learn a few phrases in the native language to help your bargaining skills. My favorite was learning to say “Ana abuya Masry” which means “I have an Egyptian father.”  Being blonde and blue eyed, I don’t look very Egyptian so this always got a laugh when we were shopping at the marketplace.
  • Don’t fall in love with an item. The ability to walk away from something increases your negotiating power.  Be willing to call the shopkeeper’s bluff.  In any case, you can always return later and say you changed your mind!
  • Don’t buy a Fodor’s guidebook. I tried Fodor’s on my trip to Central America and was dismayed by they budget offerings.  They actually suggested that flying to one of our destinations was our only option when a public bus could get us there in about 6 hours for a few bucks.  I love Rough Guide and of course the Lonely Planet series is a close second.
  • Love Chinese Food. Always bottom dollar and enough to split with a friend or save some for later.  I’ve had cheap Chinese food everywhere, from London to Belize.
  • Run. Running is a great (free) way to see your destination.  And burn off all that Chinese food!

Getting Home

The trip home included one last night in Athens, where we stayed at Hostel Zeus, quite possible the seediest place in Athens.We picked it because it was the cheapest place available and we only had one night to spend there.In the morning before our flight left we checked out the Achaelogical Museum to see the mask of Agamemnon, many sculptures, the Vaphio cups, and much more.

With that, we headed back to Zeus to collect our luggage, took the metro to the airport and boarded an Olympic airways flight back to London.

Do to our layover, we spent the night sleeping on a bench in Heathrow airport.This is what I’m talking about when I say I lead a glamorous lifestyle:

Roughing it in Heathrow

Refreshed from our very comfortable accommodations, we boarded an American Airlines flight at 7:00am and watched eight hours worth of movies to kill time until we arrived back in Chicago.

Unfortunately, our adventures weren’t quite over.I noticed a security dog sniffing around the passengers at the luggage corral.I didn’t think anything of it until he got quite excited when he got close to me and jumped up with his paws on my back!I was clearly a threat to national security!Turns out, he was actually an agriculture dog and he was only interested in the two apples I had in my backpack that Eva and I bought in Athens for a snack.I willingly gave up the apples but not before the entire airport had stopped and watched the scene go down.I got a special mark on my customs form that meant Eva and I had to get our bags x-rayed for more illegal produce before we left the airport.

Now we’re safely back in Wisconsin and happy to enjoy our own beds, hot showers, and toilets that you can flush the toilet paper in (ah the miracles of modern plumbing). According to many of the Greeks we talked to, in our three weeks in Greece we managed to more than most of the natives!

Now it’s back to the reality of school, work and responsibility.*Sigh.*It’s a good thing we’re already planning our next adventure, so stay tuned!

Getting there is half the fun!

As Eva and I were sitting in the Chicago O’Hare airport, I pondered aloud, “I wonder if there will be any celebrities on our flight today.” Eva laughed and brushed me off, but as we boarded the plane a few minutes later we noticed a commotion in the first class compartment. A flamboyantly dressed black male layered with chains and tons of bling was struggling to get his luggage in the overhead bins. We noticed a huge clock hanging from his neck and realized we had our first celebrity sighting of the trip – Flava Flav!!! Mom and Dad, you probably haven’t heard of him but he is a member of the 80’s rap group public enemy and is currently starring on a reality dating show on VH1, Flava of Love. He graciously agreed to pose for a photo with us:


Today, we had a long layover in London so we checked our suitcases and ventured into the city for a few hours to explore. We did a whirlwind tour and caught Tower Bridge, London Bridge, The London Eye, Westminster Abbey, The Houses of Parliment, Buckingham Palace, and Harrod’s Department Store.



We just got into Athens late tonight and we’re staying with Sophia in her cute little flat close to the center of the city. That’s all for now, tomorrow we’re headed to the Acropolis and the Archaeological Museum.