I have been studying abroad in Aberdeen, Scotland since September 2016 so I've had quite some time to explore the coffee shop culture. Being an absolute coffee-shop lover, I want to share with you the 5 best coffee shops in Aberdeen to study or go for a date or just indulge in some new coffee flavors and pastries. Also, follow me on Instagram @Laura_Langheinrich to get updates on my fave restaurants & coffee shops. Hope you love this post <3 

Cafe Society 
466 Union St, Aberdeen AB10 1TS

Big windows, fairy lights and delicious cakes and treats (highly recommend Rocky Road). Cafe Society is a nice place to study for a few hours (they have plugs) or to try a seasonal coffee like a gingerbread latte or pumpkin spice latte. 

The Craftsman Company
2 Guild St, Aberdeen AB11 6NE

One of my favorite places to go with my laptop (they have plugs, free wifi and a lot of seating space) and work for a few hours. For drinks, I love their chai latte and mocha - they even roast their own coffee and make their own craft beer. Open until late, this place turns into a stylish bar with live music at night. 

BioCafe
39, Rosemount Viaduct, Aberdeen AB25 1NQ

This is for sure more a restaurant than a coffee shop but I still had to include it in this post. BioCafe is the first refined-sugar free restaurant in Aberdeen offering an array of delicious vegetarian and vegan meals. I went there for brunch and lunch and both meals were so good (big portion size as well, which I, of course, appreciate #foodie). They also have delicious cakes and desserts.  

Foodstory
13-15 Thistle St, Aberdeen AB10 1XZ

You cannot talk about coffee shops in Aberdeen without mentioning Foodstory. Foodstory is one of the most popular restaurants and coffee shops here, for a good reason. Their vegan and vegetarian food options are amazing, they serve delicious coffee (my favourite is the oat milk latte), have lots of seating available, create a gorgeous atmosphere with fairy lights and plants, and they have a very cool zero-waste store upstairs. 

The Cult of Coffee 

28 Esslemont Ave, Aberdeen AB25 1SN

Last but not least, the best coffee shop in Aberdeen is by far The Cult of Coffee. This is a perfect place to have a catchup with a friend over some delicious coffee and cake. Literally, their coffee is ah-mazing (especially the cappuccino). The atmosphere is cozy, with plants and big windows - they even have a fireplace when it gets colder. 

Have you ever been to Aberdeen? If yes, what is your favourite coffee shop? 

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4 days in Budapest: Best coffee shops + must-see places!

I recently spent 4 days solo traveling Budapest and I want to share with you all the things I did as well as my fave coffee shops and restaurants. You can easily do all the things within 2 days - I spent a lot of my time working in coffee shops as well as a full day attending an event. After years of traveling, I now love this kind of laid back travel much more than the *ticking-things-off-the-list* hurry from one sight to the next way of traveling. Be a bit more chill, slow down, put the bucket list away, hang in some coffee shops and enjoy the culture - it's such a great way to get to know the people and places off the beaten path. Hugs, Laura x

Watch my full travel vlog here:

THINGS TO DO

• Walk across the Széchenyi Chain Bridge

• Go up to the castle using the Budavári Sikló (a funicular railway) 
• Explore the area around the castle 
• Walk along Donau to the Shoes on the Danube Bank Holocaust memorial 

• Take photos at Fisherman's Bastion 
• Admire the Hungarian Parliament building
• See the St. Stephen's Basilica 
• Explore the Ruin Bars and Jewish Quarter (so many cool restaurants and coffee shops are here) 

COFFEE SHOP AND RESTAURANT RECOMMENDATIONS

• Eat Langos in Karavan Street Food Budapest  

• Have a coffee at Little Melbourne Cafe
• Sip on a homemade lemonade in Vintage Garden (a bit overpriced and wouldn't recommend the food, but the lemonade was yum and the cafe is super Instagram-worthy) 
• Try a vegan Burger in the Vegan Street Food Garden
• Work from your laptop at Solinfo Cafe (free wifi) 

• Try Hungarian pastries from a bakery (have cash on hand as they usually don't take cards) 
• Have a raw vegan treat at Naspolya Nassolda
• Get a Gyros at one of the many Kebab places

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2 week Ireland Road Trip Itinerary + Destinations to Visit Along the Wild Atlantic Way

Hello everyone, 

Today I want to share with you our 2 week Ireland road trip itinerary. My family and I went on an epic Ireland tour, discovering top destinations along the Wild Atlantic Way including must-see places in Donegal, The Sheep's Head, Cork & Dublin. 

If you haven't yet, make sure you check out my Ireland Travel Vlog on YouTube which perfectly sums up our road trip in mp4 - epic views, nature and hikes!

First of all, here is a map with a rough draft of our route - as you can tell we had 3 major destinations where we stayed - Dublin, Rossnowlagh and The Sheep's Head. To get around we rented a car which we picked up after our stay in Dublin. During our stay in Rossnowlagh we went to the Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival which took up some of our time.

• Destination 1: Dublin for 3 nights 

Staying at: Sky Backpackers Hostel (next to Arlington Hotel)

• Destination 2: Staying at a cottage in Rossnowlagh for 7 nights 
• Destination 3: Staying at a cottage near Bantry on The Sheep’s Head for 6 nights

This is our detailed 2-week itinerary and what we did each day: 

DAY 1: Arriving in Dublin & Explore City Centre
TIP: Get brunch at Brother Hubbard! 

DAY 2: Trinity College, Merrion Square & Shopping at Grafton Street 

DAY 3: Road trip to North-West Coast 

DAY 4: Glenveagh National Park (15km hike) 

DAY 5: Beach hike in Rossnowlagh & Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival (also for day 6-8) 

DAY 6: Studio Donegal (Handweaving & clothing from Donegal) & Muckross Head 

DAY 7: Ben Bulben looped walk, Rosses Point Beach and Harry’s Pub 

DAY 8: Slieve League Cliffs & Last day of Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival 

DAY 9: The Carrowmore megalithic complex & Strandhill 

DAY 10: Road trip along the west coast to Sheep’s Head & Cliffs of Moher
TIP: Dinner at The Snug in Bantry 

DAY 11: Hike to The Sheep’s Head (17km) 

DAY 12: Killarney National Park (Hike: Lakes of Killarney, Meeting of the Waters, Torc Waterfalls)

DAY 13: Mizen Head Hike 

DAY 14: Day trip to Cork 

DAY 15: Hike Seefin Mountain in Kilchrohane 

DAY 16: Drive back to Dublin and flying home  

My favourites were definitely the hike on The Sheep's Head as well as Slieve League Cliffs. 

Have you ever been to Ireland? Leave your best travel tips in the comments of this post!

Hugs, Laura x 

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Rome in Winter 3-Day Travel Itinerary 2019

My mum and I spontaneously decided to hop onto a plane to Italy and explore antique Rome offseason in January which turned out to be an incredible choice. We spent 3 nights in Hotel Milton Roma which we can highly recommend as it's only 15 minutes walk from the Colosseum and offers a delicious breakfast. We booked our flights so we'd have half a day on arrival and half a day on departure, making our trip 3 full days. Of course, we were not able to see all of Rome because it is simply a huge city with so much culture and history - you'd probably have to spend months and you wouldn't see it all. Anyway, we were able to explore most of the tourist attractions as well as a few spots off the beaten path. 

Day 1 (half day)

• Lunch at Hosteria I Buoni Amici
• Walk by Colosseum, Forum Romanum, Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele II (go on top for a great view across Forum Romanum and Rome)
• Coffee at Bar Rossana
• Wander through Trastevere and have dinner in a traditional Pizza place 

Day 2

• Colosseum, Palatine Hil, Forum Romanum (you need at least half a day for this; consider a guided tour as particularly Forum Romanum is huge!)
• Eat Pasta Carbonara at L'Angoletto Romano 
• Pantheon 
• Gelato at Gelateria Della Palma with 150 gelato flavors 

Day 3

• Explore Piazza Navona and fountain of four river 
• Admire Castello Del Angelo
• Get a Maritozzi Romani con la Panna at Parenti (SO GOOD!)
• Guided tour through the Vatican (Vatican Museums, Sixtine Chapel, San Pietro) + Climb the top of San Pietro 
• Walk back across Piazza San Pietro
• Get dessert (I'd highly recommend trying Canoli) for later at Antico Forno
• Have a Margarita Pizza at Margherita 

Day 4 (half day) 

• Admire the Trevi Fountain 
• Climb the Spanish Steps
• Walk by Villa Medici with a great view across Rome
• Enjoy view across Piazza del Popolo from Pincio 
• Wander along Via del Corso for some shopping 

Read my blog post all about the best cheap eats in Rome here! 

Hugs, Laura x

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5 Top Affordable Eats in Rome 2019

Spaghetti alla Carbonara at L'Angoletto Romano

Via Monterone, 14, 00186 Roma RM

Not far away from Pantheon, this restaurant offers incredible pasta and other typical Roman foods. Highly recommend you guys try the spaghetti alla carbonara - it's heavenly. 

Hosteria I Buoni Amici 

Via Aleardo Aleardi, 4, 86100 Roma RM

Far off the tourist crowds, this traditional Hosteria is well worth the 10 minutes walk from Colosseum! The atmosphere is super local and the employees were very charming. 

Osteria Pizzeria MargheRita 

Via Praga, 11, 00144 Roma RM

Not far off Pantheon and Trevi Fountain, this restaurant is more on the modern side, however the Margherita pizza was still on point! And also not that expensive compared to other restaurants close to big tourist attractions. 

Parenti 

33, Via Ottaviano, 00192 Roma RM

On your way to or back from visiting the vatican, you MUST try a Maritozzi Romani con la Panna at the dessert restaurant and bakery Parenti. Absolutely delicious and our favourite pastry we tried on our entire Rome trip.

Gelateria della Palma

Via della Maddalena, 19-23, 00186 Roma RM

If you need a little dessert after the spaghetti carbonara, head over to this gelateria which is fairly close to Pantheon. Choose from 150 gelato flavours! A bit touristy and crowded but well worth it. 

Check out our 3-day Rome itinerary here! 

Hugs, Laura x

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