Unwrapping 2023: Our Favorite Food & Travel Experiences of the Year!
All the Places We've Been and the Food We've Enjoyed in 2023!
Last Monday, we picked our favorite films, TV & documentaries of 2023, and two weeks ago we chose our favorite books, music and art of 2023. But for us, 2023 was also an incredible year of fabulous food and travel experiences!
Which is why we’ve decided to showcase all of the cities we visited and many of our favorite meals from the past year. So, without further ado, we give you:
Our Favorite Food & Travel Experiences of 2023!
Places We’ve Been in 2023
Athens, Greece:
In April of this year, we flew to Athens for a star-studded book launch of Ryan Wildstar’s new book — And What About the Bells? by Rozz Williams (edited by Ryan Wildstar). While we were there, we had a chance to reconnect with some dear old friends and family, meet some amazing new Greek friends, and visit some of our favorite local haunts in our beloved neighborhood of Koukaki.
We discussed our Athens adventures on three podcasts, which you can listen to here, here and here.
Last year, Ryan Wildstar wrote an article about our favorite neighborhood in Athens: Going Krasí for Koukaki
Paris, France:
In July, we flew back to our hometown-away-from-home, Paris. While we were there, we had the amazing good fortune to catch Surrealism au féminin (Feminine Surrealism), an extraordinary exhibition at The Musée de Montmartre. We also had occasion to lunch at one of our favorite spots, Le Cambodge Restaurant, as well as discover some new favorites, like La Vierge Restaurant and Pâtisserie Mélilot.
In honor of our visit to Paris, we celebrated “French Week” at the Epicurean Vagabonds, featuring a beautiful poem by Baudelaire, a French-themed Mid-Week Libation, and a podcast about our trip to Paris!
But we weren’t finished! Our podcast the following week featured some of our favorite French desserts.
Durrës & Cape Rodon, Albania:
This year, two of our dearest friends (who we haven't seen in almost a decade!) came to visit us in Tirana, Albania and we planned some trips to the ancient port city of Durrës and the idyllic Cape Rodon. We had a magnificent time seeing our friends again and discovered some majestic beauty and amazing food along Albania's coastline in the process!
For the full story behind that giant plate of fish, check out our article: Roaming the Cape of Rodon: An Idyllic Afternoon in an Illyrian Pagan Paradise
Skopje, North Macedonia:
During the summer months, Skopje can be an inexpensive respite from the hordes of tourists and locals flocking to the sea to beat the heat. That said, while it may be hot, there is one thing in abundance — great eats for cheap (it's actually cheaper to eat out in Skopje than it is to cook at home!). So, in late August and early September, we hunkered down in our air-conditioned apartment by day, writing articles and recording podcasts until the blazing yellow orb vanished and we could go out to enjoy the many kafanas we so love in this city.
During our month in Skopje, we talked about our delectable culinary experiences on no less than four podcasts! Listen to them here, here, here and here.
Rome, Italy:
A hop-skip-and-a-jump from Skopje, and you’re in Rome! Which is exactly what we did in late September. Rome was the first stop in our three-week adventure through Italy and Corsica with friends both old and new. We had a few nights to ourselves before the others arrived, so we made the most of this city’s incredible street food! We also had a potent injection of aesthetic arrest from our remarkable visit to the Borghese Gallery. Check it all out below!
This year’s Roman holiday was the subject of a Mid-Week Libation, a podcast and a photo-filled article: Snapshots of Rome!
Corsica, France:
Our maiden voyage to this verdant, bountiful and culturally diverse island proved to be unforgettable. From mouthwatering mussels and oysters in Ajaccio to collectively prepared feasts in our phenomenal seaside villa on the Plage d’Agosta, we’ve become smitten with Corsica!
We recounted some highlights of our culinary tour of Corsica on a Mid-Week Libation and a podcast.
Florence, Italy:
Five days exploring one of our favorite European cities? Si, si, grazie mille! We had Firenze to ourselves and we took full advantage of Italy’s prized jewel. On our first night, we meandered the halls of the Uffizi, crowd-free, for three hours just after our arrival by train from Rome. This was followed by four days of absolute bliss: fine dining, mind-blowing art exhibitions, a happenstance Sunday flea market and evening strolls along the Arno with the palpable residue of centuries wafting into our bones.
Our fabulous foray in Firenze was featured on a podcast, a Mid-Week Libation and an article: Snapshots of Florence!
Sorrento, Paestum, Ravello & Naples, Italy:
When our dear friends Alan and Jackie invited us to stay with them for six days in Sorrento with some fabulous day trips to Paestum, Ravello and Naples, how could we say no? We didn’t!
We discussed our visits to Paestum and Sorrento in this podcast.
As for our day trip to Naples, stay tuned! Our friend Jackie (a brilliant photographer) took some gorgeous photos, which we very much look forward to sharing here at a future date.
Bellegarde, France:
One month in a village in the south of France is like a year in any other place. After three weeks of almost constant travel, albeit with dear friends, it was time for some downtime on our own. We had a month before we could legally return to Albania on our tourist visas, so we decided to spend it in one of our favorite places in Europe - the south of France. We picked a quaint little village just 20 minutes outside of Nîmes (a city we love) called Bellegarde. It was absolutely blissful and the first time in years since we’d been in the south of France, where people greet you in the street and politesse still reigns supreme.
It was a very long journey, which you can read about here: Plane, Train, Car, Bus & Taxi: Our 12-Hour Journey from Napoli to Nîmes!
To read about a blustery day in the south of France, check out: Ode to Le Mistral
Our love of French cuisine in Bellegarde made it onto four podcasts, which you can hear here, here, here and here.
Genoa, Italy:
We found direct flights back to Tirana via Genoa, a city only a five-hour drive (along the gorgeous French Riviera) from Bellegarde. Having never visited this historically rich city, we decided a 48-hour layover was in order. The Gods must have been smiling on us, as we arrived in Genoa for the opening day of a comprehensive exhibition of Artemisia Gentileschi, an artist whom we both worship. The whole experience in Genoa was completely sublime and we can’t wait to go back and explore more! To hear all about it, check out our podcast below.
Our delightful layover in Genoa was the subject of this podcast.
Tirana, Albania:
And now we’re back in Tirana! Tirana (aka our European home base) has a plethora of spectacular food, which we often discuss on the podcast. Here’s a photo from one of our favorite meals of the year, the Valentine’s Day Tasting Menu at Kripë dhe Piper (Salt and Pepper) restaurant:
We talked about this particularly lovely meal in our podcast here.
Snapshots
This year we started a new series of articles titled Snapshots, showcasing beautiful travel photos and travel experiences, including two articles by our dear friends, Andrea Engstrom (founder of Lil’ Habit) and photographer Jackie Spaulding.
And we’re actively looking for more contributors! So if you are a photographer and/or writer and would like to create a Snapshots article about your own travel experiences, feel free to contact us in the comments or by replying (via email) to one of our Epicurean Vagabonds newsletters!
Snapshots: I Found True Bliss on the Island of Sifnos
Editor’s note: Ryan and Ryan are away this week, visiting Athens, Greece. We’ll be back on Friday to tell you all about it on our next podcast! In the meantime, we would like to introduce you to our very first guest writer, our dear friend Andrea Engstrom
Snapshots of Sarajevo
In the summer of 2019, we had the great fortune to spend three very memorable months in the culturally bountiful metropolis of Sarajevo. We had no idea what to expect from this legendary mecca with its complicated political history (and equally complicated political present), but it proved to be an …
Snapshots of Rome!
Saluti from Rome! We’re actually writing this at the Eric Kayser Artisan Boulangerie in the Nice Airport during our 3-hour layover back to Rome! We’ve just come from Ajaccio, Corsica, where we spent an amazing 5 days exploring the incredible “Ile de Beauté
Snapshots of Florence!
On the move again! This time we’re at the Al Dente Pasta Bar in the Napoli Train Station, where we’ve just arrived after a spectacular week in Florence. We’ve got three hours to kill before our connecting train to Sorrento to meet our friends Alan and Jackie for another adventure in a city we’ve never before visited.
Snapshots of Sulmona: A Captivating Photo Walkabout
[Editor’s Note: This week we are delighted to share a post created by our dear friend and fellow traveler, photographer Jackie Spaulding! Jackie was with us on our recent Italian journeys in Sorrento, Naples and Paestum, though she also had her own travel adventures, including her visit to Sulmona, Italy, which she has gracefully documented for us in he…
Armchair Tours
Navigating the digital age in which we find ourselves is not without its complications and complexities. That said, it does come with some palpable advantages — like receiving content from The Epicurean Vagabonds within seconds after we post it!
We know not everyone has the impetus or the desire to travel as much as we do, which is why we created another new series of articles this year called Armchair Tours. Dive into a region of the world you’ve never visited or would love to revisit through the cultural lens of The Epicurean Vagabonds. All from the comfort of your living room!
Emilia-Romagna, Italy: How to Dive into this Cultural Paradise Right from Home!
For many years we taught a college class called “The Art of Wine.” The purpose of the class was to focus in on a specific region of the world and examine the connections between the wine, cuisine, music, art, literature and culture that all hailed from that unique location. In doin…
Sojourn in the Franche-Comté: Explore One of Our Favorite French Regions!
For many years we taught a college class called “The Art of Wine.” The purpose of the class was to focus in on a specific region of the world and examine the connections between the wine, cuisine, music, art, literature and culture that all hailed from that unique location. I…
Basking in the Beauty of Andalusia: Our Virtual Tour of this Cultural Oasis!
For many years we taught a college class called “The Art of Wine.” The purpose of the class was to focus in on a specific region of the world and examine the connections between the wine, cuisine, music, art, literature and culture that all hailed from that unique lo…
Holiday Gift Idea: Our Favorite Cookbooks
Have we mentioned how much we love cookbooks? Cookbooks also make perfect holiday gifts. For a big list of ALL our cookbook recommendations (from 2023 and beyond), check out our bookshelf: Eat Like An Epicurean: Our Favorite Cookbooks at The Epicurean Vagabonds Bookshop at Bookshop.org.
The Best Gift of All! Give the Gift of The Epicurean Vagabonds!
Searching for some unique, one-of-a-kind gifts to give your friends and loved ones for the holidays? If you really love them, start by giving them the gift that keeps on giving . . . A Paid Subscription to The Epicurean Vagabonds!
This will grant them a year’s worth of reading, listening, looking, viewing and tasting recommendations from our Aesthetic Arrest podcasts, Mid-Week Libations and weekly articles and conversations. In addition, Paid Subscribers ($5 monthly or $50 annually) will receive:
Delicious recipes from Ryan Wildstar! (Only for paid subscribers!)
Ability to comment on all of our content and engage directly with us and our community.
Audio versions of selected articles read by one or both of us.
Exclusive content, including excerpts from our works in progress (such as Ryan Wildstar’s upcoming memoir and Ryan Elston’s upcoming novel), as well as poetry, creative writing and select articles.
The satisfaction of helping two Epicurean Vagabonds subsist in this increasingly difficult world so we can keep sharing our content with you!
We’ve had an incredible year of great food and exciting travels. Cheers to that! *clink*
Tell us in the comments: What were YOUR cultural highlights this year? What were your favorite culinary experiences and/or travel destinations in 2023?
I loved this! A brief recap of your fabulous adventures in the last year with links, so I can continue to live vicariously through you and your fabulous adventures. And I was on two of those trips which were fantastic!.
What a year! I love hearing/reading about your adventures.