Last year one of my good friends invited me to be her +1 on a company retreat in Istanbul. I was thrilled as Tūrkiye had been high on my list of places to go for quite some time! And I'd get to spend time with my friend who lives in Australia so we don't see each other that often.
Immediately I started searching for business class award seats. Istanbul is over 6k miles from Seattle and I was definitely looking forward to a lay-flat bed! I found a flight for 57,500 miles + $777 by booking a British Air flight thru American Airlines (I had a card that specifically earned American miles since only Citi points transfer to AA and I just don't particularly like the Citi cards). This flight would have been $6682 if I had paid cash!
SEA->LHR->IST with the first leg on BA's new 777-300er. I don't mind a layover in LHR as I am a fan of the shopping there! At SeaTac British Air has a nice lounge but it is small and can get busy. The food is pretty good and the champagne is Piper. I do prefer the Amex lounge, which I stopped in before, as it is so much larger and has a proper bar you can sit at.
BA's Club Suite seats are configured in a 1-2-1 layout and all the solo seats are angled towards the window. There was lots of good storage, a privacy door which I do love, a basic goodie bag, but no PJs or slippers! Slippers should be mandatory! I also liked that the flight was at 8:30pm- time to have drinks and dinner and watch a movie but still get some sleep. Which is exactly what I did (food and wine selection is also a bit meh IMO).
In Heathrow I made my way to the BA Business Lounge South. This is upstairs, pretty big, and was a great stop for a shower and change of clothes.
Then it was off to do some shopping before finding the Business Class Lounge North. I've been in this lounge multiple times, it is also quite big but gets busy. Food is good and there is a nice selection of drinks.
LHR to IST was also biz class on BA but on a Airbus A320neo. It was under 4 hours so was fine but there was no lie flat on this flight.
I had scheduled a car at the airport as I was arriving at midnight but there is Uber available too. Whatever you do, do not use taxis. Even the locals don't take them as they will quote you one thing and charge you another. You will see taxis as an option on the Uber app and that is fine as the fare is quoted & charged thru the app. My private car was 40 Euro for the 30 minute ride into the city.
I was staying at the Aloft Karakoy which was brand new right near the Galata Tower. Aloft is a Marriott brand and although it is not luxurious it was super comfortable, a fantastic location, and I was able to use points to pay for 2 nights leaving just 1 night at $200 charged to my Marriott credit card to earn more points. Perfect. They also gave me a room with an awesome view!
Must-see spots in Istanbul- with a city over 2,600 years old and having land in both Europe and Asia, there are quite a few of them! Istanbul, or Constantinople as it used to be known, has 3 major waterways surrounding it; the Golden Horn to the west and north, the Bosphorus to the east, and the Sea of Marmara to the south.
Let's start in the Sultanahmet district; the historic area south of the Golden Horn filled with mosques, palaces, and incredible architectural sites. This is the where most of your tourist time will be spent, but I don't recommend staying here because very few locals live in the area and in the evenings there isn't much going on. Ubers, buses, trams, and ferries are very inexpensive and so easy, so stay where the restaurants and bars you are interested in are!
If you start right at this side of the Galata bridge you'll be in the very busy Eminönü Square and also at the ferry piers. You'll also be face to face with one of the over 3000 mosques that are in Istanbul. From here you can walk past the famous Spice Market as you head towards Topkapi Palace. The cobblestone streets, stone buildings, shops and cafés all feel very European. It's all very pretty!
Topkapi Palace has housed 25 Ottoman Sultans, their wives, and their children from the 1470s to 1856. It has been expanded over time and the rooms and grounds are massive and gorgeous!
*pro-tip- skip the long ticket line and look for the credit card only kiosks. This saved me a ton of time!
I spent almost 3 hours exploring the harem quarters, the Sultan's rooms, the bathhouses, the kitchens, etc. This was my first time going thru a palace which had a harem and it was really interesting.
There is a lot to see here and I honestly should have given myself more time because there was also a lot to read and learn about the Ottoman cultures. The big rooms used for special events, meeting dignitaries, the ornate bedrooms, and offices, etc were all so stunning.
And the tile work throughout is so beautiful! The colors, the patterns, truely exquisite!
Another day I came back to the Sultanahmet district with my friend Rachel on a walking tour. Our first stop was the Hagia Sophia. Wow. wow. wow. This 1,500 year old former Cathedral was proclaimed a mosque by Sultan Mehmed II in 1453 when he conquered Constantinople. There are just so many unique things about this site, including many of the Christian mosaics and frescoes have been left intact but are just covered.
The architecture is fabulous; stone from all over the world was brought it and many of the massive slabs are one piece. Pillars from temples were also relocated here, including from the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus!
You should buy your ticket in advance, or go with a tour like we did in order to skip the massive queues. And as with all mosques, women are required to cover their hair so be sure to pack a scarf and have it with you! Also knees and shoulders must be covered.
Very nearby is the Milion Stone, the zero-mile marker of the Byzantine Empire. Originally a domed monument where all roads in the Byzantine Empire were measured from, hence Constantinople being considered the center of the world. Built in the 4th century it was used until the 16th century. In 1960 parts were found during an excavation and some of the remains were pieced together into what we see now. If our guide wouldn't have pointed it out, we would have walked right by without hardly noticing it!
Directly across Sultanahmet Square is the Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque) which is still used for worship and closes except to worshippers during the daily call to prayer. Because of this it is free to enter but the lines can be crazy. Rachel and I arrived one morning right at 8:30 for the first opening; minutes later the lines were wrapping around.
Inside you take your shoes off and then are free to wander the enormous interior hall which holds up to 5,000 people during worship. Another 5,000 can fit in the courtyard. Gazing at the domes and the 20,000 handmade tiles decorating the interior is awe-inspiring.
The final site in this area that we visited was the Basilica Cistern. Built in 532AD this underground reservoir stored the city's water supply but in the 1400s the Ottomans moved to using flowing water and the cistern was forgotten.
It was rediscovered in the early 1500s by a French traveler who witnessed locals pulling water up from their basements. It's a fascinating space, made both eerie and beautiful by various lights and a boardwalk that you follow around. I loved it!
There are many other mosques, museums, and sites in Sultanahmet but these were the ones I was most interested in. I had a lot more of the city I wanted to see (more on that next.)
When I took my cruise to Antarctica last year Atlas Ocean Voyages had us all meet in Buenos Aires before flying to Ushuaia so it seemed like a no-brainer to spend a few days exploring the city since I had never been!
The cruise was quite expensive ($7k regularly $14k!) so it was important to me to minimize my other costs. My friend and I flew from Seattle to LAX on Alaska Air using my yearly $122 companion fare. In LAX I had a 4- hour layover which I passed in the Amex Centurion Lounge and the Star Alliance Lounge (the later was *much* nicer).
I had booked Copa Air business class thru United for 88k transferred from Chase + $6.85. The flight didn't leave until 1am but Copa biz has the 737 Max with lie flat beds so I basically just got onboard and went to sleep for 6 hours! I had a short layover in the Panama airport which I spent in the Copa Club upstairs lounge. Then another 7 hours to Buenos Aires, again with a business layflat. The only disappointing thing on Copa was the food- it was really not very good.
*pro-tip if flying Copa biz on your own, book the aisle seat so that you don't have to climb over anyone to get out!
On the advise of one of my travel groups I had booked my airport pickup with Cesar Zelaya who has a tour company in BA. This worked out really well as I landed at 10pm and he was already there and waiting for me! I ended up using his company 3 times on this trip, highly recommend!
Atlas Cruise was putting us up at the Hilton Buenos Aires the night before departure so I just stayed there the entire time. I got checked in to a nice big room & headed to the bar for a burger, martini, and to catch a bit of the Oscars.
After breakfast at the hotel, which was complimentary since I'm Hilton Gold, my friend Caitlin met me and we headed to the San Telmo neighborhood for a tour of El Zanjón. This elaborate set of tunnels under the city streets were discovered in 1958 when the new owner of the mansion set about doing some restorations.
It was a short walk from here to the San Telmo Market. This is a great lunch stop as the market has a ton of stalls selling all sorts of deliciousness. We did a lap before deciding on De Lucia Tapas where we sat up at the counter and (over) ordered plates of croquettas, tortilla, zanahorias (carrots), etc and washed it all down with a couple of beers. Such a fun and tasty meal!
After lunch we headed to BA's colorful La Boca neighborhood. Historically these buildings were a mashup of colors because the working class who lived here used whatever paint was leftover from the nearby ship port. The residents were typically European immigrants, most from Genoa, Italy. In the 50's a local artist encouraged people to continue and it ended up drawing tourists to the area.
This is also where tango originated and if it hadn't been raining we probably would have seen tango in the streets. And if it is a game day, the local football club Boca Juniors have a very large fan base so you would definitely hear the cheers.
Just as the rain stopped we grabbed an Uber to Plaza Mayor and walked around the famous square known for its political demonstrations. If it had been a Thursday we may have seen the Madres de Plaza de Mayo; Argentine mothers wearing white head scarves, who have been walking the square weekly since 1977 in silent protest of the more than 500 children who went missing at the hands of the military junta dictatorship from 1976 to 1983.
It's easy to spot Eva Peron's balcony in the Casa Rosada at one end of the Plaza. The other end gives you views into nearby downtown.
The architectural all over BA is absolutely stunning! There are mixes of Spanish Colonial, Baroque, Neoclassical, Brutalism, Modernism, etc. And a walk from Plaza Mayor to the Puerto Madero really shows off all the different styles. The Puente de la Mujer pedestrian bridge is a bit of the cherry on top!
That evening, Caitlin and I had a wonderful dinner at tiny Julia. 8 team members, 22 seats, beautiful presentations of traditional-with-a-twist dishes like this prawns, vanilla sour cream, and lime.
After-dinner drinks were had at Floreria Atlantico, a lovely cocktail bar which has been on the scene here for years racking up lots of awards and press. As it's really no secret anymore, I'll tell you that to find the bar you must first go into the flower shop at the address. They'll help you out from there.
Quiet and calm upstairs, but downstairs was packed! We waited for a bit before getting seats at the bar and also waited for the seemingly sole menu in English to make its way to us. But once we settled in we had a great time and stayed for a couple of rounds of expertly made cocktails.
Buenos Aires is a super international food city. Italian and Spanish influences are everywhere, and there is a particular food culture here called Porteno that is actually a blend of the two, vs being one or the other.
I started my 2nd day with breakfast at the hotel and got to try the Argentinian classic medialuna. This a horn shaped sweet roll made with either butter or lard and a cross between a croissant and a brioche. Delicious. I also had an alfajores, which I had seen everywhere the day before. These shortbread sandwich cookies filled with dulce de leche are the national snack and they are so decadent! Breakfast of champions!
In the Barrio Norte neighborhood, Caitlin and I explored El Ateneo Grand Splendid. This bookstore, housed inside a historic theater from the early 1900's is Argentina's largest bookstore carrying over 120,000 books! It's an incredible shop and was even awarded the world's most beautiful bookstore by NatGeo.
There's a coffee shop on the stage and 3 floors of books to explore, not to mention the frescoed ceiling and ornate balconies to check out. Stunning.
Lunch was at 1 Michelin star Don Julio Parrilla. Parrilla means grill and this restaurant specializes in grass-fed Argentinian beef (they also have a vegetarian menu). Arriving at the world-famous location with its signature green & white awning we were offered glasses of sparkling wine while the team took care of seating everyone. There were also mini empanadas being passed but I didn't want to spoil my lunch!
We were seated in a smaller room that was connected to the outside terrace which was nice as it was quieter. We missed being able to watch the kitchen & grill action however. As we looked over the menu we were offered empanadas again and this time accepted, my first Argentinian empanada and they were delicious!
I know there are widely differing opinions on Don Julio; many say best steakhouse in the world, currently #10 on The 50 (name changed from 50 Best), others say overhyped and overpriced. Well we had an absolutely fantastic 3 hour lunch here and I personally would say don't miss trying it.
I enjoyed a stellar Chenin Blanc from Argentina producer Michelini i Muffato. Chenin is an unusual grape in the country, the signature white grape is Torrontes, and I loved that they were using a Coravin as I was only having a couple of glasses. We also had our first provoleta, the grilled sizzling provolone cheese of the Porteno culture. Um, yes please!! And of course a perfectly cooked and especially flavorful bife de chorizo similar to NY Strip cut which we had along with a green salad and fries. Dulce du leche ice cream and coffees to finish. Our bill was about $150 for the both of us.
We had planned on walking off our lunch at the Recoleta cemetery but by the time we got there it was closed! So we headed back to the Palermo/Hollywood area and had a couple of drinks at Tres Monos which is just down the street from Don Julio.
The bar is inspired by punk rock so it tends to be a bit loud and chaotic, but at 5:30pm on a Tuesday it was pretty chill. They sent us shots, served us very good cocktails, and also explained that they run a bartending school and a bar consultancy program. All ingredients used here are local so the team creates their own spirits too. Currently they are #10 on The 50 bar list.
We then had an absolutely lovely walk to our next destination #26 on The 50, CoChinChina. I really liked this spot! It's a restaurant and a bar with multiple areas to choose to sit in. We sat up at the bar which is always my favorite. Drinks were fun, creative, and delicious. Service was top notch! Highly recommend!
Caitlin and I both had very early mornings the next day so we said our goodbyes. She was taking a boat to Uruguay and I had a 3am bus to the airport to head to Antarctica!
After Antarctica my friend Gail and I had one night & one full day in the city before flying home. We had arranged for Cesar's company to pick us up again and this time were staying at the Park Hyatt Buenos Aires. This gorgeous property is housed in the Palacio Duhau which was built and lived in by the Duhau family from 1934 until 1995 when they sold it and it became part of the Hyatt portfolio.
I had booked the room for 25k per night (normally $697!) and then used my Hyatt card for incidentals as I had a bi-annual $50 statement credit still available.
After a drink at the hotel's tony Oak Bar with it's garden-view terrace we headed to El Preferido de Palermo which has been serving classic Italian dishes since 1952. It's a great space and we sat at the pass with a full view of the kitchen. Food was excellent, especially this gigantic milanese of mine!
The next morning we set out for a big walk around a few neighborhoods including Recoleta, Bellas Artes, and Palmero. We walked thru an artist fair, saw a crazy old ficus tree, and had some more of delicious provoleta with lunch at La Ferneteria.
We continued our walk to and through the Botanical Gardens which was absolutely gorgeous! It's really the perfect place to just wander and enjoy.
And then we took an Uber to the Cementerio de la Recoleta and went in search of Evita. This cemetery is very similar to the ones in New Orleans or Paris, it is a little city and you definitely want a map in order to find who you are looking for. We found one online and found Eva without much work (psst her last name was Duarte and she is in the family crypt). But there are so many beautiful burial spots here, give yourself some time to explore!
Our flight back to the states was at midnight so we had booked our room for 2 nights so that we had it the entire time- another bonus to booking with points as I don't feel like I'm "wasting money" by not actually sleeping in the room! We got back to the Park Hyatt, got cleaned up, finished packing, and headed out for dinner at Roux.
Another delicious meal! Roux reminded me of a French bistro- small room, lots of locals sitting close to each other, great food and presentation, lovely small wine list.
Then we met one of Caesar's drivers (we had scheduled in advance) back at our hotel and made our way to the airport.
I was so impressed with Buenos Aires, not only is it gorgeous but there are a crazy number of parks all over the city and it is surprisingly quiet! Drivers don't honk and we didn't encounter any construction or other city noise makers. It's a big, beautiful, and peaceful city and I'm really surprised that more people don't talk about how fantastic it is!
We flew home on Copa in biz class, I wasn't able to score a seat with points so opened a new card and purchased it to work on the SUB. Sometimes that is how it goes!
I have been known to do odd things just to fly a certain route or on a particular plane and on this trip I flew up to Canada so that I could fly KLM Business class in order to get one of their Delft Blue miniature houses. These adorable recreations of buildings and houses in Amsterdam are filled with Bols genever and are only available on intercontinental flights booked in Business or First.
Since KLM doesn't fly out of Seattle I spent about $100 on Alaska Air for a 30 minute flight to Vancouver. This was also my first time using my Canadian passport so it seemed fitting to use it in Canada! On my 5 hour layover in YVR I hung out in the SkyTeam Lounge where I had some excellent cold peanut noodles from their noodle bar, then checked out the Plaza Premium Lounge and did some duty free shopping. It's a very nice International terminal!
I had transferred 161,500 Chase points to KLM directly for my YVR-AMS-OSL flight. This was my first time flying KLM Business class and I was super happy with my 3A window seat (but do wish I had gotten a better points transfer). My pod was outfitted with lots of space to stow stuff, an auto charging table, layflat bed and privacy door. And the bathroom was lined in miniature blue house wallpaper!
The 9-hour flight included a very nice drinks and dinner service (I had a Bols genever old fashioned, a poached lobster salad, mango rice with prawns, and a little cheese plate), some absolutely stunning views of the Rocky Mountains, a movie, and about 6 hours of sleep. I was hoping to see the Northern Lights but it never got dark on our flight path!
I will admit that when I woke up and had breakfast and everyone was getting ready for landing I was VERY concerned that I still didn't have a house! But then one of the flight attendants came around with a tray full of them! I didn't know I would get a choice! I was so excited!
I had a connecting flight in Amsterdam, and security to go thru, but my little booze house fit in my ziplock liquids bag so it was safe! I hung out in the KLM Crown Lounge for 2 hours on my layover; it is a huge lounge with lots of room but also can get very busy.
AMS-OSL... my plane got turned around mid flight! OMG I was terrified! They had pressurization issues so we had to return and wait for a new plane. As this is Europe, I was able to put in a claim for the delay and was refunded $326!
Oslo, finally! I took the Flytoget Airport Express from the airport to Oslo central station which took just 22 minutes for 240 NOK ($25) vs. 40 mins & €90 for a taxi. You can just tap your phone or credit card and they leave every 20 mins.
My hotel, the Clarion Hotel Hub, was right across the street from the station. I got checked in to my very cool designer room, took a much needed shower and headed to the rooftop bar for sunset drinks and a snack with a view- 4 hours later than planned.
Oslo is such a beautiful city! 10+ years ago I had visited in the winter, so these views were very different. And the next morning when I woke up the weather was outstanding; actually a bit warmer than what I packed for!
I walked everywhere, as the city is quite flat, and really admired how much the city has grown since my last visit and how very cool and modern it is. I highly recommend everything I did as I didn't have a dull moment!
Walk up on the roof at the Opera House for great views of the harbor and the city.
Visit the Munch Museum; if you are in town on a Monday it is the only museum open which is great! When I visited the city in 2011 the collection was in a small temp space while this was being built. It's a stunning building!
And if you are going to see The Scream you should go to the 4th floor as soon as you get there in order to find out the timing that the version you would like to see will be shown. Throughout the day they show one at a time, a painting, a drawing and a print. The others remain in darkness behind revolving walls.
There's so much more at this museum though! I spent about 2 hours going through the various galleries. There are some wonderful views of the city and harbor here also!
Explore the National Museum, the largest museum in Scandinavia (and the café & gift shop are super!). And there are usually a few really unique touring exhibits going on. I was lucky enough to catch a Kandinsky woodblock exhibit with items on loan from the Pompidou in Paris. The intricacy of the hand-carved blocks was amazing!
The National Museum also has a few renditions of The Scream as well as a great collection of other modern works, architecture, textiles, etc.
Oslo has over 50 museums to choose from; impressive for the smallest of the Scandinavian capital cities!
Cruise the Oslo Fjord on an electric catamaran. My friends and I cruised the fjord when we were here in winter, all bundled up in reindeer pelts drinking mulled wine on a wooden boat. This time I took advantage of the summer-like weather and modern technology and saw it in much different light. And with a glass of cold wine.
The 1 ½ hour cruise gives you a chance to see the city from Oslofjord, which runs 75 miles from the North Sea to the Capital. I also saw lots of 100-year old houses, beaches, islands, and some historic ships. I've never met a boat I didn't like and really loved my time cruising around on this completely quiet one!
Walk all over Oslo! The city is absolutely beautiful, mostly flat, and very safe.
While traversing around keep your eyes peeled for Stolpersteine, or stumbling stones, small gold squares embedded in the sidewalks outside places where Jews and other victims lived. These places are the last known homes of victims and will generally list their name, birth year, and fates. There are hundreds around, reminding us of the victims deported and killed by the Nazis in WWII.
The Palace is on one end of the city while the Opera House is at the other. The waterfront is where you can rent a floating sauna or just sit and take in the views. And in between are gorgeous parks, tons of cute shops, cool public sculptures, and a few big grand hotels whose lobby bars just beg you to sit for a drink...
Get a cocktail, or many! Oslo has some fantastic cocktail bars and bartenders using interesting ingredients not always found in the states. As I love a hotel bar, I checked out 2 on this trip (besides my own).
The Hotel Continental is very well known for its restaurant Theatercaféen which opened in 1900. But I was checking out their modern lobby bar, Boman. This understated and elegant space was a super comfortable spot to take a break from all my walking and their Classic Cocktail menu charmed me with one of my favorites, the Last Word.
The bar also has one of the largest private collections of art by Edvard Munch in Norway. No Scream though!
Over at The Grand Hotel, the lobby bar Othilia is luxurious & a little showy.
When I was there the cocktail menu theme was "From Canvas to Glass" & was reinterpreting works of art into delicious drinks. This wasn't my first time at this bar, I had been there all those years ago and had loved my classic martinis. So happy to see it continues to hit all the marks.
The Grand Hotel is a stunner and is definitely worth a walk around before you leave!
At Svanen, or The Swan, the cocktail bar has taken over the space that was a pharmacy from 1896 to 2014! The Swan Pharmacy's interior is still intact, with marble and wood counters and columns, adorned ceiling, and lots of those cool apothecary cabinets. And swans, lots and lots of swans.
The drinks however are all very modern, and very delicious! Such as my "Stolen Apples" with rum, gin, green apple, lapsang souchong, ginger & shiso. There's also a full menu of classics and some N/A options. All this and the bar is currently #32 on the World's 50 Best Bars list.
I'd say the most famous cocktail spot in Oslo is Himkok (they also own The Swan) and it's marked only by a small H outside the front door. They are #14 on the World's 50 Best Bar list so this is definitely one you don't want to miss!
Inside you'll find a full distillery making Aquavit, Gin, and Vodka, which the bar uses to create inventive cocktails. There's another bar upstairs that specializes in high-volume draft cocktails. And an outdoor terrace in the summer for beers. It's a whole little city of booze! And on top of it, the bartenders are super nice and happy to give recommendations for other interesting spots around town.
Eat local and new nordic cuisine. My timing (Sun-Tues) did not allow for one of the big Michelin starred restaurants this time but I still had some absolutely lovely meals!
Fiskeriet actually has 2 locations, both are busy seafood markets selling freshly caught fish. And both offer delicious menus of seafood along with some lovely wines. I sat outside and had an absolutely incredible fish & chips along with a minerally glass of Alsatian white wine. I also did a bit of shopping, not for fish, but they have all sorts of food-centric goodies!
Vaaghals is known for their house cured ham; think country ham meets prosciutto. I settled into a chair draped with sheepskin outside on their terrace and ordered the cured ham which comes with butter, homemade chicken liver paté and bread delivered in a cute paper bag. It's fantastic! My main course of perfectly grilled hake (white fish similar to cod) and roasted potatoes was similarly great! And during dinner you can create a 3, 4, or 5-course tasting menu from the offerings.
For dinner one night I walked out to the new-to-me neighborhood of Tjuvholmen. This area used to be shipping docks and then in 2005 went through a 9-year redevelopment which turned it into a stunning and modern area with apartments, marinas, offices, parks and the Astrup Fearnley Museum. It was great to see the finished efforts!
The restaurant Sjomagasinet which in their own words is "part restaurant, part seafood bar & delicatessen, part wine bar and part event & meeting space." The name actually means "sea store" and it's an absolutely gorgeous space.
While my dinner was flawless with wonderful flavors and presentation, service was quite lacking. But not for the other tables around me, which were mainly large groups. I was definitely rushed along as a solo diner.
By far, my best and favorite dining experience in Oslo this time was at Arakataka. There's an open kitchen on one side of the busy restaurant and the other is a wall of windows looking out to the neighborhood. The menu is set and you can choose 4 or 6 courses with optional add-ons. Wine pairings are also available. Basically this restaurant felt like it was saying "yes" to everything as long as you were enjoying yourself!
Every dish was excellent, but if I had to pick my favorite it would be the white asparagus, XO sauce & chili. It was stunning (but really all the dishes had that new-nordic look and taste) and really unexpected! Highly recommend Arakataka and would not be surprised at all to see them with a 1-star anytime soon.
And with that my visit to Oslo was over. I walked across the street to the train station the next morning and boarded a high-speed train to Stockholm.
Oslo has changed so much in the 10+ years I had last been there. I was so happy to go back again as I loved it much more than I did the first time! Also my KLM Delft Blue house looks adorable on my bar cart... it probably needs a neighbor!
