Mad Travel Tips: Unexpected Pleasures

For the first post on this new blog dedicated entirely to travel I will keep it short and sweet.  Since I promised to bring you tips for travel I will give you my number one tip here.

Are you ready?  Here it is: GET LOST.

No, seriously.  Get lost.  Do yourself a favor, pack a map so you can get unlost and go get lost in some historic neighborhood.  Wander the streets, try a local bakery or bistro.  Take photos of tiny alleys and just see what you find.


I'm not saying to throw away plans entirely or travel without an agenda.  It's not for everyone and a little planning and forethought can save a lot of trouble and backtracking.  But plans do have a way of falling apart when you travel.  So, be prepared to roll with the unexpected troubles.


I have actually written a whole article on my favorite unexpected finds.  But for a quick teaser on the things that you could find by complete accident I will tell you that my favorite church in Italy was the unassuming Santa Maria in Aracoeli that it turns out was hiding a treasure.  And that in Naples I would never have had an incredible Il Baba for dessert without the unexpected happening there.

To find out what is inside this realtively unassuming exterior... or for the stories about my lucky find in Granada and how I came to discover Il Baba, you will simply have to visit the original article...

Mad Travel Favorites: Unexpected Pleasures

If you don't have time for a long article then the simple take away from this article is that sometimes the unexpected is the best thing that can happen to you when you travel.  Your favorite place or moment of a trip might just be the one you never planned at all.

Safe travels,
The Madder Hatter Traveler

Mmm.  Don't you wish you were in Naples right now?

Welcome to the Madder Hatter Traveler Blog

Welcome, welcome.

First let me introduce myself.  I am the Madder Hatter, madder referring to the shade of red (and yes also the level of insanity), and hatter referencing the original Mad Hatter as well as a tribute to my love of hats.  And you must be one of those wonderful souls that loves to travel and even, dare I say it... read about travel.  Right?  Of course right.  So now that we've gotten through our introductions, what is this blog all about?

This blog is all about travel.  Here I will talk about places I've visited and my experiences in different places around the world.  I will share tricks and tips that I have learned through my travels including hidden gems in cities I've visited.   I will share my favorite memories of trips and also my travel mistakes.  Learn from my mistakes dear readers.  And if you have any comments or questions, don't hesitate to reach out.  I love talking about travel and new and old destinations around this amazing world of ours.

Well, that about sums it up.  I hope you enjoy the blog and that your next trip is more amazing than the last.

Safe travels,
The Madder Hatter