Tag: Italy

• Tre Cime di Lavaredo

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on September 30, 2020

  Three years ago I wrote a post about the time I visited the Cliffs of Moher, a place I had once seen in a photograph and immediately became enamored by. Today I am going to share another location I finally had the chance to see in real time after seeing a photograph many years prior. I don’t remember the first photo I saw of the Italian Dolomites, but I remember seeing the jagged rocks and lush green valleys knowing I had to visit.

  I’m sad to say I lived in southern Germany (THREE hours away from the Dolomites) for nearly two years, and it wasn’t until the very end of my time that I made the Dolomites a priority. I moved back to Washington two Fridays ago (a sudden decision to leave a week earlier than planned), but not before squeezing in a long awaited (and definitely not the last) trip to the Dolomites.

  

  

  My last day of work was 09 Sept, and my favorite travel pal MaryBeth and I rented a car on 11 Sept and set off for a weekend away in Italy. The Dolomites are huge, and I had no idea where to begin, so I chose one of the most popular trails for an introduction to the Dolomites. The Tre Cime di Lavaredo loop is walked by many, but for good reason.

  The ever-changing landscape truly showcases a little bit of everything. I am amazed by the beauty of these Italian Alps.

  MaryBeth and I chose a quaint hotel to stay at within a 30 minute drive to our hike of choice. We chose this hotel because of the free breakfast, which did not disappoint. Due to our friend Covid, breakfast wasn’t buffet style like the photos implied, but this was probably for the best. Too many chocolate croissants and I’d have to be rolled up the mountain, but boy is there something magical about Italian espresso and a chocolate croissant. We arrived on Friday early enough to settle in, and to prepare for our full day of exploring.

  

  Hotel Fiames

  

  Abandoned building across from our hotel.

  After our breakfast on Saturday we made our way to the trail head. The drive was about 30 minutes, and thanks to my prior research I was prepared for the 30 euro toll fee in order to drive the road to the trail. I assume this has to do with the popularity of the trail, but if you really don’t want to pay the fee you can park and walk (or take a bus.) I typically entertain the idea of walking, but I’m thankful we didn’t.

  This would have been a rough end to our hike.

  We began our trek around 0945, after a handful of minutes searching for the clockwise entrance to the trail head. I had read to follow the trail in the opposite direction than most because the views are better. I couldn’t find the trail, so we decided to walk the traditional route. After completing the loop I can agree the views would have been better going the opposite way, but at the end of the day the views are amazing regardless. I realized after we finished the hike that we had parked right next to the opposite end of the trail where I would have wanted to start. So close.

  

  

  The beginning of this trail starts flat, a casual walk along the base of the above pictured peaks. If you look closely you can see humans scattered along the trail, something we had to maneuver around the entirety of the hike. Usually when I hike on a trail that is covered with people I get irritated, but this trail is too beautiful to care. It’s unavoidable. After a short while we arrived at our first of many forks in the road, and our first of many mountain huts along the way. From here we continued on the trail, taking the quick, but steep route to our first vantage point.

  

  Impossible to tell from this photo, but there are humans climbing on those peaks in this photo!

  

  After our first wee climb, we stopped at the top of the hill to savor the views below. From here we could see our next destination, a hut off in the distance with a taste of home name. The Dolomites are so close to Germany, that everything in the area is in both Italian and German. Tre Cime is also known as Drei Zinnen, which both translate to three peaks. Our next destination on the loop was to the Drei Zinnen Hütte.

  

  Small hut in the upper right corner.

  As we began approaching the hut, we heard a man speaking over a loud speaker. MaryBeth heard the man say something about a man from France, and first place, from which we deduced there was a mountain race going on! I absolutely love watching people run, and the predominant demographic of these mountain runners were over the age of 50, and a lot of them were women. To say I was inspired is an understatement.

  We sat to watch the runners, and soaked up the infectious energy near the hut for a bit, all the while we savored the stunning view of the surrounding alpine lakes. 

  

  

  Upon arrival at the Drei Zinnen Hütte coming from a counterclockwise loop (the popular route) is where we found the first real expansive view of the three peaks in all their glory. I am not a climber, and I don’t think I ever will be (my few experiences on very thin and sketchy trails have proven this to me), but I can only imagine what the views are like from the tops of those peaks. The weather was perfect this day, a mix of sun and slight overcast.

  

  Cute little German man!

  

  

  After admiring the superhumans running up this mountain, we began our descent down into the valley to bring our loop towards a circle. We took our time the entirety of this hike to ensure we soaked up as much of the view as possible. The route isn’t overly difficult to follow, but I was glad to have read a few blogs in order to know which route to follow. The trails branch off in multiple directions, but I knew as long as the three peaks were close on our left we were on the right path.

  

  

  

  The elevation changes on this trail aren’t anything to write home about, but the final stretch did have a decent dip down followed by an equally decent incline. MaryBeth was wearing shoes that were hurting her feet, and I was wearing Teva sandals. My choice of footwear was mostly due to the fact I didn’t want to buy new shoes right before I was leaving, and slightly due to the fact I like to test my boundaries when it comes to exploring in those sandals.

  There were a few moments I clung to the inner edge of the trail just to avoid slipping, but overall the trail was moderate. I do not regret my choice of footwear, and if I had to do it again I would. 

  

  

  

  From here the trail was chill the remainder of the way. Overall the entirety of the loop is just over 6 miles, but with all of our stops and savors we didn’t get back to our car until 15:30, around six hours later. I could not have asked for a better introduction to the Dolomites, this day was absolutely perfect. The end of our hike showcased why walking the trail clockwise would have been a more expansive view.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  We arrived back at our hotel to shower and rest before heading out for a meal of gnocchi and pizza (and wine for MB!) Can you really go to Italy without having any or all of those? I think not. I will daydream of this final European adventure (for now) for months to come. My decision to move back to America was not an easy one, but for the time being was the right one.

  I don’t know what’s next for me, but I do know I’ll be back to the Dolomites as soon as I can. 

  

  Q: What’s one place you are dying to visit after seeing a photograph of the location? 

  

  | 18 Comments Tagged Brittany's Life Abroad, Dolomites, Hiking, Italy

• I Wanna Pisa That Pizza

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on November 4, 2019

  When I was a wee child, I used to enjoy watching Disney movies, as most children do. One of the movies I loved was A Goofy Movie, and in that movie is a scene I used to quote often with my friends. I thought it was absolutely hilarious when one of the characters used cheese wizz to make a leaning tower of cheese, which he called: “a leaning tower of cheeza.”

  

  

  To this day I think of that scene when anyone refers to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. After my recent trip to Rome I wanted to make a pit stop in Pisa to see the tower, because it was an easy detour on the drive back to Germany. Upon arrival there was more to meet the eye than I expected. I didn’t realize there was a cathedral next to the tower, which was just as beautiful.

  

  

  

  

  

  It took a while to find parking, and after battling the parking meter trying to decipher what it was saying (it was all in Italian) we walked about half a mile to see the tower. There were of course plenty of other people around trying to get a view of the tower as well, and it was comical watching everyone taking the popular photo of them holding up the tower.

  Guilty…

  

  It took my mom and I quite a few tries to get a somewhat decent photo, but in the end my strength prevailed. I originally planned to climb the tower, but after realizing it was nearly 20 euros to climb, I decided it wasn’t worth it. Instead we walked all the way around the tower before walking around the town of Pisa for lunch.

  

  

  

  The town of Pisa is small, but adorable. We found a restaurant close enough to the tower, but far enough away that it didn’t feel overly touristy to enjoy some lunch. We had eaten pizza twice before during our visit to Italy, and both times we were skunked by less than stellar quality. Third time was the charm, and having pizza in Pisa was the golden ticket because this pizza was AMAZING.

  

  The pizza was the side of my torso, and my mom, my sister, and I gobbled it up without a crumb to spare.  I came to Italy, and I had amazing pizza – success (although I’ve read pizza isn’t really a true Italian meal.) After we finished lunch we headed back towards the car for the long, albeit beautiful drive back to Bavaria. This was a great pit stop, and I am glad I finally got to see the tower in real life.

  

  This sums up my family trip to Italy, it was such a great time seeing my mom and my sister. This was both of their first trips to Europe, and I know it won’t be their last. It was stressful at times planning this trip, and playing tour guide, (I just want everyone to have a good time) but it was all worth it to spend a week with them abroad.

  Big thanks to my friend Pam for watching my cat, the only other soul that I trust aside from my mom taking care of my fur child. Without her this trip would not have been possible! ❤

  Q: Do you enjoy planning trips? I do this once a month, sometimes it can be a lot! 

  

  | 8 Comments Tagged Brittanys Life Abroad, Italy, Pisa, Pizza

• Assisi, Italy

  Posted at 5:00 PM by Brittany, on October 30, 2019

  When booking our trip to Rome, I gave my family and I four days in the city just to be sure we were able to “see it all.” After two and a half days we decided we had seen enough, so we spent one of our days exploring a different part of Italy. A bit north of Rome is a city called Assisi, which is a well known city among catholics as this is the city where St. Francis is from.

  

  Growing up I remember reading the above prayer on the wall of my moms bathroom, and although I don’t know a lot about Catholicism (despite being raised Catholic) I have always been aware of St. Francis. He was also a big animal lover, so he and I would have been pals for sure. Assisi is in the region of Umbria, which is often called the green heart of Italy.

  

  The city sits high on a hill, and the drive up is a bit steep. There are two things that make me nervous when driving a car: driving up steep gravel roads, and driving in places I am unfamiliar with. Navigating Rome in a car was only stressful when I had a hard time finding the streets to turn on, because there is no room for pause in that city.

  Mopeds drove wherever they wanted, the streets were always packed, and the people drove quickly. A slight pause in the road would have resulted in a honk or a bumper bump.

  When we were driving out of Rome towards Assisi, I had hoped because we were leaving early in the morning that the locals would still be asleep. Once again I was wrong, and it seems that no matter what time of day it is in Rome, the streets are chaos. I felt surprisingly calm driving in Rome overall, and most of the time we were laughing at the clusterfuck of the other drivers, but I wouldn’t do it again.

  

  After getting far enough away from the city, I was able to breathe a bit easier. We arrived in Assisi around lunch time, so we stopped at a market for me to grab something to eat. I bought a can of tuna, because Italian tuna is packed in olive oil and it’s SO good. I realized I didn’t have a fork, so instead of using my fingers I used the lid of the can.

  No cuts happened while eating this tuna. 

  

  After some snacks we found a place to park the car near the city center and walked around for a few hours. Assisi is a small town that doesn’t require much time to visit, a half day was more than enough for us. We went inside two churches, ate some pizza and cannolis, and bought some locally made olive oil.

  The Italian man I bought my olive oil from was a local of Assisi. He spoke great English and was very handsome. Tall and lanky, one of my types, but then I saw him later in the day smoking. ALL.THE.CUTE.EUROPEANS.SMOKE. I guess despite their love for the environment, they haven’t fully caught onto the problem of smoking.

  

  

  After we spent our time in Assisi, we headed back towards Rome for our final night. Along the way we found a basilica to check out. I love road trips because of the flexibility they provide. A lovely day in a new city, and another bucket list visit for my mama.

  My sister was such a champ on this trip, and she kept her cool no matter what we did. My sister has autism, and she used to not handle stressful situations well, but these days she rolls with the punches like it’s nothing. She would laugh harder than my mom and I when we were navigating the chaotic streets of Rome.

  I think her laugher is what kept me laughing. Life is too short for anything but laughter. 

  

  My sister and I, her looking like she’s about to consume a small child for lunch. 

  Q: Have you heard of Assisi?

  

  | 16 Comments Tagged Assisi, Brittanys Life Abroad, Italy

• Roma, Italia – Pt. 3

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on October 28, 2019

  If you read my previous two posts about Rome, you’ll know that Rome wasn’t really the city for me. Ironically I will be returning next summer for a family cruise, and will spend some time visiting the sights I didn’t get to see. One sight I hope I get to visit again is the Colosseum. Of all the things I saw in Rome, this was by far my favorite.

  

  Sadly I only had two hours to split between the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, which meant I didn’t have nearly enough time to wander these two locations. These two locations alone made my trip to Rome worth it. The Colosseum is a large amphitheater that held between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators.

  

  It was used for gladiatorial contests, public spectacles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on classical mythology. The Colosseum stopped this type of entertainment use in the early medieval era, and it was later used for housing, workshops, religious order, a fortress, a quarry, and a christian shrine.

  

  For fear of missing the last Hop on Hop off bus back to the Vatican City where I was staying, I quickly rushed through the Colosseum in 30 minutes. This was enough time to grasp the awe of this place, but not enough time to read the plaques and soak in the energy. I was hoping to see some stray cats, but no such luck.

  I hope to not only see some cats when I return next summer, but I also hope to spend more time inside the Colosseum.

  

  

  Right next to the Colosseum is the Roman Forum, an ancient city that is still partly intact. It served as a public area in which commercial, religious, economical, political, legal, and social activities occurred. This place is less busy than the Colosseum, but I found it to be much more fascinating.

  I spent a little bit more time here than I did at the Colosseum, but again it wasn’t nearly enough. 

  

  

  

  

  

  After I made my way back to the Vatican City, I stopped by the store to grab supplies for dinner. I was hooked and obsessed with fresh gnocchi, fresh pasta, and fresh pesto. I literally ate the same meal every night I was in Rome. Two of the three nights, I made the meal myself.

  

  

  This was a lovely way to spend our final day in Rome. Although we were sleeping in Rome for another two nights, the next day we took a day trip outside of Rome. I have slight PTSD about driving out of Rome, and then back INTO Rome, but I also think I am capable of absolutely anything now. Stay tuned for our day trip to Assisi, and how I managed to make it out of Rome alive.

  Q: Who else wants to watch Gladiator now? I’ve actually never seen it!

  

  | 17 Comments Tagged Brittanys Life Abroad, Europe, Italy, Rome

• Roma, Italia – Pt. 2

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on October 25, 2019

  Day two in Rome was dedicated to visiting the Vatican Museums. Otherwise known as “the human cattle herd halls.” Before going into the Vatican Museums, I wasn’t fully aware what they were. After going into the Vatican Museums, I’m still not fully aware what they are.

  All I know, is that the Vatican Museums are endless, and most people (myself included) visit just to see the Sistine Chapel. 

  

  I’ll admit after finally making it into the Sistine Chapel, it was not what I expected. The famous painting of Adam touching fingers with God took up only a small portion of the ceiling, but all this time I thought it was the majority of the ceiling. I sneakily took the above photo despite the “no photos” rule. I’m glad I took the photo, because I felt so rushed and crammed into the building I could hardly appreciate the ceiling while inside.

  

  The walk to get to the chapel was packed wall to wall in each room we passed through. It was intense, it was hot, and it was a lot of things I didn’t care much to see. I’m not a museum person, so this was a bit of a struggle. Some of the art work was amazing and I don’t regret going into the museum, I just don’t think it would have been something I would have prioritized had I not been with my mom.

  Alas, even she agreed it was not a necessary visit.

  

  The line to get into the museums is long…really long…so I purchased our tickets online with a time slot months before we went. I can’t recommend this enough for anyone else interested in visiting Rome/Vatican Museums. If you don’t buy your tickets in advance prepare to wait a few hours to get in.

  We passed by St. Peter’s Basilica to get to the museum where I saw the most disturbing sight.

  A scruffy looking man who I’d presume might be homeless, was bent over a flock of pigeons eating what looked like a saltine cracker. I was curious what he was doing, so I looked his way and watched as he let crumbs fall from his mouth onto the ground. I thought to myself, “how nice, he is feeding the birds.” Just as this thought passed through my brain, the man reached out with the quickness of a cheetah and GRABBED one of the pigeons.

  

  Pigeon in hand the man walked off as if nothing happened. I can only imagine what he was going to do with the pigeon, and I tried to tell myself he was just hungry and needed to eat, but the process of what I saw freaked me out. I also don’t think pigeons are the cleanest of animals, but I suppose hunger has no limits and I now just feel sad for him.

  Rome has an intense homeless problem, and it was sad to see. I suppose this happens with bigger cities, but since living in Europe I haven’t really seen many homeless people until arriving in Rome. This was another thing about Rome that surprised me and shattered the “Romantic Rome” vision I had in my head. After dinner the previous night I had leftovers, and while walking the streets a man asked for my food. Without hesitation I handed my box to him.

  I digress.

  After the Vatican Museums we made our way to lunch at a local cafe, where no one inside spoke English except us. Our adorable waiter spoke great English, but apologized to us for not speaking more fluently in English. Are you joking!? HE apologized to ME for not speaking MY language in HIS country. It was love at first word. I ate a delicious salad before walking my mom back to our Air B & B.

  

  By this point, my mom had seen all she wanted to see, so I took off solo for a bit to explore more of the city. I headed towards the Colosseum and Roman Forum, where I had purchased tickets in advance as well. This is another place buying tickets ahead of time is highly recommended. Stay tuned for my next post about my visit to these two amazing historical locations.

  Q: What would you have thought/felt after seeing the man and the pigeon? I literally cannot look at pigeons the same way…

  

  | 8 Comments Tagged Brittanys Life Abroad, Europe, Italy, Rome, Vatican

• Roma, Italia – Pt. 1

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on October 21, 2019

  Roma, ohhhh Roma. Just the thought of you makes me think of romance, history, religion, and Lizzie McGuire. My mom (and sister) came to visit me in Europe last month, and when I asked her (my mom) where she wanted to go (other than Germany) she immediately said: “Rome.”

  My mom is a devout catholic, and Rome is to a catholic like Disneyland is to a small child. 

  

  Rome wasn’t high on my list of “must see’s,” but I was happy to oblige her desires, so I did all the dirty work to plan for our trip to Rome. Everything went smoothly…until it didn’t. My mom’s flight was canceled into Germany and she had to spend a night in Dublin, putting us behind half a day. Then when I picked up our rental car, I was given a boat instead of a compact.

  Did I mention I was driving to Rome? Where the streets are narrow and the drivers are intense?

  

  I drove my boat and myself to the Munich airport to pick up my mom the morning we were to drive to Rome (which is about 11 hours from Munich) and I waited an hour and a half to change the car. It was worth every minute’s wait, and I ended up getting an Audi A3 Limo style.

  I fell deeply in love with that car. Much better for an 11 hour drive.

  

  Driving to Rome was…interesting. The drive was surprisingly smoother than I anticipated, and my anxiety about the Autostrade tolls was unnecessary. The tolls were simple, you just get onto the Autostrade – get a ticket – and pay when you exit. I only paid once getting off in Rome. I felt like a local in no time.

  

  Arriving in Rome was another story. I hoped because we were arriving late (around 11pm) the roads would be less…populated. I was wrong. The streets at night are just as crazy as the streets in the day, and Italians are just as aggressive as they say when it comes to driving. Finding our Air B & B was an adventure.

  It took an hour to find, and I had to call the host at midnight. 

  

  We couldn’t find parking despite the Air B & B listing stating they had parking (which is why I booked it) so I parked on the street a bit away from the place, which was annoying. After all the hoops were jumped through, the car was parked, and we were inside our apartment, we went to bed to prepare for our first full day in Rome. We’d made it, we’d arrived, it was time to breathe.

  We arrived on a Saturday, which meant we were able to attend Sunday mass at St. Peter’s Basilica. 

  

  

  

  The weather was perfect, and arriving for mass at 9am allowed us to beat some of the crowds. On Sunday’s the Vatican Museums are closed, so the entire Vatican City is less chaotic. Did you know that the Vatican City is considered its own separate country? Although I had already been to Italy before this trip, I can still count this as a new country visited thanks to this fun fact.

  Mass was beautiful, as was the inside of the Basilica. My mom claimed this was the highlight of the trip for her (other than seeing me of course.) That alone made all the hoops jumped through worth it. Helping facilitate this visit for my mom was very rewarding.

  Mass is held multiple days a week at the Basilica, but I was happy we made it for Sunday mass.

  

  

  

  After mass we ventured off to get some lunch. We quickly learned that tourist traps are everywhere, and we ate at a restaurant that charged us $60 for a kitten sized portion of pasta, and a medium pizza. Prices aside the food tasted like cardboard and we didn’t make the same mistake twice.

  While sitting there eating, a man walked by playing music. After he finished he stuck his hat out expecting money from us, to which I declined. I am all for paying street artists if I feel inclined, but this is another example of how touristy this city is…locals expect and receive money from people who don’t know any better.

  After we ate, we took a tour of the city on the Hop on Hop off (HOHO) bus. 

  

  

  Rome is a large city, and a lot of the attractions are spaced far apart. It’s not a driving friendly city, so in order to get the full taste of everything it’s advisable to be in good walking shape. My poor mom hurt her knee pretty badly before she came, making her trip a bit difficult to enjoy at times. Rome is also not nearly as romantic as I originally assumed.

  Rome is dirty, it smells, there are tons of tourists, tourist traps, pushy street vendors, and despite it being September it was HOT. 

  Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad we went, but I don’t feel the need to go back anytime soon. Aside from all that, there were plenty of beautiful buildings and statues to gawk at. The HOHO bus took us towards a handful of attractions, but there were a few we skipped out on like the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. I guess I do need to go back after all.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  After a full first day, we decided to try again with dining out. We found a slightly touristy place, which was still moderately expensive, but the food was AMAZING. Worth it. I let my hair down and ordered pesto pasta, which set the tone for the rest of the trip.

  

  

  After dinner we walked back to our Air B & B in Vatican City to prepare for the following days adventure. Stay tuned for our visit to the Vatican Museums, and the traumatizing sight I saw with a homeless man and a pigeon.

  Q: Do you like big cities? 

  

  | 23 Comments Tagged Brittanys Life Abroad, Europe, Italy, Rome, Vatican

• Venice, Italy – Pt. 2

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on February 25, 2019

  After a grand nights rest I was ready to take on day two in Venice. I started the day early per usual, and the first plan for day two was to island hop. There are water taxis that take people all over the inner canals of Venice, but there are also water taxis that take people to the surrounding islands. For 20 euro you can buy an all day pass for these taxis and ride them as many times as you’d like.

  

  The first island on the route is Murano island, which is a well known island for glass blowing. After a stop into the glass blowing room, a wander around the shops selling glass, and a quick walk around the island, it was time to head to island number two – Burano Island, which was my favorite of all the islands. Burano island is well known for all the colorful houses, and for its seafood.

  

  

  

  Burano Island is a fishing town, and according to the Google, the houses were painted bright colors to help the fisherman out at sea find their way home on foggy days. Whatever the reason, I loved the pops of color. I spent the longest time on Burano Island of all the islands I visited, and ended up eating lunch at a small outdoor place right by the water. I got a bowl of fried goodness consisting of potatoes, crawfish, squid, calamari, sardines, and anchovies.

  The freshness was unparalleled. 

  

  

  

  If you can only make it to one island on your visit to Venice, make it Burano. The colors, the quiet, the food, and the feeling of getting off the beaten path from the busy city center are well worth the taxi ride.

  

  

  

  From Burano I headed to Torcello, then to Mazzorbo, and lastly made a stop in Treporti. These were small and didn’t have much to see. Torcello had a beautiful cathedral, otherwise I’d skip these islands (unless you have a day pass, then it’s a “why not” situation.) I found two island cats on this day, but only one of them let me love on him. The grand total for the day was six islands if I included Venice, and 13 miles walked.

  

  Torcello

  

  Murano

  

  Torcello

  After island hopping for most of the day, it was time to head back to the main city center of Venice to prepare for the highlight of my trip. My first day in Venice while wandering I came across an old cathedral turned music hall called San Vidal, and it just so happened that a classical concerto would be playing both of the nights I was in Venice. I knew I had to go to one of the shows, so I planned to go my second night in the city.

  The performance was only 30 euro, for about an hour and a half of beautiful serenading. Every performer had their own chance leading the group, which was a beautiful way to recognize each musician. No one was the star, and everyone was a team. The music was beautiful, and I got goosebumps time and time again. I also had some nice eye candy with an Adrien Brody look alike, and as I said on my Instagram – I don’t want kids, but I’d have babies with that beautiful Italian man.

  Click the above link to my IG for a clip of their music. 

  

  Fourth from the left. Swoon.

  

  How I felt when they played.

  This was the perfect ending of my first trip to Venice, and the perfect birthday present to myself. I turned 30 the day after I returned to Germany, so I called this trip to Venice a birthday celebration. I knew I wanted to be in Europe for my dirty thirty, but I didn’t know where and I didn’t know how. It’s funny how the universe works when we manifest our desires. Nothing is impossible.

  I’ll never forget entering a new decade after my trip to Italy. My mom sent me some candles, and after all the splurging I did in EATaly, I shoved them into an apple and called it a day. I was a bit freaked out at the idea of leaving my 20’s behind, but I’m more ready to kick that decade to the curb. The second half of my 20’s were rough, so I’m ready to grab 30 by the horns.

  

  If my first month living in Germany is any kind of indicator of how my 30’s will begin, I’d say I have a great decade ahead.

  Q: Do you like classical music?

  

  | 23 Comments Tagged Birthday, Europe, Italy, Living Abroad, Travel Abroad, Venice

• Venice, Italy – Pt. 1

  Posted at 6:30 AM by Brittany, on February 18, 2019

  This past summer when I was working in Yellowstone, I often worked 10 hour days – five days a week. I did have consistent weekends, but never anything more than two days off at a time. My current job in Germany doesn’t give me consistent weekends, but I’m working FAR less hours (which is GREAT) and sometimes the cookie crumbles in my favor and I have MORE than two days off. Last week the cookie crumbled in all the right places and I had four days off…IN A ROW.

  

  Living in Europe means that even a two day weekend calls for a trip out of town, but a four day weekend calls for an even further trip out of town. After weighing my options I decided I wanted to go to Venice as a “get my feet wet traveling solo” trip. Venice is rated as a very safe city, so I pulled the plug and bought myself a round trip bus ticket for around $45.

  The bus to and from Venice from where I live was about 7 hrs, but the ride wasn’t bad at all. Aside from the Italian bus driver talking to me in Italian about a rattling noise he wanted me to check, the trip was smooth and I was able to take in the sights around me. I was lucky to find a direct bus both to and from Venice, which isn’t a common find.

  

  I arrived in Venice around 8pm my first of three nights there, so I made sure to book a hostel that was close to the bus stop. Venice might be rated as safe, but after dark a city is still a city. My hostel was literally around the corner from the bus, was eclectic and modern, and cost me a whopping $11. The only downside was that this room had EIGHT beds in it, and the girl underneath me was a snorer. But…$11.

  The following morning, I walked 2 minutes from my hostel to the train station, and took a train into the city center. I started my day around 7am because I wanted as much time in daylight as possible. I arrived in the city center around 7:30a and I watched the city come to life. The people I was walking around with were clearly locals, some probably on their way to work. Most of the shops were still closed, so I spent my first two hours wandering the alleys and allowing myself to get lost.

  

  

  The canals were like something out of a movie. The houses had laundry hanging out to dry, and garbage bags in their windows to be collected. There were flower plants on the side of buildings and uneven sidewalks with twists and turns allowing multiple options for exploration. Venice isn’t a huge city, so you can’t really get lost, but at the same time you want to get “lost” aimlessly wandering. Eventually you’ll find a familiar building, or stumble upon a well known sight, but the true experience is found without a map.

  

  I spent my day bouncing in and out of as many cathedrals as I could find, eating as much local food as I could stomach, and immersing myself in as much Italian culture as I could. I wandered the farmers market, I wandered the local neighborhoods, I wandered the outer streets and inner alleyways, and covered a total of 16 miles on my first day in the city. I spent 9 hours soaking up as much as I could, and I’m happy to say there was nothing I wanted to see or do that I didn’t on the first day.

  

  I sat at a restaurant on the Grand Canal for over an hour just watching the city come to life. I watched the Gondolas come and go, I watched the tourists window shop, I watched the locals rush off to work, I felt the sun on my cheeks and the espresso in my veins. Any fear of being alone in an area I’d never been washed away with each crashing wave that entered my auditory system.

  By mid day I made my way towards the Piazza San Marco, Venice’s most popular city square. The square is home to many beautiful buildings, including a gorgeous cathedral rich in history known as the Basilica di San Marco. The Basilica is free to enter (you can pay for additional exploration when inside) and was one of the most amazing interiors of gold and painted walls I’ve ever seen.

  

  

  

  From here I wandered more on the outer edges near the water to soak up the remaining hours of daylight. I had no set plans for this trip, other than to wander as much as possible and soak up as much culture as I could. I found buildings I’d only ever seen in photographs, dogs walking next to their owners without a leash, locals and tourists alike eating gelato and cannolis and seafood galore.

  Of all the cathedrals I found, my favorite was Santa Maria Della Salute. I saw the building from across the canal, and walked all the way around so that I could see it up close. What made this my favorite of the day was the inside beauty, paired with a right place/right time moment. As I arrived a live organist was playing music for a one hour time slot. I sat in the pews and listened to the music play for a good ten minutes wondering how this was my life.

  

  

  

  

  This trip was the perfect confidence boost for traveling alone. My only concern when traveling alone is getting lost, but I’ve managed to loophole my maps using wifi (I don’t have a cell phone plan here and no data) and asking as many people as needed to ensure I’m on the right train before it leaves. I made sure to find my hostel for the night first thing upon arriving in the city, just in case. My second hostel in Venice I was blessed with the room to myself. I paid $27 for this stay, and had a great nights sleep.

  My view from the room wasn’t shabby either.

  

  My first day in Venice was a dream, and it was just the beginning. Day two in Venice was spent island hopping, and listening to Italians serenade me with classical music. More on that later. My eats from day one consisted of two items Italy is known for: pizza and gelato. I sometimes splurge when I travel in order to soak up the culture regardless of the physical symptoms I might feel. I’d never had gelato before, and I admit I now know what the hype is all about.

  I wanted to eat seafood pasta, and cannolis, and chocolate too…but I have to be mindful and decided to save those other items for my next trip to EATaly. 

  

  

  The city center of Venice is a place you have to see for yourself to fully grasp the beauty. I accomplished a long time goal of drinking espresso in Italy and it was just as delicious as I anticipated. Up next is part two of my Italy adventure, full of colorful houses and beautiful music. Ciao!

  Q: Would you rather: pizza, gelato, cannoli, seafood pasta, seafood?

  

  | 38 Comments Tagged Europe, Italy, Living Abroad, Venice

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• BRITTANY- Self proclaimed minimalistic nomad striving to maintain a balanced, healthy life with good food, long hikes, deep connections, exploration, lots of broccoli, and laughing like it's my J.O.B. Currently living and working in Germany, join me on my adventures abroad!
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