Dublin & Reflection

Dublin, you gave us one hell of a send-off!

From London, we took the Rail & Sail to Dublin - a 3 hour train ride then a 3 hour ferry to Dublin. Ferry? More like a cruise liner, equipped with a game room, theater, restaurants, bars, and kid zone. It would've been amazing except for the choppy weather made us woozie the whole time.

When we arrived in Dublin, we checked into Abigail's Hostel. I vowed never to stay in another hostel, but for our final stop we settled for a 3 bed room (and luckily we only had roommates 2/4 nights!).  We dropped our bags and went out for dinner at O'Neils Pub, which was a maze of Christmassy bars, tables, buffets, and staircases. We had a traditional meat n' potatoes dinner, then hopped to Gogarty's pub to listen to live music. We made friends with a couple local guys who were hilariously jigging all night and two Californian college students, and jigged our feet off all night. Too many laughs!

The next day, we set out to explore our portion of the city- the area surrounding the Temple Bar- which is so charming! So many old pubs, shops, a shopping arcade, and tiny streets to explore. At 2:00 we had plans to meet up with the two Californian kids we met at the Guinness Storehouse to do the tour. We walked all through the Medieval quarter of the section until we came upon the enormous Guinness Building. The tour was extremely Disney-esque; not at all what we were expecting. We thought we would see that actual Guinness being brewed and bottled like other brewery tours, but this was just an extravagant funhouse. At the end of the tour we poured our own pints and then went to the panoramic bar, which felt more like a penthouse Christmas party. Mike and I had fun pretending it was his party. "Hi, welcome to my party, who are you here with?" "No one, actually! I live next door and heard you having a party, so I thought I'd stop by!" "Oh.. Well this is an invite-only kind of thing." It gave us a good giggle or three. That night, since we had ran out of money (Dublin is probably the most expensive place we've been to!), so we spent the evening at the hostel blogging, watching Christmas movies, and relaxing.

December 20th we set out to explore the other side of the river, which turned out to be a bunch of department stores and things that we had no interest in. We did a little Christmas shopping, and when we went to drop our bags off Mike overheard the guy behind the front desk mention an easy day-trip to Howth. Twenty minutes later we were on a quick train ride to the nearby fishing village- just the spontaneity we had been waiting for!

Howth was absolutely the Ireland we were hoping to experience. The town was small and quint with layers of fishing boats lining the coastline. We followed the road, with the ocean to our left, until we came to the cliff walk that Howth is known for. We had the best couple of hours following the dirt paths and hiking through the Irish hillside, which dipped steeply into the ocean. By sunset we had completed the cliff walk loop and enjoyed traditional fish and chips in the park before heading back into Dublin for another easy (moneyless) night.

Today was our final day in Dublin and our final full day abroad. We walked through the green and medieval looking Trinity College campus, back through town, then spent the afternoon cozily tucked away in the iconic Temple Bar listening to Christmas music and live irish tunes. We packed our bags for the last time, carved our names onto our lock and locked it to the Ha'penny bridge, and now we are reflecting on these past three months with fond and bittersweet feelings.

Emily
This trip has been everything and nothing that I expected it to be, and each day has been an absolute gift. Having the freedom to create our schedules on a whim has been so exciting and exactly the change of pace we were hoping for. But, if we're being honest, the lack of an itinerary can be exhausting, too, because you're constantly worrying about how to fill your time (while on a tight budget!). Every single day (83 in total) we walked and walked and walked all day. We've seen so much, covered hundreds of miles on our own two feet, and have been able to stop and soak up the amazingness that is our lives. Between our touring days we had to find our way from one country or city to the next, which can be stressful, especially when your mind and body could use a rest. 

These last three months have certainly been tiring, daunting, and stressful. But when I go home and I look back on this incredible gift that Mike and I gave ourselves, I won't remember the feeling of aching/blistered feet or the knots in my back. I'll remember the feeling of touching down in Iceland on day 1 and feeling uncontrollable excitement. I'll giggle when I remember watching Mike jigging and sweating next to two local Irish guys. I'll be able to close my eyes and see the Alpine view that is forever engrained in my mind. I'll provide guidance and advice to future backpackers and tell them all of the places they need to see and things to do. But most of all, all I'll think is, "that was so unbelievably epic." We pushed our comfort zones, each step took us deeper into the unknown, and now we are stronger and better versions of ourselves independently and together as a team.

83 days
28 trains
24 cities
3 flights
1 unforgettable trip

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Mike

The world, the places we've been so far, have given me so much more then a good view or a happy memory. Its made me realize that the humble things you truly want in life are not unattainable. Its okay to derail whatever it is you're doing that may not be giving you exactly what it is that you want from life, to do something that you believe will truly bring you pure joy and happiness. Its given me a new confidence in myself and made my ability to adapt even stronger. Personal growth is one of the most important aspects of inner peace- it keeps your head up and your heart strong, if you build yourself up strong enough it's harder to get knocked down. Its given me a knowledge of culture that only a foreign world can give to you. People are the same yet extremely different everywhere you go. We are the same in our pursuit of a life worth living. For every person, that worth is different. Learning what makes a person or a people unique makes you understand a way of life or a culture, this teaches tolerance, something the world drastically needs. Looking through the many layers of something that has been so diverse and eye opening has put me outside myself and made me look at it from a more distant perspective. The world isn't changing, people are changing the world. We may focus on the negatives , but there is so much good out there and if our energy is in the right places things can change for the better. I know it is a very distant view but when you step outside yourself you can see the bigger picture, and that bigger picture is Us. 

Forever Lost,

Mike

London

View the London gallery here!

We didn't think it would ever be weird to be sitting in a room full of people speaking English, but for the first time in two and a half months we can understand every conversation around us! It's thrilling.

We arrived at Kings Cross station on December 15th, and I didn't even realize to look for platform 9 and 3/4!! So sad. My Harry Potter fan girl inner self is unfulfilled. We somehow managed to figure out the tube and get to Hackney, the neighborhood my cousin, Faith, lives in outside of the city. Because she was working her boyfriend, Lucas, came to meet us and show us back to their flat. Her description of him to us was perfect, "tall, long hair, big beard, and probably wearing all black." That he was! We walked a couple blocks to their flat and got situated. Their spot is beautiful: newly renovated, clean and white, large glass sliding doors, and Lucas' massive record collection tucked away in the corner. We couldn't have been happier to be in the comforts of a lovely home. Faith left us a sweet note and recommended we walk 10 minutes through the nearby park to Broadway Market for a late lunch, so that's what we did! Broadway Market is a cool little street lined with funky shops, cool cafes, and classic English pubs. We found a charming spot to relax and have lunch, play cards, and pass the dreary rainy evening.

The next morning we walked the 3.5 miles into downtown London. Everything in the outskirt neighborhoods of London look like a movie set. The identical brick houses, the perfectly decorated shops, the mini cars- it's so awesome. Then all of a sudden you turn a corner and you're right in the hustle and bustle of the city. We made our way to Saint Paul's Cathedral (which was unfortunately closed off) then down across the Thames River on Millennial Bridge to a cute Christmas market outside of the Tate Modern art museum, past Shakespeare's Globe Theater, and to Borough Market.

Oh Borough Market, how I adore thee. An absolutely massive marketplace tucked below an overground train bridge. It was decked out in Christmas wreaths and lights, there was a great singer/guitar player setting the mood, and there's an endless trail to follow to various food vendors passing out yummy samples and wafting their amazing food scents into the air. The worst part about being there was having to choose what we wanted for lunch. Mike settled on Ethiopian and I got Pad Thai. Delicious choices. 

Fueled up, we walked down to Tower Bridge, not to be confused with the very average and boring London Bridge. We walked across the infamous Tower Bridge and to London Tower, home of the crown jewels. We unfortunately had to stick to only visiting the free museums because Pounds are a real bank breaker, so we didn't have the opportunity to go inside, which was a bummer. To get our culture fix, we walked back to Tate Modern and toured the free exhibits, which were really cool and a nice change of pace from all of the historic art we've seen these past couple of months. The highlight was seeing an Andy Warhol, which is so iconic. 

With aching feet, we made our way to meet my cousin Faith in Shoreditch, another cool town outside of the city center. It was so fun finally seeing her after years of communicating via email, months of helping me learn more about traveling around Europe,  weeks of planning our visit, and 10+ years of not seeing one another in person. Her advice  and guidance has been priceless and we are beyond grateful for her support throughout our adventure. We walked through Shoreditch and back into her neighborhood where a Christmas market was going on, but this was much different than the wood kiosks lined up in a row like every other Christmas market we've stumbled upon. This one was just a street that had shut down car access and all of the shops opened their doors, had little treats for visitors, and were warm and inviting. We strolled along with mulled wine in hand and popped in and out of the cool shops.

We then met up with Lucas, who we found in a very stylish clothing store that only sold black pieces, which was hilarious and very fitting. Our first stop on our night out was a swanky rooftop bar with a panoramic view of the city in the distance. We sat at a square bar with a wood burning fire in the middle, ordered fancy cocktails, and enjoyed excellent company and conversation. Next up was a drink at an English pub back on Broadway Market before hitting a Thai restaurant for dinner. There are a lot of fun things to do and beautiful places to see in London, but nothing compares to spending time with awesome people. Faith and Lucas have the best energy, are so smart, funny, and generous- our time with them was absolutely the highlight of our time in this city.

Our final day in London was a long day of walking and sightseeing. After stopping for breakfast sandwiches, we walked 6 miles to Big Ben! It's so cool seeing this monumental sight in real life after seeing it in a million movies, namely The Parent Trap, which I was certain I was going to find my British twin sister while we were in London. We passed the gorgeous Westminster Abbey, which I loved seeing after the obsession that surrounded the Royal Wedding a few years ago, but for £20 each we weren't about to go inside. We then made our way to Buckingham Palace, where the guards in their grey winter jackets and fuzzy black hats marched like weirdos which made us giggle.

From Buckingham Palace we went to the Portrait Gallery. It is so beautifully created and you really feel like you're stepping back in time when you read about each image. The walls are covered in rich wallpapers with beautiful wood details lining the doorways. Our final stop for the day was Chinatown for some cheap Asian cuisine and then a quick tour of Piccadilly Circle. 

Our feet were essentially bruised at this point from averaging 16 miles both days in London, so we spent the evening back at our favorite pub, The Dove, enjoying the atmosphere, a couple beers, reflecting on our Eurotrip, and resting our feet. 

--December 21, 2015--
London was an absolute whirlwind and our last stop before our final destination- Dublin! We were so lucky to be able to stay with Faith and Lucas- it was such a game changer having a comfortable flat and delightful people to come home to after two long days of walking  in a massive city. Now we're in Dublin, which is crazy because we used to say, "We just have to be in Dublin by December 22nd for our flight home." And here we are- tomorrow we fly home! Stay tuned for our final international Levart Travel post and a EuroTrip reflection!

Paris

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Paris is better in black and white. Mainly because everything looks that way when you're in the thick of it. The tall white buildings with their black iron balconies, the grey cloudy skies, the fashionistas dressed in black as they strut down their sidewalk runways. 

In a lot of the cities we've visited, it's taken a little while to truly feel like you're in that certain location. Many of the cities just feel like cities until you find the heart of it and what makes it a destination. But from the moment we stepped onto Paris grounds it felt like Paris. 

As we rode the metro towards Le Marais, our neighborhood during our stay, an accordion musician serenaded us with the quintessential Paris melody. The perfect ambiance to soak up our first views of the city and our first quick, fleeting glimpses of the Eiffel Tower.

We met our AirBnB host, got the tour, and then settled in. After a bit of time relaxing, we went out to explore the streets around us just after sunset. We first went to Bastille, which was a quick 5-10 minute walk from our front door. From Bastille we followed the Seine River to Notre Dame, which is so magnificent, especially when it's illuminated at night. Paris is gorgeous any time of day, but it really comes to life at night when all of the stunning buildings and monuments are illuminated and dazzling. From Notre Dame we scooted over the Hotel de Ville, which was so enormous and illuminated. We looked at the COP21 informational kiosks, reading facts about the climate and using the interactive elements before finding a spot for a quick drink.

We had been given the recommendation to find Candelaria, a hidden bar in the back of a Taco shop. Had we not seen someone walk through the back, white, unmarked door and heard the chatter and clinks of glasses, we would have never known it was there. We walked to the back of the taco restaurant, through the unmarked door, and a rustic, Mexican inspired bar opened up in front of us. The brown and raw wood tones, copper coiled light bulbs, close quarters, and fancy cocktails made this place feel like an elite club. However, the cocktails (while very yummy) were much too pricey, so we called it a night.

The following day our main goal was to see the Eiffel Tower, which was about an hour's walk from our flat. We walked through our neighborhood, buying an amazing French baguette (the French really get how to make bread) and happened upon a little open air market where we bought chicken and stuffed cabbage. We brought our picnic down to a little riverside park and realized that our stuffed cabbage was a poor choice to make for experimental food. It was stuffed with some congealed meat, which I was convinced was brain and raw. Totally ruined our appetites. But it didn't ruin our drive towards the Tower. 

We passed by the D'Orsay Museum, Ponts des Arts, Esplanade des Invalides, Pont des Invalides, grabbed an eclair, and an hour later we arrived, and the giant monument came into view and demanded our attention. It is so much bigger than you really imagine- and I imagined it being massive. As we grew closer it was evident that a rally/ demonstration was taking place regarding the climate conference that concludes the day before. At the end of COP21 the Paris Agreement was created, which is an international agreement to decrease each country's emissions. People were pouring in from all directions to the base of the Eiffel Tower dressed in costumes and wearing red to show their commitment to saving the climate and not letting the earth's temperature rise another 3 degrees Celsius (which will have detrimental effects). We spent a good chunk of time enjoying the people watching and being part of a historical event.

Later that evening we went to Chez Janou, an amazing French restaurant, for a belated birthday treat for Mike. The atmosphere of this classic bistro was so warm, energy was high, morale was through the roof, and the aromas mouth watering. We started with a roasted duck salad and mussels - both of which were to die for. Then for our main courses we got a traditional French beef stew that had a bone with marrow and I got grilled tuna with ratatouille- I'm salivating just remembering it. For dessert (and the funniest part of the evening)  we ordered chocolate mousse. It came in an absolutely humongous bowl with a giant spoon to serve it with, and then leave it on your table in case you want more. I could've eaten the whole bowl- it was so silky and decadent, but I had to use all my self control to not be miss piggy. 

(Pause the black and white for respect for the food)

We awoke the following morning from our wonderful food coma and left to explore Montmartre, the area surrounding Sacre Coeur. We went to Bastille to catch a metro and found a mile-long open air farmers market, where we bought a fresh baguette, an apple, and clementines (which the man behind the cash register tried to get one past Mike and make him pay €20.. Yeah right). 

Once in Montmartre, we found our way to the hill top church, Sacre Coeur, and got absolutely swarmed by friendly African men grabbing at us until finally they got a hold of my wrist and started making me a bracelet, which we repeatedly said we didn't want but they would NOT let us get away, and then demanded €4 for the string wrapped around our wrists... So annoying. It was a thickly foggy day, so the view from the top of the hill outside of Sacre Coeur wasn't in its prime, but the interior of the church made up for it, as well as Mike getting pooped on by a bird on his nose on our way through he entrance. After sitting and gaping at the church's height and beauty, we explored the quiet and cute streets, making our way down to Moulin Rouge and finally back to our flat to relax and take the ache off of our tired feet. 

Our final day in Paris we had a hefty checklist to cover: Louvre, Arch de Triomphe, and seeing the Eiffel Tower sparkle at night. We spent the morning waiting to reserve our stupidly expensive Eurostar ticket from Paris to London, and then took the metro to the Louvre. The Louvre is unbelievable: the masterpieces, the beautiful design and architecture, and the sheer size. We got our audio guides, which are game boys that have an interactive map and guides you through the museum. We passed by the remnants of the Louvre's moats, then saw all of the masterpieces: The Great Sphinx of Tanis, Aphrodite (Venus de Milo), The Wedding Feast at Cana, The Coronation of the Emperor Napoleon, Winged Victory of Samothrace, and of course the Mona Lisa (plus literally countless others). Then we spent another three hours exploring on our own and learning about the pieces that interested us and swooning over the royal palaces.

By the time we left it was early evening, so we went to see Arch de Triomphe. Just like when we saw the Eiffel Tower, Arch de Triomphe was so much bigger and heavier than I could have ever imagined. The detail on this massive piece of art is so incredible.

The last must-see on our list in Paris was to see the Eiffel Tower in its glory. We waited in the park taking in the illuminated monument and counting down the minutes (with a croissant in hand) until it danced. At 6:00 on the dot the lights started sparkling and it is impossible to take your eyes off of the mesmerizing sight. Standing in the cold air, watching the Eiffel Tower dazzle, and knowing our trip was coming to an end in a week was bittersweet. We worked so hard to get to this moment. Before we left in October we slaved away and saved every penny to make this trip happen, and during this adventure we've pushed through exhaustion and discomfort to fill our souls with priceless memories. Each day has had moments that we will cherish forever, but this one gets an A+. "Every dollar saved is another croissant we can have in Paris," we used to joke. And on this day that silly saving saying paid off.

Bordeaux

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Our journey from Barcelona to Bordeaux was simple but annoying. We left our Barcelona flat at 7:00 in the morning to catch our 8:00 train to Narbonne, which connected to Bordeaux. The annoying thing about French trains is that you can't reserve your seats online, so our connecting train from Narbonne to Bordeaux had to be purchased when we arrived at the station. 3 hours to Narbonne and had 25 minutes until our connecting train. We went into the ticket office just to find a long line of people and two slow staff members processing requests. We anxiously stood in line with other anxious passengers as the time between our connecting ride slipped away. We watched the departure board announce our train boarding and then sadly watched as it pulled out of the station just as we got called to the front of the line. We were stuck in Narbonne for 2 hours, with nothing around to do, so we sat in a little French cafe that was attached to the train station and quietly passed time.

After a boring wait we caught our train to Bordeaux and arrived around 4:30pm, then walked 25 minutes to our new flat. Louis, an adorable old man originally from California called down to us from his balcony and buzzed us in. We met him on the second floor and then made our way up to our perfect little space. He told us about his early years studying in Bordeaux and visiting family in the city, and then he met his wife. Today they are both retired and spend their time renovating this beautiful building for AirBnB apartments. He sat on the couch between Mike and me and reviewed the city map, circling and writing down suggestions for our 3 nights in his city. He also gave us an abbreviated history lesson.

Bordeaux used to be absolutely covered in dark black soot. All of the buildings from the streets to the rooftops were blackened from unkept chimneys, automobiles, and lack of city cleaning. In recent history, within the last 50 years, the city got a new mayor who required property owners to have their buildings cleaned, and when this took action the city completely transformed. Black, ugly buildings were rinsed of their grime and revealed gorgeous architecture with wonderful detail and beautiful stone. It's because of this story that the city is referred to as Sleeping Beauty!

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We enjoyed spending the better part of an hour with Louis, and then he bid us a farewell. We got settled, then went out into the city to walk around a bit and then grocery shop.  Exhausted from little sleep the night before (because of exciting news) and then an early morning, we decided to stay in and watch a movie.

What's the exciting news we received? Well! After changing our game plan to move to Boulder, CO instead of to Bend, OR we started chatting with a real estate agent who had an awesome little apartment within our budget and a less than 15 minute walk to downtown Boulder. That night we received an email beginning the negotiations to get the process rocking and rolling to lock it down. While we don't love not being able to see the space before moving into it, it will only be a 6 month lease and we are beyond excited to have a potential space to call home when we arrive in our new city!

December 9th we woke up and had complimentary cereal and coffee at the apartment then began our exploration. It was a grey day, which was perfect for exploring the old medieval roads. We popped into a church then passed through a majestic medieval gate onto a quaint little street with fun shops that we spent time in admiring fun products (dreaming of how cool they'd look on our new mantle).

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We zig zagged through the streets, making our way to Garonne River and to the bridge Napoleon was responsible for building. We continued walking along the river's edge in a very nice park (because the French love their waterfront) and found the reflection pool that creates a perfect mirrored image of Place de la Bourse. We had fun trying to capture the perfect mirror image, until I got bored and decided to  incept Mike's photos.

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From across the road we saw another heavy medieval archway that we back-tracked to find. It led to more quiet cobbled streets lined with warm bistros and shops dressed in their Christmas best. Almost every road in this old quarter of the city crosses Saint Catherine road, which is a long shopping street. We strolled up the last bit of this road until we popped out at a plaza with the grand theater and a Christmas market. 

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Bordeaux has really helped us harness out holiday cheer. The ambiance of French architecture, the cloudy, cool weather, and the holiday decor is so heart warming. We had so much fun making our way up and down the aisles of wood kiosks and listening to the carols at the holiday market. We ogled at passerby's with warm sandwiches and decided we didn't just want one, but needed one. We found the vendor and bought a melted ham and cheese sandwich on a French baguette. So simple and so delicious. 

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We continued our exploration of the streets around us until we had covered the majority of the area that Louis said was worth seeing. Earlier, we had passed a French cafe with sparkling red lights in every window, so we decided to go back for a drink as the light began to creep away. Inside, the ceiling was covered in red, dangling ornaments, the walls had old vintage artwork, the back of the restaurant had a dusty cabinet of aging whiskeys, and the soft melodies of Christmas tunes played over the speakers. I was more than smitten as we sat enjoying Bordeaux wine. As we continued our walk towards home we found an awesome second hand shop, where Mike found a really awesome green corduroy shirt for €7.  Later that night, after a bit of a siesta back at the apartment, we went to a very popular Irish Pub for a dinner before calling it a night after a charming and productive day.

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The following day we had a later start as we enjoyed our cozy flat, breakfast and coffee. We had to go to the train ticket kiosk on Saint Catherine to reserve our seats from Bordeaux to Paris for tomorrow, so that was first on our agenda. After 30 minutes waiting and then reserving our spots we decided to leisurely walk Saint Catherine and do some dream shopping. We went into a handful of stores trying on winter jackets and warm clothes, and pretended like it wouldn't break the bank if we bought the pieces we fell in love with. But, alas, they were hung back up on the rack.

After walking all of Saint Catherine, we walked the length of the river until we came to a row of cafes looking out at the brand new bridge that Louis raved about. We sat outside and enjoyed a cup of tea until it was time for lunch, so we made our way back to the Christmas market and had beef stew, which I didn't like but Mike loved. After lunch, one of Louis' other recommendations was to go to Bar del Vin and try different Bordeaux wines- and so we did. We walked into the wine bar, which had tall ceilings,  large pillars, white everything, and modern sitting areas. We tasted a red and a white that we're both delicious. Sorry- it wasn't a tasting. When we first arrived at Bar del Vin we asked the woman up front  if we could sit and taste some wines, and she quickly corrected us saying it wasn't a tasting bar. You sit and enjoy glasses of wine. Sorry, didn't mean to offend!

Our final night in Bordeaux we bought more groceries and some delicious cheap wine to enjoy at our apartment in an effort to save money for our final three, expensive destinations (Paris, London, and Dublin). We watched the Christmas movie 'Prancer,' packed our bags, and had an early night. 

Update- December 15, 2015: En Route from Paris to London
It's s hard to believe that we only have a week left. The days seem to be going by a little slower but also pass faster because every morning brings the end closer into sight.  Our lives for the past two and a half months have been nothing short of adventurous, different, exciting, exhausting, fun, stressful, and amazing. While I think we're both ready to go home, I know we'll quickly miss this way of life. The constant change of scene, being the boss of our daily lives, having no ties to jobs, and everything in between has been so liberating. I thought that during this trip I might gain some personal insight into what I want my next job to be- that I might meet someone whose career sounded up my alley, or that traveling would make me wiser, but I honestly still have no idea. I have realized, though, that I miss my healthy routines and that they really help to put my head in a good place- so maybe something in a health industry? I also really enjoy my time sitting on trains and writing these posts- writing about my passions, which for the last two and a half months has been traveling, is really rewarding and therapeutic. So maybe a health writer. Who kmows! I wish I had more time each day to write a killer post on the tiny details of each place we visit, or a post about our observations and feelings. But the reality is that these blogs have been written while on train rides from one city to the next and we have to write  about 3+ days of lots of exploring-it's hard to cover it all! 

My hope for Levart Travel moving forward is to take you along on our move out West and little adventures we have. Probably not as frequently as these posts have been, but still having an outlet to journal our experiences and share them with the people we love and can't be with. But for now, we have a little over a week left and 2 more exciting cities to explore!

Barcelona

View the Barcelona gallery here!

We spent a couple of nights in Marseille, a port city with a wonderful Christmas market in the old portion, but otherwise not much else to boast. While we enjoyed walking around the Old Port during our single day in the city, we were happy to be there as a quick stop-over between Nice and Barcelona.

December 1st we walked through the city of Marseille before the sun or citizens rose to start the day to catch our train to Barcelona. The train ride was beautiful into Spain, passing flamingos, red rocks, and rolling hills. We arrived at Barcelona Sants station and then embarked on an hour+ long walk to our next humble abode in Barre Gotic (the gothic quarter). The hazy city of Barcelona was full of energy, and it was contagious. As we grew closer to Las Ramblas, a main shopping street in Barcelona, the population congestion grew thicker, the Castilian lisp accents more obvious, and our excitement grew because we could finally attempt to speak the local language.

We arrived at our AirBnB where our hard rock host, Kris, met us. He had a bit more cleaning to do before we could fully check-in, so we went out to explore our neighborhood and to make our traditional restaurant mistake. Just at the top of our road was a bar where we decided to have a beer. Had we only known that walking another 30 seconds up the road would lead to a handful of cool bars, we could've saved ourselves from an awkwardly quiet bar experience, but we're new here.

Forty-five minutes later we met Kris back at the apartment where he showed us around and then left us to enjoy our stay. I immediately passed out into a deep nap for an hour or two and Mike napped for half an hour. My new late night/late wake sleep schedule isn't conducive to these early morning trains. Rejuvenated, we set out to find a dinner spot. We went to Rosa del Raval, an inexpensive and delicious Mexican inspired restaurant. I got chicken tacos and Mike had the taco sampler.

After dinner we went to a tiny bar a stones throw away from our apartment. Literally- we could've gently tossed a stone off our balcony and it would've gone into the bar's window. Sugar (the name of the bar) had dim lighting, a small bar in the back that sat 6 people, old rusted mirrors on the wall, and played a killer playlist- tons of non mainstream US music. They advertised €2.50 mojitos, so we ordered a round and quickly understood the bar's name- the bottom third of our glasses had a mound of brown sugar. Nonetheless, it was delicious and we ordered two more... Regrets.

DAY2
So many regrets. As non-hard alcohol/ cocktail drinkers the next morning we were both hurting so badly. Throbbing headaches, movements were hard, and we lacked all motivation. Accordingly, we completely wasted a day feeling sorry for ourselves and trying to find remedies to cure our aching bodies and souls. I don't remember the last time I was that hungover- and without even getting drunk! Had we been sloshed, I wouldn't have felt so sorry for us, but the fact that we were both still sober by the end of the night, it didn't seem fair (haha). Blast, Sugar!

DAY3
The next day we were determined to have a rectifying day and be the good tourists we've become. Barcelona is home to one of the largest open air food markets in Europe, St Josep de la Boqueria, which we were more than excited to explore since our appetites were back after a long day of hangover bellies. There must've been 8-10 rows and 20-30 vendor stalls deep. We mozied our way up and down all of the aisles contemplating what to eat until we settled on a quinoa salad and an empanada from an organic kiosk.

After brunch, we decided to visit Gaudi sites, the first on our agenda being the Sagrada Familia cathedral. Hands down the most mind blowing architecture we've seen yet. The exterior looks like the drip-sandcastles we used to make as kids. 8 sandy-colored, sharp spires at various heights (by the time the cathedral is finished in 2026, it will have 18 spires). The exterior was was under construction and has been for years, as the cathedral was never finished during Gaudi's lifetime and still has another 10 years until completion. We made our way inside and were flabbergasted. It's like stepping into a kaleidoscope. The rainbow of stained glass illuminates the towering columns and gold and pink details on the ceiling.  

How can I even describe sights like these? Gaudi was either a crazy genius or doing acid, but either way, his visions were gorgeous. George Orwell, the author of 1989 which Mike is currently reading, was quoted saying he wished the cathedral had been destroyed in the Spanish Civil War! He may have written a great book, but he didn't understand great architecture. Gaudi was so ahead of his time- creating such a modern and eclectic piece of art in the form of a cathedral.

Next on our itinerary was Gaudi Park, which was more out of our way than we were expecting. After a 40 minute walk we arrived at the park, but it was too expensive to pay for full entry, so instead we enjoyed wandering through the public portion of the gardens, up to the lookout which is famous for 1: the view over Barcelona and 2: the Gaudi mosaics lining the curved benches. After an hour of wandering through the endless paths in the garden, we headed back to our neighborhood which was a little over an hour's walk away. We looked at Mike's iPhone health app, which we only just realized we had, and found out that on average we walk 8 miles per day, and today we clocked in at 10 miles! No wonder we're not absolute stuffed pigs at this point after enjoying so many decadent cuisines and carbs for the past two months. 

Back in the Gothic Quarter we stumbled upon a Christmas market, which was very fun and festive and we enjoyed looking at all the trinkets. Two traditions we had to look up were the log character that looks like a wood Rudolph statue and also the figurines of people poo-ing! The log is named Caga Tio (aka Poo Log) and children feed him and put a blanket over him every night to ensure that he is comfortable and full so that he will poo out lots of sweet treats and little presents on Christmas Eve. Another poo related tradition in Barcelona is the poo-ing characters, which date back to the 1700s when "El Caganer" ("The Defecator") statues started being incorporated into nativity scenes as a sign of fertility and good fortune. Poor peasants used to create their own fertilizer- the more fertile soil the more crop yields! Odd traditions if you ask me.. We made our way back to our flat, where we let our aching feet rest for a bit before going back to our cheap Mexican restaurant for tacos and a burrito. Back to Sugar for a night cap- no mojitos this time.

DAY 4
Having spent our first full day in Barcelona on the couch and the second full day walking and walking miles away from our neighborhood, we dedicated this day to discovering the hidden gems in Barre Gotic. We strolled down to the waterfront where cruise ships can be seen in the distance, sail boats are docked, and crew teams practice their pace. We crossed a foot bridge onto a pavilion that's home to a shopping mall and the aquarium. Side note: the weather has been so spectacular for the majority of our trip. Since our time in Austria we have had 99% sunny, blue-skied days and lovely, warm temperatures. Today was no different. We wandered around the pavilion before crossing back into the city. 

We picked a random road to cut into and began aimlessly wandering the tight and shady roads, which after an hour or so of exploring, we realized all the roads lead back to on main street or one plaza. After a full day of exploring our section of the city we stopped back at the Christmas to pick up a couple of trinkets we had our eyes on from the day before. 

That evening we spent some time re-evaluating our next journey once we're back in the states. Oregon has been proving to be incredibly difficult with jobs and housing. I spoke with a real estate agent who said rental vacancies are less than 1% currently.. Not exactly encouraging news. Having no set in stone plans, we decided to redirect our energy into Boulder, CO, which we are just as excited (if not more so) to relocate to in January. After doing a preliminary search for apartments and employment opportunities we went out to dinner. Mike found an awesome little tapas restaurant that sat maybe 25 people, and you had to wait outside to be let in by one of the three employees. You chose your tapas and then they warmed them up for you. Actually, tapas aren't a traditional Barcelona tradition, but we enjoyed eating this way, anyways!

That night, back in bed, my mind wouldn't shut off. I felt like this change in plans from Oregon to Colorado (which is only a few weeks away at this point) was a wonderful plan B, but made me anxious to lock down housing and jobs. My mind was racing about so many random things to look into: what jobs to look for, what the weather would be like in Northern France, booking our flight or train from London to Dublin, we need a dish drainer and bath mat-- random, dumb stuff! And I knew none of it needed to be keeping me awake, but my anxious, planning mind kept me up nearly all night.

The next morning and whole day I was exhausted- mentally from thinking silliness all night, physically from not sleeping, and that recipe made for an emotionally bipolar day. One minute I was feeling happy and thankful for all the excitement and unknowns in my life right now and the next moment I would be overwhelmed by it all. Mike and I walked down to the waterfront and got holiday lattes (Starbucks gingerbread and toffee nut lattes are too good) and sat in big comfy chairs with a harbor view for over an hour talking out our nerves, our stresses, our hopes and our excitements. A whole mix of feelings. 

After coffees we went and got brunch and then checked into our new AirBnB, which conveniently and surprisingly was located directly across the street from our first spot- this time right above Sugar! By now I needed a nap, which never happened because, once again, my mind wouldn't slow down. After another chat about the future and not worrying about it too much and living in the moment with Mike, I felt much much better. 

DAY 5
The following day we were ready to conquer again. We had to go to the train station to make our train reservation to Bordeaux, so we navigated the subway system and arrived in 20 minutes-- much more convenient than the hour walk when we first arrived. But, when we got there, the man at the information desk told us it was impossible to make train reservations for Tuesday today (Sunday). So, we turned ourselves around and took the subway back to our neighborhood. A waste of time or a practice subway run? 

Back on our side of town, we went out to brunch at our cheap Mexican spot- Rosa del Raval. Spaniards have their biggest meal of the day at lunchtime, so we just combine breakfast and lunch to save money. Just as I was about to take my first bite of museli, a girl hugged me from behind, drooping her body all over me, and then sat down at our table. She had gem stone stickers in the inner corners of her eyes and eye makeup melting down her cheeks- 110% strung out. "Do you guys want to come to a party? Like a realllly good party?" she asked. "No thanks, we're taking off today," we lied. She continued to chit chat with us about being from the states until her friend (thankfully) dragged her away and apologized to us. A couple bites into my brunch, and I again was covered in her droopy hug. This time it wasn't funny anymore and we definitely weren't looking to hang out or chat, so I wiggled my way out of her hug and Mike politely, yet sternly, asked if we could eat our breakfast in peace. She slunk back to her spot at the bar where she was drinking a margarita at 11:00 (and not her first) and loudly told her friends how, "these two people behind me totally just brushed me off. Who eats breakfast at this hour, anyways?"

We couldn't get out of there faster, which was a shame because it was one of our favorite spots, but today's experience was too weird and awkward. More wandering and exploring (sorry for all the vagueness, it's just that we really enjoyed wandering the streets and popping into shops!) until siesta. Siesta is very real in Spain. Almost everything, with the exception of the mini marts, close from 3:00-7:00/8:00pm. During this time we would usually do as the locals do and go home and relax before dinner and, obviously, then Sugar.

DAY 6
We had to go to the train station to make our train reservation to Bordeaux, so we navigated the subway system and arrived in 20 minutes-- much more convenient than the hour walk when we first arrived. Wait, did I say that already? Oh yeah, because it was an exact replica of yesterday's morning. But this time, when we arrived at the station, we took a number and sat for an hour until it was our turn to make our reservation. I think this might be Spain's version of the DMV. 

An hour and a half later we got back to Las Ramblas and went to the St. Josep market for brunch. We got a chicken wrap and seafood palleja- muy delicioso! After brunch we spent some time in a fun craft store and walked around the neighborhood popping in and out of shops before heading back for siesta and to pack. Around 8:30 we headed out for dinner. Just up our road in a little plaza is a tiny corner sandwich shop that literally always has a massive line coming out of its doors and into the middle of the plaza. After passing this spot everyday for the past week we agreed we had to try it. We waited in line until 10:00pm for these damn panini  sandwiches- and they were damn good. We wisely bought two extras for tomorrows train ride.

Back to Sugar for our, unfortunately, last night cap in this awesome bar. Back home by 11:00 to pass out because tomorrow we have an early morning and long day of traveling to Bordeaux, France!

Nice

After a quick stop in Genoa, Italy, which was by far the most amazing AirBnB we've stayed in, just in not such an amazing city, we pushed forward to Nice, France. We were expecting a longer delay when crossing the French border, but we were only stopped for 5 minutes while a few police officers walked through the aisles looking at everyone and, from what I can only imagine, either profiling or looking for someone.

When we arrived in Nice we walked less than 3 minutes to our new AirBnB building. Olivia, our wonderfully French host greeted us and showed us up to our little studio for the next 4 nights. I love french accents. They sound so sophisticated. Olivia mapped out places to see, neighboring towns to visit, places to eat, and her favorite things to do. After she left we dropped our bags and left to see and touch the sea for the first time in almost 2 months. We walked out our front door located at the top of the main street, which is walking and trams only,  with palms trees around us and a salty breeze in the air. 

A 12 minute walk and we were standing on the edge of the French Riviera. The beach, while not comfortable to walk on barefoot, is made up completely of round stones that have been tumbled and rubbed smooth by the sea's currents and waves. We sat on the beach with Parc du Chateu illuminated to our left, and the rest of Nice's seaside stretching out to our right. The headlights of the cars driving along the sea's edge looked like a diamond necklace dazzling in the night. We sat there for a while enjoying the sound of crashing waves and the round rocks being pushed and pulled into the ocean with every passing swell.

In need of dinner and a spot to camp out for the evening, we made our way through the cozy streets of the Old City until we found pub row- a handful of American and Irish style bars. Before arriving in Nice we had looked into spots that may be preparing a Thanksgiving menu, and Wayne's- the restaurant we decided to camp out at- was one that I saw online. We sat inside in the classic woody American-ish bar which had dozens of signed band posters and photos (The Beatles, ACDC, Snoop Dogg), ordered a burger to split, a drink, and chatted with our adorable waitress, Jackie. Born and raised Copenhagen, an ex English ballet dancer, and now a freelance Cyclist Magazine writer- we hit it off immediately. When we asked if they were doing a Thanksgiving menu tomorrow she enthusiastically said they were and that the whole spread would be starting around 1:30 tomorrow afternoon. We were psyched and so happy to have found a turkey dinner, especially at a place that we enjoyed hanging out at.

Excited for tomorrow's holiday, and to save some extra food money, we went back to our mini apartment to have some rose on the balcony while listening to Christmas tunes... Too early? Maybe.

DAY 2- Thanksgiving in Nice! 
This was my first Thanksgiving away from home, which is bittersweet! Last year's Thanksgiving was one of my favorite holidays, sharing the day with Mike's family and learning his traditions, and then spending the evening at my brother and sister in law's (still weird to say) Friendsgiving- missing everyone and those traditions today. But! We are in Nice, France! A city that quickly found its way into our top 5 favorite cities on this trip.

Our day started by strolling down the main drag and stopping into H&M where Mike picked out a sweatshirt and scarf for his birthday and then we checked out an open air market in the Old City. It's the daily fresh flower market, but other vendors selling produce, baked goods, seafood, and prepared salads set up shop, too. We bought a baguette, apple, a couscous salad, and a shaved carrot salad then walked down to the beach to brunch. It was so hot in the sun that we instantly regretted not wearing our packing our bathing suits. Instead, I was in a sweater... Poor choice. 

After our picnic on the beach we climbed to the top of the hill to Parc du Chateu- a lovely hill-top park with stunning views of the Mediterranean Sea and Nice. We wandered through the park for an hour or so, stopping to take in the views of the aqua water, and finding our way to the man-made waterfall, which is very cool. 

Back down at the sea's edge, we followed the boardwalk around the base of the hill and found our way to Place Garibaldi, a square on the outskirts of the Old City. It was just after 1:00pm at this point, so we decided to start heading towards Wayne's through the cute old streets lined with shops and little restaurants. We got to Wayne's right around 1:30 and our waitress from last night, Jackie, was working today. She looked at us with a bummed out face and told us that the menu actually wasn't being served until 6:00pm.. oy vey! We're just too excited for a Thanksgiving meal!! But, alas, we'd have to wait.

Since we couldn't eat turkey yet, we had to find another restaurant for a cheap bite to hold us over until 6:00. We explored more of the Old City's corners and found a cool pizza shop sandwiched between a fork in the road. We split a yummy chorizo pizza (our best pizza yet!) while watching a loony woman talk to herself in the middle of the road with her shoes off as garbage trucks tried to drive around her without squishing her. 

After lunch we still had to wait 3 hours until turkey. Our day was essentially consumed by buying time until our Thanksgiving meal. We had passed a cool watering hole called Distilleries Idealles, which from the outside we thought had big brew tanks making their own craft beer, but it turned out they were just decoration... Lame. We went in anyways… Countdown: 2 and a half hours until turkey... We milked our beer while I wrapped Mike's presents for his birthday tomorrow. With an hour and a half left to kill, we grabbed drinks and sat on the beach watching the sunset, finding heart rocks, and enjoyed the evening air. 

Finallllly it was (almost) 6:00, so we went back to Wayne's. We sat inside and could tell that Jackie was avoiding us, which could only mean one thing. "It's okay!" Mike and I reassured her as she timidly walked towards us hiding her face in her scarf. "I saw you guys round the corner up the street and I sprinted inside and started yelling at chef to cook chicken or anything for you. But he told me the dinner was off because no one called to reserve a plate. I've never been so embarrassed in my life!" We all laughed together, because it truly wasn't a big deal! We ordered a basket of chicken wings, which were kind of like a little tiny turkey leg, and in the meantime jumped on our phones to research and call other spots that may have a thanksgiving meal- and we found one!

We arrived at Ma Nolan's, an Irish pub, around 7:00 to a rowdy, jam-packed group of soccer fans watching a big Brussels vs Madrid game. We sat on the covered patio and listened to French chants and singing, and ordered our feast. Round 1 was butternut squash soup, which was yummy! Round 2 was what we has been waiting for all day: turkey, gravy, roasted potatoes and sweet potatoes, stuffing, and a hidden piece of ham (not sure why). The final round: pumpkin pie, which unfortunately has a disappointing crust (tasted uncooked). So, alas, we had our thanksgiving meal after a wild goose chase. It wasn't nearly as delicious as the feasts that are prepared with love back home, but it was a fun little taste of home and a great memory for the books!

DAY 3- Happy 25th Birthday, Mike!
How cool to wake up in Southern France on the day you turn a quarter of a century old? So awesome! While we lounged in bed, Mike opened his birthday gifts and did a really great job pretending to be surprised even though he picked them out yesterday, then we left for brunch.

Our AirBnB host, Olivia, recommended a spot called Deli Bo for brunch- so that's where we went! We took the long route by the water and up through the Old City arriving at the cafe around noon. We ordered celebratory mimosas, I got a delicious veggie and goat cheese quiche, and the birthday boy got a yummy club sandwich. 

After yesterday's regret of not wearing our bathing suits, we weren't about to make that same mistake today. From brunch we went to the beach for a birthday swim! It was a bit chillier than yesterday- outside air temp was mid-50's, but that didn't stop us from diving in. The salty water was so refreshing, and then the afternoon was spent sun drying and sipping on rosé. 

As the afternoon sun faded away, it was time to have a birthday beer at none other than our favorite spot, Wayne's! Have you figured out that we're creatures of habit yet? If it ain't broke don't fix it. We sat out on the patio next to the outdoor heater, enjoying the people watching and chatting. A while later, we left to catch the sunset on the beach and to walk along the boardwalk. As we walked, we found a rinky dink carousel which we decided to ride. I've seen carousels in so many cities and have never had a reason to jump on, so for Mike's birthday it was the perfect excuse! It was probably a 2 minute ride, but we giggled the whole time feeling so silly. 

At 7:00 we had a reservation at another recommended restaurant, Ark. We were sat on the upstairs balcony, which looked out over the sea. Mike was generously given dinner out as a birthday gift, so we decided to ball out for his birthday. We started with tuna and salmon tartar (ohmygoodness), then I ordered cod with roasted veggies (ohmygoodness) and Mike got duck with goat cheese (ohmygoodness). It was all SO GOOD! Happily full on delicious food we decided to head home to have a relaxing night in. Mike blew out his birthday candle on a pint of chocolate ice cream.

DAY 4- Poor Kids in Monte Carlo
We decided, since we had explored most of Nice, to explore one of the neighboring cities on our last day in the area. We hopped on a quick 20 minute train and spent the afternoon exploring Monte Carlo.

When we got to the fancy train station we couldn't figure out how to exit the building, but once we finally did we went down to the harbor to admire all the ginormous, fancy, and beautiful yachts. Parked across the port was Lady Moura- the #28 largest privately owned yacht in the world. Holy hell. I thought it was a cruise ship! 

We walked along the harbor and then up the hill to the Monte Carlo Casino. The roads are bordered with the red and white racing edges because in May the Grand Prix race takes place through the streets of Monaco, which would be so insane to see. Up at the casino the parking lot had gorgeous cars parked in every spot. Very James Bond feeling. 

Honestly, we didn't do much of anything in Monaco because we couldn't afford to even step into any of the stores! Even the "snack shops" had overpriced coffee. Having only spent a few hours in Monaco, which was very cool to see, we left to head back to Nice.

Back in Nice, we were pretty exhausted, so we had a low key night. We went to Wayne's where Jackie was our waitress again and split a huge plate of nachos as we watched cricket and curling on the TVs. Around 5:45pm, just before Jackie's shift ended, Wayne's got slammed with customers and she became overwhelmed because she was the only waitress working. She gave Mike a free beer because she had the wrong one poured, so we, in turn, asked her to join us for a drink after she got off work, on us. She and the bartender, Tom, finished their shift a little after 6:00 and we all sat outside and had great conversation for a couple hours. Our final night in Nice and we finally made a couple of friends! We were sad to be leaving the next day, as we would have loved to get to know them both better, but we exchanged phone numbers and connected online, so hopefully this won't be the last we see of them!

Perugia

The train pulled into the small station of Perugia smack dab in the middle of Italy. After hopping off and passing through the station we gazed upon the small city purched high up on the hill like its own little kingdom. Being down at the foot of the hill we felt like the outcast peasants but ones who were determined to enter the kingdom, so with all we owned in the packs on our back we took our first steps to achieve that dream. 

When I said high up on the hill that's exactly what I meant. How high, was unclear to us as we started our ascent but after about 10 minutes made itself relevant. Starting off from the station  we chose to ignore suggestions on how to gain access to the city. Methods such as the mini tram, a gondola type deal and later found out there were even escalators for a portion of the way. "No, we set out on foot, because that's what we always do, right?!" " Yeah!!" Well after the first section of steep streets and a long portion of stairs that were so awkwardly spaced you had to relearn how to walk, we began to wonder how effective the path we chose actually was.

After about 20 minutes of crushing what we thought were steep inclines we came to a narrow street that we had to send which was even steeper. The thing that was fun for the brain on this section was that it was super straight so you could see how much more of the street had to be concurred before you could put out the fire burning up your "micro muscles". ( A term Em and I have coined to describe the leg and glute muscles used while ascending and descending steep stairs and streets ) half way into this "hike" we were soaking in our sweat. Normally on travel days we wear more layers then normal so that packing our bags is easy and everything fits. Today that was a poor call. We stripped some layers, hydrated and continued forth. On the way up we had the feeling as though we were in a different country all together. It almost felt like walking through a hillside village in Guatemala as Em struggled with the flys violating her personal boundaries, and a "native" child ran past in pursuit of a run away soccer ball. It quickly gained momentum down the steep street as his friends shouted out to him in Italian through the cracks of a nearby fence. A school yard I presume due to their uniforms.

After about half an hour the playing field leveled out a bit as we approached an old city gate. This is where Perugia came into its own and started to make us forget about the trek. Not that it was a bad trek, just that it was more then we were expecting, ADVENTURE!!! The streets were still steep, and actually harder to walk due to the cobbling but so beautiful. We felt isolated from the rest of the world on every street, and as we kept walking up stairs, through tunnels, along ally ways intersecting tiny streets and turning tight corners it felt as though the city was just creating itself around us out of our imaginations as we walked along. That was the madness of it, it was all to cool to be how the city was actually laid out. 

The imaginary streets led us right to the door steps of our hotel. Hotel Umbria, which was snugly tucked in on the corner of a very small road surrounded by other small buildings. It was the only noticeable establishment on the street with its old sign hanging above the doorway. Not a modern hotel in the slightest but a very quaint little inn. As we were about to enter a man walked up to us, the first we've seen post entering the old gate. He was trying to describe something. He seemed a mix of frustration and excitement. After apologizing to him for not speaking Italian we walked into the hotel. Apparently he was staying there as well because he entered right behind us. He began talking to the man at the front desk with the same excitable tone. He then went into his room and emerged with a funny red top hat and a large rope. The man at the front desk was just as confused as we were.  Again the man with the funny red top hat spoke. Practicing the same winded excitement he was talking to the man at the desk again but gesturing towards us. Then, leaving in a hurry as if he were late, he was gone. The man at the front desk laughed a bit with an intriguing look on his face and I asked what that was all about. He laughed and explained in broken english, in a way that made me think that even he didn't really understand exactly what the top hat guy was trying to say. Turns out he was putting on some sort of a magic show in the center and encouraged that we go observe. It was all very bizarre.

As I said the hotel was very nice. It was charming in a way that only a small, old,  hilltop town in Italy can offer. All of the room keys were old skelton keys that hung behind the desk, each with it's own cubby for mail. The front desk was small and regal, made of old wood with the stairs wrapping around behind it. The lighting was dim and warm, just right for the setting and old antique  furniture adorning the small lobby. The man behind the desk was lower then the counter so you could just see half of his head on approach. He was older with a full head of grey hair. He wore a blue wool sweater and his glasses that rest on his face hung from his neck by a chain. He checked us in and gave us our room key. We were so happy to see that we had a balcony- out of which we had a beautiful view of courtyards, old rooftops and a forest of chimney pots. We felt special because we noticed ours was one of the only rooms with a balcony! After settling in a bit it only seemed right to rehydrate with a bottle of wine that I had lugged up the hill with us out on our beloved balcony. 

As the wine subsided so did the daylight. We left the hotel and made our way to the center before the fleeting light disappeared completely. There was about an hour and a half before sunset. Plenty of time to do a little exploration. The center of town is a long street mostly for foot traffic. It's located at the very top of the hill which makes for some great views. We found a spot with a killer overlook. It seemed like we could see all of Umbria from up there. ( Umbria is the region of italy where Perugia is located) Beautiful hills and mountains with little villages, olive orchards,  vineyards, and villas high up in the hills or down in the valleys as far as the eye could see. We headed back to the center and walked all the way to one end where we found a nice little park. The view was just as spectacular only this time it was accompanied by the pink and purple hues of a Peruigian sunset. 

The night was upon us which meant food and drink. A friend who spent some time in Perugia told us of a local tradition that consisted of grabbing a beer or a bottle of wine and going to sit in Piazza IV Novembre on the old Perugian cathedral steps that over look the Fontana Maggiore (a large and beautiful fountain) and enjoying your drink while people watching. She was right and there was a good number of people our age doing just that. We joined in, I with a large bottle of Peroni and Em with box of wine. The same box of wine that we see all of the homeless drinking because it only cost a euro. But it's Italian wine, and surprisingly, not that bad! The atmosphere in the piazza was lively and smokey and the lit up buildings were so nice to stare at. After chatting and laughing for a while about who knows what we found Luna Bar Ferarri where we enjoyed another drink. We took note of their amazing apertivo spread for tomorrow. Our mission tonight was dinner. Spending very little that day we had enough to treat ourselves. 

Up the ally from Luna Bar was Ferarri the restaurant. The same friend had also recommended this place so we wanted to try it out. It housed a very nice atmosphere and we were starving so we grabbed a table. A little over zealous we ordered wine, and started with some very good bruschetta. For dinner I had an amazing risotto with porcini and Em had her dream meal of grilled chicken with grilled zucchini and eggplant. This put us over budget a bit but it was so worth it, we just told ourselves that we would make up the deficit tomorrow. As good as dinner was the genra of our moods changed from rock and roll to blues by the end of our meal due to the TVs  in the restaurant playing news reporting on the recent attacks on Paris which happened the previous day. Feeling somber and full we decided we would retreat back to our room for some quite company. Our balcony was there waiting for us with open arms. We sat out late into the night listening to music, finishing the "homeless mans" wine, and going deep with our conversations reflecting on the gift of our lives and our loved ones. 

Sunday found us in a special place with our heads aching just enough to be annoying. I had to drag Em out of bed because we were both in dire need of water and she seamed to be hit a little worse then me. No more "homeless man" we vowed. Our lack of water was due to us being advised upon arrival not to drink the tap water here. It may have been a scam in order to boost our hotels water sales but we listened non the less. We entered the morning to a very quiet town. The heavy haze of the morning fog was hanging low. Much of the stores and places to eat were closed due to it being Sunday pre church but thankfully the little grocery store was open. We bought two giant bottles of water, still for Em, sparkling for me, I like the fizz. After checking out we walked across the square for an attempt at a breakfast. It was the only cafe open and was populated with locals. Italy doesn't really do breakfast, bread and pastries mostly. Craving something more substantial we got ourselves a small salami and cheese sandwich on a croissant, it would have to do.  After chugging water and having something in our stomachs we perked right up. We left the cafe to walk to the complete other side of the city where I though I had seen a cool looking park. What we found was a very peculiar garden. It was beautiful to walk through and it had a great vantage point to look out over even more of the surrounding countryside but it was littered with what we could only describe as witchcraft. It was like walking rough a garden at Hogwarts. It was situated outside of a large old building that Em and I thought might be some kind of university (for witches). The weirdest part was an old stone tower. Inside the window at the very top you could see a horrifying wax figure of an alchemist in ratty robes. Kind of scared the shit out of us at first site! We never officially figured out exactly what the point of the garden was but we were continent with our warped version of the truth,

The rest of the day was spent exploring just about every nook and cranny that Perugia had to offer. The sights, the sounds and smells satisfied a craving deep inside and left us satisfied and full of life. Later that afternoon we got ourselves a bottle of a better caliber wine and enjoyed it in the small park in the far end of the main square. Exhausted from our day of wandering we figured it was time for a little siesta. Waking up an hour or two later our energy was not replenished in the slightest but we managed to rally and go out for apertivo. There was a miraculous speed of goodies to pick on back at Luna Bar. We gorged ourselves a wee bit to much but powered through yet again to get ourslelf some dinner.

Perugia revealed itself to us in the most spectacular way. We exploited its every corner and were content in our venture. From here we had plans to head to Rome. We were so excited but surly we knew that we would miss the quite hill top city that is Perugia.

Stay lost,

-Mike

Rome

View the Rome gallery here

Following the attacks that took place in Paris, we were a bit nervous to be traveling to a main European city, especially as Rome was one of the next cities threatened. As soon as we arrived in the train station it was evident that Rome had upped their game and were on high alert. There were guards and army men on every corner holding machine guns, which is simultaneously comforting and unsettling.

In true Em and Mike fashion, we walked from the train station to our new AirB&B abode in the Trastevere neighborhood of Rome- a little over an hour walk lugging our backpacks. Our walking route brought us through the city streets, to Ancient Rome, past the Jewish Ghetto, and finally across the river into Trastevere. 

We got settled into our little studio apartment, had some wine, and then headed out to a highly recommended bar (by one of my good friends who lived in Rome for years, and also by our Innsbruck bartender)- Me Che Siete Venuti A Fà. As we walked through the bohemian, tight streets of Trastevere which are lined with cool restaurants, terrace seating, and bars millions (not even an exaggeration) of starlings chirped and flew overhead. Mike got poo-ed on hehe... That's good luck, right?

When we arrived at Me Che Siete Venuti A Fà, we luckily found 2 seats at the bar that maybe sat 8 and had 10-12 (amazing) craft beers on tap. Mike chatted with the bartender about what to drink, stating that we enjoy IPAs, and then a fellow American sitting next to us chimed in offering his suggestion. Dave, a California local who was in Rome for a business trip, was nothing short of a beer connoisseur. Mike enjoyed chatting with him, while I made friends with a cool couple from Toranto- he was a television show editor/ producer and she was a food and drink writer for a magazine (such a dream).

While Mike and Dave hit it off, it became evident that Dave was ready to spend. He and the owner of the bar cracked open two aged sour beers- one from 2006 the other from 2007. "Both would cost €150 together, but for you.... €20?" the owner said to Dave. Dave shared some of them with us and they were delicious! Next, the owner tapped open a small wood barrel with a wood hammer holding a lager. Dave bought us one of those, too.. Ayeyaiyai! After enjoying a few hours of fun chit-chat and rare beers, we realized it was probably time for dinner since we hadn't eaten since breakfast at 10:00am (it now being 8:30pm). We invited Dave to join us for dinner at a restaurant the bartender recommended, and by the end of our meal Dave had paid for the whole thing! An awesome first night in Rome!

DAY 2
We woke up early excited for a full day of exploring this amazing city that greeted us so kindly. Mike scurried out to the fresh farmers market, just steps from our door, and bought breakfast fixings: fresh eggs, bread, chives, an apple, and fresh butter - all for €4! He made yummy scrambled eggs and then, all fueled up, we set out for Ancient Rome.

We wandered for 20 minutes through the beautiful Roman streets, enjoying every inch, and the next thing we knew we had stumbled upon Foro Romano (the Roman Forum) which used to be the political, religious and commercial center of the city. It was the place for religious processions, political demonstrations, elections, important speeches, and parades by conquering generals. It's so hard to grasp how OLD these ruins are. It feels very Disney-like, but then you start reading and learning about what these pieces of amazing architecture used to be and what they used to look like- all while you're standing right in front of them-- you get chills! Built in A.D.?! It's insane!

The Arch of Titus really blew us away, not only because of the beautiful detail, but because it is still in such amazing condition. We walked up as close as we could and absorbed the details and the precision that went into building this piece of massive art. 

From Foro Romano we walked to the Colosseum which is, of course, just the coolest. Unfortunately the iconic side of the arena was blanketed for cleaning and restoration, but it really didn't matter because it is so impressive. We walked around the entire perimeter, then sat in a "quiet" area reading our Rome guide book learning it's history. We learned about the building of it, how (later) Medieval builders removed the iron pegs from the Colosseum's side to use for their own buildings, and that's why the Colosseum has holes all over its exterior. We learned about the slaughters of animals and gladiators that took place- crazy when you realize you're sitting right beside it. Speaking of gladiators- the fake ones that are dressed up all over the city are the worst. Not only are they rude, but they demand money from you if you take their picture- with or without their consent. 

After the Colosseum we made our way to the Trevi Fountain. We are so lucky because it was just uncovered a couple weeks ago after having been being cleaned for the past 3 months- we would've hated to miss it! The fountain is just as beautiful as you would imagine and absolutely gleaming white with crystal clear water all around. Again, we stopped to read its history and facts. My favorite piece of knowledge we gained about the Trevi Fountain is that at the end of each day the coins are cleared out from the bottom of the pool (from all the tourists making wishes over their shoulders) and they use the money to take care of the homeless! Trivia: each day an average of €3,000 is collected!

The next sight, just a stones throw away, was the Pantheon- one of my favorite buildings to finally see in person because no matter how many photos you see of it, they can never capture its enormity. It's not so much that it's a grand estate with sprawling acres, but it's just really epic. Heavy is the perfect word to describe it. Then, when you walk inside, the ceiling doesn't really make sense- it's so perfectly constructed. The building is mathematically perfect: it is the same height as it is wide. The hole in the center of the ceiling is unbelievably cool- it would be amazing to see the rain pour through it. The hole creates the largest pillar in the universe: the pillar of light connecting heaven to earth.

Time for a lunch break! We strolled through Piazza Navona admiring the artists' paintings, then into Campo De' Fiore where there was an awesome open air market selling clothing and Italian specialties. As we cluelessly wandered around this neighborhood looking for a non-tourist trap restaurant, we stopped to look at the menu of Ristorante Grotte deal Teatri Di Pompeo, a restaurant tucked away in its own little square. As we stood there, a woman sitting at a table on the terrace spoke up saying, "It's really good! I'm a tour guide and I only eat in 3 places- this is one of them." Sold. Mike ordered the 'best risotto in Rome'- riso con I fiori di zucca (risotto with zucchini flower) and I got an amazing eggplant with Parmesan and mozzarella. Holy moly. Both were so delicious. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. As we savored every bite of our lunch we chatted with Jennifer (the tour guide who lured us in)- she was incredibly knowledgable and had great suggestions on what sights to see and places to find more classic food.  We spoke of the recent Paris tragedy, about the increased security, and about our future travel plans (she felt as though we should continue to set out and conquer while being aware). As we all finished our lunches and said our goodbyes, she pointed us in the direction of Piazza Farnese, which is where the French embassy is. When we arrived there was a blanket of flowers, notes, candles, and photos all praying for Paris. We circled the memorial looking at all the beautiful flowers and notes and letting it all really sink in. 

By now it was about 4:00 and most shops were closing until 7:00 or 8:00, so we went back to the apartment. Mike made de-lish bruschetta from this morning's leftovers, using just butter, white wine, tomatoes, chives and bread. Just butter.. You get it. Yum. After working on some blog work, we went out for dinner at Ombré Rosse for pasta and listened to a singer/guitarist sing Italian songs, mostly about gelato, or at least that's the only word we picked up on.

DAY 3
Up bright and early again for fresh breakfast goodies. Today's menu: scrambled eggs with chives, sautéed garlic with broccoli and cherry tomatoes, and a fresh baguette. We certainly aren't losing any weight on this trip.. We eat like kings! 

Behind our apartment, about a quarter of a mile away is Gianicolo Hill, which has an incredible view of the city. We walked all through the garden, taking photos of the hazy day in Rome, and walked far enough to be popped out at the Vatican.

The Pope had given his Wednesday morning sermon, which we missed by an hour or so. We had hopes to walk the perimeter of the Vatican but it was all blocked off by guards and fences. We weren't sure if it's always this way, if it was due to the Pope just speaking, or because of the recent events in Paris but it was too bad! The other alternative was to pay a pretty penny to be filed along like cattlewhile touring the inside after waiting in an absurdly long line to get in. As one traveler mentioned, "every trip you take will have a different purpose." This really resonated with us because we often feel guilty if there's a museum, monument, or piece of art that we miss during our short visits to these various cities. While 3 months abroad seems like a long time, the short duration of each individual trip paired with a tight budget causes us to be selective. I've been able to reassure myself that the trip we're currently on has it's own purpose: to push our limits, learn about the world, learn about ourselves, see as much as we can, and return home with a better understanding of (part) of the world we live in. Later in life, when we have the money to do what we want, we will return to the places where we wished we had had more time or extra funds to see it all.

From the Vatican we walked to Il Fornaio, a bakery in the Campo de' Fiore neighborhood, and bought sandwiches which we enjoyed in Piazza Navona gazing at Fontana del Nettuno. We set out towards the Spanish Steps, walking slowly because 1- Christmas decorations were being put up, which was thoroughly exciting, and 2- my blisters came baaaaackk! When we finally reached the steps we were bummed out to find that they were closed off due to cleaning. It must be because we're traveling in the "off season" that so many sights aren't in their prime. 

It was time to head home for a siesta and a blister break, so Mike made another bruschetta: garlic bread- baguette, caramelized garlic and chive. Mmm. We were smelling like and sweating garlic for days. After spending a couple hours at home journaling and blogging, we went out to dinner at Grazie + Graziella. We had a fried artichoke as an appetizer, I got an awesome smoked salmon salad, and Mike enjoyed gnocchi with clams. For a night cap we went to Bir and Fud, where we met Phil, a brewer that was born in England, lived in LA, and now lives in Rome. He gave us suggestions on cities to check out on our upcoming path, and then gave Mike his card for future design work to help him with his logo in the future! 

DAY 4
(I'm officially a blister master because my blisters are already healed. Hurrah!)Another scrumptious breakfast made by Mike: eggs with chives and garlic home fries.

After a slow morning of enjoying breakfast, we went to explore the Aventino neighborhood, which boasts Circo Massimo and Aventine Hill. It wasn't much to look at or photograph, but Circo Massimo's history is so cool to imagine: 250,000 screaming fans cheering for chariot races. This old track must have been such a city highlight back in the day! 

From Circo Massimo we walked up the hill, passing a nice, small park with orange trees and another beautiful view overlooking the city. Just up the street from this park, we found the keyhole that perfectly frames the San Pietro dome. Looking rough the key hole, the lock and the rows of tightly trimmed bushes create the most beautiful frame of the dome. Mike and I spent 30 minute trying to capture the beauty (alas, our photography skills continue to need work..). 

We walked down the hill back into the city and explored the Jewish Ghetto neighborhood. Established in the 1500s, it is far from today's definition of "ghetto," it's the cutest, homiest neighborhood. Old friends sit outside at their favorite cafes and restaurants, cats walk by, women are hanging laundry out their windows- its really charming. We walked through and read about Teatro Marcello remains, which were unfortunately also covered by restoration blankets. But the Teatro Marcello is the oldest surviving theater, which was started by Julius Caesar and later completed in 11 B.C. by the Emperor Agustus. After a bit of history we then went to Nonna Betta to have an artichoke in the heart of the Jewish Ghetto. We had  Nonna Betta all to ourselves, which was amazing being this old school restaurant has been highly recommended by not only close friends but also Anthony Bourdain who said it was the best artichoke in town. The waiters were fun and friendly, taking our picture with our artichokes because we were so enthusiastic about having them. Oh man. Crispy leaves with a warm, meaty heart. 

After our delicious artichoke snack we wove through the Jewish Ghetto before heading to the grocery store for dinner fixings, in an effort to save up for our over-budget spending earlier this week in Rome. We made an aperitivo platter of Brie, crackers and olives which was followed by a masterfully created dinner of chicken, broccoli and Brussels sprouts. We had a wonderfully relaxing night listening to tunes, blogging, playing rummy, and planning our upcoming visit with Mike's long lost family!

DAY 5
An unexpected do-nothing day, which I think we needed. We spent the whole day cozied up in the apartment blogging, researching our final month of travel stops, cleaning the apartment and packing, and planning our day trip to Forano (which will be an amazing experience, but surely a mentally and physically overwhelming day). 

DAY 6

Read Mike's blog about visiting long-lost family in Forano, Italy here (*check back next week*)

After an unbelievable day visit to Forano to meet Mike's grandfather's Italian family members, we made our way back to Rome. Unfortunately earlier that morning we checked out of our AirBnB and checked into a not-so-great hostel (our first hostel in a month after being spoiled by great AirBnB spots). 

Not ready to be in our room for the night, we went down to the hostel bar for a cheap drink and to watch the younger guests hit on one another. The hostel, Alessandro Palace, was hosting a Saturday night club crawl, which included an open bar from 9-10. All of the club-goers funneled through the bar door like a school of fish, all sporting their pink bracelets and announcing their membership to the drinking party. 18-21 year old college kids sat cozily next to one another as they scoped the scene for tonight's late-night lover. Before thy left, the party host announced a game of "flip cup" (a drinking game) and Mike decided to get in the lineup and play a round, which he quickly realized was lame and not worth it. We scooted out the door as the games continued and found a slice of pizza before retiring to our squeaky, rock-pillowed bunks. Only one night in the hostel and vowed it would be our last one...

Florence

View the Florence gallery here

DAY 1
We pulled into Florence around 1:00pm on November 9th, and walked 10 minutes through our ethnic neighborhood to our AirB&B- A studio with a tiny kitchen and bathroom. Smelled funky, and the only window looked out into a "courtyard" that was probably 4ft by 4ft of cement. Therefore, it was very dark in our room and you could never really tell what time of day it was. Our top quilt and pillows had grease stains or something on it, so we re-made the bed with clean sheets, I boiled water with cinnamon sticks I found in the cabinet, and then everything felt a little cleaner and a little less stinky. Not the best AirB&B thus far, but will do the trick.

We did some research on places to explore on our first evening in Florence, and headed towards Duomo. Duomo's exterior is so exquisite with its white and green marble details and hints of red. Plus it's totally massive.

We went to a pizza shop in the main square and got a couple slices and enjoyed them while watching MTV music videos being played on the shop's TV. We reminisced of the days watching "P Diddy's Making of the Band: Danity Kane" on TV in the early 2000s. Too good. After lunch we walked to Palazzo Vecchio and the famous Florence shopping bridge covered in jewelry kiosks, Ponte Vecchio. The sun was beginning to set, so we sat along the river's edge watching young rowing/ crew team members not-so-elegantly practice their form. Then, we noticed a riverside restaurant with outdoor seating next to us, Signorvino, so we went there for inexpensive, but yummy, white wine.

We left and continued to wander the streets, getting our bearings for the following days of sightseeing. We stopped to rub the snout of Il Porcellino ("piglet"), the bronze statue of a boar, and fed him a coin to ensure good luck and to return to Florence someday!

Around ten-of 7:00 we were ready for apertivo, so we went into a recommended spot named Sei Divino. We ordered a drink and were given nuts and olives. A few minutes later we noticed that the women next to us received a plate of bruschetta. We waited for our aperitivo to be delivered to us because, after all, we were paying customers during aperitivo time. More customers came in and were presented with the bruschetta plate. We realized that because we came in just before 7:00 we weren't considered customers anymore, unless we bought another (too expensive) round of drinks. Not worth it. Feeling jaded, and hangry (hungry + angry) we decided to go to a new restaurant, Negroni, another recommended spot for aperitivo. The sun was down at this point, and we walked through the sparkling streets with warm windows, yellow street lights, and lights lining the river. It was very romantic, and helped us to brush off our hanger.

We crossed over the river and rounded the corner excited for outdoor seating under Christmas lights, as our recommendation had described. Closed! Negroni was closed! The romance of the walk here was gone and the hanger was back. Unable to think of where we could go, we wandered back to Signorvino (which was just down the street) like dogs with our tails between our legs because we had been there only a few hours ago and failed to find a new trattoria to enjoy.

We were happy to be back at our new "spot," though.Their apertivo looked amazing and their menu was well priced. We had mini sandwiches and mouth-watering olives in olive oil, then ordered a delicious plate of bruschetta with three different spreads: a parsley and garlic puree, an artichoke spread, and shallot spread. Whoa. Yes.

Take that stupid Sei Divino- Signorvino does bruschetta way better than you, so we wouldn't have wanted yours anyways! Humph.

DAY 2
On Tuesday, November 10th, we woke up late because our room was so dark that we didn't realize it was already 10:00; it looked like it was 3:00am in our room- pitch black. For breakfast we decided to go to Marcato Centrale, which was steps from our door. It's an awesome indoor market with various vendors selling produce, nuts, meats, sandwiches, wines, oils- pretty much anything! I got a huge organic apple and trail mix and Mike got an amazing roast beef sandwich with pesto and spicy sauce- out of this world good. Outside, men sell leather jackets, leather purses, leather belts, scarves, and souvenirs. "Hey man why are you wearing that turtle jacket? Let's get you into a nice leather jacket. And you're a tall lady, you could pull off this long leather one," one of them stated, trying to promote their business. We kept walking. If there's one thing we've learned by now it's to ignore anyone promoting their products, whether its a restaurant selling their cheap menu, gypsies selling selfie sticks or roses, or trinket kiosks. Just keep walking.

As we got closer to Duomo, the streets were closed off and had crowd control fences up. Oh, right, Pope Francis is in town. We walked into the plaza, and people were already waiting for him to come out and make his appearance at 11:30. We had intended on seeing Duomo's interior today, but had to cross that off the list, so we decided to join the crowds and wait for him to appear. The bells chimed at 11:30 signifying the end of mass, and simultaneously the crowd began to hum loudly and the selfie-sticks went soaring into the air. 

We could barely see the Pope as he made his way from the doorway to the Pope Mobile, but quick glimpses were really fun and cool! Once he drove out of sight, we were essentially trapped for 15 minutes as people tried to navigate the slim walkways and herds of on-lookers. 

Next on our agenda was Galleria dell Academia, home of The David by Michelangelo. David is SO so so so sooo stunning. He obviously commands the room because he is a giant, but the detail of his body iscompletely mind-blowing. What a genius Michelangelo was-- making David's hands and other features larger knowing that the statue would be viewed from below, and thus would look proportional to the viewer. His hands really blew me away: the veins, wrinkles, and realness. The marble also makes the skin on his legs look veiny. I can't even describe it. And I'll never understand  how Michelangelo created him out of a single piece of stone. I can't even make play dough resemble a fish.

We walked through the rest of the museum, learning how plaster molds are created to recreate statues, looking at lots of religious paintings, and finally at old musical instruments. Having been baffled by David, I can honestly say the rest of Galleria dell Academia was a bit underwhelming, but none the less impressive. We, of course, appreciate the art and the mastery of skill needed to create art-- especially these pieces we see in museums. At the time David was created, in the early 1500's, most art was of religious subjects. We just, personally, prefer different subjects and styles like landscapes, impressionism, and realism. The few hours we spent in the museum drained us, so we sought out more cheap pizza for an energy boost. We walked through town and, evidentially, another Pope Francis sighting was taking place because people were lining the streets. We looked up his Florence itinerary, and he was due to be driving through town on his was from having, "lunch on a plastic plate with plastic utensils and drinking tap water with a group of 60 underprivileged locals." "What a guy! Good ol' P. Francis!" we joked. We saw him drive by, another fun sighting of a man who is so loved in Europe, so the morale around the city was high, which is always exciting.

We found a little pizza joint that was situated near Casa de Dante, as well as the palace in which the Mona Lisa was painted! After lunch, we went to an information kiosk to book an excursion for tomorrow, then went back to the AirB&B to book our next destination (Perugia!), play Rummy, and enjoy a bottle of wine before dinner at a rip-off restaurant close to our apartment. We didn't even take our own advice about ignoring the salesmen! Hunger suppressed our better judgements and we had halfway descent food for a gourmet price. Fools. We've realized we always have to make one restaurant mistake in every city. It's a pattern.

DAY 3
Back to the indoor market for breakfast, and also discovered that they have an awesome cafeteria upstairs filled with amazing restaurants and a cooking school.

We wandered around for 30 minutes or so, then went into the center of town to tour the Duomo. There are tons of hidden balconies that you can walk along up in the dome, which has an unbelievable mural by Giorgio Vasari and (mostly) Frederico Zuccari. Besides the breathtaking dome, the interior of the Duomo cathedral actually isn't as impressive has the exterior! We learned that the designer/ engineer, Brunelleschi, had intended for the entire ceiling to be painted like the inside of the dome, but it never came to be! There is a beautiful mosaic by Gaddo Gaddi above the cathedral's main door, as well as huge paintings, but it surprisingly wasn't as intricate or breathtaking as other churches we've toured over the past month and a half, which from the outside of the Duomo I was expecting an intricately designed interior to match. 

Across from the Duomo is the Baptistery, which have the famous three sets of gilded bronze doors. The doors on the East and North entrances are the most famous because Brunelleschi (the Duomo engineer) and Lorenzo Ghiberti entered into a competition put on by the Florentine Republic to create a new pair of doors for the East side entry (facing the cathedral), which is a huge honor. Like the original doors facing the Cathedral by Andrea Pisano, these doors had to be Gothic style and seamlessly tell the Sacrifice of Isaac story. Ghiberti, who was my age at the time (which is crazy!), won the competition because his style was more Gothic and more easily told the story. Many years later, Ghiberti was, again, commissioned to created a set of doors for the North entry. He created a slightly different style of door, creating 10 panels (rather than 28) to tell stories from the Old Testament. These doors were such a masterpiece that instead of being hung at the North entrance, his first pair of doors were moved there, and these doors were hung at the honorable East entrance- "The Doors of Paradise." Unfortunately, the doors hanging today are replicas because the originals had flood damage and are in the Museum of the Opera del Duomo, but the craftsmanship is brilliant, anyways. 

From Duomo we walked to Piazza Santa Maria and sat in the square reading and writing for 30 minutes or so. Then, at 2:30, we walked to the bus station because we booked a wine tasting in Chianti (I can't break my stupid English habit of pronouncing it CHEEanti, instead of the proper KEEanti), an area in the Tuscan region! We paid a pretty penny, but we couldn't be in the Tuscan region and not do a wine tasting! We chatted with a group of 3 Australian retirees traveling Europe for 7 weeks. They had just come from the Almalfi coast, which they raved about, and also told us about getting pick-pocketed in Naples- my nightmare. By the time they were able to cancel their credit cards, the pick-pocketer had already gotten $6k out of their accounts. Ugh! 

As our bus with 15-20 others drove through the Tuscan region, the landscapes opened up into rolling hills covered in olive trees and vineyards. It was a gray day (the only one we've had in so long) which was a bummer while we were out in the countryside, but gorgeous none the less! We arrived at our first stop, Riseccoli Vineyard, where our host taught us about the family business, which is 100 years old this year, and brought us into a nice tasting room. An extra visitor joined our group- one of the twelve cats they have on the property to hunt the mice that like to eat the grapes!

I was a little distracted as the host taught us about the wine because I was vying for the cat's attention, but we learned all about Chianti wine. In order to be considered a Chianti red, it must be 75% Sangiovese, then it can have the black rooster symbol. Mike and I loved the Chianti Classico red (which has to be more than 75% Sangiovese) that we tasted paired with salami and cheese, so we bought a bottle to later enjoy.  Before we hopped back on the bus, we enjoyed exploring the grounds and getting attention from our cat friend.

Next, we went to Molino Vineyards. Unfortunately it was so gray and the sun was already setting by 4:00 that the beautiful view wasn't captured to its full potential. We went inside where our next host gave us the same lesson about Chianti red wines, then raced through the tasting. Everyone was essentially chugging their current taste to keep up with her pouring the next wine. Mike and I were a bit disappointed by the tasting portion of the excursion and wished we had done more research on which wine tasting to do, but it was worth the price just to get out into the wine country of Tuscany.

Our final stop was visiting the small town of Greve, which was a charming small square with one or two cool shops, a handful of restaurants and a couple cafes. "It would be cute dressed up for Christmas," we agreed, but spending 45 minutes in this tiny square was a bit too much. 

Back in town we got to-go burgers at the central market where a three piece band was covering the band Florence and the Machine (ha! While in Florence!), and went back to the room for an early night after a long day of touring and another on tomorrow's agenda.

DAY 4
November 12th we did a day trip to visit Pisa and Lucca. As we walked to the train station soldiers were parading through the streets, which we later realized is because November 12th is Italy's version of Veterans Day. We took an hour train ride to Pisa on a beautiful fall afternoon. When we got into the city, we were confused why Pisa has a "skip it" reputation because it's really pleasant! We wandered down the quiet and lovely streets on our way to Pisa's obvious main attraction. 

The leaning tower is actually REALLY leaning. The typical tourist shot doesn't do it justice. When standing in front of it, you look to the left and the base has one or two foundation stones showing, and to the right 6 to 8 are exposed. Around the tower are beautiful green lawns, which during this amazing blue-bird day, are a beautiful contrast to the white buildings. It's probably one of the most beautiful Italian piazzas- Piazza Dei Miracoli/ "Field of Miracles"- due to the grass versus concrete grounds surrounding the gorgeous architecture. But, like most beautiful European lawns, no walking/ being on allowed, so our wish for a lawn nap was out of the question. Just as you would expect, all of the tourists (us included) are standing at varying distances posing as if they're holding the tower up. We felt like complete and total silly tourists, but you have to take this classic picture! The tower is literally defying gravity! The tower actually began to lean not too long after construction started in 1173 because they didn't account for the weight of the tower on the soft ground they were building on. Construction paused twice due to wars, the first pause lasting 100 years, and if construction hadn't paused the tower would have fallen. But thanks to the 100 year intermission the tower was able to settle.  Unfortunately, we didn't climb it because it was too expensive, but we heard from a fellow traveler that the final leg is a bit sketchy and tight as you swirl up to the top. 

The building next to the tower is the duomo/ Cathedral of Pisa (which the leaning tower serves as its belfry) and next to that is the Baptistery. Both buildings, which were built in the late 1000's and early 1100's, dwarf the leaning tower, and actually both the cathedral and baptistry are leaning, too, but not as evidently. All the buildings in this piazza are made of white marble, so they are all impressive and gorgeous in their own way. The baptistry is a round building that has tons of arches and pillars with crazy details. The grounds between any cathedral and a baptistry are considered 'paradise'- like Florence's Duomo and baptistery.

We were only in Pisa for an hour or so because, truly, there isn't much to do or see besides the monuments in the Field of Miracles.  In this sense I can understand the "skip it" reputation that Pisa has obtained, you wouldn't need to stay overnight, but these monumental buildings in the Field of Miracles aren't only beautiful, but so unique! And if you enjoy aimlessly wandering around pretty streets that resemble Floridian or Portuguese architecture, then I think you would enjoy Pisa as much as we did. 

On to Lucca! It was a half-hour train ride to Lucca from Pisa, so in no time we were transported into a completely different-feeling city. From the station you walk up to a massive brick wall that contains the city. The circular wall is just over 2.5 miles long, and cozily held within it's circumference is the cutest medieval town.

You can't walk more than 60 feet down a tight cobblestoned alley before finding yourself in another adorable piazza. Unfortunately, due to the Veteran's Day holiday, almost all of the shops were closed and the people of the city were home, so we weren't able to truly understand what Lucca's energy is like in full-force. But, at the same time, it was really cool to feel like two of the only people in this old, medieval city. We finally found an open pizzeria and shared a pie, while being charged a cover fee, a splitting fee, and a sitting outside fee.. What was supposed to be a €7 "cheap lunch" turned into an expense. Regardless, we enjoyed the rest of the afternoon strolling through the empty streets and along the city wall's edge, which was the picturesque fall scene. We sat on the wall under golden falling leaves until our 4:30 train back to Florence.

DAY 5
Our final day in Florence went from having no plans and kind-of boring into one of our most fun and silly days! We walked through the city's streets, which we've become familiar with at this point, and ended up finding our way to Pilazzo Pitti.

We unexpectedly bought tickets to view the palace's costume gallery and Boboli Gardens. On our way to the costume gallery, we walked through the unbelievably grand hallways of Pitti Palace. With wide hallways, extravagant stairways, and glittering chandeliers we finally reached the costume gallery. I thoroughly enjoyed the costume showcase; beautiful women's clothing from the late 1800s to early 1900 time periods. Such intricate, handmade detail; all outfits I would LOVE to try on!

After the clothing show, we headed to the palace's "backyard"/ the Boboli Gardens, which are a maze of Cypress trees, fountains, and gardens. As we walked through the empty garden passages listening to Norah Jones radio, Adele's new single "Hello" came on and we organically began videotaping a music video. When we realized how hilarious and fun this activity was, we started looking for the perfect scenery for each 10 second segment. We concluded my cover of "Home" and not long after, Michael Buble's song "Everything" came on, which was perfect for Mike's music video debut.  By the end of our hour of filming music videos, dancing and singing through the gardens, we were crying with laughter. 100% a memory that we will never forget. We shared our musical masterpieces with our friends via SnapChat (shameless plug: follow @Mikesilv for live video updates). Such an amazing pick-me-up from an otherwise average day of touring.

The night was spent at- guess where?!- Signorvino enjoying the view, wine, and a scrumptious plate of apertivo treats- a romantic and relaxing final evening concluding a wonderful stay in Florence.

***

11/24/15
Since we last posted, Paris experienced devastating terrorism attacks on November 13, 2015. It's really hard to wrap our heads around. I can't imagine the fear, sadness, and anger that Paris, the witnesses, and the victims friends and families are experiencing. It's absolutely heartbreaking. And now, there is a worldwide travel advisory. We want all of our friends, family, and readers to know that we are being vigilant and aware of our surroundings. Tomorrow we travel to Nice, France to celebrate Thanksgiving and Mike's birthday before heading towards Spain. We've absolutely noticed heightened security, and we expect to have our tickets and passports checked at the border. We have no intentions to change our travel itinerary for our final month of travel, and we still like to believe that amongst all of this ugly news that the world is a beautiful and safe place. 

With all of the unfortunate news the world has been experiencing lately, it's important to remember everything that we have to be thankful for. As Mike and I took the train from Rome to Genova (where we're currently catching up on blogging...), we had a moment to sit and reflect. We feel so thankful for our safety, our health, and our ability to be on this amazing trip. It has been such a life changing, fun, and eye opening experience. We get to wake up and see incredible places, meet wonderful people, and learn and grow both individually and together. 

We may not be able to share this Thanksgiving holiday with our loved ones (one of our favorite holidays) at home, but this year we feel especially thankful for our absolutely amazing friends and our incredible families that are unbelievably loving, supportive, and generous. We have so much to be thankful for all the time, but especially right now: our travel dreams have been coming true and unfolding each day, our health and happiness is at an all time high, and for the good health and happiness of all those that we're so lucky to have in our lives.

Wishing everyone a very happy Thanksgiving! If you're reading this, we are thankful for you and your support and love you lots!

Cheers!
Em and Mike

VeNICE

View the Venice gallery here

Nonchalantly Em and I jumped on a train headed to venice. "Lets check out Venice today." "Sure a casual day trip to Venice sounds nice!"- Both sentences are ones that we never thought we would utter I'm sure.

With that being said I would like to comment on what a sound investment our EURail passes have been. The ability to hop on any train at any time makes our already easy lives of jet setting even easier! Besides the ridiculous protective folding case they provide with the ticket that looks like a toddler's bank book (if you were a kid in the 90s you know what I'm talking about), the pass is the best. I highly recommend the Global Pass to any one interested in backpacking Europe. Free your route, free your mind!

But anyways, enough of what appears to be a word from our sponsors and back to the story. Em and I have always wanted to see Venice. It's streets made of water, tight alleyways and hidden courtyards have inspired much mystery to us. I have always pictured long cobbled corridors haunt with the silence of hush citizens and the absence of motor vehicles. Only echoes of the occasional dip of an oar, and the hollow cooing of nesting pigeons to be heard. Early morning fog that overflows form the canals to the streets masking the footsteps of passing souls. The air ripe with smells of fish and salty air meandering from open air markets; what we found was not far from my romantisized visions.

Anytime the decision is made to build upon 118 small islands in the Adriatic and connect them all by canals and foot bridges the result is going to be pretty spectacular. Seeing as how that has only happened once, Venice holds up to its reputation. A city whose architectural feats are nothing short of divine intervention.

Our train pulled into Stazione Ferroviaria San Lucia, a one-way in one-way out terminal, after a long stretch of track surrounded on both sides by the shallow fishing inlets of the Adriatic Sea. Seeing old men in their boats pulling in their nets full of bounty for the morning markets was a welcoming approach. That sight alone began to put my fantasies into reality. 

Having no knowledge of the labyrinth that is Venice, Em and I decided to buy a map. We like to have maps to use as a sort of orientation, however we rarley use them. We soon found out that it was more exciting to get lost in Venice then it was to try and decipher the map. After holding breif council with la mapa (the map) we made moves to cross Canal Grande. Main Street of Venice, if you will. It's the largest of the canals, the main vein lined with restaurants, shops, and docking posts for river boats and gondolas; quite a vision. The water had a murky green hue that, when hit by the sun, illuminates bringing life to the marbled bulidings that line its banks. 

We crossed one of the more prominant foot bridges, Ponte D. Scazizi, and began our "bush whack" into the belly of the beast. The vast walking streets of Canal Grande quickly turned into claustrophobic corridors. The path we were forging danced back and fourth over the smaller canals that slice through the city by means of the short and narrow bridges. Then we would jet off of the canal route only to meet back up with another. We continued this pattern for a while wanting to explore every nook and cranny we came across.

The city was waking up and it was humorous, in accourdence with envy, to see locals hopping into their small worn in boats, ready to take on the morning commute of navigating the waterways. It was time for a coffee for us, too. We came across a small cafe whose name has escaped us. It was tucked in rather tightly along a canal. We enjoyed our cappuccinos while watching picturesque Venetians walk past in no rush what so ever. After my cappuccino I ran upstairs to use the Toilette. As I stood there, doing my thing, I was severly intruiged by thoughts on how plumbing functioned in a city like this. Then I cringed a bit rewinding my thoughts to a Venice pre-plumbing. Something people don't tell you about Europe, or maybe they just don't notice, is that you will occasionally get a strong woft of urine or sewage. Public urination seems to be a rather popular back alley activity. We have seen people relive themselves more times then we would like. With those smells in my thoughts I can only imagine what it must have been like back in the day..

Venturing on, we payed a visit to the church across the way from the cafe; Santa Maria Gloriosa Del Frari. We were off of the beaten trail it seemed, so no tourist congestion to aggrivate us. After some good admiration of beauty we weaved our way through the maze passing many glass shops. There was one that caught our eye so we payed it a visit. An older Venetian gentleman was sitting behind his counter hand crafting glass figurines. His hands were worn from years at the craft, his spectacles hung at the end of his nose, he was focused, while at the same time creating effortlessly. I asked if I may take his picture and he happily complied. Glass is everywhere in Venice, especialy Murano Glass. It is very popular and beautiful.

Continuing on streets, that turned into canals, that turned into plazas, then back into streets, we eventually found ourselves back at a section of Canal Grande. This is because the canal snakes its way through Venice dividing up its sections. One not so positive thing I will say about Venice is the overwhelming amount of tourists. All of the main squares and attractions are littered with people and groups of fanny-pack-toting nerds led by someone with a flag held high in the air. The shops that populate the main drags are pretty repetitive selling things no one needs- things I can't imagine people wanting. In my, and pretty much every Venetian's, opinion it takes away some of the charm. I know Em and I are walking around seeing the sights and learning history, but we try our hardest to adapt to the cultures that we visit and are not obnoxious with our presence. Thanks for letting me vent!

After meeting back up with Canal Grande we crossed the Ponte Di Rialto, a very cool bridge that is basically a mall but very pretty to look at; half was covered up due to construction and restoration, but, as our good friend Domingo stated (you will learn about him shortly), " *in his italian accent* its-a Venice! Always restoration here!"; ah so true, Domingo. We wandered around getting lost again until we emerged upon Piazza San Marco. If you know Venice you know this place. It's the iconic square in Venice where the Basilica San Marco, Torre Dell' Orologio, Procuratie Nuove and the Ala Napolenica all call home. We gazed at its wonder for a while but only until we couldn't bare the hordes of people any longer. We migrated to see the Ponte De Sospiri which is a very intricate gothic style bridge suspended in air wedged between the Ducal Palice and the old prison. Walking along the waters edge where the canals open up into a much bigger section of water we stayed on the look-out for a good print. We have been collecting prints to take home along the way and were inspired by Venice to buy on there.

This is where you meet Domingo! We found him selling his art work along the water after passing a few unimpressive copycat artists whose work all looked the same. Domingo had a friendly demeanor and some beautiful art. He was a school teacher and was very passionate about his art, describing his arsenal of paintings to us, not to sell us on any of them but rather taking pride in showing them off. We ended up chatting for a while about Venitian life and things we must seek out, he also gave us a bit of a geography lesson on the lay of the land. We purchased a beautiful little painting of the Marco Polo Canal and set off on our way satisfied with our purchase but hungry and ready to eat.

We found our way back to the Canal Grande for our one Venice restaurant mistake; (as Em stated in a previous post) we seem to make one in every place we visit due to ravishing hunger. We were to hungry and they took advantage of that. Our rule is that if someone is out front of the restaurant soliciting your patronage-- run, run quickly away. We did not take our own advice. A lady with, what look like a slight mustache, reeled us in then passed us off to an Indian guy who sat us uncomfortably close to another table (because the good tables were "reserved"). The location was actually pretty nice- right on the canal- but our waiter sucked and was rude; I did not enjoy his service what so ever. The food was just okay, nothing special. We were completely unsatisfied with our decision so, after paying the too-expensive bill, we set out to find a proper Venetian establishment far away from the tourist population.

Zig-zagging our way through the streets we finally found our happy place: Tratitoria Al Ponte Del Megio! It was perfectly located on the elbow of a canal with a perfect little bridge leading you right to the front door. It was quiet and not a selfie stick to be seen for miles. We camped out there for a while and enjoyed glass after glass of wine and a full grilled sea bass caught earlier that day. The scars of the first restaurant disappeared. We sat there until it was dark, fully in love with our surroundings and watched as the fleeting light flickered through the canals. Unfortunately we had to catch a train back home to Verona at some point. Em and I strolled our way through the dark using only our instincts to guide us back to the station. Once we got there we scurried to find a train to take us the way we needed to go. Feeling a bit special from all of the wine, good cheer, and food we hopped on the wrong train. Not drastically wrong, just wrong enough to be aggravating. Instead of being a 1 hour train ride, it turned into a 3 hour train ride. The train we caught stopped at every. single. station. between Venice and Verona. The attendant told us of our mistake, but it was too late- the damage had been done.

We finally made it home and reflected on our day and were nothing but pleased. It was a day full of adventure. Venice is amazing and absolutely worth it- just prepare yourself for a little bit of Disney.

Ciao!

Bologna

View the Bologna gallery here

**We just want to thank everyone who has given us advice and recommendations on places to go, things to see, traditional foods and drinks, favorite spots, etc.  It has been so fun to check out your suggestions and makes our visits to these amazing cities even more enjoyable! Grazie!**

Bologna was a weird time for us. We had heard great things from various people and were given amazing recommendations, but I think we were picturing something different. I would absolutely fall in love with Bologna if I were a student at the university. The university section of the city takes up nearly half of the map, and is home to tons of restaurants, bars, and clubs- no shortage of places to meet up with your friends for amazing food and cheap drinks (count me in for a €10 bottle of Pignoletto!). But as two people who aren't night owls or party animals, Bologna didn't seem to have enough for us- especially since our budget is so limited! If we had unlimited funds I'm positive we'd be able to rally at the end of a long day of walking to go check out the night scenes or pay that annoying entrance fee to see an exhibit for 30 minutes. But for us, Bologna was a lot of meandering the streets, enjoying the beautiful city and awesome medieval towers, but not a whole lot of educational exhibits or silly fun. Sorry in advance if this isn't our best post...

On our first day in Bologna we checked into B&B Center Town, which provided us with a very comfortable bedroom and two bathrooms to share with the other guests. Mario, our host, was very laid back and accommodating. We looked over the map he provided us with, and headed into the main center of the city to find lunch. 

Osteria del Sole ws one of those amazing recommendations that was given to us. It's a little hole in the wall bar that only serves beer and wine, but locals absolutely love gathering there. It's the meeting spot for apertivo, to celebrate an event, or to just hang out and play cards (like the group of old men we sat next to). We grabbed some mortadella, parmesean and a baguette along with some stuffed tomatoes and eggplant, and brought our snack to this favorite local spot. Bringing your own food and sitting at the long, worn wood tables and enjoying drinks is the norm. We ordered a bottle of Pignoletto, the traditional and delicious sparkling white wine and enjoyed people watching: the old crew of men playing cards, the young professional group of guys in grape leaf crowns holding a stuffed white tiger (perhaps celebrating a graduation or bachelor party), the family sharing sliced meets and Pignoletto, the old man recycling all the wine bottles one by one. It was fantastic.

As I people watched, it reminded me of people back home. How much I would love to share these foreign experiences with certain people in different locations. The old men next to me had a fun flare like my grandfather and my dad(s); they played cards like they play 'Oh Hell' or cribbage-- with spunk. The women at the table behind us reminded me of the women in our lives (like our moms and grandmothers, who share a love for good, quality food) as they shared beautiful slices of cured meats, olives, and fresh bread with red wine. The fun crew of kids our age having drinks and laughing loudly reminded me of hilarious weekends in New Hampshire with our best friends and family. 

After lunch, we wandered through the streets for a while, and decided to go back to the B&B for a bit so that we could save our money for aperitif time. We finally whipped out our mini pack of playing cards and taught ourselves Rummy, which is so fun! We played for a couple hours, listening to Michael Buble, and watching the sun set over San Luca.

Around 7:00 we went out to drinks at Marsalino which has a nice outdoor patio across from one of the oldest residencies in Verona. We ordered glasses of Pignoletto and with it came a bottomless plate of pizza! We had planned to go out to dinner, but accidentally filled up on the free bacon and cheese flatbreads and happily made our way home with some extra pennies in our pockets.

The following couple of days were similar, with slow mornings that were extra  lazy because our B&B host Mario brought our complimentary breakfast to our bedroom- which was obviously enjoyed in bed. Yogurt, croissants, toast, tea, and tea biscuits. Carbo loaded up, we went into old town and climbed the tallest Medieval tower in Europe, Torre degli Asinelli. The view, as always was spectacular.

Seeing the city from above made us aware of things that intrigued us and inspired us to seek out. One of these spots was the Basilica de San Stefano. It's like those Russian Matryoshka dolls- layers of rooms with doorways leading to different styles of alters and churches. After enjoying the different styles of architecture all under one roof, we sought out Bascilia S. Domenico but it was unfortunately closed. We wandered our way back into town and had a meat plate with cheese, and our nice waiter gave us lots of suggestions for dinner. One of which was La Stanze. It had high ceilings painted to look like an old roman building and a huge buffet filled with delicious food.

We had to keep ourselves from having a full dinner there, because afterwards we went to Osteria del Osla, where we later shared a delicious tagliatelle and tiramisu! The following day we worked on journaling for a couple hours, reviewing photos, then headed out to wander the streets with no plans. That evening, I have no idea what came over us, but we decided that all you can eat sushi was a good idea. It wasn't. It was fun for 10 minutes while we grabbed sashimi salmon and seaweed salad off of the constantly circling conveyer belt, but after the 8000th plate we were both so full and so disgusted. Mike was so sick that he had to make himself throw up that night, and god knows i wanted to, but instead I felt gross for a solid 24 hours.

The next day, in an effort to sweat out our poor food choice, we hiked over and up to San Luca. It was about a 2 mile walk to the portico which was another mile of stairways and inclined walkways to the top. Not a great view of the city, but San Luca was a beautiful building, the portico walk was incredible, and there was a nice countryside view out the back. We had a nice picnic on one of the benches in the sun before beginning our three mile walk home. Back at the B&B we played more Rummy before getting tortellini in broth for dinner- so delicious. 

Our final day  in Bologna we woke up to the sounds of helicopters overhead, which we thought was weird, but got up and out and walked to a nearby market that's held on the weekends and got a yummy mortadella sandwich.

From there we walked into town, where there was a political protest going on, which explained the helicopters. People of all ages were chanting, dancing, and using the power of their voice to speak up. It was really cool to see. Police had their riot shields at the ready and were blocking off parts of the streets, but it was all very peaceful. In the city center a woman was giving a triumphant speech which was echoed by cheers, waving flags, and smoke flares. We were hoping for a quiet place to have a picnic, but literally the entire city was out and about protesting and celebrating their right to speech. We sat and journaled and read in a park, then relocated to a cafe, all the while the city chanted all around us. 

When we got back to the B&B I finally got a real wave of homesickness. We're exactly halfway through our trip, and it is such a mix of emotions. I absolutely love traveling- no two days are the same at all, we're seeing the most beautiful places and meeting fun people, we're learning tons, and we get to experience it all together. But everyday is pretty exhausting- we wake up and walk all day long, weighing the pros and cons of every purchase, soaking up different sights, people, and cultures all while being surrounded by people not speaking our language. It's all awesome, but I think my physical and mental exhaustion caught up with me that night. I also got overwhelmed thinking about our quick move out west once we return home, and it all seemed like a lot. Which it is! But Mike and I chatted for a long while, and I reached out to those closest to me who give me comfort and have also experienced adventures like these, and in no time my mind was reset. 

It definitely takes pushing your comfort zones to help you learn about yourself, your past self, and what you want in the future. It also just puts it all in perspective. Doing what you want to do/ love to do, following your passions, and making big life-changing jumps forces you to also make big decisions, and that can be really challenging at times. But going on adventures, whether they're big or small, is what fills your life with happiness and stories to share, right? So it may not always be easy to leave your comforts and your loved ones, but I think it will always be worth it. That night I really realized (with a help from my friends) how lucky I am to have a comfortable home and amazing friends and family on the East Coast to miss. But I'm also so blessed to have been able to take this trip with my partner-in-crime during the perfect time in our lives. Our move out West will be a whole new adventure to meet like-minded friends, live in a new environment filled with outdoor recreation, and create my place in the world with Mike. But for now we're in gorgeous Italy, being present, taking it day by day, and soaking up every second that this current adventure gives us. 

Verona & Lake Garda

View the Verona & Lake Garda gallery here

Updated travel itinerary:
October 28-November 4: Verona, Lake Garda & Venice
November 4 - 9: Bologna, Italy
November 9 - 14: Florence, Italy
November 14 - 16: Perugia, Italy
November 16 - 21: Rome, Italy

Instantly in love with Italy. We arrived in Verona to drizzly weather and found our way to B&B Castel Vecchio, where the owner, Nicolo, greeted us and showed us to the apartment we'd be sharing with a few other people. Nicolo sat with us and outlined a walking tour of the city while making notes on our map of monuments to see, places to eat traditional food and the best gelato, and sights for beautiful views of the city. Nicolo left us to get settled, and we kicked our feet up for a bit while the rain wore off, then headed out to explore the city.

Home of Romeo and Juliet, Verona is one of Shakespeare's favorite cities (even though he never visited!), which he certainly should have because he would have loved it even more. Roman architecture, an arena older than the Colosseum, stone walls with big archways that used to contain the city, and marble sidewalks all make this city a step back in time. The old/ historic part of the city is closed off to motor vehicles, so it's walking or biking only, which makes for a very quiet and romantic setting. The marble walkways were glittering from the drying rain and the shop lights dazzling upon them. We found our way into Verona's main square with an outdoor market selling "chachkees," as Mike calls them- little pointless souvenirs like magnets, food, masquerade masks, hats, sweaters, etc. We had fun looking but nothing caught our eye.  

Hungry, per usual, we found Aquila Nera. Everyone around us was sipping on a lovely pinkish-orange colored drink, so we followed suit and ordered Spritz Aperols: Prosecco, Aperol, and seltzer with an orange wedge. So delicious and too easy to drink. As we sat enjoying our Italian drinks and some potato chips, olives, and peanuts (served everywhere with drinks) the waiter continued to bring us out plates of finger food. We questioned whether they were taking advantage of us Americans and serving us food that we'd be charged for if we ate it, but we obviously ate it anyways. We had mini quiche, pizza bites, tater tots, polenta nibbles, and sausage. How could we pass that up? Once we were done with that plate they served us another!  We had to be getting charged, this was too good to be true... But it wasn't! It's a typical Italian custom to have "aperitivo" around 7:00pm- drinks and snacks before you have dinner at 9:00 or 10:00pm. With your purchase of drinks you have limitless finger food (a fat american's dream!). 

DAY 2
The next day was another rainy day, so we lounged around the B&B, chatted with our British flat mates, worked on Levart for most of the morning, then in the afternoon went out to (unsuccessfully) look for Christmas gifts. We wanted to save our walking tour that Nicolo outlined for us for one of the upcoming gorgeous days in our forecast. We wandered around the city stopping into shops, got an espresso (our first in Italy, and damn, we were wired) and a Romeo & Juliette macaron. Nicolo mentioned a great sandwich spot to get cheap food, so we went there and grabbed a warm focaccia pizza slice and a warm prosciutto sandwich and scurried home through the rain to enjoy them at the apartment. Back on the grind working on the blog, then went out to find a new spritz Aperol spot. We went to a cool spot that caught our eye while we strolled the streets earlier called LaTradision.

When we walked in they had awesome throwback tunes playing, a deli section where they shaved fresh meat and cheese, lots of worn wood and hanging lightbulbs (classic us). We enjoyed a spritz or two, ordered a delicious meat and cheese plate and then headed out to another restaurant, Proscuitto & Co, which we noticed because the sounds of live music were echoing through the marble streets advertising their presence.  There was a three piece jazz band with a snare drum and cymbal, a cellist, and a guitarist. We stayed for over an hour happily enjoying the jazz. They even invited their friend up with them to sing a couple of songs, and she sounded like an Amy Winehouse/ rocker-Adele mix. She absolutely killed "Hit the Road Jack." Live music is always a satisfying way to end a day.

DAY 3
A gorgeous, sun-shiny day for a full day of truly touring the city! Mike made us eggs and toast to enjoy on the balcony overlooking an open air market on our street.

With Nicolo's map in hand, we went out to learn about the city we'd been waiting to explore in full. Our first stop was Anfiteatro Arena. This Roman amphitheater, like I mentioned earlier, was constructed around the middle of the 1st century A.D. (decades before the colosseum) and served as inspiration to many of the roman arenas of this type that were built around Italy. Later, in the middle ages, the outer protective wing of the arena was dismantled to use its stone for new city walls. Today only four of the original arches of the exterior ring still stand. 

It was so crazy to walk on the grounds where duals and slaughters took place, and through the hallways where gladiators and lions were held before matches. The ancient architecture is so expertly crafted. Today the arena is still used for shows, operas and festivals.

After the arena, we had hoped to climb the central tower, Torre dei Lamberti, but it was €8 each (rip-off)! Luckily, Casa di Giulietta (from Romeo and Juliet) was nearby, so we walked through the streets lined with shops until we saw a alley covered in initials and hearts and knew we had found it. Even though Romeo and Juliet is fictional, the courtyard and home of Juliet is one of Verona's greatest attractions. Women stand in line to perch themselves on the balcony (which is an old stone tomb) and pretend to look for their Romeo, while others stand with the bronze statue of Juliet and touch her breast which will bring them good luck in finding their true love.

The house was actually purchased from the Dal Capello family in the early 1900's, and because their name sounded like "Capuleti" this home was dubbed Casa di Guilietta for all the suckers like Mike and me who want to pretend its real. We wrote our initials on the wall of lovers and set out to find Romeo's house. "Wherefore art thou, Romeo?"- we couldn't find his house!

But as we wandered all along the streets we came to the river's edge which was stunning. The hill across the water had tall cypress trees, golden Italian homes, old falling stone walls, and the palace perched on top (which was unfortunately covered in restoration blankets). Up the road a bit, passing adorable little restaurants, gelato shops, and trinket stores we found ourselves standing on the oldest bridge in Verona, constructed in 33 b.c.! As the sun began to set, the hill across the river completely began to illuminate, so we found an awesome tiny restaurant called Al Ponte and sat on their back terrace covered in ivy with chirping birds and enjoyed wine and chips while watching the sun go down. 

It was a lovely night in Verona, so we walked along the cobblestone roads with the orange lamps lighting our way, until we were back in the center of town. We grabbed inexpensive sandwiches and ate them in the park by a fountain, watching youths gather for their Friday night shenanigans and couples stroll through on their way to have aperitifs. We joined the couples and went back to La Tradision for a meat and cheese plate and spritz Aperols and enjoyed a night of giggling over Mike's Italian language lessons and watching him try to order everything in Italian. Not bad! But as soon as the waiter asks a specifying question, the conversations go back to English. DuoLingo says that he's 1.5% fluent and can add it to his LinkedIn profile!

DAY 4
October 31st, Halloween back in the States, but no real signs of Halloween in Verona. We were hoping to find a masquerade party so that we could have an excuse to buy fun masks at the chachkee shops, but all we found were late night clubs advertising DJs and to "rock dark goth clothing," so we skipped All Hallows Eve festivities this year. 

The beautiful warm day was spent doing what we do best- aimlessly walking without a plan. We decided to check out the other side of the river and to walk up to where the (hidden) palace is. It was a lovely walk along the river, and then the steps up to the palace wound through a little alley next to quaint homes and a little restaurant. The view from the top of the hill was beautiful- looking out across all of Verona's terra-cotta  rooftops. We sat and enjoyed the view and warm sun, then went to the little restaurant with a patio that had an equally wonderful view and enjoyed a cappuccino while we brainstormed how to spend the rest of our day. 

We decided to work our way down the hill and towards Santa Anastasia church, the largest church in Verona. We always enjoy going into a city's churches because they are magnificently built and are also like a free art museum. This church was so beautiful. It initially began being built in 1290 AD and wasn't completed until the beginning of the 16th century. We were given a pamphlet that outlined all of the pieces of art, and enjoyed spending time walking the perimeter of the church admiring the different styles of design. 

After the church, we had fun stopping into stores and trying on sweaters (because we both really want a cool sweater). Mike found a very euro sweater at a shop called Woolen which we loved, but not €82 love. We made our way back to the B&B to change because the warm afternoon sun had shifted into a cool evening, then we headed out to find traditional food. We hiked back up to a restaurant recommended by Nicolo which was close to the palace on the hill, but we arrived too early (they had just opened) and decided we didn't want to be the only customers awkwardly eating in the quiet. So we went to another restaurant that Nicolo recommended, which we think was either in or close to Romeo's house (but we never found it, so we'll never know).

Traditional food in Verona is pasta with horse bolognese, so that's exactly what Mike ordered. I ordered a spicy chicken, which was a whole little chicken served on the bones with the remnants of chicken feathers still on the little guy. We both felt a little bit guilty (for eating horse and a freshly plucked chicken) but the food was incredible. We hate to love horse, but it was so yummy! We enjoyed our traditional, delicious food while  eavesdropping on a table of retired Americans talk about their winter generators and new committee head appointments. They all sounded so sarcastic interacting with one another, "Oh, Joyce! Isn't that WONNNNDERFUL!" You can't be that excited about an automated garage door button.. But it's the little things! Regardless, we enjoyed their conversation as much as they did.

As we made our way home for an early night, a crew of young witches and zombies made their way past us. In an effort to save or money for the next two upcoming days of day trips, we settled on watching a scary movie at home. Silent Hill isn't scary.

DAY 5
Officially one month into our travels! 1.75 months to go! We decided to celebrate by taking a bus to Garda, about an hour west of Verona. It took closer to two hours of driving due to All Saints Day holiday traffic. The drive along the coast of Lake Garda was beautiful- the sun shining down on the vast blue water and palm trees whizzing by.

When we arrived in Garda, the small town on the lake was very quiet, which we can only assume was due to the holiday. I imagined Garda looking like the photo that used to be my computer's wall paper; a large village with building built up along a hill. And while this town was really beautiful, it just wasn't what we were expecting. We were also  thinking there would be more to do and to explore, but Garda is really tiny! The town took about 10 minutes to explore- lots of little clothing boutiques, pastry shops and restaurants. Then we walked the coast line, enjoying the lake view that felt like an ocean and the large rock-faced hills shooting up from the water.

Since there wasn't much to do in this quiet town on a Sunday holiday, we decided to celebrate our one-month of traveling by having a bit of a "do-nothing" day, simply enjoying the view while we had drinks and lunch at various restaurants along the coastline. It really did feel like a vacation because it was warm, there were palm trees all around, and a gorgeous shimmering lake to gaze upon all day. We agreed it would be amazing to visit Garda in the summertime when we could play in the crystal blue waters all day.

After a wonderful day on the lake, we got back into Verona around 7:00 after a long and trafficky bus ride. We went to the grocery store and bought sandwich ingredients for a quick and cheap dinner, ate in the kitchen and chatted with our new flat mate Jess who also quit her job to travel. The evening was spent swapping travel plans and recommendations with her before having another early night to rest up for Venice!

DAY 6
Mike's blog about Venice coming soon!

DAY 7
Our last day in Verona was very low-key (as are most of our final days in a city). We had a leisurely morning making breakfast and enjoying it on the sunny patio, we worked on publishing the Innsbruck blog and gallery, and started some laundry. Except the housekeeper came in and needed the washer while our clothes were halfway through the cycle, so we took them out and dried them probably filled with suds. To get out of her hair we went into the piazza and enjoyed cafe americanos (I've run out of lactose enzymes to help our lactose-sensitive tummies digest milk) and we tried to tentatively map our our final six and a half weeks of travel. Crazy that we're nearly halfway through this adventure!

Verona is often overlooked as a destination in Italy because people are drawn to Venice (for good reason), but it is really a magical little city that we highly recommend. It's clean, it's beautiful, not packed with tourists, and thus way cheaper than Venice. Plus it's location is centrally located in Northern Italy, making it a quick and easy train ride into Venice to the east or Lake Garda to the west and Florence to the south. If questing whether to visit Verona or Venice don't overlook either, but rather make time for both!

Innsbruck

View our Innsbruck gallery here

After our wonderful stay in Vienna, we bittersweetly left with great memories and headed for the mountains. THE MOUNTAINS!!! And not just any mountains- The Alps! As our train passed through Salzburg and into Innsbruck the majesty of these impressive peaks came into view and absolutely blew us away.

I, unlike Mike, have only ever been in the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York, which are gorgeous and green. But these bad boys are literally sky high- peaking above the clouds with their snow covered caps. We walked off the train with huge grins on our faces because we finally felt at home, in a way. We've always loved being in the wilderness, and after 3 weeks of metropolis hopping, it felt so great to be surrounded by mountains and trails to explore.

Innsbruck's old city center is very cute and lively. A good mix of old architecture, cobblestoned roads, and modern stores. The outer skirts of the city are actually pretty raw with punky people! Surprising to us because we imagined Innsbruck being filled with mountain mamas and papas who worship the landscapes that surround them. The city of Innsbruck is in the center of a mountain bowl- 360 degrees of enormous mountains around you. We explored the old  town center and walked along the Innanna River, which is an indescribable milky-aqua color, freezing cold, and mesmerizing with the white mountains as its backdrop.

We found a cafe with outdoor seating and large overhead lightbulbs next to the Innanna and shared a pizza and drinks. We must've been flies in a past life because we're constantly attracted to the christmas light settings- drawn to the sparkle. It was warm in the sun, but the cold mountain air kept us a perfect temperature. We didn't talk much because we were both quietly and happily enjoying looking down at the aqua river and up at the peaks we wished to be on top of. Continuing our exploration, but not wanting to leave this beautiful river's edge,  we walked through a park neighboring the river and sat to listen to a singer/harmonica player and guitarist play some soulful music for a small crowd. It was here that we finally found the fellow mountaineer crowd; a group of 30 or so nature lovers in their hiking boots and grey long hair bobbed their heads and clapped along to the live music. As we walked back towards town, the sun was setting and absolutely ignited the sky. Burning clouds floated behind the fierce snowy mountains, changing from mandarine orange, to a pink rose, and finally to a dark lavender before settling behind the peaks.

With nighttime upon us, we found our way to a bar our Viennese friend Elisabeth recommended called Tribaun with 20 amazing craft beers on tap (which are hard to come by in Europe) and then made our way back to Hostel Marmota. By far the worst hostel so far. It was like checking into a low-cost kindergarten (although no parent I know would let their kid go there). The walls have amateur paintings of mountains and marmots on them, there are coloring book marmot drawings taped all over the common room walls, the keys have MASSIVE rat stuffed animals attached to them (so you dont lose your keys but want to toss them off a mounatin), the beds are thin foam- you can feel every wood board of the bunk's frame, the floors were dirty, the lights didn't turn on in the hallways (convenient when you're trying to fit the rat key in the key hole), the wifi was terrible (one reason we're behind schedule with blogs), reception blasts Arriana Grande at 7:00am in the morning when hikers are trying to rest and recover, and the showers barely warm. Ugh. Anyways, I digress..

The next morning we set out bright and early to get out into the mountains. We boarded a tram that brought us to a gondola, which brought us to the lodge on the mountain, then up to the peak of Hafelekarspitze. As we took the gondola to the lodge, we saw hikers trekking up the steep trail and we decided (after spending more than we had expected on the tram & gondolas) that we would conquer that hike in our following days here. 

The view from the top of an Alp at 8,051 feet was stunning. As we stood on the rock face of Hafelekarspitze a sister peak next to the tourist covered Seegrube station, we had snow at our feet and an endless landscape of epic mountains soaring into the sky all around us. I've never felt so small (in a good way); a tiny spec next to these enormous and powerful peaks. We stayed on the top taking it all in and enjoying the crisp, cold, mountain air before we decided to skip the gondola and descend the top of the mountain ourselves. We weaved down for 45 minutes before finding a place in the hills to call our own for a picnic.

Baguette, salami, cheese, apple, trail mix, and red wine for lunch. We basked in the sun, ate our lunch, and got sleepy from mountain merlot and dozed off. We woke up in a dream: the white faced mountains were still all around us, radiating the sunshine off of them, and we were still in the middle of nowhere with no signs of humanity near us, except for little ants enjoying the lodge or summiting the other peaks nearby. We shook off our drowsiness and hiked around the trails leading to the lodge, which was too packed with people, so we followed another trail until we found a second place of solitude to enjoy the calmness of being in the mountains.

Around 5:00pm we took the gondola and tram back into town and found a quick and cheap spot called MyIndigo to share curry chicken with rice and a salad before heading back to the hostel for an early night to rest up for tomorrow's hike.

Awake and stoked for a good hike, we had oatmeal and peanut butter to fuel up, then headed to the Hafelekarspitze trail head. An absolutely perfect hiking day: low 60s, bluebird skies, amd the occasional breeze to cool your tired body. On the mountain by 10:00am with a handful of other ambitious mountaineers, and by 10:15am we were already stripping layers. We knew the hike would be tough between the steep incline and our lack of cardiovascular exercise, but damn. This was STRAIGHT up for 2.5 miles and in the direct sun because it followed the clearing of the gondola's path. But as we gained altitude, the view that we fell in love with continued to come into view and propelled us to reach the top. Just under 2 hours later we had reached the lodge and were greeted with open arms to our mountains.

We found a new lunch spot for our picnic (same as yesterday's menu) and enjoyed refueling, listening to music, and dozing in the sun. A few hours later we had to begin our trek down, but we decided to take the dirt/gravel walking road instead of the trail we followed up. It's gradual decline weaved and wrapped us around the side of the mountain through the woods (never thought I would miss the smell of shady forest dirt, but it was so refreshing to smell) and we made it to the bottom just before sunset which is much earlier now due to Daylight Savings being a week before the US'. Deserving of dinner and drinks, we had chicken curry and salad at MyIndigo again, then found our way to Tribaun for a good craft beer. We made friends with our bartender, Robert, who relocated to Innsbruck from New Orleans. Exhausted, we made our way back to our kindergarten nap room and passed out.

October 27 we celebrated 2 years of laughing, loving, exploring, and growing together. We felt it was only fitting to spend our anniversary back up in the Alps that we loved so much. So we (and our sore legs) took the gondola back up to the lodge and followed a trail off the the left, which led to the mountain ridge named Langer Sattel. With wobbly legs and non-grip running sneakers, my hiking wasn't as strong as yesterday. But we steadily made our way up. Another hardcore, steep climb, which opened up into an epic panoramic view and gusting winds. I now understood why a man on our way up (he on his descent) said something to me in German in a skeptical and laughing tone. My capri leggings and running sneakers weren't exactly the right gear for this altitude and snowy hike. But determined to summit, we pushed on, slipping through steep snow-covered grounds and being pushed by the winds. At the top we shared a proud anniversary smooch, soaked in the insanity that surrounded us, and then made our way down before our sweat froze. On the way down we saw Alpinists summiting an awesome peak, Mike was especially jealous, and agreed we'll be back to do some real work in this range.

Yet another fantastic picnic with the view that has become our dearest friend throughout these past three days. Another sunny snooze in the hills, then treated ourselves to a drink and a pretzel out on the lodge's deck. We sadly had to say goodbye to our favorite mountain view and make our way back down around 5:00pm. Anniversary dinner at an Alpine restaurant- a grilled "chicken" (turkey) salad for me, and "steak" (pork) and fries for Mike.

After dinner we went to a little bakery/bar for a drink and to contemplate buying an apple strudel or chocolate cake. We decided we didn't need it.... Regrets.  Back to Tribaun for our final anniversary night cap and played Tower of Hanoi and 3D connect four with our friendly bartender. Two puzzle games made out of wood that were just so fitting for a mountain town bar. He also gave us great advise on language learning apps and techniques that we plan to use when we study Spanish. We've been so jealous of all these multi-lingual people while we've been abroad that we're inspired to learn a second! 

Back to Marmota for (thankfully) our last night to pack and take cold showers. Sad to be leaving the beyond beautiful landscapes and mountains, but excited to explore Italy! Up next: Verona!

Vienna Oh Vienna

View the Vienna gallery here

We left the comfort of Prague, the cheep beers, affordable meals, and warm private apartment for a bit of uncertainty in Austria. The immigration of thousands of people from Syria is only getting thicker as they are flocking to Germany, but getting held up in certain places like Austria. We were warned by many to stay clear of these areas and be cautious. But we knew that we had to get to Vienna-even if it turned out to be as crazy as people had stated-we had to see it for ourselves so that we could finally try to understand the situation that our media has only scared us away from. Our uncertain feelings about heading to Vienna were not brought on by the refugees. They are people like you and me: pleasant despite their hardship, educated, family-oriented, citizens of this world who just need some help to get their lives back again. Our worries were brought on by transportation. We had heard stories of canceled trains leaving people stranded, other issues like limited train travel to certain destinations with services occurring less frequently, overcrowding, and mainly that Vienna's main station was basically converted into a refuge camp. Weighing all of our options we soon agreed our only option and mission was to get to Vienna. 

We played out ignorant fear-induced scenarios in our heads as we headed to the station in Prague to hop on that train to Vienna. We felt better once we saw our train still on the board, departing on time at 10:30am just like it was suppose to. In retrospect our question as to if the train might be canceled was foolish because we were headed south, the opposite direction of the migrating masses, and we would soon find out if trains were leaving Vienna as frequently as we would like. But until we were on the ground, so to speak, there was nothing we could do. So speculations would only make things worse for our immediate situation, which was no situation at all. We comfortably boarded a sleek and clean rail jet train, our favorite train thus far, and headed out to Vienna. 

The passing Czech countryside was quite beautiful mostly sprawling green pastures, rolling hills and patches of forest. The fall color at this point is in peak conditions with trees radiating color illuminated by the sun who occasionally peaks through the grey clouds- stunning. Em caught up on her journaling and I think I stared off into space listening to music for most of the journey, captivated by the landscapes I was more than satisfied. For lunch we had a sandwich that Lady Luck provided for us. In Prague we had about 62 Czech crowns left, and every sandwich was just out of reach by about 3-5 Czech crowns- bummer. Just when we thought we would be going without lunch for the day I found a coin worth 5 crowns on the floor! It was just what we needed!! So we ate that miracle sandwich with smiles on our faces despite its lack of content. Maybe 2 pieces of ham, an equal amount of cheese with one small leaf of something green on a baguette- perfect! As the Czech Republic faded and Austria crept closer our nerves/excitement started to grow. Expecting a mad house we pulled into Vienna's main station. We were shocked by what we saw. 

"Well this is nothing like we were lead to believe," we thought to ourselves. Where were all the refugees? They were supposed to be camped out everywhere, the station is suppose to be mobbed. It was quite the opposite actually. It was eerily quiet. And for such a massive station the lack of people was alarming. Curious with questions we walked through the station and onto the streets. Following my phone's GPS to our AirBnB we rounded the corner of the train station, and that's when we saw it: huddled groups of people, tents, aid stations, fences, family's with little kids with no where to go. We walked right through it being respectful and curious as we looked around trying to take it in. At that moment we truly with our hearts felt for these people, and realized the severity of the situation. They all still seem to keep a cheerful demeanor despite all they have been through and all they have yet to go through, and it appears they are getting good treatment here: food, doctors, water, and some shelter. 

We continued our walk to our new AirBnB which was located in district three (Vienna is divided into districts). It turned out to be a pretty lengthy walk from the station, but we don't mind that because it helps us get our bearings. When we hop off the trains we are generally disoriented until we hit the streets. We met our wonderfully cheerful host, Elisabeth, a gal a little older then us who spoke very good English. We were very excited to be able to communicate so well. It helped to form a great relationship right off the bat. She gave us the grand tour of our new flat for the next three nights, and then she went above and beyond and took us around the neighborhood to show us some good local places and help us gain even more awareness of our exact location in the world. She bid us farewell, but not before we made plans for an outing on Friday night! 

Em and I decided that we would use the night to investigate the neighborhood further and check out some of the suggested watering holes. The first stop was a smokey basement pub with old wooden furniture and good beer full of what appeared to be hard-working Austrians finishing off their day with some beers and smokes. The vibe was good but we weren't there to stay so we soaked up the atmosphere as well as plenty of second-hand smoke and enjoyed a round. Next stop was Mollipop. Elisabeth had recommended this place for two reasons: first being that the vibe was cool and the owner had an exstensive collection of LPs that she would often play th B side of, and the second being that the owner was quite a riot. Elisabeth described her as, "the Zombie Lady of the Third District". After meeting her I would assume that if she knew of that nickname she would embrace it full heartedly. She was an older woman dressed in all black. She had long grey hair down to her waist and she stood behind her bar with a sobering demeanor, sporting a face that would never crack a smile but might shatter glass if she stared long enough. She was smoking her cigarettes with conviction while peering deeply into her patrons souls. All of that description should not be taken negatively because it made her an extremely interesting individual who I found to be really cool and sure of who she was. The music we entered to was quite different then we were expecting, but fit the mood so much it was scary. No, I mean it, it was scary. It sounded like horror movie-esque electronic screeches accompanied by trancey beats thrown together in an off-beat tempo being played way to loud. It was perfect for our first impressions of the Zombie Lady of the Third District. Despite the music we stayed for a drink, and after a couple bouts of bleeding ears the music changed and became rather good; we determined that we would definitely go back. After that culture shock I believe we turned in after finding somewhere cheap to grab a bite.

The next day the morning greeted us and we planned to set out and see Vienna's sites and learn Vienna's history. First we had a little breakfast at the flat. Elisabeth had bought us a loaf of bread to welcome us, so we ate a piece of that with some apricot jam, tea, espresso and some lovely singing and guitar plucking by Em. During breakfast we plotted our attack plan and by 10:30am we were out the door. The first stop on our itinerary was the famed St. Stephen's Cathedral.

This is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna. We wandered our way there passing beautiful architecture, clean streets and famed Viennese coffee shops. The cathedral was breathtaking, another testament to the sheer talent of the old builders. We walked all around the exterior taking in the majesty of its towering spires and the intricate architectural detail. We then made our way inside to be even more blown away. It's beauty inspired us so much that we decide to come back and partake in the 12 o'clock mass! Between studying the detail of the cathedral and attending mass a little bit later, we ventured off down a couple of back alley streets to find one of Mozart's apartments. We spent some time there soaking it all in before returning to the cathedral. So much history in one city block!

It was very interesting for Em and me to sit through mass in a completely different language in a place that has seen so much history. Even though we don't normally go to church at home, we were both very happy we attended this mass because it was a beautiful experience. We continued the trend of sight-seeing and history-learning for awhile and found ourselves in the museum district called "Museum Quartier". 

I was excited to check out the Leopold museum. Rudolf Leopold was an eye doctor turned art collector. The museum houses the largest collection of work by Egon Schiele. If you aren't familiar with Schiele he was an amazing painter and the most significant graphic artist of Austrian Expressionism. There is also work by Gustav Klimt who was a huge inspiration and mentor to Schiele and also the most extraordinary artistic personality of the secession. Inspired and enlightened we left the museum in search of some grub. Over by the Gold Leaf Dome and the Opera we stumbled across Naschmarkt, an open air food paradise that spanned about 3 blocks. It was full of vendors selling meats, nuts, cheese, herbs ,wine, fish, produce, bread, anything you wanted. Also amongst the vendors were restaurants and places to have a drink. Having split one piece of bread for breakfast earlier that morning, it was really overwhelming to decide what to eat, but absolutely perfect as we found cheap food to gorge on. 

Full and satisfied with the feeling that were being so Anthony Bourdain we headed out. We got a bit lost but only to find ourselves in a beautiful park close to our flat. Vienna is known for its parks and green space and this park was a testimony to that reputation. We found a park bench to sit on and relax for a bit. The sun was going down and the lighting made for the most perfect fall evening. Two other lovers felt the same way, as they made out for literally 45 minutes. The night was spent doing a bit of bar hopping, finding dinner then going back to the flat to enjoy some wine we had bought- Viennese wine is exceptional. 

The next day we had plans to take the U-bahn (subway) to Schonbrunn Palace. We dedicated the whole day to it and we are so glad we did. The palace itself is massive and gorgeous. This baroque estate is impressive with its 1,441 rooms to say the least, and the exterior is stunning in its neoclassical style. The palace and its gardens have more than 300 years of history behind it and it is one of Austria's most important architectural and cultural monuments. What's even more impressive than the palace, if that's possible, are its gardens. Em and I literally spent a whole day getting lost in the vast expanse. With minimal amounts of tourists we were transported back in time. It was the most perfect fall day so we wandered its mazes, rose gardens, forests, bird cages, Roman ruins, and so much more that is impossible to explain. Our favorite part was the Palm House- a mansion of a green house that was home to a whole jungle and rain forest basically. It was impressive. Europe's oldest zoo is also on the grounds, and as we wandered up the paths to the Gloriette at the top of the hill we were able to see lions, buffalo, bison, deer, and a rhino! 

We had plans with Elisabeth that night so we found a little, gorgeous restaurant in a hidden garden and had a beer and a wine soaking in the setting sun and beautiful scenery before heading back home to get ready and primp ourselves. It was like a first date for Em and me, anxious to finally go out with a local of a foreign country. We took the U-bahn to meet her close to the 7th district where she lived. Guiding us to a cheap and delicious sushi restaurant she acted as a tour guide giving us the scoop on everything around us along the way pointing out the smallest house in Vienna, old theaters, and theatrical monuments. We stuffed our faces with half-priced sushi and Austrian beer (wine for Em) while carrying on light conversation between mouthfulls getting to know each other. Our next stop was a rooftop bar that unless you appeared to be hip you weren't getting in. We got in! With egos soaring high we enjoyed a drink and a whole lot of laughs on the balcony. We also got an illuminated aerial tour of the city from up there. Elisabeth shared so much of her knowledge with us, it really made the experience perfect. We all decided to move on to another bar. Elizabeth kindly asked where we would like to go but we responded by telling her that that was the wrong question to ask, and for her to continue taking the reigns. She had just the spot, one of her favorits. She described it as "a constant" because it's always been the way it is and it always will be. Nothing has changed for years. It was absolutely perfect.

We walked down into a tightly packed space with two rooms. There was a small bar in the corner and a jukebox in the other room. The posters on the smoke stained walls were from the 1980s and the jukebox played the same 30 songs it's always had- Johnny Cash, Jimmy Hendrix, REO Speedwagon to name a few. The room with the jukebox was notorious for having coaster wars- kids flinging their coasters across the room at one another. We couldn't have asked for a cooler local scene.

We found ourselves a table stuffed between happy customers and ordered, "3 Cokes". "It's like cocaine but it's a drink!" Elisabeth exclaimed. It was delicious. Coke is a shot of bakers rum served with a sugar cube and some coffee beans While you chew the sugar and coffee beans together you take sips on the rum. The flavors are like a symphony all paired together perfectly. We stayed for a few drinks and talked politics and refugees, shared travel plans, and stories from our past, all bonding so well. Em and I were so pleased to have found such a great new friend. We hugged goodbye and headed home (to her home) but not before getting sausage from a roadside stand as recommended. 

Vienna was kind to us as were the people we met. Its beauty inspired us and we made new memories and new friends. What more could you ask for? In the morning we said farewell and made our way to Innsbruck, anxious to get in the mountains.

Prague- Behind the Scenes of History

View the Prague Gallery here

It's a beautifully sunny, yet foggy morning leaving Vienna en route to Innsbruck, and alas, we've fallen behind on our blogging again.. Too much to see and do! We figured these next four hours are perfect for catching up!

I'm sure it's been a bit confusing where in the world we are, so here's a little recap on the travel itinerary thus far:

Oct 1-4 Reykjavik, Iceland
Oct 4-8 Amsterdam, Netherlands
Oct 8-11 Bruges, Belgium
Oct 11-13 Ghent, Belgium
Oct 13-16 Berlin, Germany
Oct 16-21 Prague, Czech Republic
Oct 21-24 Vienna, Austria
Oct 24-28 Innsbruck, Austria
Currently: Oct 28- Nov. 4 Verona, Italy (Visiting Venice and Lake Garda from here)

Our travel plans have been right on track, thus far, but unfortunately are beginning to skew due to the Syrian refugee situation, which has caused boarders to close and is making train travel to/from Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Croatia more difficult than usual. More information about seeing the refugee situation coming in our Vienna post, but now onto Prague!

Prague greeted us with another rainy and cold day, but it didn't matter because we were excited for a new city to explore and our first AirBnB apartment! Our hostess, Ekaterina- a late 20s sweet and cute young professional, met us at a metro stop and showed us the way to our apartment. The apartment was perfect: tall ceilings with large windows, clean, modern and chic, with a kitchen, washer, and a comfortable pull out couch for us to sleep on! She pointed out where to find things, then left us to enjoy our little taste of home. Exhausted from a long day of traveling, we settled in, went to the market 3 minutes up the road and bought cheese, salami, bread and wine. Having blood sugar in our bodies again we decided to find a nearby bar, it being Friday night, and settled on La Bodega- a Spanish inspired bar (definitely not very Czech of us). We ended up making great conversation with the bartenders, one of which, Jardin, was a fellow surfer and outdoor enthusiast, so Mike and him enjoyed chatting about places to surf and mountainous regions to consider visiting during our travels. Out much later than expected (11:30! Oh my!) we went back to our own little apartment for a good nights sleep.

Or so we thought.

DAY 2
As cosy as our bed was with big comfy pillows, down blankets, and no strangers 4 feet away, the noise level out our window was extreme. Between Friday night clubbers making their way home, cobblestone streets, the tram route, and a glass-collecting truck picking up and dropping waste containers like Godzilla, we unfortunately weren't too well rested. However, we happily lazed in bed until around 10:30 or 11:00. Ah, privacy bliss. 

Mike made us eggs and ham (we thought we were getting bacon- silly tourists strike again) with a croissant on the side. The morning clouds were burning off and making way to a beautiful sunny day at last! We left to explore Old Town Prague, making our way through a beautiful park close to our apartment, then across the river and into the Old Town Center. City centers are always a tourist trap, but for obvious reasons- the Astronomical Clock, live music, roasting pork, trinket and Tradelnik stands aren't to be missed. And neither is the Charles Bridge, which *fun fact*'at one point was completely under water! The old bridge not only has a wonderful view up to the Prague Palace complex and of Old Town, but also is just so amazingly constructed with great detail paid to the statues of saints as you walk across. Everything in Prague is so detailed.

We made our way across the densely packed bridge of tourists and quickly turned down a side street to explore without bumping into others and being nervous about pickpockets. We walked all over the Old Town hill, walking through alleys that caught our eye, stopping to take pictures of beautiful buildings and homes, and going into quaint courtyards to find delicate flower boxes basking the in fall air and sun.

After hiking up and down Prague's hidden roads, we were starved and happened upon a medieval themed restaurant for lunch. When we walked through the heavy wood door, it took a minute for our eyes to adjust because it was SO dark. Once we could see, the atmosphere came to life. Heavy wood tables and chairs, vines creeping around the arched doorways, a fireplace in the back, and black charred ceilings (from what we later learned is from the fire shows they put on at night). We wanted to eat a traditional Czech meal, so we split yummy garlic bread followed by a plate of pork, sauerkraut, and bohemian dumplings (essentially just soft, steamed bread- perfect for soaking up the gravy). 

With pork in our bellies, we climbed through more of the cobblestoned streets, getting higher and higher, and the next thing we knew we had stumbled upon the palace. We initially thought we would save the Lobkowicz Palace tour for Monday when there may be less tourists, but we figured we were in the area, so we slapped on our audio guides and got to learning!

We chose to tour the Lobkowicz Palace, which is one of many in the Prague Castle complex, because it is the family property of my parents' dear friend John Lobkowicz! It is also the only privately owned Palace in the complex. John's brother, William Lobkowicz, narrates the audio guide, which is very well done- telling the story of how the Lobkowicz family lost and regained their palaces, extensive art collection, books, and musical compositions annotated by Mozart (and more mind blowing collections) TWICE! A really great story in a stunning building with with so many beautiful art collections. 

We took in the breathtaking views from the Palace overlooking Old Town below, then we walked through the Prague Palace Cathedral, which is unlike anything you've ever seen. Its gothic exterior opens into a massive and elegant interior, with stained glass windows, larger than life statues, and never ending pillars. We continue to be in awe of the craftsmanship and detail that went into nearly everything in old European architecture.

From the cathedral we walked down the hill through vineyards and from afar we saw a weird wall that we couldn't figure out what it was made of or if it was just filthy, so we set out to find it. Mike's spidey-senses led us right to it, and it is housed within a large garden with peacocks, owls, koi fish, and a huge amphitheater. The wall was made out of dripped concrete, and hidden within are faces of monsters and frogs and ugly creatures. The designer wanted to create a space that was fanatical and mysterious- goal achieved! 

Ready for dinner, we went to a restaurant called Kozlovna and embarked on another traditional Czech meal- Pork Knuckle! The waitress asked if we wanted one or two, which seemed like a silly question when she served us our one Knuckle because it was literally the size of our heads.

After splitting the delicious heap of fat and cholesterol, we walked back through the Old Town Center feeling huge and gassy from so much pork in one day, and looked up at the illuminated Astronomical Clock. Like Berlin, Prague was also having a light show called "Signal," so we watched as one of the buildings in the square dazzled and danced to the thumping music, then went home to have an early evening watching The Spongebob Squarepants Movie- very educational following our culture-filled day. 

DAY 3: Lunch with Lobkowicz
We had the amazing opportunity to connect with my parents' friend John (mentioned earlier) to have a day filled with touring the other Lobkowicz Palaces in the countryside! John picked us up at 10:00 with a lovely woman named Karin, and together we drove out of the city and to our first stop: Nelahozeves Castle. This Renaissance castle has a beautifully decorated exterior, and houses more of the Lobkowicz Collections. Many students working on their thesis' come here to study the works that aren't available to the public. We didn't tour the interiors of the castle because there was only a children's tour happening while we were there, and John didn't want to draw attention. John, in his comedic tone, assured us that once you've seen one palace you've seen them all. 

Our next stop was to the unbelievably grand estate that his father, Martin, grew up in- Roudnice Castle. The castle has a one-acre courtyard, and you can really only see one side of it at a timed use to its ginormity. Unfortunately only 5 of the 272 rooms in the castle have been restored and it is slowly deteriorating- such a shame to see and to hear John speak about it. His father tells stories of biking from room to room as a child because it was so big, and his family having 20+ guests visiting at a time but you may not see them for days! This castle wasn't open, so instead we walked along the perimeter and gathered 3 chestnuts each- an old Czech tradition that brings you good fortune (still carrying and collecting 3 chestnuts everywhere we go!). 

Our final stop on our coutryside tour was Strekov Castle in the northern Bohemian lands that sits above the Elbe River. This is the current home of John's cousin, one of the only Lobkowicz's in the current generation to actually live in one of the properties. We all agreed it would be bizarre to have people touring your house during the day. The view of the river and landscapes below was great, as the low fog rested easily on the soft plains of grass.

After driving and touring for hours, we ended our day together at one of John's favorite lunch spots back in the city called Merlin's. It's a silly restaurant decorated with random artifacts- a mix between an Irish pub and Applebee's. We all ordered too much food (the most amazing onion rings) and discussed the hilarity of Donald Trump running for president and our next travel plans, taking in great advise from our two delightful, hilarious, and gracious guides. The rest of our day was spent relaxing, buying snacks, and trying to find another movie- 10 Things I Hate About You was about all we could find.

DAYS 4 & 5
Monday morning we spent a few hours blogging- getting the Ghent blog up and prepping Berlin. It was a beautiful sunny fall day- high 50s- so we spent the entirety of it outside walking the whole length of the park by our apartment, which brought us past a huge metronome (the purpose of it we aren't sure) and then we ended up back at the Prague Palace complex. Then, in the distance, we saw a tower that looked like the Eiffel Tower, so we walked through a valley and hiked through the woods up to it, and finally ascended the stairs to find a great panoramic view of the city. 

On our way back down into the city, we found an apple orchard. Mike picked us a golden delicious and we sat under an apple tree delighted in our day of wandering. It sounds like a small piece to an excellent trip in Prague, but it was definitely one of our favorite moments.

Back in town we stopped for dinner which was delicious- a salad with smoked duck for me and chicken on top of pea purée for Mike (definitely going to miss how far our money gets us as we travel back into the more expensive countries). 

Our final day in Prague, Tuesday (10/20) had no real plans besides purchasing  little pieces of Prague before we left for Austria. We walked back into Old Town Center and bought a little print of the city that we had been eyeing for a few days from a small tourist-trapping vendor and meandered down streets we hadn't yet explored. We came upon an open air market and bought a Kaki fruit- like a persimmon Mike told me. Peach-like. Then, somehow, we got lost and ended up in the Times Square of Prague, swamped with people and traffic and stupid shopping stores. Trying our hardest to make our way back to Old Town where it was prettier and less city-like, we tried to follow our path back, but obviously took some wrong turns. Eventually we made it back, and we shared a disappointing chicken sausage and a Tradelnik- a delicious twisted cinnamon sugar treat.

On our way home we stopped into Orange Bar, which we had passed every walk home during our stay, and finally decided to go in. But as soon as we opened the door and stepped in we realized they weren't open yet and that we had interrupted a meeting. The two men invited us in to sit and have a drink (40 minutes before opening!) and made Mike a Negroni and a kiwi daiquiri for me (not my kind of cocktail, but it was yummy). The bartender and owner shared s cheers and drink with us like it was our own private cocktail bar. We noticed the rain outside beginning to fall, so we bid our kind cocktail hosts a goodnight and scurried through the rain to the grocery store for dinner fixin's. Back at the apartment for our final night, we enjoyed an appetizer of cheese, bread, and olives while Mike perfectly roasted Brussels sprouts and carrots and pan cooked chicken breasts. A perfect ending to a lovely and relaxing time in Prague.

Berlin

View the Berlin gallery here

*Disclaimer* The weather was terrible, so pictures are scarce*

After a 10 hour journey from Ghent to Berlin, we finally arrived, but not without yet another sprint through the station to catch our train.

We left our hostel in Ghent, caught our first train from Ghent to Brussels, and arrived at the station ahead of schedule. So early that our train was not yet listed on the overhead train schedule. We sat in a cafe enjoying a coffee and waited to find out which platform we will be heading to. Mike, being cautious and thorough, went to check the board every five minutes. Once the train showed up on the screen, there was something written in a foreign language in red. "I think it's just because it's an international train," we concluded. But Mike, being Mike, wasn't convinced, and asked someone working at the station. Thank goodness for his skepticism, because 2 seconds later he quickly, yet calmly said, "Em, we have to leave right now." Our train from Brussels to Berlin was stuck in Liege, Belgium, so we had to catch the next train leaving in 2 minutes! Luckily my blisters were completely healed (hallelujah) so we were able to proceed at full speed. Thankfully, the rest of the journey went swimmingly.

DAY 1
In Berlin around 5:00pm and walked 40 minutes to our hostel- Wombats. We checked-in and went up to their rooftop deck to enjoy a complimentary drink and to take in the amazing view of Berlin. It was a damp and cold night, but that didn't deter us from enjoying the sparkling view of the city from above and venturing out to see the Festival of Lights in the city center.

The Festival of Lights happens once a year; it's when famous monuments and buildings are illuminated with amazing light/video shows. We walked to Brandenburg Gate and watched light shows (accompanied by music) submitted by 6 different countries for 30 minutes or so in the drizzling rain. Some of the shows told stories, while others were merely a mind-blowing light exhibit, which made the buildings and monuments looks as though they were being re-built or as if they were rippling like water. Excited to be in the city, we continued to walk through the streets gazing up in wonder and awe at the amazing light displays on these intricately and beautifully designed buildings and monuments. We made our way back to our part of the city and explored the blocks close to us and found a small sandwich/burger shop for dinner. Next door was a very funky bar/club- Mein Haus see Me- with classy, hipster youths sitting on mirrored stadium steps in the back and old, 70's consignment shop couches in the front. We enjoyed a drink and people watching there before calling it a night. (No pictures because everyone was too cool for us to take touristy pictures in front of)

 DAY 2
Another cold and very wet day- perfect for re-learning Germany's unbelievable history. Before learning we needed to rev up our minds with coffee, and little did we know when we walked into The Barn that we would be getting not only the best coffee ever, but a coffee experience, too. Our barista/coffee expert ordered two different black coffees for us- one from Colombia the other from Honduras. Once he was done meticulously grinding the coffee beans and letting them "swim and sit" in the hot water, he aero-pressed our coffees and explained why the process is superior to other coffee-making methods. And while I'm not sure if he was right, or if it's because my brain and pallet were expecting an incredible cup of coffee, but we enjoyed the best black cup of coffee ever. Mine had a baker's chocolate taste and Mike's had fruity undertones. I may have been a barista years ago, but I never knew coffee could have SUCH different flavors.

Jazzed up on coffee we scurried through the rain and took the subway to Potsdam Platz to the DDR Museum-- along with everyone and their mother. (We honestly can't even imagine what traveling to these destinations must be like in the summer months! If we're experiencing lines and an annoying amount of people, we can't imagine what high-tourist season would be like!) The DDR Museum is very cool because it truly paints a picture of what it was like to be living in Germany during war times and as Germany rebuilt itself- all the way through the fall of the Berlin Wall. We spied on our German neighbors, played in a 1950's kitchen, we watched as a selfish child (who wouldn't share) drove an old car through the video-game streets of Berlin, we got interrogated by communists, Mike made important decisions, we watched old propaganda movies, and we graffitied love messages on a fake Berlin Wall, all the while reading incredible facts and descriptions of Germany through the ages.

Once our wet feet and soaking coats had had a chance to dry out during our few hours in the DDR museum, we unwillingly went back out into the pouring rain to make our way to the Topography of Terrors Museum and the (real) Berlin Wall remains. The Topography of Terrors Museum sits on the site of a former Secret State (SS) police headquarters. It has two parts, the first of which was outside under a glass ceiling, which has an extensive timeline with photos outlining the atrocities of German history and showing the faces of those who created such a terrifying place to be. We spent at least an hour and a half standing in the cold and reading horrifying and sad historical events. It actually felt fitting to be in such uncomfortable weather conditions- freezing and wet- while reading about the terrible conditions that these poor German people were faced with, and watching the rain hit the glass above us like teardrops...

Behind this football field length of a timeline is a piece of the remaining Berlin Wall. Which, after re-learning German history at the DDR Museum and re-learning about the horrible people and their horrifying decisions at the Topography of Terror Museum, it was really quite breathtaking to be beside the Wall that was so suppressing. It's extremely hard to believe that Germany was under such strict and scary control not that long ago! The second part of this museum was (thankfully indoors) an exhibit of many of the people that were war criminals and the cruelty that they induced. Not an exhibit for the "faint of heart"- many photos and videos of shootings, hangings, and people deceased due to malnourishment. Mike and I listened to countless (translated) radio broadcasts by Hitler and his brain-washed supporters. Crazy to hear the craziness come straight from their mouths.. I could go on and on about our feelings and thoughts that came from re-learning this piece of world history while standing on the site of a headquarters of Nazi idiots, but I think you can imagine and agree. 

After diving deep into jewish and german history at various museums it was time to seek a lighter change of scene (and food), so we made our way back to the hostel to have a snack (Pringles and peanuts: a balanced part of your 7 daily food groups) and went up to Happy Hour to meet some fellow travelers. Sticking to what seems to be our natural friend-making pattern, we befriended our bartender, Miriam. Just like our Iceland bartender, Elle, she was a young woman from Barcelona (another Spanish city- like Elle who was from Brazil) who relocated to Germany (Like Elle- before moving to Iceland) for an internship. She gave us great advice on things to do the following day, which I'll get to soon (and was AMAZING), and also became a great friend in this foreign city. She gave us her number so we could meet up the following evening. Sticking to what we know and love, we went back to Mein Haus see Me for more people watching, but after a long day of walking, reading, and learning draining history we were only there for a drink before retiring to our bunks to watch Mike play Roller Coaster Tycoon.

DAY 3
Kind of impossible to imagine, but our third day in Berlin was even rainier. We woke up late and took our time getting ready, buying our time before having to head out into the rain again. I think our bodies and minds were also just tired from being "Go!-Go!-Go!" for 2 weeks straight now. We really haven't had a true day of rest- each day is a new adventure walking and exploring and meeting new places and people. We made plans to meet up with Miriam later that night around 6:00,  so in the meantime we decided to kill time in a Cafe and blog/ journal. We walked in the rain for 20 minutes feeling damp and defeated because we hand't found a cafe with a good 'writing vibe' yet. But just before we gave up we found a very cool spot called East & Eden. It was a cream-colored shop with tall ceilings, earthy tones, and a health-conscious menu. Over coffee and chai tea we spent a few hours writing the Bruges blog and uploading photos. Mike sketched and journaled. Needing a change of scene, we went to Kaschk a cafe/bar close to our hostel which is covered in raw wood, hanging exposed lightbulbs and brown tones- our perfect hangout. We enjoyed a beer (my favorite ever!!) and a game of chess, which was surprisingly well played and well matched having never played together or in a few years. 

Around 5:30 we left to meet Miriam, but unfortunately she got pulled into another plan that she couldn't pass up (Like Elle- we never hung out again): her friend had a gallery opening and invited her to visit. So we set out to Market Halle Neun on our own.

Heaven is a place on earth.

We took a subway to a part of the city that we hadn't yet explored, and it turned out to be a mix of very cool and young, while also being a little sketchy. We made our way through the streets and found the lit-up "MARKET HALLE" sign. Being in a poorer neighborhood I wasn't sure what to expect, but as soon as we walked through the doors to the indoor market my heart soared at the sight of big, round hanging lightbulbs and countless food vendors. Like kids in a candy store we weaved up and down the rows of amazing smells. Knowing that we were going to spend our money on gorging ourselves, we had barely eaten that day (healthy!) so we ate everything and anything we wanted to. First a pulled-pork asian sandwich on a sticky bun, followed by pork and sauerkraut, then a kangaroo sandwich, then a cheese and salami plate, and topped off by raspberry/basil and green tea organic ice cream. When I say that I never wanted to eat again, I mean it. But, alas, breakfast always comes when the sun rises. 

Food Porn:

Ghent: A Pleasant Surprise!

View the Ghent gallery here

Once deciding to head to Ghent ( knowing nothing about this city) rather than going to Brussels (another busy city like Amsterdam), we woke up early in Bruges and headed to the train station. It's about a 25 minute walk from the hostel to Bruge Centraal. While we wandered and weaved through the hauntingly beautiful cobbled streets we were accompanied by the meditating sounds of the many churches and bell towers surrounding us in Bruges. I can't really call them streets; Bruges is more like a maze of exciting alley ways where you're unsure where the sidewalk ends and the street begins.  It being Sunday, naturally all the bells were harmonizing and singing a song of their own, blissfully paired with the crisp morning air of a fall day in Bruges. It helped put our heads in a good place to venture off on a new leg of our journey. 

We caught our train on time and after about a half-hour of easy travel we arrived at our destination- the station of Ghent St-Peiters. The feeling Ghent greeted us with was not the same as we had experienced while meeting Bruges. It was a more distant and cold 'hello'. Neither of us mentioned our first impressions to each other, thinking we made a mistake. Instead, we locked eyes and with a secure nod and shrug notioned, "Let's do this" and we knew we were on the same page. 

Our overall walk from the station to the hostel was about half an hour, maybe just a hair over. But 10-15 minutes later our feelings of being in the wrong place only grew stronger. The streets were barren and somewhat dirty, the buildings had a cold city feel, and the sites and sounds of construction made themselves very present. Again we looked at each other with a confused smirk on our faces, wondering what all the talk was about. As in any situation in life you should be patient and open, and that is what we were. We forged on, hoping we would turn a corner and feel welcomed and comfortable in our surroundings. 

Finally, right at the very end of our walk things shaped up. We came to a canal and followed it to a beautiful cathedral- Sint Michielskerk. With smiles on our faces we rounded the bend to find Uppelink, our hostile right in the middle of it all. We found what we thought we were going to find: another small, stunning midevil city. Our hostel was situated in the third oldest building in Ghent- it was spectacular and very comfortable inside, and it's location could not have been more prime. The staff were very welcoming as were other travelers, anxious to talk and share stories.

The reason we felt a bit odd at first is because we came from Bruges, a city where modern architecture isn't allowed in order to keep its historical beauty and significance. Ghent is a progressing city where it has expanded beyond its medieval roots. The city has kept its old architecture in its heart as a way to attract tourists, but Ghent is so much more than a tourist attraction. As the title suggests, we were pleasantly surprised!

Ghent was the first place that we were able to find a place to hear some great live and local music. I'm getting a head of myself here. Back to our arrival. Like I said we found our hostel, we checked in but were not able to get into our room until 3 so we locked our luggage up and set out. We knew we had two days here and it is a small city so we reckoned we could explore it in full on our second day. With that decided, Em and I went for a walk to find a coffee shop with free wifi we could exploit so that we could sit down and do some writing. After a couple tries at some places with questionable Internet we settled for a Starbucks (super lame, we know, but the wifi was strong).

Em typed away and I sketched the continuous line of old gabled roofs that I could see out the window. The architectural detail of these old buildings blows me away. Every one is art. The builders were truly masters of their trade. After a bit we realized it was time to check into our room, a 6 Bed overlooking the canal and Sint Niklaas cathedral.

A beautiful 17th century feat of architecture, which is still undergoing renovations as it has for the last 50 years- it was in bad shape and the mayor wanted to tear it down for parking lots!! Thankfully this didn't happen, for it would have been a shame to erase such a monument off the earth . We set out into a beautiful evening and had a quick lunch/dinner sitting on the canal, sharing some of our meal with the ducks floating by. Parched from our travels we stopped into an old 13th century building that was used as a leprosy shelter, now a bar. Devoted to finding some live music, we moved on after a drink. 

We heard about a place that on Sundays features two local brothers playing with different musicians. Hot Club De Gand. Searching high and low we finally found it tucked down a very narrow alley- not even big enough to walk side by side. When we rounded the corner into the courtyard we again were 'pleasantly surprised'. With a name like "Hot Club" we were unsure of what we might find. Red worn walls, dark stained bar, dim lighting and candles melting on every worn wood table, the tight cozy quarters were perfect for us.  Ready to stay in one place for a while we soaked up the atmosphere for a few hours enjoying rounds of Belgian beer for me and wine for Em,  journaling in the perfect writer's scene and having pleasant conversation until the act started. A local couple joined us at our table and explained to us the story of the two brothers, we were very happy sitting there listening to them play sounds of jazz to a room with max capacity 45 bursting at the seams.

Later that night back at the hostel in the lounge area, we met a hand-full of new friends and travelers, two girls from Macedonia captivated our attention for the rest of the night- we shared conversation and laughs over drinks after going back out. Feeling like locals telling them, "we know a great spot," we took them back to the jazz bar, "Hot Club De Gand". We talked of their home land, while they encouraged us to visit. Very interested and intrigued, Em and I took all of their information down so that in the future we can work our way to Macedonia. I'd like to say we turned in around 11 or 12- we called it an early night with the idea of getting up and at it early the next morning.

We achieved that goal, and after a quick free breakfast (compliments of the hostel) we found our way to the Belfort. Many people mistake this building for a church with its tall bell tower and cathedral-like appearance. In fact, it is a typical Flemish watchtower. It was a symbol of power in the middle ages. The city's chapters were kept in the belfry and the bell "klokke Roeland"  was what controlled  and regulated daily life. We climbed its 256 steps to the top for a panoramic view of the city, along the way stopping in rooms and chambers to learn some history. 

From atop the belfry I spotted what looked to be an old castle and Em knew that (by my excitement) we had to go there next. With so much amazing architecture and art to see in Ghent, like the castel Gravensteen, known as the the Castle of Counts in the 12th century, and St. Baafskathedraal which houses the Ghent Altarpiece of 1432, also called the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb. Commissioned to Hubert van Eyck, but after his death completed by his brother Jan van Eyck, it's 12 elaborately painted front and back panels are something to see, with one of its stolen panels still being one of the biggest mysteries in Gents history, we knew we had to pace our selves. 

After a long stent of elaborate sight-seeing of all of Gent's treasures we knew it was time to put some food in our stomachs. Running low on cash we grabbed a delicious sandwich to share (the bread is so good everywhere and really makes the sandwich). We also heard of a traditional candy-like snack that we wanted to try called Cuberdon. There are two street vendor carts you will find in Gent that have a very strong rivalry going on. Situated side by side, be careful which one you choose, or pick both to make them to make both happy. Cuberdon's have a hard gummy like exterior in a cone shape and when you bight in you're not sure what your going to find. It turns out it is like a thick jelly.

Disappointed at the flavor we got we weren't head over heals for them but they are so worth a try! Just a little too much sugar for me. Being satisfied that we had cultured ourselves with Gent's rich history we passed time journaling all of our new knowledge and feelings to later find ourselves back at Hot Club de Gand for another epic set of live music. We had a wonderful stay in Gent and recommend it highly. So if you are in Belgium please don't overlook this city!

Bruges

View the Bruges gallery here

Excited to take our first train from Amsterdam to Bruges, we activated our Eurail passes and boarded around noon. We got to the first stop along our journey and were delayed an hour (sitting in the non-moving train) due to a fire in a tunnel up ahead. Once the problem was fixed, we made it to Antwerp with minutes to spare before our connecting train to Bruges. Classic backpacker scene: two kids sprinting through a foreign station, dodging between a river of people, running up a packed escalator, and jumping onto our train seconds before departure.

Two nights booked in Bruges, but as soon as we stepped into the fairytale town we already knew we needed to add another night or two.

As we walked down the cobblestone streets we were in awe as we turned around every corner. Everything is clean, quaint and adorable. Looking down tiny roads with ivy-covered homes with adorable window boxes and canals with ducks and swans, we fell hard for Bruges. It's romantic and medieval- the perfect place to decompress our first wave of overwhelming thoughts and feelings. 

The initial overwhelming excitement about our travels has since worn off as we realize 3 months of travel is daunting and exhausting. Not to say that we aren't excited! Everyday is still so fun and an amazing adventure,  but when we think too far in advance and realize we are still just beginning with 2.5 months left, it's easy to say "oh shit." Sharing rooms with snoring strangers doesn't lend itself to a good nights sleep, and for two introverts our own space has always been important to us. But we're not backpacking on a budget to be comfortable- were doing it to see the world and push our boundaries! And these first two weeks have just been an adjustment into that lifestyle.

DAY 1
We checked into Snuffle Hostel, a very modern exterior among all the other old medieval homes, and has a very IKEA-esque interior. We had a 4 person shared bedroom with an ensuite bathroom- definitely an upgrade from our past two hostels. After checking in, we wandered into Markt Square to find a place for dinner.

As the sun set on the Belfry tower, the lights inside the buildings began to illuminate the streets, creating warm and inviting atmospheres everywhere we looked. We sat at Hof Van Rembrandt and had pasta with bolognese and a salad with tuna-  an amazing change from splitting cheap sandwiches. After dinner we went across the street to Bar Des Amis for a drink, which has warm red walls, wood accents, and low lighting.

We continued to explore the streets, and as I drooled over Belgian chocolates through a shop window, Mike curiously ventured down a mini alley to the right of the chocolate shop, only to find the most amazing bar ever.

De Garre is a bar (if you can even call it that) in a 600 year old building. The walls are cream and all of the original wood work- stairs, banisters, ceiling beams- are all dark stained. The bar was elegantly done with white subway tiles and dark wood to compliment the original interior. We chose to sit upstairs where 3 or 4 other couples (which is about all this place could fit) were sitting quietly making conversation over classical music, candlelit worn-wood tables, and the house beer. Following suit, we ordered two of the house beers, "De Garre Triple" which are 11% alcohol. The bartender delivered our beers to us on a doily covered tray, with a small glass bowl of cubed cheese. Convinced Bruges is the most romantic place in the world, we had one more De Garre and happily strolled back hand in hand through the crisp fall air to Snuffle, excited to explore the city in full.

Mike puked that night. Might be allergic to Belgian beer, but no one in Belgium can know this.

DAY 2
Awake and at the complimentary hostel breakfast by 9:30-- today's selection: more bread, cereal, and speculoos spread (obsessed.Tastes like graham crackers). Back into Markt Square to climb the 366 twisting and steep steps to the top of Belfry tower, which had a lovely view of the morning sun waking up the red rooftops. The bells rang as we looked over the city below.

Back down, we walked through the entire Southwest chunk of the city, visiting the Church of our Lady, the Beguinage (home to nuns and awesome little tree houses), strolled through Minnewater Park where Mike sketched, and then had a shared lunch of beef stew served over fries and a salad (Belgian classic dish). 

With full tummies and tired feet (update: blisters still making me limp), we made our way back to Markt Square to have afternoon "thee" to watch the after work foot/bike traffic and after school youths pass by and journal while the sun set.

The evening was spent doing laundry and having a disappointing burger for dinner. However, the night redeemed itself by bringing us to Le Trappiste, a very cool, medieval dungeon bar in a cellar with brick walls that lead into the rounded brick ceilings (great suggestion by a good friend who was in Bruges last October). We did a beer tasting, but didn't love any of the beers we chose (shhhh..). With €6 left in our pockets we bought a couple of mini wine bottles and sat along the canal behind Belfry Tower watching swans pass by for a couple of hours.

DAY 3
Alone in Bruges; tonight we were able to get a private room at Snuffle! We checked out of our 4-bed shared room in time for breakfast, but couldn't check into our private room until 3:00. We spent a few hours in the common room of the hostel planning our next travel destinations. So far during our travels, we've realized we prefer the smaller "cities." With this in mind, we decided to skip Brussels and visit Ghent, Belgium instead. From Ghent we plan to visit Berlin then stay a week in Prague in our own AirBnB apartment!

We had a couple of hours to kill before we could check-in to our room, so we walked down to the Sunday market, which unfortunately had been picked over and was ending due to a busy morning of customers. Lots of food carts with fresh meats, fish, cheese, and baked goods. Enjoying another sunshiny day, we found our way to an outdoor patio to sit, sunbathe, and enjoy a cappuccino.

Back to Snuffle at 4:00 to check in and bask in the glories of having our own room and privacy. The room was massive and empty, with nothing but a bed and the ensuite bathroom, but we didn't care that it had zero frills. PRIVACY! We took showers (with shampoo and toothpaste that we finally bought.. Been a rough week and a half using just Dr. Bronners as body wash, shampoo, and toothpaste.... Yes, toothpaste…) and headed out to explore.

Clean and with soaring moral, we walked around the other half of Bruges. As we strolled along a canal, we noticed high school or college kids dressed to impress and setting up a concert on a a dock. Curious and dying to hear live music, we went and sat on the dock with other onlookers and listened to this brass band play amazing medieval royal-sounding songs for 30-40 minutes.

The other half of Bruges was very residential and quiet, but we managed to find old windmills and the oldest bar in Bruges. For dinner we went to a Brasserie/cafe restaurant to share another classic Belgian meal: half chicken, chips (fries) and watercress. Deciding to soak up our moment of privacy, we went to the grocery store after dinner to buy a bottle of chardonnay (which had alcohol in it this time) and cheese. With no cups or glasses, mike used toenail clipper to McGuiver two cups out of our Evian water bottle. Kinda worked.. A little sharp.

The night was spent watching "In Bruges," a violent film with beautiful Bruges scenery (which was fun to point out all of the places we've been) and then "Inside Out" because I would've had graphic nightmares if we hadn't ended the night on a lighter note. Bedtime was spent reading and playing mahjong- a little mental recheck before heading out to another foreign city- Ghent!

Amsterdam, You're Crazy

View the Amsterdam gallery here

We get why Amsterdam has a reputation, now- the city has the most amazing energy. Whether you're into partying hard, buying prostitutes, getting high, or being mellow, Amsterdam accepts you.

DAY 1
We got into Amsterdam at 11:30 Monday morning. We were able to get a few winks of sleep on our 3-hour plane ride, but other than that we were running off of fumes from the past 24 hours. Leaving Amsterdam's Centraal Station and entering into downtown was amazing: you can see the old architecture and new modern designs combine to create the unbelievably unique city. As we walked and walked (40 minutes) closer to our hostel (The Flying Pig Uptown) the city grew older. Every block had an alley or two that we wanted to explore. The Flying Pig Uptown is conveniently in-between Vondel Park, the Rijks Museum, and the Arts & Antiques district- which was perfect for us because we can't keep up with the downtown Amsterdam nightlife crew.

We checked-in, showered, and somehow rallied to go out (still haven't slept in over 30+ hours). We meandered our way into an alley that (to the untrained eye) was totally for tourists. Men were standing next to their restaurants' menus and calling you in for a sales pitch like cars salesmen. Apparently it worked, because 5 minutes later we were sitting down for our first warm meals of steak and chicken paired with salads and fries. Full and satisfied, we set out to explore more of the city. 

Cafe Huevel stole our hearts- its people watching is the best in the world. The inside of this cafe/bar is great on its own: dark interior with euros stapled to the wall and mismatched lamps with only a handful of beer selections.

We sat outside and the friendly bartender came out around 5:00 to serve all of the customers cubed cheese, liver and mustard. It's positioned on the corner of 4 intersecting streets along a canal, which are crazy busy during rush hour. Enjoying a few beers and wine we watched people whiz by for hours.  For us, this was the first time that we were able to sit and observe the people of Amsterdam. Here's what we found:
-Everyone is beautiful
-A good coat is everything
-Tailor your clothes to fit
-Pair your coat with skinny jeans
-Old, worn & trendy sneakers or new, gorgeous heeled boots

After watching gorgeous people pedal by us for an hour or more, we continued to explore the city's corners. We found another corner bar (close to "Tourist Avenue") and had a drink watching people stroll and moped by while listening to conversations in foreign languages. 

With a few drinks in our system, we gained the courage to explore the Red Light District- the liquid courage was more for me than Mike, who was eager to window shop. On our walk there, we discovered a couple of very cool, exposed wood-beams styled bars, one of which we stopped in for a drink. The brown and gold wallpaper, paired with the dark wood beams gave us inspiration for our future business aspiration, BeerBeans (c). From there, we finally made it to the "window shopping," although 8:00pm on a Monday probably isn't the best money-making hour, so the windows weren't stock-full, but we certainly saw some scantily clad ladies. 

 The Red Light District is unlike anything we've ever seen. The ladies work and call-in any passerby who seems even remotely interested, no matter how young/old attractive or gross he is. They twist their hips, fix their hair and give you a wink like living lingere mannequins standing in floor-to-ceiling windows with a red fluorescent light illuminating them. But other than the women (which is obviously the main attraction), the area is filled with cool bars, coffeeshops (smoking bars) and restaurants. On our way back to the hostel, we passed an alley restaurant with an adorable outdoor seating area with big round lightbulbs strung overhead, hanging plants, and a great vibe, so we had to stop for a beer.

DAY 2
The following day we woke up, had the complimentary hostel breakfast (hard boiled eggs, toast, cereal and apple juice- I thought I was getting iced tea.. Not a pleasant surprise) then enjoyed a macchiato in the Rijks Garden watching kids enjoy the fountain that shoots water up from the ground and surrounds you.

My feet had developed debilitating blisters, so we decided to rent bikes from Black Bikes rental and scoot around the city. We pedaled to Jodaan, then went downtown to the flower markets, over towards the Red Light District, and up through Vondel Park. We dropped our bikes off and had a picnic of bakery bread, Gouda cheese and wine in the Rijks garden again. Except, we foolishly bought non-alcoholic wine, which just tasted like gross apple juice. Apple juice fooled us twice in one day in the forms of iced tea and Chardonnay..

Back to Cafe Huevel for drinks and rush hour people watching, then to the hostel for a happy hour beer. With a few Euros left in our pockets to have a few beers out on the town, we slowly walked (because I was limping from even more agonizing blisters) to the Red Light District again to Old Sailor, a brown wooden bar that feels like you're inside a wood ship. The bartenders are tired and grouchy, and the environment is lively like drunken sailors (all of whom are giddy from seeing the window women). We made our way down to the end of the road, where it was a bit quieter, to find a cool, dark and modern bar with a tall illuminated wall of liquors that had random decorations of lamps with fringed lampshades and stuffed birds. The bartender came out with his staff meal and offered for us to taste his fried cheese sticks-- thinner, crispier and more delicious than mozzarella sticks; more like fried wonton cheese sticks.

On our way back to The Flying Pig Uptown we stopped and ate frites with mayo and ketchup/ "frite sauce" (a weird combo that only seems to work on frites) on the canal and watched a man fail to steal a bike.

DAY 3
Breakfast and blister taping, then off to explore Noord. We walked to Centraal Station and took a 2 minute ferry over to the northern part of Amsterdam to find windmills with no such luck. As we crossed the river, we noticed The Eye Museum (film museum) to our left, which looks like a white modern spacecraft and decided to check it out.

We walked into the cafeteria where people were dining and art students were drawing while overlooking the river through the walls of glass. Not sure if we snuck downstairs or if it was free, but we went down into the museum and looked at old cameras and how the technology has progressed. It also had a couple of fun interactive elements: a green screen where you star in your own short silent film and a "flip book" creator- records you dancing/moving around and then chops it into segments so you can buy the flip book at the end of your museum visit. There was also a cool 360 Panorama room, which had rows of movie reels projected around the entire room. You could then pull a lever and watch segments from different old/current foreign films. We then went and sat in a "pod"- our personal little movie theater and played a movie quiz (Mike won 6 to 2…). Then we stayed in our pod and watched Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for 30 minutes until Hagrid frees Harry from the Dursleys. Such a good movie- totally sucked us in.

When we left The Eye it was starting to rain (so we didn't feel so bad about watching a movie in the middle of the day), so we took a short, still limping walk and then headed back into the city to go to The Van Gogh Museum. The drizzling rain turned into an absolute downpour, so we scurried from cheese shop to cheese shop having samples and bits of stroopwaffle. We made it to the Van Gogh Museum around 4:00 and stayed until closing at 6:00. It was so wild seeing original Van Gogh's, Monet's (an inspiration to Van Gogh) and Edvard Munch's (whose work is very similar to Gogh's). Van Gogh's heavy-handed brush stroked, vibrant colors, and famous works of art that we studied in art classes are stunning to see in person. But his less impressionist and more realist paintings of landscapes and homes are what really blew us away. He was so talented in so many forms. Truly a crazy genius.

Back to the hostel for Happy Hour, and we met two friends- Stu from Australia and Anant from L.A./ originally India- and spent the whole night chatting, drinking and smoking. A great last night in Amsterdam. 

Iceland is its own Planet

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OCTOBER 1st - 4th, 2015
We're currently sitting in a cafe/ book store while the rain pours down in downtown Reykjavik. Blessed with 2 days of fantastic sunny/ partly-cloudy skies, today's weather is a bummer, especially because we were to road-trip down Iceland's South Coast in our 1995 Toyota Corolla. But rainy days means cups of amazing coffee in cafes and reflecting back on our first two days of travel.

DAY 1
After a 4 hour delay on our flight to Keflavik, we boarded our WOW Air plane at 10:30pm and arrived in Keflavik at 7:45am Iceland time on October 2, 2015. The final hour of our flight, we looked out the window to see the Northern Lights dazzling in the sky-- an absolutely magical way to enter Iceland. It looked like something out of Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century (90's kid reference).  [[Note: WOW Air was totally awesome! It was a brand-new plane, much like Southwest Airlines with no frills and okay seats, but the tickets were cheap and the ride was smooth-- so worth it]]

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We boarded a bus, noticing a sculpture of a quarter of a rainbow that we loved, arrived in Reykjavik around 9:00am, and could see Hallgrimskirkja, Reykjavik's massive and famous church, on the top of the hill. Without using a GPS, we walked through the beautiful, quaint, and colorful streets until we reached the church which is in the center of Reykjavik. We made our way to Hlemmur Square, our awesome hostel, dropped our bags off and set out to explore Reykjavik all day- but first: coffee. Iceland is known for it's killer "Kaffi", and after a long day and night of traveling, we found our way to Bakari Sandholt for Americanos and a delicious egg salad, bacon, and arugula on sourdough sandwich- extra delicious due to the environment we were in and our nearly 12+hours without food. 

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Blue, partly cloudy skies all day made for an amazing first day of finding all of the city's nooks and crannies. Reykjavik is so awesome because it has that small-town feel while being the major city in the whole country. It's on a hill that meets the clear-blue salt water, and then across the bay are enormous snow-covered mountains that take your breath away. And that quarter-rainbow sculpture we saw now made total sense- within our first few hours in Reykjavik a quarter of a rainbow peaked through the clouds in several locations! Everything is so pleasant: the people are smiling and helpful, the homes are colorful and covered in amazing murals, the streets are clean, the drivers are polite, and even the street signs that tell you how fast your driving have smiley faces when you're going the right speed limit.

Around 2:00pm we had our first wave of exhaustion, so we went to the hostel and took a power-nap, then went to The Big Lebowski themed bar for happy hour. We made quick friends with our bartender, Elle - a really cool Brazilian young woman, who lived in Germany, then met her Icelandic girlfriend, and has now been a Reykjavik local for 5 months.

We also (weirdly) met a group of Coventry, Rhode Island guys here for a bachelor party, two Lincoln, Rhode Island residents that Mike had seen at the Rock Gym before, and a man from New England who moved here 3 years ago to open a Chiropractic office! Bizarre, but so fun! 

DAY 2- The Golden Circle
This is going to be hard to describe, because words will never express how absolutely insane Iceland's land is. We woke up bright and early (after a terrible first hostel night's sleep due to a thunderous snorer) to the first snowfall of the year. We then somehow managed to find our car rental office, SADcars, after a 40 minute wander. We got into our little car, we called "Zu"/ "Zuzu"/ "Zuzi" because of it's license plate, and in less than an hour the city was out of sight and we were in the middle of a new planet- the first of many to come. We were in the mountains, covered in snow, winding our way down Route 36 headed towards Thingvellir National Park.

When we arrived at the park, the land was thawing and revealing autumn colors that were a beautiful contrast to the snowy mountains. Thingvellir National Park is where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates meet and are slowly drifting apart. The result are massive walls of rock with deep deep deep caverns below.

From there, we made our way towards Geysir, but the 2 hour drive in-between turned into another new planet: flat golden land, surrounded by ginormous white mountains, with a massive lake in the middle that held beautiful green mountain islands (like those you see in Jurassic Park or Hawaii). One of these mountains caught our eye from afar, and we jokingly said, "Let's have lunch on the top of that." 35 minutes later we had hiked to the top and were looking out over a beautiful lake to our left, desert-ish lands in front of us, and icy mountains to our right- a spontaneous and magical moment.

We continued to Geysir, another planet with steaming grounds, bubbling pools, and as we approached the egg-ridden sulfur air was seeping through our windows. "I kind of like the smell" - Mike. Geysir is super active, so we weren't there for more than 20 minutes but were able to watch it shoot water 100ft into the air 5-6 times.

Next stop was the incredible Gulfoss waterfall, about 30 minutes from Geysir. The surrounding land turned into a green farmville: Icelandic horses with bulky, short bodies and long manes, sheep with wool down to their toes, and cows with full udders were everywhere. We obviously had to get out and make friends with the locals.

Gulfoss was breath-taking, and a bit overwhelming when you realize how powerful the water is. I wish it had been a sunny day because there is usually a permanent rainbow due to the constant and thick mist the falls give off. 

Our final stop on our 10:00am - 6:00pm planet-jumping adventure was Crater Lake, a volcanic crater that now holds the most crystal-clear blue/green water you've ever seen. We walked around the top-ring of the crater, and then walked around the inner ring collecting lava rocks and having fun tossing big, red rocks into the water and watching them disappear into the blue abyss.  

The rest of the drive was on the final planet before entering back into Reykjavik, which was a mix of each of the new worlds we had seen all day. It's grey and rainy skies had huge black-stone mountains covered in snow, steam coming from hot-pockets, with farms of black sheep and more horses. We were back in the city just in time to make it for the last hour of Happy Hour, so we went back to The Big Lebowski bar to see our bartender friend, Elle, again. By the time we left we had exchanged numbers in the hopes of meeting up before our final departure from Iceland, only to later figure out that we had taken down the wrong number, or that she had run out of credit on her phone.

DAY 3- Rain in Reykjavik
Today we woke up to heavy rain. Our plan was to drive the South Coast of Iceland, but it unfortunately didn't work out. Ambitious and excited to see more amazing scenery, we checked out of the hostel and got into ZuZu around 9:00am and hit the road. We were 25 minutes outside of the city and realized we weren't in the proper car to do an 8 hour road trip- much too stormy. Back in downtown Reykjavik we sat in a cafe for a few hours while I began writing this post and Mike looked into our expenses, free things to do, and created our new itinerary for the day. We decided to stroll down to the Old Harbor area to find the "photography museum," which ended up being a kinda lame exhibit on the 6th floor of the library.

Back in ZuZu around 4:00 to have our 3rd gas station meal (Ham&Cheese baguette and Spicy Chicken Ciabatta sandwiches) in 2 days, and then we set off to The Blue Lagoon.

The Blue Lagoon (one of the 25 Wonders of the World) is truly wonderful. The hot milky-blue water under the grey and storming skies was super relaxing. We wandered into all of the corners of the lagoon to find the hot spots, the mud masks, and the waterfalls. After 3 hours of soaking and covering our faces in mud masks, we left the lagoon just before closing and drive ZuZu to her final (and super random) drop-off location near the Keflavik airport.

As I finish writing this blog, it's after 1:00am, we've been here since 10:00p.m., and our flight is at 6:30am. Officially homeless for almost a full 24 hours. Because our flight to Amsterdam is so early, we decided to save our money on a hostel and sleep at the airport, but Keflavik Airport literally doesn't allow you to sleep… We aren't allow to check-in/go to our gate until 4:00am, so until then we are held captive in the main lobby of the airport, where the guards come to wake you up if you fall asleep. Tomorrow, our first day in Amsterdam, will most definitely be a sleepy one, but Day 4 of our adventure will keep our morale and bodies alive.