Bellissima Italia Part 2/3 – Gliding in Gondolas!

Venice… it’s the city of beauty, romance, and love but for me it was more about experiencing the place with my love. For me, my true love of Venice came from listening to the gentle sounds of the water lapping against the small wooden boats moored to the weathered doorsteps of the colorful homes lining the canals. Or from the romantic melodies of a strumming guitar or serenading minstrel gliding in a gondola below one of the many bridges that crisscross over the circling waterways. It came from getting lost in the labyrinth of ever-winding allies and walkways that spiral through the city. Or maybe from seeing the gigantic ships and swaying sails that steadily steam through the Grand Canal as you bounce thought their wakes via water taxi. Its from savoring the flavors of a glass of vino rosso paired with a perfectly prepared  prosciutto pasta and finishing it with a scoop of vanilla bean gelato topped with a shot of only the finest Italian espresso. It’s oogling at the storefront windows decorated with glittering glass sculptures and fine designer fashions. Or even from the yellows, reds, and pinks of the setting sun reflecting off the ripples, painting and shadowing the architectural beauty of the ever-aging buildings. For me, the beauty, romance, and love lives within and bleeds from the city itself.

Bellissima Italia Part 1/3 - When in Rome! (a bit late)

It’s been a whirlwind couple of months. As most of you know we made it back safe and sound to the States just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday and we haven’t really stopped since. The posts for our trip got a bit backlogged, put on hold, and needless to say I’ve gotten farther behind then I ever hoped to. My intention was to post these real-time but as you find out when you travel, often times what you plan or intend to do just doesn’t happen. But, I know a lot of you are still patiently waiting to hear and see how we finished off the last few months of our adventure so I am going to continue to post our photos and reflections as if we were still living it up with our suitcases in tow.

Opa! Getting Away in Greece!

We finally made it to Greece! And after all we went though to get there we were pretty excited to say the least.

I’ve always dreamed of going to Greece. Ever since I was very little I’ve had this romanticized image of what Greece would be. It had been drilled into me over the years though textbook pictures and endless history classes. But to be honest it was completely different than I had imagined it to be.

I came to realize that my expectations of what Greece as a whole would feel like came mostly from images and movies that highlight the scenery of the Greek Isles. I thought it was all white cliff-side houses with bright blue roofs where daily fish venders ride donkeys up the steep and narrow  streets. I soon realized that this may have been the case if we had visited Santorini, but not Athens. Unfortunately, the Isles didn’t make the itinerary this time around but it gives us a reason to return. I still want to see those blue roofs.

When you say Athens you think history. The Parthenon, the vases, the sculptures all come flooding to mind, and yes, these are all still a very key element of the culture, but there is so much more. With all the economic hardship lately that Greece has been battling through, I was beginning to fear that this city might just be buried in the overshadowing allure of its past. But all you have to do is strike up a conversation with a local vendor, take one bite of the food, and inevitably take part in the never-ending night life for proof that this city is still very much alive.

The Great Train Trip

For the next leg of our journey we took advantage of our EURail pass and took a series of overnight trains through Eastern Europe. Our end goal was eventually to get to Greece and we thought that this would be an easy way to see a little of Eastern Europe and not have to pay for accommodations at night since we would be traveling via train.

Riding Down the Rhine Valley & Perusing Prague

The next leg of our adventure took us to Koblenz, Germany. Here we took full advantage of one of the many perks of our EURail pass and spent a whole day riding the Köln-Düsseldorfer paddle steamer all the way up and down the Rhine River Valley. We spent the day admiring the quaint little riverside towns, the beautiful vineyard covered vistas, and the historical hilltop castles once belonging to the wealthy robber barons of the area. It was nice to be able to do some sightseeing from a different perspective.

Chocolate in Bruges & Art in Amsterdam

We decided it was time to slow down a bit so we headed off to Belgium and the Netherlands. 

Our first stop was Bruges. Bruges was more than I expected. It was a quaint little town with an old Europe flair surrounded by canals and windmills. The people were friendly and welcoming. At one point on our walk around town we were looking at our map trying to figure out where to go next and a nice elderly man we could barely understand wandered up to help us. What started out as just directions turned into quite a long conversation about the meaning of love. I could only assume he seemed taken by us as a couple. And even though it was unexpected it kind of gave Bruges a sense of old school European romance that has been missing elsewhere. Our primary goal in Bruges was to consume as much fine Belgian chocolate, cheese, and beer as we could. We succeeded! Everything in Bruges tasted delicious! By the time we left for Amsterdam I had to loosen the belt just a bit but boy was it worth it! 

Finally Putting On Our Sandals in Saint Malo!

Walking along the city wall of Saint Malo with Fort National in the background.

After Paris we headed off to spend a few days enjoying the beautiful beaches and exploring the walled city of Saint Malo. We had had enough of the city and were told that this is where some of the locals go for holiday in France. According to Kathy, it is a great place to spend all day just lying on the beach and turning yourself into toast. We thought, “great! We could use a little toasting after all the rain we’ve encountered so far!” It proved to be just what we could have hoped for!