Mario and I headed to Italy with a local travel company. We left early Saturday with a day full of driving. We headed towards Italy by passing through Switzerland. We passed Lake Como on the way and saw some of the beautiful lakes Switzerland has to offer. We spent the night in Prada, which is about 30 mins west of Venice. We had time after checking in, so we explored the city center, which was about a 20 minute walk from the hotel. We left Sunday morning heading towards Venice. I was eager to return to Venice and see more of what this city has to offer. Our first stop was a quick tour of how Murano glass is made and the opportunity to buy some glassware. and then some free time before our gondola ride. A quick side note: Murano is one of the islands in the lagoon which is famous for glass making. Sadly, our time in Venice didn’t permit to visit any of the islands. The two other islands are Burano and Torcello. Burano is known for the colorful canal houses and lace while Torcello was the first settled area which is now is overgrown canals and green field with only a few building of the past. Next, we enjoyed more of Venice by taking a gondola ride through the canals of Venice. Seeing the city by gondola is must! Our gondola held 6 people so we shared it with our fellow travelers. While on the ride we travel thought the Grand Canal which houses the Rialto Bridge. Last time I was in Venice, it was being worked on, so it was nice to see it done. We walked to the Rialto Bridge and just wonder around, which is the best way to explore Venice. While searching on Pinterest one day of things to see in Venice I came across a bookstore called Acqua Alta Bookstore and it looked interesting, so I wanted to find it. It was tucked down a side alleyway. It was very unique with lots of charm. We met our follow travelers and took a boat back to the bus. On the island of Venice cars aren't allowed, so we had to take the boat. The bus had to pay drive over the bridge and then had to pay again to a park. Many of these cities we traveled to charged the bus to drive in and out of the city. It is crazy expensive. Our tour guide said it cost about 1,300 euro to go in and out of the cities we visited for the bus and that didn't include parking. After leaving Venice we headed towards Rome, where we would be spending the next 3 nights. It had been 11 years since I was in Rome and was eager to return. The next day we had the opportunity to explore the Vatican City, which is the smallest country, which fits into the capital city of Italy, Rome. Since we went on a Monday it was super busy because it is closed on Sunday. During our tour, we saw some of the gardens, walked through the museum to get to the Sistine Chapel and ended at the Basilica of St. Peter. After visiting Vatican City, we had a small lunch before starting our walking tour of Italy. On this day it will in the low 90’s making a very hot day, but we found shade when we could. On the walking tour we saw many of Rome’s sites such as the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain and Pantheon and ended at the Piazza Navona which central point in the Fountain of the Four Rivers. The rest of our group decided to do a Roman style dinner with an opera singer which I had done years prior, so we opted for a few more hours in Rome. Our first stop was to explore St. Angelo which is a massive fortress. We were able to see the aspects of the castle history was we explored it. The view from the top gave a wonderful view of Rome. After, we walked to the Spanish Steps which has the Fontana della Baraccia at the base. On Tuesday morning we left Rome and headed towards Pompeii and Sorrento. Ever since I was little I wanted to explore the ruins of Pompeii, and I was finally seeing it! Despite the hot, sunny weather we toured the ruins which are located near the base of Mt. Vesuvius. In the year 79AD, Mt. Vesuvius erupted quickly covering the city in ash. After our tour we had a quick lunch of pizza of course..when in Italy right! From there we traveled to the city of Sorrento which on the Amalfi coast. As we drove in we saw the coast which were lined with houses. We had some time, so we walk down to the beach and enjoyed the view from our park bench in the shade. We grab a quick bite at a cafe in the heart of town, then started our trip back to Rome. The next morning, we left Rome and headed towards Florence. Florence is home of the Renaissance and home to the statue of David. Upon arriving we took a city tour which pointed out many famous sites. With it being summer all the lines for the attractions were long, so I was unable to go explore them. On our tour we saw the Galleria Dell Academia, which houses the original statue of David, the Uffizi Gallery, Ponte Vecchio Bridge, and the Duomo or dome of the cathedral. After the tour we had some time to explore on our own. On the way out of town we stopped for a panoramic view of Florence with had another statue of David. We traveled to our restaurant for our Florence Gala, which was our 4-course dinner with unlimited wine. We started off with Blumond which was peached flavor blue champagne. First course was antipasto plates, Second course was pasta (ravioli with truffle sauce and rigatoni with sausage). Three Course was Prime Rib with potatoes. Finally dessert which was cake and strawberry pannacotta. I tried the different wines but enjoyed Volatre the most so I got two bottle for the house.. After a long day we arrived at our hotel which was nestled into the hillside overlooking Florence. On Thursday morning, we left Florence and started our commute back to Germany. On the way we stopped at Pisa. We were given time to explore and eat a quick lunch. From there we headed home, arriving home in the evening.
1 Comment
Friday morning we headed towards Hallstatt, Austria. It is a village on the shore on Lake Hallstatt. By the time we arrive it was around lunch and the city was already packed, so parking was full. So we drove out of the city and found a parking lot by the lake. We enjoyed the view of the mountains and lake while relaxing on a blanket. It was a nice weather and nice to relax after driving for a few hours. I am still pretty sad I wasn’t able to see Hallstatt, especially since it added 2 hrs to our trip. But enjoying the view of the lake with the mountains in the distance was a nice reward. If is meant to be, I will revisit Hallstatt. After taking in the views we continued on our adventure towards Lake Bled. With it being Friday we did hit some traffic getting into town. Our guest house which we were staying for 3 nights, had a fenced in garden type yard that the dogs could run around in. They were in heaven, they sure miss having a yard! A room with a view and a balcony. We learned from our awesome host Anna Marie that the house was building 1905. She showed us a map of the area and gave us some pointers on what to see and do. The house was about 10 minute walk to the lake which was great. After checking in we walked down to the lake to take in the view. Saturday morning we got up and headed to the neighboring lake called Lake Bohinj. Our host told us to take the scenic route to the lake and which had us going through some small towns. Lake Bohinj is the largest permanent lake in Slovenia and is part of the Triglav National Park. First, we explored the Slap Savica which is a waterfall. You climb for about 20 minutes and it ends at a gorgeous waterfall. We drove into town and ate a quick sandwich before heading to the next waterfall/gorge which is called Korita Mostnice. I didn’t realize when I did my research but the hike was 2 hour climb each way. We did about half before the dogs and us got super tired. Both dogs did an awesome jobs hiking! That night we walk around the lake and ate at a local pizza shop. The Slovenians were super dog friendly. While at the pizza shop, we had a lady with her 2 small children come over to love on the pups. Sunday morning we headed to Vintgar Gorge which was about an 10 minute drive from the guest house. We got there early before the crowd and walked along the boardwalk which ran along side the gorge. At the end you were greeted by a beautiful waterfall. As we were leaving it was super busy so we had to carry the dogs out of the gorge. But once again the dog did great hiking! After resting for a bit we headed to the capital of Slovenia which is called Ljubljana which was about an 30-45 min drive from Lake Bled. By the time we got there it was already in the mid 80’s, which was a little to hot for the dogs, so we saw a few sites and then headed back to the guest house. After the sun went done and temperature cool off the bit.. We put the dogs in their doggie stroller and walked around the lake which was about a 4 miles walk. It was nice to see in at dusk. Monday morning we left Lake Bled and headed home. It was a wonderful weekend full a nature filled adventure. On the way home we stop at Golling to explore their waterfall. It was a short 5 minutes walk to another pretty waterfall. Anyone who know me knows I LOVE waterfalls so seeing this many during this trip was amazing. We arrived home early afternoon after hitting a few traffic jams or as we call them here in Germany staus.
A few weeks ago, I attended the Esslingen Wine Walk with a few colleagues from work. I couldn't have asked for a better day, it was sunny and beautiful! Esslingen is about an 3o minutes train ride from the house. From the train station you can look up into the vineyards and see the people walking. After a short walk we were at the entrance of the wine walk. The path you walk runs right in the middle of the vineyards. As you are walking you have a wonderful view of the city below. Vineyards are below and above you. You start by buying a wine glass and a little lanyard which holds it (see below). Then along the way you have different stops to refill and try different wines. You can also get a stamp at every stand and when all stamps are earned you get a free glass of wine. I tried two different kinds of wine. The walk ended in the next city which is called Mettingen, which is where I caught the train to head back home. I headed to Boleslawiec, Poland for a weekend of Pottery Shopping with a few friends. Poland makes country #11, slowly crossing places off! After a few hours of driving we stopped at Gorlitz, Germany which is close to the Germany/Poland border. While exploring the city we came across a bridge which gave you the chance to walk into Poland. So now I can say I have walked to Poland, ha ha! We came across the hotel which was used in the movie " The Grand Budapest Hotel". From there we arrive early evening and checked into our hotel, which was called the Garden Hotel. The gardens were in winter mode, but I could image how pretty it would be in the summer. The hotel had a Victorian feel to it. We spent all day Saturday exploring different shops getting all sort of pottery. Poland uses Zloty as their currency. When we were there it was $ 1 US to 4 Zloty. We took a break for lunch and ate at the Log Cabin restaurant, where we split a platter of Poland food. I had different pierogies filled with potato/cheese, mushroom/sauerkraut and minced meat. Then tried dessert pierogies with blueberry instead. Sorry I didn't take any pictures.
Sunday morning we headed home and arrived later afternoon. I headed out of town Friday after school to enjoy a weekend in Bolzano, Italy with a fellow colleague. Our first stop was about 3.5 hours away in Innsbruck, Austria. Our hotel was nestled in the mountain side and offered a view of the city below. We awoke Saturday morning to falling snow and snow covered branches. Sadly the fog set inover night and our morning view of Innsbruck was limited. We checked out and started our adventure to Italy. Our first stop was at McDonalds which had a panoramic view of the Alps. Wow! After eating we started out adventure toward Italy on the Brenner Pass. The Brenner Pass is a mountain pass through the Alps which forms the border of Austria and Italy. We were very lucky that we missed the snow that fell a few weeks earlier, but for us the pass was dry. After about 1.5 hours on the road we arrived in Bolzano. After checking in and meeting up with another friend we decided to head to the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology to see their main attraction Otzi the Ice Man. South Tyrol is what the northernmost region of Italy is called and it is home to the Dolomites which I will visit later in the trip. Ötzi is a glacier mummy is from the Copper Age which have been preserved naturally in glacier ice. He was discovered accidentally by hikers in 1991. Here is the museum link if you want to read up more on him. It’s http://www.iceman.it/en/ The exhibit was awesome and his body was so preserved, sorry I wasn't allowed to take pictures. After exploring the museum, we decided to take the cable car to Renon, which is a high plateau which overlooks the city. We took the tram which gave us the opportunity to explore more towns. Since it was February, most shops were closed for the winter, but the view of the Dolomites Mountains and the surrounding area was great. Early evening we traveled down and had dinner at a local restaurant. While checking in the previous day we came across a flyer for a trip being offered to see the Dolomites. So we decided to join the 4 hour tour of the mountain. With it being winter the mountains and lake were frozen and covered with snow. I definitely will be coming back in the summer with Mario and the dogs. Our tour guide was Alessandro who is the owner and guide. Just the three of us and our guide for a private tour of the Dolomites. If you ever plan on seeing Italy, definitely book a tour with Alessandro he was awesome. His website: www.itallydolomites.com After exploring the Dolomites, we walked around town exploring some of the churches and walking around the river talking in the view. Monday morning we left Bolzano and headed towards Innsbruck and spent a few hours exploring the area. Innsbruck is the capital of Austria’ s western state of Tyrol and is in the Alps. It is about 45 mins from the German border.
I headed back to Prague this past weekend with Mario and the dogs. We decided to plan a quick getaway and bring the dog along. On Christmas break I got Trooper and Sissy pet passports so we could travel outside of Germany with them. This was the first time we used their passports. We left Friday after I got off work and headed to Bamberg where we spent the night. We saw the sites by night and by morning the next day. Saturday morning we drove a few hours and arrived in Prague. We stayed at the Hilton in Old Town which is in a section of the town I haven't explored yet. They were dog friendly and spoiled the dogs with a dog bed and dog bowls that was delivered right to the room! That is what I call service! Saturday night we explored the sites and left Sunday morning for home.
I never pass up the opportunity to take an adventure, so I jumped at the opportunity to go back to Prague. I was there in August and now had the opportunity to see Prague in the winter. I joined a friend who needed to pick up a painting. It is a about 4.5 hours drive. We left early Saturday morning and traveling most of the morning making our first stop in Kutna Hora, which is about 1.5 hours from Prague to see the Bone Church or Ossuary or Kostnice in Czech. Below among the pictures is the information card which was given to us while exploring. After the Bone Church we headed to Prague to check into our hotel. Our hotel was very close to all the attractions. The coolest part was the view from our window was of the Jewish Cemetery which I wasn't able to see last trip and now had a birds eye view of it. After checking in we explored Prague by night. All day while we were driving it was very fog and the fog stay around for the evening, making some of the picture really neat. Sunday morning:
On the way to explore Prague Castle Complex, I stopped to take a few pictures of the Jewish Cemetery. We arrived a little after opening at the Prague Castle complex,, we saw a few places but was unable to go inside St. Vitus until noon due to Sunday service, but we wanted to be on the road at noon. After exploring the castle complex we picked up our artwork, sorry forgot to take a picture of it, and loaded it into the car and started for home. Another great trip in the books! We left town Friday morning and headed towards Nuremberg or Nurnberg. We hit some traffic which is to expected with an upcoming holiday weekend. After parking we explored the Christmas Market in addition to seeing many churches along the way. From there we headed towards Dresden which is where we would be spending the night. Dresden is in eastern Germany, along the banks of River Elbe. There was vast destruction during WW2, but the city has been restored. We arrived early evening and checked into our hotel called Gewandhaus Dresden, Autograph Collection. The lobby and our room was very pretty and from our room we had a view of the Holy Cross Church. After we checked in, we explore the markets and area sites for the rest of the evening. We first headed to the Dresden Striezelmarket which is the oldest Christmas market dating back to 1434. It is located in the historical city center. In the center of the market is the world's tallest Christmas pyramid. We walked around seeing more Christmas markets and different sites. Early afternoon on Christmas Eve, we left Dresden and headed towards Berlin. On the way we made a detour to Gablenz, which houses Rakotzbrucke or known as Devil's Bridge. It would have love to see it in the fall when the leaves were changing, but winter is what I got. I came across this bridge while exploring Pinterest. We were very close to the Poland border and I wanted to do some Polish Pottery shopping but with it being Christmas Eve and rain was coming I didn't want to take a change. There is always this summer! After a few more hours of driving we arrived in Berlin and checked into our hotel. We soon learned that our room had been upgrade to a junior suite, which was a very nice surprise and early Christmas present for us. It was early evening so we explored some of the sites. We first headed to Checkpoint Charlie which was a best known border crossing during the Cold War. Then explored Gendarmenmarket which had a Christmas market and the neue Church and franzosischer church. Then saw the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Brandenburg Gate and Reichstag. As we explored Berlin we kept seeing bears and wondered why. Here is what I found: The colourful Buddy Bears have become the cheery ambassadors from Berlin to the world. Since 2002, the United Buddy Bears have been on world tour, promoting tolerance and the peaceful coexistence of peoples on all five continents. The tour was kicked off with a “Buddy Bear Berlin Show” in front of KaDeWe. Since then, the individually painted Buddy Bears have found homes across Berlin, bringing joy to young and old with their friendly appearance and providing the perfect selfie motif. You can even load them into your google map so you can go all over the city and find them. I thought that was neat but didn't do it. I saw a few and was happy with that. Merry Christmas from Berlin! Late Sunday morning in the rain and wind we explored more of Berlin. We headed towards Museum Island and on the way we saw the Berlin Cathedral and stopped by the Radisson Blue which has a huge fish tank in the lobby. We arrived at the Pergamon musuem and had to wait in line for over an hour to go inside, I guess everyone had the same idea we had, but it was worth it! We were able to see the Ishtar Gate. After exploring the museum we stopped by the Christmas market, then spent the rest of the day relaxing in our hotel room. We left the next day for home! Tis the season for Christmas Markets here in Germany. Each market is unique and gives you the opporutnity to buy unique gifts and of course eat food and drink gluhwein in a collectable mug! Mario and I headed back to Rothenburg ob der Tauber, which is one of my favoritate places that we have visted. Even since the 15th century this medieval town transforms into a Christmas wonderland. "Reiterle" is horseman in German and has an historical origin. It was believed thatthe horseman was a descendant of another world who during the winer months glided through the skies with the should of people past. At the beginning of the market the Rothenburg Horseman arrives hence giving the name to the Christmas Market. We looked in the Kathe Wohlfahrt Christmas stores and Christmas market stalls. Then we climbed the Rathausturm (Town Hall Tower) and had a bird's eye view of the market below. Even though it was a chilly morning we enjoyed ourselves. Mario and I had the opportunity to take a USO bus tour to explore the Wolfgangsee Advent Christmas Market. This market is located in St. Gilen, St. Wolfgang and Strobl which all are located on Lake Wolfgangsee, Austria. A quick ferry ride connects you to each town. It was a chilly day for exploring but we did our best to stay warm. Snow ended our day but lucky for us it didn't follow us home! Last weekend we celebrated our one year anniversary of being here in Germany by exploring Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Garmisch- Partenkirchen is about 2.5-3 hrs from the house depending on traffic. The weather was cool with rain but that didn't stop us from seeing the site. We headed down Friday afternoon and stopped first at Highline Bridge 175 and Ehrenberg Ruins which is located in Tirol Austria. After parking the car we climb up to the bridge which is the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in the world in Tibet style. The views from the bridge and ruins were awesome! Saturday brought cold temperatures and rain, but we still explore the area. We headed to the Partnach Gorge, which is a deep gorge that has been incised by a mountain stream. We arrived rigth after it opened so we had the place to our self. The pictures really don't do it justice, it is beautiful. From there we drove about 20 mins to a town called Mittenwald. It is located in Alpine peaks of Bavaria, Germany. It's known for its colorful painted houses and its violin-making history, documented in the central Geigenbaumuseum. Sunday was a gorgeous day, the rain stayed away. We headed to Linderhof Palace which was the royal villa to King Ludwig II. We took the tour of the palace and explored the gardens and enjoyed the fall views. From there we stopped in Oberammergau which is a town in the Bavarian Alps, Germany. It’s known for its once-a-decade performance of the Passion Play in the Passion Play Theater. Then drove throught Ettal on our way back to the hotel.
We left early Monday morning but still hit a few staus or traffic jams which added some time to our commute. To celebrate Trooper’s 5th birthday we revisited Schloss Solitude which was one of the first place we visited when we moved here. We had the place to ourselves so the dogs were super excited to sniffle around and leave their scent. It was a perfect fall morning. Then of course we headed to the dog park for some more fun!
We spend the day at Europa Park which is about 1.5 hours from the house in a town called Rust. It is close to the France border. It is an amusement park with different countries. It reminded me of the World Showcase in Disney's Epcot. We explored each area and rode two rides which were very much like the Disney Pirates of the Caribbean but European style. Everything was in German of course, so it was hard deciding what the ride was about and understanding what they ride was telling you when you rode it. We tried some new food which was a fish hot dog and a Flammlachs which is flame salmon and man it was good. We had a great time exploring. Last weekend Mario and I visited Rothenburg ob der Tauber which is part the Romantic Road. The Romantic Road consists of towns which hold a certain charm and brings a good deal of tourists to southern Germany. It starts with Wurzburg which I visited back in January and ends with Fussen which is near Neuschwanstein (Disney Castle).
Rothenburg ob der Tauber is known for its well preserved medieval town from the Middle Ages with its alley ways, half-timbered houses and a wall surrounding the old town. The coolest part is you can climb up and walk along the wall. There were a few churches and museums I didn’t get to explore and would definitely like to go back. At night they offer a Night Watchman tour which takes you around the city in the darkness and sharing stories of how people lived in the Middle Ages. We spend Labor Day exploring Heidelberg. The weather was overcast with a few raindrops but nice and cool otherwise, just like a fall day. We parked near the castle and walked up the hill. We explored the courtyard, pharmacy museum and saw the worldest largest wine barrel. Then we walked to the old bridge where we came across the Heidelberger Liebesstein which is an Odenwalk sandstone which stands on the north side of the old bridge. According to an old tradition, couples close the lock together and throw the key into the river. We walked the center of old town and ate a quick lunch before heading home. |
AuthorA teacher who loves traveling the world. Categories
All
Archives
June 2023
|