On the Road in Italy: Pisa

While driving through Italy, my parents and I decided to take a pit stop in Pisa to look at the iconic leaning tower. The leaning tower is the bell tower for the cathedral in Pisa. The tower has been unsteady since construction began in 1173; however, the tower was built over the course 344 years. It slowly continued to tilt over the years. There have been efforts to stabilize the tower in recent years; this corrected the angle from 5.5 degrees to 3.99 degree. So there is little chance that the tower will come crumbling down, despite its tipsy appearance. 

I am not sure about this hostel that does not allow dogs, but bears are no problem... I guess the no dog policy keeps the bears from getting rowdy.

12th century city walls. 

My mom holding up the tower!

We had to take a few touristy photos!

My dad holding up the tower.

I decided to relax while holding up the tower!

Very tall and very impressive monument. It was such a fun and beautiful day (a bit hot for my taste, but clear blue skies)!

<3 Amy

On the Road in Italy: Menaggio, Italy on Lake Como

One of my favorite recent trips was an overnight stay in Menaggio, Italy. It is on Lake Como, which is absolutely breathtaking. We went here based on a recommendation from my boss and I am so glad we did. 

Our short stay involved walking along the water and enjoying the view.  However, we made sure to eat pasta, drink wine, and enjoy an evening gelato.

The lake is the deepest in Europe (over 1300 feet) and was created by glacial activity. It has been a vacation destination since the Roman times and attracts people from around the world today.

I was lovin' this little seaplane that we saw takeoff on our morning stroll!

The drive to and from the city was full of amazing views of the water and surrounding mountains. It was comprised of winding tiny roads that were hard to maneuver, but worth the stress for the beautiful landscape! 

<3 Amy 

On the Road in France: Nice

Earlier this spring, my parents and I made a quick overnight stop in Nice, France. While we were not there long, it was still a nice little visit. I had visited the city a few years earlier in the winter; so it was lovely to see it in nicer weather! 

We stumbled upon this adorably small car parked on the sidewalk. I can fully understand them resorting to this parking space, after having driven around looking for one myself!

We stopped in here for an afternoon break next to a fountain and these gorgeous purple trees!

The beaches of Nice had breathtaking views, but were a bit too crowded for my taste. Every other section is required to be open and free to the public, which is nice for those who are traveling on a budget. However, these sections are rocky and not as nice. The private sections, usually belonging to hotels, have sand, umbrellas, and lounge chairs 

Nice has a few streets that really come alive when the weather is nice. There are cafes, restaurants, shops, and plenty of ice cream for those perusing the area! It is a great stop along the French Riviera for those who are traveling in the area.

<3 Amy

Quick Stop in London

On my way home to Long Island, I had a one-day stop in London.  If it were not for the British flags everywhere, I would not have even known anything was going on where I stayed near Manor House tube station.  It was a quiet Saturday afternoon.  It felt like a kind of eye of the storm in my travels.  

My friend's garden is apparently full of frogs.  This sign has been erected to warn visitors.

The whole area is covered in blackberries!  In the afternoon, we went for a walk looking for somewhere to get a pie and a pint. 

Railway Fields via QYPE

Out of an ornate gate, a woman appeared and asked us, "Do you live in the neighborhood?  Did you know that there is a nature reserve in your neighborhood?"  She invited us in to explore.  It was a special event in which Railway Fields Nature Reserve was open to the public on a Saturday afternoon.  Inside, we found tons of blackberries, idyllic walking trails, a little seminar on beekeeping, and a little pond.

We brought home quite a bag of blackberries.  Oh how I love foraging!  We used them to make a lemon polenta blackberry upside down cake!

Yum!  While the Olympics are exciting, it was lovely to have a calm break in my travels for walking, foraging, and baking.

Now, Amy and I are relaxing in Greenport.  Amy has increased her antique hat collection and today, hopefully if the weather holds out, we'll go swimming in the bay.  I am so happy to be home.

On the Road: Liechtenstein

On our drive from Germany to Italy we took a detour that would allow us to visit the very tiny alpine country of Liechtenstein. We all set new records of having visited five different countries in one day (Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein, and Italy). It is a very small (61 square miles) German-speaking country with a population of 35,000 people. It is a constitutional monarchy headed by Prince Hans Adam II.

The border crossing was this very simple bridge with the different flags on either side separating the two nations.

Liechtenstein is the only country to have its entire area within the Alps and it shows with a beautiful mountainous landscape. Its terrain makes it a desire winter vacation destination.

I am so happy we decided to take this detour to one of the tiny countries of Europe. I have been able to visit three now (Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, and Monaco) and all have been delightfully charming. Even the smallest of countries have a lot to offer!

<3 Amy

On the Road in Germany: Tübingen

It has been a very busy last few weeks. I have been lucky enough to do some traveling with my parents! We had such an amazing time. The highlight of the trip was a visit back to my favorite city in Europe, Tübingen, Germany. I spent a year studying here from 2008 to 2009 and fell in love with the city and all of the people I met there. It is so lovely!  I try to go back and visit as often as possible. 

Tübingen is a beautiful German city located in Baden-Württemberg. It is a bustling little university city; the student population makes up about a quarter of the total population. The university was established in 1477 and the town dates back to the Middle Ages. The city is well preserved because it was left largely unscathed during the Second World War. It is a city that has so much history and culture. I cannot wait for future visits. 

We were able to rent an apartment for the weekend that was right on the Neckar river in a house that is 700 years old! It is the rust-colored house that is six houses in from the right. The boats on the river are called Stocherkahn, which are punt boats and are very popular in the area. Some of the locals even install small barbecues in their boats to have lunch while floating down the river on a sunny afternoon.

We were able to enjoy some delicious Swabian foods. We had dinner at die Wurstküche (sausage kitchen), which is highly recommended! Of course a traditional German meal often goes well with one of the local freshly brewed beers, which there are plenty of throughout the area.

If you ever have the chance to visit this area of Germany, I highly recommend a visit to this delightful little city. It has so much character and will surely not disappoint.

<3 Amy

On the Road in Germany: Nuremberg

Half-Timbered Houses in Nuremberg, Germany

Amy and I spent this past week traveling around Germany with her parents.  Though I am back in Prague for the next 19 days, Amy is still on the road.  We are going to try to post one picture from each place we visit as well as some longer posts about some things.  Our first stop was Nuremberg where we walked around the city for an evening in our quest for food.   When we went to Nuremberg this Christmas, we had a lot of difficulty finding somewhere to eat dinner.  Reliving that experience, we wondered: Why are there not more German restaurants in Germany?

It's a beautiful city to explore, but be sure to have a few dinner locations planned in advance!

Wallenstein Palace

Wallenstein Palace

Prague, Czech Republic

Hercules Slaying the Dragon 

 Last weekend, Amy took us on an updated version of Amy's Walking Tour of Prague, which combined Amy's Walking Tour of Prague and Amy's Scary Walking Tour of Prague with a visit to the Wallenstein Palace.  Though it was hot, we gleefully frolicked in the gardens which we happily discovered have no entrance fee.

The Wallenstein Palace was built from 1623-1630 by Albrecht von Wallenstein.  Wallenstein seems to have been a rather proud fellow.  He wanted a palace as grand as Prague Castle.  The palace and gardens are very obviously done in the Italian style.  As with many places in Prague, the palace has a sordid history.  

Albrech von Wallenstein only got to frolic around his palace for one year after its completion.  Wallenstein was an important military figure during the 30 Years War, fighting on the side of the Habsburgs.  Wallenstein apparently made secret negotiations with Habsburg rivals, for which Ferdinand II had him assassinated.  Also (according to Wikipedia), in the gardens, there is a lane of statues depicting classical themes, all of which are copies.  The originals only held their places for 18 years before being stolen by a Swedish army.  These originals still remain at Drottningholm Palace in Sweden.  

I've heard tell that there are albino peafowl in the gardens, but we saw only this one.

Tiny door!

The Wallenstein Palace is currently home to the Czech Senate.  The palace remained in the Wallenstein family until 1945, when it became property of the state.

These merfolk leave a lot of tail to be desired--though I appreciate the mussel shell wings.

I like pretty gates.

Did I mention we had fun?  Some of us did, at least.

This was definitely a stop worthy of visiting if you are in Prague!  It is in Mala Strana, near so many other great sites.  Take an hour sometime to visit!  Or go just to hang out.  We saw so many people just enjoying a warm, sunny day in a beautiful park.

Slovak/Hungarian Border Crossing

This weekend, we went to Budapest, Hungary!  It was a lovely trip and we will both have lots of photos to post.  While we work on editing and organizing them, I wanted to quickly post a little something.  These pictures were taken from a moving bus on a very cloudy day, so they are not the clearest I've ever taken.  

Slovak Republic

Nevertheless, they manage to capture the essence of the Slovak/Hungarian border.  As both nations are members of the Schengen Area, they essentially have open borders.  This means that their border check-points are not used for much.  When you travel through them, they seem completely abandoned with the exception of a few cars.  On neither of our journeys did we see a single person nor a light on.

Leaving Hungary

Entering Slovakia

This photo gives the best impression of what it is like to drive through.

I cannot put my finger on what makes this experience so striking.  To some extent, the dilapidation makes the borders look like something from a post-apocalyptic film--a shot used to imply a break down of government and a rise of lawlessness.  But when you think about it, this image is not the government failing, it is the government attempting progress.  This is not to imply that I think open borders are always the best policy for Europe or for anywhere else, but it is something they have chosen to work towards.  It's interesting to see what looks like decay as actually progress towards a goal.

-Colleen

Snapshots of Olomouc

Snapshots of Olomouc

Trains, Fountains, and Quintessential Moravia

Last weekend, we went to Olomouc, a small city in Moravia.  Amy will be posting her photos of landmarks and detailing the history later this weekend.  My camera has survived four years on three continents and at this point is really only good for daytime snapshots but I managed to get a few that captured the atmosphere of our adventure.

I made Amy take this photo which I view as the quintessential "I'm traveling in Europe!" photo.  She was terrified to stick her head out and convinced a train would come by on the other side.

Without real seats in a compartment, due to computer error, we had to find a way to ease our woes on the train.

Further explanation of landing-gear to come.  Definitely check back for Amy's post this weekend. 

We had such a good time in Olomouc!  I cannot wait for our next weekend trip!