It's official: I am in the midst of my first ever Euro Trip. What exactly is a Euro Trip? Quite simply, it is a vacation where you visit three or more European countries before heading home (Source = Julia Fiorio). Thanks to San Marino, I am now a European traveller. Wooo! Wait...San Marino? That's right. …
Continue reading Once you’ve hit 3 countries, it’s officially a EURO TRIP!
When I first stepped off the train in Florence I was grinning bigger than the Cheshire Cat. It didn't matter that I was hot and sweaty or that I still had to carry all my luggage for 20 minutes to reach my hotel. All that mattered was that I was back in Florence. In 2011, …
3...2...1...Abruzzo is officially region #18. Celebration time? While I explored Abruzzo, I stayed in a hotel in Pescara but spent two days visiting Sulmona and Ortona. When I first told people I was going to Abruzzo, I was subjected to everyone's opinions: some good, some bad. (In case you were wondering, Italians aren't always so …
Continue reading Abruzzo: The Final Countdown (August 25-27)
One of the things I love best about Salento is I am always learning new information about my Italian side of the family. After compiling all this information for a while, I think it is safe to say that my grandfather was a rich man. Not just your typical rich person, but the kind of …
On my way down south to visit my family, I figured I would stop in Ancona and add another region (Le Marche - #17) to my list. I didn't know what to expect. Every single person I had talked to, and there had been many, told me not to go to Ancona. I wasn't really …
Continue reading Ancona: 2,400 Years Makes for an Old City (August 12-13)
We made two mistakes right off the bat in Verona. 1. We should have planned to stay for longer than just one night. 2. I need to learn to communicate better in Italian Let me explain...I have an aunt and a cousin that live in Verona. (And when I say Aunt & cousin, I mean …
Continue reading Verona: Family, Love & Music (August 10-11)
We are taught growing up that the beginning of a story is key. Start with an attention grabber that will make people want to read what else you have written. I am officially apologizing to all my elementary and middle school english teachers: I have no exciting beginning to this blog post. However, I hope …
Continue reading Trieste: Beginnings Aren’t Everything (August 7-9)
To satisfy our constant need for adventure, Patrick and I decided to make a quick stop in Switzerland for a couple of days before continuing our Italian journey. Unfortunately, things were not as perfect as they seemed. Lugano, Switzerland is located on Lago Lugano which is partially in Italy and partially in Switzerland. It is …
Continue reading Lugano: Swing and a Miss with Swiss (August 4-5)
I have this weird goal of visiting all twenty regions in Italy. Italian regions are comparable to states in America except there are a lot fewer of them and each region is a lot more different. Before coming to Italy this summer I had visited 13 of the 20 regions. After Torino I was up …
Continue reading Valle D’Aosta: Casually Going Where No American Tourists Go (August 3)
I'm not a big HGTV fan, but I've never been above watching a couple shows here and there with my parents. However, after the past three days in Torino I'm about to apply to be on House Hunters Internationals. (Coincidentally, there is actually a Torino episode coming up on August 14. Not a plug or …
Continue reading House Hunters International Here I Come! (Torino: July 31 – Aug 2)
Taking Little Steps 