Edelweiss

Austria just may be my favorite country; it’s definitely in the top five. I actually visited here in August and loved it so much that I made sure this semester I had time to go back; and it didn’t disappoint. A whirlwind weekend, the trip again was just a tease. An eight-hour bus ride took us from Florence to Salzburg. Along the way in the early hours of the morning I awoke in time to witness the snow dotted valleys and majestic peaks that make this a lovely region. Fall was in the air here, it was much colder and the leaves were changing or already gone. I spent the morning waltzing through historic Salzburg and exploring the fort, which offered amazing views of the area and some delicious lunch. Then in the afternoon I took the Sound of Music Tour. For the next 4 hours I flitted around getting glimpses and photos of some of the most memorable places from the film like the lake and the gazebo. Sadly I couldn’t go in and prance across the benches, tourists are no longer allowed inside since an eighty-year-old lady broke her hip doing just that. Our guide was amazing. His knowledge, humor and impressions had the whole bus rocking with laughter. That night I sipped delicious hot chocolate on the roof deck of the Stein Hotel that offers a sweeping panorama of the river. I didn’t want to ever leave, but the next morning we headed off for Vienna. Here I walked in to town and at the palace took a enchanting carriage ride of the city. That night after wandering for what seemed like forever we stopped for dinner at an American diner, owned by Austrians and had a delicious meal while getting tips from the locals. The next morning, our final day in Austria, we had only two hours to visit Schonbrunn Palace. This was not nearly enough time for these magnificent gardens. We had just enough time for a trek through the maze and to the top of the hill and already it was time to go. Again I didn’t have nearly enough time in this amazing country, I’m hoping to go back and next time it will be for more than a weekend.

Amalfi

No matter how many times one visits the Amalfi Coast it never loses its beauty. I’ve been here several times before, but this was the first time I had an entire day in each town. Our first stop was the small town of Positano. Normally thriving with tourists, who flock to the beaches, it was deserted on this cloudy day. However, this only added a unique loveliness to the area. I feel on this visit the true Positano was able to shine through, without being suffocated by the usual crowds. After exploring the beaches and caves we headed back to Sorrento for some shopping. I managed to buy a nice leather bag, from the store we’ve stopped at now each time we’ve visited. The next morning we left bright and early for Capri. As soon as we arrived we hopped on board a tour boat and were escorted around the island. Sadly, it was too choppy, as usual, so we were unable to go see the elusive blue grotto. Undeterred we spent the rest of the day exploring the island. After doing the usual tour of Capri and the gardens we went down to the beach and had a delicious seafood lunch. After this we skipped out on the sun bathing and headed to Ana Capri. Here we boarded a chairlift that took us to the highest point on the island. It was amazing and something I would recommend doing. The ride to the top was so peaceful surrounded by nature and views of the ocean you didn’t want to ever reach the top. Finally, on our last day we visited Pompeii. It was still beautiful, but I was disappointed in how crowded and touristy it had become. You could barely move without bumping in to another group and they’ve even built a cafeteria inside the city. However, it was still fascinating to see. Even though this was my fourth time visiting I still need to go back, one of these days I have to get into that grotto!

Happy Fall & One Month Anniversary

After two fast paced weekends I was excited to stay in Florence and just amble along the cobbled streets. It’s fall now, my favorite season, but it doesn’t feel like it. In New England by now the leaves would be shimmering with their oranges and reds, pumpkins would be everywhere and the air would be crisp and full of the threat of winter. Here, its still in the eighties and the trees just seem to shrivel without a final show of resistance. Everyone is beginning to feel the differences between here and home, in my photo class we had a ten minute discussion on how we’d all love a Dunkin Donuts or a Starbucks right now and how we are beginning to miss the little things. The differences really hit home when we lost power because of too many appliances being used. But putting all that aside Florence has its own charm. You can’t help but appreciate the fine architecture and the proud piazzas any time you walk down the street. I mean where else could you stumble upon a two day wine festival. So to help forget our electrical problems we happily purchased a wine glass and spent the afternoon strolling from piazza to piazza sampling the local wines and conversing with the owners. To end the evening we celebrated our one-month anniversary abroad with apertivo. For 8 euro we sipped on Bellini’s and had access to an unlimited buffet of delectable pizzas, home made pastas and freshly made tuna, to name a few things. So even though there are times when I really miss home I wouldn’t change places with anyone.