Ahh, beautiful Tuscany! Now I see why people fall in love with this place. There’s just something addictive about the pretty scenery, charming small towns, and relaxed feeling you get in Tuscany. We wished we had more time there, and Ben and I both agree this is one place we will return to.
After Cinque Terre, Ben and I headed to Siena for 3 nights. Compared to it’s old rival, Florence, Siena has a charming small-town feel, with hills and narrow cobblestone streets. As an unexpected bonus, the hotel we’d booked had a big terrace with an amazing view of the city. Here’s a few photos from the terrace:
The Cinque Terre is a region on the northern Mediterranean coast of Italy. There are five towns situated on the rocky coastline, each with it’s own charm, and all connected by hiking trails. This area was made famous for Americans by Rick Steves, and it was apparent the minute we arrived. Besides seeing Rick Steves travel guides in the hands of many visitors, the hotel and restaurant owners showed the book saying “I don’t know if you have this book, but we’re in it!” to entice you to shop there. But Rick Steves recommends Cinque Terre for a reason: it’s a beautiful area with charming towns, amazing views, and great hiking.
Following are photos from the 5 towns (more…)
Ben and I spent a full 7 nights in an apartment in Florence. It was perfect, and exactly the relaxing break that we needed. Staying put in one place (and knowing it in advance) allowed us to enjoy some things we’d been craving… (more…)
We now have less than a month left of our Europe trip! We’ll return home to Boise on November 16th from Rome. Here’s an update on where we’ve been the last week and our plans for the rest of the trip…
After Budapest we took a budget flight to Venice, Italy and spent two nights. Venice was amazing. We spent most of our time wandering the streets and enjoying beautiful views of canals, gondolas, churches, and Venetian style buildings at every turn. We’ll post photos soon.
Following Venice we decided to (more…)
Ben and I didn’t really hit it off with Budapest the way some people seem to. I guess different cities just suit different people. Other factors are involved too, like your mood, the weather, how long you’ve been traveling, and just random events and people. But we ended up staying there 5 nights to take a break and relax. We also met some cool people at the hostel that we enjoyed chatting with.
Here’s some things we liked (more…)
It seems like so long ago that Ben and I went biking along the Danube River in Austria, but it’s only been a little over a week. Compared to where we’ve been since – Budapest and Venice – it was so sunny and even hot.
So anyway, while we were in Vienna I read about this bike trail nearby along the Danube River, and we decided to give it a shot. We wanted a little change from the big city sightseeing; to head into the country and get some exercise other than walking. So we headed to Krems, Austria on a morning train (more…)
Our couchsurfing host in Vienna rock climbs after work twice a week, so she took us with last Monday. We had fun and totally wore ourselves out. Our hands and forearms were really sore after 2-3 climbs (but I think that means we weren’t doing it right…).
We spent 3 nights in Cesky Krumlov, a really small town in the south of the Czech Republic. Since it’s small, there’s really not a ton to do there – which was perfect because we needed a little break. We pretty much spent a few hours each day out walking around the town, and the rest of the time just hanging out at the hostel. We stayed at a really cute & cozy little hostel called the Krumlov House. The managers were two girls from New Zealand who were traveling around Europe but stopped there for a few months to make some money. They were awesome, although a little tricky to understand sometimes (thick accents and goofy words – it’s harder than you’d think!). There were also some really cool American visitors there, so we had a good time just hanging out with everyone.
Anyway, here’s a few photos from our time there… (more…)
I’ve been slowing down on the blog lately, I know. It takes a bit of time and usually I enjoy it… but the last couple of weeks I’ve been appreciating my time off and relaxing a little more (in other words, being lazy). So for those of you who are following along, here’s a quick update. I hope to post more about these places later.
FYI, even when I’m not posting I usually keep the “Where are we now?” box on the right side of the page up to date, and every once in a while I update the map on the “Travel Plans” page at the top menu. And if that’s not enough, join Facebook and add Ben and I to your friend list, we add things there occasionally too.
Cesky Krumlov (Czech Republic) – 3 nights in a hostel in this small medieval town. We had a good time wandering the streets, and also hanging out with the hostel managers and guests.
