Travel for me is like a seesaw: sometimes I’m on top of the world, smack dab in the middle of one of those magical moments that makes me want to travel forever, and other times I’m overwhelmed by all the various frustrations anyone encounters when traveling in an unfamiliar place. Venice was, for me, a place where … More Venice: A Few Parting Thoughts
There are some places I go because I want to do something: peruse a particular museum, try a new restaurant, explore a famous monument. Then there are other places that I visit without any big attraction in mind, but simply because they look beautiful. Rue Crémieux in Paris was one of those, and another would have to … More Venice: Crazy Colorful Burano
I had a mission in Murano, and it was simple: acquire the perfect vase. This might not sound surprising – Murano is, after all, known for its glass – but I’m not much for shopping during my travels. And though I would typically reserve my money for food, adventures, and accommodations, this was a special case. Years ago, I … More Venice: The All-Important Murano Vase Mission
I won’t pretend to be a pro at photography – my DSLR manual sits somewhere, collecting dust, despite my annual resolution to learn my camera’s settings – but taking pictures is something I enjoy, to put it mildly. And I can trace one of the reasons for this love to my first visit to Venice’s … More Venice: Colorful Corners of the Rialto Markets
Eating in Italy is, on the whole, easy – in my experience, at least, I haven’t exactly struggled to find good, solid food all over the country. Except, that is, in Venice. Yes, the food scene in Venice is a bit trickier than other parts of Italy. While I ultimately discovered a few restaurants that I quite enjoyed … More Culinary Discoveries of a Venetian Cicchetti Crawl
Venice, perhaps more so than any other place I have visited, is the spot where, as a traveller, utter despair and unbelievable thrills most coalesce. It’s a city with one huge contradiction: it’s both the easiest place in the world to love, AND the most impossible. It’s easy to love because, obviously, it is gorgeous, … More On Coming to Terms with the Contradictions of Venice
As I mentioned in my last post, I adored Verona. For a relatively small town, it’s packed with so much to do, to see, and to eat. Here’s how I spent my two days in the city. Wandering the Charming Streets The thing that is guaranteed to be among my favorite pastimes in pretty much any city – walking … More Two Days in Fair Verona
Here is a short list of what I knew about the city of Verona before arriving: It’s near Venice. It’s home to lots of Roman ruins. It contains the tourist trap balcony purporting to be Juliet’s. It was the setting for one of my favorite cheesy rom-coms, Letters to Juliet. If I’m being honest here, #4 … More Verona: From Piazza to Piazza to Piazza
