VLOG | milan, verona, venice, lago di garda

I also created an accompanying video for the Italy trip. It's the longest I've ever made and creating travel vlogs were one of the main reasons I started dabbling in video editing in the first place. I really enjoyed making this one and it would be a nice slice of memory to look back on in the future.

TRAVEL | italy with adam

After a long year of uncertainty I finally felt safe enough to venture out of Germany again for a bit of travel. Luckily Itlay was one of the earlier countries in the EU that have opened up their borders for tourism again. Adam and I, after experiencing some light cabin fever and suffering through horrible spring allergies decided to jump the gun and just book ourselves a ticket to Italy for a week. We decided we'd also work remotely there as to not be too tempted to eat outside amongst the crowd as much. 

Overall, the first trip out was a massive success. It was also our first trip as a couple and that's always a bit of a rite of passage. We managed to find a stellar airbnb in the heart of Verona, where we stayed for the week. We also got to travel to Venice for a day-trip, which was especially special since tourism was only limited to European residents. It was a bit surreal to see Venice so empty and sleepy. I don't think any other visit will ever feel the same. I feel extremely lucky/privileged to be able to experience something like this.

One of nights we bought a handful of antipasti dishes from the nearby grocery shops

and had a feast of our own at home. I made a salad and we paired it with a cold octopus
salad, grilled squid, and other misc. dishes.

Adam found a foccaia spot not to far from our airbnb. The quatro fromaggi

was to die for. We ended up coming back a few more times to try some other
focaccias with different toppings. The bread was perfectly fluffy, crispy, and
greasy, definitely not something you'd want to be eating every day.

TRAVEL | riomaggiore

Confession: I had Italian love affair with the beautiful Cinque Terre.

Given my pick of the five towns (terres), I chose to stay in the first of the five, Riomaggiore. I had picked a 10 bed dorm/apartment but due to it being off season I had the whole place to myself for two full days, except for a traveling artist by the name of Oliver, who rents out the master suite during the summer months, whom I rarely saw but turned out to be an incredibly sweet man.

Since returning to the States, a lot of people have asked me which one of the cities I've visited was my favorite and I always answer "Riomaggiore" without a moments hesitation. That is because it is literally impossible to not fall in love with that place. It is exceptionally charming; from the multicolored buildings to the little fishing boats sitting pretty by the marina. The village itself is tiny; it only takes about 5 minutes to walk from the shoreline to the top of the valley and there are several restaurants, mom and pop delis, and cafés are scattered along the one main street.

A popular tourist activity includes hiking along the coastline from one town to the next. But as I was nearing the end of my European tour, I was painfully exhausted from all the walking and sightseeing I had done for those last 8 or so weeks. Therefore I spent two days in Cinque Terre practicing what the Italians call "l’arte di non fare niente", the art of doing nothing. 

And those two days were some of the best days of my life.

I loved my little kitchen.  I had my first home cooked meal here in weeks. Traveling artist Oliver cooked a delicious meal of salad Niçoise and pasta with tuna, parsley, tomatoes and onions on my first night. The meal was paired with the local Cinque Terre white wine and it ended with a dessert of italian chocolate. It was a humble meal, but so memorable I've replicated it many times since.

Oliver, wherever you are (Thailand, Berlin, Croatia?), thanks for the delicious food!

The beginnings of the hiking trail above Riomaggiore. The view top the top of the hill was absolutely insane! A little Italian grandma taught me a shortcut to get back down into town--the path she took me on required weaving through people's backyards--I must've climbed down at least 20 flights of stairs. What an adventure!

Nothing compares to the sound of a wave crashing onto a pebble beach. I could sit for hours (and I did) listening to it.

As cliché as it sounds, people watching had become a favorite pass time for me on my travels. As a single traveler it was nice to finally have some time dedicated to only myself, to sit quiet with my thoughts and be shut off from social media for a change. I like being alone, for the most part, and especially so in Riomaggiore. One of the best parts of my day was breakfast time, when I got to watch all the locals running all their errands before the tourists from La Spezia arrive in the afternoon--I especially loved it when people shouted greetings from their cafes or delis to the other cafe or deli across the street. It was clear that everyone knew everyone in that town, and for me, getting to sit there, being apart of such insignificant yet endearing events, was an experience in itself.

In the end, Italy proved me wrong. With so many other places in Europe to explore, I thought I wouldn't be interested in returning any time soon, but now every time I about traveling Europe again I dream about stepping off that train once more back into my little slice of Heaven.

TRAVEL | florence photo diary

I arrived in Florence in the early afternoon. The hostel I had originally planned to stay in was all booked on the first night so I had to lug my bags to a smaller hostel a few blocks down. The room small and more intimate that I have been used to in the past, but I had a larger shower space than I've had in weeks-- a definite bonus. The hostel was built in this run down old building in the heart of Florence's historic center--which makes it quite the ideal neighborhood if you're looking to visit David in the Academy Gallery or looking for a quick trip to the { Mercato Centrale di San Lorenzo } (San Lorenzo market).

Leather stores galore in Firenze. If I wasn't so tight on money I probably would've walked away with a new bag or something of the sort. I had my eye on this beautiful ipad case made with supple, buttery leather, but I spent that money on pasta instead.

Famous Ponte vecchio, home to silversmiths and artisan jewelers of Firenze. I had to shuffle around amid crowds of people trying to get through to the other side. Surprising, considering it was off season for tourism. Needless to say, I avoided that bridge for the rest of the week.

TRAVEL | rome photo diary

To sum it up, Rome was warm, crowded, and noisy. After a month shivering in the cold in northern Europe--making sure I pack on several layers before leaving my hostel--Italy was a nice change of pace. Even in mid-October the weather was warm enough to walk outside in short sleeves and more importantly, warm enough to dine al fresco as the Romans do. 

My hostel was located right around the corner of the Roma Termini train station. It was an ideal location for backpackers since it is a little off the beaten path from all tourist locations, but still within a comfortable walking distance to the city center. My main mode of transportation was the metro, which I took from Castro Preteorio station all the way to Colosseo every day, and then from there I picked up on foot. 

 

I sort of stumbled upon Campo de' Fiori. It is a square just south of Piazza Navona and home to the oldest outdoor market in Europe. Walking around the market was an adventure in itself. Left and right, people were selling products ranging from olive oil to pasta, and regional candies to homemade liqueurs. Everything was so fresh and the atmosphere was so lively, I wanted to stay there all day.

I had my last lunch in the Jewish Ghetto. I was told by my roommate to try { Ba Ghetto }'s homemade ravioli. So I did, and she was right, it was completely out of this world good. I also ordered their Roman style fried artichoke as a starter. At first I wasn't entirely sure how to tackle the dish--the artichokes I'm used to at home were so stringy and tough only a little fleshy base were edible and the rest just gets tossed into the trash--so imagine my surprise when I saw the couple next to me devour the whole thing, leaves, heart and all. It wasn't long before mine vanished completely as well.

My one and only mission in Rome were to find the city's best Pistachio and Banana Gelato. I was told that if there were any flavor of gelato I needed to try, it would be those two. I stopped by Giolitti twice during my trip to try out some of their famous gelati. The first time I tried a combination of dark chocolate, pistachio and banana topped with a healthy serving of panna (cream). It was possibly the most stressful ice cream experience of my life--due to the warm weather I had gelato running down waffle cone then down my arm even before I stepped out of the store. I had forgotten to take napkins before I left but at that point the gelato had made such a mess I was too embarrassed to go back inside. Instead I found a secluded corner by the busy street to eat in private as fast as I can. Thank goodness I had a little bit of water left in my water bottle or else it would have been a very embarrassing, very sticky walk home.

I was a bit more prepared the second time though: two flavors, no whipped cream, a cup to go, and a handful of napkins. This made for a more comfortable eating experience. And I got to stand in street with all the other people enjoying their gelato, and as an added bonus, watch the newbies fail at conquering their 3+ flavor frozen treat in the 70 degree sunlight as I had done so the previous day. 

Live and learn.

To be completely honest, I did not love Rome. I tried falling in love with it, but I just couldn't. Perhaps it was the hordes of tourists that caught me off guard, but mostly it was because I felt incredibly pressured--pressured to soak up the cultural heritage, learn all the history and see all the arts as expected from most travelers who visit Rome. For example, I had no intention of paying 11 euros to enter the Colosseum to see something I've seen a million times in guidebooks or friend's photos--yet, a voice in my head kept screaming "what kind of tourist comes to Rome and doesn't tour Rome?". It was just a constant battle between just doing what I want to do, and what people say I should do. In a way it goes somewhat beyond sightseeing--but quoting Jesse Wallace from the film Before Sunrise: "I could never get very excited about other people's ambitions for my life." So it made more sense to ignore the nagging voice, and in the end had more fun doing things my own way.

And by "my own way" I mean eating my way through Rome, hanging out at my hostel's amazing lounge for hours on end, staying up all night with friends, and then...more eating, of course. 

And I'm leaving out the best part: I never had to wait in line. Not even once!