Here are the panoramic photos I took during my recent 2015 Europe trip to England, Italy, Switzerland and Germany, thus far unposted. To learn more about the places below, as well as the other cities I visited during this trip, check out the following recap:
Continue reading “Panoramic Photos from Italy and Switzerland”
The previous time I visited Naples, I was given the mission of reviewing 30 hotels across town in just a few days. And while I got to know the place pretty well after, it made the intense city all the more hectic. Immediately after stepping out of Napoli Stazione Centrale this time, however, the apprehension I felt the first time was replaced with excitement. First of all, I knew my way around the city (more or less) and, after experiencing Palermo, I was more than ready to handle all of Naples’ eccentricities.
Continue reading “Naples – The Best Pizza, Stunning Views and Vibrant People”
I’m slowly trudging through the 36GB of photos taken during my Italy trip last May. If you’re interested in seeing some unique perspectives on Rome, Naples and towns within Emilia-Romagna, check out my Flickr page (I’ll go back and add descriptions and tags after I’m done uploading everything).
Here are a few shots from Rome that I like in particular… Continue reading “36GB of Photos from Rome, Naples and Emilia-Romagna”
The two things I miss most about Naples are the people and the pizza. Nowhere have I ever seen such expertly cooked pizze at such low prices (from 1,50€ on the street for a fairly large serving to 5€ at the renowned Di Matteo). As for the people, they exude a devil-may-care attitude clearly evident when it comes to crossing the street; It’s fun but chaotic, and I can now say I’ve stepped directly in front of a moving bus. When night arrives, revelers fill the piazze of Centro Storico, taking in the low temperature and live music with cheap bottles of beer.
Not a bad way to live.
A few months ago, I went on a month-long trip through the Mediterranean with Princess Cruises. And while I had already shared my photos from the trip, I had not, until now, elaborated on the details of the experience itself. I was a bit skeptical about the idea of traveling quickly from city to city on a cruise (I had previously cruised through Alaska and the Bahamas with mixed results), as each stop would feel rushed and short. On the other hand, the idea of getting to see so many cities in such a short amount of time was exciting; it was sort of like a crash course on the North Mediterranean. A life is a long time, I had reassured myself, to revisit and take in deeper the cities I loved.
The cruise took place aboard the Star Princess in September of 2011, and included the cities of Venice, Athens, Kusadasi, Istanbul, Mykonos, Naples (only to port for trips to Capri and Pompeii), Rome, Florence, Pisa, Monte Carlo and Barcelona. Overall, I had a really great time. I do recommend it to anyone looking to see a lot of things really quickly at a reasonable cost.
The Cons of a Mediterranean Cruise
Continue reading “The Pros and Cons of a Mediterranean Cruise (and Photos)”
The strangest part about returning from a long trip is the reintegration back into the familiar. Life comes back, only, in the back of the mind, there are now memories of places and people one didn’t have before leaving, as if someone implanted them into the head.
During the last three weeks of September, I went off to various cities along the Mediterranean with my family, several family friends and a big group from Hawaii (where I grew up). We traveled aboard a Princess Cruises ship—the masculine Star Princess—from Venice to Athens, Kusadasi, Istanbul, Mykonos, Rome (docked at Civitavecchia), Capri and Pompeii (docked at Naples), Pisa and Florence (docked at Livorno), Monte Carlo, and Barcelona. I initially had reservations about traveling via cruise liner on my first trip to Europe, but the experience was wholly positive: We spent the days out until we were dead tired, returned to the ship to eat and sleep, and woke up each day to a new amazing port.
I’m fortunate for the opportunity of seeing such beautiful places. Everything about the trip worked out wonderfully, from spending time with my family to the fun people in our group and meeting an online friend I had never met before in Rome. These are the things that really highlighted my experience—the people that made the adventure more meaningful than just simply being in nice places.
Prettiest city: Venice
Least pretty city: Athens
City I most want to revisit: Rome
City I least want to revisit: Monte Carlo
Best view: The Acropolis
Prettiest panorama: Ponte Vecchio in Florence
Most random: Saying “Go Giants!” to a guy wearing a Giants cap at the Temple of Zeus
Most adventurous: Squeezing into the Blue Grotto on a little boat off the coast of Capri
Most awkward: Magician on the ship reminded me of Gob from Arrested Development
Favorite moment: Quietly admiring the inside of the Sistine Chapel with a pretty Roman girl
Below are my photos from the trip. I focused on capturing people, street art and basically anything that could describe life in each city. They mean a lot to me, so I hope you enjoy them. Continue reading “Visiting the Mediterranean – Italy, Greece, Turkey, Monaco and Spain”
