Category: Food & Drink

Alsfeld, Germany - Historic Center

From Alsfeld to Frankfurt – Scenes from the German Countryside to the Big City

As I entered Germany by train, it seemed like a year ago that I began this Europe trip in London when really it had only been two-and-a-half months. The constant moving and reshuffling of living quarters (not to mention flatmates) made it seem more like a series of many trips interconnected rather than a single journey. Each stop was a fresh start with a new city and a different way of life. My transition from my time in Switzerland to that of Alsfeld would be my last, save for the subsequent long voyage home.

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Town of Mürren

Stunning Switzerland – Adventures in Zürich, Lucerne, Interlaken, Bern, Basel & Beyond

The train from Milano Centrale into Switzerland was by far the most breathtaking voyage by rail I have ever embarked on. Lakes. Waterfalls. Roads elevated to the heights of grandiose mountains. Gasps of wonder were not uncommon from our train carriage. Also, it was burning hot in Milan when I left, and by then I was longing for the Swiss chill, the idea of being in the mountains sans burning skin and free from the hell spawn that is the mosquito.

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Street Art in Bologna

Bologna – Days of Pasta, Portici & Youth

Bologna is a vibrant town, powered by a population of university students. Self-expression is everywhere, from the abundance of street art to the hairstyles I haven’t seen since the late 80s. Portici and graffiti, late nights spent on piazza pavements, the sound of music that never dies; within my first night in Bologna, I knew straightaway it would be unlike my quiet (yet profound) experience in Camaiore, Lucca and Cinque Terre.

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Cinque Terre - Vernazza

Falling in Love in Camaiore – Cinque Terre, Lucca, Pietrasanta

If there’s anything writers are good at, it’s expressing themselves with words.

It is, after all, our one sole job. Still, I find it hard to describe my experience in Tuscany’s small town of Camaiore. After having visited Florence and Rome (with a brief stint in quiet Pisa), I had thought my visit to Camaiore would be a relaxing one. It was anything but; my time spent in this unassuming city turned out to be both physically and emotionally charged.

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Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa

Pisa Beyond the Leaning Tower

Whenever I would tell an Italian friend that I was heading over to Pisa, the response I most often got was incredulity with the question, “Ma perché Pisa?” Certainly, after having visited the cultural richness of Florence, little Pisa, known primarily to the world for a building malfunction, seemed an odd place to spend several days. My friend living there assured me that there was more to Pisa than its iconic tower; she was right.

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View of Florence and the Duomo from the Torre of Palazzo Vecchio

Florence – Renaissance Art and the Tuscan Countryside

Traveling from Rome to Florence isn’t just a commute; it’s a leap through time. While a visit to Rome is an adventure to the zenith of Antiquity — imposing structures and ruins that leave much to the imagination, pillars and slabs and arches of an immortal nature — visiting Florence offers a more modern, more dynamic experience.

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View of Naples from Castel Sant'Elmo

Naples – The Best Pizza, Stunning Views and Vibrant People

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.

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Via Etnea in Catania at Sunset

Beautiful Catania – The Sights and Flavors of Sicily’s Eastern Gem

As the SAIS bus from Palermo to Catania drove through the narrow streets of the mountaintop Sicilian town, the bus driver began honking repeatedly to warn others that we were coming through. Elderly Sicilians stood on their balconies, their faces without expression as the bus passed. The driver honked again, a double-tap, yelling, Siamo qua! Buongiorno! (“We’re here! Good morning!”). Several of the passengers share a laugh.

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