Tag: europe

Milan Duomo

Highlights of Milan, Italy’s Cosmopolitan City

Posted on by Keane Li

The last time I was in Milan was also my first visit to a police station. Bag snatched after all these years of vigilantly visiting Italy, it undoubtedly yielded the most stressful night I’ve spent in the country. On the plus side, the officer said my Italian was really good.

It’s my belief that we should endeavor always to undo negative memories and refresh them with positive ones, and so I subsequently decided on a return trip to Milan for a month-long stay to better know Italy’s cosmopolitan heart. I wanted to change the narrative of my experience with the city.

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Teatro Greco di Akrai (Greek Theater of the Akrai) in Palazzolo Acreide

Palazzolo Acreide & the Ancient Greeks in Sicily

Posted on by Keane Li

It’s the 8th century BCE. Colonists have arrived in Sicily from Corinth, a city-state between Athens and Sparta, to establish settlements. On this southeastern part of the island, across the Ionian sea from the motherland, rises the great capital city of Syracuse. Allied with Corinth and Sparta, Syracuse will one day help dominate Magna Graecia, growing as large as Athens in the 5th century BCE.

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View from the Top of the Campanile, Florence Duomo

More Photos From Florence, Empoli & Tips for Climbing the Duomo

Posted on by Keane Li

Florence, I just can’t quit you. After an adventure in Northern Italy, Austria and Slovenia, I found myself in my favorite Italian city for the second time last year. I had already posted on many of my favorite places in Florence in my previous posts, yet, until this trip, I still hadn’t ascended the Duomo or the Campanile, nor had I been inside the Battistero. These are perhaps the most touristy of tourist things to do in the city, undoubtedly the “top attractions in Florence” (there’s a lil’ sum’n sum’n for the Google keyword crawlers #transparency).

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Triple Bridge (Tromostovje) in Ljubljana

Ljubljana in the Heart of Slovenia – What to See, Eat, Do

Posted on by Keane Li

How to build my perfect European town.

Add to one part old world history a dash of chic modernity. Let it age into a unique culture. Drizzle in a beautiful river and sprinkle with romantic night lights. Top with an epic castle. Keep cool with comfortable weather and serve at reasonable prices.

Order up: Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia.

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View of Lake Bled from Ojstrica

Five Experiences You Can’t Miss in Bled, Slovenia

Posted on by Keane Li

Imagine a beautiful, small town surrounding a lake. The water is pristine and the trees surrounding it are a vibrant green. High above sits a majestic castle overlooking the scene with a quiet grandeur. At the center of the lake is an island, and on this island is a church with a bell that grants wishes…

Sound like a fairy tale?

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Drava River in Villach, Austria and the Heiligenkreuz Kirche

Brezel, Beers and Bridges in Villach, Austria

Posted on by Keane Li

It started to rain a day after I arrived in Villach, a small town in Austria near the Italian border. Having just arrived from a very muggy Udine, I was more than happy to spend some wet moments in the brisk chill. As many of you know, the music you choose on a trip can stay with you forever. On this stop, I opted for Radiohead’s most recent album, A Moon Shaped Pool. Listen to “Glass Eyes” and note the travel-centric lyrics as you look at the photos below to experience Villach as I did.

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Couple at Castello di Miramare near Trieste

Tips for Visiting the Castello di Miramare from Trieste & Photos

Posted on by Keane Li

The Castello di Miramare is one of the highlights for anyone visiting Trieste. The historic building (more a “mansion” than a “castle”) includes a museum and an expansive park and marine reserve located around it. It can easily be a full-day affair if one decides to enjoy the premises slowly. It’s so lovely, I chose to visit it twice on two separate trips to Trieste within the year. (For more info on what to do in the city, check out my past post on top attractions in Trieste.)

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View of the City from the Castello di Udine

Exploring Udine and the Friuli Wine Country

Posted on by Keane Li

Located far in Italy’s northeast, Friuli-Venezia Giulia is a unique region. Its proximity to the Austrian and Slovenian borders gives it a unique flavor respective of classic Italian cities like Rome or Florence. This is especially true of its capital city, Trieste, which I visited twice in this year alone. Similarly, Udine, FVG’s second largest city in terms of population, has its own style. Friuli, the area of which Udine is the historical capital, has its own distinct wine country and language (not dialect; language).

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