Tag

Backpacking

Europe, Travel

Arriving in Rome

We arrived at Stazione Termine via train after being rejuvenated in Tuscany.  I was on high alert as we entered the hoard of people shoving this way and that in Rome’s main train station, keeping close watch on all of my belonging as the station is a prime area for pickpockets.  We emerged unscathed but a little bewildered as we approached the taxi stand.  There were just so many people!  It was…

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Travel, Travel Tips

Bumps in the Road – What Have You Forgotten to Pack?

It’s embarrassing to admit.  I know.  But at the age of 35 I had never wet shaved.  I learned to shave with a hand-me-down electric razor from my father.  When it and subsequent razors wore out from my freakishly think stubble (my five o’clock shadow starts around noon), I just bought a replacement electric razor. The situation had only occurred once when the electric razor wouldn’t work due to the lack of…

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Europe, Travel

Favorite Moments – Rialto Bridge

I’ve written about travel moments in the past.  Very rarely did they have to do with the actual place that I was in, but more with a culmination circumstances.  The Duff Brothers could have been performing in any city.  It was the bar, the people, and the music that captured the travel moment.  The same with the pop band in Chiang Mai.  That band could have been playing in any international city. …

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Europe, Travel

The Truth About Venice

My wife and I sat in our room at the Westin Europa and Regina trying to plot out dinner plans over a bottle of Prosecco.  She manned the TripAdvisor app on our tablet, and I managed a few blogs on my phone and a myriad of tour books.  We wanted to find the perfect restaurant for that authentic Venetian meal.  The kind of place where we were the only tourists in a…

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Europe, Travel

A Photomontage of a Gondola Ride through Venice

We were tired after almost two days of non-stop walking.  It was Venice so much of that time was spent lost looking at paper maps and pillaging enough free Wifi to pinpoint our location on Google Maps.  Surprisingly, we managed not to argue in these moments of frustration.  We had been warned about Venice and instead laughed as other tourists resolved that street signs do not exist in the maze that is…

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Europe, Travel

Voyage to Venice

The two months leading up to our trip to Italy sucked.  It started with a call from Mrs. G.  I was two hours out of town picking up my boss’s boss at the airport.  We were scheduled to meet with the company’s largest client.  Mrs. G. was car number seven in an eight car pile-up on the highway.   Thank God she emerged from the accident unscathed.  Her Jetta didn’t fare as well…

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Europe, Travel

Vienna, Austria – Maybe it was Me

I wanted to like Vienna, Austria.  I really did.  I even fought to place it on our itinerary.  I had heard such great stories about the city.  Mates we met in Thailand raved about it.  They dubbed it the best city to visit in all of Europe.  My Grandma recalled tales from her Grandfather and his childhood in Bratislava.  He went to Vienna whenever he had the chance and even lived there…

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Europe, Travel

Salzburg – Mozart, Sweets, the Sound of Music, and Christmas

I hate the Sound of Music.  I despise it almost as much as Grease.  It’s not that the movie didn’t have a great story – it did.  I just hate musical movies.  They make no sense.  Random song and dance as the Nazis are coming is absurd.  I don’t despise classical music, but I am no afficianado.  I couldn’t tell you the difference between Mozart, Bach, or Beethoven.  They all make great…

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