https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/atravelblog daily 0.75 2017-07-03 https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/atravelblog/2017/7/2/day-1-fiumicino-last-day-in-paradise monthly 0.5 2017-07-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499048815628-4SFI9NVLEHQVK9ZDCBJQ/IMG_0610.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 1 / Fiumicino: Last day in paradise https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499048818040-YR6QYRY9H0GBU7XAV9IS/IMG_0614.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 1 / Fiumicino: Last day in paradise https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499048817981-X7Y0BVY0MCQP048XO4KZ/IMG_0617.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 1 / Fiumicino: Last day in paradise https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499048824691-MLCWPU9O9KV2C6QVMHTZ/IMG_0621.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 1 / Fiumicino: Last day in paradise https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499048825255-UF0FHD339B5NGOC39K8H/IMG_0623.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 1 / Fiumicino: Last day in paradise https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499048827753-83C5FUWAJSDYP7H2YMB7/IMG_0624.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 1 / Fiumicino: Last day in paradise https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499048827813-7PMAE4N6WG3W6MUKYOVU/IMG_0628.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 1 / Fiumicino: Last day in paradise https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499048830127-9AFSHJ84U46YT5XHUL3A/IMG_0631.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 1 / Fiumicino: Last day in paradise https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499048833288-DNLQPF1LWJ3UXN07MLSL/IMG_0632.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 1 / Fiumicino: Last day in paradise https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/atravelblog/2017/7/2/day-4-budapest-the-castle-district monthly 0.5 2017-07-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499047376455-KV67GG5MS9ILBREZFR11/IMG_0589.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 4 / Budapest: the Castle District https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499047373175-GG8Z4F5JBRG1KUJWN9LI/IMG_0590.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 4 / Budapest: the Castle District https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499047376865-2P4VNCBDHTJBK637R9XY/IMG_0592.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 4 / Budapest: the Castle District https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499047379871-ABC4HZLMOQEKI9GX1CDB/IMG_0596.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 4 / Budapest: the Castle District https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499047379808-2KZLVYE6EQX20G43OO3K/IMG_0602.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 4 / Budapest: the Castle District https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499047382173-APFRXJDG4SQ2PYYD8K4K/IMG_0607.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 4 / Budapest: the Castle District https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/atravelblog/2017/7/2/day-3-budapest-taking-it-easy monthly 0.5 2017-07-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499041982907-JP5EO8Q9B2Z0ZE84TDJ3/IMG_0557.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 3 / Budapest: Taking it easy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499041983736-6CCD94VM2RY9X4NWKN6Z/IMG_0559.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 3 / Budapest: Taking it easy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499041987480-EURS7MWOULV1C7R451E8/IMG_0564.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 3 / Budapest: Taking it easy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499041987595-2SCQLU0PGKNTX9GREI8B/IMG_0565.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 3 / Budapest: Taking it easy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499041990808-0VZFHAEES5E0RVZX1UKL/IMG_0568.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 3 / Budapest: Taking it easy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499041990452-2BLB46P6UCRZUY1M7Y9N/IMG_0571.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 3 / Budapest: Taking it easy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499041992692-GONAU7ZKEXYCA8FN61DK/IMG_0575.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 3 / Budapest: Taking it easy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499041993354-NBMW8QVR1J4GF0JOEJ99/IMG_0576.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 3 / Budapest: Taking it easy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499041993725-ZIPFPBPAKL6WUWHEY9Q2/IMG_0584.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 3 / Budapest: Taking it easy https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/atravelblog/2017/6/27/day-2-budapest-hungarys-dark-history monthly 0.5 2017-06-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1498615850481-7ALX30HP7L18JA2SO2O3/IMG_0534.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 2 / Budapest: Hungary’s dark history https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1498615852919-ZDQR9ICXPLYTTSMIC2LH/IMG_0537.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 2 / Budapest: Hungary’s dark history https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1498615858451-9QMW9XAI1GX4JZBE27MQ/IMG_0540.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 2 / Budapest: Hungary’s dark history https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1498615865362-009ZRXZTCBKA73M2ZQWL/IMG_0542.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 2 / Budapest: Hungary’s dark history https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1498615863933-R0SYJ9QKVM5T0MZNRCN6/IMG_0544.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 2 / Budapest: Hungary’s dark history https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1498615880234-2R4O6OXSL4MD7RYS6QTS/IMG_0548.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 2 / Budapest: Hungary’s dark history https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1498615872764-OQRYAUYCQ67T6ZMCNRTX/IMG_0552.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 2 / Budapest: Hungary’s dark history https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1498615881376-A17IYH69M8JRK1P2M3LR/IMG_0553.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 2 / Budapest: Hungary’s dark history https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1498615884588-VT5C1F4NX0HF0ITBYJNA/IMG_0554.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 2 / Budapest: Hungary’s dark history https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/atravelblog/2017/6/19/day-1-budapest-the-hungarian-soul monthly 0.5 2017-06-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1497892984272-04CZE11HJ2GTAHSGB1G1/IMG_0066.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 1 / Budapest: The Hungarian soul https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1497893053376-BDZHIQ85HOL1MXTVCKP5/IMG_0054.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 1 / Budapest: The Hungarian soul https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1497893084534-3U5VF6YDKRL27EI4P71G/IMG_0070.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 1 / Budapest: The Hungarian soul https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1497893016405-FLMZXRH07HP24D9EUUIB/IMG_0047.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 1 / Budapest: The Hungarian soul https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1497893125562-T9NE8CDSL7Z37C92V1MB/IMG_0059.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 1 / Budapest: The Hungarian soul https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/atravelblog/2017/6/17/day-3-vienna-experiencing-the-viennese-heurigen monthly 0.5 2017-06-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1497734546532-D212916Y4FXIE81R301H/IMG_0069.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 3 / Vienna: Experiencing the Viennese heurigen https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1497734513915-MWATNQET93SX4W9GFL6F/IMG_0073.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 3 / Vienna: Experiencing the Viennese heurigen https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1497734584831-E2VY389KTI77ACCXNDK5/IMG_0058.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 3 / Vienna: Experiencing the Viennese heurigen https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/atravelblog/2017/6/17/day-2-vienna-art-and-opera monthly 0.5 2017-06-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1497734360661-M6ZFFKWHX90GVWZO1G6A/IMG_0061.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 2 / Vienna: Art and opera https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1497734413951-3MJ2XPRBNFOYF5W30ZEJ/IMG_0053.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 2 / Vienna: Art and opera https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1497734325821-62FDRN6HKGN1W6ZCSHXQ/IMG_0060.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 2 / Vienna: Art and opera https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/atravelblog/2017/6/17/day-1-vienna-city-of-the-hapsburgs monthly 0.5 2017-06-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1497733752628-S0SYX7BKBDHJMCKP3VI0/IMG_0472.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 1 / Vienna: City of the Hapsburgs https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1497733802031-M25DLA6K50TEPI2Z99Q3/IMG_0513.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 1 / Vienna: City of the Hapsburgs https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1497733831852-60QS6NVI09JY53PN9QGX/IMG_0506.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 1 / Vienna: City of the Hapsburgs https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/atravelblog/2017/6/15/days-1-2-salzburg-a-sound-of-music-and-mozart monthly 0.5 2017-06-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1497555989587-BO1ZPXKA34IPGRDZDZ5G/IMG_0456.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Days 1-2 / Salzburg: A Sound of Music and Mozart https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1497555919325-W4UZGLISN3XICAWKXTNQ/IMG_0515.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Days 1-2 / Salzburg: A Sound of Music and Mozart https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1497555868546-JU6L08UP48H64I12LK9K/IMG_0452.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Days 1-2 / Salzburg: A Sound of Music and Mozart https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/atravelblog/2017/6/13/day-4-interlaken-schilthorn-gimmelwald-and-lauterbrunnen monthly 0.5 2017-06-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1497391843331-HPJPFIGMHLLTHPX4B6YK/IMG_0383.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 4 / Interlaken: Schilthorn, Gimmelwald, and Lauterbrunnen https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1497391888530-RPAHXEIN903OH5EPS80A/IMG_0447.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 4 / Interlaken: Schilthorn, Gimmelwald, and Lauterbrunnen https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/atravelblog/2017/6/13/day-3-interlaken-whit-monday-thun-and-luzern monthly 0.5 2017-06-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1497391303406-OEI301V4PJ0WIQ9MGZRR/IMG_0306.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 3 / Interlaken: Whit Monday (Thun and Luzern) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1497391545905-0B1AW641O3H4ZYZ1SA1L/IMG_0333.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 3 / Interlaken: Whit Monday (Thun and Luzern) https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/atravelblog/2017/6/13/day-2-interlaken-a-rainy-rest-day monthly 0.5 2017-06-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1497391213465-XAZITBUD25JJNQUMOPG9/IMG_0394.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 2 / Interlaken: A rainy "rest" day https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/atravelblog/2017/6/6/day-1-interlaken-grindelwald monthly 0.5 2017-06-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1496770174358-8A2AUUX5VHZJHGICHKV1/FullSizeRender+6.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 1 / Interlaken: Grindelwald https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1496770078302-B1TF2DLQCSX78RH0BZ3O/FullSizeRender+7.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 1 / Interlaken: Grindelwald https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1496770111640-A0OXQ3L6AXMU1H7H9YZW/FullSizeRender+8.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 1 / Interlaken: Grindelwald https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1496770135528-TUJ44S4F9U07OG3JF144/FullSizeRender+9.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 1 / Interlaken: Grindelwald https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1496770146419-S43U1VN5NGYVZL8QCBSZ/IMG_4601.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 1 / Interlaken: Grindelwald https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1496770187337-FMV6SSYX7E49M73G9SUR/IMG_4604.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 1 / Interlaken: Grindelwald https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1496770197299-HJS4SDNRPSYJ7KOHLVI9/IMG_4802.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 1 / Interlaken: Grindelwald https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/atravelblog/2017/6/6/days-1-2-bern-our-intro-to-switzerland monthly 0.5 2017-06-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1496767291317-93B0K4NPNFQMBGDZVE6U/FullSizeRender+3.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Days 1-2 / Bern: Our intro to Switzerland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1496767291952-GYNJPW6XKRYWNKFMDHRH/FullSizeRender+4.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Days 1-2 / Bern: Our intro to Switzerland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1496767321429-M1XBWHLGWENNMKLW3OPY/FullSizeRender+5.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Days 1-2 / Bern: Our intro to Switzerland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1496767330457-DIH7A3R4YVCGUEQUTCMF/IMG_4211.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Days 1-2 / Bern: Our intro to Switzerland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1496767373783-Z55EOID2SYS2BKTUM2L7/IMG_4212.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Days 1-2 / Bern: Our intro to Switzerland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1496767372609-JO497KLCWO6NLW85NHDM/IMG_4803.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Days 1-2 / Bern: Our intro to Switzerland https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/atravelblog/2017/6/1/day-3-venice-burano-with-a-side-of-wine monthly 0.5 2017-06-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1496766179158-A3KI5WQZ7BHSFJ0WNKZQ/9.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 3 / Venice: Burano, with a side of wine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1496766181349-4BLMPSFUMNTHBV4E905N/10.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 3 / Venice: Burano, with a side of wine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1496766199824-RRA21HX2V3K5G1TY0PH3/11.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 3 / Venice: Burano, with a side of wine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1496766197120-6H37K4UK99M470MDAUB5/12.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 3 / Venice: Burano, with a side of wine https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/atravelblog/2017/6/1/day-2-venice-st-marks-square monthly 0.5 2017-06-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1496766074825-2AR6HOHW170JR4MND4JP/5.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 2 / Venice: St. Mark's Square https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1496766065169-GX02BANT33AK0SCS05TI/7.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 2 / Venice: St. Mark's Square https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1496766084115-IW3YWQSJISZDLBGZ249I/8.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 2 / Venice: St. Mark's Square https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/atravelblog/2017/6/1/day-1-venice-the-grand-canal monthly 0.5 2017-06-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1496765887284-KW2MSOU1W7GOHB1MN2JG/1.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 1 / Venice: The Grand Canal https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1496765886716-6LSQ69UV9ZEM11DLG2WD/2.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 1 / Venice: The Grand Canal https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1496765919142-GYXGSY7JV87PDJZFUDQW/3.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 1 / Venice: The Grand Canal https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1496765911398-4F02GX6N10MS416KOZX7/4.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 1 / Venice: The Grand Canal https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/atravelblog/2017/6/1/day-3-florence-a-few-more-birds-eye-views monthly 0.5 2017-06-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1496500369969-X1U1VOJMGCU0QXAUARMZ/11.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 3 / Florence: A few more bird's eye views https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1496500366540-BHPZEVYRXMBMB5S3T797/12.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 3 / Florence: A few more bird's eye views https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1496500403711-AVL6JL1APHEL4Z6DWM6F/13.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 3 / Florence: A few more bird's eye views https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1496500402563-10FSR7Q88USFXR3W95JG/14.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 3 / Florence: A few more bird's eye views https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/atravelblog/2017/6/1/day-2-florence-accademia-and-uffizi monthly 0.5 2017-06-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1496500235012-2BR47CAFTQFLZ482HI32/5.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 2 / Florence: Accademia and Uffizi https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1496500249223-BTPOEJQZGEM48R3N6UAQ/7.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 2 / Florence: Accademia and Uffizi https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1496500262466-W9K4ATEB0MUZRR29XBPI/8.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 2 / Florence: Accademia and Uffizi https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1496500271969-PJ3ET9A80O0QPDAL2OO1/9.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 2 / Florence: Accademia and Uffizi https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1496500276781-L051Q85FL5K61XDFKCUN/10.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 2 / Florence: Accademia and Uffizi https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/atravelblog/2017/6/1/day-1-florence-birds-eye-view monthly 0.5 2017-06-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1496500056524-PBVIMJU9ULRE30RDPVDG/1.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 1 / Florence: Bird's eye view https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1496500052779-RTI271ZO8ZTMKLP4781J/2.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 1 / Florence: Bird's eye view https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1496500083253-X6FBNYFBMPXZ44BO9D2C/3.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 1 / Florence: Bird's eye view https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1496500100531-UXCPHHOP72SU81D648OE/4.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 1 / Florence: Bird's eye view https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/atravelblog/2017/5/28/day-4-rome-beyond-the-city monthly 0.5 2017-05-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1495973209087-43YOU6Q9H3YLU4KWB47S/IMG_0097.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 4 / Rome: Beyond the city Arco degli acetari.  https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1495973082175-WG7MPAAYLRPGM85OU48D/IMG_0112.JPG A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 4 / Rome: Beyond the city Bernini's Daphne and Apollo. https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/atravelblog/2017/5/27/day-3-rome-the-eternal-city monthly 0.5 2017-05-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1495905053255-IZOUX0CZ19JS6CFT0POS/FullSizeRender+3.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 3 / Rome: "The eternal city" https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1495905077115-BA28GP2QKYFV9491BX7G/FullSizeRender+4.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 3 / Rome: "The eternal city" https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1495905136246-AJJJL2ADNNDYBLI9VRCH/FullSizeRender+5.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 3 / Rome: "The eternal city" https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1495905151616-B4TQWAQXVG9EPA3T0NAW/FullSizeRender+6.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 3 / Rome: "The eternal city" https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1495904884414-Z9ARW1187SEEKU3XMWTR/image-asset.jpeg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 3 / Rome: "The eternal city" Note the earbuds (we were still listening to Rick Steves). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1495904949218-8WD41O204MBXU5XR1HI7/image-asset.jpeg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 3 / Rome: "The eternal city" View of the Roman Forum (Foro Romano) taken from Musei Capitolini. https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/atravelblog/2017/5/27/day-2-rome-the-vatican monthly 0.5 2017-05-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1495904282706-SH6WOPJD41PD3Q0PS5A6/image-asset.jpeg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 2 / Rome: The Vatican Rome's most renowned synagogue. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1495904185972-QV2I4H1LM1K9NSWA1AKE/image-asset.jpeg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 2 / Rome: The Vatican St. Peter's Basilica https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1495904391644-0MPRMOFL95SATAROJERG/FullSizeRender+3.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 2 / Rome: The Vatican https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1495904415324-IZRNUB8LAWMKOET4SOT7/FullSizeRender+4.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 2 / Rome: The Vatican https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1495904465226-QDY0HZ4NP3XZFIEYJGVD/FullSizeRender+6.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - 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Day 1 / Rome: A jet-lagged overview Ready to set off for street exploring. We didn't mean to choose all-black outfits... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1495829044551-LRRSALVI0RGER8Y2U975/IMG_0009.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 1 / Rome: A jet-lagged overview https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1495829034245-YW7885YUKBAVQMT19404/IMG_0012.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 1 / Rome: A jet-lagged overview https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1495829096876-6PPOEH8HK21UR856007S/IMG_0015.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 1 / Rome: A jet-lagged overview https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1495829087074-AVOTKJWHF83UVSF3D8EY/IMG_0016.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 1 / Rome: A jet-lagged overview https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1495829155792-QPCFIYJEGEXN110MG8YF/IMG_0019.jpg A Travel Blog (Or Something) - Day 1 / Rome: A jet-lagged overview 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O'Neil https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136449860-ITGHI1PXC2G1U5C3SB1G/IMG_3095.jpg Makenzie O'Neil We kicked off our train tour through Tuscany with fruit jam croissants and lattes in the train station. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136449857-2ISFBVMIM3UDTH2PGBD8/IMG_3097.jpg Makenzie O'Neil If you can tell from over Ryan's shoulder, he's reading up on Rick Steves's recommended walking tours through Venice. (Even better, he's listening to a separate Rick Steves podcast at the same time.) This was the perfect way to pass our time on trains: I'd summarize our travels in blog posts, while Ryan would prepare for our upcoming travels with Rick's help. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136481233-3FO6F2OZSFDX97Z3WFNY/IMG_3292+copy.jpg Makenzie O'Neil Saint Mark's Basilica, Venice's most famous church. It's located in the well-known Piazza San Marco, also home to the Doge's Palace (Palazzo Ducale). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136480048-VUZOR7QCX918HC8P5EVK/IMG_3335+copy.jpg Makenzie O'Neil A neat (but sobering) installation in Venice's Grand Canal to draw attention to the impact of global warming on the city, which is no match for the rising water levels. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136534197-TAAPKB6IRM777YO5ZVAN/IMG_3612+copy.jpg Makenzie O'Neil A view of Piazza San Marco and much of Venice, taken from the Campanile (bell tower) of San Marco far below. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136530703-US9N9ZL8WPQF19UCQ1FU/IMG_3732+copy.jpg Makenzie O'Neil We took a day trip to the colorful island of Burano, which is in the Venetian Lagoon. https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/heather-landes-mike-kocour daily 0.75 2017-07-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136082245-O9EOAKYAW02V4Z29QD5O/IMG_3116.jpg Heather Landes & Mike Kocour Our first stop in Venice (besides dropping off our 35-pound backpacks at the hotel) was to a street food vendor that specialized in pastas. Ryan had a shrimp-based rotini pasta, plus an Aperol spritz (because...Italy). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136081454-NBPSMZ4504ECZ7ROQWHB/IMG_3118.jpg Heather Landes & Mike Kocour I, on the other hand, still hadn't had pesto during our time in Italy--so I jumped on the opportunity. It was delicious. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136088474-NXT5GLU90V6OYDJHEFDU/IMG_3252.jpg Heather Landes & Mike Kocour Ryan found a pub-turned-Italian-restaurant in one of the narrow alleys near our hotel, which also offered free wi-fi. (Our hotel didn't have wi-fi, so we were ecstatic about this.) We watched late-90s music videos while reading e-mails and eating some of the best pasta we'd had in Italy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136090537-LTZV5R0A54M8F0UMYYJ3/IMG_3301.jpg Heather Landes & Mike Kocour Gelato! We were told by everyone we met that we'd need to try dark chocolate and stracciatella (chocolate chip) gelato, which were both amazing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136099253-SB67Z1DK75S6K8M9VBXI/IMG_3302.jpg Heather Landes & Mike Kocour Just sitting on a bridge, eating gelato, like you do. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136097373-KTNKJK6NGZPIGYIR88GV/IMG_3416.JPG Heather Landes & Mike Kocour We were so under-caffeinated while at the Museo Correr, a Venetian "art and antiquities" museum opposite the basilica in St. Mark's Square, that we ended our visit there with a trip to the café. You're looking at a double-latte, which kept me perfectly awake and content for the rest of the day. Even better, we had a beautiful view of the piazza out the window, so we were able to people- and pigeon-watch to our hearts' content. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136101280-HLBYTBS3W4DSSW64DCX6/IMG_3613.jpg Heather Landes & Mike Kocour This is going to sound ridiculous, but we have no shame here: By the end of our time in Venice, we'd been in Italy for almost a week and a half. Every meal had been some variation of pizza, pasta, or cured pork--so by our last evening, we were dying for something different. We found a place called Wok 'n' Go, which was basically a Chipotle-style build-your-own stir-fry, and were in heaven. I'm pretty sure we went through three packets of Sriracha each that night, we'd missed it so much. ;) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Heather Landes & Mike Kocour https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/rick-susan-gustafson daily 0.75 2017-07-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136695726-LOI2O33ORE77U2OTINJF/IMG_3798.jpg Rick & Susan Gustafson We started our wine tour by Frari Church and wound our way to the Rialto area (one of Venice's key tourism spots, centered around Ponte Rialto). Along the way, Davide brought us up to speed on ways of life in Venice, such as securing drinkable water (which used to be the churches' mission hundreds of years ago) and maintaining historic homes on a series of 118 islands that are constantly shifting. As you can see here, buildings slowly warp over time, so that doorways shift into a diagonal and wooden doors have to be cut at odd shapes to fit. As Rick Steves says repeatedly in his tours of Venice, it's questionable how much longer the city will be inhabitable. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136693033-7D7ZVJJFYMPIW8SAEICH/IMG_3802.jpg Rick & Susan Gustafson Our first stop on the wine tour was Osteria Bancogiro, which sat on Campo San Giacomo di Rialto--a square (campo, because only San Marco can be a piazza in Venice) that features one of the first Roman numeral clocks in Venice ca. the 1400s. This clock is so old that the Roman numeral four (now IV) is displayed as the former IIII. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136702080-CP9NDRT8ZPNWYPK8RIQW/IMG_3804.jpg Rick & Susan Gustafson Osteria Bancogiro is famous because it used to be a bank from the year 1600 before it was turned into a pub-like restaurant. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136702677-HUVZCCP9W8VU79ZQ61IY/IMG_3808.jpg Rick & Susan Gustafson We first tried a prosecco DOCG Superiore Adami Bosco di Gica (using the Italian charmat method), which was so dry that even Ryan--not a lover of bubbles--enjoyed it. This prosecco was served with a Venetian delicacy: thinly sliced bread topped with cod, which had been whipped with olive oil. That's it--just cod and olive oil, and the simple combination was delicious (even for Jess, who hates fish). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136713782-LCFIS7M490KY0BYUU18I/IMG_3815.jpg Rick & Susan Gustafson Our next stop was Cantina do Spade (two spades), the oldest pub in Venice (est. 1448). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136708428-RG3Q86CTLNRC8AYKKPVB/IMG_3814.jpg Rick & Susan Gustafson We have no idea what we ate with our Teroldego Rotaliano Barone di Cles (in other words, a type of Teroldego), but we know it was deep fried and involved cheese and ham and we were in heaven. Do Spade didn't actually carry a wine that Davide wanted to show us, so he came earlier in the day with this red, asked them to uncork it for him to let it breathe, and served it to us that evening. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136717713-CV9NMSH6A6PGQGYDZ7UZ/IMG_3819.jpg Rick & Susan Gustafson The Campo della Pescado, Venice's indoor/outdoor fish market. The stones look wet because they'd just hosed them down after closing the market for the evening. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136724079-T07CCHO2GT63EWOMY4KE/IMG_3829.jpg Rick & Susan Gustafson We took a "black gondola" (a black-and-gold gondola that crosses back and forth across the Grand Canal for just a euro or two) to Cannaregio, Venice's second largest island. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136726812-M9AB51TSIZ7VED3U9GG6/IMG_3833.jpg Rick & Susan Gustafson Cannaregio. Unlike the rest of Venice, it's much more local-centric, streets are wider and cleaner, and it also houses the city's Jewish Quarter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136733774-AZKV9Z4S5K1THGT9PXD1/IMG_3841.jpg Rick & Susan Gustafson Vino Vero, one of Venice's best wine bars according to TripAdvisor. (When I told Davide about this, he got very indignant and said it wouldn't even be in the top 10, except that he was friends with the owners and it had a great location on the water.) We had a Barbera d'Asti La Gonella here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136732917-4BEFUJGCWV14NCSUFA4V/IMG_3844.jpg Rick & Susan Gustafson Fun fact: Jess is deathly allergic to cashews and pistachios. Although pistachios are a central part of Italian cuisine (thanks, gelato), cashews are very rare--rare enough that there is no actual word for them in Italian. (Google Translate swears it's "anacardia," which stems from "against the heart" in Latin and Greek...funny, because it will literally stop Jess's heart. Even so, multiple locals from Rome, Florence, and Venice promised that they'd never heard of an edible substance called "anacardia" in their lives.) When I showed Davide a picture of a cashew--just in preparation for this wine tour, with the explanation that I wasn't in the mood for an ER trip on an ambulance boat--he just blinked and said, "But that's a peanut, isn't it?" And here's where it gets really funny--Davide asked Vino Vero to serve two savory bruschetta with our wine while we sat outside, enjoying the sunset. He then came hurrying out, looking very proud of himself, and said "They have anacardia! They have it here!" As you could guess, Ryan had the cashew and cheese bruschetta (the one to the right), and I had the cured pork with fruit preserves. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136741377-XPZV9SUJ3UM1ZUTVG7X5/IMG_3851.jpg Rick & Susan Gustafson Cantina Aziende Agricole, where we had a Valpolicella Ripasso Le Torbe Dominii Veneti (in other words, a Corvina). We loved this one so much that we got a bottle for ourselves. We'd never had a ripasso (in which winemakers pass the wine through already-used grape skins for a second round), and we loved the smooth complexity of this particular wine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136740375-PEU344DXJWNK0MNG1KLN/IMG_3853.jpg Rick & Susan Gustafson Al Timon, our last stop on the tour. We had a Franciacorta Clarabella Essenza (a Chardonnay) and a Torcolato Col Dovigo '11 (a Vespaiola). I think both were served with chocolates, but to perfectly honest, we were five glasses of wine in and it was kind of a blur. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Rick & Susan Gustafson https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/phyllis-barnwell daily 0.75 2017-07-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Phyllis Barnwell https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137623245-WOOBF1WV39OWXJ4ROWQC/IMG_4119.jpg Phyllis Barnwell We spent our first day in Bern exploring the historic part of the city on foot. We were so lucky to have great weather; the skies were blue and temperatures were perfect, unlike what we were promised in weather forecasts (which only predicted rain). So we took advantage of the great visibility and crossed the Nydegg Bridge (visible to the righthand side of this photo), passed around Bärenpark (which is exactly what its German name would suggest: a 15,000-square-foot park with bears roaming around), and had lunch at the Altes Tramdepot. Not only does the Tramdepot offer fantastic views of the city, but it's also a craft brewery, so Ryan was particularly happy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137623242-WHNVNVK5PM1UXKQ8C6YO/IMG_4120.jpg Phyllis Barnwell Our lunch at Altes Tramdepot. This was our best meal in Bern--simple sausages, sauerkraut (which I didn't even realize I liked), and homemade mustard with bread. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137632087-P876ASSG9POF1QUV1DT4/IMG_4131.jpg Phyllis Barnwell There are no Starbucks (not a single one) in the entire country of Italy, which comprised our first three stops before we got to Bern. Ryan, if you didn't know, is a Starbucks fanatic and even worked as a barista there for three years while in school. The moment we got to Switzerland, he all but dragged me to the nearest Starbucks for iced coffee and our favorite dessert, stroopwafels. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137636028-UED41B9QOPDO1ML8VXFY/IMG_4214.jpg Phyllis Barnwell As ridiculous as it sounds, we were less interested in having more sausages and sauerkraut (especially because we still had another 4-5 days in Interlaken, Switzerland) than we were in trying Swiss interpretations of Mexican food. So we went to Bigote Verde ("Green Mustache"), an outdoor Mexican restaurant housed in a wooden hut-like cart. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137637028-Z1YLWT4MCM2CTUMFW3N5/IMG_4216.jpg Phyllis Barnwell We weren't let down; if you can tell from the photo, Swiss-Mexican food is very, very different from what you'd find in Arizona. The upper plate is their interpretation of a tostada (typically on a fried tortilla in the U.S. and Mexico). It was delicious! https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/nancy-reed daily 0.75 2017-07-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138269494-CR9F1ALC0BC8OLDOUCQJ/IMG_4511.jpg Nancy Reed Our first day in Interlaken was so sunny (this was a big deal, because the rest of the week promised rain) that we immediately took off for Grindelwald, south of Interlaken. We rode a tin toboggan run a few times up in Pfingstegg (a series of hills straight ahead), then headed back down in search of food. Grindelwald is an insufferably touristy village (understandable, because it's also surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery we've seen), so after walking past too many fancy restaurants that just didn't fit the vibes of the village, we settled on a sausage vendor who had dragged a grill onto the sidewalk and was teaching his young son how to make sauerkraut. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138266310-W1IQ5L1N9M5QU1DFJYKS/IMG_4515.jpg Nancy Reed Easily the best sausages we had during our honeymoon. The vendor looked very displeased when I mixed my ketchup and mustard like this. We took our plates out to a parking lot that looked out over the beautiful views, sat down on a huge boulder there, and had the perfect "picnic" in the middle of the village. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138275655-NE6BCYYJTAWYQ4GCLTZH/IMG_4599.jpg Nancy Reed In Interlaken, we found an artisan beer and wine shop (Barrel Artisan Café) just up the street from our bed and breakfast, which also served fantastic salads. We befriended the owner, who moved to Interlaken from Switzerland and was passionate about bringing more exciting beers to a lager-focused country. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138303012-LAFGHZVZMEP1U125JHNX/IMG_5930.jpg Nancy Reed We came back to Barrel several times, particularly for their well-priced antipasti boards. (They were heaven.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138276451-0GQJ53NLFXS9LX2R0T97/IMG_4634.jpg Nancy Reed The two head brewers of Haarige Kuh craft brewery (in Interlaken's warehouse district) recommended that we try their favorite Thai restaurant, which was also run by a brewer friend. Believe it or not, this was Jess's first experience with yellow curry, and she was in heaven. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138303591-1S2K0RC21CA2NAEB0DHA/IMG_5992.jpg Nancy Reed We woke up early one morning to beat the snowstorm up to the Schilthorn, famous for its rotating restaurant where 007's "On her Majesty's Secret Service" was filmed in the late 1960s. We watched the snow roll in while enjoying every type of smoked salmon, scrambled egg, and fruit yogurt imaginable. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138257845-J51DHM31ZQ06AH37DK0O/Enlight14.jpg Nancy Reed Just look at that happy face. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138259316-11CGTE0U8986950283VJ/IMG_4369.jpg Nancy Reed Jess was just delighted about unlimited lattes. (Pretty sure she had four.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138294499-L3AMIS4U5RR8Y46FKVLT/IMG_5982.jpg Nancy Reed They also had the "007 preferred" brand of champagne--couldn't tell you what it was called if our lives depended on it--so we made a few mimosas while watching the snow fall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138287523-SGM1TU91QK9EIT5C2RX5/IMG_4760.jpg Nancy Reed The next day, we took the train to Oberhofen just a few miles east of Thun. Unfortunately, we made this day trip on Whit Monday, which is an observed national holiday in most of Europe. After finding closed restaurant after closed restaurant, we finally made our way to the castle just off the sea. Luckily, while trying to find the best view of the castle, we stumbled upon a pier directly next to the castle walls...and saw signs for lunch. The pier's restaurant—which must have once been used for selling tickets, as hinted by the haphazard addition of cooking instruments throughout the interior space—was small and cozy, and we opened the door and sat down at the first table we saw without even glancing at the signs in the window. The owners, who were the only other people inside, glanced up curiously, said hi, and kept chatting between themselves...and after 10 minutes of sitting there, we finally edged forward to ask if we could order. Turns out that restaurant, like all the others, was closed for the holiday. The owners were too kind to even tell us to leave, so they'd let us sit there and look out at the water without complaint. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138284823-W62G80GX3FMZ8CYRVNQP/IMG_4758.jpg Nancy Reed We were incredibly lucky that after we realized our mistake, they still offered to cook us food—just with the understanding that it would take a while. So we had a small meat pie and a creamy plate of gnocchi before setting out again for the castle next door. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138291744-9U72Q2Z6TL1UCZAIT2UG/IMG_5573.jpg Nancy Reed During our time in Gimmelwald, possibly the most beautiful village we've ever seen, we were weirdly impressed with the total lack of restaurants, shops, schools, police stations, doctor's offices--anything. There was one fire station at the far end of the village (a good idea, because every house and barn was made of wood), but that was it. The population of 100-115 makes due with what they have, and for medical or educational priorities takes the lift down to Lauterbrunnen or up to Mürren. Fun fact: Gimmelwald doesn't even connect to any other villages by drivable road; without a lift, it would be almost impossible to reach. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138293522-USY04V0ISONEC1SD2AO7/IMG_5576.jpg Nancy Reed All this to say that Gimmelwald instead runs off self-service shops: Fridges or curio cabinets placed just outside the home or in the basement (yes, behind an unlocked door) with homemade offerings--knit hats and scarves, wooden dolls, fresh cheeses, dried sausages, cow's milk--and a bowl of francs to make change, in case you don't have the exact amount requested. The amount of trust in this entire system is mind-boggling. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138305335-TIS15FGV1TTGFZA054SC/IMG_6005.jpg Nancy Reed So yeah, an entire meal while we were in Gimmelwald was fresh cow's milk, because it was actually that filling. (This was our first time trying it.) We followed signs into a couple's basement, passed by their belongings--framed pictures, furniture, an umbrella stand--and just opened their fridge, took out some milk, and dropped some francs in the waiting basket. It was bizarre. Also, take a look at those waterfalls in the distance. This whole area became an inspiration for J. R. R. Tolkien's Rivendell after his trip to the area in 1911. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Nancy Reed https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/trenton-jordan-downey daily 0.75 2017-07-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143388957-UC81WU7RIS3RMCQCV4S1/IMG_0004.jpg Trenton & Jordan Downey Ryan hadn't been to Rome (or, more specifically, Rome's hipster district of Trastevere) in almost a decade, so we relied on Google Maps to get us through the winding streets. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143388640-LD1MZSKYGICN5TKZZMV9/IMG_0012.jpg Trenton & Jordan Downey We kept an eye on crowds in Rome's piazzas (plazas) via Google throughout the day to figure out the best time to stop by for photos. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143392164-KNZTPSDC5WJ40XKYSS2V/IMG_0019.jpg Trenton & Jordan Downey The basic theme of our trip went like this: (1) we'd discover something really cool about a place, like a plaque in a language we couldn't read or a decorative piece that didn't seem to make a lot of sense, so (2) one of us would pull out the trusty Wikipedia or Google Translate, and (3) we'd just hover over our phones, trying to learn as much about that particular place as possible. For the Pantheon, we spent 5 minutes reading about all the crazy architectural wonders that went into constructing this perfect dome. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143393552-XDHXMM90P03V8ODM3MNS/IMG_0029.jpg Trenton & Jordan Downey We accidentally stumbled upon this view while using Google Maps to take a shortcut up to some of the hills near Vatican City. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143395009-C45DOJK28IAFK170MC5Y/IMG_0038.jpg Trenton & Jordan Downey 4 out of 5 times, we'd choose a restaurant for lunch or dinner based on TripAdvisor (Europe's Yelp) reviews...and it very rarely led us astray. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143395981-SJRP8BR15G8E1XHIKPUS/IMG_0066.jpg Trenton & Jordan Downey Yet another time that we stumbled across some ancient Roman ruins (here, in the middle of the Jewish Quarter) and pulled out our phones to look up when they were built, what they were, and why they were still there. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143398025-NOXGM1UR0R2WZZCGSZN5/IMG_0135.jpg Trenton & Jordan Downey The line to climb the Duomo was so long that we hopped online to reserve tickets, instead--and it saved us hours (and hours) of time. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143398957-XW02YUPNWKR3QL9BJRB0/IMG_0169.jpg Trenton & Jordan Downey Rick Steves recommended visiting San Miniato al Monte, a church built in the 1100s that is still in use today, for its perfect views of Florence. Without Google, we could never have figured out how to wind our way through Oltrarno (across the Arno river) and up the hill to the church. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143406439-5LN5Y0K97X21SIS8LLHP/IMG_0176.jpg Trenton & Jordan Downey It turns out San Miniato's monks make their own gelato, biscotti, and liqueur (including limoncello, which we brought back with us). We sat on this gardenia-covered bench and ate the monks' gelato while reading up on their monastery online. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143405998-DWYM10KC8EGO6N1ZBJ0V/IMG_0219.jpg Trenton & Jordan Downey Trying to find a good gondolier was much harder than we expected. We stood in a piazza in Venice for 15 minutes, reading techniques and phrases in Italian to use when trying to find a good gondola ride. It worked--we had an excellent time, and got to explore some of Venice's back canals, including dipping under these (scarily low) arches. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143410367-6C9UQOTQ7TMWKOABVSH3/IMG_0228.jpg Trenton & Jordan Downey Google Maps, bless them, is now equipped with all of Venice's public transportation routes--which exclusively means "water taxis." We took a water taxi through Veneto around the Venetian Lagoon to the colorful island of Burano. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143410187-0T8X47CLEV953T89RGLF/IMG_0229.jpg Trenton & Jordan Downey Finding Burano which would have been near impossible without Google telling us where to catch which taxi and when. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143413930-TWKZY7601KIRG9P4283I/IMG_0243.jpg Trenton & Jordan Downey If you didn't know this, Jess is deathly allergic to cashews and pistachios. "Pistachio" is a super common word in Italian (thanks, gelato), but cashews are so rare that they don't even have a word for them. She relied on Google to pull up translations, definitions, and pictures of cashews in places where we couldn't be sure what we were about to eat. In one place, it saved her at the last minute from an ER visit (the bruschetta on the right is covered in cashews). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143414304-6YMRH3IQGQLGHYGRBT5S/IMG_0271.jpg Trenton & Jordan Downey All Jess wanted to do in Grindelwald, Switzerland was take a tin toboggan ride. It turns out finding these rides is really confusing--the signs throughout town point toward a children's park without mentioning whether it has a toboggan run. We had Google open the whole way through town while trying to find this place. (It was worth it.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143415585-0JDB7FR8V44TZI9WD3JF/IMG_0305.jpg Trenton & Jordan Downey We had a day of free train travel to use, so we made a day trip around Thunnersee (the Sea of Thun) and Brienzersee (the Sea of Brienz) around Interlaken, Bern, and Lucern. That same day, we visited two castles--which was very difficult, because it also happened to be Whit Monday, so almost everything was closed. We relied on the Internet to look up holiday hours and phone numbers throughout the day to make sure things were open. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143417944-PJ9C210OCLTOZZ3GLAAL/IMG_0348.jpg Trenton & Jordan Downey So Jess is a big fan of old 007 movies, and freaked out when she found out "On her Majesty's Secret Service" was filmed at the rotating restaurant on the top of the nearby Schilthorn. We used their website to keep an eye on the 360º camera every day we were in Interlaken to figure out when it would be clearest at the top of the peak. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143418187-2VFAD6XGDYCZDCM6VCIK/IMG_0353.jpg Trenton & Jordan Downey Luckily, this meant we were able to get an online reservation for brunch on the clearest morning we were there! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143421465-9C9CN7PJQDSYGV3XBVGB/IMG_0464.jpg Trenton & Jordan Downey Snapped this photo while hopelessly lost on a hillside in Salzburg, trying to find Augustiner Biergarten. When we finally used Google Maps, we found out it was at the bottom of the hill all along. Naturally. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143421244-749ZKCWWT2X190UAVT1U/IMG_0471.jpg Trenton & Jordan Downey We happened to be in Vienna during Pride, which was fun to see! So we kept an eye on Pride events throughout those few days, which helped guide some of our sightseeing toward the end of our time there. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143426431-HP4L5T3TTQJY878O0C5X/IMG_0499.jpg Trenton & Jordan Downey Ryan downloaded the Ancestry.com app while we sat in Vienna's Belvedere Gardens, and looked up the marriage certificate of his great-great-grandmother, Hanny Schwarz (née Deutsch). Thanks to that certificate, we were able to find her 1904 home in Vienna's Jewish District, which is where she lived before moving to New York. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143426175-3Q4I6JO2XEP2VVKV17PN/IMG_0568.jpg Trenton & Jordan Downey While Jess got a massage, Ryan used cell data to watch House of Cards in Budapest's Gellért Thermal Baths. He was in heaven. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143429514-RNAV0KOL4SUMGDP4I0I2/IMG_0587.jpg Trenton & Jordan Downey This sounds like a funny story, but at the time it wasn't. We were in the middle of this nature-covered island in the Danube, between Buda and Pest. We were a very far walk from the bridge to get off the island, and Jess drank so much coffee that morning that she needed a bathroom like you wouldn't believe. Ryan had to download a public bathroom-finding app, which guided us to a random little building in a grove of trees that we never would have found otherwise. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143429584-31KUGIWT01POB5A5YS17/IMG_0602.jpg Trenton & Jordan Downey Thanks to TripAdvisor, we spent our last evening in Budapest at Whiskers Cat Pub, a...cat pub. With alcoholic beverages...and cats. We were (Jess was) ecstatic. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143432361-C61P296TZFC16E87RY0T/IMG_0627.jpg Trenton & Jordan Downey On our last evening of the honeymoon, which we spent in Fiumicino, Ryan was stretched out by the spas and watching more House of Cards. Just look at the joy in those eyes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Trenton & Jordan Downey https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/metro-rj-marsan daily 0.75 2017-07-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136082245-O9EOAKYAW02V4Z29QD5O/IMG_3116.jpg Metro & RJ Marsan Our first stop in Venice (besides dropping off our 35-pound backpacks at the hotel) was to a street food vendor that specialized in pastas. Ryan had a shrimp-based rotini pasta, plus an Aperol spritz (because...Italy). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136081454-NBPSMZ4504ECZ7ROQWHB/IMG_3118.jpg Metro & RJ Marsan I, on the other hand, still hadn't had pesto during our time in Italy--so I jumped on the opportunity. It was delicious. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136088474-NXT5GLU90V6OYDJHEFDU/IMG_3252.jpg Metro & RJ Marsan Ryan found a pub-turned-Italian-restaurant in one of the narrow alleys near our hotel, which also offered free wi-fi. (Our hotel didn't have wi-fi, so we were ecstatic about this.) We watched late-90s music videos while reading e-mails and eating some of the best pasta we'd had in Italy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136090537-LTZV5R0A54M8F0UMYYJ3/IMG_3301.jpg Metro & RJ Marsan Gelato! We were told by everyone we met that we'd need to try dark chocolate and stracciatella (chocolate chip) gelato, which were both amazing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136099253-SB67Z1DK75S6K8M9VBXI/IMG_3302.jpg Metro & RJ Marsan Just sitting on a bridge, eating gelato, like you do. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136097373-KTNKJK6NGZPIGYIR88GV/IMG_3416.JPG Metro & RJ Marsan We were so under-caffeinated while at the Museo Correr, a Venetian "art and antiquities" museum opposite the basilica in St. Mark's Square, that we ended our visit there with a trip to the café. You're looking at a double-latte, which kept me perfectly awake and content for the rest of the day. Even better, we had a beautiful view of the piazza out the window, so we were able to people- and pigeon-watch to our hearts' content. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136101280-HLBYTBS3W4DSSW64DCX6/IMG_3613.jpg Metro & RJ Marsan This is going to sound ridiculous, but we have no shame here: By the end of our time in Venice, we'd been in Italy for almost a week and a half. Every meal had been some variation of pizza, pasta, or cured pork--so by our last evening, we were dying for something different. We found a place called Wok 'n' Go, which was basically a Chipotle-style build-your-own stir-fry, and were in heaven. I'm pretty sure we went through three packets of Sriracha each that night, we'd missed it so much. ;) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Metro & RJ Marsan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135877780-2TVKZS55RGNT9TIIJQYW/IMG_3292.jpg Metro & RJ Marsan Saint Mark's Basilica (the Basilica di San Marco), Venice's most famous church. It joins five domes that were originally built in 828 to house the body of the evangelist Marco, brought from Egypt to Venice by the duke. Because Venice once sat at the heart of so much intercontinental trade, particularly between Europe and the Middle East, its architecture represents Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman styles. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135964188-15QKR6D6N4QCUPK00YRQ/IMG_3479.jpg Metro & RJ Marsan I misread the signs and thought I was allowed to take photos of the narthex to the basilica. (No photos were allowed inside the basilica itself.) Ryan, however, is certain this photo wasn't allowed, either. Imagine this beautifully mosaiced tile dome, multiplied on a massive scale across countless domes and columns in a single space. That would be the interior of St. Mark's. Ryan claims it's one of the most beautiful, and definitely distinctive, church interiors he's ever seen. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135873298-NMEH4K8BC5VDC8IC27AI/IMG_3297.jpg Metro & RJ Marsan The Doge's Palace (Palazzo Ducale), or the palace of Venice's chief magistrate. The Doge was always chosen by popular vote, and ruled with extreme transparency when it came to economic and social policies, which made him very loved by the people. Unlike most other major cities in Europe, the Doge never saw civil unrest or attempted coups. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135888596-ZLIU2UMTG9ONOX83XCSF/IMG_3368.jpg Metro & RJ Marsan Heading up the golden staircase of the Doge's Palace. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135916011-8C6V2ME5HYUUM1UULU3M/IMG_3386.JPG Metro & RJ Marsan The Doge's Palace houses the largest oil painting in the world, seen here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135914413-ZWFZPQOO3W4J0FJKYGYM/IMG_3388.JPG Metro & RJ Marsan The Doge's Palace was opulent, and the rooms were huge for its time. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135924791-UOH0FW0OJRLG83A0UWYB/IMG_3391.jpg Metro & RJ Marsan But not all hallways were huge. Here's Ryan, heading to the Piombi inside the Palazzo. (The Piombi refers to the prisons that used to be housed in the Doge's Palace.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135930159-4SGDIIMO07EMJL1AJQPJ/IMG_3392.jpg Metro & RJ Marsan The Piombi. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135935818-B92U2YJJYAIPDRLA92ZA/IMG_3394.jpg Metro & RJ Marsan Taken from the Ponte di Sospiri, or the Bridge of Sighs. This was the last glimpse prisoners would have of the outside world before heading into imprisonment. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135943546-26GCIALPBOQHKSB4FKW4/IMG_3400.jpg Metro & RJ Marsan The Museo Correr, on the other side of the Piazza from St. Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135946775-AWWCA98C0FAFH4F3I0WL/IMG_3406.jpg Metro & RJ Marsan The Correr Museum is known for its collection of Venetian artwork and "assorted antiquities" (I'm reading off Wikipedia's description and have no idea what that means, but sure). To be perfectly honest, we were hitting a low point in caffeination during this museum, so it's a bit of a blur. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135955459-83BMBL51MZIN1BAQZV22/IMG_3509.jpg Metro & RJ Marsan Thanks to you, we were able to snag reservations to go up the campanile (bell tower), which offered an amazing view of the plaza and surrounding Venice. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135967949-56ICE4U1Q4RV75USNY3V/IMG_3793.jpg Metro & RJ Marsan The inside of Frari Church, most renowned for its collection of religious artworks, including an original Donatello. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135971656-8TQVDLBAE3P63ED2AODQ/IMG_3795.jpg Metro & RJ Marsan Looking back toward the entrance of Frari Church. https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/becky-davidson-tristan-snow daily 0.75 2017-07-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137807187-ZVQGFK753S9KNJVHWA0Q/IMG_4236.jpg Becky Davidson & Tristan Snow Walking through the heart of Interlaken. The sign "Derby" points to our bed and breakfast, "Hotel Derby." https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137805576-TRC23X5GRIKBZR8WV0WI/IMG_4335.jpg Becky Davidson & Tristan Snow The hotel's location was perfect: We were off the main stretch (which mostly comprised Rolex, Prada, Gucci, and Botega Veneta shops), but within a three-minute walk of beautiful view like this one. This photo shows Höhematte, Interlaken's wide, grassy park with views of Jungfrau (the snowy peak in the middle). Although Jungfrau is called "The Top of Europe," it's far from the highest peak in Europe--especially if you count Russia. Its train station, however, is the highest on the continent at 11,332 feet. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137852998-XOCA5K1X69PMTAZDHKUK/IMG_4465.jpg Becky Davidson & Tristan Snow The view from Pfingstegg, a children's park and tin toboggan run in the hills of Grindelwald, Switzerland. Behind this panorama stands the Schreckhorn. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137816998-M6NQ0JYAOPC807FTZY0T/IMG_4580.jpg Becky Davidson & Tristan Snow Unterseen, an historic village across the Aare from the rest of Interlaken. Unterseen was a massive Roman cemetery during the empire's time, and by the 12th century was known for its multiple forts. Now, it's a quaint, calm, local-centric village that feels very different from the bustling tourism in Interlaken. We particularly appreciated its wide streets and historic homes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137822206-03X7YVDYAZ4P33O0N4OB/IMG_4799.jpg Becky Davidson & Tristan Snow We took a bus from Thun, at the far end of Thunnersee (the Sea of Thun) from Interlaken, to Oberhofen just a few miles away. Unfortunately, we made this day trip on Whit Monday, which is an observed national holiday in most of Europe. After finding closed restaurant after closed restaurant, we finally made our way to the castle just off the sea. (In fact, it has a neat turret located in the sea itself; it sits on a stone column sunk directly into Thunersee.) Luckily, while trying to find the best view of the castle, we stumbled upon a pier directly next to the castle walls...and saw signs for lunch. The pier's restaurant—which must have once been used for selling tickets, as hinted by the haphazard addition of cooking instruments throughout the interior space—was small and cozy, and we opened the door without even glancing at the signs before sitting down. The owners, who were the only other people inside, glanced up curiously, said hi, and kept chatting between themselves...and after 10 minutes of sitting there, we finally edged forward to ask if we could order. Turns out that restaurant, like all the others, was closed for the holiday. The owners were too kind to even tell us to leave, so they'd let us sit there and look out at the water without complaint. We were incredibly lucky that after we realized our mistake, they still offered to cook us food—just with the understanding that it would take a while. So we had a small meat pie and a creamy plate of gnocchi before setting out again for the castle, whose grounds and gardens were just as beautiful as the structure itself. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137824805-60UCJ7JSP6Y6VIYA50H4/IMG_6001.jpg Becky Davidson & Tristan Snow At Birg, the intermediary station between Mürren and the Schilthorn, is a "Thrill Walk"--a series of increasingly thrill-inducing activities built into a ledge that juts out over a sheer drop-off into the fog. Birg is 8,806 feet in elevation, compared with Mürren's mere 5,000 or so. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137826320-1DZSM6GCCMTODO3QY00S/IMG_6002.jpg Becky Davidson & Tristan Snow If you couldn't tell, Jess has no problem with heights. Ryan was very unhappy about this. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137836356-WUAT17HX0VT0TZP1IBI0/IMG_6003.jpg Becky Davidson & Tristan Snow Gimmelwald, possibly the most beautiful village we've ever seen. There were dozens of waterfalls like the two you see here, all stretching downward from these impossibly high mountains in every direction. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137844499-V2VLTWGP52QM2U5K7HUX/IMG_6004.jpg Becky Davidson & Tristan Snow If U.S. Customs asks, no, I did not touch this goat. And no, this goat did not bite me when it thought my finger was food. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137857699-OA1M1A9SG2CBFLHWJK40/IMG_6008.jpg Becky Davidson & Tristan Snow Another view of Gimmelwald, much closer to its cable lift station (the only way to get to the village; there are no roads that connect the village to any other settlement). Gimmelwald is very geographically remote, which explains why it feels completely untouched by tourism. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137863311-7TNH579G91KQ44LJ5Z7V/IMG_6010.jpg Becky Davidson & Tristan Snow Lauterbrunnen Falls, one of 72 waterfalls in this valley. This entire area made such an impact on J. R. R. Tolkien when he visited in 1911 that it served as the inspiration for Rivendell. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137869351-3Z86JRO5ZQEIVOPZ2ZRF/IMG_6275.jpg Becky Davidson & Tristan Snow Part of the old city wall of Luzern (Lucerne), which is open to the public, free of charge. We climbed several towers and walked along the top of the old wall, and even saw some haarige kuh up close (these are the hairy cows to the left side of the photo). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137881972-CPZ962GYKP147U8F0654/IMG_7605.jpg Becky Davidson & Tristan Snow A view of the valleys below Pfingstegg, one of the higher points in Grindelwald. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137881165-AK2G9P1XGLYXITIBWWA8/IMG_7860.jpg Becky Davidson & Tristan Snow One of Luzern's old Kapellbrücken, literally "chapel bridges," most of which were built in the 1300s or 1400s and cross the Reuss. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137894290-5ON5YYE68IO7SAUA3HTP/IMG_7924.jpg Becky Davidson & Tristan Snow I may or may not have lain down in the middle of someone's pasture to take this photo. But if U.S. Customs asks, no, I did no such thing. This is another shot of Gimmelwald, which has a population of only a little more than 100; has no stores, schools, or restaurants (unless you count the kitchen of its one hostel); and has a single fire station, which was a wise decision considering every building in the village is made of wood. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137894073-CGE7OAEX4WCNIK7CSO8G/IMG_7956.jpg Becky Davidson & Tristan Snow A view of the city of Thun, taken from one of the turrets of Thun Castle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137901499-192NO5CLNS7IYCFF9A56/IMG_8028.jpg Becky Davidson & Tristan Snow A gardener hard at work in Mürren. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Becky Davidson & Tristan Snow https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/katie-palmer daily 0.75 2017-07-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138269494-CR9F1ALC0BC8OLDOUCQJ/IMG_4511.jpg Katie Palmer Our first day in Interlaken was so sunny (this was a big deal, because the rest of the week promised rain) that we immediately took off for Grindelwald, south of Interlaken. We rode a tin toboggan run a few times up in Pfingstegg (a series of hills straight ahead), then headed back down in search of food. Grindelwald is an insufferably touristy village (understandable, because it's also surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery we've seen), so after walking past too many fancy restaurants that just didn't fit the vibes of the village, we settled on a sausage vendor who had dragged a grill onto the sidewalk and was teaching his young son how to make sauerkraut. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138266310-W1IQ5L1N9M5QU1DFJYKS/IMG_4515.jpg Katie Palmer Easily the best sausages we had during our honeymoon. The vendor looked very displeased when I mixed my ketchup and mustard like this. We took our plates out to a parking lot that looked out over the beautiful views, sat down on a huge boulder there, and had the perfect "picnic" in the middle of the village. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138275655-NE6BCYYJTAWYQ4GCLTZH/IMG_4599.jpg Katie Palmer In Interlaken, we found an artisan beer and wine shop (Barrel Artisan Café) just up the street from our bed and breakfast, which also served fantastic salads. We befriended the owner, who moved to Interlaken from Switzerland and was passionate about bringing more exciting beers to a lager-focused country. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138303012-LAFGHZVZMEP1U125JHNX/IMG_5930.jpg Katie Palmer We came back to Barrel several times, particularly for their well-priced antipasti boards. (They were heaven.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138276451-0GQJ53NLFXS9LX2R0T97/IMG_4634.jpg Katie Palmer The two head brewers of Haarige Kuh craft brewery (in Interlaken's warehouse district) recommended that we try their favorite Thai restaurant, which was also run by a brewer friend. Believe it or not, this was Jess's first experience with yellow curry, and she was in heaven. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138303591-1S2K0RC21CA2NAEB0DHA/IMG_5992.jpg Katie Palmer We woke up early one morning to beat the snowstorm up to the Schilthorn, famous for its rotating restaurant where 007's "On her Majesty's Secret Service" was filmed in the late 1960s. We watched the snow roll in while enjoying every type of smoked salmon, scrambled egg, and fruit yogurt imaginable. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138257845-J51DHM31ZQ06AH37DK0O/Enlight14.jpg Katie Palmer Just look at that happy face. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138259316-11CGTE0U8986950283VJ/IMG_4369.jpg Katie Palmer Jess was just delighted about unlimited lattes. (Pretty sure she had four.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138294499-L3AMIS4U5RR8Y46FKVLT/IMG_5982.jpg Katie Palmer They also had the "007 preferred" brand of champagne--couldn't tell you what it was called if our lives depended on it--so we made a few mimosas while watching the snow fall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138287523-SGM1TU91QK9EIT5C2RX5/IMG_4760.jpg Katie Palmer The next day, we took the train to Oberhofen just a few miles east of Thun. Unfortunately, we made this day trip on Whit Monday, which is an observed national holiday in most of Europe. After finding closed restaurant after closed restaurant, we finally made our way to the castle just off the sea. Luckily, while trying to find the best view of the castle, we stumbled upon a pier directly next to the castle walls...and saw signs for lunch. The pier's restaurant—which must have once been used for selling tickets, as hinted by the haphazard addition of cooking instruments throughout the interior space—was small and cozy, and we opened the door and sat down at the first table we saw without even glancing at the signs in the window. The owners, who were the only other people inside, glanced up curiously, said hi, and kept chatting between themselves...and after 10 minutes of sitting there, we finally edged forward to ask if we could order. Turns out that restaurant, like all the others, was closed for the holiday. The owners were too kind to even tell us to leave, so they'd let us sit there and look out at the water without complaint. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138284823-W62G80GX3FMZ8CYRVNQP/IMG_4758.jpg Katie Palmer We were incredibly lucky that after we realized our mistake, they still offered to cook us food—just with the understanding that it would take a while. So we had a small meat pie and a creamy plate of gnocchi before setting out again for the castle next door. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138291744-9U72Q2Z6TL1UCZAIT2UG/IMG_5573.jpg Katie Palmer During our time in Gimmelwald, possibly the most beautiful village we've ever seen, we were weirdly impressed with the total lack of restaurants, shops, schools, police stations, doctor's offices--anything. There was one fire station at the far end of the village (a good idea, because every house and barn was made of wood), but that was it. The population of 100-115 makes due with what they have, and for medical or educational priorities takes the lift down to Lauterbrunnen or up to Mürren. Fun fact: Gimmelwald doesn't even connect to any other villages by drivable road; without a lift, it would be almost impossible to reach. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138293522-USY04V0ISONEC1SD2AO7/IMG_5576.jpg Katie Palmer All this to say that Gimmelwald instead runs off self-service shops: Fridges or curio cabinets placed just outside the home or in the basement (yes, behind an unlocked door) with homemade offerings--knit hats and scarves, wooden dolls, fresh cheeses, dried sausages, cow's milk--and a bowl of francs to make change, in case you don't have the exact amount requested. The amount of trust in this entire system is mind-boggling. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138305335-TIS15FGV1TTGFZA054SC/IMG_6005.jpg Katie Palmer So yeah, an entire meal while we were in Gimmelwald was fresh cow's milk, because it was actually that filling. (This was our first time trying it.) We followed signs into a couple's basement, passed by their belongings--framed pictures, furniture, an umbrella stand--and just opened their fridge, took out some milk, and dropped some francs in the waiting basket. It was bizarre. Also, take a look at those waterfalls in the distance. This whole area became an inspiration for J. R. R. Tolkien's Rivendell after his trip to the area in 1911. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Katie Palmer https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/nina-makston daily 0.75 2017-07-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138269494-CR9F1ALC0BC8OLDOUCQJ/IMG_4511.jpg Nina Makston Our first day in Interlaken was so sunny (this was a big deal, because the rest of the week promised rain) that we immediately took off for Grindelwald, south of Interlaken. We rode a tin toboggan run a few times up in Pfingstegg (a series of hills straight ahead), then headed back down in search of food. Grindelwald is an insufferably touristy village (understandable, because it's also surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery we've seen), so after walking past too many fancy restaurants that just didn't fit the vibes of the village, we settled on a sausage vendor who had dragged a grill onto the sidewalk and was teaching his young son how to make sauerkraut. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138266310-W1IQ5L1N9M5QU1DFJYKS/IMG_4515.jpg Nina Makston Easily the best sausages we had during our honeymoon. The vendor looked very displeased when I mixed my ketchup and mustard like this. We took our plates out to a parking lot that looked out over the beautiful views, sat down on a huge boulder there, and had the perfect "picnic" in the middle of the village. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138275655-NE6BCYYJTAWYQ4GCLTZH/IMG_4599.jpg Nina Makston In Interlaken, we found an artisan beer and wine shop (Barrel Artisan Café) just up the street from our bed and breakfast, which also served fantastic salads. We befriended the owner, who moved to Interlaken from Switzerland and was passionate about bringing more exciting beers to a lager-focused country. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138303012-LAFGHZVZMEP1U125JHNX/IMG_5930.jpg Nina Makston We came back to Barrel several times, particularly for their well-priced antipasti boards. (They were heaven.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138276451-0GQJ53NLFXS9LX2R0T97/IMG_4634.jpg Nina Makston The two head brewers of Haarige Kuh craft brewery (in Interlaken's warehouse district) recommended that we try their favorite Thai restaurant, which was also run by a brewer friend. Believe it or not, this was Jess's first experience with yellow curry, and she was in heaven. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138303591-1S2K0RC21CA2NAEB0DHA/IMG_5992.jpg Nina Makston We woke up early one morning to beat the snowstorm up to the Schilthorn, famous for its rotating restaurant where 007's "On her Majesty's Secret Service" was filmed in the late 1960s. We watched the snow roll in while enjoying every type of smoked salmon, scrambled egg, and fruit yogurt imaginable. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138257845-J51DHM31ZQ06AH37DK0O/Enlight14.jpg Nina Makston Just look at that happy face. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138259316-11CGTE0U8986950283VJ/IMG_4369.jpg Nina Makston Jess was just delighted about unlimited lattes. (Pretty sure she had four.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138294499-L3AMIS4U5RR8Y46FKVLT/IMG_5982.jpg Nina Makston They also had the "007 preferred" brand of champagne--couldn't tell you what it was called if our lives depended on it--so we made a few mimosas while watching the snow fall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138287523-SGM1TU91QK9EIT5C2RX5/IMG_4760.jpg Nina Makston The next day, we took the train to Oberhofen just a few miles east of Thun. Unfortunately, we made this day trip on Whit Monday, which is an observed national holiday in most of Europe. After finding closed restaurant after closed restaurant, we finally made our way to the castle just off the sea. Luckily, while trying to find the best view of the castle, we stumbled upon a pier directly next to the castle walls...and saw signs for lunch. The pier's restaurant—which must have once been used for selling tickets, as hinted by the haphazard addition of cooking instruments throughout the interior space—was small and cozy, and we opened the door and sat down at the first table we saw without even glancing at the signs in the window. The owners, who were the only other people inside, glanced up curiously, said hi, and kept chatting between themselves...and after 10 minutes of sitting there, we finally edged forward to ask if we could order. Turns out that restaurant, like all the others, was closed for the holiday. The owners were too kind to even tell us to leave, so they'd let us sit there and look out at the water without complaint. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138284823-W62G80GX3FMZ8CYRVNQP/IMG_4758.jpg Nina Makston We were incredibly lucky that after we realized our mistake, they still offered to cook us food—just with the understanding that it would take a while. So we had a small meat pie and a creamy plate of gnocchi before setting out again for the castle next door. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138291744-9U72Q2Z6TL1UCZAIT2UG/IMG_5573.jpg Nina Makston During our time in Gimmelwald, possibly the most beautiful village we've ever seen, we were weirdly impressed with the total lack of restaurants, shops, schools, police stations, doctor's offices--anything. There was one fire station at the far end of the village (a good idea, because every house and barn was made of wood), but that was it. The population of 100-115 makes due with what they have, and for medical or educational priorities takes the lift down to Lauterbrunnen or up to Mürren. Fun fact: Gimmelwald doesn't even connect to any other villages by drivable road; without a lift, it would be almost impossible to reach. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138293522-USY04V0ISONEC1SD2AO7/IMG_5576.jpg Nina Makston All this to say that Gimmelwald instead runs off self-service shops: Fridges or curio cabinets placed just outside the home or in the basement (yes, behind an unlocked door) with homemade offerings--knit hats and scarves, wooden dolls, fresh cheeses, dried sausages, cow's milk--and a bowl of francs to make change, in case you don't have the exact amount requested. The amount of trust in this entire system is mind-boggling. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138305335-TIS15FGV1TTGFZA054SC/IMG_6005.jpg Nina Makston So yeah, an entire meal while we were in Gimmelwald was fresh cow's milk, because it was actually that filling. (This was our first time trying it.) We followed signs into a couple's basement, passed by their belongings--framed pictures, furniture, an umbrella stand--and just opened their fridge, took out some milk, and dropped some francs in the waiting basket. It was bizarre. Also, take a look at those waterfalls in the distance. This whole area became an inspiration for J. R. R. Tolkien's Rivendell after his trip to the area in 1911. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Nina Makston https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/swathi-harikumar daily 0.75 2017-07-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138407410-QZ7IR6EXJ7C5DX2IENTD/IMG_4380.jpg Swathi Harikumar https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138424408-YDB8743EIJZMQI79W9JY/IMG_4407.PNG Swathi Harikumar https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138437952-EH5I6TOCEF3EY5983JUD/IMG_4408.PNG Swathi Harikumar https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138454621-WDF3TP15X68BEBP6Z9ST/IMG_4409.PNG Swathi Harikumar https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138469269-0KXG2PS5U0200T23C9JT/IMG_4410.PNG Swathi Harikumar https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138471062-IMAHNTFUOSGR52CE7U0K/IMG_4463.jpg Swathi Harikumar https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138499823-GYLEQQR0AZYFILT9ZGO9/IMG_4489.jpg Swathi Harikumar https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138475790-SL55FD195VBOXJD67HOE/IMG_4535.jpg Swathi Harikumar https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Swathi Harikumar https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/brynn-lewallen daily 0.75 2017-07-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134086673-LUO7VJOU2RSTLCN7QNR9/IMG_2754.jpg Brynn Lewallen Goofing off while waiting for our first tour guide outside the Academia. The lines were already so long. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134087898-9VUOFHAWBFIW4MOHO83H/IMG_2756.JPG Brynn Lewallen The first known upright piano, wallpapered to match the original room where it was placed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134095113-M09EVY9JQRV35X8U83AU/IMG_2757.JPG Brynn Lewallen The Rape of the Sabines. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134097427-GVCP4E9U8PTYT8JJ2W22/IMG_2759.JPG Brynn Lewallen One of a series of partially finished Michelangelo sculptures. It was so neat seeing how Michelangelo worked his way through each block of marble; here, it looks as if the man is slowly emerging from the rock. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134108414-8QEUT0WD3G7HP6QI4GXB/IMG_2770.JPG Brynn Lewallen Michelangelo's famous David. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134111139-TDKRWS4KELKHWLE9SWP0/IMG_2772.JPG Brynn Lewallen The David is made all the more impressive by the fact that the marble is faulty, and should have been almost impossible to work with without breaking. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134118558-94J1KR678BT3IXXGZ15P/IMG_2775.jpg Brynn Lewallen A room showcasing the plaster versions of statues that students create first before working on a final marble masterpiece. The plaster copy serves as a model, to keep the second version to scale. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134120915-GZEUHCN56P0S9R702TSI/IMG_2781.jpg Brynn Lewallen The original doors of the Florence Baptistery (the doors now standing outside, open to the elements, are a replica). Florence sponsored a competition for who would create these bronze doors (semifinalists included Lorenzo Ghiberti, Filippo Brunelleschi, and Donatello); when Ghiberti won, Brunelleschi went on to construct the Duomo of Florence Cathedral, still regarded as one of the greatest architectural wonders of Europe. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134134120-E34567ALK90H83VWPW5A/IMG_2784.jpg Brynn Lewallen Florence Cathedral, the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134129716-RFKYOXUPXV6WHJJMONOD/IMG_2795.jpg Brynn Lewallen This chapel belongs to one of the oldest charitable institutions in Florence (est. 1441), which has always served as the Robin Hood of the city; the wealthy (or at least, those who could afford to do so) donated money anonymously into slots in the marble outside the chapel, and would indicate how they wanted their money to be used (for a certain family, for enemies of the Médici [who would financially ruin them], etc.). To this day, donations still go directly to the poor. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134146609-2J6KB1ORJLJ7IC4BKHUD/IMG_2799.jpg Brynn Lewallen An altar dedicated to the Madonna, which was the point of prayer during major plagues (e.g., the Black Death) in Florence. It's located inside what was once a grain market. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134145611-ORJ78675K8VX7623OR4D/IMG_2803.jpg Brynn Lewallen The Mercato Nuovo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134156052-ID2STKA21KH6EHRS5I32/IMG_2806.jpg Brynn Lewallen This mercato is now home to vendors, primarily of leather and cashmere. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134156628-GRYWHBTBXDHRKMULTS10/IMG_2815.jpg Brynn Lewallen On the left, you see a replica of Michelangelo's David. This is where the David used to stand before a woman threw a large piece of furniture out the window the Palazzo Vecchio behind him and broke off his arm. He was then moved to the Accademia for safe-keeping. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134162218-LXIBM2PNOS5TYASX5MKP/IMG_2827.jpg Brynn Lewallen Ponte Vecchio, Florence's most famous bridge and the only bridge to survive bombing during WWII. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134164954-FOAVMBPIJN8NQG7KHM50/IMG_2833.jpg Brynn Lewallen A mural in a family's privately owned chapel in Basilica di Santa Trinita. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134172124-MYSJKD1P55HAVDNQ4BTA/IMG_2834.jpg Brynn Lewallen Interestingly, this mural was found beneath the previous one (through X-ray scanning when they were surveying the chapels for water damage after a bad flood). They were able to extricate most of the underlying mural. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134172428-O61JI6DR3BAW2GKSO12D/IMG_2856.JPG Brynn Lewallen The Uffizi is built on top of an 11th-century complex (possibly a mansion?), which means these stairs to the bathrooms hover just above the original floors. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134183386-I97RPAA614CNCXW1KX70/IMG_2858.jpg Brynn Lewallen One of the main hallways of the Uffizi. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134177573-O8A2SUZ5IABB1G7UMP1U/IMG_2861.jpg Brynn Lewallen The Birth of Venus. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134186025-MB6CL5CKZNBQUX21ISFV/IMG_2864.jpg Brynn Lewallen Primavera. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134194748-M93MIBNPICP42E5BS8GJ/IMG_2869.jpg Brynn Lewallen This was one of the lounging chambers for men of the Médici family. (The Uffizi houses much of the Médici collection, which was ordered in Anna Maria Luisa's will to never leave Florence after her death.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134204912-2XH5990I2YJ1FWG6UXKQ/IMG_2871.jpg Brynn Lewallen Looking down the Arno from the Uffizi toward Ponte Vecchio. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134206042-Q66OULQXXYPIQ7VPRZ6U/IMG_2873.jpg Brynn Lewallen Michelangelo's Madonna with child. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134212043-L6WASP6AJZYH4VY5W5FM/IMG_2880.JPG Brynn Lewallen The newly restored, and never completed, "Adoration" by Da Vinci. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Brynn Lewallen https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/sam-neufeld-david-moss daily 0.75 2017-07-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137499450-18SG838HM3TUIOURNHE2/IMG_3974.jpg Sam Neufeld & David Moss The first thing we did after arriving in Bern was drag our dirty laundry (after spending a week and a half trudging through very hot, very humid Italy) to Bern's "Wash Bar," a laundromat-meets-live-music-meets-bar-and-café. We ran several loads while just hanging out at the bar and reading Rick Steves's recommendations for what to see and do around the city. Meanwhile, the bartender had no idea what a mimosa was, so after I explained the concept she disappeared for a moment and came back out with a bottle of champagne and a carton of orange juice, with this look of pure delight on her face. I'd like to think that to this day, she enjoys one of these newfound mimosas every now and then. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137514620-KZJIH468JPBAZ8C51NJD/IMG_4010.jpg Sam Neufeld & David Moss A bird's eye view of Bern. You can see the bright blue, unmistakable Aare river running between the trees. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137513484-OY3IIKHGL3IZ7085DBD3/IMG_4016.jpg Sam Neufeld & David Moss This was the coolest glockenspiel, part of the Zytglogge clock tower; four minutes to every hour, it would put on a mechanical performance of little wooden puppets, which has been a staple of Bern tourism for centuries. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137525951-HX5211YU8M6PD7VL1UOA/IMG_4022.jpg Sam Neufeld & David Moss Looking down one of Bern's many shopping arcades. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137541394-NYRPP1BM7HH7OWSSNSMV/IMG_4036.jpg Sam Neufeld & David Moss Bern, like the rest of Switzerland, is extremely expensive; so as drool-worthy as these townhouses are along the Aare, each one would run you well (well) over $1m. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137546298-3PJQ9LSE03QGNNFLEQ3Y/IMG_4083.jpg Sam Neufeld & David Moss The water was so cold that I lost feeling in my toes while posing for a few photos. Ryan stuck one hand in, laughed, and said "Nope, not doing that." https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137555595-K1XT5JMV4Z2ODAVUSN5T/IMG_4158.jpg Sam Neufeld & David Moss Looking out at the historic part of the city. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137554589-QQ2YM9FNV7K33SGEHWXE/IMG_4211.jpg Sam Neufeld & David Moss (: https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Sam Neufeld & David Moss https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137006350-BKO6VY44UKD4HH7ERQSI/IMG_3992.jpg Sam Neufeld & David Moss The view from our hotel room. This was our first actual hotel during our honeymoon--the previous stays had been in bed and breakfasts, often without wifi or A/C. As you can imagine, we were delighted not just about the central location of this Best Western, but about the amenities. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136992176-GSYM11RYKMWNNPU8E4UF/IMG_3977.jpg Sam Neufeld & David Moss Bern's Zytglogge, a famous clock tower built in 1530 atop Bern's original entrance gate into the city (est. 1250). This tower (which has also served as a guard post and prison over the centuries) features a zodiac clock—something we saw frequently in Switzerland—as well as a puppet theatre-type clock that performs at 4 minutes to the hour. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136992724-XH51ON968MPI7R9LCQH6/IMG_3979.jpg Sam Neufeld & David Moss We loved the very alpine feel of the murals on the side of castle-like buildings. You can see arched walkways under these buildings, which act as shopping arcades: Historic Bern mostly comprises open cobbled streets with covered arcades on either side, where people can shop without being interrupted by inclement weather. Bomb shelters line the street, now converted into underground shops. These covered arcades are called "pipes" in Switzerland—"rohr"—so when people go shopping, they refer to it as "rohren" (piping). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137019039-HM7960I3RLBOA4T48GOY/IMG_4043+copy.jpg Sam Neufeld & David Moss Taken from around the back of Bern's main cathedral on what is known as the Münsterplattform, a large garden directly over the river Aare, where you have a perfect view of the eastern banks of the city.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137022195-Q7TLLQPJF70ARRKD0RBO/IMG_4066.jpg Sam Neufeld & David Moss The Bärenpark—which is exactly what its German name would suggest: a 15,000-square-foot park with bears. They were out of hibernation (this might sound obvious because it was late May, but keep in mind that we're in the Alps right now) and roaming happily around in the sun. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137032974-NXS55LJ6ZFIWI8GOPP7K/IMG_4126.jpg Sam Neufeld & David Moss Taken from Nydegg Bridge, which looks down on the southern side at the original Lindt chocolate factory. if you look carefully at the bare white wall in this photo, you can see the original murals, which are still intact. The building has since been converted into apartments. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137040968-DPQSIL1X2Q68T1CTYXPW/IMG_4803.jpg Sam Neufeld & David Moss The river Aare. The water is just as cold as you'd expect in the Alps. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137038293-L7YUPUO2X4XQ3FDGJL3M/IMG_4212.jpg Sam Neufeld & David Moss A view of historic Bern from Rosengarten (the rose garden), where we sat on a wall and looked out at this view for almost an hour. https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/david-schildkret daily 0.75 2017-07-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137807187-ZVQGFK753S9KNJVHWA0Q/IMG_4236.jpg David Schildkret Walking through the heart of Interlaken. The sign "Derby" points to our bed and breakfast, "Hotel Derby." https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137805576-TRC23X5GRIKBZR8WV0WI/IMG_4335.jpg David Schildkret The hotel's location was perfect: We were off the main stretch (which mostly comprised Rolex, Prada, Gucci, and Botega Veneta shops), but within a three-minute walk of beautiful view like this one. This photo shows Höhematte, Interlaken's wide, grassy park with views of Jungfrau (the snowy peak in the middle). Although Jungfrau is called "The Top of Europe," it's far from the highest peak in Europe--especially if you count Russia. Its train station, however, is the highest on the continent at 11,332 feet. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137852998-XOCA5K1X69PMTAZDHKUK/IMG_4465.jpg David Schildkret The view from Pfingstegg, a children's park and tin toboggan run in the hills of Grindelwald, Switzerland. Behind this panorama stands the Schreckhorn. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137816998-M6NQ0JYAOPC807FTZY0T/IMG_4580.jpg David Schildkret Unterseen, an historic village across the Aare from the rest of Interlaken. Unterseen was a massive Roman cemetery during the empire's time, and by the 12th century was known for its multiple forts. Now, it's a quaint, calm, local-centric village that feels very different from the bustling tourism in Interlaken. We particularly appreciated its wide streets and historic homes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137822206-03X7YVDYAZ4P33O0N4OB/IMG_4799.jpg David Schildkret We took a bus from Thun, at the far end of Thunnersee (the Sea of Thun) from Interlaken, to Oberhofen just a few miles away. Unfortunately, we made this day trip on Whit Monday, which is an observed national holiday in most of Europe. After finding closed restaurant after closed restaurant, we finally made our way to the castle just off the sea. (In fact, it has a neat turret located in the sea itself; it sits on a stone column sunk directly into Thunersee.) Luckily, while trying to find the best view of the castle, we stumbled upon a pier directly next to the castle walls...and saw signs for lunch. The pier's restaurant—which must have once been used for selling tickets, as hinted by the haphazard addition of cooking instruments throughout the interior space—was small and cozy, and we opened the door without even glancing at the signs before sitting down. The owners, who were the only other people inside, glanced up curiously, said hi, and kept chatting between themselves...and after 10 minutes of sitting there, we finally edged forward to ask if we could order. Turns out that restaurant, like all the others, was closed for the holiday. The owners were too kind to even tell us to leave, so they'd let us sit there and look out at the water without complaint. We were incredibly lucky that after we realized our mistake, they still offered to cook us food—just with the understanding that it would take a while. So we had a small meat pie and a creamy plate of gnocchi before setting out again for the castle, whose grounds and gardens were just as beautiful as the structure itself. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137824805-60UCJ7JSP6Y6VIYA50H4/IMG_6001.jpg David Schildkret At Birg, the intermediary station between Mürren and the Schilthorn, is a "Thrill Walk"--a series of increasingly thrill-inducing activities built into a ledge that juts out over a sheer drop-off into the fog. Birg is 8,806 feet in elevation, compared with Mürren's mere 5,000 or so. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137826320-1DZSM6GCCMTODO3QY00S/IMG_6002.jpg David Schildkret If you couldn't tell, Jess has no problem with heights. Ryan was very unhappy about this. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137836356-WUAT17HX0VT0TZP1IBI0/IMG_6003.jpg David Schildkret Gimmelwald, possibly the most beautiful village we've ever seen. There were dozens of waterfalls like the two you see here, all stretching downward from these impossibly high mountains in every direction. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137844499-V2VLTWGP52QM2U5K7HUX/IMG_6004.jpg David Schildkret If U.S. Customs asks, no, I did not touch this goat. And no, this goat did not bite me when it thought my finger was food. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137857699-OA1M1A9SG2CBFLHWJK40/IMG_6008.jpg David Schildkret Another view of Gimmelwald, much closer to its cable lift station (the only way to get to the village; there are no roads that connect the village to any other settlement). Gimmelwald is very geographically remote, which explains why it feels completely untouched by tourism. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137863311-7TNH579G91KQ44LJ5Z7V/IMG_6010.jpg David Schildkret Lauterbrunnen Falls, one of 72 waterfalls in this valley. This entire area made such an impact on J. R. R. Tolkien when he visited in 1911 that it served as the inspiration for Rivendell. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137869351-3Z86JRO5ZQEIVOPZ2ZRF/IMG_6275.jpg David Schildkret Part of the old city wall of Luzern (Lucerne), which is open to the public, free of charge. We climbed several towers and walked along the top of the old wall, and even saw some haarige kuh up close (these are the hairy cows to the left side of the photo). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137881972-CPZ962GYKP147U8F0654/IMG_7605.jpg David Schildkret A view of the valleys below Pfingstegg, one of the higher points in Grindelwald. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137881165-AK2G9P1XGLYXITIBWWA8/IMG_7860.jpg David Schildkret One of Luzern's old Kapellbrücken, literally "chapel bridges," most of which were built in the 1300s or 1400s and cross the Reuss. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137894290-5ON5YYE68IO7SAUA3HTP/IMG_7924.jpg David Schildkret I may or may not have lain down in the middle of someone's pasture to take this photo. But if U.S. Customs asks, no, I did no such thing. This is another shot of Gimmelwald, which has a population of only a little more than 100; has no stores, schools, or restaurants (unless you count the kitchen of its one hostel); and has a single fire station, which was a wise decision considering every building in the village is made of wood. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137894073-CGE7OAEX4WCNIK7CSO8G/IMG_7956.jpg David Schildkret A view of the city of Thun, taken from one of the turrets of Thun Castle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137901499-192NO5CLNS7IYCFF9A56/IMG_8028.jpg David Schildkret A gardener hard at work in Mürren. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif David Schildkret https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/kiersten-jungbluth-josh-hillmann daily 0.75 2017-07-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Kiersten Jungbluth & Josh Hillmann https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133689544-QHG1MVZ5HE136MBRVG5U/IMG_1492.jpg Kiersten Jungbluth & Josh Hillmann Our first culinary stop in Rome: La Prosciutteria, known for its cured meats. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133697494-ITOAM0WUU3V89Q6O23BI/IMG_1497.jpg Kiersten Jungbluth & Josh Hillmann We sat down in the meat cellars, which were built in 1925. The entrance to the cellars was almost impossible to find, which created a cool ambiance once we were downstairs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133690266-WL7DW3EYLDRPKKM1VMNA/IMG_1496.jpg Kiersten Jungbluth & Josh Hillmann Our charcuterie board, which was massive (and delicious). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133699180-NFA4R986URQZ675M58SE/IMG_1498.jpg Kiersten Jungbluth & Josh Hillmann One last shot of La Prosciutteria as we were heading back out into the (very, very hot) sunshine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133705629-G37A2JR4TM1PBI814V6Q/IMG_1690.jpg Kiersten Jungbluth & Josh Hillmann Ombre Rosse, a hip little restaurant just around the corner from our bed and breakfast in Trastevere. We used TripAdvisor to guide us to more locally loved restaurants (like this one) whenever possible. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133705775-WOHWOB3FR5CJRWSP6HMD/IMG_1695.jpg Kiersten Jungbluth & Josh Hillmann When Ryan was in Rome almost a decade ago, he went to a bookstore and wine shop not far from Ombre Rosse. We went back to visit again, only to find that it's now a bookstore and...a bar that only serves suggestive shots with inappropriate names, which you have to down in a single gulp without touching them. It was messy and absolutely ridiculous. I can't remember what this particular shot was called, but I probably wouldn't share the name even if I did. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133716517-KGT27YQCQCL6YBR9O3IZ/IMG_1912.jpg Kiersten Jungbluth & Josh Hillmann La Focaccia, a focaccia-based pizzeria in Trastevere. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133716118-2JD9FZSQ4PXBCAKZ5DBJ/IMG_1917.jpg Kiersten Jungbluth & Josh Hillmann Our first gelato of the honeymoon! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133723937-8PYS7W8IJMGPU09QDS01/IMG_1919.jpg Kiersten Jungbluth & Josh Hillmann This is the life: Gelato while wandering aimlessly around one of Rome's hip, artsy districts. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133763857-PZCV2WM2G6B4DBFPLP49/IMG_2293.jpg Kiersten Jungbluth & Josh Hillmann One of our favorite meals in Rome was at the rooftop café at the Musei Capitolini, the ancient art museums that sit atop Capitoline Hill. (This hill overlooks the ancient Roman Forum.) We had paninis, fruit, and mimosas while looking out at this view. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133732394-UYZJ1RLYMVCRTBOZXB2B/IMG_2299.jpg Kiersten Jungbluth & Josh Hillmann The rooftop café at Musei Capitolini. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133744025-OOOOCE70TH15BKPMYX4Z/IMG_2312.jpg Kiersten Jungbluth & Josh Hillmann Another view from the Capitoline Museums. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133755662-N0PB0IYWY5BXG3L360BH/IMG_2350.jpg Kiersten Jungbluth & Josh Hillmann Ryan is borderline obsessed with these grattacheccas. They're cups of shaved ice, filled with fruit syrups and freshly cut fruit. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133763219-UMML27CCILRX8E4FL3S0/IMG_2351.jpg Kiersten Jungbluth & Josh Hillmann I got some form of kiwi-lime. This particular grattachecca stall was right across the street from our bed and breakfast. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133770997-IS12HNEVL1JOJRQUNZ25/IMG_2398.jpg Kiersten Jungbluth & Josh Hillmann We stumbled across a really cool wine bar run by a Santa Barbara-based sommelier and her partner, who was training to be a sommelier. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133770838-NL5ZYZH5UY8RXVY0T7B3/IMG_2399.jpg Kiersten Jungbluth & Josh Hillmann They served each wine with a dish that was supposed to compliment the wine's primary notes. The two cheeses you see here were made that morning, and brought in from the Italian countryside. We ended up going home with three bottles of wine from this place! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133779726-E5XFMN1QVHDNSRUV7PYH/IMG_2425.jpg Kiersten Jungbluth & Josh Hillmann We couldn't survive a single day without at least three espressos each, which we'd space throughout the day. Here's a photo from one of our afternoon pick-me-ups. In Italy, you stand at the bar while drinking your espresso/latte/cappuccino. Sitting down costs extra, and sitting down outside costs even more. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133778888-H75JKUTFT556MKLZHTN0/IMG_2426.jpg Kiersten Jungbluth & Josh Hillmann The ever-delicious Italian latte. https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/katerina-marcoulides-joe-barbour daily 0.75 2017-07-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134281790-0C3LRY9M0LLV0406GQ28/IMG_2465.JPG Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour The inside of the Museo Nazionale del Bargello, which reminded us strongly of the inside courtyard of Castle Black in Game of Thrones, but that's fine. The Bargello was a barracks and prison, but is now used as an art museum featuring Donatello's original David. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134285814-MJ4UYO2URXQ38MJ5TV6P/IMG_2471.jpg Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour Jess really liked this guy on the right because his sideburns are a great testament to why curly sideburns are a terrible idea. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134290225-OX16J5WLZTQKMTJI3F2Q/IMG_2485.jpg Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour Looking toward Palazzo Vecchio, Florence's town hall, which was briefly a Médici residence (to remind citizens that this banking family had now assumed political power). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134293268-LME21AHYLCINYE1OQM19/IMG_2489.jpg Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour Looking across the Arno at Florence's center. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134299957-TI78MJ4JJFDVHTVV02MA/IMG_2522.jpg Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour Taken inside Boboli Gardens, looking toward the back of Pitti Palace (yes...yet another Médici residence at one point). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134299832-52UXPOBIH4P80NCVW0KG/IMG_2527.jpg Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour A view of Florence from Boboli Gardens. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134308917-9VN6BIYIC93L3BLHNB0K/IMG_2546.jpg Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour The gardens stretch up a large hill that overlooks the city. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134312057-6MMS66WWTJT3YFEU50GS/IMG_2560.jpg Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour Looking out at the Tuscan countryside from the top of the gardens. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134319476-3LZ8V5TJQRNOOKA0RSHS/IMG_2575.jpg Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour A view of the dome (the Duomo) and the campanile, with Pitti Palace in the foreground. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134324363-KH9W4JDNC94T8GBTAAA0/IMG_2577.jpg Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour Mandatory selfie as we left the gardens. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134337753-DQODKM3B4I7XPA2MTN7V/IMG_2638.jpg Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour Florence Cathedral's bell tower, or campanile. All the marble you see is taken from local quarries. This façade is one of the best examples of Gothic Revival architecture in Europe. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134340773-U7YKQW9PLSGBIKNOORQZ/IMG_2643.jpg Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour Looking up at Florence Cathedral, the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134348681-Z748YUISASJWQHBSUC0H/IMG_2652.jpg Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour The inside of the Duomo's inner dome. This was taken from a balcony far above the church below, which gives you an idea of the scale of the place. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134348316-HXZ3EUBM02YI6ZHQOQKV/IMG_2659.jpg Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour The trek up to the top of the dome was less than pleasant (think very narrow spiral staircases with no A/C on a pretty hot day, and along with a pack of 100 other tourists). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134353073-ZU62J1TV07BH63GQO6OE/IMG_2676.jpg Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour Made it to the top of the Duomo! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134360799-7W5YZJGY0I0EI1YMLP9J/IMG_2704.jpg Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour A view of the Duomo, taken from the campanile. This particular dome is one of the greatest architectural marvels of Europe; Brunelleschi had to work from an octagonal base into a rounded dome using brick, which was so heavy that the bricklayers staggered their orientation in diagonal "V" shapes to offset the weight (otherwise, it would have collapsed on itself). Inside the dome sits an inner dome, and the space between is what tourists (and renovators) now use to get to the top of the dome. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134364072-H79UZH2UI18W0CB5YKT5/IMG_2708.jpg Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour Looking down from one of the top levels of the campanile. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134369630-ZBPVAB002EPLV4B0DND5/IMG_2711.jpg Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour Using Google Translate's camera feature to automatically translate plaques. (This saved us several times, especially in Hungary.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134372543-86YABWNQ1OQHFJ294K8V/IMG_2720.jpg Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour Walking around the perimeter of the bell tower. The Duomo is visible to the left. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134385939-6G564V874RTUHSECSFPC/IMG_2918.jpg Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour The inside of Palazzo Vecchio, Florence's town hall. The Médici turned it into another family residence as a statement to the public that they, as a banking family, had assumed political power. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134379846-DI6AMOUMKK5XSB4YWJK8/IMG_2922.jpg Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour One of the columns up to the top of the Palazzo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134392495-0RDMTTXGX3X4M4YVONKL/IMG_2934.jpg Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour Looking across town from Palazzo Vecchio to Florence Cathedral. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134398012-0GQ0XCUQR5GXL7XGOGDU/IMG_2945.jpg Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour Goofing off near what was once the Palazzo's barracks and prisons. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134401251-J90W0RCI52GV8UUKM9MG/IMG_2957.jpg Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour You can see the outline of one just in front of Ryan: The Palazzo had a series of trapdoors about every 15 feet that dropped straight down to the street, maybe 100 or so feet below. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134411386-CBADLL8NUUWKJ7E2NI4Y/IMG_2961.jpg Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour One of the larger chambers of the inside of Palazzo Vecchio. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134407263-BRXBJIEDS9W3EXIIAAGG/IMG_2968.jpg Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour Ryan, looking out at Oltrarno (an historic town just across the Arno from Florence). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134511892-2ZRSD529AWVZG19WJUOS/IMG_2508.jpg Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour The most beautiful latte Jess had ever seen! Our first stop after dropping our bags off at our bed and breakfast was a lunch spot not far from Pitti Palace, where we sat outside and people-watched over bruschetta. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134512987-D1DOUGLEOBTZYVWZL1ZX/IMG_2516.jpg Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour Apologies if this looks gross, but it has a funny story. Jess didn't know what this particular bruschetta was, so she started eating it anyway while Ryan looked on with apprehension. She thought it was a ground-up, slightly wet meatball. Ryan (now trying not to laugh) told her it was liver pudding. Needless to say, she didn't continue. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134518023-X3UM0C7OY0FL8QME2M6H/IMG_2729.jpg Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour This was one of the best pasta dishes we'd ever had from a traditional Florentine restaurant. It was made with veal and plenty of garlic. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134518836-Q2G3M4A3DT6GBJHWCV40/IMG_2731.jpg Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour One of the most well-known local delicacies: Florentine T-bone steak, prepared and cut in a way we couldn't completely understand thanks to language barriers. But it was tasty! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134526420-30F4A5IJVA68U0NT569H/IMG_2732.jpg Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour The inside of a traditional restaurant just around the corner from our bed and breakfast, near Dante Alighieri square. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134526361-YNUTBBCJDWEVIPGIZC4A/IMG_2748.jpg Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour Our favorite place to stop for coffee and (chocolate) croissants in the mornings was a hip café just up the street from where we were staying. In Italy, you stand at the bar while drinking your espresso-based beverage; sitting down costs extra, and sitting outside costs even more. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134532702-S6FJ0SKENBFU6V0B38GN/IMG_2749.jpg Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour Another day, another chocolate croissant and latte. It was the staple of our mornings! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134533535-B35SN8I790IUKWNEOM5M/IMG_2843.jpg Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour Easily the best pizza we'd ever had. This was from Mangia Pizza, right next to the Uffizi. (We actually ate there between our tours of the Accademia and Uffizi galleries.) The crust was just as light and crunchy as it looks. Not pictured: Across the street from where we sat while eating, a residence had a plaque with "9" (the street number) by the front door. Someone had written in "3/4" next to it. Jess approved. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134538820-9SOK8V65JO6MXATV5TLH/IMG_2849.jpg Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour Just another winding street near the heart of Florence, not far from the Arno river. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134538949-CM8UCED87E77WS23T71L/IMG_2855.jpg Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour A latte from a café just off Ponte Vecchio, Florence's most famous bridge and the only bridge to survive bombing from WWII. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134548508-68B9B7GI4I8N5FBUXNZC/IMG_2901.jpg Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour One of our last dinners in Florence was outside, looking at the main piazza where Florence Cathedral is located, and only just up the street we could hear cello music. It was a lovely evening, and the weather was perfect. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134546956-ZLI1GUZSFNRZHR1EM5OE/IMG_2906.jpg Katerina Marcoulides & Joe Barbour Caprese (with a side of red wine). https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/susan-robert-ashton daily 0.75 2017-07-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Susan & Robert Ashton https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135877780-2TVKZS55RGNT9TIIJQYW/IMG_3292.jpg Susan & Robert Ashton Saint Mark's Basilica (the Basilica di San Marco), Venice's most famous church. It joins five domes that were originally built in 828 to house the body of the evangelist Marco, brought from Egypt to Venice by the duke. Because Venice once sat at the heart of so much intercontinental trade, particularly between Europe and the Middle East, its architecture represents Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman styles. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135964188-15QKR6D6N4QCUPK00YRQ/IMG_3479.jpg Susan & Robert Ashton I misread the signs and thought I was allowed to take photos of the narthex to the basilica. (No photos were allowed inside the basilica itself.) Ryan, however, is certain this photo wasn't allowed, either. Imagine this beautifully mosaiced tile dome, multiplied on a massive scale across countless domes and columns in a single space. That would be the interior of St. Mark's. Ryan claims it's one of the most beautiful, and definitely distinctive, church interiors he's ever seen. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135873298-NMEH4K8BC5VDC8IC27AI/IMG_3297.jpg Susan & Robert Ashton The Doge's Palace (Palazzo Ducale), or the palace of Venice's chief magistrate. The Doge was always chosen by popular vote, and ruled with extreme transparency when it came to economic and social policies, which made him very loved by the people. Unlike most other major cities in Europe, the Doge never saw civil unrest or attempted coups. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135888596-ZLIU2UMTG9ONOX83XCSF/IMG_3368.jpg Susan & Robert Ashton Heading up the golden staircase of the Doge's Palace. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135916011-8C6V2ME5HYUUM1UULU3M/IMG_3386.JPG Susan & Robert Ashton The Doge's Palace houses the largest oil painting in the world, seen here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135914413-ZWFZPQOO3W4J0FJKYGYM/IMG_3388.JPG Susan & Robert Ashton The Doge's Palace was opulent, and the rooms were huge for its time. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135924791-UOH0FW0OJRLG83A0UWYB/IMG_3391.jpg Susan & Robert Ashton But not all hallways were huge. Here's Ryan, heading to the Piombi inside the Palazzo. (The Piombi refers to the prisons that used to be housed in the Doge's Palace.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135930159-4SGDIIMO07EMJL1AJQPJ/IMG_3392.jpg Susan & Robert Ashton The Piombi. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135935818-B92U2YJJYAIPDRLA92ZA/IMG_3394.jpg Susan & Robert Ashton Taken from the Ponte di Sospiri, or the Bridge of Sighs. This was the last glimpse prisoners would have of the outside world before heading into imprisonment. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135943546-26GCIALPBOQHKSB4FKW4/IMG_3400.jpg Susan & Robert Ashton The Museo Correr, on the other side of the Piazza from St. Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135946775-AWWCA98C0FAFH4F3I0WL/IMG_3406.jpg Susan & Robert Ashton The Correr Museum is known for its collection of Venetian artwork and "assorted antiquities" (I'm reading off Wikipedia's description and have no idea what that means, but sure). To be perfectly honest, we were hitting a low point in caffeination during this museum, so it's a bit of a blur. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135955459-83BMBL51MZIN1BAQZV22/IMG_3509.jpg Susan & Robert Ashton Thanks to you, we were able to snag reservations to go up the campanile (bell tower), which offered an amazing view of the plaza and surrounding Venice. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135967949-56ICE4U1Q4RV75USNY3V/IMG_3793.jpg Susan & Robert Ashton The inside of Frari Church, most renowned for its collection of religious artworks, including an original Donatello. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135971656-8TQVDLBAE3P63ED2AODQ/IMG_3795.jpg Susan & Robert Ashton Looking back toward the entrance of Frari Church. https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/aunt-avis-gary daily 0.75 2017-07-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138269494-CR9F1ALC0BC8OLDOUCQJ/IMG_4511.jpg Aunt Avis & Gary Our first day in Interlaken was so sunny (this was a big deal, because the rest of the week promised rain) that we immediately took off for Grindelwald, south of Interlaken. We rode a tin toboggan run a few times up in Pfingstegg (a series of hills straight ahead), then headed back down in search of food. Grindelwald is an insufferably touristy village (understandable, because it's also surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery we've seen), so after walking past too many fancy restaurants that just didn't fit the vibes of the village, we settled on a sausage vendor who had dragged a grill onto the sidewalk and was teaching his young son how to make sauerkraut. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138266310-W1IQ5L1N9M5QU1DFJYKS/IMG_4515.jpg Aunt Avis & Gary Easily the best sausages we had during our honeymoon. The vendor looked very displeased when I mixed my ketchup and mustard like this. We took our plates out to a parking lot that looked out over the beautiful views, sat down on a huge boulder there, and had the perfect "picnic" in the middle of the village. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138275655-NE6BCYYJTAWYQ4GCLTZH/IMG_4599.jpg Aunt Avis & Gary In Interlaken, we found an artisan beer and wine shop (Barrel Artisan Café) just up the street from our bed and breakfast, which also served fantastic salads. We befriended the owner, who moved to Interlaken from Switzerland and was passionate about bringing more exciting beers to a lager-focused country. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138303012-LAFGHZVZMEP1U125JHNX/IMG_5930.jpg Aunt Avis & Gary We came back to Barrel several times, particularly for their well-priced antipasti boards. (They were heaven.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138276451-0GQJ53NLFXS9LX2R0T97/IMG_4634.jpg Aunt Avis & Gary The two head brewers of Haarige Kuh craft brewery (in Interlaken's warehouse district) recommended that we try their favorite Thai restaurant, which was also run by a brewer friend. Believe it or not, this was Jess's first experience with yellow curry, and she was in heaven. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138303591-1S2K0RC21CA2NAEB0DHA/IMG_5992.jpg Aunt Avis & Gary We woke up early one morning to beat the snowstorm up to the Schilthorn, famous for its rotating restaurant where 007's "On her Majesty's Secret Service" was filmed in the late 1960s. We watched the snow roll in while enjoying every type of smoked salmon, scrambled egg, and fruit yogurt imaginable. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138257845-J51DHM31ZQ06AH37DK0O/Enlight14.jpg Aunt Avis & Gary Just look at that happy face. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138259316-11CGTE0U8986950283VJ/IMG_4369.jpg Aunt Avis & Gary Jess was just delighted about unlimited lattes. (Pretty sure she had four.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138294499-L3AMIS4U5RR8Y46FKVLT/IMG_5982.jpg Aunt Avis & Gary They also had the "007 preferred" brand of champagne--couldn't tell you what it was called if our lives depended on it--so we made a few mimosas while watching the snow fall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138287523-SGM1TU91QK9EIT5C2RX5/IMG_4760.jpg Aunt Avis & Gary The next day, we took the train to Oberhofen just a few miles east of Thun. Unfortunately, we made this day trip on Whit Monday, which is an observed national holiday in most of Europe. After finding closed restaurant after closed restaurant, we finally made our way to the castle just off the sea. Luckily, while trying to find the best view of the castle, we stumbled upon a pier directly next to the castle walls...and saw signs for lunch. The pier's restaurant—which must have once been used for selling tickets, as hinted by the haphazard addition of cooking instruments throughout the interior space—was small and cozy, and we opened the door and sat down at the first table we saw without even glancing at the signs in the window. The owners, who were the only other people inside, glanced up curiously, said hi, and kept chatting between themselves...and after 10 minutes of sitting there, we finally edged forward to ask if we could order. Turns out that restaurant, like all the others, was closed for the holiday. The owners were too kind to even tell us to leave, so they'd let us sit there and look out at the water without complaint. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138284823-W62G80GX3FMZ8CYRVNQP/IMG_4758.jpg Aunt Avis & Gary We were incredibly lucky that after we realized our mistake, they still offered to cook us food—just with the understanding that it would take a while. So we had a small meat pie and a creamy plate of gnocchi before setting out again for the castle next door. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138291744-9U72Q2Z6TL1UCZAIT2UG/IMG_5573.jpg Aunt Avis & Gary During our time in Gimmelwald, possibly the most beautiful village we've ever seen, we were weirdly impressed with the total lack of restaurants, shops, schools, police stations, doctor's offices--anything. There was one fire station at the far end of the village (a good idea, because every house and barn was made of wood), but that was it. The population of 100-115 makes due with what they have, and for medical or educational priorities takes the lift down to Lauterbrunnen or up to Mürren. Fun fact: Gimmelwald doesn't even connect to any other villages by drivable road; without a lift, it would be almost impossible to reach. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138293522-USY04V0ISONEC1SD2AO7/IMG_5576.jpg Aunt Avis & Gary All this to say that Gimmelwald instead runs off self-service shops: Fridges or curio cabinets placed just outside the home or in the basement (yes, behind an unlocked door) with homemade offerings--knit hats and scarves, wooden dolls, fresh cheeses, dried sausages, cow's milk--and a bowl of francs to make change, in case you don't have the exact amount requested. The amount of trust in this entire system is mind-boggling. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138305335-TIS15FGV1TTGFZA054SC/IMG_6005.jpg Aunt Avis & Gary So yeah, an entire meal while we were in Gimmelwald was fresh cow's milk, because it was actually that filling. (This was our first time trying it.) We followed signs into a couple's basement, passed by their belongings--framed pictures, furniture, an umbrella stand--and just opened their fridge, took out some milk, and dropped some francs in the waiting basket. It was bizarre. Also, take a look at those waterfalls in the distance. This whole area became an inspiration for J. R. R. Tolkien's Rivendell after his trip to the area in 1911. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Aunt Avis & Gary https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/mark-handel daily 0.75 2017-07-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133922099-4Z36U6LB425XOTVBBFU5/IMG_1402.jpg Mark Handel Waiting in line to board at RDU. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133923168-VVUUVLKXF99CBCFX4IHN/IMG_1439.JPG Mark Handel Watching the sun set while Ryan was playing level after level of Candy Crush and I was flipping my way through "The Time Traveler's Wife." (Horrible book, don't read.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133925672-YVMSHPLC85F1RO8DBDJ3/IMG_1446.JPG Mark Handel First land we saw! Hello, Portugal. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133934328-UUAPIBEFV8C8GBXRPTMK/IMG_1448.jpg Mark Handel The Beard doesn't sleep well on planes (or any other moving vessel). He watched plenty of Star Trek instead. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133933976-HSZKTLVEQ0747AU8RB0H/IMG_1451.jpg Mark Handel Passing over Sardegna and Corse. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133940795-O794O9RG8BRLVBR78ZD1/IMG_1457.JPG Mark Handel Starting to set down in Fiumicino. The countryside was so different from what I was expecting. See the castle on the lefthand side? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133943033-NWAATRV6HXOOWIRRFHCL/IMG_1458.jpg Mark Handel We spent our flight breakfast testing each other on different phrases... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133945404-DNWVKG7HGZGW7VRRODYG/IMG_7533.JPG Mark Handel Our last glimpse of Fiumicino before flying back across the Atlantic toward home. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Mark Handel https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/dana-bender daily 0.75 2017-07-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122369950-A5TRF3UKCI9406LZ3IVR/IMG_1532.jpg Dana Bender Piazza Navona. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122369416-CLLQQ0RMK7ZO8I11DQHB/IMG_1538.jpg Dana Bender After the Roman conquest, the Romans brought at least eight obelisks from ancient Egypt back to "The Ancient City" (read: Rome). They still stand here to this day. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122378741-EVNYV6A1CIQ6OZ1XJZVR/IMG_1547.jpg Dana Bender Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza, recognized by its frozen yogurt-spiral dome. Ryan performed here two summers in a row. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122376064-UDI3M41RBR63ZLNB5TO4/IMG_1550.jpg Dana Bender Not exactly sightseeing, but our afternoon coffee pick-me-ups were crucial to our energy levels. This is Sant Eustachio. Ryan promised this would be the best espresso I've had in my life, and I didn't believe him (mostly because espresso just tastes like espresso to me). But no...it was actually the best espresso I've had in my life. I dragged him back on our last day because I couldn't bear the thought of not having it again. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122384857-YHPELV5673HMJQ2XCBES/IMG_1557.jpg Dana Bender The outside of the Pantheon, regarded as the largest example of a perfect dome in the world. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122388753-9V4JRKM1V2807CMTW3NE/IMG_1567.jpg Dana Bender The inside of the Pantheon. Ancient architects realized that the dome would be too heavy and would fall in on itself unless they strategically removed squares of marble throughout the inside. The squares you see aren't for decoration; they're a crucial part of the structure. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122402079-SADZ7VENYDI5KE7V186A/IMG_1626.jpg Dana Bender I'm going to be perfectly honest and admit that I don't know where this was taken, but I think it was a Saint (Someone) church just around the corner from a delicious pizzeria on one of Rome's off-beaten paths. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122398842-31Z91SDCM2RL1GGNL97G/IMG_1639.jpg Dana Bender We were heading up toward hilltop vistas not far from Vatican City when we turned around and saw this view. (We miss those domed skylines!) From the vistas, we got Aperol spritzes and stretched out on the stone walls to look out over the city. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122405234-9HIWZRE3VE5OFYJPR7PX/IMG_1866.jpg Dana Bender The Bridge of Angels leading to Castel Sant'Angelo, where Hadrian (of Hadrian's Wall) was buried. It was also briefly the Papal office, but now stands as a really cool-looking castle across the Tiber river from Rome. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122419464-YN3HDUY9XFPKGK09RVMV/IMG_1867.jpg Dana Bender Walking into Castel Sant'Angelo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122418093-TM6RPEG590ZX21BY5CES/IMG_1869.jpg Dana Bender Inside Castel Sant'Angelo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122442800-ZG4T0LZPMXJEJEA0PVX1/IMG_1878.jpg Dana Bender A panorama of our view from the top of the Castel (read: "castle"). You can see the Bridge of Angels, and to the right you can see the dome of St. Peter's Basilica (Vatican City). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122428019-6Z1XAVF7XVU39ZM4Z8CC/IMG_1884.jpg Dana Bender A view of the Tiber from the Castel. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122436084-UM1VV7EHG5SL0I8Y9GSH/IMG_1890.jpg Dana Bender Looking down at the Bridge of Angels. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122443377-DGJK2RIWRZLDPL3KZX1B/IMG_1891.jpg Dana Bender Italy wasn't built for Ryan Downeys. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122453337-D5UKMF3HH3N8JY3ZA0V4/IMG_1909.jpg Dana Bender Looking back across the bridge toward the Castel. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122463683-4RF23I2RMMFA6JMY77VI/IMG_1931.jpg Dana Bender Rome's synagogue in what used to be its Jewish Quarter, which is located at the bend of the Tiber river. Because of its location, the quarter flooded frequently and was close to uninhabitable (however, the Pope required that all Jews live in this small, muddy, disease-prone area). This synagogue was the victim of bombings and shootings in the 1980s, and has had very strong security presence ever since. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122464791-T6HX8EQI241ZHGUCOIQX/IMG_1934.jpg Dana Bender Although we saw the second largest synagogue in the world in Budapest (the first largest is in New York), our favorite was this one in Rome. Note the square dome, which architects built so that you could tell it apart from the dozens of rounded domes across the Roman skyline. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122473182-BSCKGE7OVD5CG747LNVH/IMG_1990.jpg Dana Bender We took a wrong turn while heading toward a monument to Victor Emmanuel II and ended up at Torre Argentina. This random, ruin-filled courtyard in the middle of an otherwise developed neighborhood was a pagan convent and sanctuary in 400 BC, and is now a sanctuary for cats. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122478249-FQIA0NQZENPJD4YULAVX/IMG_1996.jpg Dana Bender All cats that enter the premises are spayed/neutered and vaccinated before being put up for adoption, all the while given the freedom to roam these ruins. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122483756-UKTGE15DXS5025NX795G/IMG_2001.jpg Dana Bender They were all very friendly and welcome to pats. (Jess would have patted them anyway.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122491458-4TC7RNTGZLBYQ3D3CSE2/IMG_2012.jpg Dana Bender Can you spot the cats? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122495837-TWHJL1KUIZ914ILV5AVP/IMG_2025.jpg Dana Bender This is yet another church that we can't name. (You'd think that, with all this decoration, it would be a particularly recognizable church--but no, every church in Rome looks like this.) As hot as it was in the city, Jess had to keep her shoulders and legs covered to enter each of these churches, which was a bummer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122500472-ET6V17VB3IJ1V9BULSJ8/IMG_2036.jpg Dana Bender St. Paul's Within the Walls, Rome's first Protestant church and its only Episcopal church. It has recently fought strongly for refugee rights in the ongoing Syrian crisis. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122508921-JG67B8WG73XX27FJFQPC/IMG_2113.jpg Dana Bender The Colosseum (Colosseo), which was so jaw-droppingly magnificent. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122504995-66L7G96QQAJCQO4Y6CB0/IMG_2119.jpg Dana Bender If you can tell from our earbuds, we were listening to Rick Steves's audio walking tour through the Colosseum, which helped paint a portrait of what the area would have looked like between 0 and 300 AD. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122540950-KA6KULJ42YT7VFOJ8ZB7/IMG_2159.jpg Dana Bender A panorama of the Colosseum. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122516285-AMN5WC4GEYWNOJ8S5ZCI/IMG_2200.jpg Dana Bender The outside of the Colosseum. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122526071-99S7838TDA0OWNHBQR7M/IMG_2210.jpg Dana Bender Rome's Triumphal Arch of Titus as you head from the Colosseum uphill to the Foro Romano, the Ancient Forum (Rome's "downtown"). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122536528-T874990JCUSSKKS9MZ7C/IMG_2219.jpg Dana Bender The Roman Forum. This was one of the coolest sights we saw in Rome; we ended up spending quite a bit of time looking at books that outlined what this downtown would have looked like in Rome's heyday between 500 BC and 500 AD. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122550654-QA8XJ17K523DT8CW2KU1/IMG_2230.jpg Dana Bender Palatine Hill, the site of what used to be a massive complex for the emperor, including beautifully complex baths, gardens, chariot race tracks, gardens, and mansions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122565389-GD20QJHHCS0CUX4O1P5Y/IMG_2258.jpg Dana Bender The far opposite end of the Roman Forum (away from the Colosseum). Barely visible in the center of the panorama is the house of the Vestal Virgins, and to the left of the frame is the site of Julius Caesar's assassination. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122577429-RSS4E9IBVMS5UK0B2BRG/IMG_2272.jpg Dana Bender The Arch of Septimius Severus. The Temple of Saturn sits just to the right, one of the oldest standing relics of a temple in Rome. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122636267-G4HPENZN84S6NLHL889V/IMG_2439.jpg Dana Bender One last, comprehensive look at the ancient Roman Forum. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122572800-U9EC6QS49UQJ8DC2GPG5/IMG_2287.jpg Dana Bender One of the most awe-inspiring sights in the Roman Forum was the sheer scale of a basilica Constantine built for himself. This "Basilica of Maxentius" was the largest building in the forum (see a photo of the side arches--just the side arches!--here). Originally, a colossal statue of Constantine himself sat at the western end of the basilica, sitting about 40 feet tall. The statue is now in ruins (possibly from an earthquake), and now sits in pieces at the Musei Capitolini on Capitoline Hill, overlooking the forum. Look at the (tall) man on the righthand side of this photo for scale. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122580549-F2WLVY98AXY2CO9IUGPI/IMG_2313.jpg Dana Bender Rome's legendary founding stems from brothers Remus and Romulus (sound familiar?), who were raised by a she-wolf. This famous bronze statue is housed in the Musei Capitolini. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122586994-I35KBP1S8VPY9WPBV73P/IMG_2314.jpg Dana Bender The famous head of Medusa, Musei Capitolini. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122589080-2R7RXOA01Z2A04OJUF97/IMG_2322.jpg Dana Bender The real reason we loved the Musei Capitolini: these views of the Roman Forum far below. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122592139-TDQ9M91WMUCPTHXEFYF5/IMG_2331.jpg Dana Bender In the far, far distance, to the left of the belltower (campanile), you can see the Colosseum. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122599806-T6SS4ZNBTQLM3IWYVVD4/IMG_2366.jpg Dana Bender The inside of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere. This church was built on the ruins of Saint Cecilia's home. A model of her almost-decapitated body lies inside the altar as a reminder of her martyrdom. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122599891-WLGWEHDSH1A6XRM2ZZVH/IMG_2370.JPG Dana Bender For 5€, we could go beneath Santa Cecilia to explore her ancient homestead. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122607065-ETS4SKN2LGOREUS9B6YI/IMG_2373.JPG Dana Bender A well used for grain in Cecilia's home. The fact that she had many of these wells hints at her wealth when she was alive. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122608636-K4HUQCQ46WQ9Y6CHJDX6/IMG_2375.JPG Dana Bender The crypts beneath Santa Cecilia in Trastevere. This was also used frequently (and may still be used today) as a chapel. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122616132-NLC2KX4R8BML2JQ99IMD/IMG_2380.JPG Dana Bender We particularly loved the mosaic and mural work in this underground chapel. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122627979-HMU5XF3PIX95Y6VO1MZN/IMG_2421.jpg Dana Bender The Borghese Gallery to the north of Rome's center. We spent the morning wandering around this northern stretch, mostly to see the Catacombs of Priscilla. This eight-mile stretch of catacombs (which once held 40,000 bodies) is claustrophobia-inducing but so historically neat: While passing by femur bones and still-preserved coffin spaces, we saw some of the oldest known Marian paintings in the world, including the first frescoes to depict the three wise men and the Madonna with child. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122619868-8BBDJUHG2BCZW1QMFQQC/IMG_2414.JPG Dana Bender The Borghese Gallery sits not far south of the catacombs, and is known for its extravagant collection of art. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122624862-J43VXWN68OY4V3CSKZGK/IMG_2417.JPG Dana Bender Our favorite piece was the famous Daphne and Apollo. If you look at her fingers (which are turning into branches and leaves), you can see just how detailed this piece is. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Dana Bender https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/peter-sue-mahigian daily 0.75 2017-07-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Peter & Sue Mahigian https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136449860-ITGHI1PXC2G1U5C3SB1G/IMG_3095.jpg Peter & Sue Mahigian We kicked off our train tour through Tuscany with fruit jam croissants and lattes in the train station. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136449857-2ISFBVMIM3UDTH2PGBD8/IMG_3097.jpg Peter & Sue Mahigian If you can tell from over Ryan's shoulder, he's reading up on Rick Steves's recommended walking tours through Venice. (Even better, he's listening to a separate Rick Steves podcast at the same time.) This was the perfect way to pass our time on trains: I'd summarize our travels in blog posts, while Ryan would prepare for our upcoming travels with Rick's help. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136481233-3FO6F2OZSFDX97Z3WFNY/IMG_3292+copy.jpg Peter & Sue Mahigian Saint Mark's Basilica, Venice's most famous church. It's located in the well-known Piazza San Marco, also home to the Doge's Palace (Palazzo Ducale). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136480048-VUZOR7QCX918HC8P5EVK/IMG_3335+copy.jpg Peter & Sue Mahigian A neat (but sobering) installation in Venice's Grand Canal to draw attention to the impact of global warming on the city, which is no match for the rising water levels. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136534197-TAAPKB6IRM777YO5ZVAN/IMG_3612+copy.jpg Peter & Sue Mahigian A view of Piazza San Marco and much of Venice, taken from the Campanile (bell tower) of San Marco far below. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136530703-US9N9ZL8WPQF19UCQ1FU/IMG_3732+copy.jpg Peter & Sue Mahigian We took a day trip to the colorful island of Burano, which is in the Venetian Lagoon. https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/amy-joe-downey daily 0.75 2017-07-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136639140-U533ZQ1LDW7K602Y5S6T/IMG_3226.jpg Amy & Joe Downey The greatest thing about the Venice City Pass was the easy use of vaporetti, or water buses, which snake around the Grand Canal all day long. Besides offering a very quick way to get from one side of Venice to the other (if we didn't have time to hop across half of Venice's 118 islands, which would bring us to at least ten dead-ends at canals without a bridge), the vaporetti saved us on our last morning in the city, when we had to get all the way back up to the train station. It was a 40-minute walk, it was 85º and basically 100% humidity, and we had 40-pound backpacks on. The City Pass was good for 72 hours, and we arrived at a vaporetti stop at our 70th hour--which meant we could zip back up to the train station in very little time, and with very little effort on our part. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136646950-LWQORVMB32J44PN4GANB/IMG_3335.jpg Amy & Joe Downey A neat (but sobering) installation in Venice's Grand Canal to draw attention to the impact of global warming on the city, which is no match for the rising water levels. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136629782-A6HQ98WZ5I2JXUJWF5OS/IMG_3210.jpg Amy & Joe Downey We started our time in Venice with a Rick Steves audio tour of one of the major vaporetti lines through the Grand Canal, which started at the train station and ended at St. Mark's Square (Piazza San Marco), one of Venice's most famous attractions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136657978-HFLPIC3ME0UA2HM4H3AE/IMG_3732.jpg Amy & Joe Downey The City Pass also allowed us to get to Venice's neighboring islands (i.e., in Veneto, part of the Venetian Lagoon) for free. We took a morning trip to the colorful island of Burano, known for its lace production. (The nearby island Murano is known for its blown glass.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136621855-BM3V025L15C8TS6DZENH/Enlight7.jpg Amy & Joe Downey In the heart of Burano. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136622163-TH3BZMBRQ95JCM5TNIHI/Enlight8.jpg Amy & Joe Downey Goofing off in front of a house in Burano. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136658861-V0P4JQLDB5PZFA7SXN6E/IMG_3763.jpg Amy & Joe Downey One last shot of Burano. (Can you tell we loved this place?) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136663321-68MLBCYGINFRMCM5P0B3/IMG_3829.jpg Amy & Joe Downey Finally, the City Pass covered "black gondola" rides, which were the black-and-gold gondolas that crossed back and forth across the Grand Canal. Our wine tour guide, Davide, took this photo as we headed up to North Venice, Venice's more local-centric Jewish District. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Amy & Joe Downey https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121862349-ZJXIE4OKINNF71I77FP7/IMG_1463.jpg Amy & Joe Downey The facade of our bed and breakfast, Tree Charme. Its location couldn't have been more perfect: It faces the Tiber river and one of Rome's oldest bridges (which heads straight into the heart of Rome), but sits in Trastevere, Rome's hipster, millennial, and local-centric district. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121862403-TL8M3AELKF4D97SPLCYW/IMG_1465.JPG Amy & Joe Downey The view of the bridge across the Tiber from our bedroom river. It took us less than three minutes to get into the heart of Rome, and less than 30 seconds to get into the heart of Trastevere. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121868085-ETQ6LUYSJWVBH3AEOGR4/IMG_1467.jpg Amy & Joe Downey We landed in Rome with about 45 minutes of sleep (we're not good plane sleepers), so we freshened up a bit, packed our backpacks, and headed out to explore! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121870888-KWUV4AQD6J0PMQMPVOS9/IMG_1481.jpg Amy & Joe Downey Trastevere https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121878448-FXQELQZ6BSWOVWN7BWTT/IMG_1486.jpg Amy & Joe Downey More Trastevere. It's such a picturesque neighborhood... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121880339-WBEXHU1AL5QPOSPHR83G/IMG_1508.jpg Amy & Joe Downey Ponte Sisto, built in the 1400s. We crossed this bridge at least twice a day. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121887082-1W8FH8FDIY56T8DH00JI/IMG_2084.jpg Amy & Joe Downey Breakfast at Tree Charme was perfection: We'd pile our plates (not pictured: freshly made omelettes and bacon) and head outside to a little patio with our own Nespresso machine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121891085-9XV3W38AX2VS58P0SAYD/IMG_2088.jpg Amy & Joe Downey Previously mentioned patio with a Nespresso machine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121901194-SRLF6IM7L8UVPS6RGT47/IMG_2404.jpg Amy & Joe Downey There was so much bougainvillea around Trastevere! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121908390-6Z90V0OCZV0XZENL5I71/IMG_2405.jpg Amy & Joe Downey Heading from our hotel deeper into Trastevere, where there are more piazzas (plazas), restaurants, and hang-out spots. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121942761-VO9H0453L9R0RF65HMP4/IMG_2437.jpg Amy & Joe Downey Ryan led the way through his favorite neighborhood in Rome. (: https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121948372-E7YH6DKFYUCKXH9YJGBQ/IMG_2438.jpg Amy & Joe Downey Cortile dell'arco degli acetari. Jess tracked this place down from a single postcard that she fell in love with while in the Catacombs of Priscilla. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121952915-1S16W02P8QUXPPM1QVRD/IMG_2895.jpg Amy & Joe Downey Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza, where Ryan performed for two summers in a row as an undergraduate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121959329-1GSFOCQ1UX06PK1NPXZX/IMG_6938.jpg Amy & Joe Downey A shot of Rome, not far from the Tiber river near Trastevere. https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/kerry-ginger-erik-gustafson daily 0.75 2017-07-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137707021-L6GTYUBPB9BU94LYPODN/IMG_3855.JPG Kerry Ginger & Erik Gustafson Catching the train from Venice to Bern. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137705895-36AHYFYN541LLPY1D669/IMG_3857.jpg Kerry Ginger & Erik Gustafson Benefits of Eurail tickets: sitting in first class. Benefits of sitting in first class: fancy plates of peppers, cheeses, olives, and bread. We pretty much chowed down, wrote some blog posts together, and stared out the window as we started passing by the Alps. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137717896-T0PNY1GNXMZICXO1BNKY/IMG_3863.jpg Kerry Ginger & Erik Gustafson https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137715171-RHN8PQTO4WJ2WIVY2R02/IMG_3954.jpg Kerry Ginger & Erik Gustafson The foothills of the Alps! This was our first time seeing them. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137725513-6MUT6AKYE03JXLQMHJCJ/IMG_3959.JPG Kerry Ginger & Erik Gustafson The Beard didn't stay awake too long. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137724850-D8CZHUNLX4XLWNHPMU65/IMG_3969.JPG Kerry Ginger & Erik Gustafson A quick view of Thunnersee, the Sea of Thun, which lies between Bern on the northwestern end and Interlaken (our next destination) on the southeastern end. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Kerry Ginger & Erik Gustafson https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/ashley-snavley-tommy-strawser daily 0.75 2017-07-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137807187-ZVQGFK753S9KNJVHWA0Q/IMG_4236.jpg Ashley Snavley & Tommy Strawser Walking through the heart of Interlaken. The sign "Derby" points to our bed and breakfast, "Hotel Derby." https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137805576-TRC23X5GRIKBZR8WV0WI/IMG_4335.jpg Ashley Snavley & Tommy Strawser The hotel's location was perfect: We were off the main stretch (which mostly comprised Rolex, Prada, Gucci, and Botega Veneta shops), but within a three-minute walk of beautiful view like this one. This photo shows Höhematte, Interlaken's wide, grassy park with views of Jungfrau (the snowy peak in the middle). Although Jungfrau is called "The Top of Europe," it's far from the highest peak in Europe--especially if you count Russia. Its train station, however, is the highest on the continent at 11,332 feet. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137852998-XOCA5K1X69PMTAZDHKUK/IMG_4465.jpg Ashley Snavley & Tommy Strawser The view from Pfingstegg, a children's park and tin toboggan run in the hills of Grindelwald, Switzerland. Behind this panorama stands the Schreckhorn. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137816998-M6NQ0JYAOPC807FTZY0T/IMG_4580.jpg Ashley Snavley & Tommy Strawser Unterseen, an historic village across the Aare from the rest of Interlaken. Unterseen was a massive Roman cemetery during the empire's time, and by the 12th century was known for its multiple forts. Now, it's a quaint, calm, local-centric village that feels very different from the bustling tourism in Interlaken. We particularly appreciated its wide streets and historic homes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137822206-03X7YVDYAZ4P33O0N4OB/IMG_4799.jpg Ashley Snavley & Tommy Strawser We took a bus from Thun, at the far end of Thunnersee (the Sea of Thun) from Interlaken, to Oberhofen just a few miles away. Unfortunately, we made this day trip on Whit Monday, which is an observed national holiday in most of Europe. After finding closed restaurant after closed restaurant, we finally made our way to the castle just off the sea. (In fact, it has a neat turret located in the sea itself; it sits on a stone column sunk directly into Thunersee.) Luckily, while trying to find the best view of the castle, we stumbled upon a pier directly next to the castle walls...and saw signs for lunch. The pier's restaurant—which must have once been used for selling tickets, as hinted by the haphazard addition of cooking instruments throughout the interior space—was small and cozy, and we opened the door without even glancing at the signs before sitting down. The owners, who were the only other people inside, glanced up curiously, said hi, and kept chatting between themselves...and after 10 minutes of sitting there, we finally edged forward to ask if we could order. Turns out that restaurant, like all the others, was closed for the holiday. The owners were too kind to even tell us to leave, so they'd let us sit there and look out at the water without complaint. We were incredibly lucky that after we realized our mistake, they still offered to cook us food—just with the understanding that it would take a while. So we had a small meat pie and a creamy plate of gnocchi before setting out again for the castle, whose grounds and gardens were just as beautiful as the structure itself. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137824805-60UCJ7JSP6Y6VIYA50H4/IMG_6001.jpg Ashley Snavley & Tommy Strawser At Birg, the intermediary station between Mürren and the Schilthorn, is a "Thrill Walk"--a series of increasingly thrill-inducing activities built into a ledge that juts out over a sheer drop-off into the fog. Birg is 8,806 feet in elevation, compared with Mürren's mere 5,000 or so. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137826320-1DZSM6GCCMTODO3QY00S/IMG_6002.jpg Ashley Snavley & Tommy Strawser If you couldn't tell, Jess has no problem with heights. Ryan was very unhappy about this. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137836356-WUAT17HX0VT0TZP1IBI0/IMG_6003.jpg Ashley Snavley & Tommy Strawser Gimmelwald, possibly the most beautiful village we've ever seen. There were dozens of waterfalls like the two you see here, all stretching downward from these impossibly high mountains in every direction. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137844499-V2VLTWGP52QM2U5K7HUX/IMG_6004.jpg Ashley Snavley & Tommy Strawser If U.S. Customs asks, no, I did not touch this goat. And no, this goat did not bite me when it thought my finger was food. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137857699-OA1M1A9SG2CBFLHWJK40/IMG_6008.jpg Ashley Snavley & Tommy Strawser Another view of Gimmelwald, much closer to its cable lift station (the only way to get to the village; there are no roads that connect the village to any other settlement). Gimmelwald is very geographically remote, which explains why it feels completely untouched by tourism. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137863311-7TNH579G91KQ44LJ5Z7V/IMG_6010.jpg Ashley Snavley & Tommy Strawser Lauterbrunnen Falls, one of 72 waterfalls in this valley. This entire area made such an impact on J. R. R. Tolkien when he visited in 1911 that it served as the inspiration for Rivendell. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137869351-3Z86JRO5ZQEIVOPZ2ZRF/IMG_6275.jpg Ashley Snavley & Tommy Strawser Part of the old city wall of Luzern (Lucerne), which is open to the public, free of charge. We climbed several towers and walked along the top of the old wall, and even saw some haarige kuh up close (these are the hairy cows to the left side of the photo). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137881972-CPZ962GYKP147U8F0654/IMG_7605.jpg Ashley Snavley & Tommy Strawser A view of the valleys below Pfingstegg, one of the higher points in Grindelwald. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137881165-AK2G9P1XGLYXITIBWWA8/IMG_7860.jpg Ashley Snavley & Tommy Strawser One of Luzern's old Kapellbrücken, literally "chapel bridges," most of which were built in the 1300s or 1400s and cross the Reuss. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137894290-5ON5YYE68IO7SAUA3HTP/IMG_7924.jpg Ashley Snavley & Tommy Strawser I may or may not have lain down in the middle of someone's pasture to take this photo. But if U.S. Customs asks, no, I did no such thing. This is another shot of Gimmelwald, which has a population of only a little more than 100; has no stores, schools, or restaurants (unless you count the kitchen of its one hostel); and has a single fire station, which was a wise decision considering every building in the village is made of wood. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137894073-CGE7OAEX4WCNIK7CSO8G/IMG_7956.jpg Ashley Snavley & Tommy Strawser A view of the city of Thun, taken from one of the turrets of Thun Castle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137901499-192NO5CLNS7IYCFF9A56/IMG_8028.jpg Ashley Snavley & Tommy Strawser A gardener hard at work in Mürren. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Ashley Snavley & Tommy Strawser https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/libbie-david-ward daily 0.75 2017-07-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Libbie & David Ward https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122244582-RM08NTVF6WKB1XSR7BPP/IMG_1733.JPG Libbie & David Ward Entrance to the Vatican museums. This hall houses one of the most extensive collections of sculptures (particularly ancient Roman) in the world. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122244170-L4WJRCAON11C77L0NJUW/IMG_1742.jpg Libbie & David Ward A mini-Pantheon inside the Vatican museums. After architects figured out that the secret to a perfect dome was removing squares of marble from the inside (i.e., to balance out the structure), other architects started copying the design. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122250681-HY81Y7MILU8PDPNXCP8Z/IMG_1746.jpg Libbie & David Ward When the Vatican museum still belonged to the Pope, a sunny courtyard (which houses this statue) was his area for meditation and contemplation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122255217-UTYNHAIAOFZQB26GQOKS/IMG_1750.jpg Libbie & David Ward Just a really, really old mosaic floor. Estimated date: 400 AD. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122266235-6O6T6SKONPQQULJXPBDY/IMG_1776.jpg Libbie & David Ward Heading toward Sistine Chapel, which doesn't allow photos (but is incredible). This long hallway had maps of each and every province in Italy, but rotated as if the Pope were looking at it from Rome (so any provinces to the south were flipped upside down, for example). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122264185-HCEXL55WJLL1RPJNAKGQ/IMG_1781.JPG Libbie & David Ward Ryan found our hotel building on an old map of Rome. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122277217-ECWARFQ00P9RR9LJV658/IMG_1792.jpg Libbie & David Ward First walking into St. Peter's Basilica. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122277284-DBOOQ74PY6UG33YSBA7T/IMG_1804.JPG Libbie & David Ward A common destination for pilgrims; there was a line to touch his feet. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122289725-2CZ1P7TDE4YOQP68FQEQ/IMG_1809.JPG Libbie & David Ward The bronze altar was incredible--particularly its size. The entire scale of the place was mind-boggling. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122282014-55HEUNJ67D4GNVZB9YC3/IMG_1813.JPG Libbie & David Ward With our tour guide, Tommaso. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122291265-KNBAVUSG1G2E8OCBNZC3/IMG_1833.JPG Libbie & David Ward In front of the altar during a Benedictine chant (which is what the people behind us are watching). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122299482-KAF63HIU6YNBKYHW9CSK/IMG_1838.JPG Libbie & David Ward The most awe-inspiring thing about this basilica were its mosaics, which were made with such painstaking detail that they looked like paintings. You can see the individual pieces from here, but only if you look closely. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122300129-LM01CU6O473WNMLZC0LD/IMG_1847.jpg Libbie & David Ward Looking up at Saint Peter. https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/susan-george-clifford daily 0.75 2017-07-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133990394-CO03BXMITHVXWCSCLE79/Enlight6.jpg Susan & George Clifford A view of Florence from Boboli Gardens, once a private Médici residence. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133990623-3JB0OQ8G68URS8R9JHFH/IMG_2451.jpg Susan & George Clifford The façade of our bed and breakfast, which was in the heart of the city near Dante Alighieri's purported home. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134001806-IKZPVN0003F6NVPRDRW1/IMG_2452.jpg Susan & George Clifford Cimatori (our bed and breakfast) was all the things we so desperately wanted during the summer in Tuscany: A/C, a lovely breakfast each morning, and fast wi-fi. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134000526-LYIRYGZADVW9HOP4DGV2/IMG_2454.jpg Susan & George Clifford Ryan was particularly happy about the location, because sharing the square with our B&B was Grizzly Pub, an Irish pub with great local craft beers. Ryan was in heaven. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134008485-HB10QPT9FVZGQYAG1152/IMG_2456.jpg Susan & George Clifford The street just around the corner from where we stayed. In any given direction, we would hit a shopping district, the museum quarter, the Arno and its pontes (bridges), or the famous Florence Cathedral. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134013383-SPZ1ADFZ84LSZE0QVH3D/IMG_2997.jpg Susan & George Clifford San Miniato al Monte, a church on a hill overlooking Florence. (Its views were incredible.) It's regarded as one of the finest examples of Romanesque architecture in Tuscany, and is considered one of Italy's most scenic churches. Construction began in 1013, and the church is still in use today. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134018829-AFFBKIKU1CNS03QJL6KL/IMG_3027.jpg Susan & George Clifford San Miniato has an adjoining Olivetan monastery. The monks make and sell their own honeys, liqueurs, biscotti, and gelato. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134030241-U5BKUM64Q1W6X9KGXAAM/IMG_3029.jpg Susan & George Clifford We found a bench along a wall of gardenia (which, as you'd expect, smelled amazing) and ate monk-made gelato while looking out at the views of the city. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134027539-456JN2EII40KFF13AGL4/IMG_3070.jpg Susan & George Clifford A winding road in Oltrarno, adjacent to San Miniato. Oltrarno translates to "Across the Arno" (River) from Florence. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134035814-D40QW1Y9RQVH0X6OJCND/IMG_3079.jpg Susan & George Clifford The Arno river. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134049441-ZQP6S75QHABUTDDTKM0Y/IMG_3080.jpg Susan & George Clifford The arches of Boboli Gardens. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134040639-Z2RJQSK7Q6MSPKWLZPXX/IMG_3087.jpg Susan & George Clifford Goofing off while waiting in line to see Florence Cathedral. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134048738-QOO368HEB03AI4YZ6ZXG/IMG_4133.jpg Susan & George Clifford A view of Florence taken from Uffizi. To the left is the Duomo; to the far right is the Palazzo Vecchio (town hall). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Susan & George Clifford https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/emilie-carl-sigel daily 0.75 2017-07-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Emilie & Carl Sigel https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136325096-XJEZFCT1U8KEZU2CUB4J/IMG_3449.jpg Emilie & Carl Sigel Trattoria Antiche Carampane. We seemed to be the only tourists there (always a good sign!). We arrived very early; within an hour or so, there were no tables left. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136324640-X38OG99LVA86G6HH8NCS/IMG_3453.jpg Emilie & Carl Sigel Excited for food (can you tell?). We hadn't had breakfast that morning, and had been looking forward to this meal all day! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136329037-RNWZXFYL1W02QCELRMEA/IMG_3456.jpg Emilie & Carl Sigel This is when I started getting doubtful. Feel free to laugh at my poor dad when you see him next, but to this day, he has to peel and devein my shrimp for me. It's the one thing that freaks me out about basically the only non-sushi seafood I'll eat. When they brought out these little tempura-fried shrimp as an appetizer, I gave Ryan a flat-out "no way." https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136331464-E9C2X61NDH583DS3VXU8/IMG_3457.jpg Emilie & Carl Sigel He begged me to try one anyway, and they were delicious. I finished an entire cone on my own. (Don't tell Dad...I'm not ready for him to stop peeling my shrimp.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136335281-CTJVG0ZOLANRNZI64XPW/IMG_3458.jpg Emilie & Carl Sigel This was genuinely the best pasta dish I've had in my life. Ryan had the cuttlefish, which was cooked in its own ink and served with a white pearl polenta; my dish, on the other hand, was a taglioni with "ragù di secoe," a meat sauce made in the Venetian tradition. We were both in heaven. And thanks to you, we also shared a fantastic Tuscan red wine. (: https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/jane-wehland daily 0.75 2017-07-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Jane Wehland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134511892-2ZRSD529AWVZG19WJUOS/IMG_2508.jpg Jane Wehland The most beautiful latte Jess had ever seen! Our first stop after dropping our bags off at our bed and breakfast was a lunch spot not far from Pitti Palace, where we sat outside and people-watched over bruschetta. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134512987-D1DOUGLEOBTZYVWZL1ZX/IMG_2516.jpg Jane Wehland Apologies if this looks gross, but it has a funny story. Jess didn't know what this particular bruschetta was, so she started eating it anyway while Ryan looked on with apprehension. She thought it was a ground-up, slightly wet meatball. Ryan (now trying not to laugh) told her it was liver pudding. Needless to say, she didn't continue. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134518023-X3UM0C7OY0FL8QME2M6H/IMG_2729.jpg Jane Wehland This was one of the best pasta dishes we'd ever had from a traditional Florentine restaurant. It was made with veal and plenty of garlic. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134518836-Q2G3M4A3DT6GBJHWCV40/IMG_2731.jpg Jane Wehland One of the most well-known local delicacies: Florentine T-bone steak, prepared and cut in a way we couldn't completely understand thanks to language barriers. But it was tasty! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134526420-30F4A5IJVA68U0NT569H/IMG_2732.jpg Jane Wehland The inside of a traditional restaurant just around the corner from our bed and breakfast, near Dante Alighieri square. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134526361-YNUTBBCJDWEVIPGIZC4A/IMG_2748.jpg Jane Wehland Our favorite place to stop for coffee and (chocolate) croissants in the mornings was a hip café just up the street from where we were staying. In Italy, you stand at the bar while drinking your espresso-based beverage; sitting down costs extra, and sitting outside costs even more. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134532702-S6FJ0SKENBFU6V0B38GN/IMG_2749.jpg Jane Wehland Another day, another chocolate croissant and latte. It was the staple of our mornings! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134533535-B35SN8I790IUKWNEOM5M/IMG_2843.jpg Jane Wehland Easily the best pizza we'd ever had. This was from Mangia Pizza, right next to the Uffizi. (We actually ate there between our tours of the Accademia and Uffizi galleries.) The crust was just as light and crunchy as it looks. Not pictured: Across the street from where we sat while eating, a residence had a plaque with "9" (the street number) by the front door. Someone had written in "3/4" next to it. Jess approved. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134538820-9SOK8V65JO6MXATV5TLH/IMG_2849.jpg Jane Wehland Just another winding street near the heart of Florence, not far from the Arno river. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134538949-CM8UCED87E77WS23T71L/IMG_2855.jpg Jane Wehland A latte from a café just off Ponte Vecchio, Florence's most famous bridge and the only bridge to survive bombing from WWII. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134548508-68B9B7GI4I8N5FBUXNZC/IMG_2901.jpg Jane Wehland One of our last dinners in Florence was outside, looking at the main piazza where Florence Cathedral is located, and only just up the street we could hear cello music. It was a lovely evening, and the weather was perfect. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134546956-ZLI1GUZSFNRZHR1EM5OE/IMG_2906.jpg Jane Wehland Caprese (with a side of red wine). https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/john-maria-schwarz daily 0.75 2017-07-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134086673-LUO7VJOU2RSTLCN7QNR9/IMG_2754.jpg John & Maria Schwarz Goofing off while waiting for our first tour guide outside the Academia. The lines were already so long. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134087898-9VUOFHAWBFIW4MOHO83H/IMG_2756.JPG John & Maria Schwarz The first known upright piano, wallpapered to match the original room where it was placed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134095113-M09EVY9JQRV35X8U83AU/IMG_2757.JPG John & Maria Schwarz The Rape of the Sabines. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134097427-GVCP4E9U8PTYT8JJ2W22/IMG_2759.JPG John & Maria Schwarz One of a series of partially finished Michelangelo sculptures. It was so neat seeing how Michelangelo worked his way through each block of marble; here, it looks as if the man is slowly emerging from the rock. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134108414-8QEUT0WD3G7HP6QI4GXB/IMG_2770.JPG John & Maria Schwarz Michelangelo's famous David. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134111139-TDKRWS4KELKHWLE9SWP0/IMG_2772.JPG John & Maria Schwarz The David is made all the more impressive by the fact that the marble is faulty, and should have been almost impossible to work with without breaking. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134118558-94J1KR678BT3IXXGZ15P/IMG_2775.jpg John & Maria Schwarz A room showcasing the plaster versions of statues that students create first before working on a final marble masterpiece. The plaster copy serves as a model, to keep the second version to scale. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134120915-GZEUHCN56P0S9R702TSI/IMG_2781.jpg John & Maria Schwarz The original doors of the Florence Baptistery (the doors now standing outside, open to the elements, are a replica). Florence sponsored a competition for who would create these bronze doors (semifinalists included Lorenzo Ghiberti, Filippo Brunelleschi, and Donatello); when Ghiberti won, Brunelleschi went on to construct the Duomo of Florence Cathedral, still regarded as one of the greatest architectural wonders of Europe. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134134120-E34567ALK90H83VWPW5A/IMG_2784.jpg John & Maria Schwarz Florence Cathedral, the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134129716-RFKYOXUPXV6WHJJMONOD/IMG_2795.jpg John & Maria Schwarz This chapel belongs to one of the oldest charitable institutions in Florence (est. 1441), which has always served as the Robin Hood of the city; the wealthy (or at least, those who could afford to do so) donated money anonymously into slots in the marble outside the chapel, and would indicate how they wanted their money to be used (for a certain family, for enemies of the Médici [who would financially ruin them], etc.). To this day, donations still go directly to the poor. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134146609-2J6KB1ORJLJ7IC4BKHUD/IMG_2799.jpg John & Maria Schwarz An altar dedicated to the Madonna, which was the point of prayer during major plagues (e.g., the Black Death) in Florence. It's located inside what was once a grain market. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134145611-ORJ78675K8VX7623OR4D/IMG_2803.jpg John & Maria Schwarz The Mercato Nuovo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134156052-ID2STKA21KH6EHRS5I32/IMG_2806.jpg John & Maria Schwarz This mercato is now home to vendors, primarily of leather and cashmere. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134156628-GRYWHBTBXDHRKMULTS10/IMG_2815.jpg John & Maria Schwarz On the left, you see a replica of Michelangelo's David. This is where the David used to stand before a woman threw a large piece of furniture out the window the Palazzo Vecchio behind him and broke off his arm. He was then moved to the Accademia for safe-keeping. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134162218-LXIBM2PNOS5TYASX5MKP/IMG_2827.jpg John & Maria Schwarz Ponte Vecchio, Florence's most famous bridge and the only bridge to survive bombing during WWII. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134164954-FOAVMBPIJN8NQG7KHM50/IMG_2833.jpg John & Maria Schwarz A mural in a family's privately owned chapel in Basilica di Santa Trinita. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134172124-MYSJKD1P55HAVDNQ4BTA/IMG_2834.jpg John & Maria Schwarz Interestingly, this mural was found beneath the previous one (through X-ray scanning when they were surveying the chapels for water damage after a bad flood). They were able to extricate most of the underlying mural. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134172428-O61JI6DR3BAW2GKSO12D/IMG_2856.JPG John & Maria Schwarz The Uffizi is built on top of an 11th-century complex (possibly a mansion?), which means these stairs to the bathrooms hover just above the original floors. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134183386-I97RPAA614CNCXW1KX70/IMG_2858.jpg John & Maria Schwarz One of the main hallways of the Uffizi. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134177573-O8A2SUZ5IABB1G7UMP1U/IMG_2861.jpg John & Maria Schwarz The Birth of Venus. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134186025-MB6CL5CKZNBQUX21ISFV/IMG_2864.jpg John & Maria Schwarz Primavera. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134194748-M93MIBNPICP42E5BS8GJ/IMG_2869.jpg John & Maria Schwarz This was one of the lounging chambers for men of the Médici family. (The Uffizi houses much of the Médici collection, which was ordered in Anna Maria Luisa's will to never leave Florence after her death.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134204912-2XH5990I2YJ1FWG6UXKQ/IMG_2871.jpg John & Maria Schwarz Looking down the Arno from the Uffizi toward Ponte Vecchio. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134206042-Q66OULQXXYPIQ7VPRZ6U/IMG_2873.jpg John & Maria Schwarz Michelangelo's Madonna with child. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134212043-L6WASP6AJZYH4VY5W5FM/IMG_2880.JPG John & Maria Schwarz The newly restored, and never completed, "Adoration" by Da Vinci. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif John & Maria Schwarz https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/denise-karis daily 0.75 2017-07-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122369950-A5TRF3UKCI9406LZ3IVR/IMG_1532.jpg Denise Karis Piazza Navona. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122369416-CLLQQ0RMK7ZO8I11DQHB/IMG_1538.jpg Denise Karis After the Roman conquest, the Romans brought at least eight obelisks from ancient Egypt back to "The Ancient City" (read: Rome). They still stand here to this day. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122378741-EVNYV6A1CIQ6OZ1XJZVR/IMG_1547.jpg Denise Karis Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza, recognized by its frozen yogurt-spiral dome. Ryan performed here two summers in a row. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122376064-UDI3M41RBR63ZLNB5TO4/IMG_1550.jpg Denise Karis Not exactly sightseeing, but our afternoon coffee pick-me-ups were crucial to our energy levels. This is Sant Eustachio. Ryan promised this would be the best espresso I've had in my life, and I didn't believe him (mostly because espresso just tastes like espresso to me). But no...it was actually the best espresso I've had in my life. I dragged him back on our last day because I couldn't bear the thought of not having it again. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122384857-YHPELV5673HMJQ2XCBES/IMG_1557.jpg Denise Karis The outside of the Pantheon, regarded as the largest example of a perfect dome in the world. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122388753-9V4JRKM1V2807CMTW3NE/IMG_1567.jpg Denise Karis The inside of the Pantheon. Ancient architects realized that the dome would be too heavy and would fall in on itself unless they strategically removed squares of marble throughout the inside. The squares you see aren't for decoration; they're a crucial part of the structure. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122402079-SADZ7VENYDI5KE7V186A/IMG_1626.jpg Denise Karis I'm going to be perfectly honest and admit that I don't know where this was taken, but I think it was a Saint (Someone) church just around the corner from a delicious pizzeria on one of Rome's off-beaten paths. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122398842-31Z91SDCM2RL1GGNL97G/IMG_1639.jpg Denise Karis We were heading up toward hilltop vistas not far from Vatican City when we turned around and saw this view. (We miss those domed skylines!) From the vistas, we got Aperol spritzes and stretched out on the stone walls to look out over the city. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122405234-9HIWZRE3VE5OFYJPR7PX/IMG_1866.jpg Denise Karis The Bridge of Angels leading to Castel Sant'Angelo, where Hadrian (of Hadrian's Wall) was buried. It was also briefly the Papal office, but now stands as a really cool-looking castle across the Tiber river from Rome. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122419464-YN3HDUY9XFPKGK09RVMV/IMG_1867.jpg Denise Karis Walking into Castel Sant'Angelo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122418093-TM6RPEG590ZX21BY5CES/IMG_1869.jpg Denise Karis Inside Castel Sant'Angelo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122442800-ZG4T0LZPMXJEJEA0PVX1/IMG_1878.jpg Denise Karis A panorama of our view from the top of the Castel (read: "castle"). You can see the Bridge of Angels, and to the right you can see the dome of St. Peter's Basilica (Vatican City). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122428019-6Z1XAVF7XVU39ZM4Z8CC/IMG_1884.jpg Denise Karis A view of the Tiber from the Castel. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122436084-UM1VV7EHG5SL0I8Y9GSH/IMG_1890.jpg Denise Karis Looking down at the Bridge of Angels. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122443377-DGJK2RIWRZLDPL3KZX1B/IMG_1891.jpg Denise Karis Italy wasn't built for Ryan Downeys. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122453337-D5UKMF3HH3N8JY3ZA0V4/IMG_1909.jpg Denise Karis Looking back across the bridge toward the Castel. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122463683-4RF23I2RMMFA6JMY77VI/IMG_1931.jpg Denise Karis Rome's synagogue in what used to be its Jewish Quarter, which is located at the bend of the Tiber river. Because of its location, the quarter flooded frequently and was close to uninhabitable (however, the Pope required that all Jews live in this small, muddy, disease-prone area). This synagogue was the victim of bombings and shootings in the 1980s, and has had very strong security presence ever since. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122464791-T6HX8EQI241ZHGUCOIQX/IMG_1934.jpg Denise Karis Although we saw the second largest synagogue in the world in Budapest (the first largest is in New York), our favorite was this one in Rome. Note the square dome, which architects built so that you could tell it apart from the dozens of rounded domes across the Roman skyline. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122473182-BSCKGE7OVD5CG747LNVH/IMG_1990.jpg Denise Karis We took a wrong turn while heading toward a monument to Victor Emmanuel II and ended up at Torre Argentina. This random, ruin-filled courtyard in the middle of an otherwise developed neighborhood was a pagan convent and sanctuary in 400 BC, and is now a sanctuary for cats. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122478249-FQIA0NQZENPJD4YULAVX/IMG_1996.jpg Denise Karis All cats that enter the premises are spayed/neutered and vaccinated before being put up for adoption, all the while given the freedom to roam these ruins. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122483756-UKTGE15DXS5025NX795G/IMG_2001.jpg Denise Karis They were all very friendly and welcome to pats. (Jess would have patted them anyway.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122491458-4TC7RNTGZLBYQ3D3CSE2/IMG_2012.jpg Denise Karis Can you spot the cats? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122495837-TWHJL1KUIZ914ILV5AVP/IMG_2025.jpg Denise Karis This is yet another church that we can't name. (You'd think that, with all this decoration, it would be a particularly recognizable church--but no, every church in Rome looks like this.) As hot as it was in the city, Jess had to keep her shoulders and legs covered to enter each of these churches, which was a bummer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122500472-ET6V17VB3IJ1V9BULSJ8/IMG_2036.jpg Denise Karis St. Paul's Within the Walls, Rome's first Protestant church and its only Episcopal church. It has recently fought strongly for refugee rights in the ongoing Syrian crisis. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122508921-JG67B8WG73XX27FJFQPC/IMG_2113.jpg Denise Karis The Colosseum (Colosseo), which was so jaw-droppingly magnificent. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122504995-66L7G96QQAJCQO4Y6CB0/IMG_2119.jpg Denise Karis If you can tell from our earbuds, we were listening to Rick Steves's audio walking tour through the Colosseum, which helped paint a portrait of what the area would have looked like between 0 and 300 AD. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122540950-KA6KULJ42YT7VFOJ8ZB7/IMG_2159.jpg Denise Karis A panorama of the Colosseum. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122516285-AMN5WC4GEYWNOJ8S5ZCI/IMG_2200.jpg Denise Karis The outside of the Colosseum. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122526071-99S7838TDA0OWNHBQR7M/IMG_2210.jpg Denise Karis Rome's Triumphal Arch of Titus as you head from the Colosseum uphill to the Foro Romano, the Ancient Forum (Rome's "downtown"). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122536528-T874990JCUSSKKS9MZ7C/IMG_2219.jpg Denise Karis The Roman Forum. This was one of the coolest sights we saw in Rome; we ended up spending quite a bit of time looking at books that outlined what this downtown would have looked like in Rome's heyday between 500 BC and 500 AD. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122550654-QA8XJ17K523DT8CW2KU1/IMG_2230.jpg Denise Karis Palatine Hill, the site of what used to be a massive complex for the emperor, including beautifully complex baths, gardens, chariot race tracks, gardens, and mansions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122565389-GD20QJHHCS0CUX4O1P5Y/IMG_2258.jpg Denise Karis The far opposite end of the Roman Forum (away from the Colosseum). Barely visible in the center of the panorama is the house of the Vestal Virgins, and to the left of the frame is the site of Julius Caesar's assassination. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122577429-RSS4E9IBVMS5UK0B2BRG/IMG_2272.jpg Denise Karis The Arch of Septimius Severus. The Temple of Saturn sits just to the right, one of the oldest standing relics of a temple in Rome. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122636267-G4HPENZN84S6NLHL889V/IMG_2439.jpg Denise Karis One last, comprehensive look at the ancient Roman Forum. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122572800-U9EC6QS49UQJ8DC2GPG5/IMG_2287.jpg Denise Karis One of the most awe-inspiring sights in the Roman Forum was the sheer scale of a basilica Constantine built for himself. This "Basilica of Maxentius" was the largest building in the forum (see a photo of the side arches--just the side arches!--here). Originally, a colossal statue of Constantine himself sat at the western end of the basilica, sitting about 40 feet tall. The statue is now in ruins (possibly from an earthquake), and now sits in pieces at the Musei Capitolini on Capitoline Hill, overlooking the forum. Look at the (tall) man on the righthand side of this photo for scale. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122580549-F2WLVY98AXY2CO9IUGPI/IMG_2313.jpg Denise Karis Rome's legendary founding stems from brothers Remus and Romulus (sound familiar?), who were raised by a she-wolf. This famous bronze statue is housed in the Musei Capitolini. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122586994-I35KBP1S8VPY9WPBV73P/IMG_2314.jpg Denise Karis The famous head of Medusa, Musei Capitolini. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122589080-2R7RXOA01Z2A04OJUF97/IMG_2322.jpg Denise Karis The real reason we loved the Musei Capitolini: these views of the Roman Forum far below. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122592139-TDQ9M91WMUCPTHXEFYF5/IMG_2331.jpg Denise Karis In the far, far distance, to the left of the belltower (campanile), you can see the Colosseum. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122599806-T6SS4ZNBTQLM3IWYVVD4/IMG_2366.jpg Denise Karis The inside of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere. This church was built on the ruins of Saint Cecilia's home. A model of her almost-decapitated body lies inside the altar as a reminder of her martyrdom. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122599891-WLGWEHDSH1A6XRM2ZZVH/IMG_2370.JPG Denise Karis For 5€, we could go beneath Santa Cecilia to explore her ancient homestead. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122607065-ETS4SKN2LGOREUS9B6YI/IMG_2373.JPG Denise Karis A well used for grain in Cecilia's home. The fact that she had many of these wells hints at her wealth when she was alive. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122608636-K4HUQCQ46WQ9Y6CHJDX6/IMG_2375.JPG Denise Karis The crypts beneath Santa Cecilia in Trastevere. This was also used frequently (and may still be used today) as a chapel. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122616132-NLC2KX4R8BML2JQ99IMD/IMG_2380.JPG Denise Karis We particularly loved the mosaic and mural work in this underground chapel. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122627979-HMU5XF3PIX95Y6VO1MZN/IMG_2421.jpg Denise Karis The Borghese Gallery to the north of Rome's center. We spent the morning wandering around this northern stretch, mostly to see the Catacombs of Priscilla. This eight-mile stretch of catacombs (which once held 40,000 bodies) is claustrophobia-inducing but so historically neat: While passing by femur bones and still-preserved coffin spaces, we saw some of the oldest known Marian paintings in the world, including the first frescoes to depict the three wise men and the Madonna with child. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122619868-8BBDJUHG2BCZW1QMFQQC/IMG_2414.JPG Denise Karis The Borghese Gallery sits not far south of the catacombs, and is known for its extravagant collection of art. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122624862-J43VXWN68OY4V3CSKZGK/IMG_2417.JPG Denise Karis Our favorite piece was the famous Daphne and Apollo. If you look at her fingers (which are turning into branches and leaves), you can see just how detailed this piece is. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Denise Karis https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133689544-QHG1MVZ5HE136MBRVG5U/IMG_1492.jpg Denise Karis Our first culinary stop in Rome: La Prosciutteria, known for its cured meats. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133697494-ITOAM0WUU3V89Q6O23BI/IMG_1497.jpg Denise Karis We sat down in the meat cellars, which were built in 1925. The entrance to the cellars was almost impossible to find, which created a cool ambiance once we were downstairs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133690266-WL7DW3EYLDRPKKM1VMNA/IMG_1496.jpg Denise Karis Our charcuterie board, which was massive (and delicious). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133699180-NFA4R986URQZ675M58SE/IMG_1498.jpg Denise Karis One last shot of La Prosciutteria as we were heading back out into the (very, very hot) sunshine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133705629-G37A2JR4TM1PBI814V6Q/IMG_1690.jpg Denise Karis Ombre Rosse, a hip little restaurant just around the corner from our bed and breakfast in Trastevere. We used TripAdvisor to guide us to more locally loved restaurants (like this one) whenever possible. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133705775-WOHWOB3FR5CJRWSP6HMD/IMG_1695.jpg Denise Karis When Ryan was in Rome almost a decade ago, he went to a bookstore and wine shop not far from Ombre Rosse. We went back to visit again, only to find that it's now a bookstore and...a bar that only serves suggestive shots with inappropriate names, which you have to down in a single gulp without touching them. It was messy and absolutely ridiculous. I can't remember what this particular shot was called, but I probably wouldn't share the name even if I did. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133716517-KGT27YQCQCL6YBR9O3IZ/IMG_1912.jpg Denise Karis La Focaccia, a focaccia-based pizzeria in Trastevere. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133716118-2JD9FZSQ4PXBCAKZ5DBJ/IMG_1917.jpg Denise Karis Our first gelato of the honeymoon! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133723937-8PYS7W8IJMGPU09QDS01/IMG_1919.jpg Denise Karis This is the life: Gelato while wandering aimlessly around one of Rome's hip, artsy districts. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133763857-PZCV2WM2G6B4DBFPLP49/IMG_2293.jpg Denise Karis One of our favorite meals in Rome was at the rooftop café at the Musei Capitolini, the ancient art museums that sit atop Capitoline Hill. (This hill overlooks the ancient Roman Forum.) We had paninis, fruit, and mimosas while looking out at this view. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133732394-UYZJ1RLYMVCRTBOZXB2B/IMG_2299.jpg Denise Karis The rooftop café at Musei Capitolini. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133744025-OOOOCE70TH15BKPMYX4Z/IMG_2312.jpg Denise Karis Another view from the Capitoline Museums. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133755662-N0PB0IYWY5BXG3L360BH/IMG_2350.jpg Denise Karis Ryan is borderline obsessed with these grattacheccas. They're cups of shaved ice, filled with fruit syrups and freshly cut fruit. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133763219-UMML27CCILRX8E4FL3S0/IMG_2351.jpg Denise Karis I got some form of kiwi-lime. This particular grattachecca stall was right across the street from our bed and breakfast. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133770997-IS12HNEVL1JOJRQUNZ25/IMG_2398.jpg Denise Karis We stumbled across a really cool wine bar run by a Santa Barbara-based sommelier and her partner, who was training to be a sommelier. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133770838-NL5ZYZH5UY8RXVY0T7B3/IMG_2399.jpg Denise Karis They served each wine with a dish that was supposed to compliment the wine's primary notes. The two cheeses you see here were made that morning, and brought in from the Italian countryside. We ended up going home with three bottles of wine from this place! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133779726-E5XFMN1QVHDNSRUV7PYH/IMG_2425.jpg Denise Karis We couldn't survive a single day without at least three espressos each, which we'd space throughout the day. Here's a photo from one of our afternoon pick-me-ups. In Italy, you stand at the bar while drinking your espresso/latte/cappuccino. Sitting down costs extra, and sitting down outside costs even more. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133778888-H75JKUTFT556MKLZHTN0/IMG_2426.jpg Denise Karis The ever-delicious Italian latte. https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/jo-mike-ray daily 0.75 2017-07-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134766092-QI4C3PBTY75SF2BPR0WT/IMG_2446.JPG Jo & Mike Ray The Beard was in charge of all things Eurail-related. Here he is, filling out Eurail's mandatory "Travel Diary"--each day has to be filled out exactly, and when rail conductors would come by to check tickets, they'd go through each and every tiny detail. Even so, travel by train was so easy and enjoyable; we'd usually get a coffee, an orange juice, and some biscotti, then lay back and relax for a few hours. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134765868-TANP565HODGJA3ROXUZY/IMG_2489+copy.jpg Jo & Mike Ray A view across the Arno, featuring the heart of Florence and one of the city's famous bridges. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134781293-55R2VMP2V4YSGIOEG73Q/IMG_2560+copy.jpg Jo & Mike Ray Looking out at the Tuscan countryside from the top of Boboli Gardens, which the Médici family turned into yet another family estate. Behind us lies Florence. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134780072-V3IS3K8V0AE2CTOHI5QA/IMG_2643+copy.jpg Jo & Mike Ray Looking up at Florence Cathedral, Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore. It's regarded as one of the best examples of Gothic Revival architecture in Europe, and every color of marble you see in the façade is local to Tuscany. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134803337-GRJM54TOVD2CGDI41IJB/IMG_2652+copy.jpg Jo & Mike Ray The inside of the cathedral's Duomo (dome), taken from a balcony very far above the rest of the church (to give you an idea of the scale of this place). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134803336-6HB2XAAE3TCTU98NTZSV/IMG_2704+copy.jpg Jo & Mike Ray Taken from the campanile or bell tower, also associated with the cathedral. On the left is the famous Duomo, one of the biggest architectural marvels in Europe. Brunelleschi had to work with an octagonal base that then had to shift into a two-layered dome: the outer dome made out of brick (which was so heavy that the bricklayers used a unique design to help distribute the weight and to make sure the bricks didn't collapse in on themselves), and an inner dome seen by those inside the church. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134813717-7RCELV7BGSNOK9HKUU7M/IMG_2720+copy.jpg Jo & Mike Ray Another view from the campanile. We also climbed to the top of the Duomo (on the left, which Ryan is looking at); between the two domes I just described is a very, very, very long set of stone passageways and staircases. It was one of the toughest climbs we did during our honeymoon, particularly because of the cramped space. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134814992-4JOZWOJSCP3IOS4UGD5I/IMG_2961+copy.jpg Jo & Mike Ray The inside of the Palazzo Vecchio, Florence's town hall, which was later converted to another Médici residence (primarily to hammer in the fact that this banking family was now in political power). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Jo & Mike Ray https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/betty-boyd-howard-hardy daily 0.75 2017-07-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Betty-Boyd & Howard Hardy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136449860-ITGHI1PXC2G1U5C3SB1G/IMG_3095.jpg Betty-Boyd & Howard Hardy We kicked off our train tour through Tuscany with fruit jam croissants and lattes in the train station. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136449857-2ISFBVMIM3UDTH2PGBD8/IMG_3097.jpg Betty-Boyd & Howard Hardy If you can tell from over Ryan's shoulder, he's reading up on Rick Steves's recommended walking tours through Venice. (Even better, he's listening to a separate Rick Steves podcast at the same time.) This was the perfect way to pass our time on trains: I'd summarize our travels in blog posts, while Ryan would prepare for our upcoming travels with Rick's help. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136481233-3FO6F2OZSFDX97Z3WFNY/IMG_3292+copy.jpg Betty-Boyd & Howard Hardy Saint Mark's Basilica, Venice's most famous church. It's located in the well-known Piazza San Marco, also home to the Doge's Palace (Palazzo Ducale). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136480048-VUZOR7QCX918HC8P5EVK/IMG_3335+copy.jpg Betty-Boyd & Howard Hardy A neat (but sobering) installation in Venice's Grand Canal to draw attention to the impact of global warming on the city, which is no match for the rising water levels. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136534197-TAAPKB6IRM777YO5ZVAN/IMG_3612+copy.jpg Betty-Boyd & Howard Hardy A view of Piazza San Marco and much of Venice, taken from the Campanile (bell tower) of San Marco far below. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136530703-US9N9ZL8WPQF19UCQ1FU/IMG_3732+copy.jpg Betty-Boyd & Howard Hardy We took a day trip to the colorful island of Burano, which is in the Venetian Lagoon. https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/molly-broz daily 0.75 2017-07-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135681109-8NKD9BBIO4GRTYZJXOHV/IMG_3120.jpg Molly Broz So I'm super bummed I never got a photo of Casa Alla Fenice, but in my defense, we arrived at the hotel a little worse for wear. For our first meal in Venice, Jess was just about to die for some pesto--so we stopped at a "pasta street food" shop that serves pasta in little to-go containers meant for picnicking in the streets. Unfortunately, Jess didn't realize their pesto included walnuts (which she's allergic to). After being violently ill in a random alleyway (during which a pigeon flew by and pooped all over her), she spent three hours of our first day passed out in bed with three Benadryl in her system. The hotel employees were kind enough to deliver (nut-free) cookies and tea to her bedside. All that to say, Casa Alla Fenice was a fun choice for a hotel--and since we don't have any photos of it, here's a Google photo of our exact room. (It was in a turquoise-and-gold "grotesque" style.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135682928-O0PE075C83EMMCKA5RTB/IMG_3139.jpg Molly Broz A canal close to our hotel. The hotel was perfectly situated in the heart of Venice, roughly between the Ponte Rialto and the Palazzo Ducale (Doge's Palace). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135692943-V7NZLTXQID8UC41VJMRK/IMG_3144.jpg Molly Broz We'd gotten so used to Rome's and Florence's lion's head style of water fountains that we found Venice's approach particularly neat. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135691588-FGAG1U4R32TOHM2XL8ZN/IMG_3168.jpg Molly Broz The Ponte Rialto, Venice's most famous bridge. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135701919-5TT2EJOLG91EP51LTBPO/IMG_3261.jpg Molly Broz The Doge's Palace (Palazzo Ducale), or the palace of Venice's chief magistrate. The Doge was always chosen by popular vote, and ruled with extreme transparency when it came to economic and social policies, which made him very loved by the people. Unlike most other major cities in Europe, the Doge never saw civil unrest or attempted coups. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135705499-R7GB6MZIPRI65JUJESV7/IMG_3292.jpg Molly Broz Saint Mark's Basilica (the Basilica di San Marco), Venice's most famous church. It joins five domes that were originally built in 828 to house the body of the evangelist Marco, brought from Egypt to Venice by the duke. Because Venice once sat at the heart of so much intercontinental trade, particularly between Europe and the Middle East, its architecture represents Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman styles. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135711462-I6L522WUX86Z1JUN4BQ0/IMG_3335.jpg Molly Broz A neat (but sobering) installation in Venice's Grand Canal to draw attention to the impact of global warming on the city, which is no match for the rising water levels. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135732822-VM2WYT46JZTYY8IEX8JR/IMG_3612.jpg Molly Broz A view of Piazza San Marco (Saint Mark's Square) far below, and the rest of Venice off toward the horizon. This was taken from the campanile (bell tower) in the plaza. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135731991-6WAP5NPBV6O0ODLSUXKY/IMG_3732.jpg Molly Broz We took a quick morning trip to the colorful island of Burano, which is in the Veneto lagoon not far from Venice. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135736561-B63D1MH0RD8GRJK488IJ/IMG_3762.jpg Molly Broz Burano was a particularly neat island known for its lace shops. The neighboring island of Murano is known for its blown glass. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Molly Broz https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121862349-ZJXIE4OKINNF71I77FP7/IMG_1463.jpg Molly Broz The facade of our bed and breakfast, Tree Charme. Its location couldn't have been more perfect: It faces the Tiber river and one of Rome's oldest bridges (which heads straight into the heart of Rome), but sits in Trastevere, Rome's hipster, millennial, and local-centric district. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121862403-TL8M3AELKF4D97SPLCYW/IMG_1465.JPG Molly Broz The view of the bridge across the Tiber from our bedroom river. It took us less than three minutes to get into the heart of Rome, and less than 30 seconds to get into the heart of Trastevere. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121868085-ETQ6LUYSJWVBH3AEOGR4/IMG_1467.jpg Molly Broz We landed in Rome with about 45 minutes of sleep (we're not good plane sleepers), so we freshened up a bit, packed our backpacks, and headed out to explore! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121870888-KWUV4AQD6J0PMQMPVOS9/IMG_1481.jpg Molly Broz Trastevere https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121878448-FXQELQZ6BSWOVWN7BWTT/IMG_1486.jpg Molly Broz More Trastevere. It's such a picturesque neighborhood... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121880339-WBEXHU1AL5QPOSPHR83G/IMG_1508.jpg Molly Broz Ponte Sisto, built in the 1400s. We crossed this bridge at least twice a day. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121887082-1W8FH8FDIY56T8DH00JI/IMG_2084.jpg Molly Broz Breakfast at Tree Charme was perfection: We'd pile our plates (not pictured: freshly made omelettes and bacon) and head outside to a little patio with our own Nespresso machine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121891085-9XV3W38AX2VS58P0SAYD/IMG_2088.jpg Molly Broz Previously mentioned patio with a Nespresso machine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121901194-SRLF6IM7L8UVPS6RGT47/IMG_2404.jpg Molly Broz There was so much bougainvillea around Trastevere! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121908390-6Z90V0OCZV0XZENL5I71/IMG_2405.jpg Molly Broz Heading from our hotel deeper into Trastevere, where there are more piazzas (plazas), restaurants, and hang-out spots. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121942761-VO9H0453L9R0RF65HMP4/IMG_2437.jpg Molly Broz Ryan led the way through his favorite neighborhood in Rome. (: https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121948372-E7YH6DKFYUCKXH9YJGBQ/IMG_2438.jpg Molly Broz Cortile dell'arco degli acetari. Jess tracked this place down from a single postcard that she fell in love with while in the Catacombs of Priscilla. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121952915-1S16W02P8QUXPPM1QVRD/IMG_2895.jpg Molly Broz Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza, where Ryan performed for two summers in a row as an undergraduate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121959329-1GSFOCQ1UX06PK1NPXZX/IMG_6938.jpg Molly Broz A shot of Rome, not far from the Tiber river near Trastevere. https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/gail-alfred-christensen daily 0.75 2017-07-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135681109-8NKD9BBIO4GRTYZJXOHV/IMG_3120.jpg Gail & Alfred Christensen So I'm super bummed I never got a photo of Casa Alla Fenice, but in my defense, we arrived at the hotel a little worse for wear. For our first meal in Venice, Jess was just about to die for some pesto--so we stopped at a "pasta street food" shop that serves pasta in little to-go containers meant for picnicking in the streets. Unfortunately, Jess didn't realize their pesto included walnuts (which she's allergic to). After being violently ill in a random alleyway (during which a pigeon flew by and pooped all over her), she spent three hours of our first day passed out in bed with three Benadryl in her system. The hotel employees were kind enough to deliver (nut-free) cookies and tea to her bedside. All that to say, Casa Alla Fenice was a fun choice for a hotel--and since we don't have any photos of it, here's a Google photo of our exact room. (It was in a turquoise-and-gold "grotesque" style.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135682928-O0PE075C83EMMCKA5RTB/IMG_3139.jpg Gail & Alfred Christensen A canal close to our hotel. The hotel was perfectly situated in the heart of Venice, roughly between the Ponte Rialto and the Palazzo Ducale (Doge's Palace). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135692943-V7NZLTXQID8UC41VJMRK/IMG_3144.jpg Gail & Alfred Christensen We'd gotten so used to Rome's and Florence's lion's head style of water fountains that we found Venice's approach particularly neat. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135691588-FGAG1U4R32TOHM2XL8ZN/IMG_3168.jpg Gail & Alfred Christensen The Ponte Rialto, Venice's most famous bridge. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135701919-5TT2EJOLG91EP51LTBPO/IMG_3261.jpg Gail & Alfred Christensen The Doge's Palace (Palazzo Ducale), or the palace of Venice's chief magistrate. The Doge was always chosen by popular vote, and ruled with extreme transparency when it came to economic and social policies, which made him very loved by the people. Unlike most other major cities in Europe, the Doge never saw civil unrest or attempted coups. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135705499-R7GB6MZIPRI65JUJESV7/IMG_3292.jpg Gail & Alfred Christensen Saint Mark's Basilica (the Basilica di San Marco), Venice's most famous church. It joins five domes that were originally built in 828 to house the body of the evangelist Marco, brought from Egypt to Venice by the duke. Because Venice once sat at the heart of so much intercontinental trade, particularly between Europe and the Middle East, its architecture represents Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman styles. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135711462-I6L522WUX86Z1JUN4BQ0/IMG_3335.jpg Gail & Alfred Christensen A neat (but sobering) installation in Venice's Grand Canal to draw attention to the impact of global warming on the city, which is no match for the rising water levels. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135732822-VM2WYT46JZTYY8IEX8JR/IMG_3612.jpg Gail & Alfred Christensen A view of Piazza San Marco (Saint Mark's Square) far below, and the rest of Venice off toward the horizon. This was taken from the campanile (bell tower) in the plaza. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135731991-6WAP5NPBV6O0ODLSUXKY/IMG_3732.jpg Gail & Alfred Christensen We took a quick morning trip to the colorful island of Burano, which is in the Veneto lagoon not far from Venice. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135736561-B63D1MH0RD8GRJK488IJ/IMG_3762.jpg Gail & Alfred Christensen Burano was a particularly neat island known for its lace shops. The neighboring island of Murano is known for its blown glass. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135192577-2ZM2QJVBU9O6MCEXIBPA/IMG_3515.jpg Gail & Alfred Christensen We searched for close to an hour for what looked like the perfect gondolier and starting place! The gondolas are everywhere, so it was important for us to scout out a more remote starting point with fewer people in the side canals. We finally succeeded in a piazza just around the corner from our hotel, where a gondolier was chatting with a friend and intermittently whistling tunes. No one was in line for the gondolas--this was a pretty deeply-hidden part of Venice--so we walked right on up. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135192304-PFHR5S2BQES9235T6FHQ/IMG_3513.jpg Gail & Alfred Christensen We knew we'd chosen well when, instead of heading straight down the wider canal where his gondola sat, he turned and started heading toward this bridge (which is just as low as it looks). He said something along the lines of "See that opening? We're going to go under it." Ryan whispered "I...I don't think we can go under that..." https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135206100-8IAIJ4Z94SE8QT5E4X68/IMG_3528.jpg Gail & Alfred Christensen The gondolier had to practically lay down while still steering, and even Ryan had to duck, but we made it through. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135203869-LI1CJHTPQYVPGZ0MOW60/IMG_3538.jpg Gail & Alfred Christensen We took this photo right outside one of Venice's schools of music, so Ryan (and the gondolier, for that matter--he loved music) happily listened to whatever operas were floating out the windows toward the water. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135211600-QEDNOBGNFNWVMNQAJ1ZB/IMG_3541.jpg Gail & Alfred Christensen We entered Venice's Grand Canal (its main waterway) for a few "exits" before turning and entering into another narrow canal. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135216678-24B5JU7YI25R3YFB4DWL/IMG_3550.jpg Gail & Alfred Christensen Our gondolier loved to whistle and sing. Corny as it may sound, we loved it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135217173-GYQTZ5E2B600ILGBIMU6/IMG_3577.jpg Gail & Alfred Christensen Jess accidentally dressed like a gondolier that day... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135231248-LW4KW3UPTOD4RQ2CW6RO/IMG_3594.jpg Gail & Alfred Christensen About to turn a very, very worrisomely narrow corner. It took some finagling, but we did it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135230506-OCYBD7U1I6B2UJXR9WA6/IMG_3611.jpg Gail & Alfred Christensen Front seat view. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135238987-CT0R1NSKIC4DLBMRXJN6/IMG_7861.jpg Gail & Alfred Christensen Back where we started! It was a dream ride. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Gail & Alfred Christensen https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/the-downey-family daily 0.75 2017-08-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137807187-ZVQGFK753S9KNJVHWA0Q/IMG_4236.jpg The Downey Family Walking through the heart of Interlaken. The sign "Derby" points to our bed and breakfast, "Hotel Derby." https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137805576-TRC23X5GRIKBZR8WV0WI/IMG_4335.jpg The Downey Family The hotel's location was perfect: We were off the main stretch (which mostly comprised Rolex, Prada, Gucci, and Botega Veneta shops), but within a three-minute walk of beautiful view like this one. This photo shows Höhematte, Interlaken's wide, grassy park with views of Jungfrau (the snowy peak in the middle). Although Jungfrau is called "The Top of Europe," it's far from the highest peak in Europe--especially if you count Russia. Its train station, however, is the highest on the continent at 11,332 feet. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137852998-XOCA5K1X69PMTAZDHKUK/IMG_4465.jpg The Downey Family The view from Pfingstegg, a children's park and tin toboggan run in the hills of Grindelwald, Switzerland. Behind this panorama stands the Schreckhorn. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137816998-M6NQ0JYAOPC807FTZY0T/IMG_4580.jpg The Downey Family Unterseen, an historic village across the Aare from the rest of Interlaken. Unterseen was a massive Roman cemetery during the empire's time, and by the 12th century was known for its multiple forts. Now, it's a quaint, calm, local-centric village that feels very different from the bustling tourism in Interlaken. We particularly appreciated its wide streets and historic homes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137822206-03X7YVDYAZ4P33O0N4OB/IMG_4799.jpg The Downey Family We took a bus from Thun, at the far end of Thunnersee (the Sea of Thun) from Interlaken, to Oberhofen just a few miles away. Unfortunately, we made this day trip on Whit Monday, which is an observed national holiday in most of Europe. After finding closed restaurant after closed restaurant, we finally made our way to the castle just off the sea. (In fact, it has a neat turret located in the sea itself; it sits on a stone column sunk directly into Thunersee.) Luckily, while trying to find the best view of the castle, we stumbled upon a pier directly next to the castle walls...and saw signs for lunch. The pier's restaurant—which must have once been used for selling tickets, as hinted by the haphazard addition of cooking instruments throughout the interior space—was small and cozy, and we opened the door without even glancing at the signs before sitting down. The owners, who were the only other people inside, glanced up curiously, said hi, and kept chatting between themselves...and after 10 minutes of sitting there, we finally edged forward to ask if we could order. Turns out that restaurant, like all the others, was closed for the holiday. The owners were too kind to even tell us to leave, so they'd let us sit there and look out at the water without complaint. We were incredibly lucky that after we realized our mistake, they still offered to cook us food—just with the understanding that it would take a while. So we had a small meat pie and a creamy plate of gnocchi before setting out again for the castle, whose grounds and gardens were just as beautiful as the structure itself. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137824805-60UCJ7JSP6Y6VIYA50H4/IMG_6001.jpg The Downey Family At Birg, the intermediary station between Mürren and the Schilthorn, is a "Thrill Walk"--a series of increasingly thrill-inducing activities built into a ledge that juts out over a sheer drop-off into the fog. Birg is 8,806 feet in elevation, compared with Mürren's mere 5,000 or so. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137826320-1DZSM6GCCMTODO3QY00S/IMG_6002.jpg The Downey Family If you couldn't tell, Jess has no problem with heights. Ryan was very unhappy about this. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137836356-WUAT17HX0VT0TZP1IBI0/IMG_6003.jpg The Downey Family Gimmelwald, possibly the most beautiful village we've ever seen. There were dozens of waterfalls like the two you see here, all stretching downward from these impossibly high mountains in every direction. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137844499-V2VLTWGP52QM2U5K7HUX/IMG_6004.jpg The Downey Family If U.S. Customs asks, no, I did not touch this goat. And no, this goat did not bite me when it thought my finger was food. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137857699-OA1M1A9SG2CBFLHWJK40/IMG_6008.jpg The Downey Family Another view of Gimmelwald, much closer to its cable lift station (the only way to get to the village; there are no roads that connect the village to any other settlement). Gimmelwald is very geographically remote, which explains why it feels completely untouched by tourism. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137863311-7TNH579G91KQ44LJ5Z7V/IMG_6010.jpg The Downey Family Lauterbrunnen Falls, one of 72 waterfalls in this valley. This entire area made such an impact on J. R. R. Tolkien when he visited in 1911 that it served as the inspiration for Rivendell. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137869351-3Z86JRO5ZQEIVOPZ2ZRF/IMG_6275.jpg The Downey Family Part of the old city wall of Luzern (Lucerne), which is open to the public, free of charge. We climbed several towers and walked along the top of the old wall, and even saw some haarige kuh up close (these are the hairy cows to the left side of the photo). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137881972-CPZ962GYKP147U8F0654/IMG_7605.jpg The Downey Family A view of the valleys below Pfingstegg, one of the higher points in Grindelwald. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137881165-AK2G9P1XGLYXITIBWWA8/IMG_7860.jpg The Downey Family One of Luzern's old Kapellbrücken, literally "chapel bridges," most of which were built in the 1300s or 1400s and cross the Reuss. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137894290-5ON5YYE68IO7SAUA3HTP/IMG_7924.jpg The Downey Family I may or may not have lain down in the middle of someone's pasture to take this photo. But if U.S. Customs asks, no, I did no such thing. This is another shot of Gimmelwald, which has a population of only a little more than 100; has no stores, schools, or restaurants (unless you count the kitchen of its one hostel); and has a single fire station, which was a wise decision considering every building in the village is made of wood. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137894073-CGE7OAEX4WCNIK7CSO8G/IMG_7956.jpg The Downey Family A view of the city of Thun, taken from one of the turrets of Thun Castle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137901499-192NO5CLNS7IYCFF9A56/IMG_8028.jpg The Downey Family A gardener hard at work in Mürren. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif The Downey Family https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/jill-david daily 0.75 2017-07-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138138013-5I2KN5B8PIFZBNT3PDI4/IMG_4119.jpg Jill David We spent our first day in Bern exploring the historic part of the city on foot. We were so lucky to have great weather; the skies were blue and temperatures were perfect, unlike what we were promised in weather forecasts (which only predicted rain). So we took advantage of the great visibility and crossed the Nydegg Bridge (visible to the righthand side of this photo), passed around Bärenpark (which is exactly what its German name would suggest: a 15,000-square-foot park with bears roaming around), and had lunch at the Altes Tramdepot. Not only does the Tramdepot offer fantastic views of the city, but it's also a craft brewery, so Ryan was particularly happy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138138507-R5YWUR6Y2IJ0KEVLMN8H/IMG_4117.jpg Jill David The Altes Tramdepot had probably 10 different brews to offer while we were there, so we each tried a flight of their bestsellers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138062208-BKK39DAWTOFWAM2MXN1E/IMG_5928.jpg Jill David Once we got to Interlaken, we quickly found an artisan beer and wine shop with fantastic salads and antipasti plates. The owner, who was from New Zealand, was passionate about bringing new types of beer to the otherwise lager-dominated Switzerland. Ryan thought this "Jess" beer was a particularly funny one. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138053351-NAL3E6OUFPT50999LGY6/IMG_4627.jpg Jill David While we were at the Artisan Barrel Café, Ryan was especially excited to see a few offerings from the local craft brewery Haarige Kuh (Hairy Cow), but was disappointed to find out from the café owner that they don't offer tours; the brewery is run by two guys who work two days a week on these brews. The next morning was a slow one (it was raining, so we took it easy), but we eventually found our way to Barracuda—a grill just up the street that offered free wifi and great chorizo paninis. Ryan found another Haarige Kuh offering. Hoping for a different response from Barracuda's owner than from Barrel the night before, he asked if they had a tasting room. The owner shrugged, said Glynn (one of the head brewers) was a friend of hers, and called him on his cell right then and there. A few minutes later, we had a scheduled visit down in our calendar to swing by their brewing warehouse and meet both head brewers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138055682-54FE0D3OY9OSJBNDVEJH/IMG_4631.jpg Jill David So in a nutshell, we ended up getting a personal tour of a microbrewery that isn't even open to the public, and tasting beers that had only just been bottled (they hadn't even entered the market). Andy and Glynn were excellent hosts and walked us through the brewing process from a more scientific perspective, which I (as less of a beer person than Ryan) really appreciated, and we left an hour later with a few bottles clinking in our backpacks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138060535-OQNNRHFPG2YPCJHLD5TO/IMG_4633.jpg Jill David Two of the bottles Andy and Glynn let us have for a few francs each, plus they gave me an apricot amber fresh of its first batch and not yet on the market. (It was amazing.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Jill David https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/the-goldman-family daily 0.75 2017-07-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143388957-UC81WU7RIS3RMCQCV4S1/IMG_0004.jpg The Goldman Family Ryan hadn't been to Rome (or, more specifically, Rome's hipster district of Trastevere) in almost a decade, so we relied on Google Maps to get us through the winding streets. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143388640-LD1MZSKYGICN5TKZZMV9/IMG_0012.jpg The Goldman Family We kept an eye on crowds in Rome's piazzas (plazas) via Google throughout the day to figure out the best time to stop by for photos. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143392164-KNZTPSDC5WJ40XKYSS2V/IMG_0019.jpg The Goldman Family The basic theme of our trip went like this: (1) we'd discover something really cool about a place, like a plaque in a language we couldn't read or a decorative piece that didn't seem to make a lot of sense, so (2) one of us would pull out the trusty Wikipedia or Google Translate, and (3) we'd just hover over our phones, trying to learn as much about that particular place as possible. For the Pantheon, we spent 5 minutes reading about all the crazy architectural wonders that went into constructing this perfect dome. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143393552-XDHXMM90P03V8ODM3MNS/IMG_0029.jpg The Goldman Family We accidentally stumbled upon this view while using Google Maps to take a shortcut up to some of the hills near Vatican City. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143395009-C45DOJK28IAFK170MC5Y/IMG_0038.jpg The Goldman Family 4 out of 5 times, we'd choose a restaurant for lunch or dinner based on TripAdvisor (Europe's Yelp) reviews...and it very rarely led us astray. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143395981-SJRP8BR15G8E1XHIKPUS/IMG_0066.jpg The Goldman Family Yet another time that we stumbled across some ancient Roman ruins (here, in the middle of the Jewish Quarter) and pulled out our phones to look up when they were built, what they were, and why they were still there. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143398025-NOXGM1UR0R2WZZCGSZN5/IMG_0135.jpg The Goldman Family The line to climb the Duomo was so long that we hopped online to reserve tickets, instead--and it saved us hours (and hours) of time. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143398957-XW02YUPNWKR3QL9BJRB0/IMG_0169.jpg The Goldman Family Rick Steves recommended visiting San Miniato al Monte, a church built in the 1100s that is still in use today, for its perfect views of Florence. Without Google, we could never have figured out how to wind our way through Oltrarno (across the Arno river) and up the hill to the church. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143406439-5LN5Y0K97X21SIS8LLHP/IMG_0176.jpg The Goldman Family It turns out San Miniato's monks make their own gelato, biscotti, and liqueur (including limoncello, which we brought back with us). We sat on this gardenia-covered bench and ate the monks' gelato while reading up on their monastery online. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143405998-DWYM10KC8EGO6N1ZBJ0V/IMG_0219.jpg The Goldman Family Trying to find a good gondolier was much harder than we expected. We stood in a piazza in Venice for 15 minutes, reading techniques and phrases in Italian to use when trying to find a good gondola ride. It worked--we had an excellent time, and got to explore some of Venice's back canals, including dipping under these (scarily low) arches. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143410367-6C9UQOTQ7TMWKOABVSH3/IMG_0228.jpg The Goldman Family Google Maps, bless them, is now equipped with all of Venice's public transportation routes--which exclusively means "water taxis." We took a water taxi through Veneto around the Venetian Lagoon to the colorful island of Burano. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143410187-0T8X47CLEV953T89RGLF/IMG_0229.jpg The Goldman Family Finding Burano which would have been near impossible without Google telling us where to catch which taxi and when. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143413930-TWKZY7601KIRG9P4283I/IMG_0243.jpg The Goldman Family If you didn't know this, Jess is deathly allergic to cashews and pistachios. "Pistachio" is a super common word in Italian (thanks, gelato), but cashews are so rare that they don't even have a word for them. She relied on Google to pull up translations, definitions, and pictures of cashews in places where we couldn't be sure what we were about to eat. In one place, it saved her at the last minute from an ER visit (the bruschetta on the right is covered in cashews). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143414304-6YMRH3IQGQLGHYGRBT5S/IMG_0271.jpg The Goldman Family All Jess wanted to do in Grindelwald, Switzerland was take a tin toboggan ride. It turns out finding these rides is really confusing--the signs throughout town point toward a children's park without mentioning whether it has a toboggan run. We had Google open the whole way through town while trying to find this place. (It was worth it.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143415585-0JDB7FR8V44TZI9WD3JF/IMG_0305.jpg The Goldman Family We had a day of free train travel to use, so we made a day trip around Thunnersee (the Sea of Thun) and Brienzersee (the Sea of Brienz) around Interlaken, Bern, and Lucern. That same day, we visited two castles--which was very difficult, because it also happened to be Whit Monday, so almost everything was closed. We relied on the Internet to look up holiday hours and phone numbers throughout the day to make sure things were open. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143417944-PJ9C210OCLTOZZ3GLAAL/IMG_0348.jpg The Goldman Family So Jess is a big fan of old 007 movies, and freaked out when she found out "On her Majesty's Secret Service" was filmed at the rotating restaurant on the top of the nearby Schilthorn. We used their website to keep an eye on the 360º camera every day we were in Interlaken to figure out when it would be clearest at the top of the peak. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143418187-2VFAD6XGDYCZDCM6VCIK/IMG_0353.jpg The Goldman Family Luckily, this meant we were able to get an online reservation for brunch on the clearest morning we were there! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143421465-9C9CN7PJQDSYGV3XBVGB/IMG_0464.jpg The Goldman Family Snapped this photo while hopelessly lost on a hillside in Salzburg, trying to find Augustiner Biergarten. When we finally used Google Maps, we found out it was at the bottom of the hill all along. Naturally. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143421244-749ZKCWWT2X190UAVT1U/IMG_0471.jpg The Goldman Family We happened to be in Vienna during Pride, which was fun to see! So we kept an eye on Pride events throughout those few days, which helped guide some of our sightseeing toward the end of our time there. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143426431-HP4L5T3TTQJY878O0C5X/IMG_0499.jpg The Goldman Family Ryan downloaded the Ancestry.com app while we sat in Vienna's Belvedere Gardens, and looked up the marriage certificate of his great-great-grandmother, Hanny Schwarz (née Deutsch). Thanks to that certificate, we were able to find her 1904 home in Vienna's Jewish District, which is where she lived before moving to New York. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143426175-3Q4I6JO2XEP2VVKV17PN/IMG_0568.jpg The Goldman Family While Jess got a massage, Ryan used cell data to watch House of Cards in Budapest's Gellért Thermal Baths. He was in heaven. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143429514-RNAV0KOL4SUMGDP4I0I2/IMG_0587.jpg The Goldman Family This sounds like a funny story, but at the time it wasn't. We were in the middle of this nature-covered island in the Danube, between Buda and Pest. We were a very far walk from the bridge to get off the island, and Jess drank so much coffee that morning that she needed a bathroom like you wouldn't believe. Ryan had to download a public bathroom-finding app, which guided us to a random little building in a grove of trees that we never would have found otherwise. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143429584-31KUGIWT01POB5A5YS17/IMG_0602.jpg The Goldman Family Thanks to TripAdvisor, we spent our last evening in Budapest at Whiskers Cat Pub, a...cat pub. With alcoholic beverages...and cats. We were (Jess was) ecstatic. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143432361-C61P296TZFC16E87RY0T/IMG_0627.jpg The Goldman Family On our last evening of the honeymoon, which we spent in Fiumicino, Ryan was stretched out by the spas and watching more House of Cards. Just look at the joy in those eyes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif The Goldman Family https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/madison-sutton daily 0.75 2017-07-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136639140-U533ZQ1LDW7K602Y5S6T/IMG_3226.jpg Maddie Sutton The greatest thing about the Venice City Pass was the easy use of vaporetti, or water buses, which snake around the Grand Canal all day long. Besides offering a very quick way to get from one side of Venice to the other (if we didn't have time to hop across half of Venice's 118 islands, which would bring us to at least ten dead-ends at canals without a bridge), the vaporetti saved us on our last morning in the city, when we had to get all the way back up to the train station. It was a 40-minute walk, it was 85º and basically 100% humidity, and we had 40-pound backpacks on. The City Pass was good for 72 hours, and we arrived at a vaporetti stop at our 70th hour--which meant we could zip back up to the train station in very little time, and with very little effort on our part. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136646950-LWQORVMB32J44PN4GANB/IMG_3335.jpg Maddie Sutton A neat (but sobering) installation in Venice's Grand Canal to draw attention to the impact of global warming on the city, which is no match for the rising water levels. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136629782-A6HQ98WZ5I2JXUJWF5OS/IMG_3210.jpg Maddie Sutton We started our time in Venice with a Rick Steves audio tour of one of the major vaporetti lines through the Grand Canal, which started at the train station and ended at St. Mark's Square (Piazza San Marco), one of Venice's most famous attractions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136657978-HFLPIC3ME0UA2HM4H3AE/IMG_3732.jpg Maddie Sutton The City Pass also allowed us to get to Venice's neighboring islands (i.e., in Veneto, part of the Venetian Lagoon) for free. We took a morning trip to the colorful island of Burano, known for its lace production. (The nearby island Murano is known for its blown glass.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136621855-BM3V025L15C8TS6DZENH/Enlight7.jpg Maddie Sutton In the heart of Burano. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136622163-TH3BZMBRQ95JCM5TNIHI/Enlight8.jpg Maddie Sutton Goofing off in front of a house in Burano. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136658861-V0P4JQLDB5PZFA7SXN6E/IMG_3763.jpg Maddie Sutton One last shot of Burano. (Can you tell we loved this place?) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136663321-68MLBCYGINFRMCM5P0B3/IMG_3829.jpg Maddie Sutton Finally, the City Pass covered "black gondola" rides, which were the black-and-gold gondolas that crossed back and forth across the Grand Canal. Our wine tour guide, Davide, took this photo as we headed up to North Venice, Venice's more local-centric Jewish District. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Maddie Sutton https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/holly-george-sheppard daily 0.75 2017-07-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137807187-ZVQGFK753S9KNJVHWA0Q/IMG_4236.jpg Holly & George Sheppard Walking through the heart of Interlaken. The sign "Derby" points to our bed and breakfast, "Hotel Derby." https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137805576-TRC23X5GRIKBZR8WV0WI/IMG_4335.jpg Holly & George Sheppard The hotel's location was perfect: We were off the main stretch (which mostly comprised Rolex, Prada, Gucci, and Botega Veneta shops), but within a three-minute walk of beautiful view like this one. This photo shows Höhematte, Interlaken's wide, grassy park with views of Jungfrau (the snowy peak in the middle). Although Jungfrau is called "The Top of Europe," it's far from the highest peak in Europe--especially if you count Russia. Its train station, however, is the highest on the continent at 11,332 feet. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137852998-XOCA5K1X69PMTAZDHKUK/IMG_4465.jpg Holly & George Sheppard The view from Pfingstegg, a children's park and tin toboggan run in the hills of Grindelwald, Switzerland. Behind this panorama stands the Schreckhorn. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137816998-M6NQ0JYAOPC807FTZY0T/IMG_4580.jpg Holly & George Sheppard Unterseen, an historic village across the Aare from the rest of Interlaken. Unterseen was a massive Roman cemetery during the empire's time, and by the 12th century was known for its multiple forts. Now, it's a quaint, calm, local-centric village that feels very different from the bustling tourism in Interlaken. We particularly appreciated its wide streets and historic homes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137822206-03X7YVDYAZ4P33O0N4OB/IMG_4799.jpg Holly & George Sheppard We took a bus from Thun, at the far end of Thunnersee (the Sea of Thun) from Interlaken, to Oberhofen just a few miles away. Unfortunately, we made this day trip on Whit Monday, which is an observed national holiday in most of Europe. After finding closed restaurant after closed restaurant, we finally made our way to the castle just off the sea. (In fact, it has a neat turret located in the sea itself; it sits on a stone column sunk directly into Thunersee.) Luckily, while trying to find the best view of the castle, we stumbled upon a pier directly next to the castle walls...and saw signs for lunch. The pier's restaurant—which must have once been used for selling tickets, as hinted by the haphazard addition of cooking instruments throughout the interior space—was small and cozy, and we opened the door without even glancing at the signs before sitting down. The owners, who were the only other people inside, glanced up curiously, said hi, and kept chatting between themselves...and after 10 minutes of sitting there, we finally edged forward to ask if we could order. Turns out that restaurant, like all the others, was closed for the holiday. The owners were too kind to even tell us to leave, so they'd let us sit there and look out at the water without complaint. We were incredibly lucky that after we realized our mistake, they still offered to cook us food—just with the understanding that it would take a while. So we had a small meat pie and a creamy plate of gnocchi before setting out again for the castle, whose grounds and gardens were just as beautiful as the structure itself. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137824805-60UCJ7JSP6Y6VIYA50H4/IMG_6001.jpg Holly & George Sheppard At Birg, the intermediary station between Mürren and the Schilthorn, is a "Thrill Walk"--a series of increasingly thrill-inducing activities built into a ledge that juts out over a sheer drop-off into the fog. Birg is 8,806 feet in elevation, compared with Mürren's mere 5,000 or so. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137826320-1DZSM6GCCMTODO3QY00S/IMG_6002.jpg Holly & George Sheppard If you couldn't tell, Jess has no problem with heights. Ryan was very unhappy about this. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137836356-WUAT17HX0VT0TZP1IBI0/IMG_6003.jpg Holly & George Sheppard Gimmelwald, possibly the most beautiful village we've ever seen. There were dozens of waterfalls like the two you see here, all stretching downward from these impossibly high mountains in every direction. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137844499-V2VLTWGP52QM2U5K7HUX/IMG_6004.jpg Holly & George Sheppard If U.S. Customs asks, no, I did not touch this goat. And no, this goat did not bite me when it thought my finger was food. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137857699-OA1M1A9SG2CBFLHWJK40/IMG_6008.jpg Holly & George Sheppard Another view of Gimmelwald, much closer to its cable lift station (the only way to get to the village; there are no roads that connect the village to any other settlement). Gimmelwald is very geographically remote, which explains why it feels completely untouched by tourism. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137863311-7TNH579G91KQ44LJ5Z7V/IMG_6010.jpg Holly & George Sheppard Lauterbrunnen Falls, one of 72 waterfalls in this valley. This entire area made such an impact on J. R. R. Tolkien when he visited in 1911 that it served as the inspiration for Rivendell. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137869351-3Z86JRO5ZQEIVOPZ2ZRF/IMG_6275.jpg Holly & George Sheppard Part of the old city wall of Luzern (Lucerne), which is open to the public, free of charge. We climbed several towers and walked along the top of the old wall, and even saw some haarige kuh up close (these are the hairy cows to the left side of the photo). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137881972-CPZ962GYKP147U8F0654/IMG_7605.jpg Holly & George Sheppard A view of the valleys below Pfingstegg, one of the higher points in Grindelwald. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137881165-AK2G9P1XGLYXITIBWWA8/IMG_7860.jpg Holly & George Sheppard One of Luzern's old Kapellbrücken, literally "chapel bridges," most of which were built in the 1300s or 1400s and cross the Reuss. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137894290-5ON5YYE68IO7SAUA3HTP/IMG_7924.jpg Holly & George Sheppard I may or may not have lain down in the middle of someone's pasture to take this photo. But if U.S. Customs asks, no, I did no such thing. This is another shot of Gimmelwald, which has a population of only a little more than 100; has no stores, schools, or restaurants (unless you count the kitchen of its one hostel); and has a single fire station, which was a wise decision considering every building in the village is made of wood. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137894073-CGE7OAEX4WCNIK7CSO8G/IMG_7956.jpg Holly & George Sheppard A view of the city of Thun, taken from one of the turrets of Thun Castle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137901499-192NO5CLNS7IYCFF9A56/IMG_8028.jpg Holly & George Sheppard A gardener hard at work in Mürren. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Holly & George Sheppard https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/pankaj-shere daily 0.75 2017-07-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137807187-ZVQGFK753S9KNJVHWA0Q/IMG_4236.jpg Pankaj Shere Walking through the heart of Interlaken. The sign "Derby" points to our bed and breakfast, "Hotel Derby." https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137805576-TRC23X5GRIKBZR8WV0WI/IMG_4335.jpg Pankaj Shere The hotel's location was perfect: We were off the main stretch (which mostly comprised Rolex, Prada, Gucci, and Botega Veneta shops), but within a three-minute walk of beautiful view like this one. This photo shows Höhematte, Interlaken's wide, grassy park with views of Jungfrau (the snowy peak in the middle). Although Jungfrau is called "The Top of Europe," it's far from the highest peak in Europe--especially if you count Russia. Its train station, however, is the highest on the continent at 11,332 feet. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137852998-XOCA5K1X69PMTAZDHKUK/IMG_4465.jpg Pankaj Shere The view from Pfingstegg, a children's park and tin toboggan run in the hills of Grindelwald, Switzerland. Behind this panorama stands the Schreckhorn. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137816998-M6NQ0JYAOPC807FTZY0T/IMG_4580.jpg Pankaj Shere Unterseen, an historic village across the Aare from the rest of Interlaken. Unterseen was a massive Roman cemetery during the empire's time, and by the 12th century was known for its multiple forts. Now, it's a quaint, calm, local-centric village that feels very different from the bustling tourism in Interlaken. We particularly appreciated its wide streets and historic homes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137822206-03X7YVDYAZ4P33O0N4OB/IMG_4799.jpg Pankaj Shere We took a bus from Thun, at the far end of Thunnersee (the Sea of Thun) from Interlaken, to Oberhofen just a few miles away. Unfortunately, we made this day trip on Whit Monday, which is an observed national holiday in most of Europe. After finding closed restaurant after closed restaurant, we finally made our way to the castle just off the sea. (In fact, it has a neat turret located in the sea itself; it sits on a stone column sunk directly into Thunersee.) Luckily, while trying to find the best view of the castle, we stumbled upon a pier directly next to the castle walls...and saw signs for lunch. The pier's restaurant—which must have once been used for selling tickets, as hinted by the haphazard addition of cooking instruments throughout the interior space—was small and cozy, and we opened the door without even glancing at the signs before sitting down. The owners, who were the only other people inside, glanced up curiously, said hi, and kept chatting between themselves...and after 10 minutes of sitting there, we finally edged forward to ask if we could order. Turns out that restaurant, like all the others, was closed for the holiday. The owners were too kind to even tell us to leave, so they'd let us sit there and look out at the water without complaint. We were incredibly lucky that after we realized our mistake, they still offered to cook us food—just with the understanding that it would take a while. So we had a small meat pie and a creamy plate of gnocchi before setting out again for the castle, whose grounds and gardens were just as beautiful as the structure itself. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137824805-60UCJ7JSP6Y6VIYA50H4/IMG_6001.jpg Pankaj Shere At Birg, the intermediary station between Mürren and the Schilthorn, is a "Thrill Walk"--a series of increasingly thrill-inducing activities built into a ledge that juts out over a sheer drop-off into the fog. Birg is 8,806 feet in elevation, compared with Mürren's mere 5,000 or so. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137826320-1DZSM6GCCMTODO3QY00S/IMG_6002.jpg Pankaj Shere If you couldn't tell, Jess has no problem with heights. Ryan was very unhappy about this. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137836356-WUAT17HX0VT0TZP1IBI0/IMG_6003.jpg Pankaj Shere Gimmelwald, possibly the most beautiful village we've ever seen. There were dozens of waterfalls like the two you see here, all stretching downward from these impossibly high mountains in every direction. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137844499-V2VLTWGP52QM2U5K7HUX/IMG_6004.jpg Pankaj Shere If U.S. Customs asks, no, I did not touch this goat. And no, this goat did not bite me when it thought my finger was food. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137857699-OA1M1A9SG2CBFLHWJK40/IMG_6008.jpg Pankaj Shere Another view of Gimmelwald, much closer to its cable lift station (the only way to get to the village; there are no roads that connect the village to any other settlement). Gimmelwald is very geographically remote, which explains why it feels completely untouched by tourism. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137863311-7TNH579G91KQ44LJ5Z7V/IMG_6010.jpg Pankaj Shere Lauterbrunnen Falls, one of 72 waterfalls in this valley. This entire area made such an impact on J. R. R. Tolkien when he visited in 1911 that it served as the inspiration for Rivendell. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137869351-3Z86JRO5ZQEIVOPZ2ZRF/IMG_6275.jpg Pankaj Shere Part of the old city wall of Luzern (Lucerne), which is open to the public, free of charge. We climbed several towers and walked along the top of the old wall, and even saw some haarige kuh up close (these are the hairy cows to the left side of the photo). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137881972-CPZ962GYKP147U8F0654/IMG_7605.jpg Pankaj Shere A view of the valleys below Pfingstegg, one of the higher points in Grindelwald. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137881165-AK2G9P1XGLYXITIBWWA8/IMG_7860.jpg Pankaj Shere One of Luzern's old Kapellbrücken, literally "chapel bridges," most of which were built in the 1300s or 1400s and cross the Reuss. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137894290-5ON5YYE68IO7SAUA3HTP/IMG_7924.jpg Pankaj Shere I may or may not have lain down in the middle of someone's pasture to take this photo. But if U.S. Customs asks, no, I did no such thing. This is another shot of Gimmelwald, which has a population of only a little more than 100; has no stores, schools, or restaurants (unless you count the kitchen of its one hostel); and has a single fire station, which was a wise decision considering every building in the village is made of wood. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137894073-CGE7OAEX4WCNIK7CSO8G/IMG_7956.jpg Pankaj Shere A view of the city of Thun, taken from one of the turrets of Thun Castle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137901499-192NO5CLNS7IYCFF9A56/IMG_8028.jpg Pankaj Shere A gardener hard at work in Mürren. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Pankaj Shere https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/cora-blouch-dan-oldejans daily 0.75 2017-07-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Cora Blouch & Dan Oldejans https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133689544-QHG1MVZ5HE136MBRVG5U/IMG_1492.jpg Cora Blouch & Dan Oldejans Our first culinary stop in Rome: La Prosciutteria, known for its cured meats. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133697494-ITOAM0WUU3V89Q6O23BI/IMG_1497.jpg Cora Blouch & Dan Oldejans We sat down in the meat cellars, which were built in 1925. The entrance to the cellars was almost impossible to find, which created a cool ambiance once we were downstairs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133690266-WL7DW3EYLDRPKKM1VMNA/IMG_1496.jpg Cora Blouch & Dan Oldejans Our charcuterie board, which was massive (and delicious). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133699180-NFA4R986URQZ675M58SE/IMG_1498.jpg Cora Blouch & Dan Oldejans One last shot of La Prosciutteria as we were heading back out into the (very, very hot) sunshine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133705629-G37A2JR4TM1PBI814V6Q/IMG_1690.jpg Cora Blouch & Dan Oldejans Ombre Rosse, a hip little restaurant just around the corner from our bed and breakfast in Trastevere. We used TripAdvisor to guide us to more locally loved restaurants (like this one) whenever possible. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133705775-WOHWOB3FR5CJRWSP6HMD/IMG_1695.jpg Cora Blouch & Dan Oldejans When Ryan was in Rome almost a decade ago, he went to a bookstore and wine shop not far from Ombre Rosse. We went back to visit again, only to find that it's now a bookstore and...a bar that only serves suggestive shots with inappropriate names, which you have to down in a single gulp without touching them. It was messy and absolutely ridiculous. I can't remember what this particular shot was called, but I probably wouldn't share the name even if I did. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133716517-KGT27YQCQCL6YBR9O3IZ/IMG_1912.jpg Cora Blouch & Dan Oldejans La Focaccia, a focaccia-based pizzeria in Trastevere. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133716118-2JD9FZSQ4PXBCAKZ5DBJ/IMG_1917.jpg Cora Blouch & Dan Oldejans Our first gelato of the honeymoon! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133723937-8PYS7W8IJMGPU09QDS01/IMG_1919.jpg Cora Blouch & Dan Oldejans This is the life: Gelato while wandering aimlessly around one of Rome's hip, artsy districts. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133763857-PZCV2WM2G6B4DBFPLP49/IMG_2293.jpg Cora Blouch & Dan Oldejans One of our favorite meals in Rome was at the rooftop café at the Musei Capitolini, the ancient art museums that sit atop Capitoline Hill. (This hill overlooks the ancient Roman Forum.) We had paninis, fruit, and mimosas while looking out at this view. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133732394-UYZJ1RLYMVCRTBOZXB2B/IMG_2299.jpg Cora Blouch & Dan Oldejans The rooftop café at Musei Capitolini. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133744025-OOOOCE70TH15BKPMYX4Z/IMG_2312.jpg Cora Blouch & Dan Oldejans Another view from the Capitoline Museums. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133755662-N0PB0IYWY5BXG3L360BH/IMG_2350.jpg Cora Blouch & Dan Oldejans Ryan is borderline obsessed with these grattacheccas. They're cups of shaved ice, filled with fruit syrups and freshly cut fruit. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133763219-UMML27CCILRX8E4FL3S0/IMG_2351.jpg Cora Blouch & Dan Oldejans I got some form of kiwi-lime. This particular grattachecca stall was right across the street from our bed and breakfast. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133770997-IS12HNEVL1JOJRQUNZ25/IMG_2398.jpg Cora Blouch & Dan Oldejans We stumbled across a really cool wine bar run by a Santa Barbara-based sommelier and her partner, who was training to be a sommelier. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133770838-NL5ZYZH5UY8RXVY0T7B3/IMG_2399.jpg Cora Blouch & Dan Oldejans They served each wine with a dish that was supposed to compliment the wine's primary notes. The two cheeses you see here were made that morning, and brought in from the Italian countryside. We ended up going home with three bottles of wine from this place! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133779726-E5XFMN1QVHDNSRUV7PYH/IMG_2425.jpg Cora Blouch & Dan Oldejans We couldn't survive a single day without at least three espressos each, which we'd space throughout the day. Here's a photo from one of our afternoon pick-me-ups. In Italy, you stand at the bar while drinking your espresso/latte/cappuccino. Sitting down costs extra, and sitting down outside costs even more. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133778888-H75JKUTFT556MKLZHTN0/IMG_2426.jpg Cora Blouch & Dan Oldejans The ever-delicious Italian latte. https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/mary-kevin-bates daily 0.75 2017-07-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Mary & Kevin Bates https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133823708-5HBPB4G51T3MFTWMOFYV/IMG_2041.jpg Mary & Kevin Bates We kicked off our date night in Rome at Black Market, a hip cocktail bar near Rome's only Episcopal church, St. Paul's Within the Walls. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133820574-HJWD28H2S84L9CGDQMRG/IMG_2046.jpg Mary & Kevin Bates Ryan had a Black Market-specific beer, and I had a cocktail that included mezcal and a few ingredients I'd never heard of. (It was great!) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133831735-PYU3Z8KGL0CRQGTIY9LR/IMG_2050.jpg Mary & Kevin Bates We particularly loved the interior of Black Market. It felt like a dark, slightly edgy English pub with books and armchairs to match. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133835264-6OOK7HGNU0SZ76FD9K2U/IMG_2056.jpg Mary & Kevin Bates Ryan picked our date night dinner destination, Mater Matuta. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133859804-OPPFMQJR34OPGRKL18XZ/IMG_2060.jpg Mary & Kevin Bates Appetizer: cod fish tempura with "purée of chickpeas" (read: hummus...they couldn't even call it hummus) and black truffles. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133880110-RA6Q5YB0Y87HSQY6VFCJ/IMG_2061.jpg Mary & Kevin Bates Appetizer #2: oysters, and plenty of them! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133888146-9L6TWMC0935FP7Q3LEZW/IMG_2063.JPG Mary & Kevin Bates First course: a vegetarian lasagna with vegetable tartare and creamy goat cheese. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133879895-VVPTGEFAHQ97P8EE7LR7/IMG_2062.JPG Mary & Kevin Bates Purple gnocchi with clams, black truffles, and fried arugula (rocket) salad. We learned that gnocchi is purple when it's cooked in squid ink. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133890705-TZJ1QO9KSGBONSMHS2PD/IMG_2065.jpg Mary & Kevin Bates Last course: braised beef with red wine, served with two types of pressè potatoes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133887839-6XCSBKZ4PF9TFO8711ZD/IMG_2064.jpg Mary & Kevin Bates Monk fish, purée of smoked potatoes (the smoke taste was so unique!), and citron flavor. https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/tonya-david-kerley daily 0.75 2017-08-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Tonya & David Kerley https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121862349-ZJXIE4OKINNF71I77FP7/IMG_1463.jpg Tonya & David Kerley The facade of our bed and breakfast, Tree Charme. Its location couldn't have been more perfect: It faces the Tiber river and one of Rome's oldest bridges (which heads straight into the heart of Rome), but sits in Trastevere, Rome's hipster, millennial, and local-centric district. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121862403-TL8M3AELKF4D97SPLCYW/IMG_1465.JPG Tonya & David Kerley The view of the bridge across the Tiber from our bedroom river. It took us less than three minutes to get into the heart of Rome, and less than 30 seconds to get into the heart of Trastevere. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121868085-ETQ6LUYSJWVBH3AEOGR4/IMG_1467.jpg Tonya & David Kerley We landed in Rome with about 45 minutes of sleep (we're not good plane sleepers), so we freshened up a bit, packed our backpacks, and headed out to explore! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121870888-KWUV4AQD6J0PMQMPVOS9/IMG_1481.jpg Tonya & David Kerley Trastevere https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121878448-FXQELQZ6BSWOVWN7BWTT/IMG_1486.jpg Tonya & David Kerley More Trastevere. It's such a picturesque neighborhood... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121880339-WBEXHU1AL5QPOSPHR83G/IMG_1508.jpg Tonya & David Kerley Ponte Sisto, built in the 1400s. We crossed this bridge at least twice a day. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121887082-1W8FH8FDIY56T8DH00JI/IMG_2084.jpg Tonya & David Kerley Breakfast at Tree Charme was perfection: We'd pile our plates (not pictured: freshly made omelettes and bacon) and head outside to a little patio with our own Nespresso machine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121891085-9XV3W38AX2VS58P0SAYD/IMG_2088.jpg Tonya & David Kerley Previously mentioned patio with a Nespresso machine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121901194-SRLF6IM7L8UVPS6RGT47/IMG_2404.jpg Tonya & David Kerley There was so much bougainvillea around Trastevere! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121908390-6Z90V0OCZV0XZENL5I71/IMG_2405.jpg Tonya & David Kerley Heading from our hotel deeper into Trastevere, where there are more piazzas (plazas), restaurants, and hang-out spots. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121942761-VO9H0453L9R0RF65HMP4/IMG_2437.jpg Tonya & David Kerley Ryan led the way through his favorite neighborhood in Rome. (: https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121948372-E7YH6DKFYUCKXH9YJGBQ/IMG_2438.jpg Tonya & David Kerley Cortile dell'arco degli acetari. Jess tracked this place down from a single postcard that she fell in love with while in the Catacombs of Priscilla. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121952915-1S16W02P8QUXPPM1QVRD/IMG_2895.jpg Tonya & David Kerley Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza, where Ryan performed for two summers in a row as an undergraduate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499121959329-1GSFOCQ1UX06PK1NPXZX/IMG_6938.jpg Tonya & David Kerley A shot of Rome, not far from the Tiber river near Trastevere. https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/betty-lou-kerley daily 0.75 2017-07-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134766092-QI4C3PBTY75SF2BPR0WT/IMG_2446.JPG Betty Lou Kerley The Beard was in charge of all things Eurail-related. Here he is, filling out Eurail's mandatory "Travel Diary"--each day has to be filled out exactly, and when rail conductors would come by to check tickets, they'd go through each and every tiny detail. Even so, travel by train was so easy and enjoyable; we'd usually get a coffee, an orange juice, and some biscotti, then lay back and relax for a few hours. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134765868-TANP565HODGJA3ROXUZY/IMG_2489+copy.jpg Betty Lou Kerley A view across the Arno, featuring the heart of Florence and one of the city's famous bridges. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134781293-55R2VMP2V4YSGIOEG73Q/IMG_2560+copy.jpg Betty Lou Kerley Looking out at the Tuscan countryside from the top of Boboli Gardens, which the Médici family turned into yet another family estate. Behind us lies Florence. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134780072-V3IS3K8V0AE2CTOHI5QA/IMG_2643+copy.jpg Betty Lou Kerley Looking up at Florence Cathedral, Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore. It's regarded as one of the best examples of Gothic Revival architecture in Europe, and every color of marble you see in the façade is local to Tuscany. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134803337-GRJM54TOVD2CGDI41IJB/IMG_2652+copy.jpg Betty Lou Kerley The inside of the cathedral's Duomo (dome), taken from a balcony very far above the rest of the church (to give you an idea of the scale of this place). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134803336-6HB2XAAE3TCTU98NTZSV/IMG_2704+copy.jpg Betty Lou Kerley Taken from the campanile or bell tower, also associated with the cathedral. On the left is the famous Duomo, one of the biggest architectural marvels in Europe. Brunelleschi had to work with an octagonal base that then had to shift into a two-layered dome: the outer dome made out of brick (which was so heavy that the bricklayers used a unique design to help distribute the weight and to make sure the bricks didn't collapse in on themselves), and an inner dome seen by those inside the church. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134813717-7RCELV7BGSNOK9HKUU7M/IMG_2720+copy.jpg Betty Lou Kerley Another view from the campanile. We also climbed to the top of the Duomo (on the left, which Ryan is looking at); between the two domes I just described is a very, very, very long set of stone passageways and staircases. It was one of the toughest climbs we did during our honeymoon, particularly because of the cramped space. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134814992-4JOZWOJSCP3IOS4UGD5I/IMG_2961+copy.jpg Betty Lou Kerley The inside of the Palazzo Vecchio, Florence's town hall, which was later converted to another Médici residence (primarily to hammer in the fact that this banking family was now in political power). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Betty Lou Kerley https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/tom-mcnally daily 0.75 2017-07-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138269494-CR9F1ALC0BC8OLDOUCQJ/IMG_4511.jpg Tom McNally Our first day in Interlaken was so sunny (this was a big deal, because the rest of the week promised rain) that we immediately took off for Grindelwald, south of Interlaken. We rode a tin toboggan run a few times up in Pfingstegg (a series of hills straight ahead), then headed back down in search of food. Grindelwald is an insufferably touristy village (understandable, because it's also surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery we've seen), so after walking past too many fancy restaurants that just didn't fit the vibes of the village, we settled on a sausage vendor who had dragged a grill onto the sidewalk and was teaching his young son how to make sauerkraut. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138266310-W1IQ5L1N9M5QU1DFJYKS/IMG_4515.jpg Tom McNally Easily the best sausages we had during our honeymoon. The vendor looked very displeased when I mixed my ketchup and mustard like this. We took our plates out to a parking lot that looked out over the beautiful views, sat down on a huge boulder there, and had the perfect "picnic" in the middle of the village. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138275655-NE6BCYYJTAWYQ4GCLTZH/IMG_4599.jpg Tom McNally In Interlaken, we found an artisan beer and wine shop (Barrel Artisan Café) just up the street from our bed and breakfast, which also served fantastic salads. We befriended the owner, who moved to Interlaken from Switzerland and was passionate about bringing more exciting beers to a lager-focused country. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138303012-LAFGHZVZMEP1U125JHNX/IMG_5930.jpg Tom McNally We came back to Barrel several times, particularly for their well-priced antipasti boards. (They were heaven.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138276451-0GQJ53NLFXS9LX2R0T97/IMG_4634.jpg Tom McNally The two head brewers of Haarige Kuh craft brewery (in Interlaken's warehouse district) recommended that we try their favorite Thai restaurant, which was also run by a brewer friend. Believe it or not, this was Jess's first experience with yellow curry, and she was in heaven. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138303591-1S2K0RC21CA2NAEB0DHA/IMG_5992.jpg Tom McNally We woke up early one morning to beat the snowstorm up to the Schilthorn, famous for its rotating restaurant where 007's "On her Majesty's Secret Service" was filmed in the late 1960s. We watched the snow roll in while enjoying every type of smoked salmon, scrambled egg, and fruit yogurt imaginable. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138257845-J51DHM31ZQ06AH37DK0O/Enlight14.jpg Tom McNally Just look at that happy face. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138259316-11CGTE0U8986950283VJ/IMG_4369.jpg Tom McNally Jess was just delighted about unlimited lattes. (Pretty sure she had four.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138294499-L3AMIS4U5RR8Y46FKVLT/IMG_5982.jpg Tom McNally They also had the "007 preferred" brand of champagne--couldn't tell you what it was called if our lives depended on it--so we made a few mimosas while watching the snow fall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138287523-SGM1TU91QK9EIT5C2RX5/IMG_4760.jpg Tom McNally The next day, we took the train to Oberhofen just a few miles east of Thun. Unfortunately, we made this day trip on Whit Monday, which is an observed national holiday in most of Europe. After finding closed restaurant after closed restaurant, we finally made our way to the castle just off the sea. Luckily, while trying to find the best view of the castle, we stumbled upon a pier directly next to the castle walls...and saw signs for lunch. The pier's restaurant—which must have once been used for selling tickets, as hinted by the haphazard addition of cooking instruments throughout the interior space—was small and cozy, and we opened the door and sat down at the first table we saw without even glancing at the signs in the window. The owners, who were the only other people inside, glanced up curiously, said hi, and kept chatting between themselves...and after 10 minutes of sitting there, we finally edged forward to ask if we could order. Turns out that restaurant, like all the others, was closed for the holiday. The owners were too kind to even tell us to leave, so they'd let us sit there and look out at the water without complaint. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138284823-W62G80GX3FMZ8CYRVNQP/IMG_4758.jpg Tom McNally We were incredibly lucky that after we realized our mistake, they still offered to cook us food—just with the understanding that it would take a while. So we had a small meat pie and a creamy plate of gnocchi before setting out again for the castle next door. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138291744-9U72Q2Z6TL1UCZAIT2UG/IMG_5573.jpg Tom McNally During our time in Gimmelwald, possibly the most beautiful village we've ever seen, we were weirdly impressed with the total lack of restaurants, shops, schools, police stations, doctor's offices--anything. There was one fire station at the far end of the village (a good idea, because every house and barn was made of wood), but that was it. The population of 100-115 makes due with what they have, and for medical or educational priorities takes the lift down to Lauterbrunnen or up to Mürren. Fun fact: Gimmelwald doesn't even connect to any other villages by drivable road; without a lift, it would be almost impossible to reach. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138293522-USY04V0ISONEC1SD2AO7/IMG_5576.jpg Tom McNally All this to say that Gimmelwald instead runs off self-service shops: Fridges or curio cabinets placed just outside the home or in the basement (yes, behind an unlocked door) with homemade offerings--knit hats and scarves, wooden dolls, fresh cheeses, dried sausages, cow's milk--and a bowl of francs to make change, in case you don't have the exact amount requested. The amount of trust in this entire system is mind-boggling. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138305335-TIS15FGV1TTGFZA054SC/IMG_6005.jpg Tom McNally So yeah, an entire meal while we were in Gimmelwald was fresh cow's milk, because it was actually that filling. (This was our first time trying it.) We followed signs into a couple's basement, passed by their belongings--framed pictures, furniture, an umbrella stand--and just opened their fridge, took out some milk, and dropped some francs in the waiting basket. It was bizarre. Also, take a look at those waterfalls in the distance. This whole area became an inspiration for J. R. R. Tolkien's Rivendell after his trip to the area in 1911. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Tom McNally https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137623245-WOOBF1WV39OWXJ4ROWQC/IMG_4119.jpg Tom McNally We spent our first day in Bern exploring the historic part of the city on foot. We were so lucky to have great weather; the skies were blue and temperatures were perfect, unlike what we were promised in weather forecasts (which only predicted rain). So we took advantage of the great visibility and crossed the Nydegg Bridge (visible to the righthand side of this photo), passed around Bärenpark (which is exactly what its German name would suggest: a 15,000-square-foot park with bears roaming around), and had lunch at the Altes Tramdepot. Not only does the Tramdepot offer fantastic views of the city, but it's also a craft brewery, so Ryan was particularly happy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137623242-WHNVNVK5PM1UXKQ8C6YO/IMG_4120.jpg Tom McNally Our lunch at Altes Tramdepot. This was our best meal in Bern--simple sausages, sauerkraut (which I didn't even realize I liked), and homemade mustard with bread. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137632087-P876ASSG9POF1QUV1DT4/IMG_4131.jpg Tom McNally There are no Starbucks (not a single one) in the entire country of Italy, which comprised our first three stops before we got to Bern. Ryan, if you didn't know, is a Starbucks fanatic and even worked as a barista there for three years while in school. The moment we got to Switzerland, he all but dragged me to the nearest Starbucks for iced coffee and our favorite dessert, stroopwafels. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137636028-UED41B9QOPDO1ML8VXFY/IMG_4214.jpg Tom McNally As ridiculous as it sounds, we were less interested in having more sausages and sauerkraut (especially because we still had another 4-5 days in Interlaken, Switzerland) than we were in trying Swiss interpretations of Mexican food. So we went to Bigote Verde ("Green Mustache"), an outdoor Mexican restaurant housed in a wooden hut-like cart. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137637028-Z1YLWT4MCM2CTUMFW3N5/IMG_4216.jpg Tom McNally We weren't let down; if you can tell from the photo, Swiss-Mexican food is very, very different from what you'd find in Arizona. The upper plate is their interpretation of a tostada (typically on a fried tortilla in the U.S. and Mexico). It was delicious! https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/kate-lohmann-paul-littley daily 0.75 2017-07-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137807187-ZVQGFK753S9KNJVHWA0Q/IMG_4236.jpg Kate Lohmann & Paul Littley Walking through the heart of Interlaken. The sign "Derby" points to our bed and breakfast, "Hotel Derby." https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137805576-TRC23X5GRIKBZR8WV0WI/IMG_4335.jpg Kate Lohmann & Paul Littley The hotel's location was perfect: We were off the main stretch (which mostly comprised Rolex, Prada, Gucci, and Botega Veneta shops), but within a three-minute walk of beautiful view like this one. This photo shows Höhematte, Interlaken's wide, grassy park with views of Jungfrau (the snowy peak in the middle). Although Jungfrau is called "The Top of Europe," it's far from the highest peak in Europe--especially if you count Russia. Its train station, however, is the highest on the continent at 11,332 feet. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137852998-XOCA5K1X69PMTAZDHKUK/IMG_4465.jpg Kate Lohmann & Paul Littley The view from Pfingstegg, a children's park and tin toboggan run in the hills of Grindelwald, Switzerland. Behind this panorama stands the Schreckhorn. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137816998-M6NQ0JYAOPC807FTZY0T/IMG_4580.jpg Kate Lohmann & Paul Littley Unterseen, an historic village across the Aare from the rest of Interlaken. Unterseen was a massive Roman cemetery during the empire's time, and by the 12th century was known for its multiple forts. Now, it's a quaint, calm, local-centric village that feels very different from the bustling tourism in Interlaken. We particularly appreciated its wide streets and historic homes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137822206-03X7YVDYAZ4P33O0N4OB/IMG_4799.jpg Kate Lohmann & Paul Littley We took a bus from Thun, at the far end of Thunnersee (the Sea of Thun) from Interlaken, to Oberhofen just a few miles away. Unfortunately, we made this day trip on Whit Monday, which is an observed national holiday in most of Europe. After finding closed restaurant after closed restaurant, we finally made our way to the castle just off the sea. (In fact, it has a neat turret located in the sea itself; it sits on a stone column sunk directly into Thunersee.) Luckily, while trying to find the best view of the castle, we stumbled upon a pier directly next to the castle walls...and saw signs for lunch. The pier's restaurant—which must have once been used for selling tickets, as hinted by the haphazard addition of cooking instruments throughout the interior space—was small and cozy, and we opened the door without even glancing at the signs before sitting down. The owners, who were the only other people inside, glanced up curiously, said hi, and kept chatting between themselves...and after 10 minutes of sitting there, we finally edged forward to ask if we could order. Turns out that restaurant, like all the others, was closed for the holiday. The owners were too kind to even tell us to leave, so they'd let us sit there and look out at the water without complaint. We were incredibly lucky that after we realized our mistake, they still offered to cook us food—just with the understanding that it would take a while. So we had a small meat pie and a creamy plate of gnocchi before setting out again for the castle, whose grounds and gardens were just as beautiful as the structure itself. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137824805-60UCJ7JSP6Y6VIYA50H4/IMG_6001.jpg Kate Lohmann & Paul Littley At Birg, the intermediary station between Mürren and the Schilthorn, is a "Thrill Walk"--a series of increasingly thrill-inducing activities built into a ledge that juts out over a sheer drop-off into the fog. Birg is 8,806 feet in elevation, compared with Mürren's mere 5,000 or so. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137826320-1DZSM6GCCMTODO3QY00S/IMG_6002.jpg Kate Lohmann & Paul Littley If you couldn't tell, Jess has no problem with heights. Ryan was very unhappy about this. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137836356-WUAT17HX0VT0TZP1IBI0/IMG_6003.jpg Kate Lohmann & Paul Littley Gimmelwald, possibly the most beautiful village we've ever seen. There were dozens of waterfalls like the two you see here, all stretching downward from these impossibly high mountains in every direction. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137844499-V2VLTWGP52QM2U5K7HUX/IMG_6004.jpg Kate Lohmann & Paul Littley If U.S. Customs asks, no, I did not touch this goat. And no, this goat did not bite me when it thought my finger was food. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137857699-OA1M1A9SG2CBFLHWJK40/IMG_6008.jpg Kate Lohmann & Paul Littley Another view of Gimmelwald, much closer to its cable lift station (the only way to get to the village; there are no roads that connect the village to any other settlement). Gimmelwald is very geographically remote, which explains why it feels completely untouched by tourism. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137863311-7TNH579G91KQ44LJ5Z7V/IMG_6010.jpg Kate Lohmann & Paul Littley Lauterbrunnen Falls, one of 72 waterfalls in this valley. This entire area made such an impact on J. R. R. Tolkien when he visited in 1911 that it served as the inspiration for Rivendell. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137869351-3Z86JRO5ZQEIVOPZ2ZRF/IMG_6275.jpg Kate Lohmann & Paul Littley Part of the old city wall of Luzern (Lucerne), which is open to the public, free of charge. We climbed several towers and walked along the top of the old wall, and even saw some haarige kuh up close (these are the hairy cows to the left side of the photo). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137881972-CPZ962GYKP147U8F0654/IMG_7605.jpg Kate Lohmann & Paul Littley A view of the valleys below Pfingstegg, one of the higher points in Grindelwald. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137881165-AK2G9P1XGLYXITIBWWA8/IMG_7860.jpg Kate Lohmann & Paul Littley One of Luzern's old Kapellbrücken, literally "chapel bridges," most of which were built in the 1300s or 1400s and cross the Reuss. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137894290-5ON5YYE68IO7SAUA3HTP/IMG_7924.jpg Kate Lohmann & Paul Littley I may or may not have lain down in the middle of someone's pasture to take this photo. But if U.S. Customs asks, no, I did no such thing. This is another shot of Gimmelwald, which has a population of only a little more than 100; has no stores, schools, or restaurants (unless you count the kitchen of its one hostel); and has a single fire station, which was a wise decision considering every building in the village is made of wood. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137894073-CGE7OAEX4WCNIK7CSO8G/IMG_7956.jpg Kate Lohmann & Paul Littley A view of the city of Thun, taken from one of the turrets of Thun Castle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137901499-192NO5CLNS7IYCFF9A56/IMG_8028.jpg Kate Lohmann & Paul Littley A gardener hard at work in Mürren. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Kate Lohmann & Paul Littley https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/the-showalter-family daily 0.75 2017-07-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122369950-A5TRF3UKCI9406LZ3IVR/IMG_1532.jpg The Showalter Family Piazza Navona. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122369416-CLLQQ0RMK7ZO8I11DQHB/IMG_1538.jpg The Showalter Family After the Roman conquest, the Romans brought at least eight obelisks from ancient Egypt back to "The Ancient City" (read: Rome). They still stand here to this day. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122378741-EVNYV6A1CIQ6OZ1XJZVR/IMG_1547.jpg The Showalter Family Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza, recognized by its frozen yogurt-spiral dome. Ryan performed here two summers in a row. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122376064-UDI3M41RBR63ZLNB5TO4/IMG_1550.jpg The Showalter Family Not exactly sightseeing, but our afternoon coffee pick-me-ups were crucial to our energy levels. This is Sant Eustachio. Ryan promised this would be the best espresso I've had in my life, and I didn't believe him (mostly because espresso just tastes like espresso to me). But no...it was actually the best espresso I've had in my life. I dragged him back on our last day because I couldn't bear the thought of not having it again. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122384857-YHPELV5673HMJQ2XCBES/IMG_1557.jpg The Showalter Family The outside of the Pantheon, regarded as the largest example of a perfect dome in the world. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122388753-9V4JRKM1V2807CMTW3NE/IMG_1567.jpg The Showalter Family The inside of the Pantheon. Ancient architects realized that the dome would be too heavy and would fall in on itself unless they strategically removed squares of marble throughout the inside. The squares you see aren't for decoration; they're a crucial part of the structure. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122402079-SADZ7VENYDI5KE7V186A/IMG_1626.jpg The Showalter Family I'm going to be perfectly honest and admit that I don't know where this was taken, but I think it was a Saint (Someone) church just around the corner from a delicious pizzeria on one of Rome's off-beaten paths. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122398842-31Z91SDCM2RL1GGNL97G/IMG_1639.jpg The Showalter Family We were heading up toward hilltop vistas not far from Vatican City when we turned around and saw this view. (We miss those domed skylines!) From the vistas, we got Aperol spritzes and stretched out on the stone walls to look out over the city. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122405234-9HIWZRE3VE5OFYJPR7PX/IMG_1866.jpg The Showalter Family The Bridge of Angels leading to Castel Sant'Angelo, where Hadrian (of Hadrian's Wall) was buried. It was also briefly the Papal office, but now stands as a really cool-looking castle across the Tiber river from Rome. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122419464-YN3HDUY9XFPKGK09RVMV/IMG_1867.jpg The Showalter Family Walking into Castel Sant'Angelo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122418093-TM6RPEG590ZX21BY5CES/IMG_1869.jpg The Showalter Family Inside Castel Sant'Angelo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122442800-ZG4T0LZPMXJEJEA0PVX1/IMG_1878.jpg The Showalter Family A panorama of our view from the top of the Castel (read: "castle"). You can see the Bridge of Angels, and to the right you can see the dome of St. Peter's Basilica (Vatican City). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122428019-6Z1XAVF7XVU39ZM4Z8CC/IMG_1884.jpg The Showalter Family A view of the Tiber from the Castel. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122436084-UM1VV7EHG5SL0I8Y9GSH/IMG_1890.jpg The Showalter Family Looking down at the Bridge of Angels. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122443377-DGJK2RIWRZLDPL3KZX1B/IMG_1891.jpg The Showalter Family Italy wasn't built for Ryan Downeys. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122453337-D5UKMF3HH3N8JY3ZA0V4/IMG_1909.jpg The Showalter Family Looking back across the bridge toward the Castel. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122463683-4RF23I2RMMFA6JMY77VI/IMG_1931.jpg The Showalter Family Rome's synagogue in what used to be its Jewish Quarter, which is located at the bend of the Tiber river. Because of its location, the quarter flooded frequently and was close to uninhabitable (however, the Pope required that all Jews live in this small, muddy, disease-prone area). This synagogue was the victim of bombings and shootings in the 1980s, and has had very strong security presence ever since. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122464791-T6HX8EQI241ZHGUCOIQX/IMG_1934.jpg The Showalter Family Although we saw the second largest synagogue in the world in Budapest (the first largest is in New York), our favorite was this one in Rome. Note the square dome, which architects built so that you could tell it apart from the dozens of rounded domes across the Roman skyline. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122473182-BSCKGE7OVD5CG747LNVH/IMG_1990.jpg The Showalter Family We took a wrong turn while heading toward a monument to Victor Emmanuel II and ended up at Torre Argentina. This random, ruin-filled courtyard in the middle of an otherwise developed neighborhood was a pagan convent and sanctuary in 400 BC, and is now a sanctuary for cats. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122478249-FQIA0NQZENPJD4YULAVX/IMG_1996.jpg The Showalter Family All cats that enter the premises are spayed/neutered and vaccinated before being put up for adoption, all the while given the freedom to roam these ruins. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122483756-UKTGE15DXS5025NX795G/IMG_2001.jpg The Showalter Family They were all very friendly and welcome to pats. (Jess would have patted them anyway.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122491458-4TC7RNTGZLBYQ3D3CSE2/IMG_2012.jpg The Showalter Family Can you spot the cats? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122495837-TWHJL1KUIZ914ILV5AVP/IMG_2025.jpg The Showalter Family This is yet another church that we can't name. (You'd think that, with all this decoration, it would be a particularly recognizable church--but no, every church in Rome looks like this.) As hot as it was in the city, Jess had to keep her shoulders and legs covered to enter each of these churches, which was a bummer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122500472-ET6V17VB3IJ1V9BULSJ8/IMG_2036.jpg The Showalter Family St. Paul's Within the Walls, Rome's first Protestant church and its only Episcopal church. It has recently fought strongly for refugee rights in the ongoing Syrian crisis. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122508921-JG67B8WG73XX27FJFQPC/IMG_2113.jpg The Showalter Family The Colosseum (Colosseo), which was so jaw-droppingly magnificent. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122504995-66L7G96QQAJCQO4Y6CB0/IMG_2119.jpg The Showalter Family If you can tell from our earbuds, we were listening to Rick Steves's audio walking tour through the Colosseum, which helped paint a portrait of what the area would have looked like between 0 and 300 AD. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122540950-KA6KULJ42YT7VFOJ8ZB7/IMG_2159.jpg The Showalter Family A panorama of the Colosseum. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122516285-AMN5WC4GEYWNOJ8S5ZCI/IMG_2200.jpg The Showalter Family The outside of the Colosseum. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122526071-99S7838TDA0OWNHBQR7M/IMG_2210.jpg The Showalter Family Rome's Triumphal Arch of Titus as you head from the Colosseum uphill to the Foro Romano, the Ancient Forum (Rome's "downtown"). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122536528-T874990JCUSSKKS9MZ7C/IMG_2219.jpg The Showalter Family The Roman Forum. This was one of the coolest sights we saw in Rome; we ended up spending quite a bit of time looking at books that outlined what this downtown would have looked like in Rome's heyday between 500 BC and 500 AD. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122550654-QA8XJ17K523DT8CW2KU1/IMG_2230.jpg The Showalter Family Palatine Hill, the site of what used to be a massive complex for the emperor, including beautifully complex baths, gardens, chariot race tracks, gardens, and mansions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122565389-GD20QJHHCS0CUX4O1P5Y/IMG_2258.jpg The Showalter Family The far opposite end of the Roman Forum (away from the Colosseum). Barely visible in the center of the panorama is the house of the Vestal Virgins, and to the left of the frame is the site of Julius Caesar's assassination. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122577429-RSS4E9IBVMS5UK0B2BRG/IMG_2272.jpg The Showalter Family The Arch of Septimius Severus. The Temple of Saturn sits just to the right, one of the oldest standing relics of a temple in Rome. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122636267-G4HPENZN84S6NLHL889V/IMG_2439.jpg The Showalter Family One last, comprehensive look at the ancient Roman Forum. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122572800-U9EC6QS49UQJ8DC2GPG5/IMG_2287.jpg The Showalter Family One of the most awe-inspiring sights in the Roman Forum was the sheer scale of a basilica Constantine built for himself. This "Basilica of Maxentius" was the largest building in the forum (see a photo of the side arches--just the side arches!--here). Originally, a colossal statue of Constantine himself sat at the western end of the basilica, sitting about 40 feet tall. The statue is now in ruins (possibly from an earthquake), and now sits in pieces at the Musei Capitolini on Capitoline Hill, overlooking the forum. Look at the (tall) man on the righthand side of this photo for scale. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122580549-F2WLVY98AXY2CO9IUGPI/IMG_2313.jpg The Showalter Family Rome's legendary founding stems from brothers Remus and Romulus (sound familiar?), who were raised by a she-wolf. This famous bronze statue is housed in the Musei Capitolini. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122586994-I35KBP1S8VPY9WPBV73P/IMG_2314.jpg The Showalter Family The famous head of Medusa, Musei Capitolini. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122589080-2R7RXOA01Z2A04OJUF97/IMG_2322.jpg The Showalter Family The real reason we loved the Musei Capitolini: these views of the Roman Forum far below. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122592139-TDQ9M91WMUCPTHXEFYF5/IMG_2331.jpg The Showalter Family In the far, far distance, to the left of the belltower (campanile), you can see the Colosseum. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122599806-T6SS4ZNBTQLM3IWYVVD4/IMG_2366.jpg The Showalter Family The inside of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere. This church was built on the ruins of Saint Cecilia's home. A model of her almost-decapitated body lies inside the altar as a reminder of her martyrdom. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122599891-WLGWEHDSH1A6XRM2ZZVH/IMG_2370.JPG The Showalter Family For 5€, we could go beneath Santa Cecilia to explore her ancient homestead. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122607065-ETS4SKN2LGOREUS9B6YI/IMG_2373.JPG The Showalter Family A well used for grain in Cecilia's home. The fact that she had many of these wells hints at her wealth when she was alive. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122608636-K4HUQCQ46WQ9Y6CHJDX6/IMG_2375.JPG The Showalter Family The crypts beneath Santa Cecilia in Trastevere. This was also used frequently (and may still be used today) as a chapel. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122616132-NLC2KX4R8BML2JQ99IMD/IMG_2380.JPG The Showalter Family We particularly loved the mosaic and mural work in this underground chapel. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122627979-HMU5XF3PIX95Y6VO1MZN/IMG_2421.jpg The Showalter Family The Borghese Gallery to the north of Rome's center. We spent the morning wandering around this northern stretch, mostly to see the Catacombs of Priscilla. This eight-mile stretch of catacombs (which once held 40,000 bodies) is claustrophobia-inducing but so historically neat: While passing by femur bones and still-preserved coffin spaces, we saw some of the oldest known Marian paintings in the world, including the first frescoes to depict the three wise men and the Madonna with child. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122619868-8BBDJUHG2BCZW1QMFQQC/IMG_2414.JPG The Showalter Family The Borghese Gallery sits not far south of the catacombs, and is known for its extravagant collection of art. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122624862-J43VXWN68OY4V3CSKZGK/IMG_2417.JPG The Showalter Family Our favorite piece was the famous Daphne and Apollo. If you look at her fingers (which are turning into branches and leaves), you can see just how detailed this piece is. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif The Showalter Family https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/becky-nolan-finger daily 0.75 2017-07-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Becky & Nolan Finger https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134511892-2ZRSD529AWVZG19WJUOS/IMG_2508.jpg Becky & Nolan Finger The most beautiful latte Jess had ever seen! Our first stop after dropping our bags off at our bed and breakfast was a lunch spot not far from Pitti Palace, where we sat outside and people-watched over bruschetta. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134512987-D1DOUGLEOBTZYVWZL1ZX/IMG_2516.jpg Becky & Nolan Finger Apologies if this looks gross, but it has a funny story. Jess didn't know what this particular bruschetta was, so she started eating it anyway while Ryan looked on with apprehension. She thought it was a ground-up, slightly wet meatball. Ryan (now trying not to laugh) told her it was liver pudding. Needless to say, she didn't continue. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134518023-X3UM0C7OY0FL8QME2M6H/IMG_2729.jpg Becky & Nolan Finger This was one of the best pasta dishes we'd ever had from a traditional Florentine restaurant. It was made with veal and plenty of garlic. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134518836-Q2G3M4A3DT6GBJHWCV40/IMG_2731.jpg Becky & Nolan Finger One of the most well-known local delicacies: Florentine T-bone steak, prepared and cut in a way we couldn't completely understand thanks to language barriers. But it was tasty! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134526420-30F4A5IJVA68U0NT569H/IMG_2732.jpg Becky & Nolan Finger The inside of a traditional restaurant just around the corner from our bed and breakfast, near Dante Alighieri square. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134526361-YNUTBBCJDWEVIPGIZC4A/IMG_2748.jpg Becky & Nolan Finger Our favorite place to stop for coffee and (chocolate) croissants in the mornings was a hip café just up the street from where we were staying. In Italy, you stand at the bar while drinking your espresso-based beverage; sitting down costs extra, and sitting outside costs even more. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134532702-S6FJ0SKENBFU6V0B38GN/IMG_2749.jpg Becky & Nolan Finger Another day, another chocolate croissant and latte. It was the staple of our mornings! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134533535-B35SN8I790IUKWNEOM5M/IMG_2843.jpg Becky & Nolan Finger Easily the best pizza we'd ever had. This was from Mangia Pizza, right next to the Uffizi. (We actually ate there between our tours of the Accademia and Uffizi galleries.) The crust was just as light and crunchy as it looks. Not pictured: Across the street from where we sat while eating, a residence had a plaque with "9" (the street number) by the front door. Someone had written in "3/4" next to it. Jess approved. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134538820-9SOK8V65JO6MXATV5TLH/IMG_2849.jpg Becky & Nolan Finger Just another winding street near the heart of Florence, not far from the Arno river. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134538949-CM8UCED87E77WS23T71L/IMG_2855.jpg Becky & Nolan Finger A latte from a café just off Ponte Vecchio, Florence's most famous bridge and the only bridge to survive bombing from WWII. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134548508-68B9B7GI4I8N5FBUXNZC/IMG_2901.jpg Becky & Nolan Finger One of our last dinners in Florence was outside, looking at the main piazza where Florence Cathedral is located, and only just up the street we could hear cello music. It was a lovely evening, and the weather was perfect. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134546956-ZLI1GUZSFNRZHR1EM5OE/IMG_2906.jpg Becky & Nolan Finger Caprese (with a side of red wine). https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/leia-wasbotten daily 0.75 2017-07-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137707021-L6GTYUBPB9BU94LYPODN/IMG_3855.JPG Leia Wasbotten Catching the train from Venice to Bern. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137705895-36AHYFYN541LLPY1D669/IMG_3857.jpg Leia Wasbotten Benefits of Eurail tickets: sitting in first class. Benefits of sitting in first class: fancy plates of peppers, cheeses, olives, and bread. We pretty much chowed down, wrote some blog posts together, and stared out the window as we started passing by the Alps. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137717896-T0PNY1GNXMZICXO1BNKY/IMG_3863.jpg Leia Wasbotten https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137715171-RHN8PQTO4WJ2WIVY2R02/IMG_3954.jpg Leia Wasbotten The foothills of the Alps! This was our first time seeing them. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137725513-6MUT6AKYE03JXLQMHJCJ/IMG_3959.JPG Leia Wasbotten The Beard didn't stay awake too long. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137724850-D8CZHUNLX4XLWNHPMU65/IMG_3969.JPG Leia Wasbotten A quick view of Thunnersee, the Sea of Thun, which lies between Bern on the northwestern end and Interlaken (our next destination) on the southeastern end. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Leia Wasbotten https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134281790-0C3LRY9M0LLV0406GQ28/IMG_2465.JPG Leia Wasbotten The inside of the Museo Nazionale del Bargello, which reminded us strongly of the inside courtyard of Castle Black in Game of Thrones, but that's fine. The Bargello was a barracks and prison, but is now used as an art museum featuring Donatello's original David. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134285814-MJ4UYO2URXQ38MJ5TV6P/IMG_2471.jpg Leia Wasbotten Jess really liked this guy on the right because his sideburns are a great testament to why curly sideburns are a terrible idea. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134290225-OX16J5WLZTQKMTJI3F2Q/IMG_2485.jpg Leia Wasbotten Looking toward Palazzo Vecchio, Florence's town hall, which was briefly a Médici residence (to remind citizens that this banking family had now assumed political power). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134293268-LME21AHYLCINYE1OQM19/IMG_2489.jpg Leia Wasbotten Looking across the Arno at Florence's center. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134299957-TI78MJ4JJFDVHTVV02MA/IMG_2522.jpg Leia Wasbotten Taken inside Boboli Gardens, looking toward the back of Pitti Palace (yes...yet another Médici residence at one point). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134299832-52UXPOBIH4P80NCVW0KG/IMG_2527.jpg Leia Wasbotten A view of Florence from Boboli Gardens. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134308917-9VN6BIYIC93L3BLHNB0K/IMG_2546.jpg Leia Wasbotten The gardens stretch up a large hill that overlooks the city. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134312057-6MMS66WWTJT3YFEU50GS/IMG_2560.jpg Leia Wasbotten Looking out at the Tuscan countryside from the top of the gardens. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134319476-3LZ8V5TJQRNOOKA0RSHS/IMG_2575.jpg Leia Wasbotten A view of the dome (the Duomo) and the campanile, with Pitti Palace in the foreground. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134324363-KH9W4JDNC94T8GBTAAA0/IMG_2577.jpg Leia Wasbotten Mandatory selfie as we left the gardens. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134337753-DQODKM3B4I7XPA2MTN7V/IMG_2638.jpg Leia Wasbotten Florence Cathedral's bell tower, or campanile. All the marble you see is taken from local quarries. This façade is one of the best examples of Gothic Revival architecture in Europe. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134340773-U7YKQW9PLSGBIKNOORQZ/IMG_2643.jpg Leia Wasbotten Looking up at Florence Cathedral, the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134348681-Z748YUISASJWQHBSUC0H/IMG_2652.jpg Leia Wasbotten The inside of the Duomo's inner dome. This was taken from a balcony far above the church below, which gives you an idea of the scale of the place. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134348316-HXZ3EUBM02YI6ZHQOQKV/IMG_2659.jpg Leia Wasbotten The trek up to the top of the dome was less than pleasant (think very narrow spiral staircases with no A/C on a pretty hot day, and along with a pack of 100 other tourists). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134353073-ZU62J1TV07BH63GQO6OE/IMG_2676.jpg Leia Wasbotten Made it to the top of the Duomo! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134360799-7W5YZJGY0I0EI1YMLP9J/IMG_2704.jpg Leia Wasbotten A view of the Duomo, taken from the campanile. This particular dome is one of the greatest architectural marvels of Europe; Brunelleschi had to work from an octagonal base into a rounded dome using brick, which was so heavy that the bricklayers staggered their orientation in diagonal "V" shapes to offset the weight (otherwise, it would have collapsed on itself). Inside the dome sits an inner dome, and the space between is what tourists (and renovators) now use to get to the top of the dome. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134364072-H79UZH2UI18W0CB5YKT5/IMG_2708.jpg Leia Wasbotten Looking down from one of the top levels of the campanile. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134369630-ZBPVAB002EPLV4B0DND5/IMG_2711.jpg Leia Wasbotten Using Google Translate's camera feature to automatically translate plaques. (This saved us several times, especially in Hungary.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134372543-86YABWNQ1OQHFJ294K8V/IMG_2720.jpg Leia Wasbotten Walking around the perimeter of the bell tower. The Duomo is visible to the left. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134385939-6G564V874RTUHSECSFPC/IMG_2918.jpg Leia Wasbotten The inside of Palazzo Vecchio, Florence's town hall. The Médici turned it into another family residence as a statement to the public that they, as a banking family, had assumed political power. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134379846-DI6AMOUMKK5XSB4YWJK8/IMG_2922.jpg Leia Wasbotten One of the columns up to the top of the Palazzo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134392495-0RDMTTXGX3X4M4YVONKL/IMG_2934.jpg Leia Wasbotten Looking across town from Palazzo Vecchio to Florence Cathedral. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134398012-0GQ0XCUQR5GXL7XGOGDU/IMG_2945.jpg Leia Wasbotten Goofing off near what was once the Palazzo's barracks and prisons. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134401251-J90W0RCI52GV8UUKM9MG/IMG_2957.jpg Leia Wasbotten You can see the outline of one just in front of Ryan: The Palazzo had a series of trapdoors about every 15 feet that dropped straight down to the street, maybe 100 or so feet below. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134411386-CBADLL8NUUWKJ7E2NI4Y/IMG_2961.jpg Leia Wasbotten One of the larger chambers of the inside of Palazzo Vecchio. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134407263-BRXBJIEDS9W3EXIIAAGG/IMG_2968.jpg Leia Wasbotten Ryan, looking out at Oltrarno (an historic town just across the Arno from Florence). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134511892-2ZRSD529AWVZG19WJUOS/IMG_2508.jpg Leia Wasbotten The most beautiful latte Jess had ever seen! Our first stop after dropping our bags off at our bed and breakfast was a lunch spot not far from Pitti Palace, where we sat outside and people-watched over bruschetta. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134512987-D1DOUGLEOBTZYVWZL1ZX/IMG_2516.jpg Leia Wasbotten Apologies if this looks gross, but it has a funny story. Jess didn't know what this particular bruschetta was, so she started eating it anyway while Ryan looked on with apprehension. She thought it was a ground-up, slightly wet meatball. Ryan (now trying not to laugh) told her it was liver pudding. Needless to say, she didn't continue. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134518023-X3UM0C7OY0FL8QME2M6H/IMG_2729.jpg Leia Wasbotten This was one of the best pasta dishes we'd ever had from a traditional Florentine restaurant. It was made with veal and plenty of garlic. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134518836-Q2G3M4A3DT6GBJHWCV40/IMG_2731.jpg Leia Wasbotten One of the most well-known local delicacies: Florentine T-bone steak, prepared and cut in a way we couldn't completely understand thanks to language barriers. But it was tasty! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134526420-30F4A5IJVA68U0NT569H/IMG_2732.jpg Leia Wasbotten The inside of a traditional restaurant just around the corner from our bed and breakfast, near Dante Alighieri square. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134526361-YNUTBBCJDWEVIPGIZC4A/IMG_2748.jpg Leia Wasbotten Our favorite place to stop for coffee and (chocolate) croissants in the mornings was a hip café just up the street from where we were staying. In Italy, you stand at the bar while drinking your espresso-based beverage; sitting down costs extra, and sitting outside costs even more. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134532702-S6FJ0SKENBFU6V0B38GN/IMG_2749.jpg Leia Wasbotten Another day, another chocolate croissant and latte. It was the staple of our mornings! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134533535-B35SN8I790IUKWNEOM5M/IMG_2843.jpg Leia Wasbotten Easily the best pizza we'd ever had. This was from Mangia Pizza, right next to the Uffizi. (We actually ate there between our tours of the Accademia and Uffizi galleries.) The crust was just as light and crunchy as it looks. Not pictured: Across the street from where we sat while eating, a residence had a plaque with "9" (the street number) by the front door. Someone had written in "3/4" next to it. Jess approved. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134538820-9SOK8V65JO6MXATV5TLH/IMG_2849.jpg Leia Wasbotten Just another winding street near the heart of Florence, not far from the Arno river. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134538949-CM8UCED87E77WS23T71L/IMG_2855.jpg Leia Wasbotten A latte from a café just off Ponte Vecchio, Florence's most famous bridge and the only bridge to survive bombing from WWII. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134548508-68B9B7GI4I8N5FBUXNZC/IMG_2901.jpg Leia Wasbotten One of our last dinners in Florence was outside, looking at the main piazza where Florence Cathedral is located, and only just up the street we could hear cello music. It was a lovely evening, and the weather was perfect. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134546956-ZLI1GUZSFNRZHR1EM5OE/IMG_2906.jpg Leia Wasbotten Caprese (with a side of red wine). https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/kyla-mccarrel daily 0.75 2017-07-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Kyla McCarrel https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134281790-0C3LRY9M0LLV0406GQ28/IMG_2465.JPG Kyla McCarrel The inside of the Museo Nazionale del Bargello, which reminded us strongly of the inside courtyard of Castle Black in Game of Thrones, but that's fine. The Bargello was a barracks and prison, but is now used as an art museum featuring Donatello's original David. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134285814-MJ4UYO2URXQ38MJ5TV6P/IMG_2471.jpg Kyla McCarrel Jess really liked this guy on the right because his sideburns are a great testament to why curly sideburns are a terrible idea. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134290225-OX16J5WLZTQKMTJI3F2Q/IMG_2485.jpg Kyla McCarrel Looking toward Palazzo Vecchio, Florence's town hall, which was briefly a Médici residence (to remind citizens that this banking family had now assumed political power). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134293268-LME21AHYLCINYE1OQM19/IMG_2489.jpg Kyla McCarrel Looking across the Arno at Florence's center. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134299957-TI78MJ4JJFDVHTVV02MA/IMG_2522.jpg Kyla McCarrel Taken inside Boboli Gardens, looking toward the back of Pitti Palace (yes...yet another Médici residence at one point). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134299832-52UXPOBIH4P80NCVW0KG/IMG_2527.jpg Kyla McCarrel A view of Florence from Boboli Gardens. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134308917-9VN6BIYIC93L3BLHNB0K/IMG_2546.jpg Kyla McCarrel The gardens stretch up a large hill that overlooks the city. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134312057-6MMS66WWTJT3YFEU50GS/IMG_2560.jpg Kyla McCarrel Looking out at the Tuscan countryside from the top of the gardens. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134319476-3LZ8V5TJQRNOOKA0RSHS/IMG_2575.jpg Kyla McCarrel A view of the dome (the Duomo) and the campanile, with Pitti Palace in the foreground. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134324363-KH9W4JDNC94T8GBTAAA0/IMG_2577.jpg Kyla McCarrel Mandatory selfie as we left the gardens. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134337753-DQODKM3B4I7XPA2MTN7V/IMG_2638.jpg Kyla McCarrel Florence Cathedral's bell tower, or campanile. All the marble you see is taken from local quarries. This façade is one of the best examples of Gothic Revival architecture in Europe. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134340773-U7YKQW9PLSGBIKNOORQZ/IMG_2643.jpg Kyla McCarrel Looking up at Florence Cathedral, the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134348681-Z748YUISASJWQHBSUC0H/IMG_2652.jpg Kyla McCarrel The inside of the Duomo's inner dome. This was taken from a balcony far above the church below, which gives you an idea of the scale of the place. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134348316-HXZ3EUBM02YI6ZHQOQKV/IMG_2659.jpg Kyla McCarrel The trek up to the top of the dome was less than pleasant (think very narrow spiral staircases with no A/C on a pretty hot day, and along with a pack of 100 other tourists). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134353073-ZU62J1TV07BH63GQO6OE/IMG_2676.jpg Kyla McCarrel Made it to the top of the Duomo! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134360799-7W5YZJGY0I0EI1YMLP9J/IMG_2704.jpg Kyla McCarrel A view of the Duomo, taken from the campanile. This particular dome is one of the greatest architectural marvels of Europe; Brunelleschi had to work from an octagonal base into a rounded dome using brick, which was so heavy that the bricklayers staggered their orientation in diagonal "V" shapes to offset the weight (otherwise, it would have collapsed on itself). Inside the dome sits an inner dome, and the space between is what tourists (and renovators) now use to get to the top of the dome. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134364072-H79UZH2UI18W0CB5YKT5/IMG_2708.jpg Kyla McCarrel Looking down from one of the top levels of the campanile. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134369630-ZBPVAB002EPLV4B0DND5/IMG_2711.jpg Kyla McCarrel Using Google Translate's camera feature to automatically translate plaques. (This saved us several times, especially in Hungary.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134372543-86YABWNQ1OQHFJ294K8V/IMG_2720.jpg Kyla McCarrel Walking around the perimeter of the bell tower. The Duomo is visible to the left. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134385939-6G564V874RTUHSECSFPC/IMG_2918.jpg Kyla McCarrel The inside of Palazzo Vecchio, Florence's town hall. The Médici turned it into another family residence as a statement to the public that they, as a banking family, had assumed political power. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134379846-DI6AMOUMKK5XSB4YWJK8/IMG_2922.jpg Kyla McCarrel One of the columns up to the top of the Palazzo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134392495-0RDMTTXGX3X4M4YVONKL/IMG_2934.jpg Kyla McCarrel Looking across town from Palazzo Vecchio to Florence Cathedral. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134398012-0GQ0XCUQR5GXL7XGOGDU/IMG_2945.jpg Kyla McCarrel Goofing off near what was once the Palazzo's barracks and prisons. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134401251-J90W0RCI52GV8UUKM9MG/IMG_2957.jpg Kyla McCarrel You can see the outline of one just in front of Ryan: The Palazzo had a series of trapdoors about every 15 feet that dropped straight down to the street, maybe 100 or so feet below. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134411386-CBADLL8NUUWKJ7E2NI4Y/IMG_2961.jpg Kyla McCarrel One of the larger chambers of the inside of Palazzo Vecchio. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134407263-BRXBJIEDS9W3EXIIAAGG/IMG_2968.jpg Kyla McCarrel Ryan, looking out at Oltrarno (an historic town just across the Arno from Florence). https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/annamaria-oliverio daily 0.75 2017-07-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Annamaria Oliverio https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134281790-0C3LRY9M0LLV0406GQ28/IMG_2465.JPG Annamaria Oliverio The inside of the Museo Nazionale del Bargello, which reminded us strongly of the inside courtyard of Castle Black in Game of Thrones, but that's fine. The Bargello was a barracks and prison, but is now used as an art museum featuring Donatello's original David. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134285814-MJ4UYO2URXQ38MJ5TV6P/IMG_2471.jpg Annamaria Oliverio Jess really liked this guy on the right because his sideburns are a great testament to why curly sideburns are a terrible idea. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134290225-OX16J5WLZTQKMTJI3F2Q/IMG_2485.jpg Annamaria Oliverio Looking toward Palazzo Vecchio, Florence's town hall, which was briefly a Médici residence (to remind citizens that this banking family had now assumed political power). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134293268-LME21AHYLCINYE1OQM19/IMG_2489.jpg Annamaria Oliverio Looking across the Arno at Florence's center. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134299957-TI78MJ4JJFDVHTVV02MA/IMG_2522.jpg Annamaria Oliverio Taken inside Boboli Gardens, looking toward the back of Pitti Palace (yes...yet another Médici residence at one point). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134299832-52UXPOBIH4P80NCVW0KG/IMG_2527.jpg Annamaria Oliverio A view of Florence from Boboli Gardens. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134308917-9VN6BIYIC93L3BLHNB0K/IMG_2546.jpg Annamaria Oliverio The gardens stretch up a large hill that overlooks the city. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134312057-6MMS66WWTJT3YFEU50GS/IMG_2560.jpg Annamaria Oliverio Looking out at the Tuscan countryside from the top of the gardens. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134319476-3LZ8V5TJQRNOOKA0RSHS/IMG_2575.jpg Annamaria Oliverio A view of the dome (the Duomo) and the campanile, with Pitti Palace in the foreground. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134324363-KH9W4JDNC94T8GBTAAA0/IMG_2577.jpg Annamaria Oliverio Mandatory selfie as we left the gardens. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134337753-DQODKM3B4I7XPA2MTN7V/IMG_2638.jpg Annamaria Oliverio Florence Cathedral's bell tower, or campanile. All the marble you see is taken from local quarries. This façade is one of the best examples of Gothic Revival architecture in Europe. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134340773-U7YKQW9PLSGBIKNOORQZ/IMG_2643.jpg Annamaria Oliverio Looking up at Florence Cathedral, the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134348681-Z748YUISASJWQHBSUC0H/IMG_2652.jpg Annamaria Oliverio The inside of the Duomo's inner dome. This was taken from a balcony far above the church below, which gives you an idea of the scale of the place. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134348316-HXZ3EUBM02YI6ZHQOQKV/IMG_2659.jpg Annamaria Oliverio The trek up to the top of the dome was less than pleasant (think very narrow spiral staircases with no A/C on a pretty hot day, and along with a pack of 100 other tourists). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134353073-ZU62J1TV07BH63GQO6OE/IMG_2676.jpg Annamaria Oliverio Made it to the top of the Duomo! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134360799-7W5YZJGY0I0EI1YMLP9J/IMG_2704.jpg Annamaria Oliverio A view of the Duomo, taken from the campanile. This particular dome is one of the greatest architectural marvels of Europe; Brunelleschi had to work from an octagonal base into a rounded dome using brick, which was so heavy that the bricklayers staggered their orientation in diagonal "V" shapes to offset the weight (otherwise, it would have collapsed on itself). Inside the dome sits an inner dome, and the space between is what tourists (and renovators) now use to get to the top of the dome. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134364072-H79UZH2UI18W0CB5YKT5/IMG_2708.jpg Annamaria Oliverio Looking down from one of the top levels of the campanile. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134369630-ZBPVAB002EPLV4B0DND5/IMG_2711.jpg Annamaria Oliverio Using Google Translate's camera feature to automatically translate plaques. (This saved us several times, especially in Hungary.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134372543-86YABWNQ1OQHFJ294K8V/IMG_2720.jpg Annamaria Oliverio Walking around the perimeter of the bell tower. The Duomo is visible to the left. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134385939-6G564V874RTUHSECSFPC/IMG_2918.jpg Annamaria Oliverio The inside of Palazzo Vecchio, Florence's town hall. The Médici turned it into another family residence as a statement to the public that they, as a banking family, had assumed political power. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134379846-DI6AMOUMKK5XSB4YWJK8/IMG_2922.jpg Annamaria Oliverio One of the columns up to the top of the Palazzo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134392495-0RDMTTXGX3X4M4YVONKL/IMG_2934.jpg Annamaria Oliverio Looking across town from Palazzo Vecchio to Florence Cathedral. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134398012-0GQ0XCUQR5GXL7XGOGDU/IMG_2945.jpg Annamaria Oliverio Goofing off near what was once the Palazzo's barracks and prisons. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134401251-J90W0RCI52GV8UUKM9MG/IMG_2957.jpg Annamaria Oliverio You can see the outline of one just in front of Ryan: The Palazzo had a series of trapdoors about every 15 feet that dropped straight down to the street, maybe 100 or so feet below. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134411386-CBADLL8NUUWKJ7E2NI4Y/IMG_2961.jpg Annamaria Oliverio One of the larger chambers of the inside of Palazzo Vecchio. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134407263-BRXBJIEDS9W3EXIIAAGG/IMG_2968.jpg Annamaria Oliverio Ryan, looking out at Oltrarno (an historic town just across the Arno from Florence). https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/lisa-ed-youssef daily 0.75 2017-07-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134086673-LUO7VJOU2RSTLCN7QNR9/IMG_2754.jpg Lisa & Ed Youssef Goofing off while waiting for our first tour guide outside the Academia. The lines were already so long. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134087898-9VUOFHAWBFIW4MOHO83H/IMG_2756.JPG Lisa & Ed Youssef The first known upright piano, wallpapered to match the original room where it was placed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134095113-M09EVY9JQRV35X8U83AU/IMG_2757.JPG Lisa & Ed Youssef The Rape of the Sabines. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134097427-GVCP4E9U8PTYT8JJ2W22/IMG_2759.JPG Lisa & Ed Youssef One of a series of partially finished Michelangelo sculptures. It was so neat seeing how Michelangelo worked his way through each block of marble; here, it looks as if the man is slowly emerging from the rock. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134108414-8QEUT0WD3G7HP6QI4GXB/IMG_2770.JPG Lisa & Ed Youssef Michelangelo's famous David. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134111139-TDKRWS4KELKHWLE9SWP0/IMG_2772.JPG Lisa & Ed Youssef The David is made all the more impressive by the fact that the marble is faulty, and should have been almost impossible to work with without breaking. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134118558-94J1KR678BT3IXXGZ15P/IMG_2775.jpg Lisa & Ed Youssef A room showcasing the plaster versions of statues that students create first before working on a final marble masterpiece. The plaster copy serves as a model, to keep the second version to scale. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134120915-GZEUHCN56P0S9R702TSI/IMG_2781.jpg Lisa & Ed Youssef The original doors of the Florence Baptistery (the doors now standing outside, open to the elements, are a replica). Florence sponsored a competition for who would create these bronze doors (semifinalists included Lorenzo Ghiberti, Filippo Brunelleschi, and Donatello); when Ghiberti won, Brunelleschi went on to construct the Duomo of Florence Cathedral, still regarded as one of the greatest architectural wonders of Europe. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134134120-E34567ALK90H83VWPW5A/IMG_2784.jpg Lisa & Ed Youssef Florence Cathedral, the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134129716-RFKYOXUPXV6WHJJMONOD/IMG_2795.jpg Lisa & Ed Youssef This chapel belongs to one of the oldest charitable institutions in Florence (est. 1441), which has always served as the Robin Hood of the city; the wealthy (or at least, those who could afford to do so) donated money anonymously into slots in the marble outside the chapel, and would indicate how they wanted their money to be used (for a certain family, for enemies of the Médici [who would financially ruin them], etc.). To this day, donations still go directly to the poor. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134146609-2J6KB1ORJLJ7IC4BKHUD/IMG_2799.jpg Lisa & Ed Youssef An altar dedicated to the Madonna, which was the point of prayer during major plagues (e.g., the Black Death) in Florence. It's located inside what was once a grain market. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134145611-ORJ78675K8VX7623OR4D/IMG_2803.jpg Lisa & Ed Youssef The Mercato Nuovo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134156052-ID2STKA21KH6EHRS5I32/IMG_2806.jpg Lisa & Ed Youssef This mercato is now home to vendors, primarily of leather and cashmere. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134156628-GRYWHBTBXDHRKMULTS10/IMG_2815.jpg Lisa & Ed Youssef On the left, you see a replica of Michelangelo's David. This is where the David used to stand before a woman threw a large piece of furniture out the window the Palazzo Vecchio behind him and broke off his arm. He was then moved to the Accademia for safe-keeping. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134162218-LXIBM2PNOS5TYASX5MKP/IMG_2827.jpg Lisa & Ed Youssef Ponte Vecchio, Florence's most famous bridge and the only bridge to survive bombing during WWII. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134164954-FOAVMBPIJN8NQG7KHM50/IMG_2833.jpg Lisa & Ed Youssef A mural in a family's privately owned chapel in Basilica di Santa Trinita. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134172124-MYSJKD1P55HAVDNQ4BTA/IMG_2834.jpg Lisa & Ed Youssef Interestingly, this mural was found beneath the previous one (through X-ray scanning when they were surveying the chapels for water damage after a bad flood). They were able to extricate most of the underlying mural. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134172428-O61JI6DR3BAW2GKSO12D/IMG_2856.JPG Lisa & Ed Youssef The Uffizi is built on top of an 11th-century complex (possibly a mansion?), which means these stairs to the bathrooms hover just above the original floors. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134183386-I97RPAA614CNCXW1KX70/IMG_2858.jpg Lisa & Ed Youssef One of the main hallways of the Uffizi. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134177573-O8A2SUZ5IABB1G7UMP1U/IMG_2861.jpg Lisa & Ed Youssef The Birth of Venus. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134186025-MB6CL5CKZNBQUX21ISFV/IMG_2864.jpg Lisa & Ed Youssef Primavera. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134194748-M93MIBNPICP42E5BS8GJ/IMG_2869.jpg Lisa & Ed Youssef This was one of the lounging chambers for men of the Médici family. (The Uffizi houses much of the Médici collection, which was ordered in Anna Maria Luisa's will to never leave Florence after her death.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134204912-2XH5990I2YJ1FWG6UXKQ/IMG_2871.jpg Lisa & Ed Youssef Looking down the Arno from the Uffizi toward Ponte Vecchio. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134206042-Q66OULQXXYPIQ7VPRZ6U/IMG_2873.jpg Lisa & Ed Youssef Michelangelo's Madonna with child. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134212043-L6WASP6AJZYH4VY5W5FM/IMG_2880.JPG Lisa & Ed Youssef The newly restored, and never completed, "Adoration" by Da Vinci. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Lisa & Ed Youssef https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/kevin-kriegel-nathan-lepp daily 0.75 2017-07-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136695726-LOI2O33ORE77U2OTINJF/IMG_3798.jpg Kevin Kriegel & Nathan Lepp We started our wine tour by Frari Church and wound our way to the Rialto area (one of Venice's key tourism spots, centered around Ponte Rialto). Along the way, Davide brought us up to speed on ways of life in Venice, such as securing drinkable water (which used to be the churches' mission hundreds of years ago) and maintaining historic homes on a series of 118 islands that are constantly shifting. As you can see here, buildings slowly warp over time, so that doorways shift into a diagonal and wooden doors have to be cut at odd shapes to fit. As Rick Steves says repeatedly in his tours of Venice, it's questionable how much longer the city will be inhabitable. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136693033-7D7ZVJJFYMPIW8SAEICH/IMG_3802.jpg Kevin Kriegel & Nathan Lepp Our first stop on the wine tour was Osteria Bancogiro, which sat on Campo San Giacomo di Rialto--a square (campo, because only San Marco can be a piazza in Venice) that features one of the first Roman numeral clocks in Venice ca. the 1400s. This clock is so old that the Roman numeral four (now IV) is displayed as the former IIII. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136702080-CP9NDRT8ZPNWYPK8RIQW/IMG_3804.jpg Kevin Kriegel & Nathan Lepp Osteria Bancogiro is famous because it used to be a bank from the year 1600 before it was turned into a pub-like restaurant. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136702677-HUVZCCP9W8VU79ZQ61IY/IMG_3808.jpg Kevin Kriegel & Nathan Lepp We first tried a prosecco DOCG Superiore Adami Bosco di Gica (using the Italian charmat method), which was so dry that even Ryan--not a lover of bubbles--enjoyed it. This prosecco was served with a Venetian delicacy: thinly sliced bread topped with cod, which had been whipped with olive oil. That's it--just cod and olive oil, and the simple combination was delicious (even for Jess, who hates fish). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136713782-LCFIS7M490KY0BYUU18I/IMG_3815.jpg Kevin Kriegel & Nathan Lepp Our next stop was Cantina do Spade (two spades), the oldest pub in Venice (est. 1448). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136708428-RG3Q86CTLNRC8AYKKPVB/IMG_3814.jpg Kevin Kriegel & Nathan Lepp We have no idea what we ate with our Teroldego Rotaliano Barone di Cles (in other words, a type of Teroldego), but we know it was deep fried and involved cheese and ham and we were in heaven. Do Spade didn't actually carry a wine that Davide wanted to show us, so he came earlier in the day with this red, asked them to uncork it for him to let it breathe, and served it to us that evening. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136717713-CV9NMSH6A6PGQGYDZ7UZ/IMG_3819.jpg Kevin Kriegel & Nathan Lepp The Campo della Pescado, Venice's indoor/outdoor fish market. The stones look wet because they'd just hosed them down after closing the market for the evening. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136724079-T07CCHO2GT63EWOMY4KE/IMG_3829.jpg Kevin Kriegel & Nathan Lepp We took a "black gondola" (a black-and-gold gondola that crosses back and forth across the Grand Canal for just a euro or two) to Cannaregio, Venice's second largest island. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136726812-M9AB51TSIZ7VED3U9GG6/IMG_3833.jpg Kevin Kriegel & Nathan Lepp Cannaregio. Unlike the rest of Venice, it's much more local-centric, streets are wider and cleaner, and it also houses the city's Jewish Quarter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136733774-AZKV9Z4S5K1THGT9PXD1/IMG_3841.jpg Kevin Kriegel & Nathan Lepp Vino Vero, one of Venice's best wine bars according to TripAdvisor. (When I told Davide about this, he got very indignant and said it wouldn't even be in the top 10, except that he was friends with the owners and it had a great location on the water.) We had a Barbera d'Asti La Gonella here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136732917-4BEFUJGCWV14NCSUFA4V/IMG_3844.jpg Kevin Kriegel & Nathan Lepp Fun fact: Jess is deathly allergic to cashews and pistachios. Although pistachios are a central part of Italian cuisine (thanks, gelato), cashews are very rare--rare enough that there is no actual word for them in Italian. (Google Translate swears it's "anacardia," which stems from "against the heart" in Latin and Greek...funny, because it will literally stop Jess's heart. Even so, multiple locals from Rome, Florence, and Venice promised that they'd never heard of an edible substance called "anacardia" in their lives.) When I showed Davide a picture of a cashew--just in preparation for this wine tour, with the explanation that I wasn't in the mood for an ER trip on an ambulance boat--he just blinked and said, "But that's a peanut, isn't it?" And here's where it gets really funny--Davide asked Vino Vero to serve two savory bruschetta with our wine while we sat outside, enjoying the sunset. He then came hurrying out, looking very proud of himself, and said "They have anacardia! They have it here!" As you could guess, Ryan had the cashew and cheese bruschetta (the one to the right), and I had the cured pork with fruit preserves. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136741377-XPZV9SUJ3UM1ZUTVG7X5/IMG_3851.jpg Kevin Kriegel & Nathan Lepp Cantina Aziende Agricole, where we had a Valpolicella Ripasso Le Torbe Dominii Veneti (in other words, a Corvina). We loved this one so much that we got a bottle for ourselves. We'd never had a ripasso (in which winemakers pass the wine through already-used grape skins for a second round), and we loved the smooth complexity of this particular wine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499136740375-PEU344DXJWNK0MNG1KLN/IMG_3853.jpg Kevin Kriegel & Nathan Lepp Al Timon, our last stop on the tour. We had a Franciacorta Clarabella Essenza (a Chardonnay) and a Torcolato Col Dovigo '11 (a Vespaiola). I think both were served with chocolates, but to perfectly honest, we were five glasses of wine in and it was kind of a blur. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Kevin Kriegel & Nathan Lepp https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/ashley-ball-tom-gardner daily 0.75 2017-07-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143388957-UC81WU7RIS3RMCQCV4S1/IMG_0004.jpg Ashley Ball & Tom Gardner Ryan hadn't been to Rome (or, more specifically, Rome's hipster district of Trastevere) in almost a decade, so we relied on Google Maps to get us through the winding streets. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143388640-LD1MZSKYGICN5TKZZMV9/IMG_0012.jpg Ashley Ball & Tom Gardner We kept an eye on crowds in Rome's piazzas (plazas) via Google throughout the day to figure out the best time to stop by for photos. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143392164-KNZTPSDC5WJ40XKYSS2V/IMG_0019.jpg Ashley Ball & Tom Gardner The basic theme of our trip went like this: (1) we'd discover something really cool about a place, like a plaque in a language we couldn't read or a decorative piece that didn't seem to make a lot of sense, so (2) one of us would pull out the trusty Wikipedia or Google Translate, and (3) we'd just hover over our phones, trying to learn as much about that particular place as possible. For the Pantheon, we spent 5 minutes reading about all the crazy architectural wonders that went into constructing this perfect dome. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143393552-XDHXMM90P03V8ODM3MNS/IMG_0029.jpg Ashley Ball & Tom Gardner We accidentally stumbled upon this view while using Google Maps to take a shortcut up to some of the hills near Vatican City. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143395009-C45DOJK28IAFK170MC5Y/IMG_0038.jpg Ashley Ball & Tom Gardner 4 out of 5 times, we'd choose a restaurant for lunch or dinner based on TripAdvisor (Europe's Yelp) reviews...and it very rarely led us astray. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143395981-SJRP8BR15G8E1XHIKPUS/IMG_0066.jpg Ashley Ball & Tom Gardner Yet another time that we stumbled across some ancient Roman ruins (here, in the middle of the Jewish Quarter) and pulled out our phones to look up when they were built, what they were, and why they were still there. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143398025-NOXGM1UR0R2WZZCGSZN5/IMG_0135.jpg Ashley Ball & Tom Gardner The line to climb the Duomo was so long that we hopped online to reserve tickets, instead--and it saved us hours (and hours) of time. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143398957-XW02YUPNWKR3QL9BJRB0/IMG_0169.jpg Ashley Ball & Tom Gardner Rick Steves recommended visiting San Miniato al Monte, a church built in the 1100s that is still in use today, for its perfect views of Florence. Without Google, we could never have figured out how to wind our way through Oltrarno (across the Arno river) and up the hill to the church. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143406439-5LN5Y0K97X21SIS8LLHP/IMG_0176.jpg Ashley Ball & Tom Gardner It turns out San Miniato's monks make their own gelato, biscotti, and liqueur (including limoncello, which we brought back with us). We sat on this gardenia-covered bench and ate the monks' gelato while reading up on their monastery online. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143405998-DWYM10KC8EGO6N1ZBJ0V/IMG_0219.jpg Ashley Ball & Tom Gardner Trying to find a good gondolier was much harder than we expected. We stood in a piazza in Venice for 15 minutes, reading techniques and phrases in Italian to use when trying to find a good gondola ride. It worked--we had an excellent time, and got to explore some of Venice's back canals, including dipping under these (scarily low) arches. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143410367-6C9UQOTQ7TMWKOABVSH3/IMG_0228.jpg Ashley Ball & Tom Gardner Google Maps, bless them, is now equipped with all of Venice's public transportation routes--which exclusively means "water taxis." We took a water taxi through Veneto around the Venetian Lagoon to the colorful island of Burano. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143410187-0T8X47CLEV953T89RGLF/IMG_0229.jpg Ashley Ball & Tom Gardner Finding Burano which would have been near impossible without Google telling us where to catch which taxi and when. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143413930-TWKZY7601KIRG9P4283I/IMG_0243.jpg Ashley Ball & Tom Gardner If you didn't know this, Jess is deathly allergic to cashews and pistachios. "Pistachio" is a super common word in Italian (thanks, gelato), but cashews are so rare that they don't even have a word for them. She relied on Google to pull up translations, definitions, and pictures of cashews in places where we couldn't be sure what we were about to eat. In one place, it saved her at the last minute from an ER visit (the bruschetta on the right is covered in cashews). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143414304-6YMRH3IQGQLGHYGRBT5S/IMG_0271.jpg Ashley Ball & Tom Gardner All Jess wanted to do in Grindelwald, Switzerland was take a tin toboggan ride. It turns out finding these rides is really confusing--the signs throughout town point toward a children's park without mentioning whether it has a toboggan run. We had Google open the whole way through town while trying to find this place. (It was worth it.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143415585-0JDB7FR8V44TZI9WD3JF/IMG_0305.jpg Ashley Ball & Tom Gardner We had a day of free train travel to use, so we made a day trip around Thunnersee (the Sea of Thun) and Brienzersee (the Sea of Brienz) around Interlaken, Bern, and Lucern. That same day, we visited two castles--which was very difficult, because it also happened to be Whit Monday, so almost everything was closed. We relied on the Internet to look up holiday hours and phone numbers throughout the day to make sure things were open. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143417944-PJ9C210OCLTOZZ3GLAAL/IMG_0348.jpg Ashley Ball & Tom Gardner So Jess is a big fan of old 007 movies, and freaked out when she found out "On her Majesty's Secret Service" was filmed at the rotating restaurant on the top of the nearby Schilthorn. We used their website to keep an eye on the 360º camera every day we were in Interlaken to figure out when it would be clearest at the top of the peak. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143418187-2VFAD6XGDYCZDCM6VCIK/IMG_0353.jpg Ashley Ball & Tom Gardner Luckily, this meant we were able to get an online reservation for brunch on the clearest morning we were there! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143421465-9C9CN7PJQDSYGV3XBVGB/IMG_0464.jpg Ashley Ball & Tom Gardner Snapped this photo while hopelessly lost on a hillside in Salzburg, trying to find Augustiner Biergarten. When we finally used Google Maps, we found out it was at the bottom of the hill all along. Naturally. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143421244-749ZKCWWT2X190UAVT1U/IMG_0471.jpg Ashley Ball & Tom Gardner We happened to be in Vienna during Pride, which was fun to see! So we kept an eye on Pride events throughout those few days, which helped guide some of our sightseeing toward the end of our time there. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143426431-HP4L5T3TTQJY878O0C5X/IMG_0499.jpg Ashley Ball & Tom Gardner Ryan downloaded the Ancestry.com app while we sat in Vienna's Belvedere Gardens, and looked up the marriage certificate of his great-great-grandmother, Hanny Schwarz (née Deutsch). Thanks to that certificate, we were able to find her 1904 home in Vienna's Jewish District, which is where she lived before moving to New York. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143426175-3Q4I6JO2XEP2VVKV17PN/IMG_0568.jpg Ashley Ball & Tom Gardner While Jess got a massage, Ryan used cell data to watch House of Cards in Budapest's Gellért Thermal Baths. He was in heaven. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143429514-RNAV0KOL4SUMGDP4I0I2/IMG_0587.jpg Ashley Ball & Tom Gardner This sounds like a funny story, but at the time it wasn't. We were in the middle of this nature-covered island in the Danube, between Buda and Pest. We were a very far walk from the bridge to get off the island, and Jess drank so much coffee that morning that she needed a bathroom like you wouldn't believe. Ryan had to download a public bathroom-finding app, which guided us to a random little building in a grove of trees that we never would have found otherwise. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143429584-31KUGIWT01POB5A5YS17/IMG_0602.jpg Ashley Ball & Tom Gardner Thanks to TripAdvisor, we spent our last evening in Budapest at Whiskers Cat Pub, a...cat pub. With alcoholic beverages...and cats. We were (Jess was) ecstatic. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143432361-C61P296TZFC16E87RY0T/IMG_0627.jpg Ashley Ball & Tom Gardner On our last evening of the honeymoon, which we spent in Fiumicino, Ryan was stretched out by the spas and watching more House of Cards. Just look at the joy in those eyes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Ashley Ball & Tom Gardner https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/nancy-davidson daily 0.75 2017-07-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137499450-18SG838HM3TUIOURNHE2/IMG_3974.jpg Nancy Davidson The first thing we did after arriving in Bern was drag our dirty laundry (after spending a week and a half trudging through very hot, very humid Italy) to Bern's "Wash Bar," a laundromat-meets-live-music-meets-bar-and-café. We ran several loads while just hanging out at the bar and reading Rick Steves's recommendations for what to see and do around the city. Meanwhile, the bartender had no idea what a mimosa was, so after I explained the concept she disappeared for a moment and came back out with a bottle of champagne and a carton of orange juice, with this look of pure delight on her face. I'd like to think that to this day, she enjoys one of these newfound mimosas every now and then. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137514620-KZJIH468JPBAZ8C51NJD/IMG_4010.jpg Nancy Davidson A bird's eye view of Bern. You can see the bright blue, unmistakable Aare river running between the trees. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137513484-OY3IIKHGL3IZ7085DBD3/IMG_4016.jpg Nancy Davidson This was the coolest glockenspiel, part of the Zytglogge clock tower; four minutes to every hour, it would put on a mechanical performance of little wooden puppets, which has been a staple of Bern tourism for centuries. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137525951-HX5211YU8M6PD7VL1UOA/IMG_4022.jpg Nancy Davidson Looking down one of Bern's many shopping arcades. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137541394-NYRPP1BM7HH7OWSSNSMV/IMG_4036.jpg Nancy Davidson Bern, like the rest of Switzerland, is extremely expensive; so as drool-worthy as these townhouses are along the Aare, each one would run you well (well) over $1m. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137546298-3PJQ9LSE03QGNNFLEQ3Y/IMG_4083.jpg Nancy Davidson The water was so cold that I lost feeling in my toes while posing for a few photos. Ryan stuck one hand in, laughed, and said "Nope, not doing that." https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137555595-K1XT5JMV4Z2ODAVUSN5T/IMG_4158.jpg Nancy Davidson Looking out at the historic part of the city. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137554589-QQ2YM9FNV7K33SGEHWXE/IMG_4211.jpg Nancy Davidson (: https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Nancy Davidson https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/richard-susan-stewart daily 0.75 2017-07-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137807187-ZVQGFK753S9KNJVHWA0Q/IMG_4236.jpg Richard & Susan Stewart Walking through the heart of Interlaken. The sign "Derby" points to our bed and breakfast, "Hotel Derby." https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137805576-TRC23X5GRIKBZR8WV0WI/IMG_4335.jpg Richard & Susan Stewart The hotel's location was perfect: We were off the main stretch (which mostly comprised Rolex, Prada, Gucci, and Botega Veneta shops), but within a three-minute walk of beautiful view like this one. This photo shows Höhematte, Interlaken's wide, grassy park with views of Jungfrau (the snowy peak in the middle). Although Jungfrau is called "The Top of Europe," it's far from the highest peak in Europe--especially if you count Russia. Its train station, however, is the highest on the continent at 11,332 feet. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137852998-XOCA5K1X69PMTAZDHKUK/IMG_4465.jpg Richard & Susan Stewart The view from Pfingstegg, a children's park and tin toboggan run in the hills of Grindelwald, Switzerland. Behind this panorama stands the Schreckhorn. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137816998-M6NQ0JYAOPC807FTZY0T/IMG_4580.jpg Richard & Susan Stewart Unterseen, an historic village across the Aare from the rest of Interlaken. Unterseen was a massive Roman cemetery during the empire's time, and by the 12th century was known for its multiple forts. Now, it's a quaint, calm, local-centric village that feels very different from the bustling tourism in Interlaken. We particularly appreciated its wide streets and historic homes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137822206-03X7YVDYAZ4P33O0N4OB/IMG_4799.jpg Richard & Susan Stewart We took a bus from Thun, at the far end of Thunnersee (the Sea of Thun) from Interlaken, to Oberhofen just a few miles away. Unfortunately, we made this day trip on Whit Monday, which is an observed national holiday in most of Europe. After finding closed restaurant after closed restaurant, we finally made our way to the castle just off the sea. (In fact, it has a neat turret located in the sea itself; it sits on a stone column sunk directly into Thunersee.) Luckily, while trying to find the best view of the castle, we stumbled upon a pier directly next to the castle walls...and saw signs for lunch. The pier's restaurant—which must have once been used for selling tickets, as hinted by the haphazard addition of cooking instruments throughout the interior space—was small and cozy, and we opened the door without even glancing at the signs before sitting down. The owners, who were the only other people inside, glanced up curiously, said hi, and kept chatting between themselves...and after 10 minutes of sitting there, we finally edged forward to ask if we could order. Turns out that restaurant, like all the others, was closed for the holiday. The owners were too kind to even tell us to leave, so they'd let us sit there and look out at the water without complaint. We were incredibly lucky that after we realized our mistake, they still offered to cook us food—just with the understanding that it would take a while. So we had a small meat pie and a creamy plate of gnocchi before setting out again for the castle, whose grounds and gardens were just as beautiful as the structure itself. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137824805-60UCJ7JSP6Y6VIYA50H4/IMG_6001.jpg Richard & Susan Stewart At Birg, the intermediary station between Mürren and the Schilthorn, is a "Thrill Walk"--a series of increasingly thrill-inducing activities built into a ledge that juts out over a sheer drop-off into the fog. Birg is 8,806 feet in elevation, compared with Mürren's mere 5,000 or so. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137826320-1DZSM6GCCMTODO3QY00S/IMG_6002.jpg Richard & Susan Stewart If you couldn't tell, Jess has no problem with heights. Ryan was very unhappy about this. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137836356-WUAT17HX0VT0TZP1IBI0/IMG_6003.jpg Richard & Susan Stewart Gimmelwald, possibly the most beautiful village we've ever seen. There were dozens of waterfalls like the two you see here, all stretching downward from these impossibly high mountains in every direction. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137844499-V2VLTWGP52QM2U5K7HUX/IMG_6004.jpg Richard & Susan Stewart If U.S. Customs asks, no, I did not touch this goat. And no, this goat did not bite me when it thought my finger was food. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137857699-OA1M1A9SG2CBFLHWJK40/IMG_6008.jpg Richard & Susan Stewart Another view of Gimmelwald, much closer to its cable lift station (the only way to get to the village; there are no roads that connect the village to any other settlement). Gimmelwald is very geographically remote, which explains why it feels completely untouched by tourism. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137863311-7TNH579G91KQ44LJ5Z7V/IMG_6010.jpg Richard & Susan Stewart Lauterbrunnen Falls, one of 72 waterfalls in this valley. This entire area made such an impact on J. R. R. Tolkien when he visited in 1911 that it served as the inspiration for Rivendell. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137869351-3Z86JRO5ZQEIVOPZ2ZRF/IMG_6275.jpg Richard & Susan Stewart Part of the old city wall of Luzern (Lucerne), which is open to the public, free of charge. We climbed several towers and walked along the top of the old wall, and even saw some haarige kuh up close (these are the hairy cows to the left side of the photo). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137881972-CPZ962GYKP147U8F0654/IMG_7605.jpg Richard & Susan Stewart A view of the valleys below Pfingstegg, one of the higher points in Grindelwald. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137881165-AK2G9P1XGLYXITIBWWA8/IMG_7860.jpg Richard & Susan Stewart One of Luzern's old Kapellbrücken, literally "chapel bridges," most of which were built in the 1300s or 1400s and cross the Reuss. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137894290-5ON5YYE68IO7SAUA3HTP/IMG_7924.jpg Richard & Susan Stewart I may or may not have lain down in the middle of someone's pasture to take this photo. But if U.S. Customs asks, no, I did no such thing. This is another shot of Gimmelwald, which has a population of only a little more than 100; has no stores, schools, or restaurants (unless you count the kitchen of its one hostel); and has a single fire station, which was a wise decision considering every building in the village is made of wood. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137894073-CGE7OAEX4WCNIK7CSO8G/IMG_7956.jpg Richard & Susan Stewart A view of the city of Thun, taken from one of the turrets of Thun Castle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499137901499-192NO5CLNS7IYCFF9A56/IMG_8028.jpg Richard & Susan Stewart A gardener hard at work in Mürren. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Richard & Susan Stewart https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/miriam-schildkret-ted-zimnicki daily 0.75 2017-08-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Miriam Schildkret & Ted Zimnicki https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139074733-H91P8IKZ5CZ3HN906EVZ/IMG_7552.jpg Miriam Schildkret & Ted Zimnicki This particular train ride was an early one: We left Interlaken before the rest of the town had even woke up (not even kidding--we walked for 30 minutes through the center of town and didn't see a single person or open shop), which meant the moment we got on the train, we both passed out. Ryan was kind enough to capture this gem. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139077674-RY8LNBWW652Y96KVKXU5/IMG_7553.jpg Miriam Schildkret & Ted Zimnicki Not to worry--I got him back. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139064322-EUTDPMUF85GC0LZUVBRH/IMG_5939.JPG Miriam Schildkret & Ted Zimnicki These little wafer cookie things are dangerously good. The Eurail hands them out with coffee, so we first tried them on the train ride into Switzerland. When we found a grocery store in Interlaken, we scouted out the same cookies to bring with us on train trips. I think this entire box was gone in two days. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139066429-H4FMYQMRF61BNP4OZ1O8/IMG_5940.JPG Miriam Schildkret & Ted Zimnicki Looking all happy, and there's a reason: This was the nicest train we rode on our honeymoon, particularly in the first class cars. (When you get a Eurail pass, you get an upgrade to first class.) You can see the tall, arched windows on either side, and the ceiling was high enough for Ryan to stand up straight. We spent most of the ride writing blog posts and going through photos, until... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139075234-L7JK462HSIH3T851RXXJ/IMG_5985.jpg Miriam Schildkret & Ted Zimnicki ...this tiny human came over with a wheeled dinosaur toy. We took turns spending the rest of the train ride playing with her, which mostly comprised handing over our iPads and drawing apps. https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/fay-marcus daily 0.75 2017-08-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Fay Marcus https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139074733-H91P8IKZ5CZ3HN906EVZ/IMG_7552.jpg Fay Marcus This particular train ride was an early one: We left Interlaken before the rest of the town had even woke up (not even kidding--we walked for 30 minutes through the center of town and didn't see a single person or open shop), which meant the moment we got on the train, we both passed out. Ryan was kind enough to capture this gem. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139077674-RY8LNBWW652Y96KVKXU5/IMG_7553.jpg Fay Marcus Not to worry--I got him back. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139064322-EUTDPMUF85GC0LZUVBRH/IMG_5939.JPG Fay Marcus These little wafer cookie things are dangerously good. The Eurail hands them out with coffee, so we first tried them on the train ride into Switzerland. When we found a grocery store in Interlaken, we scouted out the same cookies to bring with us on train trips. I think this entire box was gone in two days. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139066429-H4FMYQMRF61BNP4OZ1O8/IMG_5940.JPG Fay Marcus Looking all happy, and there's a reason: This was the nicest train we rode on our honeymoon, particularly in the first class cars. (When you get a Eurail pass, you get an upgrade to first class.) You can see the tall, arched windows on either side, and the ceiling was high enough for Ryan to stand up straight. We spent most of the ride writing blog posts and going through photos, until... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139075234-L7JK462HSIH3T851RXXJ/IMG_5985.jpg Fay Marcus ...this tiny human came over with a wheeled dinosaur toy. We took turns spending the rest of the train ride playing with her, which mostly comprised handing over our iPads and drawing apps. https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/josef-curtis daily 0.75 2017-08-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Josef Curtis https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139074733-H91P8IKZ5CZ3HN906EVZ/IMG_7552.jpg Josef Curtis This particular train ride was an early one: We left Interlaken before the rest of the town had even woke up (not even kidding--we walked for 30 minutes through the center of town and didn't see a single person or open shop), which meant the moment we got on the train, we both passed out. Ryan was kind enough to capture this gem. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139077674-RY8LNBWW652Y96KVKXU5/IMG_7553.jpg Josef Curtis Not to worry--I got him back. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139064322-EUTDPMUF85GC0LZUVBRH/IMG_5939.JPG Josef Curtis These little wafer cookie things are dangerously good. The Eurail hands them out with coffee, so we first tried them on the train ride into Switzerland. When we found a grocery store in Interlaken, we scouted out the same cookies to bring with us on train trips. I think this entire box was gone in two days. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139066429-H4FMYQMRF61BNP4OZ1O8/IMG_5940.JPG Josef Curtis Looking all happy, and there's a reason: This was the nicest train we rode on our honeymoon, particularly in the first class cars. (When you get a Eurail pass, you get an upgrade to first class.) You can see the tall, arched windows on either side, and the ceiling was high enough for Ryan to stand up straight. We spent most of the ride writing blog posts and going through photos, until... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139075234-L7JK462HSIH3T851RXXJ/IMG_5985.jpg Josef Curtis ...this tiny human came over with a wheeled dinosaur toy. We took turns spending the rest of the train ride playing with her, which mostly comprised handing over our iPads and drawing apps. https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/dale-dreyfoos daily 0.75 2017-08-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138960432-2WOCZBJCI9DD25PPRIM8/IMG_6023.jpg Dale Dreyfoos Our first stop in Salzburg was dinner at Köchelverzeichnis (after almost two weeks in German-speaking countries I still have no idea how to pronounce this). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138960129-WDVZ5RH9820KQG8ZL3UR/IMG_6027.jpg Dale Dreyfoos It was a small, intimate space lit only by candles, and we sat at window seats by an open window that looked like its glass had been set in the Middle Ages. The rain was falling, the alleyway beyond was small and winding with people on their way home from work, and we sipped Austrian wines (especially grüner veltliner) and ate one of the best antipasti platters of our lives while listening to Mozart's various köchelverzeichnis. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138967186-YYVPUP5YUZM4IFCM805N/IMG_6028.jpg Dale Dreyfoos It was such a joy watching the restaurant owner, who was overjoyed to find out we were on our honeymoon, play these piano compositions on an air-piano while she cooked pasta dishes and prepared antipasti (antipasti pictured here). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138967453-RVRHXUGS1NTU9X24CQPJ/IMG_6029.jpg Dale Dreyfoos This pasta dish was unbelievable. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138974474-H0G038D2JNDIW1UAJCCY/IMG_6118.jpg Dale Dreyfoos Rick Steves's strongly recommended Saitensprung bar. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138975931-EZHNDOB8BTAT2J29GGYF/IMG_6126.jpg Dale Dreyfoos We loved the mixture of modern lighting (the ceiling lights were constantly moving) with ancient wine cellar. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138982293-QRXJNRBFR5RB9GQABDE5/IMG_6130.jpg Dale Dreyfoos Ryan was going through such a cold brew withdrawal that he begged for a Starbucks stop when we woke up. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138989153-PUNDB2DP2MAIL7KYFRK6/IMG_6132.jpg Dale Dreyfoos The Starbucks we chose, which faced Mozart's childhood home, had Roman cellars and wells underneath it—some partially preserved, some turned into tunnels toward their bathrooms. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138989391-IKM4DUYAW8LH83PBB4PH/IMG_6133.jpg Dale Dreyfoos As silly as it sounds, we found so much comfort in these lemon poppyseed muffins and Starbucks coffees. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138998291-LZSZVRMP6J7UQKLWRE6Z/IMG_6205.jpg Dale Dreyfoos We had lunch at Zweltler's, a restaurant just off Universitätsplatz that served traditional Austrian food. Ryan was excited to get an actual stein of beer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139008929-RSDRZIOAMNQATGO974A8/IMG_6209.jpg Dale Dreyfoos We split a series of traditional dishes that mostly included a lot of beef, soup variations, shredded pancakes, dumplings, and egg noodles. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139001539-CMGTUDVZMD20M89T6OJT/IMG_6208.jpg Dale Dreyfoos Salzburger Nockerln, an Austrian dessert delicacy. It's basically a sweet, puffy soufflé. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139014973-MQBWBZUH69YZEYS9LHVV/IMG_6235.jpg Dale Dreyfoos We dove back into the Old City and ended up at Hotel Sacher, now renowned for its famous torte that stems back to 1832. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139015254-ARVPH0O7SCNZF4N49PH2/IMG_6236.jpg Dale Dreyfoos We sat by the river, sipped chocolate-sprinkled cappuccinos, and ate our just-bitter-enough dark chocolate tortes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139022986-SL6HMEVHGGO6RA3PQNDB/IMG_6238.jpg Dale Dreyfoos As delicious as this looks, trust me...it was even better. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139025318-56U5HIR7TEYC4UK7F1M7/IMG_6673.jpg Dale Dreyfoos We had a rainy time in Salzburg, but it was welcomed--the temperatures were lovely, and it was never hard to find a place nearby to wait out the drizzle. Here's a photo during one rainy spell, when we just ducked inside and shared a grüner veltliner. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138590242-Y8EMAR2Q3NLFKXKF9ZXY/IMG_6011.jpg Dale Dreyfoos This was one of the first "actual" hotels of our honeymoon, so as unappreciative as it might sound toward our (lovely) bed and breakfasts in Italy and Switzerland, we were overjoyed to have A/C! We also had a little Nespresso that came with five or six espresso pods, which Ryan went through in a single day. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138586994-UV3SVAOARBIQXNMYFQYX/IMG_6013.jpg Dale Dreyfoos This was also our first bathtub (and all-around fancy bathroom) of our trip. I actually sought out a Lush store in Salzburg just to get a bath bomb. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138594308-1C43MM5RDIRR3OU6JVER/IMG_6015.jpg Dale Dreyfoos We window-shopped along the Getreidgasse (one of Salzburg's main shopping streets). What we found funniest about this particular shopping venture is that each shop is required to maintain Salzburg's old aesthetic by being marked with a small, ornate, wrought iron sign with a symbol indicative of its wares for sale. A designer shoe shop might have a small iron shoe hanging above its door, and a restaurant specializing in sausages might have a small pig. McDonald's had a modest set of twin arches, and Starbucks had a steaming cup of coffee. Mozart's childhood home was even located along this street, now a museum so touristy that we continued on without stopping. Our favorite aspect of this shopping street—as well as the large shopping avenue that runs parallel to it—was the extensive network of medieval tunnels connecting the two streets through winding passages, which are now lined with shops, restaurants, and cafés. We enjoyed these tunnels more than the tributary avenues themselves. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138600344-NJNT3NBO69QNMUYFNL4B/IMG_6069.jpg Dale Dreyfoos St. Peter's Cemetery, most famous for shielding the Von Trapps from Nazi eyes after the Captain performed at Toscanini Hof, the huge outdoor theatre just across the street. (Note: This scene was actually filmed on a Fox lot, regardless of what Salzburg tour guides might tell you.) The cemetery itself originates from 696, and houses a beautiful Romanesque church that still shows bits of faded frescoes from the 1200s. Just across the square adjacent to the outdoor theatre is the Stiftskeller St. Peter restaurant, the oldest restaurant in Europe and questionably the oldest still-running restaurant in the entire world (est. 803). Christopher Columbus and Mozart were both served at this restaurant. In the distance, you can see Salzburg fortress. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138602846-6295IT64XSOJS3FFQSTE/IMG_6083.jpg Dale Dreyfoos The Romanesque church near St. Peter's Cemetery. Michael Haydn is buried here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138609243-DR1HX04TOHSNNWFJ5CPF/IMG_6101.jpg Dale Dreyfoos Yet another narrow shopping street. It started to rain right after we took this photo, so we ducked for cover in Alchimiste Belge—a smoky Belgian bar with an owner so perplexed by Ryan's request for a beer list that he laughed and said, "My friend, I'm the beer list." We got a second drink from the nearby Saitensprung on Steingasse (as in, a beer stein)—a street that has made pub-hopping in Salzburg a little too easy. The pedestrian-only alley offers bar after bar, from tapas pubs to underground wine cellars to hip, modern cocktail destinations. Saitensprung was Rick Steves's most strongly recommended of the lot, with its ancient cellar walls and stalactites of candle wax in every arched corner. This aesthetic, mixed with electronic dance music and a coordinated light show along the ceiling, created a very different atmosphere from what we expected. We had just settled down with cocktails when the owner himself, who moved from Athens, Greece to Austria some 23 years ago, came over to introduce himself. When a group of his old college friends (and more specifically, from the Ohio area) stopped by half an hour later, he didn't hesitate to introduce us as "the honeymooners; the bearded one loves LeBron James." https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138609709-ZFM6SHL06PCK0Y8P8RIR/IMG_6111.jpg Dale Dreyfoos Crossing the Salzach (which later joins the Danube) on the Staatsbrücke bridge from the old city toward our hotel. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138623003-64PR8MMP4S5DXD1RLEKX/IMG_6137.jpg Dale Dreyfoos We took this during the long, sweaty hike up Salzburg's largest hill to the Festhung Hohensalzburg, a fortress so foreboding that it scared off any and all armies interested in conquering the city over the past millennium. And indeed, the city has never—in its history—experienced a siege or takeover; it was conquered only once, and not by force. (They willingly surrendered to Napoleon's army.) Just the sight of this intimidating network of ramparts, turrets, and towers atop this incredibly steep hill was enough to scare away interested parties, including the Ottoman army in the 1600s. They just went down the street and conquered Vienna, instead. This fortress offered incredible views of the city and the surrounding alps, as well as eerie torture tools that were never even used, and an aerophone—a mechanical organ known as the Salzburg Bull. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138622011-U6SFHEJVSEHY1FBBG782/IMG_6194.jpg Dale Dreyfoos One of the ornately tiled ovens in Salzburg Fortress (Festung Hohensalzburg). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138627279-XEEY7B99THSXHEARGE7E/IMG_6248.jpg Dale Dreyfoos Our time in Salzburg ended with a trip up its second-highest hill, not far from the fortress just to the south. Tucked into one side was Augustinerbräu's Kloster Mülln, our first "real" beer garden. Imagine a sprawling, tree-covered terrace with hundreds—hundreds—of people, all united in their love of beer, pretzels, and conversation. Here's a breakdown of what happens when you get to Augustiner's biergarten: You tell the cashier whether you want half a liter or a full liter, she gives you a paper receipt with your order, you grab your respective stein off the wall and wash it yourself with a communal spigot in the middle of the line, then hand your receipt and your stein over to the bartender at the end of the hall, who fills it with just one beer—they only have one type, that's it—and basically throws the stein back at you without a care in the world whether you survive the assault of ceramic and foamy liquid. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Dale Dreyfoos https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/ashley-brennan daily 0.75 2017-08-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139753738-7XZQ4F674E2VRC2X2TWH/IMG_6333.jpg Ashley Brennan This particular restaurant was along the Graben, which used to be a moat for the Roman military camp. Between the modern-day stores (from Starbucks to Sephora, and including the prettiest H&M I've ever seen) is a small side street called Dorotheergasse, which is known as the street for appetites; it's lined with inexpensive and well-known Viennese restaurants and cafés. We ate in one such restaurant for lunch: Reinthaler Beisl was crooked room after crooked room with plush chairs pulled up under stark wooden tables, peeling wallpaper, and massive beer steins. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139754305-85AIXG5H43GNMKU0EFK7/IMG_6334.jpg Ashley Brennan As you can tell, Viennese food is very...brown (but tasty). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139769211-RIGUP9BLBCX47XLZA5B6/IMG_6339.jpg Ashley Brennan We ordered stereotypical Viennese meals (read: beef stew, dumplings, shredded pancakes), and I was so excited to see a heaping side of sauerkraut (because Salzburg taught me that I actually love warm sauerkraut) that I took a massive forkful out of the pile and shoved it in my mouth before Ryan had time to stop me. It was raw horseradish. I cried. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139760546-L0ABZSPUIOXY15ZF5X45/IMG_6337.jpg Ashley Brennan On the positive side, I'd had stuffy sinuses all morning, which remained blissfully clear the rest of the day. This is me still getting over the pain. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139769196-TEWM5TKT5WJ1YPYTPLTW/IMG_6377.jpg Ashley Brennan Paprikas csirske (chicken paprikas with little egg dumplings). This was one of my favorite dishes of the honeymoon, and this particular photo came from the first time we'd ever had it--in a restaurant owned by a family that fled Hungary after the 1956 revolution (read: massacre). This restaurant, Ilona Stüberl, taught us that we love—love—Hungarian cuisine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139774554-PE2E6W47GIYTNJ5IKV64/IMG_6379.jpg Ashley Brennan Lecso Kolbasszal, like the Hungarian jambalaya. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139787745-DOGKKP0DWI523SQE5KG5/IMG_6496.jpg Ashley Brennan We had lunch at 1516 craft brewery, where we sat under a huge awning and watched the rain. (Other than this quick spell, we were so lucky that our time in Salzburg, Vienna, and Budapest was completely dry and not too hot.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139782522-E1H3RE4UBDUTIF9QPDAU/IMG_6495.jpg Ashley Brennan Ryan loved 1516's draft selections. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Ashley Brennan https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/daniel-carole-hannah-nobles daily 0.75 2017-08-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Daniel, Carole & Hannah Nobles https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143097769-BMM4O2U4VGXLBAL0ZL9S/IMG_6657.jpg Daniel, Carole & Hannah Nobles Budapest's train station. We arrived right as the sun was setting, which was beautiful. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143099838-1DU19UNSAGC1CDCOYU5S/IMG_6784+copy.jpg Daniel, Carole & Hannah Nobles Hungary's stunning Parliament building, where we saw a statue of Ronald Reagan commemorating the downfall of communism and the Cold War. He has one hand stretched out in front of him, the bronze now discolored from the number of people who have stopped by to shake his hand. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143110840-CF0RGWMG7SLWSSX2N450/IMG_6806+copy.jpg Daniel, Carole & Hannah Nobles This parliament building is among the most beautiful we’ve ever seen, both inside and out. The interior hallways, domes, and even doorways are so carefully decorated that every detail is noteworthy, but the combined effect is far from overwhelming. We saw the crown jewels, which Hungary handed over to the U.S. for safe-keeping during Nazi and Soviet occupation (the U.S. returned the crown only a few decades ago, when all was safe again); we saw the congress chambers, where important governmental decisions are still made to this day; and we saw one of the most grand two-stairway entrances I’d ever seen, which only opens with the induction of new congress members every few years. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143107933-F75LLZMI1D00VJ0T77SQ/IMG_6827+copy.jpg Daniel, Carole & Hannah Nobles The “Shoes on the Danube”—a holocaust memorial featuring statues of shoes left messily along the shore. When the Nazis occupied Hungary, they lined members of Budapest’s Jewish population up along the freezing Danube, made them take off their shoes and valuables, and shot them into the water. When they started running out of bullets, they would tie four or five Jews together and shoot only one, who would drag the rest down with them. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143111483-ZLGHRH3JN4GX7KAZ1FYH/IMG_6859+copy.jpg Daniel, Carole & Hannah Nobles We toured the inside of St. Stephens, the most renowned church in Budapest (and, possibly, in Hungary). Although the interior was absolutely beautiful, we were particularly excited about climbing up to the dome for a bird’s eye view of the city. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143130097-0YN6IUFQH5ESOJS6W0IK/IMG_6873+copy.jpg Daniel, Carole & Hannah Nobles The Dohány Street Synagogue, the second largest synagogue in the world (after Manhattan’s shockingly huge temple, which Ryan has also explored). This synagogue envelopes part of the area where the Nazis kept a vast majority of Budapest’s Jewish population in badly cramped living conditions, which allowed illness and infection to run rampant. When the Soviets assumed control of the country, they entered the main square of the synagogue to find thousands of bodies piled up in the center. Those bodies now rest in the ground beneath it as a graveyard dedicated against war and anti-semitism. At the end of the square is an upside-down Menorah that creates a metal weeping willow—the Tree of Life—where every leaf is engraved with the name of someone lost in the holocaust. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143122092-U3W8FS2E71U7YO8QECVJ/IMG_6910.JPG Daniel, Carole & Hannah Nobles The M1—the world’s second oldest subway, which opened in 1892. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143130099-T6XPW1TCAJQSCMVFK77R/IMG_6912.JPG Daniel, Carole & Hannah Nobles Some of the original M1 cars are still in use. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143138386-9RAYF496XPSVDV32SOZY/IMG_6942+copy.jpg Daniel, Carole & Hannah Nobles Heroes' Square, which features the monumental statues of Budapest’s and—more broadly—Hungary’s key leaders over the centuries. Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden was just across the street, which we caught quick glimpses of while making our way through the park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143150554-7OXS2EZZXLYVW4QICXXZ/IMG_6957+copy.jpg Daniel, Carole & Hannah Nobles Vajdahunyad Vára (“Vára” means “castle”). This castle, which looks like something out of a Disney fairy tale, was one of many buildings constructed for Budapest’s millennium celebration in 1896. https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/virginia-kwan-oliver-graudejus daily 0.75 2017-08-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133990394-CO03BXMITHVXWCSCLE79/Enlight6.jpg Virginia Kwan & Oliver Graudejus A view of Florence from Boboli Gardens, once a private Médici residence. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499133990623-3JB0OQ8G68URS8R9JHFH/IMG_2451.jpg Virginia Kwan & Oliver Graudejus The façade of our bed and breakfast, which was in the heart of the city near Dante Alighieri's purported home. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134001806-IKZPVN0003F6NVPRDRW1/IMG_2452.jpg Virginia Kwan & Oliver Graudejus Cimatori (our bed and breakfast) was all the things we so desperately wanted during the summer in Tuscany: A/C, a lovely breakfast each morning, and fast wi-fi. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134000526-LYIRYGZADVW9HOP4DGV2/IMG_2454.jpg Virginia Kwan & Oliver Graudejus Ryan was particularly happy about the location, because sharing the square with our B&B was Grizzly Pub, an Irish pub with great local craft beers. Ryan was in heaven. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134008485-HB10QPT9FVZGQYAG1152/IMG_2456.jpg Virginia Kwan & Oliver Graudejus The street just around the corner from where we stayed. In any given direction, we would hit a shopping district, the museum quarter, the Arno and its pontes (bridges), or the famous Florence Cathedral. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134013383-SPZ1ADFZ84LSZE0QVH3D/IMG_2997.jpg Virginia Kwan & Oliver Graudejus San Miniato al Monte, a church on a hill overlooking Florence. (Its views were incredible.) It's regarded as one of the finest examples of Romanesque architecture in Tuscany, and is considered one of Italy's most scenic churches. Construction began in 1013, and the church is still in use today. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134018829-AFFBKIKU1CNS03QJL6KL/IMG_3027.jpg Virginia Kwan & Oliver Graudejus San Miniato has an adjoining Olivetan monastery. The monks make and sell their own honeys, liqueurs, biscotti, and gelato. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134030241-U5BKUM64Q1W6X9KGXAAM/IMG_3029.jpg Virginia Kwan & Oliver Graudejus We found a bench along a wall of gardenia (which, as you'd expect, smelled amazing) and ate monk-made gelato while looking out at the views of the city. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134027539-456JN2EII40KFF13AGL4/IMG_3070.jpg Virginia Kwan & Oliver Graudejus A winding road in Oltrarno, adjacent to San Miniato. Oltrarno translates to "Across the Arno" (River) from Florence. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134035814-D40QW1Y9RQVH0X6OJCND/IMG_3079.jpg Virginia Kwan & Oliver Graudejus The Arno river. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134049441-ZQP6S75QHABUTDDTKM0Y/IMG_3080.jpg Virginia Kwan & Oliver Graudejus The arches of Boboli Gardens. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134040639-Z2RJQSK7Q6MSPKWLZPXX/IMG_3087.jpg Virginia Kwan & Oliver Graudejus Goofing off while waiting in line to see Florence Cathedral. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499134048738-QOO368HEB03AI4YZ6ZXG/IMG_4133.jpg Virginia Kwan & Oliver Graudejus A view of Florence taken from Uffizi. To the left is the Duomo; to the far right is the Palazzo Vecchio (town hall). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139117462-8HY8ZSZGJ8ELVYQOZBK3/IMG_6282.jpg Virginia Kwan & Oliver Graudejus The train to Vienna was so long that by the time we got into the city and found our hotel, it was very late (and we were very, very tired). Imagine how delighted we were to find robes and slippers (!) waiting for us on our very comfy bed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139116948-D9W6NGDZGS3HFQF6NF8Q/IMG_6283.jpg Virginia Kwan & Oliver Graudejus Had to take a shot of the bathroom because it was so fancy. As much as we loved our bed and breakfasts in Italy and Switzerland, this was a welcome change! ;) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139143198-H8OJDN6A524FTCF9NA14/IMG_6285.jpg Virginia Kwan & Oliver Graudejus You can see the little Nespresso in the corner, which had Ryan giddy with excitement. I think he went through five espresso pods in a couple of days. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139126794-UELOE67J7YE2ICWFQ96T/IMG_6300.JPG Virginia Kwan & Oliver Graudejus Yes...us in our bathrobes. We were so content. The hotel's location was also superb--it was right across the river from the First District, where all the main attractions and sights are located. We walked outside, stopped at a café next door for lattes, and walked right across the bridge into the old part of the city. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139140093-QXPRNHF4P7L6C6KG8JK8/IMG_6599.jpg Virginia Kwan & Oliver Graudejus We had some great days of sightseeing around Vienna! We saw plenty of art and history museums, the Hapsburg palace, some original Klimt, and even Ryan's great-grandmother's home in Vienna's Jewish Quarter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139149836-UC78NKR6M7LR2GIIQOJY/IMG_6611.jpg Virginia Kwan & Oliver Graudejus A statue of Mozart, who moved from Salzburg to Vienna when he was young. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139151602-7HEDFVII3NI6S334TS1K/IMG_6623.jpg Virginia Kwan & Oliver Graudejus We ran into one of Ryan's dissertation committee members, who teaches every summer in Vienna. He took us on a tour of the city's side streets before taking us by train to a wine village in the countryside. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Virginia Kwan & Oliver Graudejus https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/carolyn-mike-rynex daily 0.75 2017-08-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Carolyn & Mike Rynex https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139074733-H91P8IKZ5CZ3HN906EVZ/IMG_7552.jpg Carolyn & Mike Rynex This particular train ride was an early one: We left Interlaken before the rest of the town had even woke up (not even kidding--we walked for 30 minutes through the center of town and didn't see a single person or open shop), which meant the moment we got on the train, we both passed out. Ryan was kind enough to capture this gem. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139077674-RY8LNBWW652Y96KVKXU5/IMG_7553.jpg Carolyn & Mike Rynex Not to worry--I got him back. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139064322-EUTDPMUF85GC0LZUVBRH/IMG_5939.JPG Carolyn & Mike Rynex These little wafer cookie things are dangerously good. The Eurail hands them out with coffee, so we first tried them on the train ride into Switzerland. When we found a grocery store in Interlaken, we scouted out the same cookies to bring with us on train trips. I think this entire box was gone in two days. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139066429-H4FMYQMRF61BNP4OZ1O8/IMG_5940.JPG Carolyn & Mike Rynex Looking all happy, and there's a reason: This was the nicest train we rode on our honeymoon, particularly in the first class cars. (When you get a Eurail pass, you get an upgrade to first class.) You can see the tall, arched windows on either side, and the ceiling was high enough for Ryan to stand up straight. We spent most of the ride writing blog posts and going through photos, until... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139075234-L7JK462HSIH3T851RXXJ/IMG_5985.jpg Carolyn & Mike Rynex ...this tiny human came over with a wheeled dinosaur toy. We took turns spending the rest of the train ride playing with her, which mostly comprised handing over our iPads and drawing apps. https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/heather-gunn daily 0.75 2017-08-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138960432-2WOCZBJCI9DD25PPRIM8/IMG_6023.jpg Heather Gunn Our first stop in Salzburg was dinner at Köchelverzeichnis (after almost two weeks in German-speaking countries I still have no idea how to pronounce this). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138960129-WDVZ5RH9820KQG8ZL3UR/IMG_6027.jpg Heather Gunn It was a small, intimate space lit only by candles, and we sat at window seats by an open window that looked like its glass had been set in the Middle Ages. The rain was falling, the alleyway beyond was small and winding with people on their way home from work, and we sipped Austrian wines (especially grüner veltliner) and ate one of the best antipasti platters of our lives while listening to Mozart's various köchelverzeichnis. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138967186-YYVPUP5YUZM4IFCM805N/IMG_6028.jpg Heather Gunn It was such a joy watching the restaurant owner, who was overjoyed to find out we were on our honeymoon, play these piano compositions on an air-piano while she cooked pasta dishes and prepared antipasti (antipasti pictured here). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138967453-RVRHXUGS1NTU9X24CQPJ/IMG_6029.jpg Heather Gunn This pasta dish was unbelievable. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138974474-H0G038D2JNDIW1UAJCCY/IMG_6118.jpg Heather Gunn Rick Steves's strongly recommended Saitensprung bar. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138975931-EZHNDOB8BTAT2J29GGYF/IMG_6126.jpg Heather Gunn We loved the mixture of modern lighting (the ceiling lights were constantly moving) with ancient wine cellar. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138982293-QRXJNRBFR5RB9GQABDE5/IMG_6130.jpg Heather Gunn Ryan was going through such a cold brew withdrawal that he begged for a Starbucks stop when we woke up. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138989153-PUNDB2DP2MAIL7KYFRK6/IMG_6132.jpg Heather Gunn The Starbucks we chose, which faced Mozart's childhood home, had Roman cellars and wells underneath it—some partially preserved, some turned into tunnels toward their bathrooms. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138989391-IKM4DUYAW8LH83PBB4PH/IMG_6133.jpg Heather Gunn As silly as it sounds, we found so much comfort in these lemon poppyseed muffins and Starbucks coffees. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138998291-LZSZVRMP6J7UQKLWRE6Z/IMG_6205.jpg Heather Gunn We had lunch at Zweltler's, a restaurant just off Universitätsplatz that served traditional Austrian food. Ryan was excited to get an actual stein of beer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139008929-RSDRZIOAMNQATGO974A8/IMG_6209.jpg Heather Gunn We split a series of traditional dishes that mostly included a lot of beef, soup variations, shredded pancakes, dumplings, and egg noodles. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139001539-CMGTUDVZMD20M89T6OJT/IMG_6208.jpg Heather Gunn Salzburger Nockerln, an Austrian dessert delicacy. It's basically a sweet, puffy soufflé. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139014973-MQBWBZUH69YZEYS9LHVV/IMG_6235.jpg Heather Gunn We dove back into the Old City and ended up at Hotel Sacher, now renowned for its famous torte that stems back to 1832. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139015254-ARVPH0O7SCNZF4N49PH2/IMG_6236.jpg Heather Gunn We sat by the river, sipped chocolate-sprinkled cappuccinos, and ate our just-bitter-enough dark chocolate tortes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139022986-SL6HMEVHGGO6RA3PQNDB/IMG_6238.jpg Heather Gunn As delicious as this looks, trust me...it was even better. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139025318-56U5HIR7TEYC4UK7F1M7/IMG_6673.jpg Heather Gunn We had a rainy time in Salzburg, but it was welcomed--the temperatures were lovely, and it was never hard to find a place nearby to wait out the drizzle. Here's a photo during one rainy spell, when we just ducked inside and shared a grüner veltliner. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139753738-7XZQ4F674E2VRC2X2TWH/IMG_6333.jpg Heather Gunn This particular restaurant was along the Graben, which used to be a moat for the Roman military camp. Between the modern-day stores (from Starbucks to Sephora, and including the prettiest H&M I've ever seen) is a small side street called Dorotheergasse, which is known as the street for appetites; it's lined with inexpensive and well-known Viennese restaurants and cafés. We ate in one such restaurant for lunch: Reinthaler Beisl was crooked room after crooked room with plush chairs pulled up under stark wooden tables, peeling wallpaper, and massive beer steins. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139754305-85AIXG5H43GNMKU0EFK7/IMG_6334.jpg Heather Gunn As you can tell, Viennese food is very...brown (but tasty). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139769211-RIGUP9BLBCX47XLZA5B6/IMG_6339.jpg Heather Gunn We ordered stereotypical Viennese meals (read: beef stew, dumplings, shredded pancakes), and I was so excited to see a heaping side of sauerkraut (because Salzburg taught me that I actually love warm sauerkraut) that I took a massive forkful out of the pile and shoved it in my mouth before Ryan had time to stop me. It was raw horseradish. I cried. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139760546-L0ABZSPUIOXY15ZF5X45/IMG_6337.jpg Heather Gunn On the positive side, I'd had stuffy sinuses all morning, which remained blissfully clear the rest of the day. This is me still getting over the pain. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139769196-TEWM5TKT5WJ1YPYTPLTW/IMG_6377.jpg Heather Gunn Paprikas csirske (chicken paprikas with little egg dumplings). This was one of my favorite dishes of the honeymoon, and this particular photo came from the first time we'd ever had it--in a restaurant owned by a family that fled Hungary after the 1956 revolution (read: massacre). This restaurant, Ilona Stüberl, taught us that we love—love—Hungarian cuisine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139774554-PE2E6W47GIYTNJ5IKV64/IMG_6379.jpg Heather Gunn Lecso Kolbasszal, like the Hungarian jambalaya. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139787745-DOGKKP0DWI523SQE5KG5/IMG_6496.jpg Heather Gunn We had lunch at 1516 craft brewery, where we sat under a huge awning and watched the rain. (Other than this quick spell, we were so lucky that our time in Salzburg, Vienna, and Budapest was completely dry and not too hot.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139782522-E1H3RE4UBDUTIF9QPDAU/IMG_6495.jpg Heather Gunn Ryan loved 1516's draft selections. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Heather Gunn https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/david-jody-topping daily 0.75 2017-08-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140353324-LGV5774XNT6OFOSGDLRO/IMG_6661.jpg David & Jody Topping Compared with the other hotels of our honeymoon, this one was beyond fancy. Not only did it have A/C (which was sorely needed during Europe's heat wave), but there was a sauna (!), a hotel bar, and most helpful of all, free hot breakfast buffets every morning. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140378275-Q34MFR3KD2N4VS2P14QI/IMG_6672.jpg David & Jody Topping It saved us so much money to be able to stumble sleepily downstairs every morning, load up on coffee, toast, eggs, and more coffee, and head on out. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140366862-59KH0ITDSWCOMV0S6W4M/IMG_6662.jpg David & Jody Topping We also had a beautiful room with huge windows overlooking Pest's Parliament district (named for the nearby Parlamento building). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140360778-GZODV79814CLDRXH0UJE/IMG_6667.jpg David & Jody Topping Upstairs: the bar area. Downstairs: breakfast, sauna, and jacuzzi. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140370787-0RJNHR9VVYT61BX9RHWO/IMG_6668.jpg David & Jody Topping So swanky, right? We were so happy to have free wi-fi that we just lounged in these chairs for an hour the night we arrived. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140386378-29FKSPQS9Z6NJ1K083JY/IMG_6686.jpg David & Jody Topping Pest's Central Market, Nagyvásácsarnok. This three-story market was yet another building (or bridge, church, or castle) constructed for Hungary's 1,000-year celebration in 1896, and now, 121 years later, it's a delightful mix of spices, meats, cheeses, fish, honey, spreads, local wine, Pálinka, Unicum, and traditional kitchen wares as far as you can see in any direction. We sampled a series of Hungarian sausages, including a new favorite for both of us—sausage made from the hairy mangslica, a pig with such thick, curly fur that it looks like a faceless sheep. I hate admitting that it's absurdly cute, because it's also absurdly delicious. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140391234-930MCZBA6QRVF1X7A0N3/IMG_6784.jpg David & Jody Topping I wasn’t the happiest camper when Ryan told me late the night before that we had 9 AM tour tickets to see the Parlamento, or the parliament building of Budapest. The tours are notoriously crowded during the rest of the day, hence the early hour—and once we arrived, I was glad Ryan insisted on it. This parliament building is among the most beautiful we’ve ever seen, both inside and out. The interior hallways, domes, and even doorways are so carefully decorated that every detail is noteworthy, but the combined effect is far from overwhelming. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140431197-FPG82X74P9U10NZABFUK/IMG_6806.jpg David & Jody Topping We saw the crown jewels, which Hungary handed over to the U.S. for safe-keeping during Nazi and Soviet occupation (the U.S. returned the crown only a few decades ago, when all was safe again); we saw the congress chambers, where important governmental decisions are still made to this day; and we saw one of the most grand two-stairway entrances I’d ever seen, which only opens with the induction of new congress members every few years. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140429335-67ME7Z8BS7ZLOO6WJ4RE/IMG_6827.jpg David & Jody Topping The “Shoes on the Danube”—a holocaust memorial featuring statues of shoes left messily along the shore. When the Nazis occupied Hungary, they lined members of Budapest’s Jewish population up along the freezing Danube, made them take off their shoes and valuables, and shot them into the water. When they started running out of bullets, they would tie four or five Jews together and shoot only one, who would drag the rest down with them. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140443972-QPUHI2X2S1M9UJ59OYXF/IMG_6859.jpg David & Jody Topping We toured the inside of St. Stephens, the most renowned church in Budapest (and, possibly, in Hungary). Although the interior was absolutely beautiful, we were particularly excited about climbing up to the dome for a bird’s eye view of the city. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140471922-WX5I0VJ9BU33XZPKF85M/IMG_6873.jpg David & Jody Topping Dohány Street Synagogue, the second largest synagogue in the world (after Manhattan’s shockingly huge temple, which Ryan has also explored). This synagogue envelopes part of the area where the Nazis kept a vast majority of Budapest’s Jewish population in badly cramped living conditions, which allowed illness and infection to run rampant. When the Soviets assumed control of the country, they entered the main square of the synagogue to find thousands of bodies piled up in the center. Those bodies now rest in the ground beneath it as a graveyard dedicated against war and anti-semitism. At the end of the square is an upside-down Menorah that creates a metal weeping willow—the Tree of Life—where every leaf is engraved with the name of someone lost in the holocaust. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140462959-MNHLV5PSUE6ZAHKVZ2Q9/IMG_6942.jpg David & Jody Topping Heroes’ Square, which features the monumental statues of Budapest’s and—more broadly—Hungary’s key leaders over the centuries. Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden was just across the street, which we caught quick glimpses of while making our way to Vajdahunyad Vára. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140623699-ITH1A7SAJERLKDTQ37F3/IMG_6957.jpg David & Jody Topping Vajdahunyad Vára (“Vára” means “castle”). This castle, which looks like something out of a Disney fairy tale, was yet another building constructed for Budapest’s millennium celebration in 1896. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140532205-THJZSBP8GF33KKGQAM4A/IMG_7171.jpg David & Jody Topping We took this photo at the southernmost tip of Margitsziget, or Margaret's Island, which is shaped like a football standing on one end. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140622112-GA7EIDZAJIDXJJFVKPFR/IMG_7184.jpg David & Jody Topping The center of the island is mostly a lush forest with intermittent meadows that were being used as soccer fields, track rings, picnic spots, and play areas for kids on field trips. Every now and then, we’d pass a small cottage hotel or a pub, an art museum or a pool—but otherwise, it was just an island filled with nature and the people enjoying it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif David & Jody Topping https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/kate-cross daily 0.75 2017-08-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139074733-H91P8IKZ5CZ3HN906EVZ/IMG_7552.jpg Kate Cross This particular train ride was an early one: We left Interlaken before the rest of the town had even woke up (not even kidding--we walked for 30 minutes through the center of town and didn't see a single person or open shop), which meant the moment we got on the train, we both passed out. Ryan was kind enough to capture this gem. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139077674-RY8LNBWW652Y96KVKXU5/IMG_7553.jpg Kate Cross Not to worry--I got him back. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139064322-EUTDPMUF85GC0LZUVBRH/IMG_5939.JPG Kate Cross These little wafer cookie things are dangerously good. The Eurail hands them out with coffee, so we first tried them on the train ride into Switzerland. When we found a grocery store in Interlaken, we scouted out the same cookies to bring with us on train trips. I think this entire box was gone in two days. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139066429-H4FMYQMRF61BNP4OZ1O8/IMG_5940.JPG Kate Cross Looking all happy, and there's a reason: This was the nicest train we rode on our honeymoon, particularly in the first class cars. (When you get a Eurail pass, you get an upgrade to first class.) You can see the tall, arched windows on either side, and the ceiling was high enough for Ryan to stand up straight. We spent most of the ride writing blog posts and going through photos, until... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139075234-L7JK462HSIH3T851RXXJ/IMG_5985.jpg Kate Cross ...this tiny human came over with a wheeled dinosaur toy. We took turns spending the rest of the train ride playing with her, which mostly comprised handing over our iPads and drawing apps. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Kate Cross https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/casey-nora-hunter-jones daily 0.75 2017-08-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Casey, Nora & Hunter Jones https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139753738-7XZQ4F674E2VRC2X2TWH/IMG_6333.jpg Casey, Nora & Hunter Jones This particular restaurant was along the Graben, which used to be a moat for the Roman military camp. Between the modern-day stores (from Starbucks to Sephora, and including the prettiest H&M I've ever seen) is a small side street called Dorotheergasse, which is known as the street for appetites; it's lined with inexpensive and well-known Viennese restaurants and cafés. We ate in one such restaurant for lunch: Reinthaler Beisl was crooked room after crooked room with plush chairs pulled up under stark wooden tables, peeling wallpaper, and massive beer steins. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139754305-85AIXG5H43GNMKU0EFK7/IMG_6334.jpg Casey, Nora & Hunter Jones As you can tell, Viennese food is very...brown (but tasty). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139769211-RIGUP9BLBCX47XLZA5B6/IMG_6339.jpg Casey, Nora & Hunter Jones We ordered stereotypical Viennese meals (read: beef stew, dumplings, shredded pancakes), and I was so excited to see a heaping side of sauerkraut (because Salzburg taught me that I actually love warm sauerkraut) that I took a massive forkful out of the pile and shoved it in my mouth before Ryan had time to stop me. It was raw horseradish. I cried. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139760546-L0ABZSPUIOXY15ZF5X45/IMG_6337.jpg Casey, Nora & Hunter Jones On the positive side, I'd had stuffy sinuses all morning, which remained blissfully clear the rest of the day. This is me still getting over the pain. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139769196-TEWM5TKT5WJ1YPYTPLTW/IMG_6377.jpg Casey, Nora & Hunter Jones Paprikas csirske (chicken paprikas with little egg dumplings). This was one of my favorite dishes of the honeymoon, and this particular photo came from the first time we'd ever had it--in a restaurant owned by a family that fled Hungary after the 1956 revolution (read: massacre). This restaurant, Ilona Stüberl, taught us that we love—love—Hungarian cuisine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139774554-PE2E6W47GIYTNJ5IKV64/IMG_6379.jpg Casey, Nora & Hunter Jones Lecso Kolbasszal, like the Hungarian jambalaya. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139787745-DOGKKP0DWI523SQE5KG5/IMG_6496.jpg Casey, Nora & Hunter Jones We had lunch at 1516 craft brewery, where we sat under a huge awning and watched the rain. (Other than this quick spell, we were so lucky that our time in Salzburg, Vienna, and Budapest was completely dry and not too hot.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139782522-E1H3RE4UBDUTIF9QPDAU/IMG_6495.jpg Casey, Nora & Hunter Jones Ryan loved 1516's draft selections. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140286233-WZS00IH6MAZU8XKPQ7AI/IMG_6623.jpg Casey, Nora & Hunter Jones On our last day in Vienna, we ran into one of Ryan's dissertation committee members, who teaches in Vienna every summer. He took us under his wing and showed us through the city's historic side streets. He pointed out aspects of its culture, architecture, and cityscape that we would never have known otherwise, and after an hour of winding through cobbled alleys and staying far from the hustle and bustle of its (less culture-filled) main streets, he asked if we'd been to a heuriger. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140284112-I707TC505TCF81JNQI2E/IMG_6627.jpg Casey, Nora & Hunter Jones When I was helping Ryan plan our time in Vienna, I was immediately smitten with what I kept reading about heurigen. These are basically "wine taverns" that give craft breweries a run for their money: Each local winemaker serves his new wine—made from grapes grown within sight—during alternate months during the growing season. You both so generously sponsored wine tasting at a Viennese heuriger, and we put a lot of research into the small village of Nussdorf (Nußdorf) that is filled with heuriger after heuriger. But when we saw just how far away Nussdorf ("nut town," derived from its groves of hazelnut trees; pictured above) was from Vienna, we gave up all hope of actually visiting. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140307246-2CU85ENYG81LY9MWAVU7/IMG_6641.jpg Casey, Nora & Hunter Jones Russell laughed at this, and said that it was only six or so stops away on the subway. Ryan and I gave each other one of those looks that meant "...there's a subway?"—and off we went, heading straight for Nussdorf. It took mere minutes before we were in another province of Austria entirely, and the city faded away into rolling hills, vineyards, and the Danube right beside us. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140297184-FX1B54UCVDYQS2PLYA7V/IMG_6634.jpg Casey, Nora & Hunter Jones Nussdorf was first mentioned in the early 1100s, and the village feels about that old: It can't consist of more than 30 small huts, a mix of wood and stone, with a fresco on the side of its one church commemorating the Ottoman takeover in 1683 when they stopped through the village. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140295240-BV0ZEP4LVDO8SFWNEHBC/IMG_6630.jpg Casey, Nora & Hunter Jones Now, it's almost entirely filled with heurigen (particularly its wine-centered faction known as Kuchelau); it even has its own symbol for fresh, local wine being served: Branches of evergreen (pictured above) hanging over the door signal to guests that the wine being served has just finished the fermentation process and is ready for drinking. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140310035-0STCD7YJQ96E5A1GSNJD/IMG_6643.jpg Casey, Nora & Hunter Jones So the three of us sat outside under a thick canopy of grapevines and mixed white wine with sparkling water (this is a huge custom in Austria and Hungary, particularly when it's hot outside). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140312539-SHHJE8N25NEAK7UJQED7/IMG_6647.jpg Casey, Nora & Hunter Jones We nibbled on cheese platters, olives, and pieces of spongy bread larger than Ryan's head and beard combined. (Ryan laughed at this, but admitted it's true.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140314259-2W9E3SDQV9PVIJJYD5IM/IMG_6655.jpg Casey, Nora & Hunter Jones With Russell, our tour guide for the day. https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/julia-cary daily 0.75 2017-08-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Julia Cary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1503794127853-6ZJC05I7L9TLR9WAXX4S/IMG_6675.jpg Julia Cary We started our first full day in Budapest with an alternative to Rick Steves's written tours (he doesn't offer any audio walking tours...yet): Ryan found a group called My Personal Budapest, which offers various themed tours. The specific tour we chose was a 9 AM to 6 PM "Hungarian Soul" exploration through aspects of what makes Budapest unique in its history, culture, and expression. András, our tour guide, was born and raised in Budapest and now lives in Buda, the hilly side of the Danube. Just opposite its banks lies the much flatter Pest, less residential and more industrial in nature. In the late 1800s, six cities—including Buda, Pest, and Óbuda ("north of Buda," so you can probably guess where it's located)—joined forces to create a single metropolis, which would be more prosperous and more resilient against invaders. (Unfortunate side note: It didn't really help for the latter purpose. More about that farther down this photo gallery.) We met András in the Astoria district (pictured above), where he walked us through gardens, plazas, and historic streets. Buildings considered "historic" were only deemed such because the structures that had stood there before might have been hundreds of years old, but given that Budapest has been on the losing side of every war for more than 500 years, much of the city is comparably new. The siege of Budapest—a fight between the occupying Nazis and incoming Soviets—was the second-longest siege of any city during WWII, and it had immeasurable destruction and casualties to show for it; so as is the case in Warsaw, most buildings really stem from no earlier than the 50s. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141104448-VVB7C4UWI4AS4LEH5LQQ/IMG_6680.jpg Julia Cary Interestingly, though, if you ask anyone when certain structures or cross-Danube bridges were built, they'll only respond with their original dates of erection—mid-way through the 1600s, maybe the millennial celebration in 1896—but never with the true date that the structure was rebuilt. Each and every bridge between Buda and Pest was completely destroyed during WWII bombing, and yet everyone will insist that the bridges date back centuries. It's a desire to cling to Hungary's golden age of prosperity and peace, rather than dredge up yet another reminder of its sufferings in the last 100 years. We made our way on foot to the edge of the Jewish District and onward toward Pest's Central Market, Nagyvásácsarnok. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141108723-91YSQDR3DX3IG0ZEZW2U/IMG_6682.jpg Julia Cary This three-story market was yet another building (or bridge, church, or castle) constructed for Hungary's 1,000-year celebration in 1896, and now, 121 years later, it's a delightful mix of spices, meats, cheeses, fish, honey, spreads, local wine, Pálinka, Unicum, and traditional kitchen wares as far as you can see in any direction. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141115547-5QK0LKE9ER96HHNYGSK4/IMG_6683.jpg Julia Cary We sampled a series of Hungarian sausages, including a new favorite for both of us—sausage made from the hairy mangslica, a pig with such thick, curly fur that it looks like a faceless sheep. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1503794120553-28GFKI4W58GPMPOOGQVZ/IMG_6685.jpg Julia Cary I hate admitting that it's absurdly cute, because it's also absurdly delicious. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141117667-JM5BG653DNKCVROLVL14/IMG_6684.jpg Julia Cary As tired of charcuterie as we were thanks to 10 days in Italy, we could've eaten our combined weight in these paprika-covered sausages. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141127040-4CPMEK6L8R6RO5JQ7R3Y/IMG_6695.jpg Julia Cary From the market, we took a van to some of the city's farther-reaching destinations. We rode across the Szabadság híd, the Liberty Bridge, to Gellért Hill on the Buda side of the Danube. This hill houses a number of spectacles, including a chapel built into the side of the rock and an anti-war monument at the top of the hill, but our first destination was Gellért Baths. One of the reasons the Romans were so quick to colonize Buda and Óbuda was the area's abundance of thermal hot springs. As early as 1550, the Ottomans started to build traditional bathhouses over these springs. Gellért is one of the more well-known bathhouses, built in the early 1900s and now featuring its own hotel and spas. Only a few days later, we went back to visit more than just Gellért's beautiful lobby, with its stained glass and mosaics. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141130383-4VII3RA9YL5U4PQCSY4Y/IMG_6702.jpg Julia Cary We drove up to the Citadella for a fabulous view of Buda and Pest far below, then headed back down the hill (read: more like a mountain) to the Várkert Bazár, a mix of marble ramps and domed gazebos heading up to the Budavári Castle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141137959-A4VZWB584LSEFC7L1610/IMG_6715.jpg Julia Cary Back across the Danube, we walked through Sabadság Square near Hungary's stunning Parliament building, where we saw a statue of Ronald Reagan commemorating the downfall of communism and the Cold War. He has one hand stretched out in front of him, the bronze now discolored from the number of people who have stopped by to shake his hand. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141140306-O1ARTJ2D3M18VAOJEZ68/IMG_6720.jpg Julia Cary And just down the square stood Hungary's last standing Soviet relic—an obelisk erected by the USSR itself out of self-pride for saving Hungary from Nazi rule. It would be impossible to decide whether Soviet rule was any better, given its plethora of assassinations, massacres, race-based concentration camps, executions of children who didn't comply with their socialist policies, encouragement of sons and daughters to spy and report on their parents...and the list never ends. The monument now stands as a relic of Hungary's dark past, but we had to wonder whether it wasn't a coincidence that the shrubs surrounding the monument are now so overgrown that you can barely see it. The square on which it sits was, until relatively recently, named some variation of "Russia Square" (and you can guess who named it such); the Hungarian government recently renamed it, dryly declaring that they would only change it back if Russia created a "Budapest Square" in return. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1503794139073-TATRP940PAYRITKHI24H/IMG_6731.jpg Julia Cary We then met a local historian in Central Café, which was built in the late-1800s and frequented by a considerable number of Hungarian poets, authors, and artists. It served as the perfect backdrop for an 80-minute history lesson on Budapest, starting with the Carpathian Basin's first known inhabitants many, many millennia ago. We went through Hungary's golden ages and wars, its extreme wealth followed by poverty in economy and land after the Warsaw Pact, and its occupation by one unwanted regime after another. This lesson was one of our favorite parts of the entire day, and helped shape how we saw and explored Budapest for the rest of our time there. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141143453-QGDHZ5XDKG7QAVHJSSQC/IMG_6729.jpg Julia Cary We were in sore need of a latte. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141152137-Q80PWJYTLZ3NKEMO25DD/IMG_6736.jpg Julia Cary András then took us to Budapest's suburbs, where his parents live. They cooked lunch for us, including a delicious vegetable soup with paprika paste (and I loved the paste so much that I went right back to Central Market the next day to buy my own jar); small, hexagonal biscuit-like things that were flaky and delicious... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141147140-NKHUMGBYQG62AD80S3Z3/IMG_6734.jpg Julia Cary ...shots of Pálinka (which made Everclear seem modest); glasses of Hungarian furmint wine; my favorite Hungarian dish, paprikás (small, gnocchi-like noodle nubbins with chicken in a thick, paprika-based sauce, sliced peppers, sour cream, and maybe a hunk of tomato)... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141153578-O6BPT3MFF7DWFO8Q16ZX/IMG_6737.jpg Julia Cary ...and, for dessert, a layered custard with powdered sugar. As someone who likes neither custard nor flan, I loved this dessert. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141163730-53QB1UDM9YJD2D56BZHD/IMG_6744.jpg Julia Cary András acted as an interpreter while we got to know his parents, who loved showing us photos from his childhood, and we were stuffed into a sleepy oblivion by the time we left at around 3:30 PM. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141162156-XMR2F3DBHES95RTXG6ZW/IMG_6747.jpg Julia Cary Our next stop was a dance and music studio near Pest's Astoria district, where we watched a music performance by a traditional Hungarian group of what they refer to as "gypsy music." The melodies have inspired Western composers including Brahms and Bartok, and we loved watching a 90-year-old cimbalom (almost like a dulcimer) in action. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141172680-YRGMV7HU4QPCWHQB86OE/IMG_6756.jpg Julia Cary Our tour ended at around 6 PM in the Jewish District, which has been taken over by a young generation of hipsters. Every shop, café, bar, and restaurant closely mirrored a place that Ryan and I would rave about if it were on Phoenix's Roosevelt Row, and unsurprisingly, the district was crawling with beards, tattoos, and local-only, non-sweatshop, farm-to-table clothing stores, recycled wares, and food trucks. Our favorite stop that evening was a "ruin pub" called Szimplakert, which from the street looks like a foreboding, abandoned building that saw a less fortunate side of WWII. The facade is falling off, windows are broken or boarded up, and the entrance looks like a gaping black hole in a charred (i.e., from pollution) limestone frame. But a few steps inside takes you into a completely different world: There's a large, covered courtyard bordered by small room after small room, each interconnecting in a maze of quirky, cluttered, filled-with-antiques-no-one-else-would-ever-want details. Each room runs its own pub or wine bar: some are hookah joints, some sell craft beer, others only serve Hungarian wines, others have arcade games and bar activities. At the end of courtyard, the space opens up into a two-story outdoor area with steps to the second floor (more rooms covered in strange antiques and graffiti) and more outside bar options. People were sitting on ruined couches and inside antique bathtubs, others were sitting on top what might have been a stove in the early 1900s, and still others were perched on a kid's kangaroo ride, which might have been part of a carousel decades ago. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141173555-5SYDQDO336I0VNTQ8B8Y/IMG_6759.jpg Julia Cary You can probably guess why this is called a "ruin pub," and given the fate of the Jewish District during both Nazi and Soviet occupation, it's unsurprising that hipsters have converged on these destroyed buildings to turn them into a symbol of perseverance and renewed life. That single twist from darkness to perseverance was a major theme during our time in Budapest. https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/nancy-allison daily 0.75 2017-08-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140353324-LGV5774XNT6OFOSGDLRO/IMG_6661.jpg Nancy Allison Compared with the other hotels of our honeymoon, this one was beyond fancy. Not only did it have A/C (which was sorely needed during Europe's heat wave), but there was a sauna (!), a hotel bar, and most helpful of all, free hot breakfast buffets every morning. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140378275-Q34MFR3KD2N4VS2P14QI/IMG_6672.jpg Nancy Allison It saved us so much money to be able to stumble sleepily downstairs every morning, load up on coffee, toast, eggs, and more coffee, and head on out. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140366862-59KH0ITDSWCOMV0S6W4M/IMG_6662.jpg Nancy Allison We also had a beautiful room with huge windows overlooking Pest's Parliament district (named for the nearby Parlamento building). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140360778-GZODV79814CLDRXH0UJE/IMG_6667.jpg Nancy Allison Upstairs: the bar area. Downstairs: breakfast, sauna, and jacuzzi. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140370787-0RJNHR9VVYT61BX9RHWO/IMG_6668.jpg Nancy Allison So swanky, right? We were so happy to have free wi-fi that we just lounged in these chairs for an hour the night we arrived. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140386378-29FKSPQS9Z6NJ1K083JY/IMG_6686.jpg Nancy Allison Pest's Central Market, Nagyvásácsarnok. This three-story market was yet another building (or bridge, church, or castle) constructed for Hungary's 1,000-year celebration in 1896, and now, 121 years later, it's a delightful mix of spices, meats, cheeses, fish, honey, spreads, local wine, Pálinka, Unicum, and traditional kitchen wares as far as you can see in any direction. We sampled a series of Hungarian sausages, including a new favorite for both of us—sausage made from the hairy mangslica, a pig with such thick, curly fur that it looks like a faceless sheep. I hate admitting that it's absurdly cute, because it's also absurdly delicious. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140391234-930MCZBA6QRVF1X7A0N3/IMG_6784.jpg Nancy Allison I wasn’t the happiest camper when Ryan told me late the night before that we had 9 AM tour tickets to see the Parlamento, or the parliament building of Budapest. The tours are notoriously crowded during the rest of the day, hence the early hour—and once we arrived, I was glad Ryan insisted on it. This parliament building is among the most beautiful we’ve ever seen, both inside and out. The interior hallways, domes, and even doorways are so carefully decorated that every detail is noteworthy, but the combined effect is far from overwhelming. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140431197-FPG82X74P9U10NZABFUK/IMG_6806.jpg Nancy Allison We saw the crown jewels, which Hungary handed over to the U.S. for safe-keeping during Nazi and Soviet occupation (the U.S. returned the crown only a few decades ago, when all was safe again); we saw the congress chambers, where important governmental decisions are still made to this day; and we saw one of the most grand two-stairway entrances I’d ever seen, which only opens with the induction of new congress members every few years. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140429335-67ME7Z8BS7ZLOO6WJ4RE/IMG_6827.jpg Nancy Allison The “Shoes on the Danube”—a holocaust memorial featuring statues of shoes left messily along the shore. When the Nazis occupied Hungary, they lined members of Budapest’s Jewish population up along the freezing Danube, made them take off their shoes and valuables, and shot them into the water. When they started running out of bullets, they would tie four or five Jews together and shoot only one, who would drag the rest down with them. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140443972-QPUHI2X2S1M9UJ59OYXF/IMG_6859.jpg Nancy Allison We toured the inside of St. Stephens, the most renowned church in Budapest (and, possibly, in Hungary). Although the interior was absolutely beautiful, we were particularly excited about climbing up to the dome for a bird’s eye view of the city. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140471922-WX5I0VJ9BU33XZPKF85M/IMG_6873.jpg Nancy Allison Dohány Street Synagogue, the second largest synagogue in the world (after Manhattan’s shockingly huge temple, which Ryan has also explored). This synagogue envelopes part of the area where the Nazis kept a vast majority of Budapest’s Jewish population in badly cramped living conditions, which allowed illness and infection to run rampant. When the Soviets assumed control of the country, they entered the main square of the synagogue to find thousands of bodies piled up in the center. Those bodies now rest in the ground beneath it as a graveyard dedicated against war and anti-semitism. At the end of the square is an upside-down Menorah that creates a metal weeping willow—the Tree of Life—where every leaf is engraved with the name of someone lost in the holocaust. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140462959-MNHLV5PSUE6ZAHKVZ2Q9/IMG_6942.jpg Nancy Allison Heroes’ Square, which features the monumental statues of Budapest’s and—more broadly—Hungary’s key leaders over the centuries. Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden was just across the street, which we caught quick glimpses of while making our way to Vajdahunyad Vára. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140623699-ITH1A7SAJERLKDTQ37F3/IMG_6957.jpg Nancy Allison Vajdahunyad Vára (“Vára” means “castle”). This castle, which looks like something out of a Disney fairy tale, was yet another building constructed for Budapest’s millennium celebration in 1896. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140532205-THJZSBP8GF33KKGQAM4A/IMG_7171.jpg Nancy Allison We took this photo at the southernmost tip of Margitsziget, or Margaret's Island, which is shaped like a football standing on one end. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140622112-GA7EIDZAJIDXJJFVKPFR/IMG_7184.jpg Nancy Allison The center of the island is mostly a lush forest with intermittent meadows that were being used as soccer fields, track rings, picnic spots, and play areas for kids on field trips. Every now and then, we’d pass a small cottage hotel or a pub, an art museum or a pool—but otherwise, it was just an island filled with nature and the people enjoying it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Nancy Allison https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/jen-rogers daily 0.75 2017-08-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Jen Rogers https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139074733-H91P8IKZ5CZ3HN906EVZ/IMG_7552.jpg Jen Rogers This particular train ride was an early one: We left Interlaken before the rest of the town had even woke up (not even kidding--we walked for 30 minutes through the center of town and didn't see a single person or open shop), which meant the moment we got on the train, we both passed out. Ryan was kind enough to capture this gem. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139077674-RY8LNBWW652Y96KVKXU5/IMG_7553.jpg Jen Rogers Not to worry--I got him back. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139064322-EUTDPMUF85GC0LZUVBRH/IMG_5939.JPG Jen Rogers These little wafer cookie things are dangerously good. The Eurail hands them out with coffee, so we first tried them on the train ride into Switzerland. When we found a grocery store in Interlaken, we scouted out the same cookies to bring with us on train trips. I think this entire box was gone in two days. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139066429-H4FMYQMRF61BNP4OZ1O8/IMG_5940.JPG Jen Rogers Looking all happy, and there's a reason: This was the nicest train we rode on our honeymoon, particularly in the first class cars. (When you get a Eurail pass, you get an upgrade to first class.) You can see the tall, arched windows on either side, and the ceiling was high enough for Ryan to stand up straight. We spent most of the ride writing blog posts and going through photos, until... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139075234-L7JK462HSIH3T851RXXJ/IMG_5985.jpg Jen Rogers ...this tiny human came over with a wheeled dinosaur toy. We took turns spending the rest of the train ride playing with her, which mostly comprised handing over our iPads and drawing apps. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139753738-7XZQ4F674E2VRC2X2TWH/IMG_6333.jpg Jen Rogers This particular restaurant was along the Graben, which used to be a moat for the Roman military camp. Between the modern-day stores (from Starbucks to Sephora, and including the prettiest H&M I've ever seen) is a small side street called Dorotheergasse, which is known as the street for appetites; it's lined with inexpensive and well-known Viennese restaurants and cafés. We ate in one such restaurant for lunch: Reinthaler Beisl was crooked room after crooked room with plush chairs pulled up under stark wooden tables, peeling wallpaper, and massive beer steins. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139754305-85AIXG5H43GNMKU0EFK7/IMG_6334.jpg Jen Rogers As you can tell, Viennese food is very...brown (but tasty). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139769211-RIGUP9BLBCX47XLZA5B6/IMG_6339.jpg Jen Rogers We ordered stereotypical Viennese meals (read: beef stew, dumplings, shredded pancakes), and I was so excited to see a heaping side of sauerkraut (because Salzburg taught me that I actually love warm sauerkraut) that I took a massive forkful out of the pile and shoved it in my mouth before Ryan had time to stop me. It was raw horseradish. I cried. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139760546-L0ABZSPUIOXY15ZF5X45/IMG_6337.jpg Jen Rogers On the positive side, I'd had stuffy sinuses all morning, which remained blissfully clear the rest of the day. This is me still getting over the pain. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139769196-TEWM5TKT5WJ1YPYTPLTW/IMG_6377.jpg Jen Rogers Paprikas csirske (chicken paprikas with little egg dumplings). This was one of my favorite dishes of the honeymoon, and this particular photo came from the first time we'd ever had it--in a restaurant owned by a family that fled Hungary after the 1956 revolution (read: massacre). This restaurant, Ilona Stüberl, taught us that we love—love—Hungarian cuisine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139774554-PE2E6W47GIYTNJ5IKV64/IMG_6379.jpg Jen Rogers Lecso Kolbasszal, like the Hungarian jambalaya. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139787745-DOGKKP0DWI523SQE5KG5/IMG_6496.jpg Jen Rogers We had lunch at 1516 craft brewery, where we sat under a huge awning and watched the rain. (Other than this quick spell, we were so lucky that our time in Salzburg, Vienna, and Budapest was completely dry and not too hot.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139782522-E1H3RE4UBDUTIF9QPDAU/IMG_6495.jpg Jen Rogers Ryan loved 1516's draft selections. https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/hannah-wren-jesse-vanpoucke daily 0.75 2017-08-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Hannah Wren & Jesse Vanpoucke https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1503794127853-6ZJC05I7L9TLR9WAXX4S/IMG_6675.jpg Hannah Wren & Jesse Vanpoucke We started our first full day in Budapest with an alternative to Rick Steves's written tours (he doesn't offer any audio walking tours...yet): Ryan found a group called My Personal Budapest, which offers various themed tours. The specific tour we chose was a 9 AM to 6 PM "Hungarian Soul" exploration through aspects of what makes Budapest unique in its history, culture, and expression. András, our tour guide, was born and raised in Budapest and now lives in Buda, the hilly side of the Danube. Just opposite its banks lies the much flatter Pest, less residential and more industrial in nature. In the late 1800s, six cities—including Buda, Pest, and Óbuda ("north of Buda," so you can probably guess where it's located)—joined forces to create a single metropolis, which would be more prosperous and more resilient against invaders. (Unfortunate side note: It didn't really help for the latter purpose. More about that farther down this photo gallery.) We met András in the Astoria district (pictured above), where he walked us through gardens, plazas, and historic streets. Buildings considered "historic" were only deemed such because the structures that had stood there before might have been hundreds of years old, but given that Budapest has been on the losing side of every war for more than 500 years, much of the city is comparably new. The siege of Budapest—a fight between the occupying Nazis and incoming Soviets—was the second-longest siege of any city during WWII, and it had immeasurable destruction and casualties to show for it; so as is the case in Warsaw, most buildings really stem from no earlier than the 50s. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141104448-VVB7C4UWI4AS4LEH5LQQ/IMG_6680.jpg Hannah Wren & Jesse Vanpoucke Interestingly, though, if you ask anyone when certain structures or cross-Danube bridges were built, they'll only respond with their original dates of erection—mid-way through the 1600s, maybe the millennial celebration in 1896—but never with the true date that the structure was rebuilt. Each and every bridge between Buda and Pest was completely destroyed during WWII bombing, and yet everyone will insist that the bridges date back centuries. It's a desire to cling to Hungary's golden age of prosperity and peace, rather than dredge up yet another reminder of its sufferings in the last 100 years. We made our way on foot to the edge of the Jewish District and onward toward Pest's Central Market, Nagyvásácsarnok. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141108723-91YSQDR3DX3IG0ZEZW2U/IMG_6682.jpg Hannah Wren & Jesse Vanpoucke This three-story market was yet another building (or bridge, church, or castle) constructed for Hungary's 1,000-year celebration in 1896, and now, 121 years later, it's a delightful mix of spices, meats, cheeses, fish, honey, spreads, local wine, Pálinka, Unicum, and traditional kitchen wares as far as you can see in any direction. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141115547-5QK0LKE9ER96HHNYGSK4/IMG_6683.jpg Hannah Wren & Jesse Vanpoucke We sampled a series of Hungarian sausages, including a new favorite for both of us—sausage made from the hairy mangslica, a pig with such thick, curly fur that it looks like a faceless sheep. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1503794120553-28GFKI4W58GPMPOOGQVZ/IMG_6685.jpg Hannah Wren & Jesse Vanpoucke I hate admitting that it's absurdly cute, because it's also absurdly delicious. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141117667-JM5BG653DNKCVROLVL14/IMG_6684.jpg Hannah Wren & Jesse Vanpoucke As tired of charcuterie as we were thanks to 10 days in Italy, we could've eaten our combined weight in these paprika-covered sausages. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141127040-4CPMEK6L8R6RO5JQ7R3Y/IMG_6695.jpg Hannah Wren & Jesse Vanpoucke From the market, we took a van to some of the city's farther-reaching destinations. We rode across the Szabadság híd, the Liberty Bridge, to Gellért Hill on the Buda side of the Danube. This hill houses a number of spectacles, including a chapel built into the side of the rock and an anti-war monument at the top of the hill, but our first destination was Gellért Baths. One of the reasons the Romans were so quick to colonize Buda and Óbuda was the area's abundance of thermal hot springs. As early as 1550, the Ottomans started to build traditional bathhouses over these springs. Gellért is one of the more well-known bathhouses, built in the early 1900s and now featuring its own hotel and spas. Only a few days later, we went back to visit more than just Gellért's beautiful lobby, with its stained glass and mosaics. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141130383-4VII3RA9YL5U4PQCSY4Y/IMG_6702.jpg Hannah Wren & Jesse Vanpoucke We drove up to the Citadella for a fabulous view of Buda and Pest far below, then headed back down the hill (read: more like a mountain) to the Várkert Bazár, a mix of marble ramps and domed gazebos heading up to the Budavári Castle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141137959-A4VZWB584LSEFC7L1610/IMG_6715.jpg Hannah Wren & Jesse Vanpoucke Back across the Danube, we walked through Sabadság Square near Hungary's stunning Parliament building, where we saw a statue of Ronald Reagan commemorating the downfall of communism and the Cold War. He has one hand stretched out in front of him, the bronze now discolored from the number of people who have stopped by to shake his hand. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141140306-O1ARTJ2D3M18VAOJEZ68/IMG_6720.jpg Hannah Wren & Jesse Vanpoucke And just down the square stood Hungary's last standing Soviet relic—an obelisk erected by the USSR itself out of self-pride for saving Hungary from Nazi rule. It would be impossible to decide whether Soviet rule was any better, given its plethora of assassinations, massacres, race-based concentration camps, executions of children who didn't comply with their socialist policies, encouragement of sons and daughters to spy and report on their parents...and the list never ends. The monument now stands as a relic of Hungary's dark past, but we had to wonder whether it wasn't a coincidence that the shrubs surrounding the monument are now so overgrown that you can barely see it. The square on which it sits was, until relatively recently, named some variation of "Russia Square" (and you can guess who named it such); the Hungarian government recently renamed it, dryly declaring that they would only change it back if Russia created a "Budapest Square" in return. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1503794139073-TATRP940PAYRITKHI24H/IMG_6731.jpg Hannah Wren & Jesse Vanpoucke We then met a local historian in Central Café, which was built in the late-1800s and frequented by a considerable number of Hungarian poets, authors, and artists. It served as the perfect backdrop for an 80-minute history lesson on Budapest, starting with the Carpathian Basin's first known inhabitants many, many millennia ago. We went through Hungary's golden ages and wars, its extreme wealth followed by poverty in economy and land after the Warsaw Pact, and its occupation by one unwanted regime after another. This lesson was one of our favorite parts of the entire day, and helped shape how we saw and explored Budapest for the rest of our time there. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141143453-QGDHZ5XDKG7QAVHJSSQC/IMG_6729.jpg Hannah Wren & Jesse Vanpoucke We were in sore need of a latte. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141152137-Q80PWJYTLZ3NKEMO25DD/IMG_6736.jpg Hannah Wren & Jesse Vanpoucke András then took us to Budapest's suburbs, where his parents live. They cooked lunch for us, including a delicious vegetable soup with paprika paste (and I loved the paste so much that I went right back to Central Market the next day to buy my own jar); small, hexagonal biscuit-like things that were flaky and delicious... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141147140-NKHUMGBYQG62AD80S3Z3/IMG_6734.jpg Hannah Wren & Jesse Vanpoucke ...shots of Pálinka (which made Everclear seem modest); glasses of Hungarian furmint wine; my favorite Hungarian dish, paprikás (small, gnocchi-like noodle nubbins with chicken in a thick, paprika-based sauce, sliced peppers, sour cream, and maybe a hunk of tomato)... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141153578-O6BPT3MFF7DWFO8Q16ZX/IMG_6737.jpg Hannah Wren & Jesse Vanpoucke ...and, for dessert, a layered custard with powdered sugar. As someone who likes neither custard nor flan, I loved this dessert. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141163730-53QB1UDM9YJD2D56BZHD/IMG_6744.jpg Hannah Wren & Jesse Vanpoucke András acted as an interpreter while we got to know his parents, who loved showing us photos from his childhood, and we were stuffed into a sleepy oblivion by the time we left at around 3:30 PM. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141162156-XMR2F3DBHES95RTXG6ZW/IMG_6747.jpg Hannah Wren & Jesse Vanpoucke Our next stop was a dance and music studio near Pest's Astoria district, where we watched a music performance by a traditional Hungarian group of what they refer to as "gypsy music." The melodies have inspired Western composers including Brahms and Bartok, and we loved watching a 90-year-old cimbalom (almost like a dulcimer) in action. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141172680-YRGMV7HU4QPCWHQB86OE/IMG_6756.jpg Hannah Wren & Jesse Vanpoucke Our tour ended at around 6 PM in the Jewish District, which has been taken over by a young generation of hipsters. Every shop, café, bar, and restaurant closely mirrored a place that Ryan and I would rave about if it were on Phoenix's Roosevelt Row, and unsurprisingly, the district was crawling with beards, tattoos, and local-only, non-sweatshop, farm-to-table clothing stores, recycled wares, and food trucks. Our favorite stop that evening was a "ruin pub" called Szimplakert, which from the street looks like a foreboding, abandoned building that saw a less fortunate side of WWII. The facade is falling off, windows are broken or boarded up, and the entrance looks like a gaping black hole in a charred (i.e., from pollution) limestone frame. But a few steps inside takes you into a completely different world: There's a large, covered courtyard bordered by small room after small room, each interconnecting in a maze of quirky, cluttered, filled-with-antiques-no-one-else-would-ever-want details. Each room runs its own pub or wine bar: some are hookah joints, some sell craft beer, others only serve Hungarian wines, others have arcade games and bar activities. At the end of courtyard, the space opens up into a two-story outdoor area with steps to the second floor (more rooms covered in strange antiques and graffiti) and more outside bar options. People were sitting on ruined couches and inside antique bathtubs, others were sitting on top what might have been a stove in the early 1900s, and still others were perched on a kid's kangaroo ride, which might have been part of a carousel decades ago. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141173555-5SYDQDO336I0VNTQ8B8Y/IMG_6759.jpg Hannah Wren & Jesse Vanpoucke You can probably guess why this is called a "ruin pub," and given the fate of the Jewish District during both Nazi and Soviet occupation, it's unsurprising that hipsters have converged on these destroyed buildings to turn them into a symbol of perseverance and renewed life. That single twist from darkness to perseverance was a major theme during our time in Budapest. https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/mary-buck-anderson daily 0.75 2017-08-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Mary & Buck Anderson https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140186270-KIZXF0NI9V9BASST21NZ/IMG_6392.jpg Mary & Buck Anderson We ended our first night in Vienna at what ended up being one of our favorite places in the city: Das Loft, a loft bar on the 18th floor of the Sofitel near our own hotel. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140188258-012WZ0FF2KO56N7VX4XW/IMG_6431.jpg Mary & Buck Anderson It offered almost 360º panoramic views of the city, and we were lucky to sit right by a soaring window that looked out at a small amusement park and, more interestingly, a large park with two industrial-looking towers. (You can see them in the tree-covered part of the skyline in this photo, toward the left of the frame.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140191857-7TIYTRCBW0J11FVPFBLR/IMG_6432.jpg Mary & Buck Anderson It turns out that these towers were built in WWII to shoot down incoming Ally planes. Although they were never used, they were built to be completely indestructible...which the city verified was true, given how hard they worked to bring them down. They couldn't, so the towers still stand—now as a converted monument against war and violence. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140194113-6ALF23WQMH35W2GHYN3U/IMG_6448.jpg Mary & Buck Anderson We had a lovely date night in Das Loft, and enjoyed two flights of Austrian wines. Ryan's a big fan of grüner veltliner now. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140206320-RO5WBC2XQ0JB7TND98VW/IMG_6459.jpg Mary & Buck Anderson Das Loft by night. The ceiling was one of our favorite parts! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140201789-3JUKV4SF9IW51IN9LMF4/IMG_6454.jpg Mary & Buck Anderson In the distance, you can see the amusement park that we had so much fun watching as it lit up by night. https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/carole-fitzpatrick daily 0.75 2017-08-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Carole FitzPatrick https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139818961-MYVRBZB6R7JB26KLY2UQ/IMG_6541.jpg Carole FitzPatrick In our hotel elevator, heading down to the street. You can tell that Ryan's fretting over whether to button his jacket. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139817033-UL7ON36RSE0JK1JSU4WR/IMG_6552.jpg Carole FitzPatrick We had a lovely dinner and glasses of Austrian wine at the opera's café. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139826183-VDGNJ8VJW6LAYANE6B3H/IMG_6554.jpg Carole FitzPatrick We sat on the street (the weather was perfect) and people-watched for almost an hour. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139842163-HU1ORBD4FRX1WEQ06Z9P/IMG_6572.jpg Carole FitzPatrick Heading up the stairs in the Staatsoper. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139820886-FX2AIY4PQ2J67WJTIHO4/IMG_6563.jpg Carole FitzPatrick We're mostly sending you a ton of selfies...haha! Sorry about that. But I was pretty stoked to dress up for the first time since...well, the wedding. ;) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139828123-PKD7ZHPEVD0XDMQO5ODB/IMG_6564.jpg Carole FitzPatrick The Staatsoper was absolutely beautiful. It was a packed house--even the standing room section had completely sold out. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139833732-ZID2ZPNYW3HKI6J5C8D8/IMG_6570.jpg Carole FitzPatrick We took this one right as we were picking up our tickets from the box office. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139841054-OUZYAHB7GXSZ280G48Y8/IMG_6573.jpg Carole FitzPatrick A close-up of the night's cast. We both loved Gilda--she was phenomenal. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139845809-7D6BTCTJE9GRI0Y2E7CG/IMG_6574.jpg Carole FitzPatrick Happy faces! The program was really beautifully laid out, so we couldn't leave without a copy. It's now sitting on our coffee table. https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/mary-mcmillan daily 0.75 2017-08-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140353324-LGV5774XNT6OFOSGDLRO/IMG_6661.jpg Mary McMillan Compared with the other hotels of our honeymoon, this one was beyond fancy. Not only did it have A/C (which was sorely needed during Europe's heat wave), but there was a sauna (!), a hotel bar, and most helpful of all, free hot breakfast buffets every morning. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140378275-Q34MFR3KD2N4VS2P14QI/IMG_6672.jpg Mary McMillan It saved us so much money to be able to stumble sleepily downstairs every morning, load up on coffee, toast, eggs, and more coffee, and head on out. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140366862-59KH0ITDSWCOMV0S6W4M/IMG_6662.jpg Mary McMillan We also had a beautiful room with huge windows overlooking Pest's Parliament district (named for the nearby Parlamento building). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140360778-GZODV79814CLDRXH0UJE/IMG_6667.jpg Mary McMillan Upstairs: the bar area. Downstairs: breakfast, sauna, and jacuzzi. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140370787-0RJNHR9VVYT61BX9RHWO/IMG_6668.jpg Mary McMillan So swanky, right? We were so happy to have free wi-fi that we just lounged in these chairs for an hour the night we arrived. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140386378-29FKSPQS9Z6NJ1K083JY/IMG_6686.jpg Mary McMillan Pest's Central Market, Nagyvásácsarnok. This three-story market was yet another building (or bridge, church, or castle) constructed for Hungary's 1,000-year celebration in 1896, and now, 121 years later, it's a delightful mix of spices, meats, cheeses, fish, honey, spreads, local wine, Pálinka, Unicum, and traditional kitchen wares as far as you can see in any direction. We sampled a series of Hungarian sausages, including a new favorite for both of us—sausage made from the hairy mangslica, a pig with such thick, curly fur that it looks like a faceless sheep. I hate admitting that it's absurdly cute, because it's also absurdly delicious. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140391234-930MCZBA6QRVF1X7A0N3/IMG_6784.jpg Mary McMillan I wasn’t the happiest camper when Ryan told me late the night before that we had 9 AM tour tickets to see the Parlamento, or the parliament building of Budapest. The tours are notoriously crowded during the rest of the day, hence the early hour—and once we arrived, I was glad Ryan insisted on it. This parliament building is among the most beautiful we’ve ever seen, both inside and out. The interior hallways, domes, and even doorways are so carefully decorated that every detail is noteworthy, but the combined effect is far from overwhelming. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140431197-FPG82X74P9U10NZABFUK/IMG_6806.jpg Mary McMillan We saw the crown jewels, which Hungary handed over to the U.S. for safe-keeping during Nazi and Soviet occupation (the U.S. returned the crown only a few decades ago, when all was safe again); we saw the congress chambers, where important governmental decisions are still made to this day; and we saw one of the most grand two-stairway entrances I’d ever seen, which only opens with the induction of new congress members every few years. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140429335-67ME7Z8BS7ZLOO6WJ4RE/IMG_6827.jpg Mary McMillan The “Shoes on the Danube”—a holocaust memorial featuring statues of shoes left messily along the shore. When the Nazis occupied Hungary, they lined members of Budapest’s Jewish population up along the freezing Danube, made them take off their shoes and valuables, and shot them into the water. When they started running out of bullets, they would tie four or five Jews together and shoot only one, who would drag the rest down with them. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140443972-QPUHI2X2S1M9UJ59OYXF/IMG_6859.jpg Mary McMillan We toured the inside of St. Stephens, the most renowned church in Budapest (and, possibly, in Hungary). Although the interior was absolutely beautiful, we were particularly excited about climbing up to the dome for a bird’s eye view of the city. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140471922-WX5I0VJ9BU33XZPKF85M/IMG_6873.jpg Mary McMillan Dohány Street Synagogue, the second largest synagogue in the world (after Manhattan’s shockingly huge temple, which Ryan has also explored). This synagogue envelopes part of the area where the Nazis kept a vast majority of Budapest’s Jewish population in badly cramped living conditions, which allowed illness and infection to run rampant. When the Soviets assumed control of the country, they entered the main square of the synagogue to find thousands of bodies piled up in the center. Those bodies now rest in the ground beneath it as a graveyard dedicated against war and anti-semitism. At the end of the square is an upside-down Menorah that creates a metal weeping willow—the Tree of Life—where every leaf is engraved with the name of someone lost in the holocaust. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140462959-MNHLV5PSUE6ZAHKVZ2Q9/IMG_6942.jpg Mary McMillan Heroes’ Square, which features the monumental statues of Budapest’s and—more broadly—Hungary’s key leaders over the centuries. Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden was just across the street, which we caught quick glimpses of while making our way to Vajdahunyad Vára. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140623699-ITH1A7SAJERLKDTQ37F3/IMG_6957.jpg Mary McMillan Vajdahunyad Vára (“Vára” means “castle”). This castle, which looks like something out of a Disney fairy tale, was yet another building constructed for Budapest’s millennium celebration in 1896. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140532205-THJZSBP8GF33KKGQAM4A/IMG_7171.jpg Mary McMillan We took this photo at the southernmost tip of Margitsziget, or Margaret's Island, which is shaped like a football standing on one end. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499140622112-GA7EIDZAJIDXJJFVKPFR/IMG_7184.jpg Mary McMillan The center of the island is mostly a lush forest with intermittent meadows that were being used as soccer fields, track rings, picnic spots, and play areas for kids on field trips. Every now and then, we’d pass a small cottage hotel or a pub, an art museum or a pool—but otherwise, it was just an island filled with nature and the people enjoying it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Mary McMillan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1503794127853-6ZJC05I7L9TLR9WAXX4S/IMG_6675.jpg Mary McMillan We started our first full day in Budapest with an alternative to Rick Steves's written tours (he doesn't offer any audio walking tours...yet): Ryan found a group called My Personal Budapest, which offers various themed tours. The specific tour we chose was a 9 AM to 6 PM "Hungarian Soul" exploration through aspects of what makes Budapest unique in its history, culture, and expression. András, our tour guide, was born and raised in Budapest and now lives in Buda, the hilly side of the Danube. Just opposite its banks lies the much flatter Pest, less residential and more industrial in nature. In the late 1800s, six cities—including Buda, Pest, and Óbuda ("north of Buda," so you can probably guess where it's located)—joined forces to create a single metropolis, which would be more prosperous and more resilient against invaders. (Unfortunate side note: It didn't really help for the latter purpose. More about that farther down this photo gallery.) We met András in the Astoria district (pictured above), where he walked us through gardens, plazas, and historic streets. Buildings considered "historic" were only deemed such because the structures that had stood there before might have been hundreds of years old, but given that Budapest has been on the losing side of every war for more than 500 years, much of the city is comparably new. The siege of Budapest—a fight between the occupying Nazis and incoming Soviets—was the second-longest siege of any city during WWII, and it had immeasurable destruction and casualties to show for it; so as is the case in Warsaw, most buildings really stem from no earlier than the 50s. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141104448-VVB7C4UWI4AS4LEH5LQQ/IMG_6680.jpg Mary McMillan Interestingly, though, if you ask anyone when certain structures or cross-Danube bridges were built, they'll only respond with their original dates of erection—mid-way through the 1600s, maybe the millennial celebration in 1896—but never with the true date that the structure was rebuilt. Each and every bridge between Buda and Pest was completely destroyed during WWII bombing, and yet everyone will insist that the bridges date back centuries. It's a desire to cling to Hungary's golden age of prosperity and peace, rather than dredge up yet another reminder of its sufferings in the last 100 years. We made our way on foot to the edge of the Jewish District and onward toward Pest's Central Market, Nagyvásácsarnok. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141108723-91YSQDR3DX3IG0ZEZW2U/IMG_6682.jpg Mary McMillan This three-story market was yet another building (or bridge, church, or castle) constructed for Hungary's 1,000-year celebration in 1896, and now, 121 years later, it's a delightful mix of spices, meats, cheeses, fish, honey, spreads, local wine, Pálinka, Unicum, and traditional kitchen wares as far as you can see in any direction. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141115547-5QK0LKE9ER96HHNYGSK4/IMG_6683.jpg Mary McMillan We sampled a series of Hungarian sausages, including a new favorite for both of us—sausage made from the hairy mangslica, a pig with such thick, curly fur that it looks like a faceless sheep. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1503794120553-28GFKI4W58GPMPOOGQVZ/IMG_6685.jpg Mary McMillan I hate admitting that it's absurdly cute, because it's also absurdly delicious. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141117667-JM5BG653DNKCVROLVL14/IMG_6684.jpg Mary McMillan As tired of charcuterie as we were thanks to 10 days in Italy, we could've eaten our combined weight in these paprika-covered sausages. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141127040-4CPMEK6L8R6RO5JQ7R3Y/IMG_6695.jpg Mary McMillan From the market, we took a van to some of the city's farther-reaching destinations. We rode across the Szabadság híd, the Liberty Bridge, to Gellért Hill on the Buda side of the Danube. This hill houses a number of spectacles, including a chapel built into the side of the rock and an anti-war monument at the top of the hill, but our first destination was Gellért Baths. One of the reasons the Romans were so quick to colonize Buda and Óbuda was the area's abundance of thermal hot springs. As early as 1550, the Ottomans started to build traditional bathhouses over these springs. Gellért is one of the more well-known bathhouses, built in the early 1900s and now featuring its own hotel and spas. Only a few days later, we went back to visit more than just Gellért's beautiful lobby, with its stained glass and mosaics. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141130383-4VII3RA9YL5U4PQCSY4Y/IMG_6702.jpg Mary McMillan We drove up to the Citadella for a fabulous view of Buda and Pest far below, then headed back down the hill (read: more like a mountain) to the Várkert Bazár, a mix of marble ramps and domed gazebos heading up to the Budavári Castle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141137959-A4VZWB584LSEFC7L1610/IMG_6715.jpg Mary McMillan Back across the Danube, we walked through Sabadság Square near Hungary's stunning Parliament building, where we saw a statue of Ronald Reagan commemorating the downfall of communism and the Cold War. He has one hand stretched out in front of him, the bronze now discolored from the number of people who have stopped by to shake his hand. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141140306-O1ARTJ2D3M18VAOJEZ68/IMG_6720.jpg Mary McMillan And just down the square stood Hungary's last standing Soviet relic—an obelisk erected by the USSR itself out of self-pride for saving Hungary from Nazi rule. It would be impossible to decide whether Soviet rule was any better, given its plethora of assassinations, massacres, race-based concentration camps, executions of children who didn't comply with their socialist policies, encouragement of sons and daughters to spy and report on their parents...and the list never ends. The monument now stands as a relic of Hungary's dark past, but we had to wonder whether it wasn't a coincidence that the shrubs surrounding the monument are now so overgrown that you can barely see it. The square on which it sits was, until relatively recently, named some variation of "Russia Square" (and you can guess who named it such); the Hungarian government recently renamed it, dryly declaring that they would only change it back if Russia created a "Budapest Square" in return. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1503794139073-TATRP940PAYRITKHI24H/IMG_6731.jpg Mary McMillan We then met a local historian in Central Café, which was built in the late-1800s and frequented by a considerable number of Hungarian poets, authors, and artists. It served as the perfect backdrop for an 80-minute history lesson on Budapest, starting with the Carpathian Basin's first known inhabitants many, many millennia ago. We went through Hungary's golden ages and wars, its extreme wealth followed by poverty in economy and land after the Warsaw Pact, and its occupation by one unwanted regime after another. This lesson was one of our favorite parts of the entire day, and helped shape how we saw and explored Budapest for the rest of our time there. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141143453-QGDHZ5XDKG7QAVHJSSQC/IMG_6729.jpg Mary McMillan We were in sore need of a latte. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141152137-Q80PWJYTLZ3NKEMO25DD/IMG_6736.jpg Mary McMillan András then took us to Budapest's suburbs, where his parents live. They cooked lunch for us, including a delicious vegetable soup with paprika paste (and I loved the paste so much that I went right back to Central Market the next day to buy my own jar); small, hexagonal biscuit-like things that were flaky and delicious... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141147140-NKHUMGBYQG62AD80S3Z3/IMG_6734.jpg Mary McMillan ...shots of Pálinka (which made Everclear seem modest); glasses of Hungarian furmint wine; my favorite Hungarian dish, paprikás (small, gnocchi-like noodle nubbins with chicken in a thick, paprika-based sauce, sliced peppers, sour cream, and maybe a hunk of tomato)... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141153578-O6BPT3MFF7DWFO8Q16ZX/IMG_6737.jpg Mary McMillan ...and, for dessert, a layered custard with powdered sugar. As someone who likes neither custard nor flan, I loved this dessert. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141163730-53QB1UDM9YJD2D56BZHD/IMG_6744.jpg Mary McMillan András acted as an interpreter while we got to know his parents, who loved showing us photos from his childhood, and we were stuffed into a sleepy oblivion by the time we left at around 3:30 PM. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141162156-XMR2F3DBHES95RTXG6ZW/IMG_6747.jpg Mary McMillan Our next stop was a dance and music studio near Pest's Astoria district, where we watched a music performance by a traditional Hungarian group of what they refer to as "gypsy music." The melodies have inspired Western composers including Brahms and Bartok, and we loved watching a 90-year-old cimbalom (almost like a dulcimer) in action. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141172680-YRGMV7HU4QPCWHQB86OE/IMG_6756.jpg Mary McMillan Our tour ended at around 6 PM in the Jewish District, which has been taken over by a young generation of hipsters. Every shop, café, bar, and restaurant closely mirrored a place that Ryan and I would rave about if it were on Phoenix's Roosevelt Row, and unsurprisingly, the district was crawling with beards, tattoos, and local-only, non-sweatshop, farm-to-table clothing stores, recycled wares, and food trucks. Our favorite stop that evening was a "ruin pub" called Szimplakert, which from the street looks like a foreboding, abandoned building that saw a less fortunate side of WWII. The facade is falling off, windows are broken or boarded up, and the entrance looks like a gaping black hole in a charred (i.e., from pollution) limestone frame. But a few steps inside takes you into a completely different world: There's a large, covered courtyard bordered by small room after small room, each interconnecting in a maze of quirky, cluttered, filled-with-antiques-no-one-else-would-ever-want details. Each room runs its own pub or wine bar: some are hookah joints, some sell craft beer, others only serve Hungarian wines, others have arcade games and bar activities. At the end of courtyard, the space opens up into a two-story outdoor area with steps to the second floor (more rooms covered in strange antiques and graffiti) and more outside bar options. People were sitting on ruined couches and inside antique bathtubs, others were sitting on top what might have been a stove in the early 1900s, and still others were perched on a kid's kangaroo ride, which might have been part of a carousel decades ago. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141173555-5SYDQDO336I0VNTQ8B8Y/IMG_6759.jpg Mary McMillan You can probably guess why this is called a "ruin pub," and given the fate of the Jewish District during both Nazi and Soviet occupation, it's unsurprising that hipsters have converged on these destroyed buildings to turn them into a symbol of perseverance and renewed life. That single twist from darkness to perseverance was a major theme during our time in Budapest. https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/jessica-swarner-sean-murray daily 0.75 2017-08-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139753738-7XZQ4F674E2VRC2X2TWH/IMG_6333.jpg Jessica Swarner & Sean Murray This particular restaurant was along the Graben, which used to be a moat for the Roman military camp. Between the modern-day stores (from Starbucks to Sephora, and including the prettiest H&M I've ever seen) is a small side street called Dorotheergasse, which is known as the street for appetites; it's lined with inexpensive and well-known Viennese restaurants and cafés. We ate in one such restaurant for lunch: Reinthaler Beisl was crooked room after crooked room with plush chairs pulled up under stark wooden tables, peeling wallpaper, and massive beer steins. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139754305-85AIXG5H43GNMKU0EFK7/IMG_6334.jpg Jessica Swarner & Sean Murray As you can tell, Viennese food is very...brown (but tasty). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139769211-RIGUP9BLBCX47XLZA5B6/IMG_6339.jpg Jessica Swarner & Sean Murray We ordered stereotypical Viennese meals (read: beef stew, dumplings, shredded pancakes), and I was so excited to see a heaping side of sauerkraut (because Salzburg taught me that I actually love warm sauerkraut) that I took a massive forkful out of the pile and shoved it in my mouth before Ryan had time to stop me. It was raw horseradish. I cried. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139760546-L0ABZSPUIOXY15ZF5X45/IMG_6337.jpg Jessica Swarner & Sean Murray On the positive side, I'd had stuffy sinuses all morning, which remained blissfully clear the rest of the day. This is me still getting over the pain. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139769196-TEWM5TKT5WJ1YPYTPLTW/IMG_6377.jpg Jessica Swarner & Sean Murray Paprikas csirske (chicken paprikas with little egg dumplings). This was one of my favorite dishes of the honeymoon, and this particular photo came from the first time we'd ever had it--in a restaurant owned by a family that fled Hungary after the 1956 revolution (read: massacre). This restaurant, Ilona Stüberl, taught us that we love—love—Hungarian cuisine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139774554-PE2E6W47GIYTNJ5IKV64/IMG_6379.jpg Jessica Swarner & Sean Murray Lecso Kolbasszal, like the Hungarian jambalaya. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139787745-DOGKKP0DWI523SQE5KG5/IMG_6496.jpg Jessica Swarner & Sean Murray We had lunch at 1516 craft brewery, where we sat under a huge awning and watched the rain. (Other than this quick spell, we were so lucky that our time in Salzburg, Vienna, and Budapest was completely dry and not too hot.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139782522-E1H3RE4UBDUTIF9QPDAU/IMG_6495.jpg Jessica Swarner & Sean Murray Ryan loved 1516's draft selections. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Jessica Swarner & Sean Murray https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/arthur-susie-schwarz daily 0.75 2017-08-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139410715-3ZDNIZU7IERF74UTDQTG/IMG_6313.jpg Artie & Susie Schwarz St. Stephan's Cathedral—culturally considered the center of Vienna. Locals explained that a common meeting place for all ages is the Stephansplatz, the large cobbled plaza in front of the cathedral that's now crawling with men in Mozart costumes, trying to sell tickets to lower-quality classical productions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139407591-SNM2TPTANRB27QG196WC/IMG_6322.jpg Artie & Susie Schwarz We went through two Rick Steves audio tours of the cathedral alone—one for the complex interior, and one for the beautiful stone and tiled exterior. The interior is an amalgamation of centuries of different architectural styles, government regimes, plagues, and attempted takeovers (e.g., by the Ottomans; a cannonball is still visible on a wall as a reminder of that particular siege in the 1680s). We saw the chapel where Mozart got married, and along the outside of the cathedral, saw framed picture after framed picture of the devastation the building experienced during both world wars. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139415618-59M84P107WXNZCSM6HZI/IMG_6327.JPG Artie & Susie Schwarz We particularly loved the stained glass. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139424544-0WGKHOY6Y09JQRUUIAQ1/IMG_6328.jpg Artie & Susie Schwarz You can tell which parts of the cathedral have been power-washed to remove the grime and pollution. As you can see, they haven't quite finished. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139423081-ROPOMZK1ZUV9J6ULNCNN/IMG_6343.jpg Artie & Susie Schwarz Demel, a famous chocolate company that opened in 1786, and which served Empress Sisi herself during her time in the city. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139432621-N4TXRWQID7AOXKDCNX0J/IMG_6345.jpg Artie & Susie Schwarz Another shot of Demel. We had our final breakfast in Vienna upstairs in what seemed like an old living room or lounge, with its almost Parisian décor and poufs and curved footed tables and gilded mirrors. I finally tried an apfelstrudel, and Ryan got a slice of chocolate cake so sweet that the waiter politely warned him twice just how sweet it was. (Needless to say, he didn't touch anything else with sugar for the rest of the day.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139431714-I8076QCSJ0NJFJPCXI6I/IMG_6346.jpg Artie & Susie Schwarz We got a few chocolates to go... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139455112-2MJVSK9ERS8LFK2PGLZ9/IMG_6357.jpg Artie & Susie Schwarz The entrance to the Kunsthistorisches museum, just down the street from Demel on the Hofburg complex. It's dedicated to history ranging from ancient Egypt to eighteenth-century Italian painters. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139443356-JAVOUIX7J8XIJIM9JZ9F/IMG_6358.jpg Artie & Susie Schwarz In the ancient Greece wing of the museum. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139450127-VC30G6C7EAMQ0BY2NSKH/IMG_6360.jpg Artie & Susie Schwarz By that point in the day, our lower backs were aching so badly from walking so slowly through museum after museum that we stretched out on the lawn in front of this building, right in the shade of a massive, tear-shaped shrub for a full hour. It was heaven. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139462649-94DWP84T1D1L58SZZXUU/IMG_6365.jpg Artie & Susie Schwarz One last shot of Kunsthistorisches. It was beautiful! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139466554-G52PR2ZV8P71BK83ZUZ1/IMG_6371.jpg Artie & Susie Schwarz You can spot Ryan toward the left, looking studious. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139468976-P7SQN60UZ5DBFLH33OBZ/IMG_6464.jpg Artie & Susie Schwarz We started off our second day at the Albertina Museum, just across from the opera house and the Monument Against War and Fascism. The Albertina houses "modern" (read: avant-garde) art stemming back to the 1700s, from Picasso to Egon Schiele. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139487402-LXOHVXQW59LWW2OIS6GG/IMG_6485.jpg Artie & Susie Schwarz In fact, there was a huge Egon Schiele exhibit while we were there, which was fascinating to go through. (We'd gone through some of his works together while in a bookstore in Portland years and years ago, and a print of one of his many self-portraits hangs over Ryan's desk, but otherwise we knew very little about him. Dude was messed up, but his art was cool.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139485003-OUQPRUEIY94NZ5DM3GQ7/IMG_6483.jpg Artie & Susie Schwarz Looking studious with Schiele, pt. 2. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139473705-G6R8EON10EI05R6QNNTB/IMG_6472.jpg Artie & Susie Schwarz My favorite part of the museum was discovering an artist I really love, who Ryan also enjoyed enough to dub him "a new favorite": Franz Sedlacek, a thoroughly depressed Polish artist whose work is a perfect mix of creepy and amazing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139474462-21K9M2M31AXB5IDRFPNG/IMG_6474.jpg Artie & Susie Schwarz Another favorite from Sedlacek. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139495186-MV64X2IVCIX64W8A9XMM/IMG_6503.jpg Artie & Susie Schwarz Belvedere, a multi-part museum housed in the beautiful and expansive Belvedere Palace, whose gardens sprawl in marble steps, elegant fountains, trimmed almost-maze-like hedges, and curly flower designs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499139500347-IIM2G33IJQ3VMJKAOMXR/IMG_6504.JPG Artie & Susie Schwarz The Belvedere has all kinds of art, including the famous painting of Napoleon riding into battle, but it's most known for its number of Gustav Klimt pieces (including the original "The Kiss"). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1503781631392-7BU2BNSTXFYM6XKHUVE8/IMG_6539.jpg Artie & Susie Schwarz Nailed it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1503781610973-YF2SFU8GD7N9BR4AEXX1/IMG_6533.jpg Artie & Susie Schwarz And then came one of my favorite moments from our trip: Ryan found Hanny Deutsch's marriage license, which had her home address written in beautiful script: Rudolfsplatz 12, in Vienna's Jewish quarter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1503781618407-W45OKJ1SL674AEB1FAEB/IMG_6530.jpg Artie & Susie Schwarz Hanny's home was right around the corner from what is now a Holocaust memorial. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1503781632531-CQ42UJQJMEISABKQWTR3/IMG_6537.jpg Artie & Susie Schwarz Just down the street from Jewish Plaza (Judensplatz), we found her home at the turn of the century: It looks out over a small square park, and is now a textile firm...which Molly said was unsurprising, given that Hanny worked in the textile business in New York. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1503781639434-R6ZLJNQSVOOKOO16UGXR/IMG_6574.jpg Artie & Susie Schwarz We went to see Verdi's Rigoletto at the Wiener Staatsoper, which was only the second Verdi I'd seen! Our favorite part of the experience—besides just seeing such a famous opera house—was the awesome set design, which included a huge rotating structure with various "scenes" built into different sides. The effect, with its dead trees, sharp corners, and colorless décor, was just edgy enough for the opera itself. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Artie & Susie Schwarz https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/julie-saunders daily 0.75 2017-08-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138678508-CYLTYOTVCYLYDGRH5NG6/IMG_6050.jpg Julie Saunders The first thing we did when we arrived in Salzburg was to put in our earbuds and wander around the Old City, listening to Rick Steves's walking tour. We started on the Mozartsteg, a pedestrian bridge dedicated to one of Salzburg's most renowned past citizens, where Rick explained the meaning behind the city's name. It was the northern capital of the Roman Empire, and crucial to the empire for its salt (Salz) trade via the Danube (which splits into the Inn and then into the Salzach, and which flows across 10 countries; Europe's second-longest river actually starts in southern Germany before winding its way north of the alps to Salzburg and Vienna). We passed through a ton of plazas (Mozartplatz, featuring a huge statue of the world-famous composer; Residenzplatz, of the former royal family; and the New Residenz, now converted from a royal palace into a central post office). We visited Salzburg Cathedral (pictured here), originally built in the 1300s and rebuilt in the 1600s, before being almost entirely destroyed during WWII and built once again the 1950s. The baptismal font where Mozart was baptized still stands by the entrance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138685201-POWP9C4M4Z9JF2YFZ3L7/IMG_6065.jpg Julie Saunders We strolled through St. Peter's Cemetery, most famous for shielding the Von Trapps from Nazi eyes after the Captain performed at Toscanini Hof, the huge outdoor theatre just across the street. (Note: This scene was actually filmed on a Fox lot, regardless of what Salzburg tour guides might tell you.) The cemetery itself originates from 696, and houses a beautiful Romanesque church that still shows bits of faded frescoes from the 1200s. Just across the square adjacent to the outdoor theatre is the Stiftskeller St. Peter restaurant, the oldest restaurant in Europe and questionably the oldest still-running restaurant in the entire world (est. 803). Christopher Columbus and Mozart were both served at this restaurant. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138691081-ZSNPL1D9Q4TR08B4TPOG/IMG_6140.jpg Julie Saunders Just around the corner from the cathedral was Kapiteplatz, one of the major plazas for horses and traders in Salzburg's golden age, and through yet another set of tunnels is the original waterwheel of the city. This wooden wheel, built in the 1200s, used to power the funicular up to the Salzburg fortress, which is pictured here; it used the power of the nearby canals to route water power to five key vessels around the city, including washing the city streets every Thursday morning of the previous week's filth. This is one key reason why Salzburg is one of the only cities in Central and Western Europe to never have suffered from a plague. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138695306-Z5HO9XZ7AFR7NBJRY619/IMG_6162.jpg Julie Saunders The torture room inside Salzburg's fortress. It was never used to torture anyone--it was just here to scare them. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138715978-JZUD99MT6HOSHJC927DL/IMG_6173.jpg Julie Saunders This fortress was so foreboding that it scared off any and all armies interested in conquering the city over the past millennium. And indeed, the city has never—in its history—experienced a siege or takeover; it was conquered only once, and not by force. (They willingly surrendered to Napoleon's army.) Just the sight of this intimidating network of ramparts, turrets, and towers atop this incredibly steep hill was enough to scare away interested parties, including the Ottoman army in the 1600s. They just went down the street and conquered Vienna, instead. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138702005-YJ1GW7NNE5R525P2CG9X/IMG_6178.jpg Julie Saunders This fortress offered incredible views of the city and the surrounding alps, as well as eerie torture tools that were never even used, and an aerophone—a mechanical organ known as the Salzburg Bull. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138719478-257MIMRE0ZBZOWV4UV8I/IMG_6223.jpg Julie Saunders We next went to the Hapsburg's Mirabell palace and gardens, all stemming from the early 1600s. My main motive in dragging poor Ryan across a very hot and humid Salzburg for these gardens was the promise that there was a labyrinth. There was, in fact, no real labyrinth. There were maybe five walls of nicely trimmed, 10-foot-high hedges, all with the end of said garden plainly in sight at all time. My hopes of feeling like Harry in the Triwizard Tournament were dashed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138933148-YCDKZSZWD8EDHV1X2G0V/IMG_6259.jpg Julie Saunders Our time in Salzburg ended with a trip up its second-highest hill, not far from the fortress just to the south. Tucked into one side was Augustinerbräu's Kloster Mülln, our first "real" beer garden. Imagine a sprawling, tree-covered terrace with hundreds—hundreds—of people, all united in their love of beer, pretzels, and conversation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138728255-GMJBIOLAVJCS2ZIZBEDC/IMG_6265.jpg Julie Saunders Here's a breakdown of what happens when you get to Augustiner's biergarten: You tell the cashier whether you want half a liter or a full liter, she gives you a paper receipt with your order, you grab your respective stein off the wall and wash it yourself with a communal spigot in the middle of the line, then hand your receipt and your stein over to the bartender at the end of the hall, who fills it with just one beer—they only have one type, that's it—and basically throws the stein back at you without a care in the world whether you survive the assault of ceramic and foamy liquid. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138736242-XKS22M5WMCU4UDAJTFQE/IMG_6268.jpg Julie Saunders We sat in the heart of the beer garden, trying not to breathe in too much surrounding smoke, and shared a single pair of earbuds to listen to James Comey's hearing for over an hour. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499138747596-L3XDDW0M4HGJ8H1JY6YT/IMG_7532.jpg Julie Saunders Getreidgasse, one of Salzburg's main shopping streets. What we found funniest about this particular shopping venture is that each shop is required to maintain Salzburg's old aesthetic by being marked with a small, ornate, wrought iron sign with a symbol indicative of its wares for sale. A designer shoe shop might have a small iron shoe hanging above its door, and a restaurant specializing in sausages might have a small pig. McDonald's had a modest set of twin arches, and Starbucks had a steaming cup of coffee. Mozart's childhood home was even located along this street, now a museum so touristy that we continued on without stopping. Our favorite aspect of this shopping street—as well as the large shopping avenue that runs parallel to it—was the extensive network of medieval tunnels connecting the two streets through winding passages, which are now lined with shops, restaurants, and cafés. We enjoyed these tunnels more than the tributary avenues themselves. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Julie Saunders https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/ashley-votruba-jake-marz daily 0.75 2017-08-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Ashley Votruba & Jake Marz https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1503794127853-6ZJC05I7L9TLR9WAXX4S/IMG_6675.jpg Ashley Votruba & Jake Marz We started our first full day in Budapest with an alternative to Rick Steves's written tours (he doesn't offer any audio walking tours...yet): Ryan found a group called My Personal Budapest, which offers various themed tours. The specific tour we chose was a 9 AM to 6 PM "Hungarian Soul" exploration through aspects of what makes Budapest unique in its history, culture, and expression. András, our tour guide, was born and raised in Budapest and now lives in Buda, the hilly side of the Danube. Just opposite its banks lies the much flatter Pest, less residential and more industrial in nature. In the late 1800s, six cities—including Buda, Pest, and Óbuda ("north of Buda," so you can probably guess where it's located)—joined forces to create a single metropolis, which would be more prosperous and more resilient against invaders. (Unfortunate side note: It didn't really help for the latter purpose. More about that farther down this photo gallery.) We met András in the Astoria district (pictured above), where he walked us through gardens, plazas, and historic streets. Buildings considered "historic" were only deemed such because the structures that had stood there before might have been hundreds of years old, but given that Budapest has been on the losing side of every war for more than 500 years, much of the city is comparably new. The siege of Budapest—a fight between the occupying Nazis and incoming Soviets—was the second-longest siege of any city during WWII, and it had immeasurable destruction and casualties to show for it; so as is the case in Warsaw, most buildings really stem from no earlier than the 50s. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141104448-VVB7C4UWI4AS4LEH5LQQ/IMG_6680.jpg Ashley Votruba & Jake Marz Interestingly, though, if you ask anyone when certain structures or cross-Danube bridges were built, they'll only respond with their original dates of erection—mid-way through the 1600s, maybe the millennial celebration in 1896—but never with the true date that the structure was rebuilt. Each and every bridge between Buda and Pest was completely destroyed during WWII bombing, and yet everyone will insist that the bridges date back centuries. It's a desire to cling to Hungary's golden age of prosperity and peace, rather than dredge up yet another reminder of its sufferings in the last 100 years. We made our way on foot to the edge of the Jewish District and onward toward Pest's Central Market, Nagyvásácsarnok. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141108723-91YSQDR3DX3IG0ZEZW2U/IMG_6682.jpg Ashley Votruba & Jake Marz This three-story market was yet another building (or bridge, church, or castle) constructed for Hungary's 1,000-year celebration in 1896, and now, 121 years later, it's a delightful mix of spices, meats, cheeses, fish, honey, spreads, local wine, Pálinka, Unicum, and traditional kitchen wares as far as you can see in any direction. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141115547-5QK0LKE9ER96HHNYGSK4/IMG_6683.jpg Ashley Votruba & Jake Marz We sampled a series of Hungarian sausages, including a new favorite for both of us—sausage made from the hairy mangslica, a pig with such thick, curly fur that it looks like a faceless sheep. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1503794120553-28GFKI4W58GPMPOOGQVZ/IMG_6685.jpg Ashley Votruba & Jake Marz I hate admitting that it's absurdly cute, because it's also absurdly delicious. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141117667-JM5BG653DNKCVROLVL14/IMG_6684.jpg Ashley Votruba & Jake Marz As tired of charcuterie as we were thanks to 10 days in Italy, we could've eaten our combined weight in these paprika-covered sausages. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141127040-4CPMEK6L8R6RO5JQ7R3Y/IMG_6695.jpg Ashley Votruba & Jake Marz From the market, we took a van to some of the city's farther-reaching destinations. We rode across the Szabadság híd, the Liberty Bridge, to Gellért Hill on the Buda side of the Danube. This hill houses a number of spectacles, including a chapel built into the side of the rock and an anti-war monument at the top of the hill, but our first destination was Gellért Baths. One of the reasons the Romans were so quick to colonize Buda and Óbuda was the area's abundance of thermal hot springs. As early as 1550, the Ottomans started to build traditional bathhouses over these springs. Gellért is one of the more well-known bathhouses, built in the early 1900s and now featuring its own hotel and spas. Only a few days later, we went back to visit more than just Gellért's beautiful lobby, with its stained glass and mosaics. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141130383-4VII3RA9YL5U4PQCSY4Y/IMG_6702.jpg Ashley Votruba & Jake Marz We drove up to the Citadella for a fabulous view of Buda and Pest far below, then headed back down the hill (read: more like a mountain) to the Várkert Bazár, a mix of marble ramps and domed gazebos heading up to the Budavári Castle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141137959-A4VZWB584LSEFC7L1610/IMG_6715.jpg Ashley Votruba & Jake Marz Back across the Danube, we walked through Sabadság Square near Hungary's stunning Parliament building, where we saw a statue of Ronald Reagan commemorating the downfall of communism and the Cold War. He has one hand stretched out in front of him, the bronze now discolored from the number of people who have stopped by to shake his hand. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141140306-O1ARTJ2D3M18VAOJEZ68/IMG_6720.jpg Ashley Votruba & Jake Marz And just down the square stood Hungary's last standing Soviet relic—an obelisk erected by the USSR itself out of self-pride for saving Hungary from Nazi rule. It would be impossible to decide whether Soviet rule was any better, given its plethora of assassinations, massacres, race-based concentration camps, executions of children who didn't comply with their socialist policies, encouragement of sons and daughters to spy and report on their parents...and the list never ends. The monument now stands as a relic of Hungary's dark past, but we had to wonder whether it wasn't a coincidence that the shrubs surrounding the monument are now so overgrown that you can barely see it. The square on which it sits was, until relatively recently, named some variation of "Russia Square" (and you can guess who named it such); the Hungarian government recently renamed it, dryly declaring that they would only change it back if Russia created a "Budapest Square" in return. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1503794139073-TATRP940PAYRITKHI24H/IMG_6731.jpg Ashley Votruba & Jake Marz We then met a local historian in Central Café, which was built in the late-1800s and frequented by a considerable number of Hungarian poets, authors, and artists. It served as the perfect backdrop for an 80-minute history lesson on Budapest, starting with the Carpathian Basin's first known inhabitants many, many millennia ago. We went through Hungary's golden ages and wars, its extreme wealth followed by poverty in economy and land after the Warsaw Pact, and its occupation by one unwanted regime after another. This lesson was one of our favorite parts of the entire day, and helped shape how we saw and explored Budapest for the rest of our time there. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141143453-QGDHZ5XDKG7QAVHJSSQC/IMG_6729.jpg Ashley Votruba & Jake Marz We were in sore need of a latte. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141152137-Q80PWJYTLZ3NKEMO25DD/IMG_6736.jpg Ashley Votruba & Jake Marz András then took us to Budapest's suburbs, where his parents live. They cooked lunch for us, including a delicious vegetable soup with paprika paste (and I loved the paste so much that I went right back to Central Market the next day to buy my own jar); small, hexagonal biscuit-like things that were flaky and delicious... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141147140-NKHUMGBYQG62AD80S3Z3/IMG_6734.jpg Ashley Votruba & Jake Marz ...shots of Pálinka (which made Everclear seem modest); glasses of Hungarian furmint wine; my favorite Hungarian dish, paprikás (small, gnocchi-like noodle nubbins with chicken in a thick, paprika-based sauce, sliced peppers, sour cream, and maybe a hunk of tomato)... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141153578-O6BPT3MFF7DWFO8Q16ZX/IMG_6737.jpg Ashley Votruba & Jake Marz ...and, for dessert, a layered custard with powdered sugar. As someone who likes neither custard nor flan, I loved this dessert. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141163730-53QB1UDM9YJD2D56BZHD/IMG_6744.jpg Ashley Votruba & Jake Marz András acted as an interpreter while we got to know his parents, who loved showing us photos from his childhood, and we were stuffed into a sleepy oblivion by the time we left at around 3:30 PM. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141162156-XMR2F3DBHES95RTXG6ZW/IMG_6747.jpg Ashley Votruba & Jake Marz Our next stop was a dance and music studio near Pest's Astoria district, where we watched a music performance by a traditional Hungarian group of what they refer to as "gypsy music." The melodies have inspired Western composers including Brahms and Bartok, and we loved watching a 90-year-old cimbalom (almost like a dulcimer) in action. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141172680-YRGMV7HU4QPCWHQB86OE/IMG_6756.jpg Ashley Votruba & Jake Marz Our tour ended at around 6 PM in the Jewish District, which has been taken over by a young generation of hipsters. Every shop, café, bar, and restaurant closely mirrored a place that Ryan and I would rave about if it were on Phoenix's Roosevelt Row, and unsurprisingly, the district was crawling with beards, tattoos, and local-only, non-sweatshop, farm-to-table clothing stores, recycled wares, and food trucks. Our favorite stop that evening was a "ruin pub" called Szimplakert, which from the street looks like a foreboding, abandoned building that saw a less fortunate side of WWII. The facade is falling off, windows are broken or boarded up, and the entrance looks like a gaping black hole in a charred (i.e., from pollution) limestone frame. But a few steps inside takes you into a completely different world: There's a large, covered courtyard bordered by small room after small room, each interconnecting in a maze of quirky, cluttered, filled-with-antiques-no-one-else-would-ever-want details. Each room runs its own pub or wine bar: some are hookah joints, some sell craft beer, others only serve Hungarian wines, others have arcade games and bar activities. At the end of courtyard, the space opens up into a two-story outdoor area with steps to the second floor (more rooms covered in strange antiques and graffiti) and more outside bar options. People were sitting on ruined couches and inside antique bathtubs, others were sitting on top what might have been a stove in the early 1900s, and still others were perched on a kid's kangaroo ride, which might have been part of a carousel decades ago. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499141173555-5SYDQDO336I0VNTQ8B8Y/IMG_6759.jpg Ashley Votruba & Jake Marz You can probably guess why this is called a "ruin pub," and given the fate of the Jewish District during both Nazi and Soviet occupation, it's unsurprising that hipsters have converged on these destroyed buildings to turn them into a symbol of perseverance and renewed life. That single twist from darkness to perseverance was a major theme during our time in Budapest. https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/interlaken daily 0.75 2017-08-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499371181381-BJFOQDJ9W5NH2OL3LWSA/honeymoon+-+259.jpg Interlaken https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499371181267-7YQ0PML7P9HBK3NUZ93Q/honeymoon+-+260.jpg Interlaken https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499371184678-F9TQC5CQT0R5ZJKDD1WO/honeymoon+-+261.jpg Interlaken https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499371184644-AQRYNF7YQV7XKOEICOCS/honeymoon+-+262.jpg Interlaken https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499371190944-TD2E0VR53PRZ7K00YGHJ/honeymoon+-+263.jpg Interlaken https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499371189391-3C71E05893PBE9NYW60A/honeymoon+-+264.jpg Interlaken 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https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/beth-hayden-reid-bodford daily 0.75 2017-08-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142501068-QA72R4R3Q8IFWOTGFBNW/IMG_6893.jpg Beth Hayden & Reid Bodford KönyvBár, a bookshop and restaurant that ended up being my favorite meal of the honeymoon (and one of Ryan’s favorites—although he preferred Italy’s adventurous fish dishes). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142503007-YMULN2UXGQX1GD2HZC37/IMG_6895.jpg Beth Hayden & Reid Bodford We sampled several traditional Hungarian dishes, including an insane lavender-garlic butter made from Hungarian lavender. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142509257-YGC36KWXMDQI66ESUG9K/IMG_6896.jpg Beth Hayden & Reid Bodford I honestly don't remember what this was, but it included cheese and it was amazing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142509574-2FU8MN8A2XCWLLHDUPQJ/IMG_6897.jpg Beth Hayden & Reid Bodford Dessert was a crazy combination of thick, crumbly cottage cheese, basil, rhubarb, and raspberry that was perfect for the hot day outside. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142483475-U5VBNOU5W3X6WMQY3PBG/FullSizeRender+20.jpg Beth Hayden & Reid Bodford My favorite Hungarian dish, paprikás csirke: small, gnocchi-like noodle nubbins with chicken in a thick, paprika-based sauce, sliced peppers, sour cream, and maybe a hunk of tomato. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142483631-RRKLA9CIRLJSH4U3Y2CF/FullSizeRender+22.jpg Beth Hayden & Reid Bodford Karaván, a collection of no less than 15 food trucks with string lights and picnic tables strewn across the alley between them. This was where I had my second-favorite meal (yeah, it was a good day for eating)—a hunk of delicious bulgogi, kimchi, hot sauce, and black sesame seeds squeezed between two densely packed rice patties. It was literally a bulgogi onigiri-like sandwich, and I was so in heaven that we actually went back for the exact same meal on our last day in Budapest. No shame. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142491043-XCZRZWQ3OCNEMXOPPGSN/IMG_6771.jpg Beth Hayden & Reid Bodford Hungarian hot sauce. We approved. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142494223-TR9G1L1W16VUA3B83KG1/IMG_6774.jpg Beth Hayden & Reid Bodford Meatology, which served every assortment of smoked meats imaginable. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142517868-HM3RE7641W961GCKYAKR/IMG_6923.jpg Beth Hayden & Reid Bodford One of our favorite haunts was a "ruin pub" called Szimplakert, which from the street looks like a foreboding, abandoned building that saw a less fortunate side of WWII. The facade is falling off, windows are broken or boarded up, and the entrance looks like a gaping black hole in a charred (i.e., from pollution) limestone frame. But a few steps inside takes you into a completely different world: There's a large, covered courtyard bordered by small room after small room, each interconnecting in a maze of quirky, cluttered, filled-with-antiques-no-one-else-would-ever-want details. Each room runs its own pub or wine bar: some are hookah joints, some sell craft beer, others only serve Hungarian wines, others have arcade games and bar activities. At the end of courtyard, the space opens up into a two-story outdoor area with steps to the second floor (more rooms covered in strange antiques and graffiti) and more outside bar options. People were sitting on ruined couches and inside antique bathtubs, others were sitting on top what might have been a stove in the early 1900s, and still others were perched on a kid's kangaroo ride, which might have been part of a carousel decades ago. You can probably guess why this is called a "ruin pub," and given the fate of the Jewish District during both Nazi and Soviet occupation, it's unsurprising that hipsters have converged on these destroyed buildings to turn them into a symbol of perseverance and renewed life. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142525463-4HFEFZWEMQRNKGJFJKFP/IMG_7031.jpg Beth Hayden & Reid Bodford Central Café, which was built in the late-1800s and frequented by a considerable number of Hungarian poets, authors, and artists. We met a local historian there on our first day in the city. It served as the perfect backdrop for an 80-minute history lesson on Budapest, starting with the Carpathian Basin's first known inhabitants many, many millennia ago. We went through Hungary's golden ages and wars, its extreme wealth followed by poverty in economy and land after the Warsaw Pact, and its occupation by one unwanted regime after another. This lesson was one of our favorite parts of the entire day, and helped shape how we saw and explored Budapest for the rest of our time there. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142525399-6GNYNFH7Z7BL1SZVABZM/IMG_7194.jpg Beth Hayden & Reid Bodford We were in sore need of a latte. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142534586-WT9P3GMUHJOA11QBS7F5/IMG_7334.jpg Beth Hayden & Reid Bodford Budapest's hip districts (all around the Jewish Quarter) features these neat side streets that have been turned into connected terraces for tapas bars, restaurants, cafés, clubs, and the list goes on. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142543096-GF41OOWK5TG1R9121HHC/IMG_7485.jpg Beth Hayden & Reid Bodford Whiskers Cat Pub, which is exactly what its name suggests: a bar with drinks and cats. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142547038-LSCHA410BH6AJX2H7JH8/IMG_7486.jpg Beth Hayden & Reid Bodford So to be clear, not only does it have air conditioning, but it also has cats. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142550427-ATP2WP9H6U8VNR77PDY4/IMG_7487.jpg Beth Hayden & Reid Bodford All their drinks were cat-themed (this one was a feline rendition of a bloody mary). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142552216-QC44SJXLUG2Y2ND1COMB/IMG_7488.jpg Beth Hayden & Reid Bodford It had been almost four weeks since I'd had a cat in my lap. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142555368-IYMC1JJ542GEXYESSIBW/IMG_7492.jpg Beth Hayden & Reid Bodford One last shot of Whiskers. The cats were kept upstairs, where they had a system of cat-sized tunnels glass-bottomed lounge areas to get away from humans when they wanted to. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1503858855100-ZEGZS6RJTCOJEF1UQJ5E/IMG_7357.jpg Beth Hayden & Reid Bodford Originally, we were supposed to have a fifth day in Budapest—or almost. Our flight from Budapest to Fiumicino (the closest airport to Rome, which lies about 50 minutes outside the city center) was scheduled to leave at 6:30 PM. But after a nationwide travel strike in Italy, our flight was one of the only Alitalia flights not to be cancelled entirely; instead, it was moved to 10:45 AM. Besides all the stresses that come with a travel strike (e.g., not being able to check into our flight, or even to contact Alitalia about it), we were bummed to lose time in Budapest. We arrived at the airport very early, only to find that not a single Alitalia employee had shown up to the check-in counters. Instead, there were half a dozen contractors who had no clue how to log into the system, find travel itineraries, check luggage, or print boarding passes. (This was obviously not their fault—the airport wasn’t prepared for a strike of this magnitude.) We were second in line to check our bags, which took well over an hour to do (and keep in mind that there were probably a hundred customers behind us), which made the entire flight even more stressful than it had to be. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143207000-880NFZB9TQY9TV6G9P08/FullSizeRender+8.jpg Beth Hayden & Reid Bodford But after arriving at Fiumicino and haggling with aggressive taxi drivers for a 2.1-mile drive into the Roman countryside, we pulled into QC Termeroma…and were beyond grateful for the strike and all the changes it brought with it. If we’d arrived at this paradise of a resort at our original 9:00 PM, we wouldn’t have had time to do anything but sleep. (The next morning’s flight was an early one.) But once we rolled into the hotel courtyard at 1:30 PM, we knew the strike was our blessing in disguise. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143226429-IOGY6VH8TF36C3OOXKP6/IMG_7371.jpg Beth Hayden & Reid Bodford A brief introduction to QC Termeroma: It was built over Portus Traiano, a complex built by Emperor Traiano in 100 AD. It features several Tuscan-style, two-story adobe complexes with Spanish tile roofs and huge, shuttered windows, all spread across expanses of grass and trees that were so green Ryan couldn’t believe they were real. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143241079-BWJH7QKOA02NGFFR27WL/IMG_7380.jpg Beth Hayden & Reid Bodford Cobbled paths led through trees and tall hedges to small openings that were tucked away, feeling so private that you’d guess you were in someone’s backyard—and each of these openings featured covered lounge areas, water stations, or floating beds—or shaded lounge chairs, heated pools, jacuzzis, foot spas stations, or waterfalls. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1503858722316-3QP7PCWZ0T3RQKIXRNDB/FullSizeRender+18.jpg Beth Hayden & Reid Bodford In all, we found ten above-ground bodies of water of varying temperatures, some with waterfalls, some with bubbles, and all heated to an enjoyable temperature. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143241019-KHSQA7JXWL4HDT6UJKXJ/IMG_7455.jpg Beth Hayden & Reid Bodford (Just floating and chilling.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1503858860517-9XARW1BDBFM8SWPE5UW8/IMG_7385.jpg Beth Hayden & Reid Bodford There were rest areas, many of which were covered; and one of our personal favorites was a gazebo with floating beds hanging from chains, where we stretched out next to each other and dozed until two resort employees stopped by and asked if we wanted to be sprayed with lavender mist. (What?) Turns out the mist was delightful, and put us right back to sleep. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143203560-3D6IQFXHXV4ORA1K0R3Q/FullSizeRender+16.jpg Beth Hayden & Reid Bodford But here comes the real treasure of the place: Underneath it all lay an underground network of more than 20 different Roman and Turkish spas. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1503858711207-4WBVRZG0KN4JFYVI9Y06/IMG_0606.jpg Beth Hayden & Reid Bodford There was every type of sauna, from 0% humidity to exactly 100%; there were saunas with burning tea leaves, with ice baths in the middle (that was my favorite; I could keep my legs freezing cold while the rest of my body sweated out a month’s worth of toxins); there were long stretches of scalding hot water that you had to walk through to reach an equally long stretch of ice water, which people paced between until their feet went numb; there were two long walls of shin-deep water, where you stand beneath waterfalls with so much pressure that it pulled my ponytail out of its band. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1503858870588-HEML3L1OQ5NQ4VCZL4ZF/IMG_7434.JPG Beth Hayden & Reid Bodford There were traditional hot tubs and high-powered jets (which were so violently strong that they turn off automatically after 30 seconds), there were showers that were so blisteringly hot that I accidentally screamed and Ryan had to quickly turn them off again; and there were stations for luxurious foot baths with all sorts of perfumed lotions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1503858897366-9W5TL21DYKF7P53T2SIH/IMG_7912.jpg Beth Hayden & Reid Bodford The lower level of our hotel room, which had a private patio with plenty of bougainvilleas. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143213730-8M20AY3O79JJVMR9A9MP/IMG_7365.jpg Beth Hayden & Reid Bodford And can we talk about this bathtub/shower. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1503858884399-7H4DZTENE3YXEMHIMHLF/IMG_7400.jpg Beth Hayden & Reid Bodford What I particularly loved about this entire resort was the requirement that guests wear provided bathrobes and slippers around the entire (sprawling, grassy, paradise-like) complex, even the café. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143249728-RB4FCT7TFF2Y81GO9UAN/IMG_7495.jpg Beth Hayden & Reid Bodford Ryan watched several episodes of House of Cards like this. My favorite part was when he lost his grip and dropped his phone on his face. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143228588-V8FZZLGCGF5R0TJKFP3B/IMG_7374.jpg Beth Hayden & Reid Bodford The only area where you were allowed to wear normal attire was the restaurant, which—after an entire afternoon of lounging, dozing, and spa-ing—we had dinner. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1503858894021-TH1OYUDP9NUW3Y5BOW4J/IMG_7500.jpg Beth Hayden & Reid Bodford Ryan and I recently flipped through our photos from this particular dinner, and can’t for the life of us remember most of what we ate that night. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143254223-D7DQUVTF6TV8L87SG1HQ/IMG_7504.jpg Beth Hayden & Reid Bodford There was an interesting dollop of some sort of whipped cream-like, savory substance with saffron, pickled something, and maybe some clover... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143255733-PLD3AMNDBEL1A7XJ8F8Q/IMG_7509.jpg Beth Hayden & Reid Bodford ...and Ryan had some form of veal... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143257728-DGZTBPDQ0QJNGKBYAIE7/IMG_7510.jpg Beth Hayden & Reid Bodford ...and I know I had gnocchi in squid ink with piglet ragout (sorry, piglet), and for dessert Ryan had a dreamy tiramisu while I had fruit sorbets that had been frozen back into their original fruit coverings (like plum, apricot, and banana)—but when it comes to exact ingredients, we have no idea. We were in heaven, and it was the perfect birthday dinner. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1503858717952-L5BRRPCEAZ7AGY2N50LI/IMG_0618.jpg Beth Hayden & Reid Bodford I won’t go so far as to say we “roughed it” for even a day during our honeymoon—we were so incredibly thankful to enjoy some amazing hotels throughout our stay—but we agree that it was a stellar idea to spend our last night on our honeymoon in (by far) the nicest hotel of our stay. We slept beautifully, and woke up the next morning feeling refreshed for an entire day of flights from Fiumicino to Detroit and back to Raleigh, and another set from Raleigh to Tampa and on to Phoenix. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Beth Hayden & Reid Bodford https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/sha-appenzeller daily 0.75 2017-08-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Sha Appenzeller https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143305575-E7JDDKUUZ9AS9PQVHZWV/IMG_7357.jpg Sha Appenzeller Originally, we were supposed to have a fifth day in Budapest—or almost. Our flight from Budapest to Fiumicino (the closest airport to Rome, which lies about 50 minutes outside the city center) was scheduled to leave at 6:30 PM. But after a nationwide travel strike in Italy, our flight was one of the only Alitalia flights not to be canceled entirely; instead, it was moved to 10:45 AM. Beyond all the stresses that come with a travel strike (e.g., not being able to check into our flight, or even to contact Alitalia about it), we were bummed to lose time in Budapest. We arrived at the airport very early, only to find that not a single Alitalia employee had shown up to the check-in counters. Instead, there were half a dozen contractors who had no clue how to log into the system, find travel itineraries, check luggage, or print boarding passes. (This was obviously not their fault—the airport wasn’t prepared for a strike of this magnitude.) We were second in line to check our bags, which took well over an hour to do (and keep in mind that there were probably a hundred customers behind us), which made the entire flight even more stressful than it had to be. But after arriving at Fiumicino and haggling with aggressive taxi drivers for a 2.1-mile drive into the Roman countryside, we pulled into QC Termeroma…and were beyond grateful for the strike and all the changes it brought with it. If we’d arrived at this paradise of a resort at our original 9:00 PM, we wouldn’t have had time to do anything but sleep. (The next morning’s flight was an early one.) But once we rolled into the hotel courtyard at 1:30 PM, we knew the strike was our blessing in disguise. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143306009-KJAIQTL10KIUM7ZTIN8I/FullSizeRender+8.jpg Sha Appenzeller https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143315071-1GNJCELT4SZONK30XD1D/IMG_7369.jpg Sha Appenzeller A brief introduction to QC Termeroma: It was built over Portus Traiano, a complex built by Emperor Traiano in 100 AD. It features several Tuscan-style, two-story adobe complexes with Spanish tile roofs and huge, shuttered windows, all spread across expanses of grass and trees that were so green Ryan couldn’t believe they were real. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143315196-8PJE9WT38VC4PDKQJQEY/IMG_7374.jpg Sha Appenzeller Cobbled paths led through trees and tall hedges to small openings that were tucked away, feeling so private that you’d guess you were in someone’s backyard—and each of these openings featured covered lounge areas, water stations, or floating beds—or shaded lounge chairs, heated pools, jacuzzis, foot spas stations, or waterfalls. In all, we found ten above-ground bodies of water of varying temperatures, some with waterfalls, some with bubbles, and all heated to an enjoyable temperature. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143328813-R4M6QBG2D5G3X6US45FC/IMG_7380.jpg Sha Appenzeller There were rest areas, many of which were covered; and one of our personal favorites was a gazebo with floating beds hanging from chains, where we stretched out next to each other and dozed until two resort employees stopped by and asked if we wanted to be sprayed with lavender mist. (What?) Turns out the mist was delightful, and put us right back to sleep. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143338819-PB8RNZ9YQE0R3X8OQ9G8/IMG_7436.jpg Sha Appenzeller But here comes the real treasure of the place: Underneath it all lay an underground network of more than 20 different Roman and Turkish spas. There was every type of sauna, from 0% humidity to exactly 100%; there were saunas with burning tea leaves, with ice baths in the middle (that was my favorite; I could keep my legs freezing cold while the rest of my body sweated out a month’s worth of toxins); there were long stretches of scalding hot water that you had to walk through to reach an equally long stretch of ice water, which people paced between until their feet went numb; there were two long walls of shin-deep water, where you stand beneath waterfalls with so much pressure that it pulled my ponytail out of its band. There were traditional hot tubs and high-powered jets (which were so violently strong that they turn off automatically after 30 seconds), there were showers that were so blisteringly hot that I accidentally screamed and Ryan had to quickly turn them off again; and there were stations for luxurious foot baths with all sorts of perfumed lotions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143345201-S4X3209K9EALQFLSF3NE/IMG_7400.jpg Sha Appenzeller What I particularly loved about this entire resort was the requirement that guests wear provided bathrobes and slippers around the entire (sprawling, grassy, paradise-like) complex, even the café. The only area where you were allowed to wear normal attire was the restaurant, which—after an entire afternoon of lounging, dozing, and spa-ing—we had dinner. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143345260-XR3G9GJ2R1QB7AXZKHDO/IMG_7500.jpg Sha Appenzeller Ryan and I recently flipped through our photos from this particular dinner, and can’t for the life of us remember most of what we ate that night. There was an interesting dollop of some sort of whipped cream-like, savory substance with saffron, pickled something, and maybe some clover—and Ryan had some form of veal, and I know I had gnocchi in squid ink with piglet ragout (sorry, piglet), and for dessert Ryan had a dreamy tiramisu while I had fruit sorbets that had been frozen back into their original fruit coverings (like plum, apricot, and banana)—but when it comes to exact ingredients, we have no idea. We were in heaven, and it was the perfect birthday dinner. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143327044-UBFV6R3GKYRSPZIFWW5K/IMG_7385.jpg Sha Appenzeller I won’t go so far as to say we “roughed it” for even a day during our honeymoon—we were so incredibly thankful to enjoy some amazing hotels throughout our stay—but we agree that it was a stellar idea to spend our last night on our honeymoon in (by far) the nicest hotel of our trip. We slept beautifully, and woke up the next morning feeling refreshed for an entire day of flights from Fiumicino to Detroit and back to Raleigh, and another set from Raleigh to Tampa and on to Phoenix. https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/rome daily 0.75 2017-08-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499370017883-6ZO5LFT2ZR80W4Y2R8GR/honeymoon+-+1.jpg Rome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499370018725-EEM3RGH4WIQBXO7UPMZS/honeymoon+-+2.jpg Rome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499370021726-PCZ2HKFU4YLIY3B2OF1A/honeymoon+-+3.jpg Rome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499370022421-5DFDG55HSGF8CXPPZRRR/honeymoon+-+4.jpg Rome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499370024655-D0WHV6X46UXEKKVWYPMI/honeymoon+-+5.jpg Rome 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https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122369950-A5TRF3UKCI9406LZ3IVR/IMG_1532.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson Piazza Navona. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122369416-CLLQQ0RMK7ZO8I11DQHB/IMG_1538.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson After the Roman conquest, the Romans brought at least eight obelisks from ancient Egypt back to "The Ancient City" (read: Rome). They still stand here to this day. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122378741-EVNYV6A1CIQ6OZ1XJZVR/IMG_1547.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza, recognized by its frozen yogurt-spiral dome. Ryan performed here two summers in a row. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122376064-UDI3M41RBR63ZLNB5TO4/IMG_1550.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson Not exactly sightseeing, but our afternoon coffee pick-me-ups were crucial to our energy levels. This is Sant Eustachio. Ryan promised this would be the best espresso I've had in my life, and I didn't believe him (mostly because espresso just tastes like espresso to me). But no...it was actually the best espresso I've had in my life. I dragged him back on our last day because I couldn't bear the thought of not having it again. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122384857-YHPELV5673HMJQ2XCBES/IMG_1557.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson The outside of the Pantheon, regarded as the largest example of a perfect dome in the world. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122388753-9V4JRKM1V2807CMTW3NE/IMG_1567.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson The inside of the Pantheon. Ancient architects realized that the dome would be too heavy and would fall in on itself unless they strategically removed squares of marble throughout the inside. The squares you see aren't for decoration; they're a crucial part of the structure. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122402079-SADZ7VENYDI5KE7V186A/IMG_1626.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson I'm going to be perfectly honest and admit that I don't know where this was taken, but I think it was a Saint (Someone) church just around the corner from a delicious pizzeria on one of Rome's off-beaten paths. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122398842-31Z91SDCM2RL1GGNL97G/IMG_1639.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson We were heading up toward hilltop vistas not far from Vatican City when we turned around and saw this view. (We miss those domed skylines!) From the vistas, we got Aperol spritzes and stretched out on the stone walls to look out over the city. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122405234-9HIWZRE3VE5OFYJPR7PX/IMG_1866.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson The Bridge of Angels leading to Castel Sant'Angelo, where Hadrian (of Hadrian's Wall) was buried. It was also briefly the Papal office, but now stands as a really cool-looking castle across the Tiber river from Rome. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122419464-YN3HDUY9XFPKGK09RVMV/IMG_1867.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson Walking into Castel Sant'Angelo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122418093-TM6RPEG590ZX21BY5CES/IMG_1869.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson Inside Castel Sant'Angelo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122442800-ZG4T0LZPMXJEJEA0PVX1/IMG_1878.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson A panorama of our view from the top of the Castel (read: "castle"). You can see the Bridge of Angels, and to the right you can see the dome of St. Peter's Basilica (Vatican City). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122428019-6Z1XAVF7XVU39ZM4Z8CC/IMG_1884.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson A view of the Tiber from the Castel. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122436084-UM1VV7EHG5SL0I8Y9GSH/IMG_1890.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson Looking down at the Bridge of Angels. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122443377-DGJK2RIWRZLDPL3KZX1B/IMG_1891.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson Italy wasn't built for Ryan Downeys. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122453337-D5UKMF3HH3N8JY3ZA0V4/IMG_1909.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson Looking back across the bridge toward the Castel. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122463683-4RF23I2RMMFA6JMY77VI/IMG_1931.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson Rome's synagogue in what used to be its Jewish Quarter, which is located at the bend of the Tiber river. Because of its location, the quarter flooded frequently and was close to uninhabitable (however, the Pope required that all Jews live in this small, muddy, disease-prone area). This synagogue was the victim of bombings and shootings in the 1980s, and has had very strong security presence ever since. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122464791-T6HX8EQI241ZHGUCOIQX/IMG_1934.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson Although we saw the second largest synagogue in the world in Budapest (the first largest is in New York), our favorite was this one in Rome. Note the square dome, which architects built so that you could tell it apart from the dozens of rounded domes across the Roman skyline. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122473182-BSCKGE7OVD5CG747LNVH/IMG_1990.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson We took a wrong turn while heading toward a monument to Victor Emmanuel II and ended up at Torre Argentina. This random, ruin-filled courtyard in the middle of an otherwise developed neighborhood was a pagan convent and sanctuary in 400 BC, and is now a sanctuary for cats. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122478249-FQIA0NQZENPJD4YULAVX/IMG_1996.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson All cats that enter the premises are spayed/neutered and vaccinated before being put up for adoption, all the while given the freedom to roam these ruins. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122483756-UKTGE15DXS5025NX795G/IMG_2001.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson They were all very friendly and welcome to pats. (Jess would have patted them anyway.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122491458-4TC7RNTGZLBYQ3D3CSE2/IMG_2012.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson Can you spot the cats? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122495837-TWHJL1KUIZ914ILV5AVP/IMG_2025.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson This is yet another church that we can't name. (You'd think that, with all this decoration, it would be a particularly recognizable church--but no, every church in Rome looks like this.) As hot as it was in the city, Jess had to keep her shoulders and legs covered to enter each of these churches, which was a bummer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122500472-ET6V17VB3IJ1V9BULSJ8/IMG_2036.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson St. Paul's Within the Walls, Rome's first Protestant church and its only Episcopal church. It has recently fought strongly for refugee rights in the ongoing Syrian crisis. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122508921-JG67B8WG73XX27FJFQPC/IMG_2113.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson The Colosseum (Colosseo), which was so jaw-droppingly magnificent. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122504995-66L7G96QQAJCQO4Y6CB0/IMG_2119.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson If you can tell from our earbuds, we were listening to Rick Steves's audio walking tour through the Colosseum, which helped paint a portrait of what the area would have looked like between 0 and 300 AD. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122540950-KA6KULJ42YT7VFOJ8ZB7/IMG_2159.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson A panorama of the Colosseum. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122516285-AMN5WC4GEYWNOJ8S5ZCI/IMG_2200.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson The outside of the Colosseum. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122526071-99S7838TDA0OWNHBQR7M/IMG_2210.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson Rome's Triumphal Arch of Titus as you head from the Colosseum uphill to the Foro Romano, the Ancient Forum (Rome's "downtown"). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122536528-T874990JCUSSKKS9MZ7C/IMG_2219.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson The Roman Forum. This was one of the coolest sights we saw in Rome; we ended up spending quite a bit of time looking at books that outlined what this downtown would have looked like in Rome's heyday between 500 BC and 500 AD. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122550654-QA8XJ17K523DT8CW2KU1/IMG_2230.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson Palatine Hill, the site of what used to be a massive complex for the emperor, including beautifully complex baths, gardens, chariot race tracks, gardens, and mansions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122565389-GD20QJHHCS0CUX4O1P5Y/IMG_2258.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson The far opposite end of the Roman Forum (away from the Colosseum). Barely visible in the center of the panorama is the house of the Vestal Virgins, and to the left of the frame is the site of Julius Caesar's assassination. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122577429-RSS4E9IBVMS5UK0B2BRG/IMG_2272.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson The Arch of Septimius Severus. The Temple of Saturn sits just to the right, one of the oldest standing relics of a temple in Rome. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122636267-G4HPENZN84S6NLHL889V/IMG_2439.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson One last, comprehensive look at the ancient Roman Forum. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122572800-U9EC6QS49UQJ8DC2GPG5/IMG_2287.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson One of the most awe-inspiring sights in the Roman Forum was the sheer scale of a basilica Constantine built for himself. This "Basilica of Maxentius" was the largest building in the forum (see a photo of the side arches--just the side arches!--here). Originally, a colossal statue of Constantine himself sat at the western end of the basilica, sitting about 40 feet tall. The statue is now in ruins (possibly from an earthquake), and now sits in pieces at the Musei Capitolini on Capitoline Hill, overlooking the forum. Look at the (tall) man on the righthand side of this photo for scale. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122580549-F2WLVY98AXY2CO9IUGPI/IMG_2313.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson Rome's legendary founding stems from brothers Remus and Romulus (sound familiar?), who were raised by a she-wolf. This famous bronze statue is housed in the Musei Capitolini. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122586994-I35KBP1S8VPY9WPBV73P/IMG_2314.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson The famous head of Medusa, Musei Capitolini. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122589080-2R7RXOA01Z2A04OJUF97/IMG_2322.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson The real reason we loved the Musei Capitolini: these views of the Roman Forum far below. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122592139-TDQ9M91WMUCPTHXEFYF5/IMG_2331.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson In the far, far distance, to the left of the belltower (campanile), you can see the Colosseum. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122599806-T6SS4ZNBTQLM3IWYVVD4/IMG_2366.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson The inside of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere. This church was built on the ruins of Saint Cecilia's home. A model of her almost-decapitated body lies inside the altar as a reminder of her martyrdom. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122599891-WLGWEHDSH1A6XRM2ZZVH/IMG_2370.JPG Bobby & Linda Johnson For 5€, we could go beneath Santa Cecilia to explore her ancient homestead. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122607065-ETS4SKN2LGOREUS9B6YI/IMG_2373.JPG Bobby & Linda Johnson A well used for grain in Cecilia's home. The fact that she had many of these wells hints at her wealth when she was alive. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122608636-K4HUQCQ46WQ9Y6CHJDX6/IMG_2375.JPG Bobby & Linda Johnson The crypts beneath Santa Cecilia in Trastevere. This was also used frequently (and may still be used today) as a chapel. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122616132-NLC2KX4R8BML2JQ99IMD/IMG_2380.JPG Bobby & Linda Johnson We particularly loved the mosaic and mural work in this underground chapel. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122627979-HMU5XF3PIX95Y6VO1MZN/IMG_2421.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson The Borghese Gallery to the north of Rome's center. We spent the morning wandering around this northern stretch, mostly to see the Catacombs of Priscilla. This eight-mile stretch of catacombs (which once held 40,000 bodies) is claustrophobia-inducing but so historically neat: While passing by femur bones and still-preserved coffin spaces, we saw some of the oldest known Marian paintings in the world, including the first frescoes to depict the three wise men and the Madonna with child. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122619868-8BBDJUHG2BCZW1QMFQQC/IMG_2414.JPG Bobby & Linda Johnson The Borghese Gallery sits not far south of the catacombs, and is known for its extravagant collection of art. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499122624862-J43VXWN68OY4V3CSKZGK/IMG_2417.JPG Bobby & Linda Johnson Our favorite piece was the famous Daphne and Apollo. If you look at her fingers (which are turning into branches and leaves), you can see just how detailed this piece is. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135192577-2ZM2QJVBU9O6MCEXIBPA/IMG_3515.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson We searched for close to an hour for what looked like the perfect gondolier and starting place! The gondolas are everywhere, so it was important for us to scout out a more remote starting point with fewer people in the side canals. We finally succeeded in a piazza just around the corner from our hotel, where a gondolier was chatting with a friend and intermittently whistling tunes. No one was in line for the gondolas--this was a pretty deeply-hidden part of Venice--so we walked right on up. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135192304-PFHR5S2BQES9235T6FHQ/IMG_3513.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson We knew we'd chosen well when, instead of heading straight down the wider canal where his gondola sat, he turned and started heading toward this bridge (which is just as low as it looks). He said something along the lines of "See that opening? We're going to go under it." Ryan whispered "I...I don't think we can go under that..." https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135206100-8IAIJ4Z94SE8QT5E4X68/IMG_3528.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson The gondolier had to practically lay down while still steering, and even Ryan had to duck, but we made it through. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135203869-LI1CJHTPQYVPGZ0MOW60/IMG_3538.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson We took this photo right outside one of Venice's schools of music, so Ryan (and the gondolier, for that matter--he loved music) happily listened to whatever operas were floating out the windows toward the water. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135211600-QEDNOBGNFNWVMNQAJ1ZB/IMG_3541.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson We entered Venice's Grand Canal (its main waterway) for a few "exits" before turning and entering into another narrow canal. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135216678-24B5JU7YI25R3YFB4DWL/IMG_3550.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson Our gondolier loved to whistle and sing. Corny as it may sound, we loved it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135217173-GYQTZ5E2B600ILGBIMU6/IMG_3577.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson Jess accidentally dressed like a gondolier that day... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135231248-LW4KW3UPTOD4RQ2CW6RO/IMG_3594.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson About to turn a very, very worrisomely narrow corner. It took some finagling, but we did it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135230506-OCYBD7U1I6B2UJXR9WA6/IMG_3611.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson Front seat view. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499135238987-CT0R1NSKIC4DLBMRXJN6/IMG_7861.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson Back where we started! It was a dream ride. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Bobby & Linda Johnson https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143305575-E7JDDKUUZ9AS9PQVHZWV/IMG_7357.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson Originally, we were supposed to have a fifth day in Budapest—or almost. Our flight from Budapest to Fiumicino (the closest airport to Rome, which lies about 50 minutes outside the city center) was scheduled to leave at 6:30 PM. But after a nationwide travel strike in Italy, our flight was one of the only Alitalia flights not to be canceled entirely; instead, it was moved to 10:45 AM. Beyond all the stresses that come with a travel strike (e.g., not being able to check into our flight, or even to contact Alitalia about it), we were bummed to lose time in Budapest. We arrived at the airport very early, only to find that not a single Alitalia employee had shown up to the check-in counters. Instead, there were half a dozen contractors who had no clue how to log into the system, find travel itineraries, check luggage, or print boarding passes. (This was obviously not their fault—the airport wasn’t prepared for a strike of this magnitude.) We were second in line to check our bags, which took well over an hour to do (and keep in mind that there were probably a hundred customers behind us), which made the entire flight even more stressful than it had to be. But after arriving at Fiumicino and haggling with aggressive taxi drivers for a 2.1-mile drive into the Roman countryside, we pulled into QC Termeroma…and were beyond grateful for the strike and all the changes it brought with it. If we’d arrived at this paradise of a resort at our original 9:00 PM, we wouldn’t have had time to do anything but sleep. (The next morning’s flight was an early one.) But once we rolled into the hotel courtyard at 1:30 PM, we knew the strike was our blessing in disguise. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143306009-KJAIQTL10KIUM7ZTIN8I/FullSizeRender+8.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143315071-1GNJCELT4SZONK30XD1D/IMG_7369.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson A brief introduction to QC Termeroma: It was built over Portus Traiano, a complex built by Emperor Traiano in 100 AD. It features several Tuscan-style, two-story adobe complexes with Spanish tile roofs and huge, shuttered windows, all spread across expanses of grass and trees that were so green Ryan couldn’t believe they were real. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143315196-8PJE9WT38VC4PDKQJQEY/IMG_7374.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson Cobbled paths led through trees and tall hedges to small openings that were tucked away, feeling so private that you’d guess you were in someone’s backyard—and each of these openings featured covered lounge areas, water stations, or floating beds—or shaded lounge chairs, heated pools, jacuzzis, foot spas stations, or waterfalls. In all, we found ten above-ground bodies of water of varying temperatures, some with waterfalls, some with bubbles, and all heated to an enjoyable temperature. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143328813-R4M6QBG2D5G3X6US45FC/IMG_7380.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson There were rest areas, many of which were covered; and one of our personal favorites was a gazebo with floating beds hanging from chains, where we stretched out next to each other and dozed until two resort employees stopped by and asked if we wanted to be sprayed with lavender mist. (What?) Turns out the mist was delightful, and put us right back to sleep. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143338819-PB8RNZ9YQE0R3X8OQ9G8/IMG_7436.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson But here comes the real treasure of the place: Underneath it all lay an underground network of more than 20 different Roman and Turkish spas. There was every type of sauna, from 0% humidity to exactly 100%; there were saunas with burning tea leaves, with ice baths in the middle (that was my favorite; I could keep my legs freezing cold while the rest of my body sweated out a month’s worth of toxins); there were long stretches of scalding hot water that you had to walk through to reach an equally long stretch of ice water, which people paced between until their feet went numb; there were two long walls of shin-deep water, where you stand beneath waterfalls with so much pressure that it pulled my ponytail out of its band. There were traditional hot tubs and high-powered jets (which were so violently strong that they turn off automatically after 30 seconds), there were showers that were so blisteringly hot that I accidentally screamed and Ryan had to quickly turn them off again; and there were stations for luxurious foot baths with all sorts of perfumed lotions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143345201-S4X3209K9EALQFLSF3NE/IMG_7400.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson What I particularly loved about this entire resort was the requirement that guests wear provided bathrobes and slippers around the entire (sprawling, grassy, paradise-like) complex, even the café. The only area where you were allowed to wear normal attire was the restaurant, which—after an entire afternoon of lounging, dozing, and spa-ing—we had dinner. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143345260-XR3G9GJ2R1QB7AXZKHDO/IMG_7500.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson Ryan and I recently flipped through our photos from this particular dinner, and can’t for the life of us remember most of what we ate that night. There was an interesting dollop of some sort of whipped cream-like, savory substance with saffron, pickled something, and maybe some clover—and Ryan had some form of veal, and I know I had gnocchi in squid ink with piglet ragout (sorry, piglet), and for dessert Ryan had a dreamy tiramisu while I had fruit sorbets that had been frozen back into their original fruit coverings (like plum, apricot, and banana)—but when it comes to exact ingredients, we have no idea. We were in heaven, and it was the perfect birthday dinner. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143327044-UBFV6R3GKYRSPZIFWW5K/IMG_7385.jpg Bobby & Linda Johnson I won’t go so far as to say we “roughed it” for even a day during our honeymoon—we were so incredibly thankful to enjoy some amazing hotels throughout our stay—but we agree that it was a stellar idea to spend our last night on our honeymoon in (by far) the nicest hotel of our trip. We slept beautifully, and woke up the next morning feeling refreshed for an entire day of flights from Fiumicino to Detroit and back to Raleigh, and another set from Raleigh to Tampa and on to Phoenix. https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/kay-norton daily 0.75 2017-08-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142322488-6BHZPAUK972RF332QU9L/IMG_6784.jpg Kay Norton I wasn’t the happiest camper when Ryan told me late the night before that we had 9 AM tour tickets to see the Parlamento, or the parliament building of Budapest. The tours are notoriously crowded during the rest of the day, hence the early hour—and once we arrived, I was glad Ryan insisted on it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142334875-QQ2VM82KI1J1RHP4ABLV/IMG_6799.jpg Kay Norton This parliament building is among the most beautiful we’ve ever seen, both inside and out. The interior hallways, domes, and even doorways are so carefully decorated that every detail is noteworthy, but the combined effect is far from overwhelming. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142336818-655JHF66HWIKRLH247YA/IMG_6802.jpg Kay Norton We saw the crown jewels, which Hungary handed over to the U.S. for safe-keeping during Nazi and Soviet occupation (the U.S. returned the crown only a few decades ago, when all was safe again); we saw the congress chambers, where important governmental decisions are still made to this day; ... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142356046-DSDQSEE7MBDLXJ1XCF8N/IMG_6806.jpg Kay Norton ...and we saw one of the most grand two-stairway entrances I’d ever seen, which only opens with the induction of new congress members every few years. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142343303-XW9PCBWI9Y34Q9I1WW5K/IMG_6810.jpg Kay Norton Listening to our tour guide. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142359557-9NC71ZWPLTF6OI0P20UV/IMG_6816.JPG Kay Norton A Red Star from the Soviet era, which was perched on the roof of Parliament until 1990. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142364661-IS1TYQ6R8XD3HW2UGZRT/IMG_6818.JPG Kay Norton The flag of the 1956 revolution. We took this just outside Parliament in the underground 1956 memorial. On October 23, 1956, Hungary made a bold statement against Soviet occupation and the terror it inflicted on government members and low-class families alike. No one was safe under their rule, and Hungary peacefully reminded the occupying soldiers that they were a free nation. For about an hour, it seemed like the Soviets agreed, and were stepping back; so crowds gathered together in front of the parliament building to celebrate and sing Hungary’s national anthem. Not a single person in the crowd was armed, and no one made so much as a move toward the Soviet soldiers who were watching. And then, out of nowhere, Soviet snipers began shooting into the crowds. Other soldiers followed suit, climbed into their tanks (the U.S.S.R. had sent almost 200 to Hungary to remind local governments who was in charge), and began mowing through the crowds, shooting everyone in sight. This 1956 revolution—also called the 1956 massacre—is one of the most scarring memories in Hungary’s past, and so many citizens are still alive who watched the slaughter of friends and family members in a single day. Soon after, the Soviets captured (and later, publicly executed) Hungary’s beloved—and gently anti-Soviet—leader, who is commemorated in a statue that stands looking across the square at the Parlamento. So it should be easy to imagine how a 1956 memorial might be a horrific experience. They’d gathered video footage, photos, testimonies, and other relics from the days and weeks that followed. We were both a mess. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142378192-JYSXG9S9QTZIZUHKY3T9/IMG_6834.jpg Kay Norton We toured the inside of St. Stephens, the most renowned church in Budapest (and, possibly, in Hungary). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142382993-QJT3A4UVDZTVRGG02JRY/IMG_6842.jpg Kay Norton Although the interior was absolutely beautiful, we were particularly excited about climbing up to the dome for a bird’s eye view of the city. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142373662-A1WE85Y92YWPPA1CXY46/IMG_6841.jpg Kay Norton Ryan would like to draw attention to just how many domes we climbed throughout our honeymoon. There were so, so many, and this was the last one (taken during our climb). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142391910-YA2EYXAU0TL5QGD00NLZ/IMG_6844.jpg Kay Norton The inside of the dome. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142418526-3BW1PP1PZNYMT7N7WCUO/IMG_6848.jpg Kay Norton Looking out over Pest. In the distance (where it gets hilly), you can see Buda. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142396479-R677YNBQD4VFCGKYDF93/IMG_6859.jpg Kay Norton (: https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142417546-5SS9IC0VOAWTSIGONI9S/IMG_6873.jpg Kay Norton The Dohány Street Synagogue, the second largest synagogue in the world (after Manhattan’s shockingly huge temple, which Ryan has also explored). This synagogue envelopes part of the area where the Nazis kept a vast majority of Budapest’s Jewish population in badly cramped living conditions, which allowed illness and infection to run rampant. When the Soviets assumed control of the country, they entered the main square of the synagogue to find thousands of bodies piled up in the center. Those bodies now rest in the ground beneath it as a graveyard dedicated against war and anti-semitism. At the end of the square is an upside-down Menorah that creates a metal weeping willow—the Tree of Life—where every leaf is engraved with the name of someone lost in the holocaust. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142318631-VN8T46KR4U32FVN2988X/Enlight20.jpg Kay Norton The House of Terror. Without going into too much detail, this museum is exactly what it sounds like: The former Nazi—and then Soviet—headquarters and torture chambers, now used as a monument to the terrors faced in Hungary between the Warsaw Pact and the fall of communism many, many decades later. It was one of the hardest museums I’ve ever gone through, but was also one of our favorites—and we spent so long reading each and every word from room to room that we spent the entire afternoon there, and were kicked out just before closing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142430390-LXC6JBUD1LRD39TR75PX/IMG_7202.jpg Kay Norton Budapest’s Museum of Music History (Zenetörténeti Múzeum), which had a special exhibit on Bella Bartók when we visited. Ryan was in heaven, particularly at seeing dozens of centuries-old instruments. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142445291-KE6E6CLE4S74LQ4JAWLP/IMG_7238.jpg Kay Norton Matthias (Matyás) Church, which I particularly loved for its neat tile designs along the roof. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142431258-OP2WFOAVLEVF8YS8EL3R/IMG_7218.jpg Kay Norton The inside of Matyás Church. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142449883-WRO2WO4ZXBOUDAKKAKVN/IMG_7242.jpg Kay Norton One of our last stops in Budapest was the most depressing one of our entire time there, let alone on our entire trip. (Note the reversal of that sentiment: As much as we loved Budapest, there’s no questioning the fact that it boasted the most depressing histories of any place we’d seen that month.) Tucked deep into the hill is the Sziklakórház (Felsenkrankenhaus), the “Hospital in the Rock.” This hospital was carved into a system of prehistoric tunnels in the 1930s, in preparation for WWII—a war that was so much bloodier than they expected that victims slept two or three to a (twin-sized) bed, that the hospital ran out of food and supplies, and that nurses had to take bandages off corpses and sterilize them (if they had water to do so, which they sometimes didn’t) before reusing them. They’d wait out the bombs during the day while taking care of hundreds of dead and dying, and would wheelbarrow the corpses out at night—when the bombing had died down—to bury them in bomb craters. During Soviet rule, the hospital was repurposed as a nuclear bunker, which—thank God—was never used. This was the part that was so incredibly depressing, given our current political climate: We were walked through rooms whose entire purpose was to heal—a best as possible—survivors of a nuclear explosion before admitting them into the hospital (i.e., via shaving, washing, burning clothes and hair). But after seeing photos of what victims’s bodies in Hiroshima and Nagasaki looked like after the explosion—that is, those who weren’t vaporized immediately from the blast—and after seeing the effect of that extreme heat on metals and other objects, the hospital tour reminded us that the bombs dropped in WWII are more than 1,000 times smaller than those held by Russia today. They showed maps of major cities around the world, with colored rings symbolizing the radius of immediate death by vaporization and the radius of fatal burns and radiation exposure (e.g., a bomb in D.C. would still lead to exposure all the way up the east coast). By the time we left the bunker, I was a hyperventilating disaster. The final quote we saw as we headed back to the surface was “Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142435564-1JTYBJIOZ137WYQ79X82/IMG_7230.jpg Kay Norton Fisherman’s Bastion—named for the guild of fisherman who were tasked with defending the hill during the Middle Ages—offered fairy tale-like turrets and towers behind the church, where it looked down at the Danube and Pest far below. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Kay Norton https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/hannah-gavin daily 0.75 2017-08-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Hannah Gavin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143038525-IOB59F0AWVIF09OVG8XO/IMG_7047.jpg Hannah Gavin We started our date night at Pier 7 on the Danube—the dedicated pier for Legenda Dinner Cruises. Legenda was a recommendation from our tour guide several days earlier: Its point wasn’t to help tourists sightsee along the Danube, but rather to provide them the perfect vehicle for enjoying Budapest’s shores by night, along with music and a delicious four-course meal. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143037428-WRCLT6LGF72XY4Z3IF1K/IMG_7072.jpg Hannah Gavin The cruise started an hour before sunset, and journeyed north—past the Parliament building to the west—all the way around the island of Margitsziget, and back down. We went so far south that we couldn’t recognize any of the buildings in Buda or Pest, and then headed back north again—and we repeated that course two and a half times. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143044512-NV81LP47G0CLT2EDM3EF/IMG_7080.jpg Hannah Gavin We were lucky to be seated on the boat’s top deck, where only five other couples were dining; we got thick blankets (which were necessary—it was cold after the sun went down) and had perfect panoramic views of everything around us. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143042632-CK468ML6SM1H99A779IH/IMG_7078.jpg Hannah Gavin Each course was a unique homage to Hungarian cuisine, including cold fruit soup that we loved far more than we expected to. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143050695-YA61GGTJ84A1UTB07DUU/IMG_7091.jpg Hannah Gavin Ryan ordered a fish plate, and I got pork loin with a Hungarian version of jambalaya. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143051861-EVIB7HW8NPVHY29LZGNZ/IMG_7095.jpg Hannah Gavin This dessert was to die for! Panna cotta with raspberry and a dessert port. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143060655-EZLXNXGKH75HJKETHMVW/IMG_7106.jpg Hannah Gavin But best of all, we were so happy to see the Parliament Building and Castle District lit up at night, which was one of the best views we’d had in our entire time in Hungary. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143059530-EFV4Z3R58YBI4LJOKIZ2/IMG_7116.jpg Hannah Gavin The Parliament building on the Pest side, facing Buda's Castle District. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143064660-P6SFABU9AP03D0PIEEUZ/IMG_7122.jpg Hannah Gavin We had the hardest time getting a selfie in front of Parlamento, but kept trying because the building was actually that beautiful when lit up at night. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143065054-YCM4QZ12KXZOBE4JA1TY/IMG_7131.jpg Hannah Gavin One last selfie, but this time in front of the Castle District in Buda. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143071033-1G26QXN4XPJAZML4B79A/IMG_7137.jpg Hannah Gavin Pier 7, where we started and ended our tour. Even the pier was beautiful by night! https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/deanna-bart-caitlin-lineback daily 0.75 2017-08-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142322488-6BHZPAUK972RF332QU9L/IMG_6784.jpg Deanna, Bart, & Caitlin Lineback I wasn’t the happiest camper when Ryan told me late the night before that we had 9 AM tour tickets to see the Parlamento, or the parliament building of Budapest. The tours are notoriously crowded during the rest of the day, hence the early hour—and once we arrived, I was glad Ryan insisted on it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142334875-QQ2VM82KI1J1RHP4ABLV/IMG_6799.jpg Deanna, Bart, & Caitlin Lineback This parliament building is among the most beautiful we’ve ever seen, both inside and out. The interior hallways, domes, and even doorways are so carefully decorated that every detail is noteworthy, but the combined effect is far from overwhelming. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142336818-655JHF66HWIKRLH247YA/IMG_6802.jpg Deanna, Bart, & Caitlin Lineback We saw the crown jewels, which Hungary handed over to the U.S. for safe-keeping during Nazi and Soviet occupation (the U.S. returned the crown only a few decades ago, when all was safe again); we saw the congress chambers, where important governmental decisions are still made to this day; ... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142356046-DSDQSEE7MBDLXJ1XCF8N/IMG_6806.jpg Deanna, Bart, & Caitlin Lineback ...and we saw one of the most grand two-stairway entrances I’d ever seen, which only opens with the induction of new congress members every few years. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142343303-XW9PCBWI9Y34Q9I1WW5K/IMG_6810.jpg Deanna, Bart, & Caitlin Lineback Listening to our tour guide. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142359557-9NC71ZWPLTF6OI0P20UV/IMG_6816.JPG Deanna, Bart, & Caitlin Lineback A Red Star from the Soviet era, which was perched on the roof of Parliament until 1990. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142364661-IS1TYQ6R8XD3HW2UGZRT/IMG_6818.JPG Deanna, Bart, & Caitlin Lineback The flag of the 1956 revolution. We took this just outside Parliament in the underground 1956 memorial. On October 23, 1956, Hungary made a bold statement against Soviet occupation and the terror it inflicted on government members and low-class families alike. No one was safe under their rule, and Hungary peacefully reminded the occupying soldiers that they were a free nation. For about an hour, it seemed like the Soviets agreed, and were stepping back; so crowds gathered together in front of the parliament building to celebrate and sing Hungary’s national anthem. Not a single person in the crowd was armed, and no one made so much as a move toward the Soviet soldiers who were watching. And then, out of nowhere, Soviet snipers began shooting into the crowds. Other soldiers followed suit, climbed into their tanks (the U.S.S.R. had sent almost 200 to Hungary to remind local governments who was in charge), and began mowing through the crowds, shooting everyone in sight. This 1956 revolution—also called the 1956 massacre—is one of the most scarring memories in Hungary’s past, and so many citizens are still alive who watched the slaughter of friends and family members in a single day. Soon after, the Soviets captured (and later, publicly executed) Hungary’s beloved—and gently anti-Soviet—leader, who is commemorated in a statue that stands looking across the square at the Parlamento. So it should be easy to imagine how a 1956 memorial might be a horrific experience. They’d gathered video footage, photos, testimonies, and other relics from the days and weeks that followed. We were both a mess. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142378192-JYSXG9S9QTZIZUHKY3T9/IMG_6834.jpg Deanna, Bart, & Caitlin Lineback We toured the inside of St. Stephens, the most renowned church in Budapest (and, possibly, in Hungary). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142382993-QJT3A4UVDZTVRGG02JRY/IMG_6842.jpg Deanna, Bart, & Caitlin Lineback Although the interior was absolutely beautiful, we were particularly excited about climbing up to the dome for a bird’s eye view of the city. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142373662-A1WE85Y92YWPPA1CXY46/IMG_6841.jpg Deanna, Bart, & Caitlin Lineback Ryan would like to draw attention to just how many domes we climbed throughout our honeymoon. There were so, so many, and this was the last one (taken during our climb). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142391910-YA2EYXAU0TL5QGD00NLZ/IMG_6844.jpg Deanna, Bart, & Caitlin Lineback The inside of the dome. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142418526-3BW1PP1PZNYMT7N7WCUO/IMG_6848.jpg Deanna, Bart, & Caitlin Lineback Looking out over Pest. In the distance (where it gets hilly), you can see Buda. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142396479-R677YNBQD4VFCGKYDF93/IMG_6859.jpg Deanna, Bart, & Caitlin Lineback (: https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142417546-5SS9IC0VOAWTSIGONI9S/IMG_6873.jpg Deanna, Bart, & Caitlin Lineback The Dohány Street Synagogue, the second largest synagogue in the world (after Manhattan’s shockingly huge temple, which Ryan has also explored). This synagogue envelopes part of the area where the Nazis kept a vast majority of Budapest’s Jewish population in badly cramped living conditions, which allowed illness and infection to run rampant. When the Soviets assumed control of the country, they entered the main square of the synagogue to find thousands of bodies piled up in the center. Those bodies now rest in the ground beneath it as a graveyard dedicated against war and anti-semitism. At the end of the square is an upside-down Menorah that creates a metal weeping willow—the Tree of Life—where every leaf is engraved with the name of someone lost in the holocaust. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142318631-VN8T46KR4U32FVN2988X/Enlight20.jpg Deanna, Bart, & Caitlin Lineback The House of Terror. Without going into too much detail, this museum is exactly what it sounds like: The former Nazi—and then Soviet—headquarters and torture chambers, now used as a monument to the terrors faced in Hungary between the Warsaw Pact and the fall of communism many, many decades later. It was one of the hardest museums I’ve ever gone through, but was also one of our favorites—and we spent so long reading each and every word from room to room that we spent the entire afternoon there, and were kicked out just before closing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142430390-LXC6JBUD1LRD39TR75PX/IMG_7202.jpg Deanna, Bart, & Caitlin Lineback Budapest’s Museum of Music History (Zenetörténeti Múzeum), which had a special exhibit on Bella Bartók when we visited. Ryan was in heaven, particularly at seeing dozens of centuries-old instruments. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142445291-KE6E6CLE4S74LQ4JAWLP/IMG_7238.jpg Deanna, Bart, & Caitlin Lineback Matthias (Matyás) Church, which I particularly loved for its neat tile designs along the roof. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142431258-OP2WFOAVLEVF8YS8EL3R/IMG_7218.jpg Deanna, Bart, & Caitlin Lineback The inside of Matyás Church. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142449883-WRO2WO4ZXBOUDAKKAKVN/IMG_7242.jpg Deanna, Bart, & Caitlin Lineback One of our last stops in Budapest was the most depressing one of our entire time there, let alone on our entire trip. (Note the reversal of that sentiment: As much as we loved Budapest, there’s no questioning the fact that it boasted the most depressing histories of any place we’d seen that month.) Tucked deep into the hill is the Sziklakórház (Felsenkrankenhaus), the “Hospital in the Rock.” This hospital was carved into a system of prehistoric tunnels in the 1930s, in preparation for WWII—a war that was so much bloodier than they expected that victims slept two or three to a (twin-sized) bed, that the hospital ran out of food and supplies, and that nurses had to take bandages off corpses and sterilize them (if they had water to do so, which they sometimes didn’t) before reusing them. They’d wait out the bombs during the day while taking care of hundreds of dead and dying, and would wheelbarrow the corpses out at night—when the bombing had died down—to bury them in bomb craters. During Soviet rule, the hospital was repurposed as a nuclear bunker, which—thank God—was never used. This was the part that was so incredibly depressing, given our current political climate: We were walked through rooms whose entire purpose was to heal—a best as possible—survivors of a nuclear explosion before admitting them into the hospital (i.e., via shaving, washing, burning clothes and hair). But after seeing photos of what victims’s bodies in Hiroshima and Nagasaki looked like after the explosion—that is, those who weren’t vaporized immediately from the blast—and after seeing the effect of that extreme heat on metals and other objects, the hospital tour reminded us that the bombs dropped in WWII are more than 1,000 times smaller than those held by Russia today. They showed maps of major cities around the world, with colored rings symbolizing the radius of immediate death by vaporization and the radius of fatal burns and radiation exposure (e.g., a bomb in D.C. would still lead to exposure all the way up the east coast). By the time we left the bunker, I was a hyperventilating disaster. The final quote we saw as we headed back to the surface was “Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499142435564-1JTYBJIOZ137WYQ79X82/IMG_7230.jpg Deanna, Bart, & Caitlin Lineback Fisherman’s Bastion—named for the guild of fisherman who were tasked with defending the hill during the Middle Ages—offered fairy tale-like turrets and towers behind the church, where it looked down at the Danube and Pest far below. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Deanna, Bart, & Caitlin Lineback https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/florence daily 0.75 2017-08-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499370706808-NRMOMJZMPRBRLM1CHB0R/honeymoon+-+107.jpg Florence https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499370708180-L5HAI5E2PEAXM7RG6H4A/honeymoon+-+108.jpg Florence 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https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499371127185-QSXINR2F25BN9OWS46EP/honeymoon+-+256.jpg Bern https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499371129766-G7NPL0IV7O00GTMKMR8L/honeymoon+-+257.jpg Bern https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499371130318-DC5W0UPZWYKT90YBWIK2/honeymoon+-+258.jpg Bern https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/claire-yee daily 0.75 2017-08-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499192262452-SSBXC7H5NJ5KZC6YT1Z2/image-asset.gif Claire Yee https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143305575-E7JDDKUUZ9AS9PQVHZWV/IMG_7357.jpg Claire Yee Originally, we were supposed to have a fifth day in Budapest—or almost. Our flight from Budapest to Fiumicino (the closest airport to Rome, which lies about 50 minutes outside the city center) was scheduled to leave at 6:30 PM. But after a nationwide travel strike in Italy, our flight was one of the only Alitalia flights not to be canceled entirely; instead, it was moved to 10:45 AM. Beyond all the stresses that come with a travel strike (e.g., not being able to check into our flight, or even to contact Alitalia about it), we were bummed to lose time in Budapest. We arrived at the airport very early, only to find that not a single Alitalia employee had shown up to the check-in counters. Instead, there were half a dozen contractors who had no clue how to log into the system, find travel itineraries, check luggage, or print boarding passes. (This was obviously not their fault—the airport wasn’t prepared for a strike of this magnitude.) We were second in line to check our bags, which took well over an hour to do (and keep in mind that there were probably a hundred customers behind us), which made the entire flight even more stressful than it had to be. But after arriving at Fiumicino and haggling with aggressive taxi drivers for a 2.1-mile drive into the Roman countryside, we pulled into QC Termeroma…and were beyond grateful for the strike and all the changes it brought with it. If we’d arrived at this paradise of a resort at our original 9:00 PM, we wouldn’t have had time to do anything but sleep. (The next morning’s flight was an early one.) But once we rolled into the hotel courtyard at 1:30 PM, we knew the strike was our blessing in disguise. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143306009-KJAIQTL10KIUM7ZTIN8I/FullSizeRender+8.jpg Claire Yee https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143315071-1GNJCELT4SZONK30XD1D/IMG_7369.jpg Claire Yee A brief introduction to QC Termeroma: It was built over Portus Traiano, a complex built by Emperor Traiano in 100 AD. It features several Tuscan-style, two-story adobe complexes with Spanish tile roofs and huge, shuttered windows, all spread across expanses of grass and trees that were so green Ryan couldn’t believe they were real. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143315196-8PJE9WT38VC4PDKQJQEY/IMG_7374.jpg Claire Yee Cobbled paths led through trees and tall hedges to small openings that were tucked away, feeling so private that you’d guess you were in someone’s backyard—and each of these openings featured covered lounge areas, water stations, or floating beds—or shaded lounge chairs, heated pools, jacuzzis, foot spas stations, or waterfalls. In all, we found ten above-ground bodies of water of varying temperatures, some with waterfalls, some with bubbles, and all heated to an enjoyable temperature. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143328813-R4M6QBG2D5G3X6US45FC/IMG_7380.jpg Claire Yee There were rest areas, many of which were covered; and one of our personal favorites was a gazebo with floating beds hanging from chains, where we stretched out next to each other and dozed until two resort employees stopped by and asked if we wanted to be sprayed with lavender mist. (What?) Turns out the mist was delightful, and put us right back to sleep. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143338819-PB8RNZ9YQE0R3X8OQ9G8/IMG_7436.jpg Claire Yee But here comes the real treasure of the place: Underneath it all lay an underground network of more than 20 different Roman and Turkish spas. There was every type of sauna, from 0% humidity to exactly 100%; there were saunas with burning tea leaves, with ice baths in the middle (that was my favorite; I could keep my legs freezing cold while the rest of my body sweated out a month’s worth of toxins); there were long stretches of scalding hot water that you had to walk through to reach an equally long stretch of ice water, which people paced between until their feet went numb; there were two long walls of shin-deep water, where you stand beneath waterfalls with so much pressure that it pulled my ponytail out of its band. There were traditional hot tubs and high-powered jets (which were so violently strong that they turn off automatically after 30 seconds), there were showers that were so blisteringly hot that I accidentally screamed and Ryan had to quickly turn them off again; and there were stations for luxurious foot baths with all sorts of perfumed lotions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143345201-S4X3209K9EALQFLSF3NE/IMG_7400.jpg Claire Yee What I particularly loved about this entire resort was the requirement that guests wear provided bathrobes and slippers around the entire (sprawling, grassy, paradise-like) complex, even the café. The only area where you were allowed to wear normal attire was the restaurant, which—after an entire afternoon of lounging, dozing, and spa-ing—we had dinner. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143345260-XR3G9GJ2R1QB7AXZKHDO/IMG_7500.jpg Claire Yee Ryan and I recently flipped through our photos from this particular dinner, and can’t for the life of us remember most of what we ate that night. There was an interesting dollop of some sort of whipped cream-like, savory substance with saffron, pickled something, and maybe some clover—and Ryan had some form of veal, and I know I had gnocchi in squid ink with piglet ragout (sorry, piglet), and for dessert Ryan had a dreamy tiramisu while I had fruit sorbets that had been frozen back into their original fruit coverings (like plum, apricot, and banana)—but when it comes to exact ingredients, we have no idea. We were in heaven, and it was the perfect birthday dinner. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1499143327044-UBFV6R3GKYRSPZIFWW5K/IMG_7385.jpg Claire Yee I won’t go so far as to say we “roughed it” for even a day during our honeymoon—we were so incredibly thankful to enjoy some amazing hotels throughout our stay—but we agree that it was a stellar idea to spend our last night on our honeymoon in (by far) the nicest hotel of our trip. We slept beautifully, and woke up the next morning feeling refreshed for an entire day of flights from Fiumicino to Detroit and back to Raleigh, and another set from Raleigh to Tampa and on to Phoenix. https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/travel daily 0.75 2020-09-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1599688782397-12FOF6GDA70U6JL18CZX/Shinsekai.jpg Travel Shinsekai (新世界); Osaka, Japan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1599688954552-B9A7ZZKWBH8NOJ83PGWL/ArthursSeat.jpg Travel Arthur's Seat; Edinburgh, Scotland. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1599689262407-INKE6HEB22J7J9MWJCZN/TourEiffel.jpg Travel Tour Eiffel; Paris, France. https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/japan-trip-preparations daily 0.75 2020-09-10 https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/awesome-map daily 0.75 2020-09-09 https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/japan daily 0.75 2020-09-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1599708820823-JQKU2VOE483EGKEL51IF/Kamakura.jpg Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1599708833344-Q0A9RW8TL34QQORG95R0/Kyoto.jpg Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1599715238063-SCKFG4OM7LS23ZZZJVNS/TokyoDisney.jpg Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1599708829218-MH7461ALWS2LI8JA61P7/Nara.jpg Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1599708788024-83OJKI2BFACH6RWPKU7K/Kawaguchiko.jpg Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1599708834972-K9UGHAA2A1NMXE1QRUT8/Tokyo.jpg Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1599708811905-PQN6EJ7M1QPQX2KTBOW2/Hiroshima.jpg Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1599708787617-C2Z95P7YVNAA1NT8JWYM/Preparations.JPG Japan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/571869fb1d07c00488814e6a/1599708802393-ZA9KHM8L3PJZFRLCEOH9/Osaka.jpg Japan https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/fuji-kawaguchiko daily 0.75 2020-09-10 https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/nara daily 0.75 2020-09-10 https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/hiroshima daily 0.75 2020-09-10 https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/osaka daily 0.75 2020-09-10 https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/tokyo daily 0.75 2020-09-10 https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/kamakura daily 0.75 2020-09-10 https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/kyoto daily 0.75 2020-09-10 https://www.thebeardandcurl.com/tokyo-disney daily 0.75 2020-09-10