The unseasonably warm weather in late August didn't diminish my enthusiasm of visiting Italy for the very first time, where we stayed with my friend. Rome is a city with deep roots and reverence for their ancient ruins. The Colosseum, Pantheon, Forum and the Vatican were just a few of the infamous locations visited. I was awestruck at every turn.
The cultural riches are certainly numerous, and the experience like nothing else. Aside from having a good pair of walking shoes, I knew I also needed a healthy appetite to consume my fair share of gelato, granita, wine, pasta and pizza.
Images by Stephanie Yee. All rights reserved.
Another beautiful town bordered by a body of water and bridges. One of many I was about to visit throughout this trip. The food and gelato in Florence topped Rome, in my opinion. Hard to believe, I know, but true. The good walking shoes came to good use here especially since we didn't stay in the center of town. This made for a good walk every day.
Highlights from Florence: the statue of David, Giotto's Bell Tower 414-step climb for the most amazing 360 degree view of Florence and a feast with the rawest steak I've ever had in my life.
The Euro at the time was favorable and the US dollar went pretty far. Although, I didn't partake in the infamous Italian leather, I did buy a new bag to continue my travels with.
Arches and more arches. Bologna is a college town. It's charming, and architecturally unique, very different in scope and feel from the hustle and bustle of Rome and Florence. Like those cities, Bologna is a living and breathing ruin. The community lives, works and breathes their history.
I thought the food in Florence was good, Bologna was excellent.
Confluence of events met us on this visit to Venice: Film Festival, Biennale and Regata Storica. It was amazing to experience all these cultural activities in addition to everything else the city has to offer. Three days was just enough time to pack in all the sites and sounds of the city. Venice, a city built entirely over water, is just amazing and beautiful. A must experience for anyone visiting Italy.
It's a no car, walking town. The water buses are surprisingly efficient and on-time. Be prepared to get lost and use your GPS.
Speaking of technology, my must-have apps for this trip: Google maps, Currency (up-to-date exchange rate), Rail Trip Planner, Instagram, Airbnb and Hostelworld.
Venice marked my last stop in Italy and I said farewell to my two friends as I continued east on my own.
One day spent in Slovenia’s capital to see the main sites in the town center. It’s a quaint town with cobble stone roads, the Ljubljanica River dividing the town, Dragon Bridge, Central Market and the Ljubljana Castle overlooking the city atop Castle Hill. A lovely hike up the hill offered magnificent views of the city below.
Rail travel is so so convenient and easy in Europe. If you have the time and fortitude, it’s the way to go. I took a 12-hour overnight train to Split, Croatia from Ljubljana, arriving in Split at 7 a.m., which gave me two full days to see everything and spending only one night in a hostel. Croatia was one of the most affordable countries on this adventure. Cash is king. Most, if not all transactions, were cash-only in every place I visited. The chip and pin credit card system has been in use in Europe for years so don't forget your pin #. ATMs offer the best exchange, by far. But don't be fooled and convert to dollars when prompted, leave in that country's currency to get more bang for you buck. For a two-day trip in Split, I spent 700 Kunas for activities, food and housing, which is equivalent to $75.
Split is the second largest city in Croatia with spectacular views of the Adriatic Sea. The heart of Split is within the walls of the Diocletian Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s a living, breathing city with shops and restaurants along narrow passageways, and townsfolk inhabiting apartments above.
A hike up Marjan Hill offered amazing red-tiled roof, palace, Adriatic Sea views of Split. Another must-see is nearby island, Brac, a 45-minute boat ride from Split.
Fun fact: “Games of Thrones” films in Croatia, including Split.
On recommendation from a traveler I met in Slovenia, I spent two nights in the capital of Austria. This was one of the longer and arduous overnight train trips. This journey took over 16 hours placing me in Vienna after 2 p.m. the next day.
The tram and underground train systems are easy to navigate, on-time and very tourist-friendly. The 48-hour travel card offered the best deal for unlimited use of the transport system.
For a 3E standing ticket, I saw my first opera at the infamous Vienna Opera House.
A few other sites visited: Gothic Stephansdom and UNESCO-listed Schloss Schönbrunn, the Hapsburg’s opulent, summer palace. Taking tram 1 at Schwedenplatz takes you on a self-guided trip around Ringstrasse for a quick view of other famous Viennese landmarks.
Here, for the first time, is where I witnessed the migrant and refugee situation around the main train station. Migrants and refugees camped inside the station where armed guards stood at watch. This struggle came to a head when Hungary canceled trains heading toward Germany, which impacted my trip to Budapest, Hungary. Thankfully, a helpful agent in the OBB first-class lounge rerouted my trip where I circumvented the closed stations and traveled by way of Bratislava, Slovakia. This route was over an hour out of my way but I was able to leave on the next train without any further snags.
Hungary’s capital is divided by the Danube River. The Pest side has a larger showing on the tourist front: Heroes Square, St. Stephen’s Basilica, Central Market Hall, the Jewish Quarter, just to name a few places. A quick walk across the Chain Bridge takes you to Castle Hill.
I participated in a pop-up dinner, which I found on TripAdvisor. The group of mostly Americans enjoyed a memorable, traditional farm-to-table, three-course dinner in a Hungarian family’s home.
A detour in my plans took me to Poland. The Town Square, situated at the heart of Krakow's Old Town, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the largest medieval town square in Europe. Krakow is an easy city to navigate by foot, but the tram system is another convenient way to get around.
Every city I visited had a combination of accessible and convenient bus, underground train and tram systems. It was difficult to get back in a car after I returned to LA.
A trip to nearby Auschwitz-Birkenau was an eye-opening and somber experience. Many of the artifacts and buildings from that time period were intact to experience and view.
The capital of the Czech Republic is known for its Old Town Square, the heart of the historic core, with its colorful buildings and ornate, Gothic, Byzantine architecture. A few of Prague's amazing main attractions that I visited were Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, the Astronomical Clock, Jewish Quarter, Petrin Hill and the John Lennon Wall.
The city was teeming with people. Crowds packed the Prague Castle and Charles Bridge. Prague ranks up there with other popular cities in Europe. It is another city that I favored for its non-EU affordability, and navigability by foot and transport system.
This stop was a detour on my European adventure. After scrapping plans to visit Denmark and Sweden, I took my last 15-hour night train to Switzerland and visited an old school friend.
I was in Zurich years ago so I did things I hadn’t done before. Hiked Uetliberg, took a water bus along Zurich Lake and spent time with my friend and her family.
Tuebingen is a college town with a medieval flair. The town offers up a variety of specialty shops, restaurants and cafes. I spied one US chain in the mix: Dunkin Donuts. Quelle horreur!
Spent a memorable birthday here experiencing Oktoberfest in nearby town, Stuttgart, and enjoyed a Korean BBQ dinner with my college friend and her family.
Then it was off to London, England by plane.
The flight from Germany to England was less than 2 hours. This was another repeat stop on my European adventure. I stayed with a college friend, who was residing in London for a few months. The weather was lovely for late September. London has a wonderful clean, fresh contemporary sheen and vibrancy to the city that I don’t recall from my last visit. Cranes and tons of construction dot the modern skyline along the Thames; modern double decker buses and taxis traverse the crowded streets (don’t forget to look left/right); and there was an insane amount of people.
This trip I visited sites I had not been before. I ate and drank at Borough Market, saw Sherlock Holmes' home on Baker Street, crossed Millennium Bridge, climbed 311 steps up London Monument and waited in line for over an hour to go up to the Sky Garden for the best 360 view of London.
A more recent addition to London’s great, and pricey, transport system is the city's affordable bike share program with hubs within 30 minutes of one another, perfect for making short trips around town. Paying your bus and tube fare by topping up your Oyster Card is another matter altogether.
London concluded my European adventure.
