After my Italian adventure came to an end, the next stop on my itinerary was the dual city of Budapest, Hungary — Buda being the laidback, hilly portion of the city to the West of the Danube River filled with nature trails and forests while Pest is the more metropolitan heart, sitting to the East. As you’ll […]
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Archive | October, 2011
Gondolas, Glass-blowing, and Grappa in Venezia
October 24, 2011 
106 Comments
Admirers of the city speak of its dream-like qualities and its fancifal canals, whereas detractors claim these same aspects lend it an artificial feel. The former commend the quaint shops, pleasant seranades of the gondola drivers, and romantic nooks, whereas the latter see only over-crowded streets, expensive shops, and tourist kitsch. Regardless of whichever side of the coin you […]
Continue reading Crowd-Surfing in Roma and Hanging with the Pope at my Hostel
October 20, 2011 7 Comments
Any hyperbole or clever phrase you can come up with to describe the absolutely collosal city of Rome is most likely true, and then some. Throughout its 3,000+ year history, it has been the “Captial of the World” during the Roman Empire, the seat of power for the Catholic Church during the Renaissance, one of […]
Continue reading Wash Uffizi, Drive Me to Firenze
October 17, 2011 10 Comments
After escaping the major metropolitan areas for a few days in the Cinque Terre, it was back to the commotion and crowds of the cities with my next stop being Florence. Firenze (as they call it in Italian) is most notable for its impressive art galleries, sculpture gardens, architectural facades, and the lasting legacy left by […]
Continue reading Living a Tough Life in Cinque Terre
October 13, 2011 13 Comments
After having spent the majority of my trip so far in large, crowded metropolitan areas, my body was telling me that I was ready to get out into a more natural environment, soak up some countryside, and to adjust to the pace of small-town living. And I couldn’t have picked a more perfect place than Cinque Terre National Park on […]
Continue reading Socca and Canyoning in the Cote d’Azur
October 10, 2011 14 Comments
Nice, France: Ah yes, the French Riviera. Just the mention of the name conjures up images of sun-washed beaches framed by gorgeous mountains, thoroughly-tanned locals, vacationing celebrities and high-rollers, and a seemingly endless supply of sunshine. All of these stereotypes are, in fact, quite true, but alas, my intention of spending 5 days lying on the […]
Continue reading Calanques and Bouillabaisse in Marseilles
October 7, 2011 2 Comments
Just a short train ride south of Paris lies the region known as Provence, long characterized by great wine, great food, rolling hills, and beautiful scenary. At the heart of Provence, along the southern coast of France, lies the countries oldest city: Marseilles. Originally founded around 600 B.C. as a trading port for the Greeks, it […]
Continue reading Return to Paris
October 5, 2011 9 Comments
Paris, France: it is a bit of a difficult city to write about. First, there are almost too many facets of its personality to be able to characterize it properly and too many sights, sounds, and places to experience without actually living there. Secondly, many have visited the City of Lights and opinions vary wildly — some become […]
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