For some reason, I always pictured going for a gondola ride at night, so I was pretty surprised that Venice’s canals were completely still and empty after sunset. Perhaps that was because we visited in the off-season, but when we asked the man at our hotel’s front desk when he would suggest we hire a gondola, he looked puzzled. “During the day… otherwise you won’t see anything…” A fair point, given that the canals appear to be a black pit of darkness after nightfall.
As if Venice weren’t beautiful enough, the nearby islands of Murano and Burano are practically made for postcards. Murano — the closest of the two islands to Venice — is famous for its glass-making community, while Burano — pictured above — was known for lace making but now its brightly-colored buildings seem to be the main tourist draw.
The real Venice looks exactly like the Venice of the movies, but there’s a definite ‘wow factor’ that comes with seeing the building-lined maze of canals with your own eyes. Peering out the window of the water bus from the airport, I was fascinated by how the buildings sit directly in the water, often with their doorways opening straight into the canals for boat access. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. If you’re going to visit, I recommend taking your trip in the ‘off-season’ like we did. Yes, San Marco square flooded while we were there, but that was something to witness in and of itself. And yes, it was a bit chilly, highs in the 50s, with 24 hours of our trip plagued by rain. But I greatly prefer that to the sweaty and smelly tourist-filled experience that I’ve heard comes with a summer visit. Besides, Venice looks magical in every kind of weather. Am I right or am I right?
Holy crap.
Well, that’s the cleaned up version of what I shouted when we made it to the top of the Schilthorn’s viewing platform last Sunday morning, nearly blown away by a sharp wind and wet snow. It sure wasn’t what it looked like from the “livecam” we surveyed when we began the four gondola journey up from Stechelberg, a short bus ride from Lauterbrunnen. Gui and I climbed down the metal stairs to check out the “Walk of Fame” area with plaques about actors from the James Bond movie filmed on the mountain — On Her Majesty’s Secret Service for fans, which is featured prominently in the merchandising. On the way, we passed the only other group crazy enough to climb down in that weather, who were making their return to the platform. “It was worth it… not,” an older gentleman declared.
It seems like every place we visit in Switzerland is even more beautiful than the last. I had to wait 10 hours to lay eyes on Lauterbrunnen — we arrived late Friday under the cover of so much darkness that we couldn’t even tell there were mountains around us — but when I stepped outside the next morning I could not put my camera down.
It’s been almost 10 years since I visited Rome and while so much of the city felt familiar — the Forum, the Pantheon, the pizza — the experience was very different for one major reason: So. Many. Lines. And they weren’t quick lines either: The wait to get into St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel and the Colosseum was more than an hour each. Part of the delay could be from the increased security. I conferred with my friends who I traveled around Rome with in 2007 and none of us remembered waiting to get into any of the sites or having to go through metal detectors. Or it might just be that more tourists flock to Rome in October, when the city still has lovely, mild weather compared to much of the rest of Europe (it’s already quite chilly in Geneva, for example). Or maybe Rome is getting more tourism as visitors stay away from other major European destinations out of fear of terrorism. Whatever the reason, prepare to be patient if you’re headed to Italy’s capital. At least you can grab some pizza or gelato to make your time in line go faster 🙂
If you close your eyes and think of Switzerland, Lucerne comes pretty close to the idyllic landscape of your dreams: Charming architecture centered around a sparkling lake, surrounded by the majestic Alps and herds of bell-jingling cows. It’s lovely. It’s also incredibly expensive, but hey, that’s Switzerland too. We took the train over last Saturday morning and, three hours later, found ourselves in Lucerne where we checked into our “budget” hotel (140 CHF!) and set off to explore.
Our six-day Italian adventure ended in the beautiful cliffside city of Positano, where we spent two glorious days relaxing on the beach and getting our fill of fresh Italian food. We arrived late Saturday afternoon on a ferry from the port of Capri (first photo below) and hiked our way up through the town until we found the Hotel Savoia, which turned out to be completely charming. We loved the painted tiles covering the floors and the beautiful view of the city and coastline from our large balcony, and were delighted that we were offered a complimentary bottle of sparkling wine for our anniversary. We spent the evening perusing the maze of shops and then enjoyed a very tasty pasta dinner near the hotel at Ristorante Max.
If you look up the term <<tourist trap>> in Urban Dictionary, the top definition is “a place specifically designed to attract stupid tourists and take their money.” The connotation is decidedly negative. But when I attach the label to Capri’s famous Blue Grotto, I’m by no means saying that the cavern carved into the island’s rocky coastline isn’t worth a visit. The way the water glows neon blue is otherworldly, and photos simply cannot replicate the experience of gliding across it in a rowboat with the melodies of singing Italian oarsmen echoing off the walls. Still, it’s very much so a business operation, and it’s better to know what you’re getting into beforehand to temper your expectations.
My husband and I spent our honeymoon island hopping across Greece and fell in love with the Cyclades, so when I booked our trip to Capri and the Amalfi Coast I knew we weren’t going to be able to help but compare the two Mediterranean destinations. We weren’t the only ones: While wandering around the maze of shops snuggled into the cliffs in Positano, I overheard one girl announce to another that she definitely preferred the Italian coast to the Greek island of Santorini. My verdict? I doubt anything will ever surpass the magical two weeks we spent celebrating our marriage and feasting on fresh Greek cuisine with breathtaking views of whitewashed houses perched above dreamy blue water. But Capri and Positano both charmed us, and I would wholeheartedly recommend a visit to anyone who can handle a short ferry ride or a winding drive through the Italian cliffs (more on that later).
The Plaid Shirt Diaries 