Chiang Mai

During our time in Thailand we are getting to see a wide variety of the country. Phuket was all island and turquoise waters, Bangkok will be a big city, and Chiang Mai is lots of green countryside and mountains. We completely dove in our first night in Chiang Mai.

I had found a “treehouse resort” about an hour and a half outside of the city. So Ryan and I decided to stay in a legit treehouse. And before you ask, yes there were bugs in our bed and yes, it was stupid hot/humid. But it was a crazy cool experience and I’m so glad we did it. The adventurous 11 year old Victoria had to keep reminding the slightly anxious 25 year old Victoria to chill out about the bugs and embrace how incredibly awesome it was to be living in a treehouse for a night. The Treehouse resort is a family owned business, and the grandfather was a former engineer/architect that first built the treehouses for his kids and grandkids. We had genuinely amazing home-cooked meals, and they even washed our clothes for us for a small fee.

On our way back to the city center – we stopped off at what was described to us only as a waterfall. But it was less of a waterfall and more of a local “water park” attraction. Our driver said that we could get out and walk around for an hour and half and he’d be waiting for us afterwards. We had no idea why he would expect us to stay more than a 20 minutes or so this waterfall; even if it was fairly impressive. Both of us contradicted him saying, “oh I don’t think this will take that long”. But as we walked towards the sounds of laughter and kids running, Ryan and I saw why an hour and a half was allotted to this. There were 3 levels of huge rocks creating a natural, yet mild waterfall. There were ropes all along the rocks and kids of all ages going up and down the rocks, playing in the water, and using the ropes to help themselves climb. Ryan was the first to get the itch to jump in. I was thinking a bit more practically, as is my MO, and my thoughts were along the lines of “but we don’t have a towel”. However, even I couldn’t stand sitting by and watching all the fun. We got completely soaked as we climbed from the very bottom up to the top of the waterfall. But as Ryan and I got back into the car (an hour and fifteen minutes later), we both agreed that that was one of our favorite things we had done so far on our whole trip.

In Chiang Mai we stayed at an airbnb in a prime location inside the “old town”, and were within walking distance of a lot of the main sights to see. The old town of Chiang Mai is actually pretty small, and I thoroughly enjoyed just walking around and exploring the city. We went into cafes and bookstores, wats and temples, and got a little lost trying to get out of a market we were sucked into.

Another one of our favorite days in Chiang Mai was spent at an Elephant Sanctuary. Our amazing airbnb host hooked us up with a good deal and we spent a half day at Ran Tong Elephant Sanctuary feeding the elephants sugar cane, cooling them off with a mud bath, and rinsing the mud off in the river. I had never interacted with elephants close up like that before. They are such powerful creatures, but they were so sweet too. They played with us spraying water at us and trying to steal the whole basket full of sugar cane. We really enjoyed spending the day out there.

That same evening we booked a Thai cooking class with Asia Scenic. Our instructor, “A”, was hilarious and made our time cooking very enjoyable. He taught us about the ingredients we would be using, and walked us to the market to buy the ingredients themselves. The cooking class was a small group of 8, and we cooked 5 dishes. A fried spring roll, and noodle dish, soup, curry paste, and a curry dish. From those we all got to choose what exactly we cooked. For example, Ryan cooked Pad Thai for his noodle dish and I cooked Pad See Uw. Everything was a flurry in the kitchen, and I’ll admit to getting overwhelmed once or twice by A’s instructions. But A most importantly said over and over – “cook with emotion”; and following up with “how does your emotion taste”? We never used any sort of measuring cups. We guessed about how much a TBSP/tsp would be of something, and adjusted after the fact for if we wanted it more sweet, spicy, salty, etc. I have to admit – some of the best food we’ve had so far has been from that cooking class. At the end of 4 hours, exhausted from cooking and fully satisfied from all the delicious food, Ryan and I got a cookbook with all the recipes we cooked that evening. It will be hard trying to find all the ingredients we used. But we will most assuredly be testing our skills again in the kitchen when we get back home.

We ended our time in Chiang Mai by taking a drive up the mountain toWat Doi Suthep, overlooking the town below. Ryan and I really enjoyed Chiang Mai and the little surprise adventures it held for us.

Phuket

Our time in Phuket was much too short. But we jam packed as much as we could into the few days that we were there. Ryan and I stayed on the southernmost point of Phuket, at a boutique hotel called The Nai Harn. The hotel was located right on the beach with beautiful views of the Andaman Sea and Nai Harn’s own beach. Nai Harn is slightly less crowded being so far away from the center part of the island – but it’s considered to be one of the best beaches Phuket has to offer; and I wouldn’t be able to disagree even if I wanted to.



We knew in advance that our time was going to be limited on the island – so we booked island tours ahead of time through Vitamin Sea Tours. Ryan and I decided to do both their full day tour of Phi Phi Islands and the full day James Bond tour – which is to Phang Nga Bay (where the 1974 James Bond film – “Man with the Golden Gun” was filmed).

The Phi Phi Island tour was full of sunshine and sunburns. (And yes, we put on loads of sunscreen, mom). We snorkeled, swam, saw wild monkeys, visited Maya Bay (featured in Leo’s movie “The Beach”), and just pinched ourselves all day when looking out at the blue/green water. The Phi Phi tour was definitely a big tourist attraction, and there were many crowds. But our guides did such a wonderful job bringing us to parts of the water where it was more open and free. A highlight was the snorkeling. There were so many colorful fish and coral – and with the water so clear it was extremely easy to see everything.





As I mentioned above, we definitely weren’t as prepared as we should have been for the intense sun. Ryan and I both were pretty significantly sunburned after our first day and toyed with the idea of canceling our James Bond tour. I’m so very glad we didn’t. It was a completely different experience from Phi Phi Islands. The James Bond tour was slower paced, more relaxed, and we didn’t spend as much time in the water/direct sun. Our tour guides took us to a handful of small islands leading to the big attraction – Khao Phing Kan island (better known and now called even by locals James Bond Island). Our guide, Milan, told us that before 1974, this island was a rarely visited, indigenous area. Which is crazy considering that nowadays an estimated 2,000 tourists visit the island every single day.



After visiting Panak Island and having lunch at the floating villages on Panyee Island, we went to explore some caves by canoe at Hong Island. I think that this was Ryan and I’s favorite part of our whole Phuket experience. At Hong Island there are some caves that open up into little lagoons. We were put into an inflatable canoe, and a local paddled us around through the caves. We felt like little kids oohing and aahing at every turn.





Phuket is one of those dream destinations and I feel so blessed to have been able to have seen another part of the world with that much natural beauty. For the first hour or so, I was continually surprised and enchanted by the varying colors of the water. I’d hear myself gasp and try to quickly open up my phone’s camera to be able to take some of the beauty home with me. It never works, and you can never fully capture it. After awhile, I put away my phone and camera and just experienced it all.

Siem Reap

Siem Reap is a small town inside of Cambodia. While there we traveled by tuk-tuk, stayed at an awesome hotel, went to the cirucs, and explored the temples known as Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is a series of Hindu/Buddhist temples; the main one was built in the 12th century. Each temple had its own unique personality and we were consistently astonished walking through the ruins of these ancient structures. It is better to just show you, than to keep talking about them.

The number 1 way to get around is via Tuk-Tuk. You can see our Tuk-Tuk driver and tour guide Vone below. Tuk-Tuks are small carriages hitched to the back of a motorbike. Most rides cost around $2-3. It was a great way to get around and see what life was like in Siem Reap, and get a nice breeze while doing so.

Shortly before our trip my mom had sent us a list naming a Viroth’s Hotel in Siem Reap voted the #1 in the world by TripAdviser. Given the low cost of everything in Cambodia we had to give it a try. The design was incredible, it looked like some place straight out of a 1960s Bond Film. And the staff was next level. Every night when you approached the door you were handed a cold towel by the bellman. Little touches like this made our experience wonderful.

We spent our final night at Phare, a Cambodian Circus. The circus was started by a local Art University that takes kids in from off of the street and teaches them skills like ceramics, painting, acrobatics, and design. The show was in a small tent that sat about 150 people. The acrobats were all students at the university, and did everything from fire throwing, to flips, to engaging story telling. As with everything, the pictures just don’t do it justice.

Saigon

24+ hours of straight travel is no joke. To get to Vietnam, we flew from Houston to Tokyo, and then from Tokyo to Ho Chi Minh City (or Saigon). There is a 12 hour time difference between SE Asia and Texas. So Ryan and I were definitely feeling the effects of jet lag. We had awesome accommodations at the Alcove Library Hotel, a boutique hotel slightly outside the heart of the city with a rooftop terrace and restaurant, and book themed decor. A hotel after my own heart. They picked us up from the airport at 9:30 pm, making our tired entrance into the country extremely easy. After getting to the hotel, Ryan and I completely crashed and woke up ready to explore the new city.

Our first full day in HCMC, Ryan and I took a taxi downtown (costing all of $2). We decided to hit the main tourist sights and saw the Reunification Palace, the War Remnants Museum, and walked through the Ben Thanh Market. Trying to cross the streets in Vietnam is an art form. There are motorbikes or “hondas” everywhere! And don’t think that the sidewalks are just for pedestrians – some drivers use those as well. We learned very quickly to have our wits about us while walking the streets.

The next full day we booked a half day tour to the Cu Chi Tunnels. We got to drive about 2 hours outside the city to the outskirts of the countryside. Our guide – Denny – was absolutely incredible. He answered so many questions about the history of the city and the Vietnam War. It was extremely interesting hearing about the effects of the war in modern Vietnam. The Cu Chi Tunnels are an elaborate underground community made up of 3 levels and are over 250 km long (155 miles). Ventilation systems, kitchens, living areas, and bomb shelters were all built underground in these tunnels. Part of the tour allowed for anyone to go into the tunnel and “walk” (which was more like crouch/crawl) about 80 meters. The tunnel size was about 3 meters x 3.5 meters. I was a little anxious about how small it was, but wanted to see what it was like. I only got about halfway before taking a built in exit and emerging dripping in sweat and feeling slightly claustrophobic. It was extremely cramped, extremely hot, and very dark – even with newly installed “lighting”. But it was a educational experience and I’m glad we got to see it firsthand.

That evening, Ryan and I went on a Saigon Food Tour. This ended up being a highlight for us. College students wanting to work on their English picked us up on hondas, and we each rode on the back of a bike. Anh and Linh were our guides, and incredibly sweet girls. But how we were convinced to get on the back of one of those crazy bikes is beside me. However, Ryan and I were both incredibly surprised at how tame the traffic felt from the inside. Don’t get me wrong, it was still extremely different than in the US. But the bikes aren’t allowed to go very fast (about 25 mph max) and we never felt out of control.

While riding on the bike with Linh heading to our next stop – we pulled up to a stoplight. Next to us a mom and young daughter (about 4 or 5) came along side us. As we were sitting there, the mother pointed the daughter’s attention at me and she shyly looks up. I smiled real big and overly waved at the little girl (not gonna lie, I was pretty animated with my enthusiasm but she was cute and I like kids and didn’t give it a second thought). Then the light changed and we drove off. I told Linh as we were driving away – “Aww that was sweet; that little girl was so cute!” To which she responds with – “Um yeah, so actually the daughter didn’t want to put her rain hat on so the mother told her that you would hit her if she didn’t obey. That’s why she was pointing at you and well, I didn’t know how to tell you.” We could not stop laughing for a full five minutes as I coped with my mortification through laughter. Needless to say I learned a very interesting cultural lesson.

All in all, I’m convinced that seeing a city in the night lights from the street point of view is the best way to do it! Over the course of 3.5 hours we went to four different restaurants and had a noodle dish, a Vietnamese pancake, coffee (with condensed milk), and dessert. We were taken to local places and taught about the dishes, how to eat them properly, and were able to ask any other questions we had about Vietnamese culture, cuisine, and lifestyle. We thoroughly enjoyed meeting and just hanging out with locals our age. It was an extremely unique way to experience the city of Saigon.

Steamboat

Getting the whole family together for a vacation at this age and stage of all of our lives is quite a difficult thing to do. However, someway somehow it worked out. From all over the country – Texas, Washington, Louisiana and Georgia – we flew to Steamboat Springs, Colorado for some skiing, snowmobiling, and much needed family time. Steamboat Springs is about 3 hours northwest of Denver and is a beautiful, low-key ski town whose natural beauty seems more impressive every turn.

You’re able to fly directly into Steamboat’s airport in Hayden. They do offer some direct flights into the city, but I did have to connect through Denver from Austin. Regardless – it’s pretty easy to get right into the city. From the airport, we took a shuttle directly to our condo. Our entire crew had 11 people. So we got two condos with 5 bedrooms in total. We stayed at Torian Plum, a condo right off the mountainside. Seriously, everyone could basically just ski off the mountain, drop off their skis, and be less than a five minute walk from the rooms. And the view from the balcony – to die for.


The first full day we were in Steamboat people skied. On Saturday, we had plans to go snowmobiling. We used Steamboat Snowmobile Tours and I would recommend them over and over again if I could. Our guide was great and the trails were just challenging enough to make for an adventurous ride. The entire tour was four hours, with a break for lunch in the middle – which they provided! That Saturday was the coldest day of our trip. It was overcast and snowing all day long; and at 6 degrees, us Southerners (used to 80 degree Christmases) were freezing our butts off. The snowmobiles themselves were easy to handle and drive, and had both hand and feet warmers built into the machine. This small detail was a lifesaver for my cold little fingers.

Our guide had us all ride in a single file line and gave us hand signals that we had to pass down through the group so that we were all in communication and aware of what was up ahead. The tour was perfect, and we all came away unscathed. Although, there were a few close calls. Rick, my father in law,  accidentally tipped his snowmobile over when going through a snowbank. And I accidentally entered into a game of chicken with Uncle Guy in a free for all open meadow. To my pleasant surprise and utter relief, the snowmobile was actually very responsive to my sharp swerve direction. All in all – the snowmobile tour was a major win. And I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

Skiing on the mountain was also an exhilarating experience. It was pretty much snowing our entire trip there, so we were lucky enough to have some pretty good powder to ski on. However, the skill curve was a bit harsher on this mountain. The easy slopes were extremely easy, and the hard slopes extremely hard. It felt as if there weren’t as many options for people at our group skill level – a solid medium skill level. For example, the blues were hard to anticipate the difficulty. Some were extremely flat, others were steep and icy. Which might have been a symptom of the weather this year, since there was very little snow fall in the weeks before we arrived. But we still had such a blast!

My favorite run ran along the top ridge of the mountain. It was a series of blue slopes called Tomahawk to Baby Powder. Tomahawk was the main artery – and Baby Powder was one of the overlapping runs. It was one of the only places on the mountain where everyone in our group could find a route that challenged them with great views in every direction.

Our final day on the mountain we took it a bit more slow and we stayed together more. It was fun because we’d all be near each other – but then some of us were able to break off a bit and cut paths through the trees. Mainly it was just really fun to ski again.






Steamboat Springs was the ideal family vacation. The views, weather, activities – everything was perfect. But I think my absolute favorite part was that it created a place and reason for all of our family to get together. And I think what I’ll remember most is everyone pitching in and cooking dinner together in the condo, and then all sitting around the table afterwards swapping stories and memories.



Santorini

From Athens, Ryan and I took the Blue Star Ferry to the island of Santorini. The 8 hour ferry ride was like a mini-cruise. There were restaurants, decks to sit out on, and shopping stores – and it was the perfect start to a relaxing 3 days. Getting to the port, we had quad bikes there ready for us, and we packed our bags up, put our helmets on, and got our first view of the island.

After getting settled in our airbnb, we were itching to get back on the open road and see more of the beautiful island. We were staying on the southside of Santorini in Perivolos. However, the main tourist cities are on the north side in Oia (Ee-yah) and Fira. So Ryan and I decided to go check out Oia first. 45 minutes on the road was longer than we thought, but it flew by as we took in the scenery. We stayed in Oia till dark browsing this eclectic bookstore – Atlantis Books, finding what would be our favorite gyro restaurant on the island – Pita Gyro, and walking the old streets as the sun set. Driving through windy mountain roads with crazy drivers in the dark is NOT advised. I’m pretty sure Ryan’s heart still beats a little quick when thinking about that drive home (I was behind him low on gas, and he just knew that he’d turn around and I’d be gone). From then on, I was required to ride in front of him at all times. But we made it back safe and sound.

The next day we went exploring! Santorini is known for its red and black beaches. So we went to find them!  The red beach was reachable only by foot or sailboat. After climbing over some rocks and along cliff edges, we got our first glimpse of the red beach – indescribable! I was itching to get into the clear blue water and immediately set out. The water was pretty chilly, but you got used to the cool temperatures quickly and they felt good with the sun straight in the sky. This beach felt so seclusive. Surprisingly it wasn’t crazy packed. A couple dozen people were in the water and a few more uncomfortably laying out on the rocky beach. There was a sailboat taxiing people between all of the beaches – so you could stay on the red beach for awhile and then when you were ready, head on down to the black beach. Ryan and I didn’t do that because we had our quad bikes, but lots of people enjoyed that luxury of going back and forth. The black beach was more of what you’d picture as a typical beach setting – umbrellas, some water toys, snorkel gear, etc. However, the sand was tiny black rocks!

Our last full day on the island we took a 7 mile hike from Fira to Oia. This is a must do if you ever go! We definitely should have started earlier in the day as we were baking in the hot sun. But I’m so glad we did the hike because the trail took us through the main 4 cities of the island – Fira, Firostefani, Imerovigli, and Oia – and walked us along the cliff of the Caldera. I had planned to go down to Amoudi Bay at the end of the hike and swim and cliff jump. However, we were so exhausted after the hike that we decided to just go back to our place and relax the rest of the evening.

We flew out of the island at 11 PM in the evening. So we still had most of the day to do the last things we wanted in Santorini. I had really wanted to jump off the cliff in Amoudi Bay, and went back and forth as to whether or not I should do it. After finally deciding that I would regret it if I didn’t go – Ryan and I headed to Oia and planned to go to Amoudi Bay and get Pita Gyro one last time and then come home to pack up. I am so very glad that I didn’t give up on the cliff jump. That was such a highlight for me. It’s quite a lot of stairs to get down off the cliff (where the city is built) and to the bay, and then we had to climb over rocks till it opened up a bit to people laying out and swimming in the bay. I swam out to the cliff, where a ladder was set up, and then walked up to the cliff. Then I jumped! I knew that if we came back to the island, I might be too old to climb and jump, so I needed to take my moment when I could! Amazing experience that I’ll never forget.

Santorini was one of my favorite places to visit. Ryan and I would forget that there was an outside world. It had this effect of just sweeping you up in its beauty and relaxation.

Athens

Athens is such a cool place to be. It just has so much history. The city is very modern with its wide streets, metro station, and fast pace; but sprinkled amongst all the modern building are little bits of history. Blink, and you just may miss them. Our journey through Athens took us through sprawling streets where we saw old churches and ancient ruins. Everywhere we walked we were always in shadow of The Acropolis, Athen’s main attraction. One of the coolest places we passed through is a small bright white neighborhood with tiny winding passages, and brightly colored windows and doors.

Rick Steve’s audio guide is designed in such a perfect way. As we twisted and turned through the city it’s as if the city is aging. Eventually we made it to The Ancient Agora, the old city center. This is the place that Socrates would have walked around with his students. The area had a bustling market place, a theatre-district, and several temples.

The main street cuts straight through The Agora and leads to the start of the climb toward The Acropolis. The people of Athens would all gather here to celebrate the birth of the city. The celebration would culminate in a parade that went down this exact road and climbs The Acropolis to The Parthenon. The Parthenon is truly a sight to behold. Unfortunately, one side was covered in scaffolding, but even still it was incredible. Interestingly, The Parthenon stood mostly intact until around the 1600s when it was used to store gunpowder and was badly damaged during a battle. After that in the 1800s, England took many pieces off of it and are storing them in the British Museum. One great thing about the way our trip worked out is that we got to see all of those pieces a few weeks ago, on our trip to London.

Directly across from The Acropolis is Mars Hill. This hill has many great stories attached to it, but our personal favorite is from Acts 17. In it, Paul is preaching down in the Agora and gets taken up to Mars Hill, where he preaches to many skeptical Athenians. There is always something special about standing in the place where history happened. It is a reminder that what we call history, somebody once called life. It helps make to give these stories dimension, and them come to life.

Salzburg

Oh Austria, how beautiful you were! I personally loved our time in this country. Amongst mountains, rivers, castles, Mozart, and all things Sound of Music – what could you not love?! We took a slower pace in Salzburg because, well we could. Our first day we spent walking around the old town. We learned about the history of the city from Rick Steves’ city walk. Walked through plazas, toured the Mozart museum (located in the house he lived in), and went through Mirabell gardens.

Our second day we took a train a little bit outside of Salzburg to the quaint Werfen. Werfen is a village cradled between mountains and alongside a flowing river. As soon as we got off the train Ryan and I were like little bobble heads, spinning around trying to take it all in. The best part was as we were walking across a little bridge, we looked up and there was the castle! The very castle on all the lists of top castles in Europe! And boy did it not disappoint. It was so foreboding sitting on top of a hill overlooking the village and river. We started our small trek to the castle, as we had gotten tickets to tour hohenwerfen fortress. The city was so quiet! Barely anyone was out and about. We didn’t even see any tourists walking around – so refreshing!

It was so cool visiting the castle’s inside. But it definitely is a much better experience seeing it from afar. Which was the entire purpose of its creation – to warn off others and to hopefully intimidate them so that they wouldn’t attack the city. I enjoyed learning about the life inside the walls. And the view of the city from the bell tower was breathtaking.

Up next in Werfen was Eisriesenwelt – the largest ice cave in the world! It was quite a hike up the mountain, even with the cable car lift – but it was SO worth it. Only open in summertime, Eisriesenwelt is a must see if you are heading to this part of Austria. Even with it being 85 degrees outside, it was about 30 degrees inside the cave. We sweated hiking up the mountain, and then our sweat promptly froze when inside the cave! (Not really, but you can imagine the shock we felt when entering at first). Inside the cave isn’t lit, as when there is light – life can grow. So we toured the cave with a guide and a gas lantern. You aren’t allowed to take pictures inside the cave as a general rule because it usually disrupts the flow of the group and management wants to keep the groups on schedule. However, our guide was super cool and allowed us to take a few sneak shots as they didn’t hurt anything and we were quick! But I’ve heard that’s not a normal thing – so we were super lucky!

Our final day in Salzburg, I geeked out with a Panorama Sound of Music tour. I am a longtime fan of the movie, and even though I knew it would probably be pretty hokey – I was super excited for this. (Ryan wasn’t as into it as I was, but I think he secretly was singing “Do Re Mi” in his head). It was so fun! I had made a friend in our hostel who happened to be going on the tour the same day and time as us! We bonded over our mutual love for Julie Andrews and as fate would have it – our hostel showed the movie the night before our tour! It made it so much more exciting watching Liesel and Rolf sing “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” knowing we were going to see the actual gazebo the very next day!

The last stop on our tour was the city Mondsee, where they filmed Maria’s marriage to the Captain. The tour group was given about an hour to walk around the city, go inside the church, eat an apple strudel, and snap a picture by a gorgeous natural lake. Coming back to the city we got a few more pictures of Mirabell gardens, where most of the scenes for the “Do Re Mi” song were filmed. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end our time in Salzburg.

Krakow

I’m having trouble finding the words to begin this post. I’ve written and rewritten my intro multiple times. But I now realize that I’ll never find the right words to describe what Auschwitz is and what it represents. I’ve wanted to visit Auschwitz for many years. I’ve watched many documentaries, cried over Anne Frank’s diary, and been to multiple Holocaust museums. The days leading up I had been preparing my emotions and mind for this trip. However, to my surprise, during our guided tour through Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II – Birkenau, I wasn’t as emotional as I thought I’d be. But our tour started off by walking through the infamous gate “Arbeit Mach Frei”.. “Work Sets You Free”, and I felt like my heart froze right there. I immediately was deprived of feeling and responsiveness as I passed through the gate where millions walked to their death. My mind knew where I was. But I just couldn’t grasp it. I started my tour that way. Emotionally slapped in the face so hard at the reality of where I was that I couldn’t make sense of it and felt emotionally “electrocuted” and left numb.

We walked through the “museum” which was set up in all of the barracks. So we moved in and out of different blocks. We walked past so many pairs of eye glasses, shoes, suitcases, pots & pans, and more that the Nazi’s had confiscated when the prisoners had arrived. There was an entire room full of human hair, from the shorn women and children. We weren’t allowed to take pictures in that room out of respect. It was so overwhelming that I literally couldn’t understand.

We walked inside double barbed wire fences, passed the execution wall where they guards would shoot people with little to no reason, and looked in the rooms where people starved to death as punishment. In Auschwitz I most everything was still intact and at the end of our tour the guides took us through the gas chambers and crematorium. It looked just like a plain building where you’d take a shower. But you could still see scratch marks on the walls from those trying to escape. Then you walk into the adjoining room, and there’s the crematorium. It was all so methodically cold and calculated. And you could feel it. There was such a heaviness that you were left unfeeling and incapable of regular emotions. The numbness continued.

After we were finished touring Auschwitz I, we took a short bus ride down the road to Auschwitz II – Birkenau, where the Nazi’s built their biggest death camp running out of space and room in Auschwitz I. It was here that the killing got even more systematic. We walked along the train tracks where prisoners would ride in on cattle trucks. As our group made our way to where the gas chambers would be, Ryan snapped a picture of the crowd walking down the road. We were a few paces behind the group, and for a brief moment I could see it. With the flip of a hand and a split decision, a random stranger decided whether you lived or died. Then you walked down this quarter mile road back behind these trees. There you would strip down to take a shower, and be shuffled into this room to your death. Just as the men, women, and children from our tour group were walking down this road, millions of others had done this exact same walk and met with a very different fate. That walk will forever be engrained in my memory. And some feeling started returning.

At the end of the road there’s a memorial. The Nazi’s had blown up the gas chambers and crematorium in an attempt to hide the evidence of their mass killings. And it was amongst all of this that the memorial sat. That’s where the heaviness and reality of it all set in – I felt the full blow of it all in these words.

“Forever let this place be a cry of despair and a warning to humanity, where the Nazis murdered about one and a half million men, women, and children, mainly Jews from various countries of Europe.”

Walking back to our bus after seeing everything we saw that day, Ryan and I didn’t even know what to say to one another. We couldn’t form words then, and are still trying to process it all. I’m so glad that we went; the word “glad” feels very improper using it in these terms. But I’ll never forget those who died there, and all over Europe. I will always remember.

Our tours were with Krakow Shuttle and they were amazing. Ryan and I were picked up near the train station (we took an overnight train in from Prague), and driven to Auschwitz I & II, given lunch, taken to our next destination – a 13th century salt mine, and then dropped off at a restaurant back in Krakow for dinner. I’d highly recommend them for anyone wanting an easy, all inclusive tour of Krakow. They made everything so simple. But anyways, after Auschwitz we headed to one of the oldest working salt mines in the world.

Over 325 meters deep, this Salt Mine was huge and had many caverns inside with salt sculptures and carvings all throughout. It was very interesting learning about its history and the stories of the miners. It’s a whole other world under the ground! And everything was made out of salt! We were encouraged to run our finger on the wall and taste it; I did, and I can attest to the fact that it’s not fake salt!

After eating traditional beef and pork dumplings for dinner at a restaurant called Raspberry Grandma (in english), Ryan and I got on another night train – yes, two in a row. We were headed to Salzburg, Austria!

Prague

Prague is a city of architecture. Almost all of the major sites are stretched out on a single walk through both the new and old parts of the town. Because the Czech people have spent so much of the past 100 years fighting for independence there is a wide variety of architectural styles. You can see the curved, nature-inspired lines of Art Nouveau, A medieval tower, gothic arches, and even a Cubist Cafe!

The old town square was one of my favorite places. It is full of incredible structers, but three in particular caught my eye. The center of the square is dominated by a sculpture dedicated to a martyr who inspired a revolution. Looming over the far side of the square is a beautiful old church, who’s towers reminded me of classic fairy tales. My favorite part though, was the astrological clock. Unfortunatly the tower itself was under repair, but luckily the clock was still visible. I loved seeing all the different twists and dials move. It is amazing to me how ancient people were able to solve and understand such complex things about the stars armed only with only a telescope.

There is also a museum that talks about the rise and fall of communism in the area. It was very interesting to see all of the propaganda, and learn about how Lenin and Stalin’s reign effected the Czech people. There even was a piece of the Berlin Wall!

Another place we loved in Prague was the Charles Bridge. This bridge was beautiful from every angle. We really enjoyed walking along the bridge flanked by statues, and street performers on all sides, but the best view of the bridge came from the riverside.

Our final stop in Prague was at Prague Castle. You can see it in the distance above from most parts of the city. We made the climb up the hill, and were amazed at the ancient castle and how, again, it was architecture that really inspired us in this city.

Amsterdam

Our first day in Amsterdam was a cold and rainy one. Our hostel was located fairly close to the Central Station. However, it was across the water – so we had to take a quick ferry to get to and from the mainland. The ferry is short, only about 5 minutes – and it’s free public transportation. It was always full with people on foot, on bicycles, and in little mini cars. We attempted to brace the weather after we were settled in our hostel. Rick Steves had a city walking tour that we wanted to do that took us down a main street, Damrak.

It was about 50 degrees that day with 30 mph winds – and quite miserable if I have to say. We got about halfway through our walking tour when we called it quits. It had started to rain again and my socks were wet through my shoes, we were both freezing, and pretty hungry. We went back to the hostel to dry off and take a hot shower determining to make it out the next day no matter what.

Our second day in the city was still pretty chilly, but luckily the rain had passed and we were able to stay dry! The Van Gogh Museum was on the agenda today. This was something that Ryan had been looking forward to our entire trip. We pretty much had designated the whole day to this as not to rush us in any way. Unfortunately we weren’t able to take any pictures inside the museum – so I can’t show you guys some of the amazing art that we saw that day, but I can attempt to describe our experience.

The Van Gogh Museum was laid out chronologically through Van Gogh’s life. Both Ryan and I loved this layout as we got to see Van Gogh’s progression, mental illness, and other influences on his work come out in his paintings. It started us off with his upbringing and how he grew up, and then they showed us pieces of art that Van Gogh himself was inspired by. It really helped me especially (who has no background in art), understand how and why Van Gogh painted in ways that he did and the way he created his own style through other’s influences. Vincent didn’t start painting until he was an adult, about 10 years before he died.

It was incredible watching this man try to capture light, life, humanity, emotion, and so much more through painting. And what’s more, succeed in doing so. Ryan was completely in his element and if I dare say so – inspired. I do imagine that once we get settled back in Austin that Ryan will start painting again soon. The museum took us through Van Gogh’s mental illness and struggle with depression and extreme mood swings – and how it effected his art. Van Gogh is famous for his painting, but he was a great writer as well and wrote consistent letters to his brother Theo that we got to see and read.

Van Gogh was obsessed with peasant life. He didn’t want to paint grandiose scenes, but the every day, the normal people. One of his famous paintings – The Potato Eaters was at the museum. With this painting he wanted to show that ” they have tilled the earth themselves with these hands they are putting in the dish … that they have thus honestly earned their food”.  The museum ended with artists’ work who were inspired by Van Gogh. They really had it come full circle and it was super cool to see that.

Our third day in the city we got to tour the Anne Frank House. I was really looking forward to this as I had just finished reading Anne Frank’s Diary. I’ve always wanted to read it and thought I’d better do it now before I actually go see where she lived while writing it, and I’m so glad I did. Guys, it was so much smaller than you can even imagine. When reading a book, your mind fills in an environment where the action is taking place. And while Anne did describe small living quarters, there were multiple rooms, and 3 stories where they were hiding. You just didn’t realize that the “kitchen” was also the bedroom for the Van Daan couple, and the living room, and where they ate. Peter Van Daan’s room was basically just a corridor shared with a ladder to the attic. It just further put into perspective the struggle they and many other families went through to avoid persecution.

I feel like it’s really hard for people, even me, to sometimes grasp what the Holocaust really was. We hear these massive numbers and we can’t relate. That’s too big for us to wrap our heads around. While Anne Frank was just one girl, out of millions, she helped me understand.. just a little bit, how pervasive this was across Europe. There was a short video at the end of the tour where author John Green talked about the log of deaths at the concentration camp that was on display at the museum,

“The book was turned to the page with Anne Frank’s name, but what got me about it was the fact that right beneath her name there were four Aron Franks. FOUR. Four Aron Franks without museums, without historical markers, without anyone to mourn them. I silently resolved to remember and pray for the four Aron Franks as long as I was around.”

I think what Anne Frank did was help us identify with the “Aron Franks”. She was real. She was utterly human – just like every other 17+ million people who died as a result of the Holocaust. And we uniquely got an front row seat to her fears, hopes, and dreams through her diary. I really wish everyone could learn history this way. Not just reading it, but seeing it, touching it, living it. Later on Ryan and I will be traveling in Auschwitz, and I really feel like we will get a deeper history lesson than ever before.

On a lighter note – after leaving the Anne Frank museum we walked around the windy streets and alleyways of Amsterdam for a bit. And then we came upon a Dutch Pancake place (recommended by Rick & Tanya) called Pannenkoekenhuis Upstairs. This was seriously some of the best food we have had! We loved it! Ryan got a bacon pancake, and I had an apple & chocolate sauce pancake. If you’re willing to brace some extremely steep stairs and wait for a table (there are only four in this upstairs restaurant) then this will be well worth it! We thoroughly enjoyed Amsterdam and are looking forward to our next city – PRAGUE!

London

We arrived in London, and were so relieved to have some familiarity. I have been to London twice before, and truthfully just hearing English and being able to read the signage was comforting. We got set up at our hostel and walked to the Tower of London. Several people had recommended doing the Yeoman tour, and I am so glad we did. Our guide, Beefeater Dave, was hilarious and a great story teller. He told stories of many of the people who had come through the Tower of London for their final days.

On our second day we spent the morning in the British Museum: The Rosetta Stone, tons of Egyptian artifacts, The Assyrian Lions, and the sculptures off of the Parthenon. After we left the museum, we decided to walk around London and just take in the city. We made our way toward Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square. We found a small street lined with book stores full of first editions of all the classics. Victoria loved seeing all the 19th century books. We also went to Fortnum & Mason, a very posh department store established in 1707. We walked around looking at all the high-end and classic British goods.

After that we took a few day trips outside of London. First to Stonehenge, you can read more about that on Victoria’s post. Then we went to Worcester to visit Ashley & Traci. Words fail me to express how wonderful it was to feel at home. We have missed them so much, since they were called to England; and after weeks of traveling in foreign places it was so restful to be with such dear friends. I can happily say that those short days were very uneventful. We just spent time with them, and got to see their new home, new friends, and life. Spent time talking around the dining room table, going to the grocery store, drawing, and playing games with the boys. Traci also showed us around Oxford, where she is attending University. It was so exciting to walk those old streets, and see the life that this family have begun to build.

Ashley drove us back to London on Saturday. We got to our new AirBnb, and spent the rest of the afternoon at the Imperial War Museum in the Holocaust exhibit. It was a sobering reminder of the atrocities of the Nazi party, and what lay before us on our trip: The Anne Frank House and Auschwitz Concentration Camp.

Later that evening we were sitting in our flat, and heard an unusual amount of sirens in the area. We pulled up twitter to find out that something horrific was happening at London Bridge. At the time we knew very little, but sat in front of the TV as the news began to trickle in. I am not one to say “we could have been there” because we weren’t there. But I will say that being only a 15-20 minute walk from Borough Market has made the tragedies that we are faced with every couple months now more vivid. Hearing the sirens fly by outside of our window, made the pictures that we saw following the news reports that much more in focus. It is a reminder that we must reach out to our neighbors. These people are living amongst us. They are lost and confused; and an outstretched arm of sensible friendship may make the difference.

Sunday morning we went to the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. It was hard to see much with the crowd, but the outside of the palace is always an exciting place to be. After that we went to Hillsong Church and enjoyed a church service inside of an old theatre. We capped off the day at a small theatre, The Criterion. We saw “A Comedy About A Bank Robbery”, and it was hilarious and creative. The play had Victoria and I laughing all the way home.

Our last day in London we went to Westminster Abbey and Big Ben. Westminster is such a cool place, where so many legendary figures in British history are buried. We walked down Whitehall which passes 10 Downing Street and several other great British political locations. Lastly we went to the Churchill War Rooms. It was a very cool exhibit about the life of Churchill, and you get to tour the bunkers that he and his staff worked in during World War II, when London was under constant siege. They also had an Enigma Machine on display!

We really loved our time in England, and it was great chance to recharge with good friends, and familiar language. Now we are officially past the half-way point of the trip and off to Amsterdam!

Stonehenge

Trying to get to Stonehenge was a mess! We missed our bus the first day because we got lost on the metro. Ryan and I are not used to relying on public transportation, and even after 4 weeks here – we still don’t have it down perfectly. Getting better though! Anyway, we were able to reschedule our half day trip to the following day for a small fee. AND I actually got to use one of those red telephone booths in London to call them because we didn’t want to use our cell phone data. So it worked out, because that was super cool!

The charter bus took us straight out of the city of London and through the countryside to Stonehenge. It was about a 2 hour drive, so Ryan and I sat back and enjoyed the view. Our driver was SO FUNNY. We kept cracking up at his subtle jokes and humorous comments.

We actually didn’t have much time at Stonehenge, only about an hour and 45 minutes. But that’s really all we needed. We used the free audio tour and walked all around this massive monument, learning about who built it, why they might have built it, how old it is, and so much more. Although much of it is speculation, it was so very interesting. And experts aren’t even convinced that those who built it finished it! But it took these people many many years to build it, and they had to bring the rocks from very far away. It seriously took a village, and multiple generations to build Stonehenge. However, they weren’t just doing it for themselves – they were building it for posterity. No one really knows exactly its purpose. But experts believe it is an ancient way to tell the seasons and time – as well as, it was a sacred place. There were “healing stones” in the center of Stonehenge that people would travel to come and break off a piece for their loved one who was sick.

There are huge mounds of dirt all around – and historians have realized that those are ancient burial grounds. When excavating, they found tons of artifacts, and bones.

Honestly it was a once in a lifetime experience – seeing something so iconically historic.

Paris

Paris was an interesting city for Ryan and I. First of all, when we got to Paris – we were pretty exhausted. Physically, mentally, even emotionally. Almost halfway through our trip and we had been going going going nonstop. As well as, we had just climbed a whole mountain the day before. We got an airbnb and had planned to just rest our first day in the city. Travel days are long and we really needed to recharge. But as luck would have it – we realized that it was a Wednesday, and the Louvre is open late on Wednesdays. So we bucked up and quickly got unpacked and headed back out into the city.

I’m very glad we decided to go on the day that the museum is open later, because the crowds were way thinner. We didn’t even have to stand in line to get in. Once again, we saw amazing art and history including the Mona Lisa, Hammurabi’s Code, Venus de Milo, and so much more.

The next day we strolled around Champs Elysees and came upon Laduree. Laduree is a luxury bakery and one of the world’s best known sellers of incredible macaroons. Of course we had to get some. And let me just tell you, well worth it. Ryan wanted to go back and just get macaroons for dinner. We walked from Laduree down the Seine River to the Musee d’Orsay. This was Ryan’s heaven – tons of Impressionism art. There were more Van Gogh paintings here than Ryan has seen total throughout his life! (But we haven’t been to the Van Gogh Museum yet!). In art history – the Musee d’Orsay picks up where the Louvre leaves off. Realism starts to fade and the artists begin to put their own spin on things.

So far we have had a wonderful time in Paris. The third day we were going to wake up and head to the very famous Palace of Versailles. However, this day was full of frustrations. I’ll give you a run-down. We began the day with the metro. We had to take the metro to a train, and then the train to Versailles. The total trip would be about an hour and a half as Versailles is outside the city of Paris. As we are getting off the metro to switch to the train to take us to Versailles, we notice at the bottom of the stairs metro security guys scanning tickets. However, we don’t have them. Ryan had thrown them away in the other station when we scanned it in. (You have to insert your metro ticket to even get into the station).

Ryan and I explain that we just threw our tickets away and obviously don’t have them. With no warning, explanation, or anything the man tells us that since we don’t have our ticket he is going to have to fine us. Ryan is getting extremely upset with the manner in which this is being handled and the injustice of the fine. I attempt to reason with the guard by asking “Were there any signs telling about the need to keep our tickets. We have never had to have our tickets leaving any station before”. He responds with “Yes there are signs. They’re in French.” How in the heck were we supposed to know about them then. We don’t read French! Long story short, the man fined us 35 euros and this whole thing made us miss our train to Versailles and we had to wait for the next one. Ryan is fuming, I feel defeated, and the day hasn’t even really begun. It’d have been one thing if they had been nice about it – but they were cold, insensitive, and intentionally targeting tourists.

Ugh. So we arrive and walk down to the palace. We had bought our tickets online the night before to save some time in line. Oh Victoria – how naive you are. We STILL stood in line to get into the Chateau for 2.5 HOURS. Baking in the hot sun, no covering, pebbled ground so it hurts your feet after while, and when we finally get inside is it better? No. There were still so many people in there that we were just swept away. Couldn’t stop to really look at anything because you’re stuck in the crowd and when the crowd moves, you move. To be fair though, it was pretty amazing being in a building with that much history. The treaty of Versailles, the French Revolution, so many things and more happened there. And the Hall of Mirrors and the gardens were pretty beautiful.

To top off our day, our bus was overcrowded (because they pack everyone on like sardines). And we couldn’t see out the window to know when we were at our stop. We missed it of course and ended up having to take over and hour detour to get back to the right station and get home. Poor thing, when we got back to our flat Ryan looked at me and said “There’s a McDonald’s 5 minutes away. I am getting McDonald’s for dinner”. I think we both needed a little bit of America in our lives at that moment. Paris is beautiful, but the culture here is hard, cold, and difficult to bear sometimes. Walking on the street people don’t move aside for each other. There are no smiles. If we dared to ask for help with something we were usually met with very little attention. After our McDonald’s fix we were able to laugh about the day a little more.

We still had a few days left in Paris and weren’t going to let one really terribly bad day ruin it all for us. We walked around this artistic area called Montmartre, saw the Moulin Rouge, visited the Arc de Triomphe, and took a sunset river cruise. However, I think my favorite moment was our last night in Paris. Ryan and I decided to pack a picnic dinner, my book, and his sketchbook, and go sit on the lawn under the Eiffel Tower. At 10 pm, just as the sun was down, for 5 straight minutes the Eiffel Tower sparkled – like literally had flickering lights. It was magical and easily the best part for me about Paris. I think I’d go back to Paris and spend more time relaxing and slowing down my pace instead of trying to see so many things at once. I’d spend many hours on the lawn with my book. Go to a cafe. Eat more macaroons. That’s how you should do Paris.

Lucerne

As we continued north we made our way to Lucerne, Switzerland. The Swiss culture was very different from their Italian neighbors to the south. The city was extremely clean and orderly. Traffic flowed smoothly, and always had an obvious order to it. The signage was all very simple and easy to follow; despite not speaking the language. The entire town of Lucerne sat on a lake and was surrounded by The Alps. Everywhere you looked, the view was impossible to take in.

We spent the first day just walking around the city, and seeing the main sights. We stood in awe at the giant crying lion statue memorial, got lost in old town, and walked across the Chapel Bridge. The Bridge has an interesting curve as it crosses the lake, and has paintings lining the inside. Unfortunately a fire burned a considerable amount of the paintings in 1993, but luckily a few of them were salvaged.

The next day, we decided to try and climb one of the nearby mountains, Mt Rigi. There was a trail called the ‘Mark Twain Trail’, because Mark Twain himself walked it in the 1870s, and wrote about it in his book A Tramp Abroad. We crossed the lake in a boat, and set out to conquer this 5,900ft mountain on Mark Twain’s trail that culminated at ‘Rigi Kulm’. Victoria was determined that we could do this. I wasn’t so sure. I wasn’t quite convinced that we were fully prepared for this type of activity – but we set out up the mountain through winding trails and up steep inclines anyway.

As we climbed higher the sound of cowbells ringing began to cover the mountain. We even passed through a few small pastures full of cattle. There was a small cafe and hotel with a great view. And there was Felsentor, a huge natural archway.

Each time the tree line would break we would get a preview of what awaited us at the top, but the sun was getting low, and our last boat to get back to Lucerne was not willing to wait. We got to the last checkpoint before reaching the top, and had to decide: do we take the train car to the top from here, or do we race the clock and get to the peak with 20 minutes to spare before our last train down. We had come too far to give up now, and decided to push through. The distance meant very little to no breaks on the last hour up the mountain. At this point we had switched roles – Victoria was very apprehensive of making to the top within the hour. We were both extremely tired as we had already been climbing 5 hours. But this time, I knew we could do it and we pushed through.

Words fail me to not just express the 360 degree view from the top, but the feeling of standing on the tallest point of a mountain after a very difficult day of climbing and pushing ourselves.

We had 20 minutes to snap a few ‘cool adventurer people’ pics, and catch our train back down the mountain. What an incredible day! What an incredible world!

Venice

Our last night in Florence, I pulled out my phone to check Venice’s weather for what I knew was going to be the same perfect weather we had been having since our trip started. However, to my complete dismay it displayed a 100% chance of rain the ONE day we would be in the city. I was frustrated, upset, and disappointed. This wasn’t part of the plan. Of course the one city where we had decided to just stay one night would be raining all day long. As I began to mildly freak out.. okay a little bit more than mildly. Ryan calmed me down quickly with a plan to “just stay an extra night”. I replied – “It’s not that easy to just stay an extra night”. (Did you hear my tone in that sentence). In my head I was ticking off all the complications: more money, changing train tickets, rescheduling our hostel in Lucerne (our next stop), budgeting issues, etc. After deciding to try to make it work, we began making arrangements. We were fortunately able to reschedule our train and our hostel days. And then when we arrived at our hotel, they happened to have a room for the extra night we wanted for even less money than we’d paid for the first night. We didn’t come out even, but we definitely didn’t make a huge hole in our budget – and it’s going to be way easier to make up that gap. Even so, as Ryan said when discussing whether to stay an extra night – these experiences are once in a lifetime, money comes and goes.

With all the hassle that went into getting here – I’m so very glad we chose what we did. What a magical city. Immediately stepping out of the train and into the water bus – I was enchanted by Venice’s charm. The water here is a deep teal, and the city seemed to paint the buildings around the color of the water because the pastel palette all flowed together creating this aesthetically pleasing environment. As you all know, Venice is an island. So to get anywhere, you have to take a boat. It was a short boat ride from the train station and the water bus acted like any city bus with regular stops, passengers getting on and off, and ticket swipes.

The weather forecast held true for most of the day and it rained heavily on and off. Ryan and I were able to walk around a little bit when we got there and grab lunch. There are no cars on Venice – so all of the walkways are just for people. It was strangely natural and made the experience more fun. It felt we were all on this private island just for us, separate from the outside world. For the rest of the afternoon, due to the rain, we rested in our hotel. Our hotel was gorgeous, in an old venetian style right off the canal. By evening the rain had cleared and we were able to walk down to San Marco square. I think Venice in the evening is my favorite, specifically in San Marco square. San Marco square is a 2.5 acred plaza with stone pavement that feels more intimate than it sounds with 3 walls of columned buildings – and St. Mark’s Basilica at the head. There are always people in the square and it’s a sight to behold both day and night. However, in the evening – the cafe’s have mini orchestra’s serenading the square. They all take turns playing, giving each others small breaks, as the music flows across the square. That first night was so enchanting. Ryan and I grabbed a gelato and just listened to the music for an hour or so. It was almost dream-like Everything was lit up and beautiful and all was right with the world.

The next day (the day we were supposed to leave and head to Switzerland), we got started with a tour of the Grand Canal. Again thanks to Rick Steves, we listened to his audio guide explain what buildings we were looking at and others aspects about the city as we rode around the island. I loved learning about the history of the city. I can definitely see how appealing it was, and still is. Apparently, it used to be seen like a Las Vegas of Italy. “What happens in Venice, stays in Venice”. There were many parties, balls, and celebrations held in Venice. And during those celebrations – all would wear masks, and all social classes would be equal for at least that one night. It was a carefree, fun night. However, as time has gone on and the world has gotten smaller, Venice has turned more and more into a museum than a residential area. Rising water levels, increasing cost of living, and the frustration of having to have things shipped into the island has driven most locals to the mainland. Venice is elegantly declining, and who knows how much longer it will be around. But I feel like that adds to its appeal and uniqueness. Unlike Rome or Florence, Venice doesn’t shout its beauty. It has a quiet, slightly melancholy elegance. It’s unspoken, but known that in a few generations – Venice may no longer be a city. It may only be a museum, and it may be completely under water.

A highlight of our time was the tourist typical gondola ride. It was quiet on Sunday night, and Ryan and I got a really unique view of Venice – from its waterfront canals. Businesses and houses would have doors leading right up to the canals. Our guide was awesome and pointed out some more interesting buildings and history, and we got to live a once in a lifetime experience. I’m so thankful for being able to go on this trip. We have seen thousands of years of history, art, architecture, and more. And I’m so excited to continue on. Ciao, Italia!

Florence

In Rome and Pompeii we got to see the world as the Roman Empire had lived, but as we traveled north, to Florence, the days of the empire were behind us. Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance, was full of architecture, art, and discovery harkening back to the height of Rome’s power. These were the same streets that Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo would work, walk, and leave their mark on the world.

Our trip to Florence, or Firenze, began with the Florence Cathedral. The church is an incredible sight to see. Every time that I looked at the structure I saw some new detail I had never seen before. We even climbed the great dome to overlook all of Florence, a once in a lifetime view. Almost 500 steep steps through narrow passageways to the very tip of the dome. This building was built with plans for a dome that at the time nobody knew how to build. It took decades for the people of Florence to find someone who could figure out how to build a dome that size.

We also saw so much amazing Renaissance art and sculpture. Two moments stood out in particular. There was a painting by Leonardo Da Vinci that was never finished. You can see several layers to his sketches describing his process. As an artist, it was inspiring to see how he planned and laid out his paintings. Second, was Michelangelo’s David. I have seen this sculpture in school, and in many photographs, and to be honest wasn’t sure what the big deal was. But no photo can do justice to this piece. He stands at the end of a hallway lined with unfinished pieces of Michelangelo’s that you can see chisel marks cut into. By the time you get to the end of the hall and stand under the open skylight you can’t help but be amazed.

Finally, we took a day trip to a vineyard. The scenery was unbelievable, and it was very interesting to learn about the art and passion that goes into making wine. All in all, Florence was a wonderful city. It was a great chance for us to recharge after all that Rome and Pompeii had to offer. We enjoyed walking the streets with a gelato in hand, looking at all the beautiful buildings, and imagining all those who had come before.

Chianti

On Thursday, Ryan and I took a guided tour to two family vineyards outside of Florence. This experience was definitely a highlight of my time in Tuscany. While I don’t drink much wine – really only with friends and family, and Ryan doesn’t drink at all; I’ve always wanted to learn about the process of making wine and what all goes into this beverage that people have enjoyed for centuries. And Ryan was gracious enough to join me.

We met our small tour group of 8 people at the train station and were driven out of the bustling city and into the beautiful countryside. We were met with rolling hills, farmlands, and wildflowers. At first Ryan and I were frantically trying to snap pictures of the scenery. Then we both realized that pictures would not do this scene justice and just sat back and enjoyed the view.

Casa Sola Winery was our first stop and my personal favorite. Matteo, the owner, took us to look at the vineyards and began to explain the farming and agricultural aspect of growing the right grapes in the right soil. The main type of wine they grow – Chianti Classico, has a lot of regulations set by the government for the right to produce that specific kind of wine. So he went into detail on how they meet those requirements and what all that entails.

Next we were taken into the cellar and learned about fermentation, how they control the temperature of the wines, and how long they store them until they are ready to be bottled. Each wine is different and there really is a science to it all. While some wines can be stored in large metal containers, there were some stored in those oak barrels that we typically think of when the word “vineyard” comes to mind.

Finally, tasting! Three different wines were placed in front of us. As we swished the wine around our glasses and then brought it to our noses to smell it, Matteo brought to our attention the multiple notes of berries and chocolate. To my inexperienced nose and tastebuds, it all smelled great. But with Matteo’s expertise – I was able to distinguish certain smells over others and it made the tasting more exciting. All three wines were amazing! However, I think my favorite part was listening to how passionate Matteo was about his family’s business and art. Ryan and I both can relate to that, and it definitely will make me look at wine differently.

The second vineyard was just as incredible. The view of the vineyard – to die for! We were walked through a similar explanation, but there were definitely differences between the two. Different ways to blend the wine, different ways of storing it. The second vineyard was experimenting with storing the wine in clay – they had yet to see the results, but the experiment itself was fascinating. This just furthered the uniqueness and individuality of each bottle of wine in my opinion.

This being my first wine tour, I’d definitely do another in the future. However, I honestly don’t know how I’m going to top a beautiful sunny day in Tuscany with a glass of Chianti Classico in my hand.

Pompeii

I stood on the empty platform, in Naples, looking for Victoria as our train pulled up. She had run to the bathroom while I got our Eurail tickets stamped. There just wasn’t enough time in our 25 minute lay-over for us to do both together. So we briefly split up and agreed to meet at the train platform to Pompeii. The train unloaded. The crowd moved past. She was nowhere in sight. I turned on my phone and began to return to the last place we had been together, as is protocol. She picked up my phone call immediately saying “Where are you? Our train is about to leave!”. I replied, “What are you talking about. I just watched our train leave.” Turns out there were two different trains on two different platforms both leaving for Pompeii minutes apart, and asking somebody who doesn’t speak your language for directions is full of pitfalls. I hurried across the station and we barely made it onto our train in time. Lesson learned. When we arrived in Pompeii we realized our new train had taken us much farther outside the city than our original train would have, so we had the tourist office at the station call us a taxi. We flew through the tiny streets of modern Pompeii, were dropped off at a small bicycle shop, and met by a smiling Italian named Francesco.

Francesco owned the AirBnb above his bicycle shop, and was excited to practice his English. He took us next door to a cafe, treated us to a drink, and waved bye to the barista as if he does this every day. After dropping off our bags and being introduced to several members of his family, Francesco rolled out two bicycles and pointed us down the road to the main Piazza.

Traffic in Italy seems to have no rules. Everyone is aggressive: the cars, the cyclists, the pedestrians; and right of way is determined by whoever got there first. So we hoped on our bikes and began riding through town: over a bridge, across a railroad, through a roundabout, u-turn on a highway and finally into town square. It was a little frightening for both of us, but will definitely be one of my favorite memories. Riding a bicycle with my wife through small Italian roads and alleyways.

From the square we walked to Ancient Pompeii. Nothing can prepare you for walking the streets of this ancient city. No other place has ever spoken to me about the truth of history. It really changed my perspective on looking at history, and seeing it as the story of real people. People with families and jobs. People with favorite plays and foods. People with dreams and entire lives all of their own. These people have been preserved and a few of them are able to be seen around the ruins. When the archeologists would come across a space in the ash and debris they would fill it with plaster. This allows us to see people huddled up covering their mouths and faces. It is definitely powerful in capturing their last tragic moments.

Pompeii is a complete city. We walked through the town square where we saw temples, government buildings, shops, and the baths. Traveled over to the theatre district, and beyond to the gladiator arena. Then doubled back to go out to the outskirts of town where a wealthy family lived. Many of the floors and walls have been preserved so you can see the frescos that adorned the people’s homes. There’s only so much I can say to describe this city – and pictures are only slightly better in helping to capture Pompeii, but I’ll try.

Caravaggio

Earlier in the week we had been walking by a church, and found out that inside they had a few of Caravaggio’s works. The church was locked up, and the Pantheon was around the corner so we hurried on to see the ancient building. Later that evening when we had wifi at our hostel I looked online to see what paintings where in that church, and found out “The Calling Of St Matthew” was inside! This is one of my favorite paintings from school. Little did we know what was in store for us inside of this little church.

We were so surprised by how amazing everything inside was. Rome was so chock full of architecture and art that it is easy for a church like this to feel small or insignificant, but it felt like a secret place that only we knew about.

But, like I said we came for Caravaggio’s “The Calling Of St Matthew”. This painting has stuck with me from college and into adult-hood. The command of light and shadow tells the story so powerfully. The paintings were set in the dark, and you had to pay to illuminate them. We dropped our 1 Euro in for a few minutes of light, and as with most photos of things like this, they do not do the moment justice.

Rome

Currently Ryan and I are sitting on a train leaving the eternal city heading to Naples to see Pompeii. Rome was so exciting, and we definitely could have stayed four more days just to enjoy the Roman culture and cuisine! I love me some pizza & pasta! Friday morning our flight landed at 9:30 am. We were extremely tired, but headed the short five minute walk to our hostel. This was my first experience with hostels. Ryan has used some before. It was a very interesting time. I really saw the value of them and enjoyed our stay. However, sleeping in a private room tonight sounds a little bit like heaven. Bonus points for the hostel though – free AWESOME pastry and coffee breakfast every morning and free wine in the evenings. Our hostel was conveniently located near the train station, as I mentioned. However, we lucked out with the train station near us being Roma Termini – the hub for the city metro and direct line to airport and other cities.

It’s always a challenge figuring out another country’s transportation system. But it hasn’t been too bad just yet. (Fingers crossed). On Friday after freshening up a bit, Ryan and I headed out to the Sistine Chapel. We had bought our tickets ahead of time, so fortunately we got to skip a pretty darn long line. There really are no words. It was just beautiful. Our pictures of the museum didn’t even really do it justice. We sat in the chapel just looking at Michaelangelo’s painting for awhile. We listened to an explanation of all the murals and how Michaelangelo approached his work. It was awe-inspiring. You could definitely feel that it was a holy place. No photography or talking was allowed. So people were just everywhere staring at the walls and ceiling and taking it all in.

We went to bed pretty early that night, but woke up Saturday ready to get going! We headed to the Colosseum first thing. It’s huge, guys! I can’t wrap my head around the fact that humans built that with little to no construction tools. Standing amongst thousands of years of history – it made me feel very small. There are very few things that are still around from 80 AD. And we got to see it, touch it, and learn about it in person. We also walked through the Roman Forum, which is across the way from the Colosseum and where Rome did most of its business back around that time. Most of the landmarks and monuments are wearing down, but you can still imagine their grandeur. Also, let me take a moment and shout out to ole Rick Steves and his “Audio Europe” app. Ryan and I have it on our phones and when on wifi, we can download certain audio guides and use them the next day without data. We learned SO MUCH with his app – and it’s so easy and free and has maps and everything! We will be using it the rest of our trip and I can’t recommend it enough if you’re going somewhere in Europe too.

Speaking of Rick Steves, Sunday we went on a “Heart of Rome walking tour” which Rick had created himself. He provided a map and starting point, and talked to us about interesting parts of the city as we went along. We started the tour at Campo de Fiori which was this outdoor market. After grabbing some fresh strawberries, Ryan and I continued on. This “Heart of Rome” tour took us to Piazza Novona – an old race ground with 3 gorgeous fountains and lots of outdoor restaurants. We went to the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish steps. Rick also pointed out cool things along the way. Such as the coffee shop that Starbucks founder credits as inspiration to go back to Seattle and start a coffee shop. Each evening we usually spent exploring and walking around until we found a little spot to eat dinner. I love Italy in the evenings.

One thing I noticed that I really thought was smart and unique – while Ryan and I were sitting on a bench under a tree eating gelato, we looked up and there were TONS of oranges. As our eye went down the street, we saw that the entire block was lined with orange trees. The low hanging fruit was picked. It seems like the city allowed the homeless, or others to grab fruit off those trees to eat when needed or wanted. Genius! The city may actually come and pick it up themselves, we weren’t quite sure. But we thought it was really cool that they used orange trees to landscape the streets.

Yesterday was a rest day. We went to the oldest (and fanciest) coffee shop in the city and made some plans for the next couple of days. Ryan found out there were some Caravaggio paintings in this old church we had passed by the other day on our walking tour. So we went back to see the paintings. Sometimes I forget how much art speaks to Ryan. He’s a designer, but definitely a painter and artist at heart. As Ryan explained how Caravaggio used light in his painting to draw your eye and give depth and dimension and feeling to the painting – he was like a little kid in that church. So excited to see one of this guy I’ve never heard of’s paintings. I love watching him when he’s like that.

So here we are on the train, we got first class tickets thanks to our Eurail Passes. Ryan is asleep across from me with his sunglasses on and earphones in. I’m typing this up next to a massive window overlooking beautiful Italian scenery, listening to Hillsong Worship and thanking God for our safe travels and health through the first city on our Europe Journey.

Houston

For as long as I can remember I have talked about going to see Europe with just a backpack and a camera. About a year ago I pitched the idea to Victoria as I had to so many people before. I expected the typical “YES! That would be awesome!” conversation. The one that ends with the harsh realizations of school, work, and rent. Instead she said, “Don’t joke with me. I don’t want to have that conversation unless it is serious.”

So we set off to planning the ultimate backpack trip. We would start in England and go west through Amsterdam and Germany on our way to Auschwitz. Then we would travel south from there seeing Eastern Europe; Prague, Vienna, Budapest, places like that. We’d check out Italy and Paris to see all the amazing art and architecture. Finally we would go through Spain to enjoy the exciting culture and bright colors of Madrid and Barcelona. We ran the numbers and quickly realized how impossible this all seemed, but still hoped and believed it could be real one day.

Less than a month later Victoria was suddenly hired to teach Accounting at LIT and Lamar. We were able to reduce our trip down to something just mostly impossible, and purchased our tickets online.

Tomorrow, I will be on a plane to fly to Rome with my beautiful wife. She has planned a ton, we have worked very hard, and through our family and friends God has provided us with so much. Thank you for joining us on our adventure across Europe. We can’t wait to see you all again.