Reset search
2017 Europe & Asia Adventure
  • Courtney Johnson

2017 Europe & Asia Adventure

A 62-day adventure by Courtney Read more
FollowInsightsCalendarShareShareBucket list
Newest first
  • Trip start
    September 10, 2017
    Courtney Johnson2017 Europe & Asia AdventureTraveler
    Finally on the Greyhound to NY!
    NY pizza, yum!Cocktails at JFKReady for take off!

    Day 0 - Almost out of the US!

    September 9, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 15 °C

    Greyhound from RVA to NY was delayed two hours but still made it with plenty of time to spare! Grabbed a couple of NY slices, now sipping a cocktail and eating a salad before the overnight flight to Lisbon!Read more

  • Courtney Johnson2017 Europe & Asia AdventureTraveler
    1View from our balcony in Madrid
    Cute little studio apartment in Sol, great location in Madrid1Vino!Tapas - goat cheese, blueberries and caramalized onions and pork loin, ham, and peppersAmazing paellaSipping espresso and people watching

    Day 1 - Madrid Arrival!

    September 10, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Long, mostly sleepless night/morning flight from JFK to Lisbon. Long line to get through customs. Long 4 hour layover in Lisbon. Long, confusing, Spanish-practicing cab ride, while attempting to dodge a crowd-filled national cycling race through the city of Madrid, to get to our Airbnb. Finally made it to our cute studio apartment in the middle of everything by early evening. We were ready to go right to sleep but decided to push through and enjoy our first night! Dinner of pork loin, ham and peppers tapas, goat cheese, onion and blueberry tapas, and seafood marinara paella. Followed by people watching with wine and cafe outside on the streets of Sol. Very long but very awesome first day in Europe! Now hopefully 12+ hours of sleep!!! Buenos noches!!Read more

  • Courtney Johnson2017 Europe & Asia AdventureTraveler
    2Breakfast - crossaint for me, ham and cheese roll for Tim, delicious pastry to share
    Tim looking at the back of the Royal Palace2Outside the gates of the palacePlaza MayorWandering the cute alleyways!1Amazing mussels in tomato sauce

    Day 2 - Exploring Madrid

    September 11, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    First full day in Madrid! We got a much needed 11 hours of sleep then ventured out for a long day. Started with pastries at the famous La Mallorquina where I had the best croissant of my life! Next, we walked for miles, hitting some of the top tourist attractions of the capital - Museo Del Prado, the Royal Palace of Madrid, and the Plaza Mayor for lunch. Early evening siesta and then tapas and vino!Read more

  • Courtney Johnson2017 Europe & Asia AdventureTraveler
    Catedral de Toledo1One of the many chapels of the cathedral. Beautiful!Wandering alleyways for hours1

    Day 3 - Day Trip to Toledo

    September 12, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    !Oy vey! Caminamos 15 km en el ciudad de Toledo! Muy bonita y fascinante! Fuemos al Catedral de Toledo....es muy grande!! Mi Espanol es muy mal.....consegue que consegue. !Adios! - Timateo

    Awesome day! Learned how to successfully navigate the public transportation system, had an amazing time in Toledo, and had another delicious dinner to finish off our time in Madrid.

    Some thoughts on Madrid/Spain so far - they eat A LOT of meat (pork) and cheese. And pastries. And bread, rice, carbs in general. Salads are not a thing. But somehow no one is fat. The people are generally super nice and helpful. No matter how small the street/alley, cars, and even buses, will squeeze through. The cops carry large assault rifles and shotguns and it's a bit intimidating. Madrid is similar to many large US cities. We enjoyed it and it was a nice start to the trip, but three nights was enough and we are ready to move on. Toledo is stunning and exactly what I thought of when I pictured "Old Europe". Having an amazing time so far!

    Tomorrow: Cadiz!!!    Read more

  • Courtney Johnson2017 Europe & Asia AdventureTraveler
    1
    12As usual, Tim eats the eye of the fish!

    Day 4 - Cadiz Arrival!

    September 13, 2017 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 23 °C

    Today might have been the best one yet, despite being a travel day. Checked out of our Madrid Airbnb, had one last pastry from our favorite breakfast spot, and ventured to the train station. Had a lovely train ride south, even catching a great view of the Mezquita in Córdoba.

    Cadiz was one of the cities on this trip that I was most excited about, as I discovered it through my own research without any recommendations from friends and family and was anxious to see what it was all about! So far, it did not disappoint! Cadiz is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Europe. There are fortresses, stone walls, and several beaches lining the coast. We sipped cervezas while watching the sunset over a fortress from the 16th century (2,500+ years after the city was discovered by the Phoenicians) on the water. The old fishermen's city is also known for its seafood, and that's all we've eaten since our arrival - mussels (unexpectedly cold, but fresh), garlic shrimp, and fresh grilled snapper. Now it's time to enjoy the bottle of red wine left by our Airbnb host on the rooftop of this wonderful apartment! Buenos noches!

    Beach tomorrow!!    Read more

  • Courtney Johnson2017 Europe & Asia AdventureTraveler
    1View of Playa Victoria, with "Old Cadiz" in the background
    Fresh squeezed OJ after our morning workoutGiant magnolia tree!1So coolOn the walk from Playa Victoria back to our apartment in "Old Cadiz"

    Day 5 - Cadiz

    September 14, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Wow! So far, every day has been better than the last. Cadiz is absolutely amazing.

    Today started off great. Tim squeezed us some fresh orange juice to drink after our morning workout. Then we hung our laundry to dry on the rooftop clotheslines and took the bus across town to "New Cadiz", where the beautiful Playa Victoria spans miles down the coast. It is one of the most beautiful beaches either of us have ever seen - a wide beach with soft sand and clear, warm, calm water. There is a stunning backdrop of "Old Cadiz" - stone walls and fortresses lining the coast. We relaxed and read on the beach for hours before grabbing lunch at a seaside cafe (seafood paella with green sauce). We then walked the mile or so back to our Airbnb for a late afternoon siesta.

    After the siesta we finished our bottle of wine, danced a little, and read our books on the rooftop. Then we walked through the streets until we found a nice outdoor restaurant for dinner - delicious tapas of sausage and grilled clams followed cuttlefish...we ordered this knowing it was local to the city but thinking it was a fish and having no idea it was really a giant, purple, grilled squid. It was actually pretty good, but I don't think we'll order it again! Then we wandered several more windy alleys before a couple of beers on a beachside bar to finish the night.

    We love Cadiz!!!    Read more

  • Courtney Johnson2017 Europe & Asia AdventureTraveler
    Our beautiful home!
    Lunch!2Plaza de Espana21Dinner!

    Day 6 - Sevilla Arrival

    September 15, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Well...we have said it 5 days in a row and meant it every time. But, once again, every day has been better than the last. We LOVE Sevilla.

    Cadiz had originally been planned as a day trip from Sevilla but we decided to change it to a 2 night stay. After just a few hours in Cadiz, we thought about bagging Sevilla completely and staying a week in Cadiz. We are so happy we didn't do that. Sevilla has all of the charm and beauty of an old Spanish town like Cadiz and Toledo with all of the attractions and kind people of a city like Madrid. It may not have a beach, but it has a beautiful canal surrounding the city, as well as cathedrals, museums, monuments, AND Plaza de Espana, where the pod race scene from Star Wars Episode One was filmed. And we managed to see all of this today. But, the stand out of the day so far has been the food.

    After our tapas-filled lunch, Tim and I agreed it had been our best meal yet. But even that couldn't top our tapas-filled dinner at a Michelin star "bar", Eslava. I want to write all of these tapas down so we don't forget.

    Lunch - swordfish over orange wine sauce, "Padron" peppers, dates wrapped in bacon, hearts of palm over vegetable gazpacho, eggplant topped with goat cheese and drizzled in honey

    Dinner - roasted mackerel with tomato onion pepper salad, roasted pork rib with rosemary honey glaze, artichokes with fried garlic and shavings of cod, grilled razor clams with lemon, slow cooked egg over boletas cake with caramelized wine reduction, and brick pastry stuffed with cuttlefish (we did it again!) and algae served with yogurt.

    (Each of these tapas are about 2 Euros a piece...amazing)

    ...not to mention where we are staying. We have a room in a 19th century Andalusian house that is absolutely beautiful. Our friendly hosts are the ones who recommended both of these amazing meals.

    I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!    Read more

  • Courtney Johnson2017 Europe & Asia AdventureTraveler
    1

    Day 7 - Sevilla!

    September 16, 2017 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    Today was pretty much the first day we had to just relax and take it slow. And we needed it! We woke up late and found an awesome park on the water to workout. Then we had breakfast (and lunch!) while wandering the streets and alleys before returning for an early siesta at the beautiful Airbnb. We met our first American friend, Graham, from New Orleans, who is renting the other room in the house, as we sipped a glass of wine on the terrace. Then we wandered the streets some more, had a couple of cervezas at a local bodega, and had a nice dinner while people watching near the city center. Last, but absolutely not least, I finally got my churros con chocolate that we missed out on in Madrid!!!! Now time for an early night (and our books)!!!

    Not many pictures (and they're all of me because Tim had the phone) and a fairly uneventful day, but just as wonderful as the last. Sevilla is absolutely beautiful and the people are by far the nicest we have met so far.    Read more

  • Courtney Johnson2017 Europe & Asia AdventureTraveler
    2Crepes (not exactly a Spanish dish, but delicious) - 1 sweet, 1 savory
    1Sights of Sevilla!Beautiful canal1Reading on the rooftop1Dinner in front of a church from 1502!

    Day 8 - Last Day/Night in Sevilla

    September 17, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Sevilla has been absolutely amazing! It reminds me of a Spanish Richmond. It has all of the feels of a small city, yet it's large enough to have a little of everything. There are restaurants, bars, and cafes on every street. There is a ton of culture and history everywhere you look. The people are so charming and friendly. It's cheap! There's a waterfront full of architecture, parks, water sports, art walks, and even a foodie event that we stumbled upon today (similar to "Broad Appetite" of Richmond). While we could happily stay here forever, we did these 3 days right and are happy to see what's in store for us next. We stayed in a beautiful Andalusian home with the nicest hosts imaginable. We ate some of the best food we have ever had (and checked off 7 of the 15 or so restaurants off of our hosts' recommendation list), we wandered about 10 miles a day through streets and alleyways, we explored the beautiful architecture on both sides of the canal, we saw the Cathedral, the Real Alcazar, the Plaza de Espana, and so much more.

    Today was a great finale. Another workout on the water. Crepes for breakfast. Hours of alley wandering and site-seeing. Siesta. Wine on the rooftop. More walking. Another tapas-filled dinner and people watching on a busy terrace. Now some rest and relaxation before we head off to Granada in the morning.    Read more

  • Courtney Johnson2017 Europe & Asia AdventureTraveler
    The Alhambra, after sunset, and again closer to midnight. Can't wait for Wednesday's tour!!
    1Flamenco show!Tim waiting for our paella dinner and flamenco!1Hakuna Matata! It means no worries!!

    Day 9 - Granada Arrival!

    September 18, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Spain's public transportation system is amazing. There have been zero issues so far. I thought we might have had our first today. We got on our train from Sevilla to Granada this morning and it immediately broke down. We were forced to get off the train and were told to wait for another train. I thought for sure it would take hours (or days, based on what I've seen in the US). Within 10 minutes, a new train arrived, we re-boarded, and maybe lost 30 minutes total.

    We arrived in Granada early afternoon. We got a quick lunch at a vegan tapas restaurant in the university area of the town and checked into our Airbnb for a much needed siesta. Then we headed off to the gypsy caves of Sacromonte for dinner and a flamenco show, which was really cool! On the walk back, we got a couple of beers on a cool terrace and now we are ready for bed!!! Excited for our next two days in this beautiful town - at first glance, I think we are going to love Granada!    Read more

  • Courtney Johnson2017 Europe & Asia AdventureTraveler
    1
    111

    Day 10 - Granada - Best Day Ever!

    September 19, 2017 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    Today might have been the best day of the trip. We woke up and had our best breakfast yet - fresh mango juice, fresh peach juice, cafe con leche, and two falafel tomato sandwiches. Then we wandered around the streets of Granada for several hours. One of the highlights of the day (and the first real planned event of the trip) was the Arab baths and massages. 90 minutes of different temperature baths - hot, medium, and super cold, with a 30 minute massage. Followed up with a siesta and a walk up the mountain to Mirador de San Nicholas. We drank a couple of glasses of wine with a beautiful view of the Alhambra and then decided to chase the sun until we found the most beautiful sunset view imaginable. We sat there for what felt like hours, basking in the beautiful view of the sunset and the city. Then we made our way back down to the city for a delicious dinner of mussels, peppers, and scallops. Now time for a good rest before our Alhambra visit tomorrow!Read more

  • Courtney Johnson2017 Europe & Asia AdventureTraveler
    11

    Day 11 - Granada - Alhambra!

    September 20, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    After checking out of our Airbnb and grabbing a quick breakfast, we set off up the mountain (on foot) to visit the Alhambra - a massive that fortress overlooks all of Granada. The Alhambra visit has three main attractions - the giant fortress, the palace, and the gardens. We spent about 4 or 5 hours up there exploring. It was pretty unbelievable and the views of the city were amazing. Then we had a late lunch, picked up our bags, and we are now sitting at the airport (3 hours early) for our flight to Barcelona! We are exhausted!!

    Overall, we loved our short visit to Granada. We were staying in a cool little part of town near the university, filled with students, cheap vegan restaurants filled with healthy food options and fresh juices, and a short walk to all of the city's attractions.

    Update: Made it safely to our beach Airbnb in Barceloneta! Goodnight!    Read more

  • Courtney Johnson2017 Europe & Asia AdventureTraveler
    1
    23And again, eating the eye...Perfection

    Day 12 - Barcelona - Best Day Ever!!

    September 21, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    What a great day! We slept in after a late night of travel (and three jam-packed and amazing, but exhausting, days in Granada). Then we worked out, did some much needed laundry, and went out for a delicious breakfast of avocado and strawberry toast with fresh orange juice! Next, we relaxed on the beach for hours and then walked a couple of miles down the boardwalk, grabbing an amazing lunch on the sand - grilled mussels, eggplant tempura, sea bass with salad, chocolate mousse, and espresso. We walked some more, swam for awhile in the Balearic Sea (!!), and headed back to our awesome Airbnb for a warm shower and some rest.

    We headed out to a local restaurant, recommended by our host, for dinner. As we waited outside for our table, several people on balconies on the street, and all of the surrounding streets, began banging on pots and pans in protest of the Spanish government's suppression of the Catalonian region's vote for sovereignty. We have been witnessing these protests since our arrival in Madrid two weeks ago.

    The small local hole-in-the-wall restaurant that our host recommended ended up specializing in fried fish. We split a small meal (fried fish and peppers) and then went to grab second dinner...the burger than Tim has been craving for about a week. Now I need to sit up in a chair and read and digest for about an hour before I can sleep!!    Read more

  • Courtney Johnson2017 Europe & Asia AdventureTraveler
    1Sagrada Familia - original and newer sides. It is unfinished and under construction since the 1800s
    Park GuellYou can see the Sagrada Familia from miles away. You can also see the coast from where we walked!!!Dinner - gazpacho shots, duck, sea bream, mussels, veggies, creme brulee

    Day 13 - Barcelona - Gaudi

    September 22, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    We walked A LOT today!! After a yummy breakfast, we first walked about 2.5 miles to Gaudi's magnificent Sagrada Familia cathedral. Unfortunately, there was a lottery going on this weekend only for free tickets, so the purchased tickets were limited and are sold out until we leave Barcelona!! So, we only got to check out the outside, which is amazing on its own. Next, we walked another 2 miles to Gaudi's crazy Park Guell (eating Chinese food on the way!). By the time we got to the top of the mountain at the park, we were completely exhausted. We took a cab back for an early evening siesta. After we woke up, we went to yet another amazing tapas dinner. Then we walked it off on the boardwalk (with a short attempt at joining in on some salsa dancing) and through a small carnival set up for this weekend's end of summer festival.

    Tomorrow - more beach time!!    Read more

  • Courtney Johnson2017 Europe & Asia AdventureTraveler

    Day 14 - Barcelona - Last Day in Spain!

    September 23, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Our last day in Spain started with an unsuccessful search for the perfect breakfast! Then we relaxed for a couple of hours on the beach near our Airbnb before venturing out for a good lunch and our favorite beach. For lunch, we had a delicious green salad, shrimp in garlic sauce, and mussels in marinara sauce. Then we continued the long walk down the boardwalk to our favorite soft sandy beach. On the walk back, we decided to stop in and watch the Mountain Dew street skateboarding competition. Then, after a little rest and showers, we headed off into the crazy busy part of Barcelona for dinner. The end of summer festivities are going on this weekend and things are a bit crazy - parades, drum circles, and fireworks all over. We ended up going to a delicious ramen restaurant for dinner - not quite the typical Spanish meal for our last dinner in the country, but it was so good! We walked back and enjoyed a bit of the festivities before returning home. We fly to Venice tomorrow afternoon!Read more

  • Courtney Johnson2017 Europe & Asia AdventureTraveler

    Spain - Random/Final thoughts

    September 24, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    - Spain is WAY cheaper than we expected. When we followed the advice of our Airbnb hosts, we were able to find amazing, local, non-tourist restaurants for a fraction of the price of the US. When we ended up in very touristy areas, we spent a lot.
    - Once we figured out what we liked, the food was great. At first, it seemed all they had was meat, cheese, bread/pastries, and paella. We learned how to order some fantastic and balanced tapas meals, figured out how to get our daily servings of fruits and veggies, and ate so much delicious seafood.
    - The public transportation system is awesome.
    - Throughout the country, we found that pet dogs are rarely on leashes. They follow their owners around loyally, no matter how busy the street.

    - Madrid was a great introduction to Spain. We had three back-to-back amazing tapas dinners. The day trip to Toledo was the highlight.
    - Seville and Granada are two of the coolest cities we've ever been to. And some of the friendliest people we have met in Spain.
    - Cadiz had one of the most beautiful beaches either of us has ever seen. Some of the people in Cadiz were a little rude to us, but we figured we were probably doing something wrong without knowing what!
    - Barcelona is pretty cool. A little dirty and a little crazy, but lots of great art and architecture, cool alleys and streets to wander through, and great food. Most of the beaches are a bit rocky and shelly, but there are some sandy beautiful areas to be found.
    - Everyone speaks English in Barcelona. In the other cities we visited, not so much. My Spanish came back to me throughout the trip, but it was definitely difficult to communicate. I could get around with the basics but couldn't carry on a decent conversation. Tim had about 5 or 6 phrases down.
    - Siestas, sleeping in, small breakfasts, big lunches, and tapas dinners will all be missed!!

    - Overall, we had an amazing time. We would love to come back and do a southern/Andalusian trip to Spain, revisiting Seville, Granada, Cadiz, and hitting some of the other southern beaches. There is so much to see in Barcelona that we could return for some of the museums and attractions (and to get inside Sagrada Familia!!), but I don't know that we need to return. There are way better beaches elsewhere. Three days in Madrid was probably enough. There is also the whole northern region of Spain to see!    Read more

  • Courtney Johnson2017 Europe & Asia AdventureTraveler
    1Our awesome Airbnb, right on the canalOur first "bad" weather in 2+ weeks - it sprinkled for two hours!2

    Day 15 - Venice - Welcome to Italy!

    September 24, 2017 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    We are already in love with Venice! While we were sad to leave Spain this morning, we are so happy and excited to be in Italy. We had a smooth, short flight this afternoon and then took the Alilaguna (water ferry) directly from the airport to Venice. We met our lovely host at our Airbnb and she walked us through the basics of our amazing, romantic apartment and some recommendations for our three night stay in Venice. She didn't speak much English, but we got by with as much as we could. Then we set off for a night of exploring. We brought no map or GPS and decided to just get lost in the alleys for hours. We went back to our apartment to grab one of the dinner recommendations and set off for an amazing first meal in Italy - a first course of pasta with meat sauce for me and pasta with clams for Tim, second course of grilled fish and grilled veggies for both of us (all with a bottle of red wine), finished off with tiramisu to split, coffee with Baileys for Tim and decaf with Amaretto for me! Then we continued walking through the beautiful city. After wandering through alleys and over canals, we somehow managed to find our way home. We had to do a little bit of dancing to the "love songs" CD that our host left for us, and now we are ready for bed!!Read more

  • Courtney Johnson2017 Europe & Asia AdventureTraveler
    2
    Top of the tower!1Views from the tower24

    Day 16 - Venice - Best Day Ever!

    September 25, 2017 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Venice is awesome. Since our Airbnb host is so great, she left us with so much food that we didn't have to venture out first thing for breakfast and coffee. We were able to work out and eat toast with jam, fresh fruit, and coffee without leaving the house. After a late start, we set off for a do-it-yourself walking tour of Venice (which also included lunch of an amazing shared pizza and salad). We hit most of the main spots in just a few hours. We wandered through the touristy San Marco's area, seeing the San Marco plaza and its famous basilica, clock and tower. We went to the top of the tower to get beautiful 360 degree panoramic views of Venice and the surrounding islands. Then we ventured to the next spot on our list - one of the oldest bookstores/libraries in the world. It turns out we had actually ended up in here hours earlier, not knowing what it was. After that, we went over to the famous Rialto bridge.

    The San Marco tourist area that makes up most of these top attractions is cool, but jam packed with people. It made us so happy that we are staying in the Cannaregio neighborhood. We are about a 10 minute walk from everywhere on the island. But our neighborhood is quiet and empty and full of local spots instead of tourist traps. We are able to wander the alleys and bridges for hours, barely seeing anyone.

    After the busy Rialto bridge, we headed home to relax and get ready for dinner. We found a great local restaurant on Yelp and walked the few blocks to get there early for a table. Good thing we did, because if was full about 5 minutes later. Dinner was amazing - grilled scallop appetizer, first course of black ravioli stuffed with ricotta and sea bass for me and scallop spaghetti for Tim, then we split the fish of the day special (7 different kinds of fish and shellfish). No room for dessert this time!!

    Finally, we came home and drank the Prosecco left for us by our host and played several games of Chess and Checkers! So fun! Goodnight!!    Read more

  • Courtney Johnson2017 Europe & Asia AdventureTraveler

    Day 17 - Last Day in Venice

    September 26, 2017 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

    Another awesome day of alley wandering and great food. The highlight was definitely the Row Venice gondola ride - 90 minutes of riding and rowing through the Venice canals. The best way to see Venice is absolutely from the water. Sad to leave tomorrow, we could easily stay here another week.Read more

  • Courtney Johnson2017 Europe & Asia AdventureTraveler
    2
    1

    Day 18 - Florence Arrival

    September 27, 2017 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    I love how much fun we're able to have on travel days! We woke up and had our regular Venice breakfast of toast and fresh fruit. Then we said goodbye to Venice, walking to the train station and passing by several fish and fruit markets. Once we arrived in Florence, we had a couple of hours to kill before Airbnb check in, so we decided to wash our clothes at a laundromat and get a couple of slices of pizza and our first Italian gelato (pistachio and chocolate)!! After we checked in, we relaxed for a bit (and I finished my book!) and then we set off for our first Tuscany dinner. The restaurant we found was a tiny mom and pop shop that was definitely a local favorite - no English menu, few tourists, reservations required, and awesome food. They had a special of pasta with fresh shaved truffles, which is what we thought we ordered. Really, we ordered the mushroom pasta, which was awesome, and a steak, which was also awesome. We finished our meal off with a tiramisu and two limoncello shots. Throughout the meal, Tim practiced his newfound Italian skills and the waitress/owner loved it. She was so friendly and the food was so good that we might return on Saturday for our last Florence dinner (and try to actually get the truffle pasta). After we left, we returned to our Airbnb for another night of wine and chess (this time, we had to make chess pieces out of checkers pieces)!! Awesome day, awesome night. Excited to explore Florence tomorrow.Read more

  • Courtney Johnson2017 Europe & Asia AdventureTraveler
    I love Tim's tiny cups of espresso!Duomo and the TowerView from the top!1

    Day 19 - Florence!

    September 28, 2017 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    What a great long day! We woke up at 7:00 (...the first time before 9:00 or 10:00 in days) after staying up a little too late drinking wine and playing Chess. Then we went straight to the Academia Galleria - the museum that holds Michelangelo's David. Walking in and seeing David was absolutely the most moved by (non-musical) art that I've ever been. The 17 foot tall statue was literally breathtaking. We were lucky to have tickets for the earliest slot of the day when the museum was not busy at all. By the time we left an hour or so later after checking out several other statues and works of art, including a cool mini-museum of musical instruments, it was a madhouse.

    Next, we walked over to the Duomo plaza to check out the cathedral, dome, and bell tower. Again, we seemed to beat the crowd and got some cool pictures all around the outside of the buildings. Instead of climbing to the top of the busy Giotto's Tower, we decided to go to the much less touristy (but equal, if not better, panoramic view, from what I read) Tower of Arnolfo at the Palazza Vecchio). The long climb to the top was definitely worth it. We got a great view of all of Florence with no more than 2-4 other people up there at any given time. The coolest part might have been when we were about to head down and the giant bell on the tower struck 11:00 and rang for all of the city to hear.

    After a quick 2nd breakfast or 1st lunch, however you want to look at it, of meat, cheese, and fruit paninis, we headed back to our quiet Airbnb for a nap. We woke up in time to get to the famous Uffizi gallery for our 2:45 ticket. It was pretty amazing seeing artwork from so many famous artists, including 3 of the Ninja Turtles(!!) (Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo - no Donatello pieces), Botticelli, Caravaggio, and so many more. Then we split a pizza for another quick lunch and went back once again for another break before dinner. We had an awesome dinner - a meat and cheese platter to start, then I had the truffle pasta I was craving from last night and Tim had a yummy red pepper basil spaghetti. Now we are back and debating another night of Chess or an early night for another long day tomorrow!

    Tomorrow - day trip to Siena (I think - we keep going back and forth between Siena and Lucca!!)    Read more

  • Courtney Johnson2017 Europe & Asia AdventureTraveler
    11

    Day 20 - Day Trip to Siena

    September 29, 2017 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    We are exhausted! But today was well worth it - Siena was awesome! A beautiful Medieval city in the Tuscan hills. We spent the entire day wandering through alleys and up and down hills. We had an awesome lunch in a several hundred year-old building built into a cave. We climbed 400+ steps to the top of the tower for amazing views of the city and the Tuscan countryside and rolling hills. (I got scared and almost bailed on the tower climb twice, turning around and going back down, until another tourist convinced me to do it - so glad I did!). Then we rode the bus back and watched the end of the sunset on the beautiful journey back to Florence. After a quick pasta dinner, we are ready for bed!Read more

  • Courtney Johnson2017 Europe & Asia AdventureTraveler
    3

    Day 21-Chianti Wine Tour-Best Night Ever

    September 30, 2017 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Wow...what a night! We started the day with a stroll through the neighborhood and our last Tuscan lunch at a restaurant that a local Italian called the "best restaurant in Florence" (caprese salad, spicy tomato spaghetti, and fried chicken with zucchini flowers...YUM!). Then we made our way to the other side of the river to meet our small group for the Tuscany twilight wine tour. The tour started with a wine tasting in the Florence shop with our guide Paulo, learning all about the different Italian wine designations, the different wine regions of Tuscany, and the proper ways to look at, smell, and taste wine. Then, we set off on a 45 minute ride through the Tuscan countryside to a beautiful winery. We met with the sommelier, Anthony, who was incredibly passionate about wine and everything about it - the soil, the hillside, the valleys, the fungi, the fruit trees, the grapes, the barrels, the acidity, the oxygen, and everything else that goes into a single glass of wine. We did a wine tasting in the basement of the winery, tasting several different levels of aged wine. Then we moved upstairs to a 3+ hour four course meal with bottle after bottle of wine. The first course was cheese with honey, onion quiche, salami, prosciutto, bruschetta, and great with white wine and rose wine. The second course was the best bolognese pasta we've had yet with several different red wine pairings. The third course was a shredded beef with tomato sauce and green beens, with more red wine. And the fourth course was a delicious brownie with powdered sugar. Throughout the entire meal, both Paulo and Anthony and Anthony's wife shared stories and facts about everything from the wine to the food to the history behind the different Tuscan dishes. We tasted wine that had been aged since the 1990s that had the darkest, brown color I have ever seen in wine. I learned more about the flavors of wine and process of wine making than I thought possible in a 6 hour tour (that lasted almost 8 hours). We also got to have a great time with three other couples throughout the journey - a couple from Chicago on their 40th anniversary trip, a couple from San Diego on their honeymoon, and a couple from Boston who had also just recently been married. That whole tour was amazing...probably the highlight of the trip so far. Goodnight! Tomorrow we go south.Read more

  • Courtney Johnson2017 Europe & Asia AdventureTraveler
    1

    Day 22 - Naples Arrival - Pompeii

    October 1, 2017 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    We woke up early and headed south. Our first stop in Southern Italy is a quick two-night stay in Naples, the birthplace of pizza! We checked into our Airbnb and went straight to Pompeii. The first Sunday of every month, all monuments are free and we were able to get into Pompeii for free! We spent a few hours wandering through the ruins. It was really cool to see, with Mt Vesuvius towering behind. Now we are back in with delivery pizza for an early night.Read more

  • Courtney Johnson2017 Europe & Asia AdventureTraveler
    1
    1Mt VesuviusPost-kayak pasta lunch at a private beach club

    Day 23 - Kayaking Naples

    October 2, 2017 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Well...the slightly sore throat that I've had for a couple of days turned into a full blown cold overnight. But I decided to push through and make it to our 11:00 kayaking tour that we had scheduled. And I'm so glad I did! We were the only people on the tour. We basically paid less than it costs to rent a kayak for an hour in a tourist beach town for a 3 hour kayak tour around the cliffs and caves of Naples with a private guide. We were the only people in the water and had an amazing view of the entire Bay of Naples. It was awesome and beautiful - definitely one of the highlights of the trip so far. But by the time it was over, I had no energy left for the underground tunnel tour we wanted to do so we went back to the Airbnb for a much needed rest day. We napped, ate pizza, and watched Netflix all day and night. It's been great. Hopefully I feel better tomorrow as we set off to Capri!!Read more

  • 2025© FindPenguins
  • Home
  • About us
  • Group Tracking
  • Press
  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy & Cookies
  • Help Center
  • Legal notice