Europe 2025

A 78-day adventure by Dave Read more

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Trip start
February 25, 2025
Europe 2025 Traveler
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Malta
Feb 26–Mar 4, 2025 in Malta ⋅ 🌬 61 °F
I didn't study up on Malta. I figured we'd just wing it. We've been looking forward to visiting Sicily and mainland Italy more. But wow, what a pleasant surprise.

I'm a history buff, and there's SO much that's happened here. It's the key to the Mediterranean and has been for thousands of years. And that's why so many cultures have invaded and eventually lost power.

Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Ottomans, Normans, Spanish, the Knights of St. John, French, English...... They've all laid claim to Malta. The Knights of St. John were crusaders who were kicked out of Jerusalem, Cyprus, Rhodes, and were then given Malta as a base by the Spanish crown. They lasted a few hundred years until Napoleon came. And I have to admit I chose to visit Malta partially because we had a Maltese dog for years and wanted to visit his homeland. We also brought his cremated ashes. So yes, we're that type of people.

What all that history translates to is a great mix of cultures and language and food. The Maltese language is actually a combination of Arabic and Italian all blended together. English is the other official language and that makes everything pretty easy for us. But there's also so many foreign immigrants that live here that are working in the service industry. Our Polish ride share driver from the airport was pretty much complaining about too many immigrants. "Five years ago, no South Asians. Now? 200,000!"

It's late February but the weather is great. I don't mind daytime temperatures in the 60s at all. And while it's off season, there's still a fair amount of tourists here. But surprisingly, Malta is easy on the wallet. Food, wine and coffee is cheaper than what we were paying in Argentina just a couple months ago. And Deanne found a large two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment a block from the beach for only $63 a night. Off-season travel rocks!

Most of the older buildings are made of limestone and they are stunning. The main Cathedral for the Knights of St. John is called of course St. John's Cathedral. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but the inside is an amazing baroque masterpiece. The head of the order was called The grandmaster and his palace is now a large state museum. It has the largest collection of medieval weapons and armor I've ever seen.

Our friend Louie arrived from New York 2 days after we arrived to travel with us for a little while. His partner Derek will join us in a few days. So we had a couple days to see some sights alone including Fort San Angelo, the main fort of the Knights of St John. Malta has plentiful deep harbors and that's one of the reasons so many empires wanted to control Malta.

It's much faster to take a short ferry instead of a bus or taxi for many sights. For the same cost as a bus, you can zip across a harbor to be at Valletta from Sliema, Fort San Angelo, or one of the "Three Cities" which are 3 peninsulas that jut out into the harbor. We just love walking around the narrow streets here.

Fortunately for us it's Carnival time and it's a big deal here. Many of the historical buildings and the Carnival parades are in Valletta. We're staying in Sliema, just a 10-15 minute cab drive away. We knew there was a parade in Valletta last night so we just hung out there after a delicious lunch and had a few drinks and watched the carnival revelers setup. It's a fairly low-key and family affair which is nice.

Deanne and Louie had separately found a Michelin starred restaurant nearby that they wanted to try and on a whim we stopped in for dinner and were able to be seated within 15 minutes. That was after watching many of the floats go by. We thought we were done with Carnival by then and had a leisurely meal. It was amazing and again, very easy on the wallet. When we were done we started walking back to an area where we could take a cab and realized the Carnival parade was still going on and we caught up to it. What a great day. By 10:20 pm the parade was over, the cleanup crews were going strong, there was no vomit and no violence either. This ain't no Bourbon Street.

The next day we took a rideshare to the center of the island. The original capital was called Mdina and it's a walled city surrounded by a moat. It was another sunny day to walk through history. Mdina is situated right next to Rabat, which has its own charms. We found a pastry shop and had to pass on the Cannolis as two of the three of us are gluten free. We opted for a coconut chocolate nougat candy. One bite in we were like "oh my God it's a homemade Mounds bar!" But so much better. They were one Euro each. We literally have sticker shock (the good kind) and we're hoping no one tells them that they're under selling everything here.

The next day there was some debauchery at more Carnival parades. And in our last full day we took a boat cruise to the second main island of Malta called Gozo. The six days and nights here went very quickly and it's been a blast. I can't help but recommend Malta as a vacation spot. We just happened to be here for Carnival, a huge bonus. Tomorrow morning we're taking a very early ferry to Sicily where we start the next leg of our trip.

More photos and videos are here.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/gCHBfjMgccNgTBvt6

Carnival photos are here.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/eqJbAfc4rWPEoDQw6Read more
Deanne fits right in! [Julie]
3/4/25Reply
Love this! [Julie]
3/4/25Reply
TravelerFind the clues to the treasures of the Knights Templar!! LOL
3/13/25Reply
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Europe 2025 Traveler
Noto, Sicily
Mar 4–5, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 55 °F
We took a very early ferry from Malta to Southern Sicily. This time of year it was mostly empty but we did see a beautiful rainbow on the way.

Once in Pozzallo, we took a taxi to the train station and activated our 3-month, all Europe Eurail pass. This is our third time using that pass and we love it. It's probably only worth it if you're traveling for a month or more. The 3-month pass cost only $100 more than the 2-month pass. It was only a 30-minute ride to Noto, our destination for the night.

Noto is famous because the center of the city is full of baroque architectural masterpieces. An earthquake in the late 1600s devastated the city and that was the style at the time when the city was rebuilt.

Unfortunately a lot of the palazzos are closed for the season or remodeling. But just walking around is pretty enjoyable. Most tours do this on a day trip from Siracusa, but it's worth an overnight.

More photos and videos are here.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/qD6qSQxTUKJ9QJTH8Read more
Stunning. I love just wandering places like this. I'm always in awe! Plus, traveling in the off-season is such a delight! Less of us out and about! [Sharon Powers]
3/25/25Reply
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Europe 2025 Traveler
Siracusa, Sicily
Mar 5–8, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 59 °F
Namesake of Syracuse, NY, home of Archimedes, envy of ancient Athens and Rome and all around good time, Siracusa is a fascinating city on the SE coast of Sicily.

This area used to be called Magna Graecia, or Greater Greece since it was a colony of Corinth. Archimedes is a fascinating character. He was probably the smartest guy who ever lived at the time in the 200's BC. He invented the first water pump, block and tackles, the theory of pi, exponential numbers, and many military war machines that helped defeat the invading Romans. He was eventually killed by a Roman soldier while working on a problem.

You may know him as the guy who said "Eureka" while running naked in the street after coming up with his water displacement theory while taking a bath.

Because the city was levelled by an earthquake in the late 1600s, much of it was rebuilt in the baroque style like neighboring Noto. And that means it's a joy to just walk around and soak up the sights.

We're staying in a large remodeled apartment in Ortigia ( or TEE jee a), the small island connected by bridges to the main city. Crowds are low this time of year, but we are seeing large groups of university students around on tours.

It's easy to get a seat at restaurants without reservations and the food is top notch. Swordfish is common on menus, along with lots of other seafood.

There's a large archaeological park on the north side of town and it has one of the best and largest preserved Greek theaters in Europe. The nearby museum was exhausting. I love history and archaeology but there's so much history here (from the stone age forward) that the thousands and thousands of found objects in display cases just overwhelmed us.

What we preferred much better was just strolling around Ortigia day and night and enjoying the architecture, the coast, and amazing food and wine. We have 3 days and nights here and it's plenty enough time. It's also fun to have Louie and Derek join us to explore the city.

There's a 24-hour train strike scheduled for tomorrow. That's so common in Italy. We think we can get a bus easily to our next stop, Catania, which is just over an hour away.

More photos and videos are here.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/mXaorqRhBygVzCEx5Read more
Wow. No words. Well, no words other than I LOVE the history commentary that accompanies the pictures. Stunning and so interesting. Thanks Dave! [Sharon Powers]
3/25/25Reply
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Europe 2025 Traveler
Catania
Mar 8–9, 2025 in Italy ⋅ 🌬 61 °F
I figured one day is enough for this large city that many people fly into. And I was right. The historical center has lots of baroque churches and buildings (I'm sensing a theme, Sicily). But there's lots of trash everywhere and the rest of the city is pretty ugly. While waiting for a bus, I saw a local finish his lunch and then just drop his huge wrapper on the ground. I haven't seen that anywhere in years.

After checking in our room, we walked to the nearby Allied Invasion Museum. It was huge and fascinating. D Day in Normandy gets all the press, but the US, British, and Canadians had a practice run here in July, 1943 when they invaded and pushed out the Fascist Italians and Nazis. They later crossed the straits of Messina to work their way up Italy.

We made it to the center in time to see the famous fish market before it closed. It was boisterous and there's plenty of seafood restaurants in that area. We snacked on our first Arancini before we tried the seafood. It's a fried, stuffed rice ball and it was amazing.

For dinner later we went to a popular street stall for fried mixed seafood in a cone and some fried bacalao (cod). I guess it was deep fry day, our first fried food of the trip. Most everything else on the trip has been slathered with delicious fresh olive oil.

Then we joined the masses for the passeggiata, or evening stroll. Via Etnea is the place for that. And wow, I almost forgot that we got our first glimpse of Mt. Etna! It's cloudy today, but we got a peek. This is pistachio central, so grabbing a pistachio gelato for the paseggiata was a must.

I scored a nice aparthotel room across from the bus and train station for the convenience. Those can be iffy, but this one is very nice and includes breakfast. And I used one of our credit card's travel site which reimburses the first $100 on hotel expenses per year, so it's basically free.

Tomorrow morning, we take a train to Taormina, a resort style town up the coast a bit. Hopefully we'll l get better views of Etna.

More photos and videos are here.

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Europe 2025 Traveler
Taormina, Sicily
Mar 9–12, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 57 °F
Taormina is a resort town on a large cliff overlooking the sea. The rich and famous have been coming here for decades. While we aren't interested in the high end shops, the views are stunning and there's a huge, well-preserved Greco Roman amphitheater with seats pointing towards Etna in the distance. If you want to know what Taormina really looks like, check out Season 2 of White Lotus. It was filmed here

We climbed up the long steps to a church built into a cave for the views. And we visited the amphitheater. Other than that, we just strolled the streets and soaked up the views while enjoying the local flavors (almonds and pistachios). We also tried our first granita, which in Taormina is between a sorbet and ice cream.

Unfortunately it's been cloudy and we haven't been able to see Mt. Etna until the morning we left. The sun finally came out and burned off the clouds. A lot of people come here just for hiking or driving around the volcano. They make lots of wine and grow a lot of pistachios on those slopes. We've been fine with just chilling out and enjoying the clean and pleasant city but seeing it on our last day was a real treat.

This will probably be the most expensive city on our trip in Italy and we're fine with a couple of fine dining experiences and also cooking in the apartment. Tomorrow we change trains in Messina and then head west to the port city of Cefalu.

More photos and videos are here.

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Europe 2025 Traveler
Cefalu, Sicily
Mar 12–14, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F
It's pronounced CHEH fay LOO. Hard one to say, but Cefalu is easy on the eyes. It's set on a rocky point sailors call a "head" hence the name of Greek origin. (Cephalus)

The train up to Messina was beautiful. It hugged the coast, so we made sure to sit on the right side of the train going north. We changed trains in Messina but had time to grab an espresso before we left and then settled in for a 2-hour ride to Cefalu. It also hugged the coast but we switched from the Ionian Sea on the east side of Sicily for the Tyhrennian Sea on the north side.

We had leftover pizza and a half a bottle of Etna red for lunch. For dessert, we had a couple more almond pastries and tried an amazing new dessert (for us) full of sweet pistachio butter. I have no idea what it's called but I may have to go back to Taormina just for that.

Between guide books, novels on our e-readers, and lunch, the 3 1/2 hour trip went pretty quickly. This is why we prefer train travel.

Cefalu is a small town and not too busy this time of year. We absolutely love it here. It's a great change of pace from Taormina, which has hordes of clueless tour groups clogging the streets. Our apartment here, and its host, are amazing. He left wine and coffee and lots of recommendations for us. He personally greeted us to show us around the apartment. That's really rare these days.

We easily saw all the sights in a day and a half. The Cathedral has incredible mosaics behind the altar. It was built by Normans, who settled from northern France, and they were only a couple generations removed from their Viking forefathers.

We had warm, sunny days here and wandering the narrow streets was fun. Eating at restaurants all the time can be a drag, so we had a picnic with the wine and the meat and cheese we brought. We didn't need it on the train.

Last night's restaurant was so amazing, I made a reservation for tonight when I paid the bill. We sat right by the kitchen and were fascinated by the calm demeanor and professionalism of the four chefs. I opted for gluten free pasta with Bottarga. Hoo Boy. That was a new one. It's a fish roe pouch that's a Sicilian delicacy. It's quite "fishy " but I ate it all. Move over, anchovies. It was still perhaps our best meal in Sicily and half price of what we paid in Taormina.

The next night we went back and sat at the same seats. The head chef recognized us and comped us a starter of panelle (chickpea flour fritters) and cazzille (mashed potato fritters), both gluten free. This meal was even better. Cefalu is wonderful but 2 nights is plenty and for those with little time, you can do it on a day trip.

Tomorrow, we go to Palermo, Sicily's largest city on a 10 am train.

More photos and videos are here.
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Europe 2025 Traveler
Palermo, Sicily
Mar 14–17, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 77 °F
If I had to stereotype Sicilians, I'd say "They all scream, but they smile while they do it ." They really do talk loud, with hands, and often. But they're a friendly sort. Palermo is wacky, but fun.

Wow. Just wow. We're on our fourth and last day here and it's been amazing. Palermo is gritty like Catania, but I like it so much more for some reason. I'd sworn off going to multiple churches in a day but yesterday I went to five of them! There's so much history here that it's hard to pass up these Norman churches that had Arabic craftsman adding touches to the Norman design with Byzantine mosaics inside.

Today I visited the cathedral Monreale, which is about 45 minutes outside of town. It's also a masterpiece with golden mosaics telling stories from the Bible all around the interior.

Yesterday we kind of messed up and went to Agrigento on the last day of the almond festival. We thought we could see the ancient Greek ruins, which are about the best in the world including Athens, and then attend the cultural festival afterwards. Well, they closed the ruins early so they could put up a stage for the festival (which was sold out). We went to the nearby museum and we could see the temples in the distance but we couldn't get inside. We had taken a train from Palermo and that was 2 and 1/2 hours transportation each way. What a disappointment! I didn't have the energy to go back the next day, but Deanne did. I opted for Monreale instead.

Palermo has a lot of immigrants including South Asians so there's no shortage of different types of food. But we're here for Sicilian food and we've been having great meals of course.

Despite what the photos show, it wasn't all churches. They have a modern harbor with a promenade and walking through a street market and any street really, was a treat. I feel like we barely scratched the surface.

Tomorrow we take a train back to Messina to spend the night before we head to mainland Italy. We just spent two wonderful weeks exploring the football of Italy and now we're going to go hang out in the instep and the heel, Basilicata and Puglia.

More photos and videos are here.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/W3M52TGhJjNkH3zg9

And for those very few of you that can't get enough of Norman churches......

Cattedrale di Monreale
Duomo di Monreale
https://photos.app.goo.gl/x4yLm8Zxr3zBF54ZA

Chiesa del Gesù di Casa Professa
https://photos.app.goo.gl/qfUNABewcJTS2ZQW8

Chiesa Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio (Chiesa della Martorana)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/UiAWgELCtgGjYWix6

Church of Saint Caraldo
https://photos.app.goo.gl/SKuuDJ7GxXAZo9RaA

Chiesa di Santa Caterina d'Alessandria
https://photos.app.goo.gl/RDYdYfAqAtLB6gRf6Read more
Amazing! I can see why you went to so many churches! And the street food - wow! [Sharon Powers]
3/25/25Reply
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Europe 2025 Traveler
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Messina, Sicily
Mar 18–19, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F
Messina is the major port city of Sicily. Unfortunately, it's been destroyed a few times over the years including a major earthquake and tidal wave in 1908 and then damage from world War II when the Allies pushed the Nazis back to mainland Italy.

That means there's not a whole lot to see for tourists. We spent the night here to break up our ride from Palermo. We're going all the way to Bari today which is in the heel of mainland Italy in Puglia.

There is however, a nice art museum with two paintings from one of my favorite artists, Caravaggio. I need to read a book on this guy when I get back. He was on the lam for murder in Rome and escaped to Malta. While there, he got into a knife fight with a knight of St. John! 3 weeks ago we saw the prison cell where he was held at fort San Angelo. But he escaped and made his way to Sicily where he met up with friends and was commissioned to paint several paintings. The regional art museum in town holds two of them.

We've got a 3-month Eurail pass and we planned to take the train from Messina to Bari today, but there's another one-day strike that caused us to buy bus tickets instead. Too bad because I really wanted to see how they load these trains on a ferry for the short crossing across the Messina straits.

There really should be a bridge here because the straits are not very wide, but there's a lot of anti-bridge sentiment in Sicily. These ferries are slow and inefficient but provide a lot of jobs and I don't think they'll ever build a bridge. I included the satellite photo showing how the tracks lead right to the ferry. Instead, our bus will be loaded on the ferry and we'll be in Bari 2 hours earlier than the train.

We had two wonderful weeks in sicily and I can't recommend it enough. The food is as good as it gets and there's something for everyone here.

More photos and videos are here.

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Wow! [Lisa H]
3/21/25Reply
Cool digs. 🤩 [Lisa H]
3/21/25Reply
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Europe 2025 Traveler
Bari, Italy
Mar 19–23, 2025 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 46 °F
Bari is in Puglia, on the Adriatic Sea and just across from Albania where we were last fall. It's been a major trade port for millennia, and was Europe's largest slave trading port in the past. Slav = slave and Turks and Arabs especially bought many conquered Slavs from here.

Today, it's a large, modern city with the old city on a peninsula facing the sea. There's a well-kept castle museum that had great interactive videos to keep things interesting.

Bari draws in Russian tourists who venerate St. Nicala, AKA Santa Claus. His bones were stolen from his tomb in Myra, Turkey by Bari sailors/ crusaders and brought here for some reason. They're now in a crypt under the Basilica San Nicola. I happened upon a mass full of these tourists. Check out the video.

We've been to Myra in the past to see St. Nick's home town. He was a Byzantine bishop there and the stories of his giving to the poor led to him being canonized. I'm not quite sure how or why northern Europeans created the modern myth of Santa Claus.

The old town is full of narrow, curved streets that are fun to meander through. One street has old ladies selling fresh pasta in front of their houses.

We're using Bari as a base to visit about 3 other nearby towns on day trips. Once again, we found an amazing, newly remodeled apartment for under $70 in a convenient location. We definitely notice a difference from Sicily. It's cleaner here and a little less chaotic.😂

More photos and videos are here.

St. Nicola mass:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/b4rN58YK1PFLEGNh8

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Europe 2025 Traveler
Monopoli, Italy
March 21, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F
We went to Monopoli on a day trip from Bari. It's only a half hour away on a fast regional train. This is where we enjoy using our Eurail passes. Not that anyone checks tickets here! I think of about 10 train rides so far, we've only been asked to show tickets 3 times.

It was a sunny day and walking through the old town was a delight. We stopped in the Cathedral, another Baroque one. It has several amazing varieties of colored marble lining the walls and columns. I've never seen such beautiful purple marble before!

Then it was off to the sea for a walk along the coast. There are still fishermen working here and their brightly painted boats are moored along the coast. We met some nice Bulgarian ladies on vacation. There are lots of Eastern Europeans in Italy this time of year, especially Poles. We hear lots of "dobra" and "tak" (Good, yes) while walking around. 😁

There wasn't a whole lot else to do, so we opted to head to Polignano a Mare for lunch. It's just 5 minutes away on one of the many regional trains.Read more
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Europe 2025 Traveler
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Polignano a Mare
March 21, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 57 °F
This town is even more picturesque than Monopoli. Most of the old town is on a cliff, and that makes for great photos. I'll let them speak for me.

We also had a 5 star meal with fresh seafood, wine, dessert, and espresso. It couldn't have been better.Read more
Traveler ❤️
4/1/25Reply
Traveler Gorgeous!
4/1/25Reply
Traveler ❤️
4/1/25Reply
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Europe 2025 Traveler
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Alberobello, Italy....Trulli beautiful
March 22, 2025 in Italy ⋅ 🌬 57 °F
We checked out this village on a day trip from Bari. It's known for these cool traditional houses called Trulli. Houses in this area used to be taxed if they used mortar. These industrious folks built these stone houses without it!

More photos and videos are here.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZRGcPMjkj5re74YR8Read more
Wow! [Lisa H]
3/23/25Reply
💜 [Lisa H]
3/23/25Reply
Love this. [Lisa H]
3/23/25Reply
what are the designs on the roofs? what a unique place! [Sharon Powers]
3/25/25Reply
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Europe 2025 Traveler
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Matera, Italy
March 22, 2025 in Italy ⋅ 🌬 57 °F
This was another side trip from Bari. Matera is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It has been the poorest region in Italy forever. For thousands of years, people lived in caves here. In the 1950's, the government moved people into modern housing with plumbing. And then 40 years later, it turned into a tourist attraction.

The hills are dotted with these caves called "Sassi." We spent 4 hours exploring the town.

More photos and videos are here.

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Traveler Wow!!
4/1/25Reply
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Europe 2025 Traveler
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Lecce, Italy
Mar 23–26, 2025 in Italy ⋅ 🌬 61 °F
Lecce is a real treat. It's not over-touristed but has a medieval old town full of Baroque treasures. The local stone is a soft honey colored limestone that was used to build the old town. It's been called the Florence of the south.

We wanted a place to just chill out for a few days before we head to Firenze (Florence) to meet up with friends. It's been a lazy 3 days of just eating great food, avoiding crowds, and wandering this living museum. There are a ton of beautiful churches but we didn't feel the need to go inside any of them.

The only real museum we went to is an amazing archaeology museum in a house. Imagine in the year 2000 that you started digging in your house to fix a plumbing problem and uncovered layers and layers of history multiple stories down. That's the Museo Faggiano. Here's a link to a New York Times article about it.

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/15/world/europe…

More photos and videos are here.

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What an amazing trip! Thanks for sharing! [Sharon Powers]
3/25/25Reply
You’ve convinced me that early spring is the best time to travel there! Thanks!! [Linda Watson]
3/26/25Reply
TravelerWhat a fascinating story. If I had a dollar for every time a tour guide told me about the "lasagne layers" of history in Italy, I could buy a 5 course gourmet dinner!
4/1/25Reply
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Europe 2025 Traveler
Firenze (Florence), Italy
Mar 26–30, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F
Florence, or Firenza as it's known locally is wonderful anytime of year. This is my third time here so I didn't feel the need to hit all the major museum sites. I've done those in the past. So we spent a lot of time just walking around and hanging out with our friends. Dan and Lisa. They're old friends from Madison who moved to Athens, Georgia and are here for a couple months.

We had several amazing meals as you can expect, including the Florentine steak, the local specialty. It's always served rare and it's good thing that we like that.

We did see a few museums though. Deanne has never seen the real Statue of David at the Academia, so she went there. And we both enjoyed the Galileo Museum. It has hundreds of antique scientific instruments.

And we went to a medieval Palazzo that has original furniture and antiques. It was was very interesting to see how rich Florentines lived back in the day. But mostly we enjoyed walking around the Duomo (the domed cathedral) and the old piazzas.

Saturday, Dan, Lisa and Deanne and I walked across the Arno River to see the sights on that side of the river. Walking back at night was fun. There were buskers our playing New Orleans jazz and classical music. After 4 nights here, we're heading over to the Adriatic coast to meet some new friends my sister introduced us to online. John and Tara moved from Chicagoland to Italy and we're meeting up in Rimini.

More photos and videos are here.
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Europe 2025 Traveler
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Pisa, Italy
March 28, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F
We visited Pisa and Lucca on a day trip from Florence (Firenze). Pisa is a nice university town in its own right. We had a pleasant walk from the station to the tower and "The Field of Miracles" where all the good stuff is. School groups were out en masse but the crowds were manageable. We could see all the sights including a museum in a few hours.

More photos and videos are here.
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Traveler Great picture!
4/1/25Reply
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Europe 2025 Traveler
Lucca, Italy
March 28, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F
Lucca is another wonderful Tuscan town. Once the sworn enemy of ancient Firenze, it's now a chill town whose ancient protective walls are a park you can walk on and circle the old city.

Meandering through the city reminded me of the first time I went to Firenza 25 years ago in January. There were hardly any tourists, locals still lived in the center, and you could really get a feel for the century-old traditions. I loved it.

We had no agenda and just walked around and enjoyed the city. Also, we found an amazing pasta restaurant that even made homemade gluten-free pasta. After a few hours we took a train back to Firenza that took only an hour and a half.

More photos and videos are here.
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I really liked wandering this town! [Sharon Powers]
3/30/25Reply
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Europe 2025 Traveler
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Rimini, Italy
Mar 30–Apr 1, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F
My sister Julie introduced us to friends Tara and John online before we started our trip. They're Chicagoans who retired to a small village in Italy. We agreed to meet up in the coastal city of Rimini for a couple of days.

It wasn't hard to make fast friends with them since they are like-minded souls. We had a blast exploring the beach and multiple piazzas together.

Rimini is a popular vacation spot for Italians in the summer. But this time of year, it's a mid size city with nice plazas, plenty of restaurants, and a nice vibes.

People were out in droves on Sunday. The weather was great. There was a huge flea market in the center. It's a very walkable city. I absolutely loved it. There were no tourists in sight except us, and that's rare in Italy for a city this size.

Tomorrow, we're off to Lake Como for a few days, because why not?

More photos and videos are here.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZauXXbGHexxHHdyaARead more
TravelerComo is awesome. I loved walking in the old waIled city and the street market right outsde it. If you get a chance, visit Villa Carlotta. It is an estate with beautiful gardens. It should really be in bloom now. I also loved Bellagio and Varenna.
4/1/25Reply
Traveler Freaking LOVED meeting and hanging with you guys!
4/1/25Reply
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Europe 2025 Traveler
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San Marino
March 31, 2025 in San Marino ⋅ ☀️ 54 °F
San Marino is so close to Rimini, we couldn't pass up going to another country. That's 78 for me.

It's one of those European tiny mountain countries that for some reason is still independent. It's on a mountain top and had the requisite castle and tax free status. That brings tourists in.

It was a sunny day and perfect for walking and climbing steps to get to the old town from the parking lot. We didn't plan on buying anything, but leather goods were cheaper and with no tax, Deanne couldn't pass up on a leather purse and I splurged on a leather jacket.

Sadly, I lost my wedding ring last week and I'm not sure how. So we decided we'd buy another one that jumped out at us. Sure enough, I saw one I liked at a different shop in San Marino. What a day.

John and Tara are super fun to travel with and we have a lot in common. Tara even went to Eastern Illinois University at the same time I was there! John is a musician and we listen to a lot of the same music. We've got friends for life now.

After lunch, we drove to a nearby castle town called Gradara for another walk and photos. It was a perfect travel day that we ended with wine in a piazza cafe and a restaurant with gluten free pizza.

More photos and videos are here.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/PzJR2jSvsRwuCuhp9Read more
Great vid, Dave! And…78 countries?! Holy Moly! 🎉 [LisaH]
4/1/25Reply
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Europe 2025 Traveler
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Lake Como Region, Italy
Apr 1–3, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F
I was positive it was going to be cold in the north and thought we would just hang out in southern Italy. But it's actually been overcast and colder in the south. Deanne convinced me to come up here to Lake Como, north of Milan. What a great decision.

The lake is absolutely beautiful. We parked ourselves in Varenna on the eastern shore and bought all day ferry passes for 15 Euros each. That allows you to jump on and off any of the multiple ferries. They go about every half hour or hour between villages.

We visited about 5 of them in total: Maggiore, Tremezze, Lenno, and Bellagio. Two nights and one day was enough but it was just the bolt of lake and sunshine we needed.

More photos and videos are here.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/XAfiVsaP3pJR1qVd6Read more
😂 [Lisa H]
4/5/25Reply
Funny!! 🍕 [Lisa H]
4/5/25Reply
❤️❤️❤️ [LisaH]
4/5/25Reply
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Europe 2025 Traveler
Genova (Genoa), Italy
Apr 3–7, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F
Genoa has to be the most underrated city in Italy. It's the last Italian city we're visiting on this trip before we head to France. Deanne found a large two-bedroom apartment in the heart of the old city. It's full of antiques and we just love the space. Oh, and our landlord is an Opera singer.

The old city? Wow. Give me this city over Rome, Venice or Florence any day. That's probably because I've been to those cities and because they're so crowded, especially with tourists. I know I'm part of the problem, but we prefer lesser visited cities at this point in life.

Genoa is very "lived in" by locals still. There are tourists here and even large ferries and cruise ships dock here but it's a totally different vibe since they tend to stay near the waterfront.

In the center there's a six story height limit and these buildings are a century or two old. Most of the streets in the center are pedestrian only and are winding and zigzagging, which makes for a canyon- like experience. There are so many interesting shops that line them: butchers, bakers, gellaterias, jewelry, clothing, local wine stores with vats, artists workshops, etc.

The food? Fantastic and not too expensive. Pesto was invented here, so it's always an option. Too bad I can't eat the abundant focaccia. But they do offer a chickpea flour flatbread called Farinata. Italian emigrants must have brought that to Argentina since it's common there also. Seafood is plentiful. The food here at the many trattorias and osterias was a major highlight.

Genoa is home to Christopher Columbus and a rich sailing heritage. We bought a 2-day museum pass and saw the amazing Naval Museum, along with several art museums that were in former palaces called palazzos. Genova was a major city in the Kingdom of Savoy back in the day when they competed with Venice for trade dominance in the Mediterranean. In the Royal Palace we walked through a hall of mirrors that rivaled Versailles.

A visit to the humongous cemetery is a must see. I think it's the largest one in Europe. I was never big on cemeteries until visiting Europe. In a cemetery like this you'll see some of the best statues you'll ever see in any museum.

We had 4 wonderful days and nights exploring this amazing city. I want to stay longer, but France is calling. I will definitely be back.

More photos and videos are here.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/kmAe3TddAuCN5pka8

The Monumental Cemetery of Staglieno
https://photos.app.goo.gl/nHPMYJF5uhQc5DYF9Read more
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Europe 2025 Traveler
Cinque Terre, Italy
April 4, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 59 °F
I had all but given up on seeing this area of Italy. I just wasn't finding decent lodging on short notice. Most people book months in advance to stay in one of the five villages that make up Cinque Terre. So we gave up on it. That is, until I realized we could do it on a long day trip from Genoa.

It took 2 1/2 hours each way of travel time, but it was worth it. We arrived at 9:00 or so in Monterosso, the first of "5 lands ". From there, we hiked southeast along the Ligurian coast. This region is known as Liguria and this part of the Mediterranean is the Ligurian Sea.

We had lots of sun and the trails weren't crowded in early April and this early in the morning. It wasn't long until it came upon the stunning views of Vernazza. Once in town we ate our packed lunch. It's kind of hard to find gluten-free options so we knew this would be easier and faster.

The next segment to Corniglia was a bit harder, but so rewarding. We were hoping to take a ferry back so we took a train to Manarola to catch the ferry. But their port was not in service so we couldn't take the ferry. Drag.

Manarola was was so full of tour groups, construction, and fishing boats parked in the streets that we couldn't wait to leave. From land, it's the least attractive of the villages we saw. From the water it looks much better apparently. That was enough hiking for us. The trail between the next villages is closed because of landslides and we didn't feel like doing the last stretch.

We caught a train home from Manarola and made it back to our comfortable apartment and ate at home that night. After almost 12 miles of up and down hiking we were too tired to go out.

This trip is on a lot of people's bucket list. It is pretty beautiful. I wouldn't recommend going May through September. We met an American guy on the trail who was here last September and he said it was unbearably crowded on the trails. The trails are generally narrow, so going early in the morning and in shoulder or in the off season is your best bet.

More photos and videos are here.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/8XJxtPhNUMsHnEAcARead more
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Europe 2025 Traveler
Monte Carlo, Monaco
April 7, 2025 in Monaco ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F
Now I'm just showing off. We're just passing through Monaco on a train from Italy. We were here a few years ago. It's worth a visit but not necessarily two.

Next stop, Toulon!
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Europe 2025 Traveler
Toulon, France
Apr 8–11, 2025 in France ⋅ ⛅ 54 °F
We were leaving Italy and were going to head to a university town called Aix en Provence, north of Marseille. We had heard good things about this university town. But then Deanne realized that we're leaving the sea for good on this trip. Toulon seems like a perfect alternative to spend just a couple more days on the water. It's in Provence, on the sea, another university town, and not on the tourist trail, at least this time of year. We couldn't be happier.

And a lot of that has to do with the lodging we found. We're in a newly remodeled, spacious apartment on the 6th floor of a building with an actual elevator that holds us and luggage! The views are spectacular. What a rare treat! We were met by Annik, a charming elderly French woman who owned the apartment. She gave us The Grand Tour and told us what sites we should see. If not for her, we probably wouldn't have taken the ferry to nearby Sablettes Beach.

This city is lacking in a lot of the historic old buildings that we've been seeing because it was bombed extensively in world War II. The historic center is mostly a pedestrian area and is chock full of quaint shops. Annik said there's been an effort over the last 20 years to revitalize the city and especially in the last 3 or 4 years. It really shows. This is a lovely town and the center is a short distance from our apartment.

There's a fruit and vegetable market that sets up and takes down 6 days a week on the main pedestrian street. And the harbor is full of amazing and inexpensive (for an American Midwesterner) seafood restaurants. Hundreds of sailboats and motorboats are moored here and this is the home of the largest French naval base.

In 1793 a young artillery officer named Napoleon Bonaparte gained fame and promotion when he captured a fort here and forced Royalist, Spanish, and British forces to leave.

Today, Toulon is a beach destination in the summer. In the spring, it's a pleasant mid-size town to hang out. We each bought a 10 euro all day transportation pass yesterday so we could take a ferry to the nearby beach and back. It also got us on the telepherique, a gondola that goes to the top of the nearby mountain.

We booked an extra day here since we liked the apartment and town so much. We spent it walking around a different part of the city and harbor. Lunch was on the harbor at one of the better restaurants in town. We were lucky to get in without a reservation. Yes, in France, you need reservations for lunch at nice places, even on a weekday. For both of us, it was one of the best meals of the trip, and still cost under $80 with wine. Dinner was salad, cheese, and salami at the apartment.

Because we booked and extra night here, we've only got one night to see Marseilles, our next stop. We're moving quickly now because we want to see a band we like in the small town of Servian on Friday.

More photos and videos are here.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZTTrcXBPjXZ1npNz9Read more
Thanks Dave! I really enjoyed reading about this leg of your time in Italy and France. I’m planning a trip to France soon so I’m greatly inspired and taking notes in places to visit. Au revoir and enjoy the music later! I look forward to reading more later…and hearing about the band! [Linda Watson]
4/11/25Reply
TravelerI am taking notes, too!
4/28/25Reply
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Europe 2025 Traveler
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Marseille, France
Apr 10–11, 2025 in France ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F
Marseilles is France's 2nd largest city and deserves more than one day and night, but that's all the time we had for it, so we made the most of it.

We checked into a cheap hotel in the historic center near the old port and hit the ground running. We walked all along the port, checked out the fish market, did some cafe culture, trying to stretch our coffees as long as a Frenchman. Impossible!

Then we bought 24 hour transportation passes and took a bus up to the Basilica on the huge hill overlooking town. Great views. It also overlooks the Chateau d'If on a small island in the bay. It's the place where the count of Monte Cristo action takes place Alexander Dumas' book.

Lunch was at a seafood restaurant near the harbor. We spent way too much time trying to find a place that wasn't too touristy yet had good seafood. We lucked out. The plot du jour was excellent. Unfortunately, you have to make a 3-day reservation if you want good Bouillabaisse, the local specialty.

Then it was off to Le Panier, the "breadbasket" neighborhood on a large hill. It's narrow streets are fun to walk through. There's lots of graffiti and trendy shops and cafes up there now. Not long ago it was a very poor neighborhood.

After a nap we took a subway two stops away and we were in a different world away from the port and tourists. Deanne found a nice seafood restaurant. Dinner was fresh oysters and langistinos with a bottle of wine.

We had time in the morning for coffee at a cafe and a stroll in the sun. We're on a train right now heading west from Marseille towards the small town of Servian to see Delgres, a band we like. We've seen them at the Fete de Marquette in Madison a couple times and the Festival Internacional in Lafayette, Louisiana.

More photos and videos are here.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/c1gmtaVo8cgMmpfu8Read more
Mmm…oysters, seafood [Ratone]
4/25/25Reply
Good eats! [Rhett]
4/25/25Reply
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