Carnevale in Venice

More than three weeks later, I am FINALLY posting about my visit to Venice during Carnivale. If you've never visited the city, go. I thought it was absolutely beautiful, with charming streets and the loveliest canals running through it (the perfect weather didn't hurt either).

However, if you're actually trying to see the city, Carnevale might not be the best time to go. The entire city, from the train station to the Piazza San Marco, was completely packed. Don't get me wrong, I loved getting to see Carnevale for the first time since I lived in Italy as a kid. It was so much fun seeing the bright colors and elaborate costumes every one had. I even bought a mask of my own to get into the spirit :). However, if I ever go back to Venice (which hopefully I will!), I think I'll probably go at a different time of year haha. Regardless of the crowded streets though, I had an amazing time checking out the city and being surrounded by the festive spirit of Carnevale.

Nostalgia

Childhood home

For those of you who didn't already know, I actually lived in Vicenza, Italy for three years as a kid (ages 6-9). Although I was too young to really realize how cool it was to be living in Italy, I was old enough that I still remember my time there. While I was there I was able to swing by my old house, the base I went to school, and my family's favorite ice cream place, as well as visit with old family friends we hadn't seen in years and years. Seeing it all definitely brought back memories :).

Family friends I stayed with
Amusement park of old
Favorite gelato place
Just like a kid again
Old family friends in front of my old street

Il Bacio

I came across this statue while in Italy. It's called "Il Bacio," or "The Kiss." Beautiful.

Northern Italy

Two weeks ago I visited some old family friends in Vicenza, Italy for the weekend. I had SUCH a good time running around Northern Italy, eating amazing Italian food, and taking an obscene number of pictures (Seriously. Couldn't even fit them all into a facebook album). We crammed soooo much into the two and a half days there that I think there will have to be several posts dedicated to this trip :).

The first day and a half I was there was spent checking out several darling little Italian towns that were nearby, including three along Lago di Garda (Lake Garda). This lake is supposed to be absolutely breathtaking. Unfortunately the weather prevented me from actually seeing these beautiful views, but I still had a lovely time wondering around the little towns.

Hints of Spring

Belgium has a deservedly terrible reputation for weather, with its chilly temps, frequent rain, and skies that are constantly overcast. So, you can imagine my delight when the first two days of the week brought sunny skies and temps around 60 degrees - the best weather I've seen in the 7 weeks I've been here. Although the first day of Spring technically isn't until Sunday (Monday?), I've been loving the slow signs of it that have been popping up all over Brussels, along with the occasional chance to wear a skirt or dress without freezing. Who knows, maybe we'll even have another sunny day soon!

Heidelberg and Strasbourg

(View of Strasbourg from the cathedral)

Almost two weeks I went to visit my cousin in Heidelberg, who's stationed at the US base there. Along with a friend and another cousin of his, we spent the weekend checking out the city and Strasbourg in France (about an hour and a half away from Heidelberg, on the Germany/France border). Despite the threatening skies, the bad weather held off, and we had a great time checking out castles, churches, and restaurants. Much to my delight, we were also able to squeeze in a trip to the commissary (the grocery store on the U.S. base), where I was finally able to buy some American staples, from barbecue sauce to macaroni and cheese. The end of the weekend was marked by dinner at the "Schnitzel House," a local restaurant offering 101 different kinds of schnitzel. All in all, it was definitely a nice weekend!

(Strasbourg)

(Roof of the Strasbourg Cathedral)

(Ruins of an abbey in Heidelberg)

(View from Heidelberg castle*)

*Yes, I'm holding a Starbucks coffee cup. Considering the fact that there's only 2 Starbucks in the entire country of Belgium, I was kiiiind of excited to see 2 on a single street in Heidelberg :)

Roma

So, this post is really late. Like, several weeks late. I promise though, I'm really trying to catch up on these posts! One of these days I'll actually post about something within a few days of it actually happening. Anyway...

My overall feelings about Rome? Loved it. Absolutely, completely, loved it. I'm not sure if it was because of the city itself or the fact that the weather was so incredibly perfect, but Rome is by far one of the best places I've visited. I could definitely see what Elizabeth Gilbert was talking about in "Eat Pray Love." There's just something so wonderfully lovely about the city.

Unfortunately, I was only there for one full day, so I had to squeeze a week's worth of site seeing into just a few hours. I bought a map in the city that had a list of the Top 12 places to see in Rome. In a little over 12 hours, I managed to see 11 of them. My favorite by far though was the Trevi Fountain. I even went back later on to see it lit up at night. So, so, so beautiful. There was just something about it. Of course, the rest if the city was amazing as well, and I can't wait to hopefully go back one day!







What about you? What would you like to see in Rome??

Tuscany

Two weeks ago I spent about 4 days in Chianciano Terme in Tuscany for a work conference. Although I had to spend most of my time working, I loved being able to drive through the beautiful Italian countryside. If you've ever seen a movie that takes place in Tuscany, that really is what it looks like! Tall, pillar-like trees, rolling hills, olive groves & vineyards, and small villages set into the hillside made for one of the most beautiful drives I've ever done.

Eating my way through Europe

1st meal in Paris


One of my favorite parts of being in Europe is getting to try so many different foods. I love sampling whatever food the area is famous for, whether is waffles in Belgium or pasta in Italy (although the tricky part is not gaining 1000 pounds in the process). I'm already looking forward to hitting up the local restaurants in the next place I visit :).


Belgian waffle


Pistachio gelato near the Colosseum


Italian pizza


Pastries in Rome


Mussels in Paris


Crepes by the Eiffel Tower


What have been some of your favorite foods abroad??

The Louvre

For those of you who aren't familiar with the Louvre, it's absolutely massive. In fact, it's so big it needed its own post :). Agnesse and I were there for close to two hours and saw less than a third of it. We did out best to hit up the most famous pieces, but by the end we were so tired that we barely even looked at what we were passing by. I'm not joking when I say we actually got lost inside for about 15 minutes. Here are a few of my favorite things at the museum:


Venus de Milo


The Code of Hammurabi


The Mona Lisa


Egyptian Sphinx


Outside by the pyramids


What about you? What would you want to see at the Louvre?