The heart of Italy

        Since the beginning of our trip was awesome yet stressful with us moving from place to place so often, we were really looking forward to our time in Assisi, Italy. We were both utterly craving the sun, the water and some rest and relaxation.

        When we arrived in Assisi at the train station, we knew right away that we weren’t in big cities anymore and were now in the heart of Italy. We had to take a jam packed, and I mean packed, bus up to our hotel location. The first thing I realized about this neck of the woods was that people there hardly spoke any English which differed from the big cities in which the locals usually knew enough to get by. We managed to show the driver the name of our hotel and he nodded and waved for us to hop on. As we were holding onto the rails of the bus and we went around the twists and turns, Ryan and I were looking at each other and laughing at the experience.

        The driver pulled over to the side of the road and told us to get off and our place of stay would be a two minute walk down the road on the left. After an hour of walking up and down multiple dirt roads, asking several different locals and stopping in at the wrong hotel, we finally received clear and correct directions to our destination; The Country Inn TreEsse.

        Ryan’s mother had stayed at this location several times for her previous occupation so when we arrived, they knew exactly who we were. They led us to our suite which was so charming, consisting of a kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and outside porch and eating area. I opened the shades and view was so picturesque. Our eyes widened and we told each other that this was what the Italy we had always imagined would look like. We raced to put on our bathing suits and headed outside to the pool.

        The surroundings were remarkable. Beautiful flowers and olive trees were everywhere. Below us you could see the rolling green hills, hayfields and mountains. The sun was radiating our skin and I felt so at peace. The only thing that was audible was the wind blowing and the birds chirping. As cliché as that sounds, it was true! We spent the rest of the day in the heat and soon after got ready for dinner that the hotel was providing.

        We enjoyed a six course meal that night consisting of melon and prosciutto, salad, pasta, potatoes, pork, gelato and a bottle of wine. It was so tasty and relaxing. We struck up conversation (as best we could) with a French couple sitting at the table next to us. It was so interesting trying to communicate when neither the French couple nor us knew each other’s language except for a few words. We told them how we loved our time in Paris and they told us how they had only been to America one time on a short three day trip to New York. Most Europeans have only been to New York if they have been to the States at all. We try to explain that although New York is a fun place to visit, there are so many other locations to see that would really open their eyes to the American culture.

        The next morning we woke early and prepared for a hike up the mountain side of Assisi. Our final destination was an old castle which was sitting at the very top. The town of Assisi is so gorgeous and full of culture. On our hike of about two miles, we estimated that we saw at least ten churches. We passed several monks, nuns and priests on the streets. We investigated quaint markets full of traditional Italian food; salami, cheese, pastas, gnocchi, biscotti, pastries and our personal favorite gelato. We found the best gelato shop where we tried multiple flavors. The melon and caramel pana cotta (an Italian cream dessert) were absolutely mouth watering. We actually went back for seconds!

        We arrived at the castle after venturing through numerous shops and we found out that it was almost a thousand years old! It was built as a fortress and initially had a wall assembled around the whole city of Assisi. There were so many ins and outs throughout this magnificent place with random windy stairways, hiding spots and tunnels. One of the passageways lead us right up to the crown of the castle and we could see the entire town from all sides. The view was mind-blowing. I have never seen anything like it before. I was feeling such tranquility and serenity.

        Down the mountain we went and spent the rest of the afternoon in the blazing sun once again. We made our own dinner that evening with a quantity of local foods which we purchased at the markets. We sat outside on our patio and enjoyed each other’s company.

        Out time to leave Assisi came sooner than desired. We were truly sad to leave such a wonderful and adoring environment. The employees of hotel were so accommodating and welcoming. As we said goodbye to this amazing villa, we promised ourselves that one way or another, we would make it back here, preferably sooner than later.

First taste of Italy

        There are two things you can find on every corner in Italy: pizza and gelato...I think I’m in love!

        Although our train from Switzerland was delayed, we finally made it to Florence. Our hostel was pretty accommodating; there was a pool, sauna, gym and bar included so that made the stay even better than expected .

        Because we got in a bit later than anticipated, we took a leisurely walk around the city. The first stop was to a local pizza joint down the street. Ryan ordered a prosciutto calzone and I ordered a margarita pizza (I wanted a re-do on my Amsterdam pizza mishap). They were so delectable and had so much flavor that my taste buds were jumping for joy! Pizza from Italy is so fresh and excluded the grease that American pizza seems to contain.

        Next stop...gelato! This Italian ice cream was pure velvety heaven! It was so light and smooth and it melted on my tongue before I even got a chance to consume it. I chose a flavor mixture of tiramisu and biscotti, which was a hard decision to make considering were over a dozen options to pick from.

        Our stroll continued and we found ourselves surrounded by the most beautiful and magnificent structural design ever to reach our eyes, the Piazza Duomo. This church which was built in the 1300’s and was filled with intensity. The intricate detail in the construction was breathtaking. Every inch on the Duomo is covered either in color, statues or both. Green and white marble intertwined the building which greatly magnified the exquisiteness of it.

        As our trek persisted, we heard music in the near distance and our feet followed the sound. It lead us to a vast amount of people sitting on the steps of the Palazzo Vecchio, listening to a live artist entertain them with song. The crowd was not only amongst themselves, but were also bordered with numerous ancient statues from the early Roman times consisting mostly of the nude male figure and exuding angst, religion and empowerment. I felt slightly emotional at this moment. Sweet music was in my ear, history was in my sight, God was in my heart and I was experiencing it all firsthand.

There's a price to pay for Swiss beauty

        There are no other words to describe Switzerland other than “absolutely stunning”.  Although this was the shortest stop of our trip, the beauty of the land was well worth the stay and far surpassed anything I have ever seen.

        The clearest waters, the sharpest mountains, the fluorescent green grass, it was visually amazing. We explored Zurich as much as we could in a small amount of time and found ourselves overlooking crystal waters and the Swiss Alps in the distance. In the water were crowds of white swans floating amongst themselves. This picture was similar to what you would find in a fairytale. It was by far the most gorgeous sight to be seen yet on our trip.

        The city of Zurich was very clean and upper-class. The prices of food and other necessities we utterly absurd. I wasn’t sure how anyone could afford to live here but could see why they would go broke trying to do so. I just about spent all of my money trying take in as much Swiss chocolate as I could while the opportunity was presenting itself to me! It definitely was one of a kind chocolate to say the least.

        I was lucky enough to have a friend from San Diego coincidentally be in Switzerland at the same time we were. We met in the city and had a great dinner and stroll through the quaint streets.

        On the train ride out of the city into Italy, we had the best views of Switzerland one could ask for. It was like having a free tour of the countryside. We saw rolling hills, passed right through the Alps and enjoyed every minute of it. Though our stay was short, it was well worth the magnificence that we were lucky enough to take pleasure in.

Germany according to Ryan!

Next stop, the industrial heart of Deutschland; Mannheim. We chose to visit Mannheim so that we could stay with my friend Marc Ritter and his family. I met Marc in Thailand last year and we had kept in touch ever since. I always thought I would see him in the states first, but Laura and I beat him to the punch.

          We both have German in our blood, so it was nice to get some firsthand experience of our heritage. Upon arrival to Marc’s house, we were greeted with enthusiasm and warm homelike accommodations. We had finally gotten out of hotels and hostels and into a cozy, clean and extremely comfortable living environment. Not to mention food galore every meal of the day. Most notably breakfast, which consisted of an assortment of German meats and cheese, dark German style bread and rolls dipped in lye to add color and taste, homemade jams of strawberry, cherry and pear, juices, cappuccino, tea, lattes and finished with a homemade German summertime cake made with fresh cherries from their garden.

          Mannheim is certainly not your vintage German town due to its industrial relevance, but also from almost the complete annihilation from WWII bombings. Mannheim was targeted by the allies for its industrial relevance that heavily aided the German War Machine. Also, Mannheim was easily targeted because of the geographical characteristics, where the Necker joins the Rhine River. Bombing by the Allies was like shooting ducks in a pond because of this feature.

          Fortunately for us, and the preservation of German history, the town of Heidelberg was a thirty minute train ride away. The town was spared by the Allies because of its historical sites and utter beauty the charming town possesses. The town sits in between two mountains where the Necker divides the center with beautiful homes casing one side and hotels, businesses and an astonishing Castle overlooking the other. Heidelberg’s vintage German décor with hints of Bavarian style architecture and scenic landscape graced the beloved city.  

          Although we did not venture to the heart of Germany, we sure felt that Germany had our hearts. Also, I believe that Germany is the backbone that clutches Europe and feeds ingenuity and innovation to its extremities. The Germans are resilient, hard working people that clearly stand alone in Europe when it comes to business. We witnessed it firsthand from our amazing hosts and the many industrial sites that blanket the Rhine, which makes Germany the industrial giant that it has always been.

          Next stop, Switzerland, which we have been told is a true gem of a country encrusted by so many cultures. French, German and Italian influence the different regions and we anticipate the allure of the it all. Although in the back of our minds we realize that we are inching ever so close to our destination of mutual desire, Italy! Yearning for its whimsical majesties of its bountiful architectural masterpieces, which the Romans so conveniently left behind. The splendor of Tuscany’s vine covered rolling hills, Rome’s grandeur of all its ruins and the magnificence of the Amalfi Coast’s sharply peaked mountains that protrude from the Mediterranean waters. By God, this trips keeps getting better!