I have found my perfect place, where the variety of food is actually existent, where Italian pizzazz meets Austrian order, where people don’t seem to speak English when I speak Italian or even Italian for that matter, where the setting doesn’t tell you exactly where you are. You may have to ask someone. Italy? Germany? Switzerland? Austria? Who knows, but no one seems to care. On a quest to get out of 100-degree temperatures in Florence, I did what I think every traveler does at one point or another, picks a spot on a map and just goes. Sure some research followed about this magical city Continue Reading
Travel Lessons From A 5,000 Year Old Iceman
One by one, they line up to pay their respects to an old man. Forming a snaking line, each person has their time to say hello and goodbye. What sounds like a normal funeral is somewhat different today. No one at this funeral knew the man behind the glass case. In fact, no one on the planet knew him. They don’t know his name. They don’t know the content of his character, the life he lived, or even why they are paying respects besides the fact that this man is 5,000 years old. The story of Ötzi, the Iceman, technically began between 3350 B.C. and 3100 B.C., before Stonehenge and the pyramids Continue Reading
The Local Battle
This week, I am pleased to present a guest post from Annie Bettis of Wayward Traveller. I am proud to say I have actually had the opportunity to meet Annie while here in Florence. Aside from being an incredibly nice person, Annie is also extremely insightful about Italian life, living with Italians, and making the leap for travel experiences. She has spent the last 6 months living in Florence and recently launched her new travel blog, Wayward Traveller. I love Annie’s tagline, “Until I’ve seen it all”. Follow Annie on Twitter while giving this new travel writer a read and learn about life in Continue Reading
Conquering The Travel Aspect To Solo Travel
Solo travel is often looked at as though you are traveling to the moon. You are going there by yourself? Aren’t you going to be lonely? Will you be able to figure out the trains on your own? Should you really be traveling as a woman all alone? These are questions of those that I see whiz on past me in groups, with their families, or hand in hand with that significant other. They normally see travel as something you can only do with someone and never alone. A great deal of travel involves figuring out where you are going. You must rely on taxis, boats, trains, planes, buses, bikes and cars Continue Reading
Always More To See
Florence begins to grumble as my stomach does the same. Rain sprinkles down, but not in a pouring fashion. Perhaps this is not the best time for exploration, but my feet have a mind of their own. Usually, if you have lived in a place or have visited before, you can remember your way around. You delight in being able to show your travel companions that you have roamed these streets before and don’t need a map. Even at home, we often take the same streets because we know where they will lead. Erring on being overly cautious, I choose the known, beaten path. Not in the sense that I don’t take Continue Reading
Just A Place To Rest My Head
The room I now occupy in Florence functions as a bedroom, living room, dining room, kitchen and closet all in one. The studio apartment combines all areas of living. Coffee is just two feet from the bed. My new desk where work will take place merges with the relaxation a couch and TV provide. There are no walls keeping one room’s role out from the other. As I chatted with my landlord about the space with 24 hours of no sleep hanging over, she told me how it served as the library of her old family villa. She recounted just where all of the books were stacked against the walls. Today, books Continue Reading
San Marino Wishes You Were Here
San Marino is technically not a part of Italy. It may sit right smack in the middle of the country, but it is its own republic and has been since 301 A.D. That makes San Marino the oldest republic in the world. A state only one-third the size of Washington D.C. is easy to miss, but it shouldn’t be. San Marino’s view of the rest of the world, the rest of Italy, tends to impress. You climb to the top of the town and this is what surrounds. Would you like to have your photo featured here? Email me at suzy [at] suzyguese [dot] com. I will link back to your blog or website. Continue Reading