The Italian Way

In March I had a week off from school, so what better to do than to hop on a train and head to Italy! We began the trip by having a friend from back home fly over to meet us, then that evening we packed up and off we went. Our trip began in Venice, where we spent carnival! What a magical place to be especially this time of year.

Watching how the Venetian masks are made

Point.Of.View

Gondola ride through the canals

Wandering the streets of Venezia

Next Stop, ROMA!

We packed Venice and Rome into one week. So we had a lot to see in a very short time. Our first day in Rome we strolled through the city while coming across The Spanish Steps, The Pantheon, The Trevi Fountain, and the Colosseum! 

Found the Colosseum

Coin toss at the Trevi Fountain.

Our second day in Rome we decided to go to the Vatican City.

We hop on a bus and a few minutes later we arrived at St. Peter's Basilica. We first toured the church and then paid 5 Euros to climb all the way up to the Cupola of the Basilica. The climb was exhausting, but the view at the top was worth it!

Climbed to the very top!

It was well after lunch time once we finished St. Peter's Basilica. We took a late lunch break and continued on to the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel. It was about 3:30 PM by the time we got over to the museum. We got lucky because there were no lines to get in, according to the internet it's usually packed and can take hours to get in. 

Our last day in Rome, we decided it was time to tour the Colosseum and Roman Forum. 

Temple Vesta

Roman Forum

Inside the Colosseum 

Winter In Wien

Well, I made it! These past few weeks have been so fantastic. Yet so exhausting. A combination of jet lag and walking all over the beautiful downtown Vienna.

Vienna is such a romantic city. A casual walk to the U-Bahn (subway) can turn into something so beautiful.

Vienna's City Hall during a snowstorm

Schonbrunn Palace

Wiener Riesenrad

Hundertwasserhaus

The city is a melting pot of people from all over the world which leads to such a variety of food and culture.

A restaurant dedicated to bread with all kinds of different toppings

Trzesniewski a traditional Viennese snack bar that has been around for a 100 years

Our lovely breakfast one morning

Kaiserschmarrn (traditional dessert) at a Cafe outside Schonbrunn

Katie enjoying curbside food

Eating roasted chestnuts while strolling through the gardens of Schonbrunn

Had the luxury to participate in a wine tasting of many local Viennese wines. 

Enjoying dinner at our new friend's Johanna and Sophie's house

Home.

This time of year is full of goodbyes. All my friends are packing up and heading back to college while I'm still home, enjoying my last few weeks hanging out with my family and the few friends that are still here. The past few days I have focused on being appreciative of where I am in life. I'm learning how to cherish the little things and look at the beauty found in my home town. There is a saying, "You'll miss the best things if you keep your eyes shut". I use this quote to help me look around my everyday life to find beauty in all things. I live in a suburb of New Orleans. Nine years later, there is still destruction from Hurricane Katrina. It definitely challenges you to find the good in things. I love to explore. Sometimes it is not necessary to travel the world to have a great adventure. You can find adventure and stories right in your own backyard. Just a few days ago I came across an old, abandoned house that was flooded during Katrina. It looks as if the owners just returned to clean it out and then left once again.

The entry way.

What a view.

The only thing left in the room was a clown hanging from a parachute. Talk about creepy!

Destruction leaves beauty, you just have look at it differently. So I'm saying goodbye to this land of beauty and destruction while welcoming a new land full of countless opportunities, and giving them full to permission to take me wherever they may. 

Keep checking back! I'll continue to post and update about all my Austrian adventures. Two weeks until I leave! Feel free to leave comments. This is my very first blog, so I'm still learning.

Much love, Sarah