Category Archives: wanderlust

Florence, Italy

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It is getting close to the one year mark of when I first set off on this life- altering trip abroad; as such, I’ve been feeling quite nostalgic and have started reminiscing over some of the treasures I brought home with me and remembering aspects of my trip I had forgotten. Since I had gone to Europe back in 2010, some places on this visit were for other purposes. Florence is one of these places and I spent just a few hours there to go shopping! Before you go all crazy, my first visit was with an art history major and we spent a great deal of time seeing all the sites Florence has to offer. It is a truly gorgeous city just filled to the brim with art and history. We saw the Uffizi Gallery, Santa Croce, Duomo di Firenze, Palazzo Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio, Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, and of course Michelangelo’s David! Those are just the places I can remember specifically seeing but she pointed out many more and I’m sure I’ve missed some (I am bad with names unless I write it down immediately). It was on that visit in 2010, while inside Santa Croce, that we stumbled upon a leather school hidden in the back of the monastery. I happen to love leather, so this little gem of a place was right up my alley. It’s adorable too, quaint and old, just filled with traditions and history. I bought a bracelet for myself and an eyeglass case for my mother and we were on our way. Three years later, the bracelet had tarnished and rusted and so I decided to stop on my way from Verona to Rome to see if I could replace it. I arrived very early into Florence at a smaller train station with no open shops anywhere in sight. I wandered for a bit before finally giving in and calling my mother to get directions. It was in the beginning before I discovered CityMaps and without any stores open I could not get a map or use WiFi. She “googled” where I had to go and it turns out I was very close by. I found the side entrance (you do not have to go into Santa Croce to get to the leather school) and I was so happy I could hardly contain myself. The school is called Scuola del Cuoio and it was exactly as I remembered. It is just off of a court yard and has a larger shop in the front where you walk in, followed by a long hallway lined with individual shops where they make the goods. The most surprising thing was they still made the exact same bracelets! This time I bought three; two for me and one for my mom and a little change purse printed with the Florence (or Firenze) Fleur-de-lis.
This brings up two travel tips I have for you:
1. In Europe, the names of cities will be spelt differently than they are in North America. Know this ahead of time so there are no surprises.
2. Many cities have multiple train stations, check the name prior or look at your ticket to make sure you don’t jump off at the first stop.
In 2010, we also went to Ponte Vecchio, which is where I discovered the amazing jewellery that fills the shops that line either side of the bridge. Among all the gold and diamonds that Italy is famous for, are beautiful cameo pieces. Cameo jewellery is made of stone or shell and has a side profile of a woman’s head. I fell in love with these rings, but at the time was unable to purchase anything. This time I did. It was a bit of a splurge and I couldn’t afford the gold, but I now have my very own Italian cameo ring from Ponte Vecchio in Florence and it is among my prized possessions. Some might say it’s just things, consumerism, objects, etc. But this isn’t just stuff to me, they are tangible memories. They are beautiful, special items that I can pass down through generations. They are not extravagant by any means and I include other souvenirs from my trips here too; but they are special and they mean something to me. I have items from family members that are no longer with me, including a magnet my grandmother got from Arizona and a Caribbean man in a tire my dad got from Dominican Republic; I cherish them and display them because they meant something to them. It is important to pass down things from previous generations. We travel the world to see what others left behind for future generations. It is important to know what came before. Family is important. I finished my time in Florence with a glass of wine in front of the Duomo di Firenze, where I got a free glass because my server’s girlfriend was also Canadian. My suitcase made is difficult to get around and since I was leaving from a different train station, lockers were out of the question. I ended up leaving a couple hours earlier then I had intended and headed off to Rome. Florence is a spectacular city and I highly recommend it.

June 24, 2013

Amsterdam, Netherlands

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Firstly, I would like to sincerely apologize for the delay since my last post. I have been under the weather and just cannot seem to shake it. However, it has given me time to look through some of my trip photos and I stumbled upon a couple I really liked from Amsterdam. It just so happens (with the theme of being ill) that on my arrival to Amsterdam from Copenhagen, I became very sick with a cold. As I mentioned before, Copenhagen was very cold at night or in the shade, but sweltering in the sun; I blame the weather changes for me falling ill. I had to fly due to an issue with my overnight train which ended up working out better in the long run and I arrived at 11:40am in Amsterdam. The best part about flying in is that they have a second Iamsterdam sign at the airport; with a lot less tourists around I was able to snap this unobstructed picture above. With great directions from the hostel, I found my way with relative ease (and a little help from CityMaps). As with most accommodations, you cannot check in until later in the day, so I decided to get something to eat nearby and wait until I could get into my room so I could change and clean up. Right from the start, I fell in love with the buildings and architecture of Amsterdam. The canal houses that line the streets and intricate bridges are so beautiful; you really have to see it to understand. It’s the energy too, the whole city is alive. As I am sure you are aware, bicycles are a bit part of life in Europe; this is especially true in Amsterdam. The mix of pedestrian lifestyle, the constant flow of bicycles and the canals with their boats; this all lends to a unique feeling that only Amsterdam can give you. Because I had become so sick almost immediately after arriving, I only walked around my first day, shopping a little and stopping to eat or drink and just taking it all in. By dinner time, I’d had enough and found an adorable little restaurant with fresh orange juice and homemade soup. I was so content sitting on the tiny patio just looking out at the canal and gorgeous homes, watching passersby that I sat for almost 2 hours. One such passerby gave all us patrons a great laugh when he declared to a passing tour boat, “You want to take pictures? Here, take a picture of this!” and proceeded to moon them! It was done in good fun though and everyone laughed, including the boat of tourists. Coincidently, the next night was an actual full moon and it lend itself to one of the most beautiful walks I had the whole trip as I made my way back to the hostel on my last night in Amsterdam. Again, I wish I had stayed longer, two days was definitely not enough time. The people I encountered in this city were colourful, to say the least. A man rode his bike into a girl that had stopped on the side of the path in Vondel Park; he then proceeded to steal the beer of a man sitting at patio adjacent. The best part was the street performers; I saw amazing break-dancers and a man who juggled knives while eating an apple! There was so much to see here and I did manage to make it to the Van Gogh museum, which was lovely and the Red Light District, which was what you would expect. The main site I wanted to see though was the Anne Frank House; I felt an undeniable feeling of sadness here and even cried at the end, it is profoundly intense to experience in person. I finished my site seeing day with a canal tour which was quite relaxing and luckily I did not get flashed a stranger’s bum! Overall, Amsterdam is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen and I had a great time. I would return in a heartbeat; but I’d rather not be sick the next time!

August 21-23, 2013

Tangier, Morocco

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In keeping with last week’s topic of tours, I decided to tell you about my day in Tangier. One of the first bookings I made (next to my flight to Europe) was this guided day trip to Morocco. It almost didn’t begin when I had serious difficulties locating my pick up spot as no one else was waiting and there was no clear sign and my bus was late, so I thought I’d missed it. Note: Be sure to arrive 10-15 minutes early in case the bus arrives a few minutes early too. I took a seat on the bus and after a few more stops we were on our way. I chose to stay in Marbella, Spain because of this tour and its proximity to Tangier; if I had to do it again though, I’d opt for Marrakech or Fez. Remember, you are entering a different country (and continent) so passports are a must! After a ferry ride, security clearance and customs, we finally arrived in Tangier. I don’t know what I was expecting but what I saw was not it. I guess it slipped my mind that Tangier is a port city and like most it’s industrial, dirty and an actual city! This is why it is important to see the world, because from the comfort of home watching television, movies or reading magazines, you forget that actual people live in these places and therefore things like commerce exist. We boarded another bus and our multi-lingual guide began telling us all about Tangier and its people. We drove through the new part, but primarily we were in the old town. First we were shown the doorway of an ancient mausoleum which has been made famous by Henri Matisse and then we turned a corner to see a real live snake charmer. As I’ve said before, most of my trip was about conquering my fears; which is why I not only jumped at the chance, I paid 2 Euros to have a snake placed around my neck! This is the photo above, taken by one of two Irish guys I became friends with because of this moment. Afterwards, we made our way to lunch at a very authentic restaurant, complete with live music. Next, we were taken to a multi floor shop to get a lesson on rugs and to purchase souvenirs (I got a bracelet with a red stone, that has since broke). Our shopping tour continued at a spice market where I bought real Moroccan Argan oil. We got to wander the souk a little bit too before continuing on and magically (just as we were about to depart) I spotted a souvenir spoon for my collection, which I had all but given up on finding. I still can’t believe my luck with finding that spoon! As I’ve also said in past posts, I have a thing for water; so getting to see where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Mediterranean Sea at our next stop, was a real treat for me! Next we got to ride camels for the bargain price of 1 Euro! I’ll admit I was like a little kid when it came time for this. Our last stop was a brief look at Hercules’ cave (it was okay) and then we were back on the bus heading to catch our ferry. On the bus ride home, my new friends pointed out the Rock of Gibraltar too, which I found kind of fasinating and made a mental note to return for a visit. This tour was the longest at around 13 hours, but my new Irish friends and getting to see a whole different country made it a wonderful adventure. I would go back to Morocco in a heartbeat and as a female I think, personally, I’d chose a tour again if I were to go back; although I do know two women who went unaccompanied and had no issues whatsoever. The best part though; for one day I got to say, I was in Africa!

September 6, 2013

Stonehenge, Bath and Windsor Castle

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Tours are a great option for travellers looking to see something in particular, that might be either difficult to reach without a vehicle or if you want the detailed information a tour guide gives. I can honestly say none of the seven tours I took were a waste of time; they were all a great experience. My guides were all very knowledgeable, friendly and used the time well. As a single traveller, it was also a great way to meet people; I even keep in touch with a few of my new friends. The tour operator I used most was viator.com; they use local tour operators but it’s all booked and handled through Viator. In fact, for my next trip to Chile I plan on using them again for a side excursion. In Italy, walksofitaly.com (Walks of Italy) was my go to for tours of the Vatican and Sistine Chapel as well as Pompeii. Both operators gave me more information than I ever could have anticipated and made the experience even more enjoyable for a nerd like myself. I highly recommend tours for certain site seeing excursions, obviously if you are in a time crunch they might not be the best option, or contrary if you want to spend loads of time in one place or at one site. Do your research and see what works best for what you want out of your trip.

In England, I opted for a tour to visit Stonehenge for convenience; it included a trip to Bath and Windsor Castle also and a lunch in Lacock. We started at Windsor Castle which was very enjoyable for me as a bit of royal family lover. It was just so beautiful and steeped in history; really lovely experience. I purchased a tea cup for my mother here, which (somehow) magically made it through until I got home to Canada. Next, we travelled to Bath to visit the Roman baths. Our guide did point out other things to see if we didn’t want to do the baths, but I wanted to see them. It was a little rushed at this point because of the line up to enter the baths, but I got to see everything and sampled the famous spring water! It is very mineralized and strong tasting; some people didn’t like it at all, but I didn’t mind it in the least. Legend says the water (which comes out warm) actually makes you look younger are healthier the more you drink it so bottoms up! Truthfully, you could spend a lot more time in Bath, so maybe an additional side trip would be a better option, though for me it was sufficient. After Bath we stopped for a quick lunch at the George Inn in Lacock, where I had the best beef wellington in the whole world and a delicious pint of local Wadworth beer. We finished the long day of site seeing with the piece de résistance, Stonehenge. After a history lesson, we were allowed to just wander around by ourselves to take it all in, from every angle. It really does change as you move around and the change in the way the light hits the stones. It was almost surreal for me at this point and I was just so quiet, trying to take it all in. In the distance you can hear cars going by, and there are people talking around you; but somehow it feels like you are in a magic place, apart from the rest of the world. I definitely recommend a visit to Stonehenge if you go to England, well worth it.
It was a solid eleven hour day and while I was very tired at the end, it was beyond enjoyable! Note if you do take a tour from London, most leave from the Victoria coach station, so double check your gate prior to departure and know your tour number as it gets confusing when five different buses are all leaving from your gate.

August 26, 2013