EUROPEAN TRAVEL ITALY

European travel Italy. Living in Europe makes traveling a lot easier. In Canada, when we wanted to go away somewhere, it always felt like a major event. The magnitude of the country made it difficult to go somewhere different for just a weekend. Poland is centrally located and I can hop on a plane and be in a different country in as little as 40 minutes. Of course, we do our best to visit cities in Poland, but we also visit the Czech Republic, France, the UK, Italy, Austria, Lithuania and Germany and go back home to North America on several occasions.

Venice. One morning we hop on a train that takes us through Vienna and on to Venice. We are making our way through the maze of cobblestones, narrow streets and tiny courtyards, looking for a piece of grass for Pixie, or even a tree. There’s only water. There are so many tourists that it’s nearly impossible to see the city. Everyone wants to visit, but there is no room for them all to fit. After several hours of wandering the winding streets we hop on a water taxi and head to Lido for some air. Suddenly, we find ourselves with the locals sipping a glass of wine at an outdoor cafe. The pace is slow and relaxed, very much unlike the frantic swarms of San Marco. We take our time and walk to the beach so that we can dip our toes in the Adriatic Sea where on a clear day, you can see Croatia. Pixie, our Cairn Terrier is thrilled, maybe more than we are. There is plenty of grass for her to run on. Little does she know, but the next 2 weeks will be difficult. Italian city centers, as it turns out, don’t have too many green spaces. This is fine for Italian dogs but Canadian ones have some problems.

Milan. I could happily live in Milan. It’s huge, modern yet historical and everyone is warm and friendly and constantly on the move. Plus, the shopping is a story of its own; it’s my little piece of heaven. I, however, leave my heart further down the coast in Naples.

Naples. There is an almost manic energy that is fueled by the intense heat. The colours, textures and smells are almost overwhelming. This is a city you could walk through for days and not scratch the surface. A simple act like crossing the street becomes a feat of heroic proportions and your thoughts are constantly interrupted by the cacophony of honking horns and noisy streets. A breath of fresh air can only be found by the water’s edge where everything seems at a standstill until darkness falls. And then the streets become a swarming mass of bodies celebrating life together.

Florence. We make our way up to Florence where history permeates the city. It’s like being in the world’s largest open-air museum. Every stone has a story, every brick has tale to tell. It’s beautiful but feels oppressed by the weight of the historically influential Artists that once called it home. We are standing in the oldest café in Florence enjoying an espresso. I have finally embraced this way of drinking coffee that is enjoyed by people around the world. My very first taste of coffee was also in Italy many years ago. A full circle completed.

Vienna. We are celebrating our 16th wedding anniversary amid hurricane level winds and pounding rain. We have decided that we want burgers and a quick Google search yields a restaurant that serves some of the best I’ve ever tasted. The hotel has surprised us with chocolates, champagne and fresh fruit and the evening is complete. The weather has changed, but the charm of the city is not lost on us. The first tourists we bump into are smiling Italians and without missing a beat, we are able to understand them. This surprises them as much as it does us. Vienna is a city we’d love to return to. Although we do see the famous horses and the Austrian National Library, we only barely scratch the surface, there is still so much to see.

A day later our adventure has come to an end and we board yet another train for the final leg of our trip. We are exhausted and sore from days of walking, but that is the best and only way to see a city. Back in Warsaw, we miss Italy dearly, but it does feel good to be home.

For more on how best to see a city read: URBAN HIKING THE NEW WORKOUT

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caroline

Caroline has worked with international designers in fashion retail and completed professional makeup courses when working in the beauty industry. Her love of writing, photography and film inspired her to work at the Canadian Film Center and then to earn a BFA in Screenwriting. In addition to her blog, Style On The Side, you can see her work in Huffington Post Canada and other international websites.