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Tag: Italy

Does this yacht make my ancient village look fat?

All’s Fair in Love, War & Child’s Play A trip to Venice, Italy got me thinking about the model train set I had as a kid, and how it taught me the meaning of scale. For those who have never played with model trains, they come in two different scale sizes: N and HO. HO is the larger of the two, with a ratio of 1:87.1, while N gauge ranges from 1:148 to 1:160. Because of this difference in scale, an HO caboose seriously dwarfs an N caboose when sitting side by side. Serious model train aficionados (i.e. adults) would…

Venice Enchants – Even During Flood Season

High Tide in Venice Italy Venice is known for seasonal flooding called Acqua Alta. This “high water” is especially strong when wintry high tides coincide with a Mediterranean wind called a scirocco. Normally, I would avoid traveling to a city during a flood, but Venice is different. Acqua Alta is something Venetians have dealt with for centuries, and visiting the city during this time makes you feel like part of some ancient rhythm. As you can see in the photo below, they sell rubber boots for travelers who show up unprepared. I like how they made that W, too. Does…

V is for Venice at Aqua Alta

High Tide in Venice Italy Venice is known for seasonal flooding called Acqua Alta. This “high water” is especially strong when wintry high tides coincide with a Mediterranean wind called a scirocco. Normally, I would avoid traveling to a city during a flood, but Venice is different. Acqua Alta is something Venetians have dealt with for centuries, and visiting the city during this time makes you feel like part of some ancient rhythm. As you can see in the first photo, they sell rubber boots for travelers who show up unprepared. I like how they made that W, too. Does…

P is for Pisa’s Leaning Tower

Embracing my Dork Side Call me cheesy, but I just had to get the cliche photo where it looks like I’m holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa when we visited Italy last year. I like how the photo came out so that it kinda looks like there’s a wee little guy picking my pocket, or holding *me* up, too. Have you ever indulged in taking cheesy tourist photos of yourself? I say, why not? If it makes you smile, then so what? Embrace your dork side! Follow me on Instagram & I’ll follow you back! I’ve gone from turning…

G is for Gondolas & Gondoliers in Venice

Venice, Italy Lives up to its Hype Venice is one of those rare cities that lives up to all the tour book hype. I’ve been lucky enough to visit 3 times, yet I still feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface of what this ancient city has to offer. It’s not for lack of trying, either. Each time I’ve been there, I spend 12 to 15 hours a day exploring. This tiny, labyrinthian town has so much worth seeing! Mindful Travel Believe it or not, despite being a total shutterbug, I actually find it quite easy to put down the…

B is for Bricks that Tell Tales

Every street tells a story. Look down. What do you see? When we travel, my husband Larry often scolds me for stopping in the middle of the street to take photos. He’s right, of course, it’s a dangerous habit, but if something tickles my fancy, I can’t help it. (I have a very ticklish fancy!) Bricks for Ballast Those blue-tinged bricks you see at the top of this post, caught my eye in San Juan, Puerto Rico. According to our tour guide, they were used as ballast in Portuguese sailing ships. The sailors either traded or sold the stones to…