European vacations

Trieste must rank as one of Europe’s most under-rated cities. Lying in the forgotten north-eastern corner of Italy, for years almost cut off from the rest of the country by the so-called Iron Curtain, the port city of Triests is neglected by the tourist crowds in favour of its better known and more beautiful sister venice. I must admit that passing through Trieste by train five years ago en route to Slovenija, there did not seem much to stop for. It seemed ordinary, nondescript, industrial, consisting solely of factories, cranes and mist. A town made to be forgotten…and forget it I did, until I happened across Ryanair’s website offering flights from London Stansted to Trieste Airport for a ridiculously low sum. A quick glance at a map, and my head was filled with ideas of a short trip to Slovenija, a country I had wanted to re-visit for some time. Trieste would just provide a convenient and cheap gateway, nothing more.

I visited Verona in the context of a trip where I saw a different small city every day for a week. I feel as though my visit could not have done it justice, and it was just enough to whet my appetite to return.

Verona is wonderful if you don’t want to go to the countryside, but you also aren’t up for a big urban center like Rome or Milan. There are enough sites, stores and restaurants to keep you entertained for a long weekend and maybe even a full week.

My husband and I vacationed in Rome for 10 days during March 2000. This was his first trip to Rome and my second. It had been about 6 years time since my first trip to Rome and the one sight that drew me back to Rome was that of viewing St. Peter’s Basilica for the first time from the end of Via de Conzilazione (this is the street that leads directly into St. Peter’s square). I wanted to watch the expression on my husband’s face when he saw this sight. I did, and his expression was exactly what I expected: total awe at the size and majesty of this church.

While Rome has the antiquities and much of the history - Florence holds the art.

It is a bustling city of many inhabitants scurrying around on those noisy scooters - it is a city of quiet beauty. The most famous of which is Michangelo’s masterpiece "David". If you see no other art in Europe - do not miss this one. It is fabulous! Even the pieces that Michangelo did not like or use - you will not believe.

Rome is a good place to visit to view magnificent art or architecture. Ancient Rome and modern Rome sit right next to each other in this city. Walking among the ruins, I really felt close to history. However, I also felt unsafe. There are so many people in Rome that the city is very crowed. There are also a ton of pick-pockets, so you must always be wary of strangers near you. I found that constantly checking to make sure I still had all of my money was annoying and distracted me from enjoying the city. Rome is a nice place to visit, there is so much to see. However, it requires more attention than some other places would.

Everyone seems to point out the same things, esp. when talking about the “cons” of Rome: cost, traffic, heat, crowds, pickpockets, etc. This really bugs me. These things are NOT cons, but rather the things you should embrace about Rome. I spent over a month backpacking in Italy this past summer, with 2 weeks of that time spent living like a local in Rome. So I’ll address all the highpoints of Rome, as well as other people’s “cons.”

I am posting this as a warning to all people considering going to Greece and the Greek Islands. My husband and I just got back from our honeymoon. We went to Mykonos, Rhodes, and Athens. We had a great time because it was our honeymoon. However, I must warn everyone, that we encountered the most rudest people in the world in places we visited in Greece. Now, I have traveled throughout Europe and parts of Asia, never in all of those places, have I ever, in my entire life been treated so horribly. The Greeks we met were so unbelievably rude. HOTEL FRONT DESK workers would roll their eyes at us (right on front of us) to do their work to check us in. If I would ask to exchange money, they would look so upset. They would give us the look of death and roll their eyes at us. People would purposefully bump into you without any acknowledgement of the fact.

Germany’s Mosel River valley is one of the most scenic, serene places in Europe to visit. The river meanders between low-slung mountains covered with row upon row of neatly tended grape vines as it wends its way toward the mighty Rhine. Along the way are fairy tale castles, some beautifully maintained or restored, others ruined from battles lost long ago. Wineries and quaint villages pop up next to the river at every major bend offering excellent opportunities to shop or to just sit in a riverside cafe with a tray of cheese and a bottle of the region’s soft white wine.

Review Topic: Sights & Attractions

The scaffolds are down, the marble is cleaned, and the Basilica of St. Peters in Vatican city is a shining example of the works of Carlo Maderno (the facade), Michelangelo, Raphael, Fra. Gioncondo, and many others! Even the renovation of the statues on the top of the facade (with Christ, John the Baptist & 10 apostles (less Judas & St. Peter) and on top of the Colonnade around the piazza San Pietro.

Frankfurt has everything, both good and bad - but, in my opinion, more good than bad!! If you want a place to party - Frankfurt is the city for you!! If you want to see some historical buildings - Frankfurt is the city for you!! Day or night, winter or summer, there is something for everyone. Everything is either a short walk or a quick ride away using the "U-Bahn" (tube). The area of Sachsenhausen is full of English, Irish, Mexican and German pubs and bars. People of all nationalities can be found there, making it a great place to mingle with the "world". Everyone is friendly and if you ask, they can all suggest places to see and be seen. The "old" part of Frankfurt, the "Romerplatz" is right by the River Main. They have great cafe’s and restaurants where you can sit either inside or outside and enjoy watching the world go by. The buildings are all old timber-fronted buildings, churches and cathedrals are there to be seen, as well as museums. If you don’t want to sit outside a cafe, then take a ride on one of the boat trips up and down the Main River, the tours all include the usual "touristy" information you would ever need to know about the city. There is a main shopping street with plenty of different stores, from clothing to souvenirs. Right next to the shopping area is the "new" part of Frankfurt with the multi-national banks and businesses. The only bad things I have to say about this city is that you really need a lot of time to be able to explore and find everything, just when you think you’ve seen it all, you see something else.