Category: Italy

Fall Break

Published on by carolinepotterLeave a comment

At first, fall break seemed like a daunting time period. When I got to Florence, many people already had plans for break like having parents visit or going to see friends studying abroad somewhere else in Europe. However, I knew that I wanted to solo travel at some point, so I decided that along with a few mini trips with friends, I would embark on a solo trip! My fall break ultimately consisted of 3 different trips to Zürich, Edinburgh, and Amsterdam.

Zürich, Switzerland

The first segment of my break was with two of my friends in Zurich! We took an overnight bus from Florence and arrived on a rainy morning. After getting some overpriced coffee and delicious bagel breakfast sandwiches, we walked around old town Zurich and took a cruise around Lake Zurich! Then, we went to our Airbnb and made tomato soup and grilled cheese for dinner (the kitchen was very bare bones to say the least). The next day, we went on a hike in Sihlwald and then continued exploring that night. The last day in Zurich started off with a trip to the Lindt factory, which was definitely a highlight for me! We stopped by the cafe and I had a Lindt hot chocolate and got a few Lindor truffles to try! Before I knew it, my time in Zurich had come to an end and I departed on the solo leg of my journey!

Edinburgh, Scotland

I have to admit, I am definitely not somebody that you would think of when solo traveling comes to mind. Before this trip, I liked my occasional alone time, but I love being around people and traveling solo felt like something way out of my comfort zone. However, I was determined to make the most out of my 2 days in Edinburgh! The first day, I went on a 12 hour bus tour through the Scottish Highlands, which I cannot reccomend enough. On the tour, I met the sweetest older couple from Colorado Springs who I sat by on the bus and got to know by the end of the day! The trip took us to see highland cows, visit Glencoe (where scenes from Skyfall were filmed- if you know me, I am the biggest James Bond fan ever, so I totally fangirled). Then we went to the Glenfinnan Viaduct, which is more commonly known as the bridge from Harry Potter. Although the weather wasn’t the greatest, the fog hanging low over the hills made everything feel magical. Along the way, we stopped in a few more cute villages and got back to Edinburgh late that night! The next day, I wandered around Edinburgh, stopping at Dean Village, Prince St Gardens, Advocate’s Close, St. Giles Cathedral, the National Museum of Scotland, and I got a pint at Greyfriar’s Bobby! That evening I got an early dinner at Dishoom, which I had in London 7 years ago and knew I had to go back (the Indian food is SOOOO good, I wouldn’t stop gushing about it for days after). I ended my night at Knoops, where I got the best hot chocolate of my life with cinnamon and a homemade marshmallow (it blew the Lindt out of the water!!). The next day, I caught a flight to my final destination! Overall, this was definitely my favorite part of my break- I got pushed out of my comfort zone, and learned so much about myself (I know that is such a cliche, but whatever).

Amsterdam, the Netherlands

I knew that Amsterdam would be the perfect end to my trip- I visited my junior year of high school with my childhood best friend and our moms for our 16th birthday and I had dreamed of coming back ever since. I also got to meet up with my roomate/partner in crime, Kira and her family here! Although it was only a day and a half, I fell in love with Amsterdam all over again. The first day, we got in and just walked around Amsterdam, got drinks at a cute bar and dinner at Verona (ironically got Italian food even though I have had enough pasta in Florence to last a lifetime!). Side note- Kira’s older sister got food poisioning from this restaurant so maybe beware. The next day, Kira and I got breakfast at Pluk, a cafe I had tried during my first visit to Amsterdam and we also stopped by the hotel I stayed at to grab some of their delicious room scent. We went to the Anne Frank House museum which was incredibly powerful- not only how resilient Anne was but how positive of an attitude she had despite the circumstances. We ended this night with a cruise at dusk and then after a stroopwaffel sweet treat, tucked in for the night.

Fall break truly flew by and I loved getting to reunite with old friends, make new ones, and experience so many new places!

Arrivederci,

Caroline

Location to Locals: Dubrovnik, Croatia

Published on by Alex WinnLeave a comment

The Trip That Almost Did Not Happen

Location: Dubrovnik, Croatia

You will all see and read in a later blog why there was a very real chance I would not have been able to go on this trip – but that’s a story for another time. A few years ago, my parents began a tradition of traveling to a new European country each summer and exploring for at least three weeks. I can say with the utmost certainty that my love and desire for adventure and travel comes straight from them. Their first location that sparked this tradition was Ireland, followed by Greece, and this past summer Croatia. On their Croatia trip, they drove up and down the coast, stopping in cities such as Zadar, Split, and their personal favorite – Dubrovnik. Ever since hearing their Dubrovnik stories, and seeing my mom’s Instagram posts, it instantly became the number one place I knew I had to visit while abroad.

Funny enough – and this ties right back to that “late blog” story – my mom ended up joining my friends and me on our Dubrovnik trip. We flew in on a Wednesday afternoon (yes, we all skipped school) and left Saturday morning, much to our dismay. The trip overall was much pricier than we had anticipated, mostly due to our eating and spending time in the touristy areas, where meals ranged from 30 to 40 euro and drinks around 15. We quickly learned our lesson.

Because of an injury, I was not able to join my friends on their speed boat tour of the caves, so my mom and I decided to explore and do a guided tour of the walls. Yes… those walls – the ones featured in many scenes of the infamous Game of Thrones television series. Together, we climbed more than 600 steps, walking around the entire perimeter of Dubrovnik’s Old Town that is covered in orange tiles molded by the thighs of the women who once lived there. Although I am not much of a history buff, the history of the city was incredible, topped with my skyline view of the entire city to my left and sparkling Adriatic sea view to my right. It might have been one of the most touristy things to do, but it was truly incredible.

Visiting Dubrovnik, Croatia was not just another tally in countries I have visited, it was a dream-come-true. Despite being strapped in a medical brace, it reminded me and revived my love of travel and exploration.

BEAAMMS Was Born

Locals: Pile-Kono Mountain

Our Airbnb sat on the hill just outside Dubrovnik’s Old Town, meaning that every trip in and our required an uber. While talking to one of our drivers, he told us that he had his own business – a small company called Simply H. H – as he told us to call him – offered us a discounted tour of the three most beautiful photo spots according to Croatian locals. Given that there were 8 of us and one of him, we decided to take him up on his offer. After spending a couple hours exploring Old Town, we met him outside the Pile Gate and to begin our local tour.

The first stop made us a little skeptical. He pulled the car over on the side of the rode and gave us only a few minutes to take pictures of… a bridge; yes, a bridge overlooking the water. Was the view beautiful? Yes, but it was not considered a ‘local spot’ like we were expecting. The next spot filled us with more hope – a run-down barn with a small waterfall in the background. I have to admit, it was like nothing I had ever seen. The sun cast a bright glow over everything, creating the illusion of shimmering air, and the surplus of water made the plants lush and green, and the river alive with fish. None of us wanted to leave but had to in order to catch the sunset at our final stop.

Driving up a two-way road barely wide enough for one car, we arrived at the top of a mountain overlooking the entire Old Town city, the hill surrounding it, and the Adriatic bordering the entirety of Croatia. It was something of a painting with the island perfectly placed in the sea, the sky painted with hues of pink, purple, yellow, and blue, and a mountain covered in fresh plants and rosemary leaves. After taking the mandatory “I was here” photos, my friends and I stood in a line and took a moment of gratitude.

The weeks leading up to this trip had been a blur of hospital visits and doctor’s appointments, but that all seemed to melt away at that moment. I was joined by my best friend – my mom – and the girls I had grown closest to abroad. Everything was perfect at that moment.

It was there, on the Pile-Kono Mountain, that we came up with a word to describe something that simply cannot be described by ordinary adjectives. An acronym for all our names: Bridgette, Em, Alex, Avery, Maddie, Michelle, Sophie. Just like that, BEAAMMS was born.