Turin, Italy

     Turin is such a beautiful city, but although it does not offer much beyond its' Italian charm, for good reason it has been named the chocolate capital of Italy. I want to go over what is necessary to have the best chocolaty experience from Turin. The city has a unique way of having every store front contained within gorgeous arches set into the buildings, keeping them off of the road and keeping you, and the chocolate, out of the sun.

Within these scenic arches is the true spirit of Turin. Chocolate shops. We tried four different chocolates: milk chocolate, milk chocolate truffle, milk-dark chocolate lemon and hazelnut chocolate. All absolutely delicious. If traveling to Turin for leisure, I recommend buying more. Being of a strict budget, not strict enough for chocolate splurging, Jerry and I need to take it easy, but you have to try as many pieces of chocolate as your heart desires. By the way, Paris is not the only city with fabulous macaroons. Turin chocolate makes wonderful macaroons and even better gelato. Yummy :)

Photography

     I have a very unchangeable opinion regarding photography, mostly because I have learned from my mistakes. I was 16 when I first traveled to Italy, my first international vacation. I went with my high school Italian class. Our voyage took us from northern Italy all the way through Sicily. The trip lasted two weeks, and when I returned home I realized that I had accumulated over 800 pictures. For what?! When I look at them, sure they are pleasant memories to reflect on, but I do not remember these wonderful places as they are in the photos. I would say that 99% of the pictures you will waste time taking cannot come close to properly displaying the splendor of what you are looking at, and I feel that you are robbing yourself of experiences by viewing them through a lens.

 I am not hating on every picture taken ever. Some pictures are well worth it,  I treasure dearly a picture of my Dad and I sitting at McGills Pub in Ireland. If you are a photographer, take as many as you would like. I just feel that as a traveler, it dampens the experience. Having learned from my lesson, I took fewer than 200 pictures during our voyage to Dublin. Still way too many. The one photo with my Pops is worth all 30 pictures I took of  Trim Castle and all 40 I took of Blarney Castle, plus all of the other random pictures that I felt that I needed to take. I take no more than 10 pictures of every city I visit now, that's it. If there are more than that, it's Jerry's fault. If you have to take a million pictures though, there is a story I want to share. When we were climbing the Duomo in Florence, about half way up I witnessed a man stop right in the middle of the walkway, stick his over-sized camera through a small ventilation window and lean in to take a picture of the view. While still in the way, almost as if in a trance he pulled his camera back to look at the picture, nodded in approval then kept walking. Did I mention he took the time to enjoy the view without his camera? No? That's because he didn't! So to all of you, I say that if you are going to take a picture of every amazing thing, do not forget to take the time to enjoy it as well. 

Florence, Italy

     Florence, Italy... capital of Tuscany, center of the art and history of the Italian Renaissance and by far my favorite city in the world. The feeling of this city is unimaginable and the only way to understand it is to find out for yourself. One of many highlights of Florence is the Duomo, or Brunelleschi's Dome, being named that because Brunelleschi painted the interior of the dome. This massive cathedral towers high above all other buildings in Florence and emits a presence that lingers with you as you pass through the city.

 
For only €10 you get to climb the dome, the bell tower attached and visit the museum below the Duomo that houses the ruined foundations of the cathedral during the time of Ancient Rome. Climbing the dome is the most extraordinary experience. The hike up brings you to the base of the beautiful art on the interior of the dome and continues to the spire atop the dome, giving the most breath taking view of the Renaissance city.

     A pleasant 5 minute walk from the Duomo will bring you to the Palazzo Vecchio, the Old Palace, and the Ponte Vecchio, the Old Bridge. Both are incredible monuments of Florence and its' history. The Palazzo Vecchio was once home to the Medici Family, the most influential family in the history of Tuscany and was later used as a political center. Today, it stands as a museum connected to the famous Uffizi Gallery. The gallery presents works for Botticelli, Rafael, Michelangelo and many more. Not far from Uffizi, the Accademia Museum displays the David from Michelangelo.

     Beyond being the largest bridge in Florence, the Ponte Vecchio is the only bridge along the Arno River that was not destroyed during WWII. The bridge is so large, unless you are paying attention, you can wonder onto the bridge and think you are still walking in the street. It is absolutely amazing.

     Our travels took us slightly outside of the city to a town called Greve in Chianti, part of the Chianti region, where we visited the vineyards responsible for the production of Chianti wine. The Tuscan countryside is simply fantastic and the wine is as good as it gets. While in Greve, we tasted their braised wild boar, deliciously slathered with an herbal Tuscan sauce atop yummy polenta. When you are anywhere in Italy, you have to treat yourself to a gelato. Most Gelatarie in Italy make their gelato on location, making it as fresh and delicious as it gets. Chianti, gelato and Florence are the formula for the perfect travel location that you simply cannot get enough of.

Paris, France

    Ah Paris... there is just too much to say about this wonderful city. Jerry and I stayed in a beautiful hostel in the Montmartre region, north of the river Seine, next to the breath-taking Sacre Coeur Cathedral. The cathedral sits at the peak of Paris and gives you a jaw dropping view of the city. This is just one of several fabulous attractions that Paris offers. It is impossible for me to cover all that there is to do in La Ville-Lumiere(The City of Light), and it was impossible for us to do everything in the 4 days we we there. What we were able to do is almost beyond words. I'm going to try to write it though.
     Paris is the home to beautiful works of art and architecture. The Catacombs offered a little bit of both and was my favorite part of the trip. You take a bone chilling descent that puts you in front of a creepy sign that reads: "Arrete! C'est ici l'Empire de la Mort"(Stop, here is the Empire of the Dead). Beyond the door, the walls are covered by skulls and bones, expertly crafted to form solid structures that extend the wall. It is a sight to see, if you can stomach looking at the millions of bodies that are used to make up these structures. Several of the bones are formed into pieces of art on the walls and make up huge pillars in the larger chambers.
     Although I found the Catacombs the most enjoyable attraction, climbing down into the depths of Paris was almost matched by climbing up the Eiffel Tower. The hundreds of pictures that you have seen throughout your life does not prepare you for the size of this monument. It is enormous! I mean, huge. The neighborhood around it is full of delicious cafes and beautiful gardens. Climbing the Eiffel Tower was a pain, though. It was crowded and the lines were long. There are two main levels you have to go through, and that means two long lines if you do not want to take the stairs. The view though... oh the view. The height of the tower almost matches that of the Empire State Building, if you can imagine it. From the tower, you can get a perfect view of all of the great monuments of Paris: Sacre Coeur, Notre-Dame, L'Arc de Triumph and the Louvre.
     The Louvre, one of the worlds' largest museums and home to La Joconde or the Mona Lisa, painted by Leonardo da Vinci, is a must see if you travel to Paris. The painting is highly overrated, but the museum is immense and full of several beautiful pieces of art and history. The Code of Hammurabi is one of the museums' large attractions, as well as the statue of Ramses II. The medieval structure that was the Louvre has been preserved within the museum, and it is quite wonderful to explore. Unfortunately in the three hours that we were in the Louvre, we only finished half of the museum. I recommend going as soon as they open if you want to see the entire museum.
     Beyond the normal attractions of Paris, you have to find a cozy spot just off of the beaten tourist track, and enjoy a cafe au lait and a Parisian favorite, the macaroon. Nobody does macaroons like Paris, and when I go back, the first thing that I am doing is finding the nearest Patisserie and munching on a chocolate macaroon.

     

Adventurous Eating

      It is well known that different parts of the world offer many varieties of foods and local cuisine. Some are very basic and safe, like ordering a quiche or a croque-monsieur in France. In the village that we are staying in, the local market sells fresh milk, as in practically bottled from the utter, with a picture of the cow on the bottle. Although fresh cows milk is refreshing and delicious, it is not really too adventurous. Here in France we have also had horse, rabbit and quail meat. All are very delicious, especially the horse. Don't hate me for it. All of these meats had their own section in the supermarket and are very common here. On a related note, goat meat happens to be the most consumed red meat in the world. Being from the States, you would think that it is beef but I am afraid not. It helps you get a feeling for how different the world really is. But eating adventurously is something that can be very fun and help broaden your knowledge of the worlds' cultures and broaden your palate.
    Eating adventurously can be risky though. I would like to share my most recent incident with you. Walking the streets of Florence, after a weary day of train travel, a wonderful scent hits my nose. I follow the trail to a food truck with Lampredotto  written in bold letters. I ask the man in my best Italian, "What is this?" His response was "Stomaco di vitello." I had to translate in my head. It turned out to be veal stomach! I was 100% on board, jumping with the excitement of trying something new. The man pulled this gooey thing out of a hot pan, slathers it with two types of chili sauces and then dips the top bun in the veal juice. I handed the man 4€  and marched happily on my way, elbows deep into an incredible and delicious Florentine specialty. A day later though, after all of those yummy juices settled, I was quick to say that Lampredotto is not a good thing! After all of the crazy meats in France, I thought I could handle it. Nope. Never in my entire life...I won't even finish that though. You can use your imagination. I refuse to allow this Lampredotto incident dampen my spirits though. I feel the need to warn you about kidney pie though. I ordered it from a pub in Trim, Ireland. Also not a good thing. Regardless of the bad, there is so much good food out there and I will continue to try new things and I urge you all to do the same as you explore the world.

Travel Fears: Ebola and Terrorism

     It is no secret that many people are afraid to leave home and explore what is unknown to them. People fear traveling for many reasons. Although some of these fears can be reasonable, I find that many people create excuses not to travel rather than have legitimate concerns. The recent outbreak of Ebola for example, has spread from west Africa into Europe and the Unites States. Is that an excuse not to travel? I think not. We are traveling to Madrid, Spain in two weeks, which has been hit with a small Ebola outbreak. It is useless to be daunted by such things.
     People are afraid to fly because of events happening in the Middle East and recently in the Ukraine. Hundreds of flights take off and land day by day. Yes, accidents do happen. Planes do go down. The vast majority though, arrive perfectly at a destination that you are too afraid to see. Traveling is not for everybody and if you do not want to, I say it's your loss. To those who want to see the world but are too afraid, I advise you to get out there and learn that the world has so much more to offer than bombs and terror.

Limoges, France

     Located right in the center of France is the beautiful city of Limoges, famous for Limoges Porcelain. A city untouched and unspoiled by tourism, including all the overpriced restaurants and tourist traps, Limoges is a hub for authentic, urban French culture. You can walk the streets and settle at the Brasserie for a  cheap plat du jour, or visit the gorgeous, gothic Cathedrale Saint-Etienne and walk the luscious gardens that neighbor the eglise. Take a step back and admire the gargoyles that surround Saint-Etienne while you catch a fresh scent of the multitude of flowers that surround you in the garden. The museum adjacent to the gardens has a small Egyptian display and a large exhibit dedicated to the history of Limoges. Entrance is free of charge and well worth a visit.
     Limoges offers all of the basic pleasures of life, such as a movie theater that plays movies in French and English, plenty of restaurants and bars, and a few malls filled with great stores to browse. There is also a large opera house in the city center. It is the perfect destination to escape the crowd and see a French city without the tourist B.S. By the way, unlike most cities around the world, very few people in the city speak English, or if they can they choose not to. So prepare to really practice your French if you choose to visit Limoges.
     Gare de Limoges Benedictines, the train station, is large enough to get to many locations and has several trains daily to Paris, from where you can find a train to most cities in Europe. The average time it takes to get to Paris is about 3 hours. Neighboring towns of Limoges include the medieval La Souterainne and Poitiers.
     Beyond the city of Limoges is the beautiful country side of the region Limousin, in which Limoges is the capitol. The region is great for mountain biking, hiking, camping and many other outdoor activities.The small mountain range called the Monts D'Ambazac run through Limousin, making an excellent day trip to hike and explore the vast nature of the region Limousin.
     Jerry and I are staying in a little part of Limousin called Mallety, located just outside the town of Ambazac. Rolling hills appear just through the front door of the home where our host has so graciously allowed us to stay for the autumn. The walk to town is about 2 kilometers, which is hardly much of a sacrifice considering how beautiful the journey is. The road is lined with chestnut trees, oaks and blackberry bushes. It is not uncommon to find a local scavenging fallen chestnuts or setting off to pick wild mushrooms. Absolutely though, Limoges and its surrounding land is an incredible part of France, and if you love nature, I urge you to visit this breath-taking country.