Travels in the EU - Weeks 1-3

-

We are entering our third week of travels in Europe and I am reminded of how different life is here, compared to California. We are in a walking and biking culture that supports a healthy lifestyle, being outdoors and in nature, one that really cares about the environment in both small and big ways. I have walked about 3-4x more every day here compared to my best day in San Diego. 

We spent the first 10 days touring the Marche region of Italy from our home base of Porto Recanati. There, we were reunited with our German side of the family after 3 years of the pandemic. 

We loved the blue Adriatic beaches of Porto Nuovo, Neumana, Due Sorella, Sant'Elpidio, and many others. We ate wonderful Italian pastas, pizzas and seafood, including sushi from a Japanese chef who is living the ex-pat life in Le Marche. Did I mention getting fresh bread from the bakeries every morning? This is one of the things we can't access in San Diego, unless we get in the car and drive to the 1-2 good bakeries (Bread & Cie) about 10 min away. 

In Italy, we appreciated the slower pace of life. Though there were tourists aplenty, most were Italian from other regions of the country. In July and August, the hordes from neighboring countries would be swarming in, so were lucky to miss some of those crowds. I had a blast practicing Italian and being the de facto spokesperson for our group of 8. We were greeted with abundant hospitality everywhere as if the shop keepers and restaurant staff were hungry to have customers again after the long pandemic.

On the way back to Germany, we stopped off in Tirano, Italy and took an Alpine train ride on the famous Bernina Express. The landscapes there were awe-inspiring, with many remote villages nestled in the Alps. I imagined what it would be like to live in a place where time seemed to stand still, and where the Alpine passes might be blocked with snow for weeks at a time. We took a brief tour of the lakeside town of St. Moritz with is breathtaking views, before taking a terrifying drive back to Germany in the middle of a thunder & lighting rainstorm. I forgot that Germany and Switzerland are so green because it rains a lot!











Comments

Post a Comment

Thanks for visiting my blog!

Popular posts from this blog

Can COVID save a marriage?

-
Image
I am dusting off this blog after an 8-year hiatus. So much has happened in my life, career and relationships, including aging nearly a decade. Perhaps the most shaping influence of late has been living through a once-in-a-generation pandemic and the way the last 16 months has reset my priorities, needs, and expectations of myself and the folx around me. I've realized that I can do with a lot less. Frankly, I've worn the same 5 tops for most of the past year, paired with shorts or joggers, and flip flops most days. The shoes and clothes in my closet have been ignored  -- they're too fussy, constricting, wrinkly, unnecessary -- and I just can't be bothered. Having a closetful of clothes, not to mention several seasonal boxes in the attic, seems frivolous and out of touch with what is important in the day-to-day pandemic life I've grown accustomed to.  With my classes moved online, my teaching style shifted, and I became more acutely aware of the challenges my students
Read more

MX: Days 6, 7, and 8 - Malinalco & the Temezcal

-
Image
Aztec Pyramid Ruins We spent an amazing weekend in Malinalco, a mountain town about 2-3 hours aways from Mexico City. This is a very spiritual place and the site of old Aztec ruins where young men would go through special rites to become Jaguar Warriors or Eagle Warriors. We began our journey by taking a bus to Malinalco and arrived at an important river where the men would first ask for blessings from their Aztec gods before beginning their quest. After taking our blessing at the river, we were crowned by the local townspeople and were ready to begin our quest. This place has both Catholic and indigenous influences as you can see by the saint's statue behind us. After leaving the river, we visited the site of the old Aztec sacred place which is inside a cave. Unfortunately, when the Spanish first arrived, they either tore down all the indigenous places of worship or they built their own churches right on top. We spent a few hours exploring the city of Malinalco and v
Read more

MX: Day 2 Visit to the Zocalo

-
Image
Today was the first day of classes and it was a brutally long day. I was in class from 9 am to 8:30 ( I feel like I've been here for a week already. :) The best part was visiting the Zocalo which is the main center of power and culture in all of Mexico. It's the site where the Aztecs first built their kingdom and the Spanish later built their biggest cathedral and the Palacios Nacional. It's one of the largest urban plazas in the world according to the guidebook. Very humbling, though, to see this symbol of brutal colonialism -- the cathedral was built by tearing down the ancient pyramid and using the gray stones. The Aztecs were the slave laborers. Here are a few photos. I plan to go back to visit the Aztec ruins another day.  Cathedral Aztec Pyramid Ruins Main Basilica Inside of Basilica, impressive gold Baroque and Gothic interior.
Read more