Dolomites, Italy

If you need to slow down, the Dolomites is where to go!

The Dolomites (Dolomiti) are the Alps located in Northern Italy, near Austria. The only way really to get around is to rent a car. The area is beautiful and is great ski country...of course we were there in the summer, which meant some great hiking. One quirky thing about this area of Italy is that it has heavy influence from Austria. Menus were often in German, and I, unlike my mom, do not understand any German. Italian, I can fake, but German, nope. The first night we arrived in Folgarida, the only thing I recognized on the menu was wienerschnitzel, so I ordered that and waited for my hot dog. Little did I know, that a breaded veal cutlet was what came on my plate...with fries.

• We really got to experience the life and culture in the Dolomites. It's not overrun with tourists in the summer, so it is not an open 24-7 area.
• Don't bother getting up too early...nothing will be open! Life revolves around food & rest in the summer!
• The town shuts down for meals and allows about three hours.
• This means, you have time to eat, hike, and take a nap before any shops open in the afternoon.

It is at least 20degrees cooler than Venice or Rome in the summer and cold at night. So, we enjoyed the great outdoors, the quiet, and we allowed ourselves to get bored. We may have even watched Disney's classic Bedknobs and Broomsticks in German (the only channel in English was CNN...and there is only so much of that we can take!). We keep our eyes peeled for open-air markets--our favorite place to shop in Europe! You can always make a deal and find the most unique stuff from locals.

• You can't be here without hiking. Wherever there are ski resorts, there are hiking trails. Look for signs, or pop into a resort and ask the concierge where the trail heads are. The trails are well-maintained and can easily be done in a pair of running shoes.

However, that doesn't mean you aren't going to get out of breath! And bring lots and lots of water--it gets warm fast, and there aren't drinking fountains on the road.

One of our favorite adventures was we had been hiking for about an hour when we heard this strange noise in the distance that sounded like hundreds of wind chimes. We hiked for another 30 minutes and the sound got louder, but there was no sign of where it was coming from!

I had convinced myself we were in the middle of the Blair Witch Project and there was some freaky witch that lived in the woods, like the witch in Hansel & Gretel. Ashley thought it was a village of gnomes that make ceramic gnomes. Finally, we reached the end of the trail and saw dozens of cows with bells around their necks! It was just cows!

• The Dolomites are full of little towns nestled in the mountains 5-10minutes away from the next small town. This is why you need a car--there is only so much time you can spend in one tiny town and we had a week in the Dolomites. We hopped in the car and just started driving down the road, stopping at little towns. There are all sorts of stands on the side of the road that sell different foods and crafts. Plus, you can pull over to the side and get pictures next to the most beautiful views! One of our favorite spots was a little town called Male. We frequented a little pizzeria restaurante in Male. The staff spoke little-to-no English; though, they did ask if we spoke German. It didn't matter, the food was soooooo good!

There is an open-air market that sells fresh cheese! We bought a hunk of Brie and ate it as we continued to shop through the town.

• Male was also home to a miniature golf park. After finding it, we opted not to golf. Madonna di Campiglio is another ski town that looks more Austrian or German than Italian. It is the bigger of the towns that we went to, but was mostly good for shopping. The food was cheaper and better in the smaller towns.

Verona, Italy

Verona is fun afternoon trip located outside of Venice, Italy and the home to Shakespeare's Juliet. You can get to Verona by train from Venice, getting off at Verona's Porta Nuova. The walk to the Piazza Bra is about 15 minutes, but is on a busy street, so you can grab a bus or taxi into Piazza Bra.

Ashley and I braved the rental car and had a difficult time finding a place to park. You have to pay for parking everywhere you go. Just look for the parking attendant who walks around the parking lot. You have to wave him down to pay for parking (approx 1 Euro/hour).

You definitely want to have some cool walking shoes to hang out in Verona! After walking around Venice, with everything close together, walking around Verona will seem like you are walking miles and miles.

• We were there in early August and it was hot, hot, hot! With all the concrete around, it felt even hotter! I was glad to be in a shorts, crocs, and pigtails! We also scored some gelato in the Piazza Bra to keep us cooled off!

• When in Verona, you have to visit the Roman Arena. The cost to get in is around 4Euro/person (Opening Hours: 9.00am-7.00pm Tue-Sun, 1.45-7.30pm Mon). It is a cheap and less busy option to check out Roman ruins. The arena dates from first century B.C. and is still in use! You can catch a play or opera in this old arena.
  

• You can also opt to go to the House of Juliet, located one block off Piazza Erbe. The cost to get in is 3-4 Euro (I'd rather get more gelato). There is a bronze statue of Juliet that tourists rub the breast for a better love life. Ashley and I did not go to see a fake landmark of a fictional character.

We drove to Dimaro, just outside of Verona. We grabbed some lunch in the shade at a little place called Antica Cantina. The menu had tasty pizzas, and some crazy pizzas, like eggs & bacon pizza. I had artichoke pizza. There is nothing in Dimaro, as it is a town of 1200 people, but we stopped for some lunch on our road trip through northern Italy.

Venice, Italy

We stayed at the Antica Locanda Sturion-a hotel located on the Grand Canal, a stone's throw from the Rialto bridge. It's a bit pricy--though one of the lower cost options for a hotel on the Grand Canal, but we decided to splurge since we were coming from Sydney, Australia, and thought we needed the comfort. There are cheaper options for lodging in Venice.



Check out their live web cam of the Rialto Bridge! There is a fantastic continental breakfast included with your stay. This is no average continental breakfast; they served brei cheese, fresh fruit, yogurt and granola, and they serve a variety of tea and coffee.



However, you shoudl be warned that there are 4 flights of stairs that greet you as you enter the Antica Locanda Sturion.

St. Mark's Square (a.k.a. Piazza San Marco)

You can't go to Venice with out heading to St. Mark's Square! Here are a couple of our favorite things about Piazza San Marco:

• Caffe Florian--We enjoyed coffee at one of the oldest cafe's in Italy. Legend has it that the first cappuccino was served here. Ashley Ordered one for 7$! It had better be good! That's like 3 Cutters Point Cappuccinos!

• St. Mark's Basilica--It is free to get into the church, but there are a couple tricks to this amazing site! Thanks to our Rick Steves guide to Italy, we were able to bypass the 2-hour long line to get into the Basilica. Here is the secret:
• Backpacks are not allowed in the Basilica, so you can skip the line and check your backpack for FREE at the nearby Ateneo S. Basso (0pen Mon-Sat 9:30am-5:20pm; Sun 2:00pm-4:00pm)...Here is how you do it: From Piazetta dei Leoncini (to the left of the Basilica), head down Calle S. Basso, 2nd door on your right
• Leave your bag and pick up a tag; 2 people per tag are allowed into the basilica; just go to the front of the line to the gatekeeper and show them your tag.
• Shoulders must be covered! But ladies, if you are in Venice during a hot time of year, and want to wear a tank top, bring a pagmina or shawl with you to throw over your shoulders.
  



• Frari Church --This is a great place to see some amazing art, including Renaissance artists: Donatello, Titian, and Bellini. Plus, it is a cheap alternative to a museum with an entry fee of only 2.50Euro.



• Don't pay for an audio guide, but do eavesdrop on guided tours for some great information about these works of art.
• You must cover your shoulders when inside the church.
• It is one of the few places you can take pictures inside!

But we didn't just stop at the limits of Venice! We hopped in a rental car, not just any car, a Smart Car (to truly understand, you will have to click on the link to Smart Car and see the picture). We started to head west...

Padua (Padova)
Padua is near Venice and a fun stop for one night. You can visit St. Anthony's Basilica and see his 800-year-old tongue on display. St. Anthony is the patron saint of donkeys, pregnant women, and amputees among other things.One of our favorite activities in all of Italy was to eat pizza.

Verona- Home of Juliet (of Romeo and Juliet). This is not a town that is built for pedestrians. It is a long walk to get most places, but there is a wonderful clash of the old and new in the middle of Verona. We even got to check out out some ruins. Verona is a one-day stop (maybe just one afternoon).

Surviving an Overseas Flight

I am not a great flyer. I don't enjoy sitting in an airplane. I have a tendency to get airsick.

So, if anyone knows how to survive...it's me. Truly, Ashley has taught me how to travel better. Here are our tricks and tips on how to survive the long overseas flight:

• Drink water every chance you get. Every time you're in the airport grabbing a meal or being offered a drink in the airplane, ASK FOR WATER in addition to whatever else you are drinking. It is common for overseas travelers to get severly dehydrated, so drink lots and lots of water.

• Pack your carry-on survival kit. This includes clothing items to change into once the airplane has reached a cruising altitude (i.e. pajama pants, compression socks, a fleece). And don't forget to have a freezer bag with the clothing items you will want as soon as you land (i.e. clean underwear, clean socks, clean shirt) so that you don't feel like you are wearing the airplane.

• Sleep doesn't just happen. First, look at what time of day you are landing and plan your sleep on the airplane so that you can, as best as you can, adjust to the new time zone. Pack a sandwich bag in your carry-on that has: earplugs, headphones, a sleep mask. Ashley and I also include a sleep aid in that kit, such as Tylenol PM or Ambien--Check with your doctor before just taking either.

• IBuprofen is my lifesaver. It serves three purposes: 1) IBuprofen is an anti-inflammatory and helps keep the swelling in my feet down, 2) IBuprofen is a blood-thinner and helps prevent clots from forming while sitting for an extended period of time, and 3) IBuprofen helps relieve the pain in my neck and back from sitting in the plane. **Do not take IBuprofen with an empty or upset stomach and ask your doctor before taking any medication.

• Keep the blood moving. Traveling is hard on the body. I can be sore all over my body for a couple days after landing. It is less likely that you will be sore if you keep the blood moving by periodically getting up and walking around the plane and doing plane exercises in your seat.

• Consider packing some snacks like trail mix, a Snickers bar, or granola bars. If you, like me, get nauseated at the smell of airplane food, snacks are necessary. Like I said, my tummy gets uneasy, so I bring a sleeve of Saltine crackers. They help to settle my stomach and are a great snack to tie me over.

Padua, Italy

Padua (Padova) is 30 minutes from Venice, Italy. We stayed for a couple days and really enjoyed this piece of Italy that had much fewer tourists than Venice.

• There are great places to stay all over Padua for cheap prices--it is smart to ask your hotel if they have safe parking for a reasonable price. We were able to park our car at our hotel for 5Euro/day. Padua is small enough to walk around, so we felt safe leaving our rental car at the hotel.

• We stayed right across from St. Anthony's Basilica! We stayed at the Hotel Casa Del Pellegrino and decided to pay for the breakfast. You can get an even cheaper price if you do not want a private shower and toilet.

• But the big problem were the mosquitoes in our room. I had to sleep with the sheet over my head. For about 10-15 more Euro, check out Hotel al Fagiano or Hotel al Santo for possibly less mosquitoes.
  


• St. Anthony's Basilica--This is a beautiful landmark that is free to get into! The church is currently still in use and is full of Donatello's work.
• You get the chance to walk by St. Anthony's tomb while looking at marble-carved scenes from St. Anthony's life.
• Pilgrims leave pictures and letters to St. Anthony, asking for his intercession on their behalf.
• This is one of the few places where you can also view relics for free. Among the display is St. Anthony's tongue, jawbone, and vocal chords because he couldn't stop spreading the Gospel.
  
  
• Market Squares (Piazza delle Erbe & Piazza della Frutta)--These markets sit adjacent to each other. They have food, home goods, clothes, and more.
• Ask the locals what fruit is in season and buy some to snack on as you walk and shop!
• This is the goods for cheaper than tourist-filled Venice or the remote areas in the mountains. So save your shopping for Padua!

• When walking around Padua, we saw fliers for different events, including an evening jazz concert in the park. We took the flier down and brought it to the concierge at our hotel to get directions to the park. The pathway through the park to the concert was lit with candles and led us to the middle of the park. It was one of the most romantic experiences ever!