The strangest moment came for me was when I was in Zambia looking over images on my camera – photos of desperately poor neighborhoods and malnourished children – and I scrolled back to photos of the Colosseum, Florence’s Basilica and plates of Italian pasta. And that was less than a week before.

I prefer deeper dives into a culture but I’m not one to turn down travel opportunities and so a couple of these trips were shorter than I would have liked. That’s OK – it just means I have to return to Europe and Africa. (Truth is, Jon and I fantasize about backpacking for months at a time in Europe, or Asia or… or… or…)

From my most recent travels, a roundup of some of my favorite photos…

The Parliament Building in Thimphu, Bhutan is typical of the architecture there. Though my 7th trip to the country, I think this was the first time I’d been to Bhutan when the cherry blossoms were out.

The Reclining Buddha in Bangkok is one of my favorite places to visit in the city. It’s immense at 140+ feet long and nearly 50 feet high and, amazingly, covered in gold leaf. The building just exudes peacefulness. Right behind the Buddha are 108 bowls in which you can drop small coins for good karma! Ommm.

I had been to Rome in 2000 and stayed in an area that was about a 30-minute walk from the Colosseum. It was mid-August and so freaking hot that I wasn’t very inclined to make my way back and forth to these ruins more than once.

On this last visit, we stayed in an apartment right across the street from the Colosseum. So we the benefit of seeing it morning noon and night (note to light sleepers, the foot and car traffic at night are kinda loud).

The view alone was beyond words, which made my trip to Zambia even more starkly different.

During our 12-hour layover in Frankfurt, Debbie and I took a train into town and wandered around (the first time to Germany for both of us!). We didn’t see too much during our brief time there but we indulged in some amazing pretzels (these were fresh and about .40 US/each).

Nope. I didn’t take this photo but I love it. When our visit to the Passports with Purpose library was winding down, I handed my little digital camera over to one of the students and she began snapping photos of her classmates. She was transformed by what she was creating and the kids became more animated than they were when I was taking the pictures. I wished I had thought to do this earlier but it could have easily become mayhem (in a good way, of course).

And, yes, I’m happy to be home in Seattle again (at least until mid-June when I had to Colorado and Santa Fe .

Travel Well,

Beth

Related links:
Zambia ~ Africa-light
Komboni Tour of Lusaka, Zambia
Florence, Italy ~ Photo of the Day
Renting an Apartment in Venice

Unfortunately, we had just 2 nights in Florence. Enough time to see some of the highlights and just barely soak up a bit of the amazing culture and art.

One of the most symbolic pieces of architecture in Florence is the Ponte Vecchio – the ancient bridge stretching across the Arno River. It’s believed that the bridge was first built in the 10th century and that it was destroyed and rebuilt numerous times since then. (The story goes that Hitler wouldn’t allow this bridge to be bombed during the war – he liked it so much – while all the surrounding bridges were destroyed.)

Today, the Ponte Vecchio is filled with high-end jewelry and antique shops. And tourists, of course.

The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, or Duomo as everyone calls it, is one of the most massive and impressive churches I’ve ever seen. The complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and even during April, considered the shoulder season, the square was packed with tourists. (I pity those who can only travel there during the summer – the crowds must be unimaginable.)

While you can’t not visit the iconic sites of any city, the charm lies in the “real” life of the locals. This artist had a tiny shop just off the main square. I loved the narrowness of the storefront. To me, there was a certain humbleness to the store, the artist and his work – something definitely missing in the huge souvenir shops around the main tourist areas.

We stayed in Florence courtesy of HouseTrip. These folks specialize in short stay rental properties around the world including apartments in Florence. We had a small but lovely place located 2 blocks from the Uffizi Gallery and the Ponte Vecchio. The best bakery in the city (I’ll swear by that) was located just up the street and we had everything we needed for a comfortable stay (including kitchen and Wifi). Check out this property if you’re looking for the most convenient location in the city

HouseTrip, by the way, has nearly 100,000 properties to choose from worldwide. Try ‘em next time you’re planning a vacation! Seriously. These folks are awesome!

Travel Well,

Beth

Related links:
Venice ~ Photo of the Day
Assisi, Italy ~ Photo of the Day
Life’s Short – Dessert in Italy

Despite having seen a gazillion photos, paintings and movies that feature the canals of Venice, I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around this city.

The audacity of its early residents to build the entire area on a lagoon! The city now consists of nearly 120 islands – all connected by footbridges and canals with public ferries and private taxis carrying people from place to place.

With an estimated 50,000 tourists a day, the narrow alleyways that wind through the city can be a bit overwhelming. (This is the shoulder season – I can’t even imagine navigating during the summer months!) But the architecture, food and atmosphere are worth it. Listening to the gondoliers singing to their clients as they ply through the water is an unforgettable sound.

When you look at Venice on a map, it seems huge. But wandering around for one day makes you realize that it’s a VERY walkable city. No cars. No motorbikes. Just footpaths (but lots of steps, for those wondering…).

I’m staying in a section of the city that’s relatively close to San Marco, where St. Mark’s church is located. In truth, I could be staying most anywhere and feel like I’m still close to everything. While I’ve couchsurfed before, this is the first time I’ve tested out staying in an apartment rental.

On this portion of my Italy adventure, I’m being hosted by Roomorama. These folks facilitate short-term apartment, home and room rentals. In my lovely place, I’ve got everything I need at my fingertips – kitchen, coffee, Wifi and a washing machine. Of course, a comfy bed, too. With all these amenities, why would I want/need a hotel room??

Bellisimo!

Travel Well,

Beth

Related links:
Assisi, Italy ~ Photo of the Day
Life’s Short – Dessert in Italy

I’m staying at Valle di Assisi Hotel located in a valley just a few miles from Assisi itself. Yesterday, a few of us who are here for the Travel Bloggers Unite conference, walked into town (someone calculated our roundtrip walk at about 9 miles!).

It’s been a long time since I’ve traveled in Italy (12 years, to be exact) and I forgot how everything is gorgeous. EVERYTHING. The green landscape. The ancient buildings. The food.

And Assisi charmed me right away.

There are lots of tourists here (and gelato and pizza) but there were also lots of little streets with no foot or motor traffic. It just took a few steps off the main drag to find them.

This is the view from Assisi proper down into the valley and on to another section of town. What this doesn’t show are the dark clouds that moved in shortly afterward that forced us to make a beeline back to our hotel before the skies opened up.

Charm. Charm. Charm. Charm. Charm.

I’ll be speaking at this travel blogging event on Sunday and then traveling around Italy for about 10 days – Venice, Florence and Rome, here I come!

Travel Well,

Beth

Remember that photo workshop in Hawaii I mentioned last week? I think it might have sunk in!

This is my 7th trip to Bhutan and while I never feel like I’ve seen it all, I do find myself taking fewer photos because I know what I’ve got in my stockpile already.

But on the first day of this trip, when I thought about snapping some pics, I started looking at things a bit differently. I took a few extra moments to look for a unique angle or perspective on things that I’ve seen at least 6 times already.

I caught the Parliament Building (above) through some Cherry Blossom trees. I might have had a better angle if I were a few inches taller because even holding the camera over my head, I couldn’t get the exact shot I was looking for (would have preferred fewer blossoms on the bottom).

I noticed this bowl hanging outside the temple of a nunnery in Thimphu. What I loved was that the links in the handle of the bowl matched those in the painting on the wall.

That was Day 1. We’ve got 10 more ahead of us on this Buddhism-focused tour to Bhutan.

Many more stories and photos to come…

Travel Well,

Beth

Related links:
Bhutan Laya Trek Photos (part II)
Bhutan Laya Trek Photos (part I)
Best Books on Bhutan