In August I had the great pleasure of soaking up some unparalleled views in the Dolomite Mountains in northern Italy. It's been a dream destination of mine since I first saw a picture of this incredible mountain range when I was in 7th grade. It lived up to all of my expectations and while I'll always be biased towards mountains, I'm convinced it's one of the most beautiful places in the world. My friends and I based ourselves in the small picturesque mountain town of Selva di Val Gardena. On day one Mother Nature delivered some lingering fog in the morning and followed up with a brewing storm that ominously made its way up the valley. We chose to hike close to town rather than risk getting hit while up on a high alpine meadow. Even so, the immediate views were idyllic. The next day we were met with gorgeous sunshine. After taking a 10-minute cable car partway up Seceda Mountain, we hiked around this incredible, windy, and colorful landscape and soaked up jaw-dropping views in every direction. On day three we took another cable car up to the Alpe di Siusi, Europe's highest high-altitude alpine meadow. In the US, I've typically trekked quite a few miles (and days) into the backcountry to get views that compared to these ones. It was mind-blowing to reach some of these views with minimal physical effort (and time). There are a few cable cars to choose from and a variety of trails to hike depending on the level of difficulty you're up for. Therefore, even those who are less physically able have the ability to access these views and even enjoy them over beer and a pretzel at a mountain hut . It was awe-inspiring on so many levels. Italy is already exceptional; it had nothing left to prove. However, visiting its mountainous northern region sealed the deal for me; it's now my favorite country to explore.
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Christopher Street Day, which takes place in many European cities throughout June-August, is held in remembrance of the Stonewall Riots in New York City. It serves as both a celebration and demonstration centering LGBTQ rights. The town hall (below) was decked out with rainbow flags and the streets were alive with Gay Pride. Some days you long for clear scenic mountain views, but the weather doesn't cooperate. On those misty days, you head to the mountains anyway, because Bavaria has some beautiful gorges to explore. You get to traverse them up close and personal, so the views are not dependent on ideal weather conditions. Partnachklamm, located near the ski town Garmisch-Partenkirchen, became a natural monument in 1912. A mountain stream slices through this breathtaking gorge, carving it as deep as 260 feet in some places. In the 18th century through the 1960's, this stream was utilized to transport logs down the valley. These logs, which were marked with an owner's symbol and pitched into the flooded stream in the spring, oftentimes got jammed in the gorge. Tragically, many men lost their lives freeing the logs in this unique landscape. The gorge remains open year round. I've heard it transforms into a winter wonderland as the temperature drops and ice starts building up around the walls. Worthy of another visit, for sure.
My friend Katrina visited and we took a quick tour of some of Germany's gems. Our first stop was Rothenberg ob der Tauber. This well preserved medieval town is very popular with US folks, but I was shocked to hear from two of my clients that they've never visited it (one hadn't even heard of it). A unique activity in Rothenberg is walking around the preserved city wall. We also stopped by the torture museum, which sounds horrendous, but it was actually quite interesting. This idyllic town is made even more charming by the colorful display of gorgeous flowers everywhere! Roses were thriving. There is no shortage of castles in Germany. While the magical Neuschwanstein Castle (think Disney) gets the most attention, I prefer heading to the Rhine River. I've heard that the Middle Rhine has the highest concentration of castles in the world and it's quite impressive. We spent the next day on the river, taking in views of the many castles along the banks and hopping off at towns when we wanted to hike closer to them. On our way back to Munich, we overnighted in Tübingen, a very chill university town that reminded me of Decorah, Iowa. Maybe it was the people walking around barefoot. During World War II this town lacked heavy industry and so the historic Altsstadt (old town) survived the war and is still intact today. We soaked up views of traditional half-timbered houses, cobblestone lanes, and wandering alleys. We were fortunate to catch a local choir rehearse while visiting the Stiftskirche, one of the first churchs to convert to Martin Luther's Protestant Church. Descending the tower stairs in this gothic church with music pouring up the stairwell made for a very Hogwarts moment. We enjoyed more music outside of the church where dozens of locals were gathered enjoying ice cream cones while listening and dancing to a student guitarist. Tübingen is known for its Stocherkähne punts, boats that carry up to 20 people. The river was full of these punts and we watched as two boats full of adults got in a fun water fight complete with someone jumping overboard. We returned to Munich where no trip is complete without a visit to a beer garden.
In early June we had a 3-day weekend, so we took the train to the southeast corner of Germany to explore Berchtesgaden National Park. This was our first experience camping in a German campground and we discovered a few things. Camping here seems to be more about squeezing in as many people as you can, and not at all about having a nice little spot complete with a picnic table and grill all to yourself. We were packed in so closely with other tents that we had to strategically place our tent lines around one another's. Thankfully nobody snored too loudly and at the end of the day, we were grateful just to have a spot to put up our tent.
The 3-day weekend was due to yet another religious holiday, Whit Monday. This holiday falls the day after Pentecost and basically serves as the public observance of Pentecost. On Sunday morning we were suddenly awakened around 4 am by what sounded like either a rock slide or dynamite in the mountains. We later found out that it was local shooting clubs observing the holiday and honoring the Holy Ghost by shooting off muzzle loaders. Of all the explanations for that abrupt wake-up call, I never could have invented this one. Berchtesgaden National Park provided the loveliest and most impressive mountain scenes yet in Germany. You can take a beautiful boat ride across Konigsee (King's Lake), Germany's third deepest lake, and disembark at the other end to hike to Obsersee. Both lakes, nestled in the mountains, were absolute stunning. There are countless trails in the region and a few cable cars to whisk you up to the peaks for gorgeous panoramic views. It is a breathtaking part of Germany. To round out our time in rural Italy, we visited Assisi, the birthplace of St. Francis. This patron saint of Italy is known for his love of animals and the environment. Born around 1182 to a wealthy Italian silk merchant and French noblewoman, his journey from living the lavish high life to renouncing his father and patrimony, to subsequently committing to a life of poverty and founding the Franciscan Order is inspirational. Prayer of Saint Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me bring love. Where there is offense, let me bring pardon. Where there is discord, let me bring union. Where there is error, let me bring truth. Where there is doubt, let me bring faith. Where there is despair, let me bring hope. Where there is darkness, let me bring your light. Where there is sadness, let me bring joy. O Master, let me not seek as much to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love, for it is in giving that one receives, it is in self-forgetting that one finds, it is in pardoning that one is pardoned, it is in dying that one is raised to eternal life. You may have the universe if I may have Italy. - Giuseppe Verdi After Cinque Terre we kind of skipped our way through crowded Florence and landed in Siena, a Tuscan hill town. Full of history, beautiful medieval buildings, and a gateway to the gorgeous Tuscan countryside, Siena was a delightful treasure. Ali took on the brave role of driving us around Tuscany one afternoon! (Since we've now lived in Germany for six months, Matt and I have to pass a German driving test to have a valid license - boo.) She did a FABULOUS job. We did have a tense jaunt through one small village. Wrong turns aren't usually very stressful, but they definitely are when they lead you up a steep hill with an ever narrowing road, a vehicle behind you, and a stick-shift driver in training. At one point if we'd all put our hands out the windows we would have been touching walls on both sides of the car. Ali was a champ and got us through unscathed!! My heart started beating again awhile afterwards.
On the northwest coast of Italy is the ever popular (especially with folks from the US) Cinque Terre. Comprised of five coastline villages connected by a small local train, ferries, and footpaths, this area is a gem. We based ourselves in Vernazza and spending the night within Cinque Terre meant having some more peace and quiet in the evenings once day trippers had left. Highlights included hiking the steep landscape full of forests and terraces, soaking up our first sustained sunshine, eating gelato and focaccia, and drinking tasty local wine. Yes, Cinque Terre is touristy. But it is totally worth it.
Venice, the most touristy place in the world, is still just completely magic to me. ~ Frances Mayes Venice. There's no denying why this magical destination attracts over 30 million tourists a year. The "Floating City", which was built on more than 100 islands, contains a dizzying maze of over 170 canals and 400 bridges. We wound our way around the city, taking in both the famous sites and getting off the beaten track far enough to feel the local vibe. At one point we came across young kids enjoying a pick-up soccer game in a church square. The game wildly ensued around those passing through as the athletes kicked their way towards the tombs on the church walls which were creatively serving as "goals". When we weren't walking, we took the local boat transportation (seen below) everywhere. It provided a fairly smooth ride and beautiful views of the city. We marveled at a trash collection boat and wondered about how different local life must be without wheels and handicap accessibility. While the city certainly benefits from tourism, it's also battling how to minimize the negative and sometimes disastrous effects of overtourism on its delicate environment. Unfortunately, this overcrowding is stifling Venetians to the point where some claim it's no longer enjoyable, or even feasible, for them to live in Venice. The city is sinking at a rate of 1-2 millimeters a year and the cost of maintaining homes keeps climbing. Venice's population has declined significantly and today's population is roughly 1/3 of what it was just 50 years ago. Some believe that Venice will eventually become a ghost town, existing purely for tourism.
One proposed solution to address overtourism is a controversial tourist tax that will require day-trippers to pay an entrance fee of 10 euros to visit the city during the high season (2-5 euros in the low season). While we paid a tourist tax on our lodging, this tax will target day-trippers, primarily cruise ship passengers. According to CNN Travel, around 32,000 cruise ship passengers visit Venice daily from April-October. The tourist tax is expected to start in September 2019. While it's not expected to actually deter people from visiting, the money would go towards addressing the city's infrastructure needs. Venice is not the only international city facing the burden of overtourism. My mom and sister visited Europe bound for Italy. But first, we detoured through Austria and took three trains and a ferry to visit the idyllic storybook town, Hallstatt. Before 1890, this town was even more remote, accessible only by foot and boat. Rick Steves first brought our attention to Hallstatt and it became a bucket list item (for a few of us). We had plenty of time to leisurely explore this outrageously picturesque town because the rain was relentless. Unfortunately, this meant no mountain hikes or trips up lifts to enjoy scenic views of the region from up above. Sometimes you're just at the mercy of the weather. Hallstatt was jam-packed with day trippers, but by the evening, it was deserted. Just as Cinque Terre would be full of tourists from the US, Hallstatt seemed to be popular with Chinese tourists. In fact, we learned that China even has its own replica of the entire village. Besides the pretty views, the highlight of this region was visiting the world's oldest known salt mine, today known as the Salzwelten. Archaeologists have uncovered local graves and the artifacts (which extend back to 1200 BC) have given them insight into Hallstatt's ancient history. Inside the mountains they even discovered a well preserved body (thanks to the salt!) and what is considered the oldest wooden staircase in Europe. Organized mining in the area took shape around 800 BC and the mine is still operating today. The "white gold" in the idyllic mountains, which would eventually make the community wealthy, was accidentally discovered by hunters who were following animals attracted to the salt. In addition to the interesting history, the cave included thrill rides! As we were putting on our mining clothes, we wondered why they included padded butts. The answer to this question came when we arrived at the wooden slides within the cave. Hallstatt proved to be so much more than a picturesque postcard and that made this destination much more interesting.
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