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The city of Florence casts an enchanting spell from the moment you arrive. As we strolled through the charming Oltrarno neighborhood, our home base for a few blissful days, the Renaissance romance of this Tuscan jewel enveloped us. With its winding cobblestone lanes, vibrant piazzas, and architectural masterpieces around every corner, Florence beckons you to embrace la dolce vita and lose yourself in her timeless beauty.
No visit to Florence is complete without paying homage to her unparalleled artistic legacy. We started at the world-renowned Uffizi Gallery, a treasure trove of Renaissance art housed in the former offices of the powerful Medici family. Tuesdays offer a unique opportunity – the gallery remains open until 10 pm, allowing you to savor the masterpieces in relative tranquility as the crowds dwindle.
Next, we experienced the awe-inspiring presence of Michelangelo’s David at the compact Accademia Gallery. Though photos cannot prepare you for the sculpture’s sheer monumentality, a guided tour provides invaluable context, enriching your appreciation for this Renaissance icon. Book your guided tour of the Accademia on Viator! Florence’s crown jewel is undoubtedly the magnificent Duomo complex. We marveled at the intricate marble facades, the famous baptistery doors, and the cavernous interior adorned with breathtaking frescoes. While the dome climb offers rewarding panoramic vistas, the experience of simply standing beneath Brunelleschi’s masterpiece is humbling enough.
For a different perspective, we trekked up to the Piazzale Michelangelo at sunset (top). This hilltop piazza rewards with sweeping views of Florence’s famed terracotta rooftops and the iconic Duomo, providing the perfect vantage point to bid “arrivederci” to this enchanting city.
In between immersing ourselves in art and history, we indulged in Florence’s celebrated cuisine. The hearty ribollita soup, luscious wild boar ragù over pappardelle, and the legendary bistecca alla Fiorentina (enormous T-bone steak) left us utterly sated. Be sure to sample the unsalted Tuscan bread – a quirky tradition born from historic salt conflicts – and the vin santo dessert wine with almond cookies for dipping.
While Florence’s cultural riches are endless, her true charm lies in wandering aimlessly, getting delightfully lost amid her captivating Renaissance splendor. As the famous quote reminds us, “He who goes to Florence and does not see the Duomo, does not see Florence.” But those who embrace the city’s enchanting rhythm will experience the very essence of Tuscan magic.
Thanks for stopping by! Check out our Go See Do Explore Podcast, available wherever you listen to podcasts. To read more about our Italian Adventure, check out our La Dolce Vita Trip Report. To read about some of our previous trips, visit my Trips Page. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page and follow me on Instagram! For my list of gadgets to make your travels easier, click here. To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page.
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The rumbling metro, the chaotic streets, the aroma of sizzling pizza dough – Naples grabs you from the moment you arrive and doesn’t let go. This boisterous city lives life at its own frenetic pace, daring you to get swept up in the beautiful madness of it all. And that’s exactly what we did on our latest Italian adventure.
After dropping our bags at the Airbnb in Naples’ historic Spanish Quarter, we hit the streets for a free walking tour. Our local guide warned us – Naples proudly pushes back against Italy’s love of rules and order. As we wove through the jam-packed lanes of the city center, dodging Vespas and trying not to get separated, we saw exactly what he meant. This place has an infectious, slightly anarchic energy that gets under your skin in the best way.
Inside the Church of Gesù Nuovo
The tour took us to a fascinating juxtaposition of two churches. Separated by the Piazza del Gesù Nuovo, the Gothic and Baroque buildings are a study in contrasts. One is starkly unadorned while the other is an exquisitely ornate, active house of worship. We couldn’t resist joining the flow of tourists shaking the hand of the iconic statue of the local doctor who cured so many Neapolitans. Even during Mass, the church hums with life and visitor foot traffic. It’s a place of faith, history, and openness all intertwined.
But you can’t visit Naples without indulging in the food – specifically, the pizza. In a private class, a chef named Danielle taught us the ins and outs of making an authentic Neapolitan pie. We learned to masterfully stretch and toss the dough, creating perfect, pillowy discs for baking in blistering hot wood-fired ovens. The pride Danielle took in his craft was contagious as we watched our margherita pizzas emerge, the crust tantalizingly charred with those coveted leopard spots. You can book your own Neapolitan Pizza Class here!
My Neapolitan Pizza!
The real revelation, though, came in the form of the appetizers – a simple bruschetta made with local San Marzano tomatoes grown in the fertile volcanic soil of Mount Vesuvius, and a plate of piping hot zeppole, fried dough puffs that put doughnuts to shame. We happily devoured both while sipping cold beverages and chatting with our new pizza-making friends.
If you find yourself in Naples, be sure to indulge in a cuoppo – a paper cone overflowing with an assortment of tiny fried delicacies. Ours was filled with bite-sized rice balls, fried dough puffs, mini arancini, and other molten treats that defied description but delighted every taste bud. It’s the perfect street food for fueling you through Naples’ chaotic charm.
Naples may be rough around the edges, but that’s exactly what makes it so vibrant and unforgettable. It’s a city that lives life to the fullest, that celebrates simple pleasures like amazing food and good company. So go ahead and get swept up in the beautiful pandemonium – you may leave a little disheveled, but oh so satisfied.
Thanks for stopping by! Check out our Go See Do Explore Podcast, available wherever you listen to podcasts. To read more about our Italian Adventure, check out our La Dolce Vita Trip Report. To read about some of our previous trips, visit my Trips Page. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page and follow me on Instagram! For my list of gadgets to make your travels easier, click here. To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page.
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The night before we left Vieques, we checked what time our rental car on the mainland had to be returned and realized that with the ferry ride and the drive back to the airport, we were cutting it very close. We tried to push our return time back, but the car was due to be rented out again shortly after we returned it. The ferry from Vieques ended up being delayed and we were worried the whole drive back to the airport. We ended up returning the car an hour and a half late. Luckily, they were very understanding and didn’t even charge us any extra. If you are visiting Puerto Rico and are looking for a reasonably priced car rental, check out AquiCoqui car sharing. It worked well for us!
We dropped off the car, but our time in Puerto Rico wasn’t over. We still had two days left to explore Old San Juan and that is not a city where you need a car to get around. We dropped off the rental car at the airport and took an Uber into the city.
To kill time until our Airbnb was ready, we hung out at Chocobar Cortés, a unique restaurant where every dish contains chocolate. We enjoyed it so much, we went back the next morning to try their breakfast! Chocolate Cortés has been making bean-to-bar chocolate since 1929. They opened their first restaurant in 2014 in Old San Juan and have since opened up additional restaurants in the Bronx and Condado. If you are looking for a unique restaurant in Old San Juan, I recommend you check it out, but beware that the wait can be long at times.
Even though this was our third time in Old San Juan, we wanted to get to know the city a little better so we took a Free Walking Tour. We discovered free walking tours in Europe and they are a great way to get to know the city without having to spend a lot of money on a tour. Just to be clear, free walking tours are not totally free. Participants are expected to tip what they think the tour was worth. Our guide took us around the city to places we had been before but we also got to see some new parts and we learned a lot about the history.
One place we got to explore on the tour was the Cathedral of Old San Juan, the oldest cathedral in the United States. The original cathedral was built in 1521. That building was destroyed by a hurricane and was rebuilt beginning in 1535 but was not completed until 1802. The beautiful cathedral contains the tomb of the explorer and founder of San Juan, Juan Ponce de León.
After our tour, we took some time walking Paseo del Morro, which goes around Castillo del Morro. One interesting thing about this area is that it is home to a cat rescue called Save a Gato. We spent our time walking the path and photographing the cats for the rescue so they could find homes for the cats. The National Park Service recently announced a plan to try to remove the cats from fort grounds so Save a Gato can use all the help it can get. To learn more about the organization, visit Saveagato.org.
Thanks for stopping by! Check out our NEW Go See Do Explore Podcast, available wherever you listen to podcasts. To read more about our time in Puerto Rico, check out my Circle Tour of the Island. To read about some of our previous trips, visit my Trips Page. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page and follow me on Instagram! For my list of gadgets to make your travels easier, click here. To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page.
We ended our time in Europe with a twelve-hour layover in Keflavik, Iceland. Out of all the crazy things we did on our trip to Europe, when I look back on our trip, this is the one thing that doesn’t seem real. We had a night flight from Madrid to Iceland that was so strange because the later it got, the lighter it got outside as we got closer to Iceland. I think I mentioned in my last post that it was very hot on our last day in Madrid (101°F). It was hot in the airport and it was hot on the plane, so I was still wearing shorts and sandals when we landed and I was OK being cold (40°F) as we walked from the airport to a rental car agency at 2 am.
Something to know if you are planning on exploring Iceland a little during a long layover, all the rental car agencies that we looked into require you to pay for a minimum of two days. If you want to explore on your own it won’t be cheap. If you land during the day, there are shuttles that will take you to the famous Blue Lagoon if that is what you want to do on your layover. There are not many other options when you land at 2 AM. So, we got into our very expensive rental car and drove to our expensive, lackluster, hotel where we crashed for a few hours and took VERY hot showers before heading out to see as much of Iceland as we could before it was time to go back to the airport and finally head home.
Road going by Kleifarvatn Lake
We found a guided driving tour of the Reykjanes Peninsula on the free app Locatify SmartGuide. It took us around the volcanic features, lakes, and hot springs and told us about the geology as well the some of the local legends about trolls and fairies. Our first stop was an overlook on Kleifarvatn, the largest lake on the Reykjanes Peninsula. The interesting think about Kleifarvatn is that most of the water comes from underground. The water level has diminished greatly since the Icelandic Earthquakes of 2000.
Gunnuhver Hot Springs
Our next stop was the Gunnuhver Hot Springs, a collection of mud pots and steam vents with an intense sulfur smell that took me right back to the hot springs of Yellowstone. The name Gunnuhver comes from a local legend about an angry ghost, Gudrun, who legend says, was trapped in a hot spring by a local priest 400 years ago. Iceland’s largest mud pool can be found at Gunnuhver and unlike the other geothermal areas in Iceland, the groundwater is 100% saltwater which gives a different look to it.
Our next stop was Krýsuvíkurkirkja, a historic church (above). It was built in 1857 and closed in 1929 but has since been used as a residence until being transferred to the National Museum. The original church burned down in 2010 but it has since been rebuilt in the historic manner.
One of the final stops of the trip was at the bridge between the continents (left). This is the place where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are pulling apart. Visitors can stand on a bridge separating the two plates. One side of the bridge has a sign that reads “Welcome to Europe” while the other says “Welcome to North America”. The giant fissure the bridge scales really drives home the tectonic theory that the plates are shifting a few centimeters each year.
After that, we headed back to the airport, dropped off our rental car, and flew home. Even though we got to the airport several hours early, we really didn’t wait around much at all. Since we were leaving the Schengen area (a group of 27 European countries where you don’t need to show your passport to cross their borders. This is the area that will be requiring a visa for Americans to visit at some point in the future) we had to go through passport control and additional security screenings. The boarding process was very complicated and involved multiple escalators and a bus to the plane. If you are flying out of Keflavik to a non-Schengen country, give yourself more time than you think you will need.
My one complaint about this experience is that Icelandair seems to be expanding its U.S. service faster than Keflavik Airport can support. It was very crowded in the area after passport control. There was only one set of bathrooms and one food option, but that seemed to be where all the people in the airport were. There weren’t even enough gates for all the flights. We had to be bussed out to our plane.
Overall, we had an amazing time in Iceland. I feel like we barely scratched the surface. If you are thinking about a trip to Iceland, be aware it is VERY expensive and it is not easy to convert Icelandic Kronas to U.S. Dollars in your head like it is with the Euro. The few meals we had there were pricey for what they were and the hotels were outrageous. The sights are unlike anything else I had ever seen, just make sure you budget appropriately for your time in Iceland or you may be in trouble.
Thanks for stopping by! This marks the end of my recap of our Cruising the Atlantic to Portugal and Spain trip report. Next week I will post a final recap, so keep your eyes out for that. To read about some of our previous trips, visit my Trips Page. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page and follow me on Instagram! For my list of gadgets to make your travels easier, click here. To see inside my camera bag, check out my updated Gear Page.
Some of the links below are affiliate links and as such, I earn a small commission from purchases that allow me to continue telling you my stories without costing you anything extra.
After our day in Porto, we woke up early the next morning and headed to the airport. We had an early morning flight to Madrid. I’ve heard that the Lisbon airport can be really busy but flying out of Porto (especially early in the morning) was a breeze. When we landed in Madrid, we took a cab to the train station and headed to Toledo.
Toledo train station
It was a quick thirty-minute train ride from Madrid making Toledo a popular day trip for people visiting the capital city. We decided to get our first taste of the city by walking from the train station to our Airbnb in old-town Toledo. Our Airbnb was probably one of the nicest Airbnbs I have ever stayed in. It felt like a luxury hotel room in a historic building right in the middle of Toledo and was very reasonably priced (which is the biggest reason why we chose to spend more time in Toledo than Madrid). I don’t get anything for recommending this, but if you are planning on visiting Toledo, I highly recommend staying at Emer’s Place! One of our favorite things about Toledo was how it emptied out in the evening after the day visitors left (much like Mackinac Island).
Toledo is known as the City of Three Cultures because throughout its history it has been inhabited by Christians, Muslims, and Jews. Buildings in the city date back to the 11th Century and the architecture is unlike anything I had seen before. I have since seen pictures of Jerusalem and that is the best comparison I can make. Walking down these narrow, brick roads (where unbelievably cars are allowed), Toledo didn’t feel like a real place. The only connections I could make were to Disney World, either Pirates of the Caribbean or the Morocco pavilion in Epcot.
It quickly became clear to me that most of the visitors to Toledo are from Spain. The only English-speaking tour I could find that worked in our schedule (and didn’t involve transportation to/from Madrid) was one of those double-decker bus tours, so that was how we got our first overview of the city. It wasn’t the best tour I’ve ever taken, but we learned the history of the city and got to stop at some great viewpoints around the city for pictures (above).
Chapel in the Cathedral
After our tour, we decided to explore the most recommended attraction in Toledo, the historic cathedral. The cathedral was completed in the 14th century on the site of a former mosque. The detail in the building is breathtaking and there is so much to see. We decided to do the free audio tour with our visit of the cathedral and it added a lot of information about the history and symbolism, but at times it was a little too much information for a non-Catholic like myself. Many people choose to take guided tours of the cathedral and I think that would be a great way to see the space, but I would choose one that guarantees a small group. A lot of the groups in the cathedral that we saw were so big they barely all fit together in each area. Look for tours like this private tour with transportation from Madrid on Viator. All-in-all, you cannot miss the awe-inspiring cathedral when you visit Toledo!
Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to stop by next week as I recount our day in Madrid! To read more about this trip, check out Cruising the Atlantic to Portugal and Spain trip report. To read about some of our previous trips, visit my Trips Page. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page and follow me on Instagram! For my list of gadgets to make your travels easier, click here. To see inside my camera bag, check out my updated Gear Page.
With half a day left in Lisbon, there was one last thing I wanted to see and that was the National Tile Museum. Portugal is known for its Azulejos, murals of painted tile, typically in shades of blue. The tiles are traditionally found on the interior and exterior of buildings to help keep the buildings cool in the summer heat. Visitors to the museum are taken through the history of the time from when it was introduced in the 15th century, to the classic blue-painted tiles of the 17th and 18th centuries, and more modern interpretations. I really enjoyed the panoramic landscape of Lisbon before the earthquake which was done entirely in Azueljos. It was very interesting the examine the differences in the city between then and now.
Like many buildings in Portugal, the building that now houses the Tile Museum was formerly a convent. I knew this before visiting, but it was still a shock to turn the corner and find this gold-plated church. We had already toured Jeronimo’s Monastery and the chapel at Pena Palace but the decorations in this church took my breath away. If you want to see awe-inspiring religious spaces on your trip to Lisbon, make sure to visit the Museu Nacional do Azulejo. If you have the Lisboa Card, admission to the Tile Museum is included.
After touring the museum, it was time to head to the train station. We took the Alfa Pendular (left) from Lisboa’s Oriente Station to Porto’s Campanhã train Station. The Alfa Pendular is Portugal’s high-speed train which is capable of hitting speeds of 220 km/hour (137 mph). The Alfa Pendular has tilting technology that allows the train to take curves faster. I was worried that the tilting would be uncomfortable, but I did not even notice it. It was a very smooth ride with beautiful views out the window. Before I knew it, we were in Porto with the below view just steps from our Airbnb!
Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to check back next week as I detail our tour of the Duoro Valley from Porto! To read more about this trip, check out Cruising the Atlantic to Portugal and Spain trip report. To read about some of our previous trips, visit my Trips Page. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page and follow me on Instagram! For my list of gadgets to make your travels easier, click here. To see inside my camera bag, check out my updated Gear Page.
Located just south of San Antonio, Texas, San Antonio Missions National Historic Park is made up of four Spanish missions built beginning in the mid 18th century to spread Christianity to the Native people of Texas. These missions are walled compounds featuring a beautiful, old, Catholic church and buildings where the priests and Native Americans lived. Altogether, the missions are the largest collection of Spanish Colonial architecture in the United States and are the only UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Texas.
The missions only stretch eight miles from the city and can be accessed by River Walk’s Mission Reach, a hiking and biking trail that allows you to visit the missions without needing a vehicle. If you’re not that athletic, there are bus tours of the missions as well as a self-guided driving tour. The missions are open daily and are free to visit.
We began exploring the missions at Mission San Jose (below) which is home to the park visitor center. When we visited at the end of December, the visitor center was closed but there were rangers stations at the door with maps and to answer questions about the park. They were also stamping the National Park passport for you.
Mission San José was founded in 1720 because Mission San Antonio de Valero (AKA The Alamo) had quickly become overcrowded with refugees when the East Texas Missions were closed. The building was built in 1768 from local limestone and still stands today. Of the four missions located within the park, this one is the biggest and most ornate. If you only have time to visit one of the missions, this is the one to see. It has the biggest grounds and you can see where the priests and the native people lived.
The second Mission on our mission tour was Mission San Juan (top). Mission San Juan Capistrano was originally built in 1716 in East Texas and was moved to San Antonio in 1731. Not to be confused with Mission San Juan Capistrano in California, the white exterior makes this mission different from the others on this tour. In 2012, a $2 million renovation project stabilized the foundation of the 300-year-old church.
Our third mission of the day was Mission Espada. Espada was originally built in 1690 near present-day Augusta and named San Francisco de los Tejas. Just like Mission San Juan, Espada was moved to its current location on Espada road and was given its current name in 1731. Many modern churches in the area based their architecture around Espada including St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Wimberley, Texas. Nearby, the Espada acequia and aqueduct are also managed by the Park Service and continue to bring water to the missions as well as nearby residents.
Located closest to the city, Mission Concepción was our fourth stop on our Mission tour. Misión Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción de Acuña was founded in 1716 in East Texas and was moved to its current location in 1731. In 1835, the Battle of Concepción was fought on the grounds and is believed to be the first battle in the Texas Revolution. In 2009-2010 the mission underwent extensive restoration projects and is now the best-preserved of the missions.
If you are planning to visit the missions, bear in mind that these churches are still in operation and hold masses on Sunday mornings. When we visited, we were not able to go inside Mission San Jose because there was a funeral. Luckily, it was on the way back to San Antonio and by the time we were on our way back to the city, the building was open again and we were able to see the beautiful interior of the sanctuary. For more information about the missions, visit VisitSanAntonio.com or the National Park Service.
Of course, there is one more mission in San Antonio, Mission San Antonio de Valero, more commonly known as The Alamo, I will share about final stop on our Mission Tour next week. To read more about this trip, visit the Texas Hill Country Road Trip Report. To read about some of our previous trips, click here. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page and follow me on Instagram! You can purchase prints on Etsy and Fine Art America. To see inside my camera bag, check out my updated Gear Page.
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