Terni, Italy

Anna and Giuseppe told me that they wanted to take me away on March 28th, but didn't tell me where we were going. They picked me up at 10am that morning and I never once questioned them.

This was from the top of the waterfall

They took me to a town called, Terni, about an hour south of Perugia. Here, there is a beautiful waterfall called Cascata delle Marmore. It is a particular waterfall because it has three different levels and it is man-made, created by the ancient Romans. It is the tallest man-made waterfall in the world at a height of 540 feet. The top section is the tallest of the three at about 270 feet.

The top section

Most of the time, the water is diverted to a hydroelectric power plant where it creates energy for the surrounding towns, however, for two hours each day (noon-1 and 4-5pm), they allow the water to flow in the falls themselves. We made it in time to see the falls at the top for about 15 minutes. It was interesting to watch the falls turn off and see the water slow.

We then drove around for a while looking for the "perfect" lunch spot.  We saw a sign for a restaurant, followed the signs, and ended up on a hill in the middle of the country in an outdoor restaurant.  The food was cheap and delicious!

After lunch, we hiked the trail from the bottom of the falls to the top. It was a beautiful path to the top and it was neat to see the falls from each of the levels.

It was really nice to get out of Rome for the day and spend some time in nature with the two of them...they're the best!  :)

Geneva, Switzerland

The day after I came back from Prague, Shelly and I were discussing where we wanted to go on our next adventure.  We have been wanting to go to Berlin for some time now, but flights were too expensive.  Shelly's been dying to go to Switzerland since she came and I never had a huge interest, but after some research, I decided, why not?! Probably 3 or 4 hours later, we had a flight booked and had found a place to stay.

What's not to love about water and sailboats and lights of the city

About the place to stay...Geneva is quite, no, really, expensive! I tried to find a hotel, but they were all 200+ euros/night and not even in an ideal location. I had once heard about a website called airbnb.com. I decided to check it out for this trip and see what I could find. What I found was a lovely apartment in the center of Geneva, near the lake, for a great price.  I was a bit skeptical and had 1,000 thoughts running in my head as to what could go wrong. It turned out to be the best decision i've ever made. We met Alex, the owner of the apartment when we arrived that Saturday morning.  She had baked us cupcakes, set out maps of the city and gave us a rundown of the best things to do before handing us over the keys and leaving us to her apartment for the weekend. She had a beautiful balcony off the bedroom with a view of the mountains...perfect for a glass of wine and some appetizers before dinner, of course.

Shelly and I in Quai du Mont Blanc

We had less than 48-hours in Geneva and I believe we made the best of it. The apartment was around the corner from Mont Blanc Square. We walked along the river and saw the famous Jet d'Eau fountain. First things first though, we stopped at Starbuck's to feed our addiction.

The famous Jet d'Eau fountain 

There were watch stores EVERYWHERE.  The security at some of the places was very intense.  Prices of these watches ranged from 100-100,000 swiss francs!! Throughout the city, I saw cars such as a Lamborghini, Maserati, Bentley, Rolls Royce, etc. It became quite clear, fast, that Geneva is a very wealthy city.  We were a little surprised to see a very low number of homeless people.

watches, watches, everywhere

We dined at a restaurant, Bains des Paquis on a small island in the Paquis quarter, where we stayed.  We shared a pot of swiss-cheese fondue and bread...to.die.for!

say, "CHEESE"

Sunday was a full day.  We walked in the Quai du Mont Blanc, a lakeside promenade with statues, flower gardens and views of Mont Blanc, although it was a bit foggy so not terribly clear to see.

The best I could do of Mont Blanc...not great 

We saw Maison Tavel, the oldest house in Geneva, dating back to the 14th century, as well as St. Pierre's Cathedral and the Parc des Bastions.

Parc des Bastions 

Of course we had to see the famous flower clock.  It's really interesting to see how they built a giant clock and planted all of the flowers around it.

Flower Clock

We took a walk through the Jardin Anglais and toured the Botanical Gardens.

Shelly and I under a weeping willow

Everywhere we go, we feel truly blessed for this adventure that we're on, but Geneva really struck a cord with us as to just how blessed we are.  Switzerland is an absolutely beautiful country.  This short trip was not spent in museums or learning a lot of history, but spent in nature and thanking God for his many blessings in our lives.

One of my favorites 

I love the reflection of the lights on the water

Prague, Czech Republic

The weekend after Perugia, mom and I flew to Prague, Czech Republic to meet up with Abby. Our flight landed before Abby's, but that was ok because the airport had a Starbuck's!!! I get very excited everytime I leave the country and get to have a CUP of coffee.  Don't get me wrong, Italian coffee is good, but I will always love Starbuck's.

Our Lady before Tyn-Old Town Square 

Our hotel was in a great location, around the corner from the main square called, Old Town Square. We had a drink and some appetizers at an outdoor restaurant in the square and got to see Our Lady before Tyn and the Astronomical Clock Tower by night; quite beautiful! We stumbled upon a jazz club that evening with a local Czech band that played songs in english.  They were really good!!

Jazz Club-Prague

Friday, we walked around the Easter markets in the square and bought a few souvenirs here and there. We walked to the top of the clock tower and took pictures of the city.  Every hour, there is a guy, dressed up in a jester-like costume who plays the trumpet from the top of the tower. I think we walked around the entire city and back that day.

view from the top of the Astronomical Clock Tower

We walked across the famous Charles Bridge and dined in a small restaurant along the river. We also tasted a typical Czech baked good called, Trdlo.  It is rolled dough cooked over the grill, topped with cinnamon & sugar...we got one each day, it was that good.

Charles Bridge with Prague Castle in the background

Atop the hill on the opposite side of where we stayed is the Prague Castle, the largest castle in the world, according to Guiness book of records. In the same vicinity is the Basilica of St. Vitus, as well as, Basilica St. George. We went inside Basilica St. Vitus, but not St. George because it was closing time.

St. Vitus Basilica 

The castle was closing so we didn't get the chance to go inside.  Instead, we stumbled upon the toy museum where the exhibition was Happy Birthday Barbie-50 years. It was a really neat museum to visit and see toys from different decades.

Mom and Abby at the top of the clock tower

Friday night, we took the metro to the movie theater and saw The Hunger Games.  In every country other than Italy, except maybe Spain too, movie theaters show films in original language with subtitles. We were all really excited to see the movie together since we have all read the books.

city street with tram 

Saturday morning, we ate crepes from the Easter market for breakfast.

munching on Crepes...nom nom

We went inside St. Michael's Basilica in the main square. We walked along the street with the most famous stores, window shopping, of course.

St Michael's and the top of Easter Market tents

We visited Josefstadt or Joseph's City-the Jewish ghetto. Six synagogues, a cemetery and the Jewish Town Hall still remain today.

Old-New Synagogue

Prague has a giant metronom atop one of its many hills. Abby and I walked to the top before our boat tour along the river. The hour-long boat tour showed us almost everything we had already seen, but it was nice to relax along the river and take pictures from a different view.

I love the colors of the building...view from the river

We even watched a few minutes of a puppet show at the Easter Market in Old Town Square that evening.

Puppet Show

Near the Charle's Bridge was a giant shopping mall.  We hadn't found too many boutique stores along the road.  Of course we had to get a few pieces of clothing to remember our trip to Prague :)

Astronomical Clock Tower-Old Town Square

That night, we were extremely exhausted after walking for HOURS.  We stumbled across a bar called, Bed Bar.  It's a bar that literally has beds.  You must take off your shoes and you lay back, relax and enjoy your drink...best.idea.ever!

Bed Bar

We ate dinner on the terrace of a hotel in Old Town Square and enjoyed our last view of the sites of the city before our departure the following morning.

Margarita's on the rooftop terrace