Wine tasting in Tuscany is very different from the typical experience in the United States. In the US, wine tasting is much like going to a bar. There’s a winery with a tasting room, or just the tasting room itself, where you can order a flight of preselected wines, or you can choose from a…
The days in San Gimignano blur together a little bit. Our goal was to really take time to relax, and with the heat that meant naps and hanging out at the pool. We did take some time to explore San Gimignano more. One of the best places we got gelato was at Gelateria Dondoli, which…
Arriving in the medieval city of San Gimignano
So far, nothing has quite felt so surreal as standing in front of Il Duomo in Florence. I had dreamed about seeing it in person for so long, that I felt like it was hard for me to process. Or perhaps, that was the heat. As hot as it had been in Switzerland, part of…
Part two of a day of adventures
After just three weeks of marriage, I watched my husband jump off a mountain. At least it was intentional. And with a parachute. And with an instructor. Paragliding over the Swiss Alps is definitely a memory I will cherish. There is something so calm and serene about it, as long as it doesn’t bother you…
A calm day hiking in the Swiss Alps
When we woke in Fiesch, we had no plans. I hadn’t researched much this far into the trip, thinking we would have time on planes and trains beforehand. It didn’t help that wifi and phone signal was spotty, and most of the websites for the Fietsch area were strictly in German, or had limited information…
Phillip gets a birthday card every year from his “Aunt” Olga that lives in the Netherlands. When I asked how they’re related, no one could say for sure, just that her last name is Van Reijn so must be through Phillip’s fathers’s mother. We meant to mail her a letter months earlier, but with wedding…
Our hotel in Amsterdam was weird and unexpected. I definitely should have read more reviews and info on their website. Some artist came in and decided to build rooms in what used to be a building lobby, or something similar, in varying themes. We arrived after midnight and after pushing the receptionist’s electronic alert button…