July 31, 2014

Mapping My Month: August 2014


Where do I even begin?

Bagni della Regina Giovanna, Punta del Capo, Italy
July brought so many travels and adventures, beginning with a whirlwind trip through Italy's Campania and Lazio regions and ending with a more relaxed fortnight in the heart of Germany's Bavaria.  We wandered the ancient streets of Pompeii; swam in the crystal clear water of Roman ruins in Punta del Capo just outside Sorrento; ascended Mt Vesuvius and stared down her steaming throat; experienced the unforgettably packed "cattle wagon" of the Circumvesuviana train line from Naples; got our feet dusty and worn in Rome, gawking over the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Pantheon, and various churches; pilgrimaged to St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican and marveled at masterpieces of artwork by Michelangelo, Raphael, Bernini, and others; reached euphoric levels after having the best gelato of my life on the Piazza Navona and otherwise enjoyed many delicious (and not-so delicious!) Italian dinners.  And this was just in the first seven days!

I also made sure to leave an unforgettable impression on those around us by "throwing" pizza on the floor in Pompeii, stepping on a gooey piece of gum in Sorrento, being baptized by a bird, elbowing a waiter in the groin, frying my hairdryer and our converter at our hotel in Rome.  To just name a few things!

Deutschland ist nummer eins!!!
But we arrived in Germany just in time to experience a World Cup win!  It's becoming our tradition to watch the final matches of the World Cup with our friends in Stuttgart.  Four years ago we celebrated a third place finish for Germany, but this time we were overjoyed to see Germany earn the Weltmeister title! 

We visited Strasbourg, France; drove up windy roads in the heart of the Schwarzwald (Black Forest); ate our fill of wurst and schnitzel; celebrated the Kinderzeche, one of Germany's oldest festivals, in Danny's German home town of Dinkelsbühl; experienced the festivities of a bierzelt (beer tent) with our Stuttgarter friends; toured the aldstadt of Nuremberg; and spent blissful hours on windy Bavarian roads and, of course, testing out our rental car's engine on the autobahn!

There were a few difficult moments, even fewer downright stressful ones, but overall it was a wonderful trip.  I'm still thinking in "Deunglish," feel terribly guilty because we're not (yet) sorting our trash here, but overall I am glad to be back home in the good ol' U.S. of A.  August will be a quieter month for us in comparison.  We may go on a camping/tubing trip for my birthday or spend a few weekends on the Northern Neck, but otherwise it's time to plump our bank accounts and start dreaming of the next big trip.  And, of course, start writing more in-depth posts about July's adventures!

How was your July?  And what's on the docket for August?

2 comments:

  1. Your trip sounds amazing!!!! Can't wait to hear about this gelato! I'm always on the lookout for the best.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What an action packed trip! Enjoy your 'Denglish' lifestyle for a little while longer ;)

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for stopping by! I'd love to hear your comments, feedback, and suggestions.