day 65 // sat march 17

Last up on our Italian spring break tour was Venice! For some reason Venice had a bit of a bad rep for us. Many people had told us, “it’s so touristy and expensive.” With all that being said, we made a choice to only spend a small amount of time here. (also because we only had 9 days and a realllll long list of things to see). I do wish we had more time in Venice, but very glad we spent a day there. Visually it was the most stunning for me—SO much texture and color. It is definitely a tourist city though, I heard more English speaking people than I have in awhile! The streets were jammed packed... I would hate to see it in the summer with nicer weather.

We spent most of our time in Venice getting lost in the narrow streets. It’s very easy to get lost, but so fun to see what you find. Always a new canal with new boats and buildings with new colors.

We had lunch at the place called CapaToast that had been haunting me all week! We saw one in Florence then in Rome, but never had the time to try it out. If you know me, you know I love a good sandwich. It was obviously a franchise since I had seen them in other Italian cities, but nonetheless the branding was nice... and sandwiches. Wade and I split a club sandwich with some fries. It had egg on it which is something I miss! Love me some scrambled eggs.

Then we took off to explore. First thing I found was a bakery in the Jewish quarter called Panificio Volpe Giovanni. I'm not sure what exactly we ordered but it was yummy! My pastry almost looked like a bread, but it was crunchy on the outside and cake-like in the middle. Delicious, but pricier than most pastries in Europe. We continued on and found our way to the main "path." This is hard to miss in Venice because literally everyone is filing through the streets. It started raining, but we toughed it out. Even through the rain the city and colors were stunning.

That evening for dinner we had some pizza at a more modern restaurant. We didn't want to sit for a fancy meal at this point in the day. After dinner we got one last serving on gelato before saying goodbye to Italy! I had a tiramisu with chunks of cookies and chocolate pieces. Wade and I decided we are going to bring a gelato shop to College Station, so be on the lookout–ha!

day 66 // sun march 18

We took another early train from Venice to Milan to Bergamo then a flight back to Bonn! I got a random croissant filled with cream in the Venice train station and it was the best croissant I’ve ever had. I immediately regretted not getting two... or three. It literally melted in my mouth. I wish I had another one right now, maybe multiple if we’re being honest.

The next few weeks are going to be jammed and I can’t wait. Next up is Barcelona to see Nathan Wheatley and family. Shoutout to Ms. Tina for letting us stay with you! <3

day 29 // fri feb 9th

Prague, oh Prague. You have stolen our hearts. Our first impression of Prague was much, much different than the vibe we got in Brussels. I came to Prague during my 2011 adventures and legitimately fractured my foot stepping off the train into Prague. Needless to say, I liked the city then, but it was slightly tarnished by the fact I had to hobble everywhere.

Wade and I flew to Prague via Eurowings for under €120 each. We were tempted with train tickets but they were more expensive and took way longer. We left the Bonn-Cologne airport at 1:55 and arrive in Prague at 2:55. So worth it.

Okay so preface: I had watched several YouTube videos about Prague and I kept seeing that you could get a traditional Czech meal for a good price at the cafeteria in the airport. It is where most of the employees eat, but is also open to the public. When we landed we were both starving so we thought we might as well try! It actually didn’t disappoint. I had a traditional Czech meal, which I couldn't pronounce. The total was around €10 for 2 meals, a piece of cake, and a soda. We left the airport via a short bus ride to the nearest metro line. Travel day passes were only around €5 a person, definitely a smart investment for this city! We got off the metro at our stop and it opened up to a beautiful square with a cathedral and the cutest line of buildings. We met our Airbnb host and he was very kind to show us the space. Nothing fancy, but the neighborhood made up for it tenfold.

We settled in for a little and then ventured out. Prague has amazing public transportation as mentioned above (like most all of Europe) but here specifically they have an above-ground tram, bus and metro system. All 3 of which are included in that €5 day pass. They also have the longest escalators I have ever seen! We hopped on the metro and took it a few stops down to Wenceslas Square. We wondered around a bit, bought some new socks for me-ha, and stumbled upon this big face sculpture that was pretty cool.

After a bit we decided we would head back to our neighborhood for dinner, but we took a tram back this time to see a little more of the city. We found a few good options, but we weren’t aware that almost all places here need a reservation. Boo! We finally picked a different place (it wasn’t our first choice) but it ended up being decent. Then we then found another little cafe to end the night with some dessert.

day 30 // sat feb 10th

You guys. I had a huge latte the next morning and it brought me so much joy. My morning coffee and quiet time are seriously the fave part of my day. We went to Costa which is a bigger chain of cafes (similar to Starbucks I’m guessing). I ordered a tiramisu latte and it was massive—it even had two handles! We enjoyed the slow morning and trekked to see some sights.

Wade and I’s travel style is to walk around and see what we find, hit the main points, then venture off the beaten path. We are also currently eating our way through Europe and I’m totally okay with that. We both lost quite a bit a weight last year, and don’t want to go nuts, but the food is SO good. Not to mention we average 10 miles a day on the weekend so I don’t feel too terrible. All of that to say, our weekend “to-do” lists include a few main sites per city, then really good food places! On that list today was Mr. HotDog. I found it via Instagram and knew I had to try it out. First all, I love hot dogs. Secondly, I love a good neon sign and look how cute! We then headed to the Lennon Wall, the Dancing House, Old Prague Square, Charles Bridge—all the main attractions. We had a pretty early night, just the way we like it.

day 31 // sun feb 11th

We woke up Sunday with 2 things on our agenda; the Prague Castle and eating at Eska. We took the metro to the castle stop then hiked, a for real hike through tiny streets, up to the top. The views were beautiful!

After the castle we headed off to find the restaurant I'd found online with pretty good reviews and a beautiful aesthetic. &&& Holy Moly! Eska was my favorite meal I’ve had in Europe so far. Here is a list of what we ordered:

Homemade sourdough bread with egg spread and radish
Sausages from Naše maso, mustard and a sweet horseradish
Crepes with homemade strawberry jam and soft curd cheese
Rosehip cappuccino—with homemade rosehip syrup that it was DELICIOUS.

day 28 // thurs feb 8th – day 32 // mon feb 12th

Karneval in Bonn!

On Thursday we met at the AIB to get everyone in the spirit of Karneval and to put the finishing touches on our costumes. They had music, face paint and Berliners (traditional Karneval goodies—aka jelly filled donuts).

We went to watch a parade in a neighbor of Bonn called Beuel. The parade was fun but so cold! We brought a bag to catch the massive amounts of candy that was thrown from the parade floats. I mean lots and lots of candy.

We got back from Prague on Sunday and Monday we went to the big Karneval Parade in Bonn. We met up with a few people from AIB and got a lot more goodies and more Hairbo than we could ever want or need-ha!

venice, italy.

prague, czech republic.