Germany Road Trip
We took a road trip that started in Brussells, drove to Trier, Germany. Stopped at Munich, Germany and areas and then finished in Salzburg, Austria,
Porta Negra was a Roman gate of Trier, Germany. Like many old towns in Europe, Trier was surrounded by a wall with gates for entry. Many gates still are standing to this day. I really liked liked this one for the detail inside and the inner courtyard.
Above is the Fortress Hohensalzburg. An 11 century fortress that is huge with great views of the city of Salzburg from the roof.
Salzach river, right through the center of Salzburg, Austria. The old town of Salzburg is stuck between this river and the large hill that the Fortress sits on top of.
After a chilly trek up the road to the Fortress, The Burgschenke Tavern was a God send! With hot food and a spiked drink, we definitely needed it to warm up!
Italy 2022
The inside of the Coliseum Is like a labyrinth
It must have been spectacular to view with everything from seats to walkways all covered in white marble!
Everyone goes to see the Sistine Chapel, which is spectacular. But there is so much more to see. You aren’t allowed to take pictures of the Chapel but these are just one of the walls, and ceilings to view!
The Pantheon blew away my expectations. We had a guide that walked us through the entire place and told great stories. But his historic information was great too. All of the flooring is made up of marble. To the point of running the known world out of that color red marble. The ceiling is open to the weather, on purpose. Not only does the opening help to maintain the strength but it also helps clean the floor which is angled in such a way as to drain into little holes drilled into the marble as drainage holes. The lighting ia all natural but when the place was first built, they believe all those squares were filled with gold stars which would have sparkled against fire light at night. Making the whole ceiling look like the night sky!
Tiber river in the morning
Pompeiihas this haunting feeling. Not something that’s easy to get over. The roads themselves are fascinating in the fact that the Romans build side walks to use to cross over, leaving enough room for the wagons. The picture to the right is Mt Vesuvius in the clouds behind the Pompeii Forum. This would have been a two story forum with shops and people talking, yelling, selling their merchandise. Quite the bustling center.
Sorrento, Positano, and Capri
Capri Island is a wonderful, very quiet place, perfect for relaxing away from the bustle of life!
The island has a very long history, which I discovered in my research after I got to the island. There are many sights that draw people to the island but it’s so much more! On one side, east of the town of Capri, there are ancient Roman ruins called Villa Jovis and on the Anacapri side, the Vila Damecuta. Regretfully, I didn’t make it in time while the Villa Jovis was open. At the time I visited, it was only open till 4 pm and I just missed getting there during the time after having checked into our hotel and dropping off our bags. But I got some of my most favorite photos from trying to walk up to the Villa and then waiting till sunset started coming on.
I thought this view was magnificent! I don’t know but something about the way the island lights just complimented the last rays of the sunset!
Capri town square is different from any other place I’ve ever been. Firstly, all the roads are more walking paths rather than roads as we have come to know them. Most people visit with a carryon bag with wheels and cart them along the walkways up to the hotels or houses. There are walkways all over the island so you can walk from the harbor all the way to the top if you want to get your steps in for the day. Yes, I say this from experience! LOL I don’t recommend this if you’re hauling a suitcase though. I would stop and get the bus ticket to the top. It costs like 2 Euro and will save your thighs!
But remember: the car size road is limited. You will have to walk to the Square and then to your destination. There are little mini trucks that drive here with small 1 person cabs and little trunks to carry supplies.
Another place that we stumbled on by accident was Bagni Regina Giovanna. While researching, I had seen it and noted that it was just a little west of Sorrento but I had put it in my ‘if we have time’ list rather than the ‘must do’ list. I am so glad that we went! It’s beautiful here!
Saturnia
One of the interesting places that I had marked to go visit on this trip was Saturnia. Historically, this town has existed far longer than I can write about here but is very interesting! The picture to the right is the Roman road leading out of town.
There are two places you can enjoy the hot springs here. Both are right down the street from each other. And both have different qualities. The first is the Terme di Saturnia. This is shown in the picture that resembles a waterpark. It is similar to a waterpark but made for adults who want to relax, not children really. It’s a beautiful facility with multiple pools and places spread out into little groups. The thermal water enters at the front part of these pools and then spreads out through all the rest via these connecting streams or waterfalls. Really innovative design! The second is the Cascate del Mulino which is the picture of the waterfall around the building. When the stream of thermal water leaves Termi is carries down the stream to this cascading waterfall. It is still very warm and creates a lovely place to go swimming. We meet many Italian families there who were just taking a weekend day, swimming and picnicking with their families. The Termi did have a restaurant but we didn’t try it. Not because of any reason on their part, we just weren’t hungry yet. As a mom who can’t eat anywhere near what my 12 year old son can, I try to time things around his stomach while traveling and then limit my portions to small things I really want to try so we went up into town and tried a pizza and Aperol Spritz at Barakka, then finished with a small gelato. It was delicious!
The picture to the left shows the ancient map of Saturnia during Roman times. This town wasn’t considered a super important town at the time so the road you see above isn’t the widest but they did use the host springs for its health benefits.
