8/22
The last week has been very busy as Adam and I have bounced around Italy and I have had very few opportunities to sit down and write. In this time we’ve stopped in Trieste, Venice, and Florence. Being the peak of tourist season, we contributed to the huge crowds in the latter two cities. Trieste was relatively quiet and provided a good spot to stopover for a day following Slovenia.
As you might expect, we put quite a few miles on our feet as we tried to take in the sights in a limited amount of time. Luckily for me, my feet have gotten accustomed to this. Adam, on the other hand, has had to adjust pretty quickly and his feet are not as happy about it. The upside to all this walking is that Venice and Florence are great cities to explore on foot. Navigating narrow streets and alleys is as much a part of the experience as the museums and cathedrals.
I have finally activated my rail pass. I appreciate the relative comfort of a train after a month and a half of traveling mostly by bus. Possibly the biggest benefit of rail travel in this region is the scenery as you move from place to place. In a single trip I have been able to see both the Tuscan countryside and catch a glimpse of alpine South Tyrol, all while having space to spread out or walk around.
From Italy we are headed to Austria where we expect to spend a few days in Innsbruck followed by a few days in Salzburg with a possible daytrip to Liechtenstein. As always, our plans are fluid and only time will tell exactly what we do.