What comes to mind when you first think of Austria??
“The hills are alive… with THE SOUND OF MUSIC!”
That’s right. The Sound of Music was filmed in Austria, near Salzburg. Sadly, I couldn’t talk Michael into going on “The Sound of Music” tour, so instead we ‘tried’ to relax. (Big surprise, I know).
After biding farewell to my parents, we made our way to Interlaken. Michael has been to Interlaken on three other occasions, but always speaks so highly of it that I knew we had to make a stop there for some adventuring.
Canyoning with Outdoor Interlaken — Full video below, but the highlights can be found at 1:15, 3:10, 4:00, 6:50, and 7:20. That last one still makes my stomach flip!!
Zermatt.
Zermatt is known for one major attraction. And in my opinion, it’s one of the most popular attractions in the world, at least for mountaineers (or mouseketeers). THE MATTERHORN! Zermatt wasn’t in our original itinerary for Europe, but my parents were heading there after Cinque Terra so we decided to tag along.
Hiking Cinque Terra in Two Days.
Most travelers, including myself, dream of hiking Cinque Terra. If you’re in Italy, it’s a must-do at least once in your life. Here is my experience, and suggestions for next time…
Portovenere.
Cinque Terra has been on my Bucket List for a long time now. So, naturally, when my mom and step dad said they were coming to Italy and hiking Cinque Terra, we HAD to meet them! Plus, it had been seven months since I’ve seen them and some Mother Daughter time was long overdue!!
Michael and I started in Portovenere, which I highly recommend. It’s on the southern end, past the last towns in Cinque Terra.
Venice.
Like everywhere else in Europe, the last time I visited Venice was 15-years ago. I remember it being so beautiful and romantic, wishing I was older and excited to come back one day with my love.
How To: A Three-Day Amalfi Coast Road Trip.
Driving the Amalfi Coast has been a dream of ours for a long time. To say we were excited is an understatement. The Amalfi Coast is very compact and you can drive the entire thing in one day, although I highly recommend spending three days so you can relax and fully enjoy it. Here’s our experience…
An eight hour overnight train from Prague to Budapest was painless – Our own private room was definitely a treat. It was still hard to sleep with the loud noises and jolting movements, but it’s a nice way to save money on a hotel room!
In typical Michael and Deena fashion, we booked our flights from Norway to Prague only two days in advance. That meant we had high prices and three layovers for what would be a direct two-hour flight. Instead, SAS took us from Stavanger to Oslo to Stockholm to Prague. Ugh. #travelfail.
But we made it!
Everyone I talked to about Prague said how wonderfully romantic it is.
Sadly, I never quite had the “romantic” feeling… I’d attribute it to the crowds of tourists everywhere. Hard to feel the romance when you’re constantly running into selfie sticks.
We stayed in the Old City, which was the perfect location. Close to the main plazas, but far enough to avoid the noise of night life.
Throughout our quick two days, we explored the Old City and many plazas filled with tourists, music, and outdoor cafes…