Firenze Day One The moment we stepped off the train it was clear, Florence is a completely different city from Rome. Still buzzing with beauty, Firenze (the Italian name) is calmer than Italy’s capital city. With museums full of priceless art, bicyclists-filled streets, Tuscan hills in the distance, and numerous bridges crossing the Arno River,…
Roma, or un sacco di gelato
Roma Day One The journey began with an overnight train to Rome. This may sound glamorous but really it means a restless night in a couchette; a six-bunk train compartment with “beds” akin to cheap couches. But any lack of sleep and discomfort was worth it once we reached Rome. The Mediterranean air and sunshine…
Great change made by great nations
In the heart of Europe, Austria is an ideal location for world unification. More than just geographically central, the small country also maintained a neutral political position after the Second World War. With these conditions in their favor, several international organizations have established main offices in the capital city of Vienna. Two of which, OPEC…
Ice can be nice
It is mid-winter, and just like at home Austria is cold and snowy in February. Each place I travel to is breathtaking in the snow, but I can’t help but imagine the beauty in the summer when the cafés sprawl into courtyards and the mountains are visible from miles away. That doesn’t mean the country…
Feeding of the mind and soul
After a Saturday of exploring, we were told to meet at Stephansplatz, or St. Stephen’s Cathedral, in the central part of the city. With our heads full of Viennese information and images, it was time to fill our bodies with the food of the culture. As a group of 29, we ate at the 12…
Here we go!
The adventure begins. After a rendezvous at BNA with family and friends, we left Nashville aboard an 8-hour flight to London — sleep was hardly an option on those narrow seats. Yet somehow, after a layover in Heathrow airport, we could hardly stay awake on our 2 hour flight to Vienna, Austria. We found our…
Find me some fudge!
Mackinac Island, a quaint island part of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Only accessible by boat, residents and visitors get around by biking, horse and carriage. No motorized vehicles can be found on the island, but what has a very prominent presence is the fudge. Practically every other storefront sells thick, sugary slices of the…
Just add chocolate
If chocolate truly is one of your favorite foods, then surely it makes every other food better. There are some classic combinations like peanut butter that satisfy the sweet-salty lovers. Others are more obscure like orange peel, a fruity and rich partnership, but somehow have worked for generations. Below I have listed a variety of…
Get away with chocolate
If you haven’t picked it up by now, chocolate can do much more than just tickle your tastebuds. Happiness by this sweet can come in many ways and people from all over the world have proven this. A true chocoholic looking for a relaxing getaway can now go to a spa for treatments involving their…
Throw some chocolate in that
Who says that chocolate is only for consumption? Creativity flows like a chocolate fountain when you abandon traditional ideas and go cocoa-crazy. Here is a short list of the many things that allow chocoholics to take their favorite food beyond the tongue. Toothpaste For years fluoride has been the favorite in dental hygiene, but the danger…
