By motorcycle, we rolled through the sweeping hills of tuscany, relishing in the beauty of it all. In the area we drove around in, we could not find a soul who spoke English. But, as our hunger worsened, we ended up finding a restraunt where we just looked at a beautiful woman in her late fourties, maybe, pointed to our bellies and hoped she understood. She did. Thankfully. And around 10 minutes later came out with bread and a heaping pile of spaghetti.
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Firenze, Italy
My first time in Florence was back in 2010, when Anastasia and I first backpacked Europe. So, in early March, when Rob suprised me with a weekend trip to Florence to see Mumford and Sons play, I was absolutely thrilled to return to the historically rich city of Florence. What is really quite funny about this trip for me, was the fact that I intended to try and relive some of what Anastasia and I experienced with Rob. And, of course, that happened a bit, but I was totally taken aback at how big the city actually is and how little we saw before. It could also be the fact that this time around, Rob and I rented bikes, which just make a huge difference. You get to cover so much more by discovering a city by bike than you do by foot! In all, we spent three full days exploring the city, eating incredibly delicious food and drinking cheap but really tasty wine. The city was bustling and filled with life in every corner. Shopping, is of course the activity most tourist endeavor, but being on a budget we depressed my love for fashion and instead sought to see every corner of the city; which in the end, gave us both much more enthusiasm for life and this view from Piazza Michelangelo.
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Konings dag, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
In celebration of the birth of our King Willem Alexandar, we wear orange, drink loads, laugh with friends and dance dance dance. Last Konings Dag, I was tormented by a terrible stomach flu, so this year, we went all out. Inviting friends over to start the day with Mojitos and snacks, the day turned into night and the party still went on! Waterguns, pints, loompjes, and orange everything, oh yeah- our party pants!:) So much fun and I am so thankful for the amazing friends we have. Shout out to Dames Twee and Pusphaira.
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Pisa, Italy
I just had to try and make it stand up right, and considering my arms are weaklings, I went for using my legs.
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Eindhoven, The Netherlands
On February 12th, 2013, I made my official move to Eindhoven, The Netherlands to be with the man I love. And just like the culminating spring seasons of the Netherlands, my move similarily brought us to a place where we could mututally experience the first spring season of the seed of “us”.
I am so absolutely blessed to be forever paired with such a beautiful person. I appreciate everything about Rob, for the person he once was, is today, will be tomorrow and the rest of days. Everything about our lives together is seamless; loving him is as necessary and natural as breathing. Whatever obstacles come our way, we know we can face them together and work through them together. I am forever thankful for him and the love we share.
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Niagara Falls, New York
I think for all of those who ever see Niagara Falls, one thing comes to mind: power. The force at which the Niagara River pumps water from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario is almost inconcievable. But, obviously, this is why it is a world wonder. It has the highest flow rate of all the waterfalls in the world, making it so powerful and can crush most anything that comes under its direct passage. Not to mention, the fierce ice swords it forms. I can’t even say icicle here, because an icicle is too soft of a word for the products of the Niagara during winter. In all, my cousin Sara and I were totally in awe, freezing, but in awe.
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Meadville, Pennsylvania
Being that I am away from my family the majority of the time, unfortunately (I wish I could take them everywhere with me), I usually spend around a months time at home during the Christmas Season. Therefore, when someone in my family needed some help, I flew up to small town Meadville, Pennsylvania. Though it was just a three day trip, I knew some natural beauty was to be found there and that I could finall see where my grandfather was born and grew up. So with only really one free day, we went and explored northern nature, frozen lakes and made snow angels. The area was silent, peaceful, and slow; only the howl of the wind and tires on snow could be heard.
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Crested Butte, Colorado
Our Family Annual Ski holiday is something we all look forward to every year. Not only do we get to see the winsomeness of Colorado, but we get to spend time together- and that’s the best part.
Nature is beautiful in solitude, but if laughter from within rumbles in harmony with the sound of the wind and trees- that is when perfection is found.
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Houston, Texas, I do copy.
Every now and again, the opportunity arises to go home. And though I sometimes can rag on this city, it is home and it is actually intruiging in its own right.
From sky scrapers to slums, Houston is home to those from every walk of life; and as the 4th largest city in the United States- the appeal does make sense. Originally founded in 1836, the banks of the Bayou river provided health and wealth to those who ventured to stay. Today, it is home to fortune 500 companies, NASA, and many cultural institutions, which some 7 million people visit every year.
It is home. It is where I was raised. It is where my beautiful family lives. And it is where I am sure, one day I will return.
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The Matterhorn, Switzerland
Another solo trip to another mountain top. It is now December and I have only one week to prepare myself for leaving. How can I explain how the air here soothes my soul, how being one step away from the mountains brings the easy rhythm to my heart? The joy of independence and the pride I have for getting myself here. Switzerland, you are the piece of my independent heart. You have provided me a space to find myself, and for that, I am forever indebted to you.
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Chamonix, France
It is offically November. Only a little over a month left before the sand of time runs out for me here in Switzerland. I know many people go through this. I mean, if you have the grand opportunity to call Switzerland home, it is most definitely not something you ever want to give up. But, the Swiss, they are smart, and they will kick you a** straight out of dodge when your visa is up. And while there is a big part of my heart that is sad to leave here, I have so much to look forward to. And my trip to Chamonix with Rob was the best reminder of that.
So, at this point, Rob and I have basically been traveling every two weeks to see each other. Me to Amsterdam or him here, to Geneva. And with sun just about to shave off her warmth, we took the opportunity to go camping in Chamonix for the weekend. Since everything in Geneva is outrageously expensive, it was up to Rob to bring us the gear we would need to go camping and hiking for a weekend, and all (small laugh) in his carry on luggage. Easy jet was not happy about the tent steaks. But, we got them through. It probably was his smile that did that. We spent Friday evening packing our bags, enjoying eachothers company in my small closet apartment, and checking train times. We left as early as we could Saturday morning for our adventure. It took us most of day light to get there. I remember this, because we had only about an hour and a half to find and set up camp. Rob was determined not to stay in a normal camp ground, so we headed up the trails. This is definitely not permitted. But, we found home hidden behind a large pine tree and some bush on someone’s private property. Home was green and lovely, with a morning view of the sun hitting Mont Blanc. During the evening, we made a small above ground fire, cooked sausages, drank whiskey and listened to music in the darkness. We kept saying, “how perfect.” Eventually, our tent was calling, so we crawled in for a winters nap, excited about what tomorrow would bring!
Waking up to Mont Blanc will most likely be one of the most memorable experiences of my time here. It was stunning. I love being outside, inhaling fresh cold mountain air, sipping tea and gearing up for a hike. It is quite possibly my favorite thing in the world. And our day’s hike did not disappoint. The above picture is what awaited us after 6 hours of hiking up.
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Jungfrau, where I fell in love with the world
At the end of our incredible journey as Mother and Daughter, I had to head back to work.
But, my Mom still had a few days to do some exploring herself. So- I sent her to no other destination than the Swiss Alps, for a view she just had to see. Jungfrau- The top of Europe. And though it took her from 7am-12am to complete the journey, I know she felt its worth.It’s a powerful rush and an enticing call to take a long stare into the beauty of the Swiss Alps. White crystals dancing on masses that can move even the most dim of all souls. Mother nature at her finest.
Back in 2011, it was these same mountains that moved me to a new explorative level. After seeing this sight, just as my Mom did on this day, a love for nature and the world bloomed inside of me. A spring that never fades into fall.
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Prague, The Czech Republic
Prague is a city for wayfarers; a city with boundless beauty best discovered by wandering up and down hills, through small alleys, amongst trees, and speaking to statues in frozen silence. What is still from the outside, is more than lively in its sentiments. Small dark windows with candles, shadows sitting next to mulled wine. It is captivating in its history and how entwined it once was with the now western world; Hitlers hideaway once he captured what he wanted. Today the veil is off and its beauty is for the world.
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Budapesht, Hungary
rriving in Budapesht was, in hindsight, really funny. First, let me say, that besides booking our hostel and getting tips from my Hungarian friend (Andrea), I really didn’t prepare for Budapesht. Like all of my travels, I expected it to be pretty simple to figure our way around. But, Budapesht was different. Well, our arrival anyways.
Upon arrival, like any other time, we stepped off the train and into the station, bags and directions in hand. So, I lead my Mom and we start following the directions step by step. The station is the oldest in Europe, we know now, so it was decrepit and a little scary. People were screaming at one another and gypsies, in their abundancy, were begging for money. We were told by Andrea not to flag down a taxi and Budapesht, as it is unsafe and we are most likely to get ripped off. So, we found the bus stop and hopped on. It all happened really fast, so I just supposed that it was headed into the city. But, it definitely was not. All of the sudden, we were way far outside the city and I had no clue what to do. I said to my Mom, “hey we are going the wrong way, let’s get off”. So, we did. As follows, we ended up sitting on the side of the road, lost, with no hungarian language skills- not even a self-help language book. My Mom did not like the idea, but I decided to ask a woman if she could help us find our way to our hostel. Not that either of us are judgemental, but it was a creepy part of town. Luckily, the woman was extremely helpful and called us a taxi to our destination. Of course, I didn’t have enough Forints to pay… gratefully the cabby accepted Euros. The whole experience tripped my Mom up a good bit. She hadn’t been to a city so tarnished before. Post-communism and the realities it created are still very real and felt. We did end up making it to our hostel, but it itself was unlike any other that I had ever stayed at before. It was a huge historic building, atramentous and blood curling. But, once we found the “front desk”, we did start to feel a bit better. Then we rushed off to dinner, having the receptionist order us a cab. The cab got us lost and drove for 45 minutes like lighting, for what would have been a ten minute drive. Eventually, we made it to the underground cave restaurant we had booked. Dinner, wine, and the good company all made our long day very worth it.
The picture above is of the Szechenyi Bathhouse. It is one of the largest Turkish bathhouses in Europe and located in the heart of the city; equipped with 15 indoor pools, 3 outdoor pools and 10 saunas. It was built in 1913. Szechenyi made for the perfect day of relaxation with my Mom. We loved it and we loved Hungary.
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Schonnbrunne Palace, Vienna, Austria
Schonnbrun Palace is a former imperial 1,441-room Rococo summer residence in Vienna, Austria. It is one of the most important cultural monuments in the country. Since the 1960s it has been one of the major tourist attractions in Vienna. The palace and gardens show the tastes and interests of Habsburg monarchs, who controlled territory from Austria to Slovenia, and parts of Germany and Itlay from 1860-1918.
On this day, we had an evening train ride planned to Budapesht, Hungary. So, we only had the morning to see the Palace and the Gardens. Had we planned it better, we would have stayed the entire day. BUT, that is traveling. Regardless, our time at the Schonnbrun was faultless.
We began our tour inside the Palace. And though the days of Sissy are long gone, one can’t help but imagine what life was like and how or if you could ever live in that time yourself. And if you did, what would it be like? I imagined someone brushing my hair, getting me dressed in the morning, serving me only the finest of things, bathing… man, what was bathing like? The clothing, days within the palace walls, strolls in the gardens, rumours of riots and war- only never to reach within. Crazy.
But I think my Mom really loved it. I know she loved the history to it. And I loved spending the day with her in such a beautiful place.
Another seemless day of travels. Growing both our minds and curiosity for the world.
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Wachau Valley, Vienna countryside, Austria
After spending a couple days in the city of Vienna, it was time to see what the outskirts had to offer. And we were definitely not disappointed. I always find that these days capture my soul. Being in nature, amidst the trees and wind; and on this day the Danube River.
We woke up early, around 6:30 am, got dressed and then went searching for the tour spot. After finding the group, we headed on a train to the Wachau valley. Once we had arrived, our group was led to a random building that held our bikes. We all suited up with bikes, helmets, rain gear and big smiles. The day was ours to make. In all, we rode probably about 20 miles on roads like the picture depicts, stopped at 3 small wineries (all family owned), and saw tons of incredible viewpoints of the Danube. Oh, and we hiked to the castle where Richard the LionHeart was held captive. History stories in nature. Such a wonderful day spent with my Mom and good friends.
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Vienna, Austria
After a day of exploring Vienna by foot, we decided to go to the famous Viennese Philahamonic Opera! It was sensational. The Opera House was completed in 1869 and in its opening premier, Mozart played Don Giovanni with Emporer Franz Jospeh and Empress Elisabeth (Sissi) present. You could feel the history present in the walls, the seats and in every note.
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She went to Paris
Mom and Daughter. The most treasured relationship. And this was our day:
4 am wake up. Plane from Geneva to Paris at 6:50. Land in Paris at 8. Train to Inner-City. Stops: Notre Dame, the Louvre, High Tea at LaDuree, Sacre Coeur Basillica, Montmartre Square, the Eiffel Tower, and then back to Geneve! ALL in ONE DAY!
It was unforgettable and we had so much fun!!!!!! I think she, as all do, fell in love with Paris.
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Moutain biking in Gstaad, Switzerland
Distinct Memory: Cher- “Allison I am going to kill you. No, I mean really KILL you.” ahhahhahahaha. Such an awesome day trip! She had not been on a bike in 30 years and then I take her for extreme moutain biking. It was also the first day she ever met Rob! What better way to get to know someone then going through physical pain and fear, right?
No but seriously, it was incredibly beautiful and an experience of a lifetime. I love her. I love him. And oh yes, besides the fear, cow shit flew in our faces:)
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My Mom made it to Geneva
I try to only post pictures of the places I go…BUT, this moment, the time I got to spend with my MOM, was unforgetable for me! She is THE most amazing woman I know and I was so proud and happy that she came! And shortly after her arrival, the fun began to unfold. First stop for us was Gstaad, then Paris, then Vienna, Budapesht and finally Prague.
Allison A Janssen 