remembering Europe 2014

I have always loved taking pictures, but it was only when I started consciously travelling (I say ‘consciously’ because when I was much younger I didn’t appreciate it well enough) that I realized how much I enjoyed taking pictures of places. This post is about my favorite recollections of one of my first ‘conscious’ trips. Between April 21, 2014 – May 1, 2014 my mom and I traveled to Switzerland, Italy, Austria, and Germany to celebrate the canonization of Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII. For this trip I only used my Samsung Galaxy Note 2.

Switzerland

Les Diablerets

Before ascending via cable car to Glacier 3000

My 2nd favorite country of all time (just after Iceland which I visited in 2016). I remember seeing  vaaast fields of yellow flowers during our descent from the plane. It’s truly mesmerizing.

Me, taken by my mom!

We visited Geneva, Les Diablerets, and Lucerne. But my favorite would have to be the ski resort called Glacier 3000 in Les Diablerets of which I will be sharing photos of. In general I found the area of Les Diablerets to be more ‘isolated’ and quiet, surrounded by mountains, trees, and one way streets.

We went dog sledding too but it lasted for only about a minute.

Lucerne

Lucerne is really pretty. We visited a church right next to the Kapellbrücke Bridge and went people + swan watching for a bit. The weather was perfect. I imagine that this is a great place to be when you have nothing to do and just want to enjoy a chill day.

Italy

Milan

Mom out in the grounds of Hotel NH2 Milano which is where we stayed.

We had the most stops in this trip since it was also the main purpose of our travel. I don’t remember the order of the cities we visited, but let’s start with Milan.

The structure of Duomo di Milano. We heard mass inside too.

We also visited the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, which is a posh shopping complex. Shopping is my least favorite thing to do when travelling so I just walked around. It was here where I had the best gelato ever from Savini!

Rome

Tourists were packed around St. Peter’s Square when we visited the day before the Canonization of Pope John Paul II and Pope John XIII. We waited 3 hours to get inside the Basilica only to stay in for around 10 minutes so the line would keep moving. Not my favorite memory but it’s pretty unforgettable. Won’t deny the stunning architecture and the art of the place though! We attended the Canonization mass the next day (I’m amazed that I can actually say I heard Pope Francis I’s mass!)

Venice

Mom enjoying some ice cream!

It was gloomy and raining when we arrived in Venice so we couldn’t do much. We spent some time in Piazza San Marco eating and just looking around the pastel exteriors. Would love to revisit on a sunny day! I didn’t take much photos here either because of the weather. I also almost got robbed here lol.

Padua

We had a short stop in Padua hence the lack of photos. These are my favorite of the bunch though. I really like colorful buildings! Here, we just visited the Basilica of Saint Anthony.

Austria

Innsbruck

Hofburg Palace, Austria

Another short stop, we were here for less than a day!  Innsbruck evokes peaceful feelings. There are lots of gardens and the paths are made of cobblestone. I also met a few little girls who were riding their bikes around and a lady who owned a black mastiff.

Goldenes Dachl, Austria

Germany

Munich

Mom having a seat at the Palace grounds. Schlosspark Nymphenburg, Germany

Our tour operator took us to see a few places but my favorite would have to be Schlosspark Nymphenburg or Nymphenburg Palace. We didn’t get to go inside and explore, but we did wander around the grounds. We also visited BMW World and the Marienplatz Square for a few hours before we made our way to the airport.

Mom wandering around…

Accomodations
Switzerland
Les Diablerets Hôtel Les Sources, Les Diablerets (Suisse)
Italy
Milan NH Milano 2
Rome Mercure Hotel Roma West

Tour Agency Pacific Bound Travel & Tours c/o Pio Luistro
Shot with Samsung Galaxy Note 2

x Alexis