Eastern Europe, Hungary, Lithuania, Türkiye

2025 was an interesting travel year…

Featured photo is of Bill and me at our Advent market in Breckenheim… we sure did have a great year of travel in 2025!

Bill and I thought about going to the annual Wiesbaden Sternemarkt (Christmas market) over the weekend. Unfortunately, the weather was pretty grim– cold, wet, and when it wasn’t raining, a bit damp. I just didn’t feel like putting on clothes and venturing out into the chilly weather to walk around the crowds and see the same stuff they put out every year. Maybe we’ll go next weekend, or at some point during the week.

It’s been a pretty busy fall, though, so I think we both just wanted to relax. Bill has had a bunch of business trips lately. The last one, which was to the United States, ended last weekend. He decided to spend Saturday making a kimchi recipe from a book on fermenting foods that I bought him for Christmas last year. I spent my Saturday making a new Christmas themed parody song for my YouTube channel. And yesterday, we just kind of rested, watched videos, and watched our new neighbor moving into the newly vacated row house catty cornered to us. Hopefully, he won’t turn out to be a jerk. He’s already annoyed Bill by blocking our car.

Since we didn’t do anything special over the weekend, I decided today I’d write about our year in travel. 2025 turned out to be our year to visit Switzerland a bunch of times, but we also went to a few exotic places I’d been wanting to visit or re-visit. So here goes… our travel year, 2025. I didn’t include any day trips on this– it would have made the post too long!

*The bill at our first three star Michelin restaurant experience! It was worth every Swiss cent!*

Basel, Switzerland— January 2025

We decided to visit Basel, Switzerland as Trump was coming back to the White House. We chose Basel because it had been a city we’d wanted to visit for some time, and it’s convenient from the Frankfurt train station. I liked the idea of being in Switzerland, close to France and Germany. I also had a burning desire to visit Les Trois Rois, a fabulous old hotel on the Rhein (Rhine) River.

Switzerland seemed like a nice, calm, neutral, safe, and sane place to go, as Joe Biden left Washington, DC, and the orange pervert came back to terrorize us. I wanted to hope things wouldn’t get as bad as I imagined they’d be… Unfortunately, that hope was not to come to fruition, although so far, Bill and I are still doing okay.

Our trip to Basel was highlighted with a trip to our very first three star Michelin restaurant, Cheval Blanc, which was at the wonderful Les Trois Rois. I also remember getting scolded for taking off my coat in a museum, and eating a dinner decided by rolling dice and looking at tarot cards. It was a fun trip! I’d definitely go back.
Abruzzo, Italy, by way of Vico Morcote, Switzerland— March 2025

We decided to take a longer trip to Italy by way of Switzerland. Bill has a co-worker who bought property in Abruzzo, Italy, and he wanted to go down there to check out the area. Since Abruzzo is a ways from Wiesbaden, we stopped in Vico Morcote (near Lugano, Switzerland) on the way down.

On the way back, we spent a couple of nights in picturesque Vipiteno, Italy, which is right by the Austrian border. I had been to Vipiteno once before, on a day trip back in 2009 via a bus tour operated by the Edelweiss resort in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. I liked Vipiteno more on my own!

Will we buy property in Italy? Maybe… but other stuff happened this year that may affect that decision. I keep socking away money, just in case. Below is a photo from the vineyards owned by the hotel where we stayed. The Lugano area of Switzerland is very Italian, but much posher!

*A view of Lake Lugano from Vico Morcote, Switzerland*

3. Vilnius, Lithuania— June 2025

We decided to visit the former Soviet Republic of Lithuania, and the capital city of Vilnius, in particular, for my 53rd birthday. I believe it was a “champagne bucket” drawing winner. I had wanted to go to Lithuania because it was the one Baltic country Bill and I hadn’t yet visited, and because it was a former Soviet country. It turned out to be a really interesting place to visit! I especially enjoyed visiting the Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights, which eerily reminded me of what’s happening in the United States right now.

The city of Vilnius has a great beer culture, but they also have really excellent food! And there’s a lot to do, as well as good shopping. I also appreciated that it was cool in June, rather than sweltering hot like it was in Germany. I’d love to visit again and see some more of the country. I hope we’ll get the opportunity!

*This pink soup with a beet base turned out to be surprisingly delicious and refreshing! You can find this all over Vilnius!*

4. Zürich, Switzerland— June/July 2025

We spent a little over a week in the Seefeld area of Zürich because Bill wanted to take the summer session at the C.G. Jung Institute in nearby Küsnacht. There isn’t a lot of lodging in Küsnacht, which is more of a residential area, so we booked an Apart-Hotel in the city. It turned out to be a good place to stay, as it was very close to the lake, as well as lots of restaurants, museums, and the botanical gardens.

I spent several days mesmerized by the sight of the pristine blue lake, watching people swim, boat, do yoga, and hydrofoil. This wasn’t much of a pleasure trip, since Bill was in class all day. I did enjoy myself, though, as Switzerland is a very beautiful country, even if it is very expensive. Bill’s experiences during the summer session cemented his decision to apply to study at the Institute.

*A common scene on Lake Zürich in late June and early July. The lake is alive with activity! People liked my “Trump Sucks” t-shirt, too.*

5. Budapest, Hungary— September 2025

I went to Budapest with Bill in September. He was there on business, but I got to tag along with him and spend six nights walking around Hungary’s capital city once again. Our first visit there was in September 2009– it had been our last trip before we had to move back to the United States thanks to Bill’s narcissistic Army boss. That trip had been wonderful, although we stayed in a different part of the city in a much nicer hotel. This time, we were in the thick of the tourist area, but in a less excellent hotel.

I’m glad I had a chance to visit Budapest again, because I got a totally different view of it during our second visit. I also got a taste of the wonderful musicians in Hungary. I think I knew Hungary had a great music culture, but I heard it firsthand on this trip… and I even got to join in with one band!

*Budapest has lots to see and hear, even if you’re dining at a tourist trap!*

6. Küsnacht, Switzerland— October 2025

Bill decided to apply to study at the C.G. Jung Institute in Küsnacht, and part of the process of seeking admission involved being interviewed by three Jungian analysts. Two of the analysts Bill was assigned to speak to had offices in Zürich. In fact, they were located in Seefeld, the area where Bill and I stayed during the summer session! However, this time, we decided to stay in Küsnacht at the Sonne Hotel, which had been fully booked when we visited during the summer.

I booked us into one of the hotel’s best rooms, and I got a beautiful view of Lake Zürich. We also ate at several nice restaurants and took another lake cruise, which was just as idyllic in the fall as it was in the summer. This time, we were on a steamboat, which was a different experience.

Bill’s bid to study at the Jung Institute was successful, so I suspect we’ll get to visit this area lots of times. Or, at least we will as long as we’re living in Europe. If we have to go back to the States, I might not get to go so often. I’m glad we visited the quiet suburb of Küsnacht, though. It has a different vibe than the big city of Zürich has, even though it’s right next to it.

6. Istanbul (Maslak), Türkiye— November 2025

The day after our 23rd wedding anniversary, Bill had to go to Istanbul for another business trip. He invited me to go with him, which I was happy to do. This was my second visit to Istanbul. The first was in the summer of 1996, and was a lot less fancy than this trip was– although in the 90s, my friend and I stayed much closer to the tourist areas. Maslak is a business district, so it’s not so convenient for tourist purposes.

I still managed to have a pretty good time revisiting this fascinating city and seeing Taksim again, the area where my friend Elaine and I stayed in 1996. I’d like to go back to Istanbul with Bill and really do it right– see the tourist spots and pick up some cool souvenirs. But it was great to go back to Istanbul, even if it was just for a few days in the financial district. As usual, I learned new things.

*A dramatic shot of a seagull I got while watching hundreds of them descend on a mosque in search of food. It was very surreal!*

I don’t think we’re going anywhere else in 2025, but I’m already planning a trip to Stuttgart at the end of January 2026. Bill and I are overdue for dental cleanings. But– I have already found a new hotel with an exciting restaurant to try out in the suburb of Waiblingen, so there will something new in the blog then… and potentially even before then. We’ll see what happens!

Below is a gallery that sums up our year of travel in 2025… (or at least the travel I was part of– Bill went on a few work trips alone). Not bad, eh?

Hessen

We tried out Akropolis Restaurant in Erbenheim…

Although it is Memorial Day weekend, Bill has been working on a project at his job that took him away yesterday morning. To make it up to me, he decided to take me out to dinner at Akropolis Restaurant in Erbenheim, a suburb of Wiesbaden. We had never been to this restaurant before, and it had been awhile since our last Greek food repast. I was all for going out last night at first… but then, as the weather got gloomier and it threatened to rain, I kind of wished we were going to stay home and snuggle. Nevertheless, we went out, anyway.

Bill was fretting about the parking situation at the restaurant, which is located right next to a train stop. He needn’t have worried. There’s a little dirt lane by the restaurant where people park their cars, free of charge. The restaurant also has a very small lot with a few spaces specifically marked for patrons. We arrived just as the train was stopping.

The restaurant was doing a brisk business when we arrived last night. We had a choice of two tables. There was a two top by a stained glass window, or a three top by the wall. We went for the three top and used the extra chair for our jackets and my brand new purse. Below are a few shots of the neighborhood near the restaurant. I was eerily reminded of Vaihingen, near Stuttgart.

I really liked the art in the restaurant, especially where we were sitting. I even took a couple of photos. I was less impressed by the music, which was too loud for my taste, and sounded like Greek pop. I also didn’t like the chairs, which were well cushioned, but uncomfortably narrow, and they all had armrests. Granted, I am overweight, but so are a lot of other people… I’m sure if I was uncomfortable, other patrons have been uncomfortable, too. There was a larger man sitting behind me whom I’m sure didn’t like the chairs, either. That said, I guess I need to take more walks and drink less beer. Maybe my ass will get smaller.

*The tree art was especially interesting. It was textured. I’d like to hang that in our living room.*

Bill ordered a bottle of wine and a large bottle of sparkling water for us to share. For dinner, I ordered pork gyros with potato “chips” (more like soft medallions) and t’zatziki. Bill got the bifteki, which was a mixture of chopped beef, lamb, and vegetables stuffed with cheese. Both dishes came with a small, simple salad, which I really appreciated. Bill finished his dish, while I took about half of mine home. Maybe I’ll finish it today or tomorrow.

When it came time to pay, there was an issue with the credit card machine, which, for some reason, wouldn’t accept Bill’s card. Fortunately, he had enough cash to pay the check. I think it came to about 77 euros, or so. We killed the pain with a house shot of ouzo.

It was still daylight when we got home. We enjoyed the rest of the evening inside, listening to music. Today, it’s kind of cold and rainy. I liked the Akropolis Restaurant fine, although the chair was uncomfortable. After awhile, I didn’t notice it that much. If we go back, I’ll probably order a different dish, as the gyros were a little too seasoned for my taste.

I’m not sure what we’ll do today… perhaps we’ll visit post and price new mattresses. We REALLY need a new one, but our bed is an American king, and it’s hard to find those on the German economy. We bought our first bed and mattress together at the PX on Fort Belvoir, about 20 years ago. We still have that mattress. And we bought another bed set and mattress at a Haverty’s in Georgia back in 2009. That mattress is in dire need of replacement. It’s like sleeping in two valleys. But it may be a real pain to buy a mattress from AAFES (the PX), because it will probably have to be ordered, and that will take awhile. Plus, there’s the issue of getting it set up– I’m not sure if they offer a white glove service. We’ll investigate it, just the same. My back needs a break.

Below are a few photos I took of a beautiful yellow rose bush in my neighborhood. I love how Germans take care of their gardens and have so many beautiful flowers in the spring, even though it wreaks havoc on my allergies…

I also replaced my beautiful green leather purse this week– the one I bought in Florence, back in 2022. The strap on it needs repair. I ordered a brown version of the same purse from the same retailer in Florence, Pelleteria Fratellini. I like the brown purse, and it will probably go with more things… but I really love the green one. We’ll have to get the strap fixed. They didn’t have any green ones in stock when I looked last weekend.

I was amused to see that one of our neighbors was apparently getting rid of a desk. I happen to have an identical IKEA desk that I inherited from our very first German landlord in Ammerbuch. At the time, he worked for IBM, but he now works as a mental health therapist in Tübingen. We really liked him. Before we met our current landlord, he was the best landlord we’d ever had. I think he and Bill have a lot in common. I hope he’s doing well.

*This desk is just like mine, except it’s in better shape. My desk was originally purchased by our first German landlord.*

Well, that about does it for today’s post. Very soon, I’ll be planning our trip to Lithuania for my birthday. That will be exciting, because Lithuania is another country to cross off our bucket list. It will be the first time either of us have visited.

house hunting, Sundays, Ten Things I Learned

Ten things I learned on our first Abruzzo trip– 2025!

Yesterday, I finished writing the “blow by blow” blog series about our trip to Abruzzo in Italy. We went there to look around and see what the condition of the area is, and whether or not we might be able to live there, whether it be as vacationers, or as permanent residents. We also stopped for a couple of nights in the Lugano area of Switzerland and Colle Isarco, near the Austrian border. I like to wrap up my blog series with a top ten list of things I learned. So, here we go with my top ten list for this trip!

10. The word “mance” in Italian means tip or gratuity.
As a general rule, Italians aren’t all that big on tipping. When you go to a restaurant, they usually charge a coperto (cover charge) that amounts to 1 to 3 euros per person. When you settle the bill, you go to a cashier, rather than paying your server. That said, we saw evidence that some people do appreciate tips. When I spotted a jar by a register that read “Mance”, I figured it meant “tips”. I looked it up, and sure enough, I was right. Bill slipped the lady a ten euro note, which earned him a big, bright smile of appreciation. How refreshing!

9. There is an Eataly style AutoGrill near Parma that is pretty nice.
Back in 2008, Bill and I went to Italy together for the first time. It was his first time ever, and my first time since 1997. We stayed near Turin/Torino, which is where the big Italian food store “Eataly” was launched. Yes, we visited, and it was amazing, although we didn’t load up nearly enough. Since then, Eataly has grown by leaps and bounds. Now, if you travel on the Autostrada near Parma, you can enjoy an Eataly style meal. The stop is only eastbound, though. The westbound lane has a regular AutoGrill location.

8. Riposo or pennichella is still pretty serious in Abruzzo.
Riposo (mid afternoon break, perhaps more familiarly known as “siesta” to Americans) is a thing in a lot of Mediterranean countries, although some areas take it more seriously than others. I noticed when we were in Abruzzo, a lot of businesses and restaurants shut down at about 1:00 PM for riposo. They reopened at 3:00 or 4:00. It took some getting used to.

7. Pescara is a hectic, yet convenient, base city.
I had a hard time choosing where to stay in Abruzzo, since we were going down there to see little towns where houses might be for sale. I wound up choosing Pescara, which I found really hectic. We did get used to it somewhat, and it’s convenient to a lot of places in Abruzzo.

6. If you stay at the Relais Castello Morcote in Vico Morcote, Switzerland, you can visit a vineyard and get beautiful photos and views of Lake Lugano!
You can also buy some delicious wines that are from Switzerland.

5. The Centro Ovale in Switzerland, near the Italian border, is a cool looking building that is now defunct!
I don’t know how I never noticed that former shopping mall on previous trips to Italy. We’ve been through that border a few times, but this time was the first one I noticed the architectural wonder that took longer to build than it was actually open for business!

4. Campione d’Italia is an Italian exclave surrounded by Switzerland.
I had heard of Campione d’Italia before our trip because I happened to see a video about it on YouTube. I hadn’t necessarily planned to visit there, but when I noticed how close it was to our location in Switzerland, I decided we should check it out. I’m glad we did. It’s a very interesting place, with a mixture of Italian and Swiss features. It is, officially, Italy, but it is entirely physically separated from the rest of Italy by Switzerland. However, it doesn’t take long at all to get to mainland Italy from there. It’s easy to reach by car and bus, and it’s the home of Italy’s only casino (which is a huge eyesore)!

3. March is a nice time to visit Italy, although it’s still considered the “low season.”
Abruzzo has a lot to offer visitors. There’s the Adriatic Sea and the Appenine Mountains, as well as access to interesting Italian cities and the cool tiny country of San Marino, which I hope to visit sometime. But one thing I noticed that was nice was that there were no tourists around, and I didn’t hear any Americans! That might be because of where we were, but it’s probably also because it’s March!

2. We got stared at in the tiny towns we visited…
It was pretty obvious we were outsiders in Abruzzo. We’re both lacking olive complexions and dark hair and eyes. When we visited the cute town of Gissi, people stared at us with curiosity, rather than aggression or hostility. We were conspicuous. In another town, the reception from one local seemed a bit menacing, so we left. They probably pegged us as Germans.

And finally… 1. Vipiteno is a great place to visit on the way back to Germany…
Vipiteno is in Italy, but it used to be part of Austria. It feels like one is in Austria, even though one is in Italy. And it’s a really great place to buy souvenirs and eat good pizza. When I go to Italy, I like to go to grocery stores and load up on goodies as much as I like to shop for other stuff. We definitely did so on this trip, but Vipiteno was especially handy. They had a great gourmet store with lots of local delicacies. And, we also got to see some snow before we headed back home!

*Honorable mention that I almost forgot–
There are harness racing horses (pacers) trained in Abruzzo. I had no idea, and was shocked when we ran across people training them on a little used (but open) road! I didn’t see anyone riding horses, but I did see a couple of sulkies! As a horse lover, it was kind of a thrill for me. I miss having a horse, even just to pet and hang out with. I’d love to have some land with a donkey and a horse to spoil.

All in all, we had a really nice trip. I’m still not sure what the future will hold for us, but I’m glad we visited Abruzzo. It’s a very beautiful part of Italy, although I can see why they are eager to get some people to buy cheap property there. It’s fairly depressed and in need of some “new blood”. I liked it, though. Maybe we’ll have a chance to visit again!

adventure, house hunting

Onward and upward to Vipiteno, Italy… (part seven)

On Friday morning, Bill and I had breakfast a half hour earlier. We had requested it, because it’s quite a long haul to Vipiteno from Pescara. Carlo very kindly obliged us. After we ate, we paid him the tourist taxes for our four nights at his B&B and said goodbye. His wife was taking care of the Italian couple who had booked a room on our last night. I noticed she was much chattier with them, but that’s only natural. Maybe if we move to Italy, we’ll get fluent in the language… especially since there seem to be fewer English speakers in Italy than in Germany.

I have actually picked up some German after living here for so many years. However, it’s not that easy to learn German when so many people automatically seem to switch to English when they don’t hear a German accent. I can’t deny that just being in this country and hearing the language from locals, on YouTube ads, and the radio has led to picking up some words by osmosis. But practicing speaking it is more difficult. Maybe the widespread use of English is a detriment to us Americans– lots of books, movies, music, and video games are in English, after all. I was dumbfounded by how widespread English was when I went to Armenia. When I lived there, I definitely needed to know Armenian! That’s not as true today.

Anyway, we set off for Vipiteno before 9:00 AM. At first, we had really beautiful, sunny weather. I took lots of photos of the coast as we drove north. The Adriatic Sea is truly very beautiful and blue. I want to book a vacation in a beach town and enjoy it when the weather is warmer. I wish the guardrails in Italy weren’t so tall. There is so much beautiful scenery there, but it’s hard to capture it from a car.

The further north we drove, the cloudier the sky became. My German friend had warned me that there would be snow in the Alps. But for the first hours of our drive, the weather was clear, sunny, and fairly warm. Carlo had told us that it was unseasonably warm during our visit, as he prepared his garden and had construction of a new shed done on his property.

We stopped for gas at a station that overlooked the sea. I was amused when I entered a stall and saw a little sink in there. I guess it was a makeshift bidet (I almost wrote “makeshit”). Italians are big on bidets in their bathrooms, but it’s not so often that you find them in public restrooms!

I took a few more photos of interesting structures as we drove further north. It was getting close to lunchtime. I wished we were on the other side of the Autostrada, so we could have another lunch at Eataly. Instead, we stopped at a chain place called Sarni. I was immediately turned off by it because of the trash near the building. Then, when we walked inside, it smelled vaguely of urine, which turned me off. So, after a quick pit stop, we decided to keep driving.

We stopped at an AutoGrill, which was very crowded and had signs advertising how each parking spot had a webcam that would allow patrons to check on their cars while they ate in one of the food court restaurants. I wondered what prompted them to put in the cameras. And then, when we went into the place, I was turned off by how crowded, dirty, and hectic it was. I also didn’t see anything offered in the restaurants that was particularly appetizing, although I would have settled for something. But this time, Bill decided we’d keep driving.

*Yikes! What prompted them to install these?*

I was starting to get fatigued and grouchy as we reached the exit for Parma. Not long after that, the road changed, and we were on a different Autostrada heading for Brenner Pass. Bill spotted another AutoGrill. This one was the charm. Not only did it have a sit down restaurant that didn’t smell like pee, it also wasn’t super crowded. So we went in and enjoyed lunch, right at the point at which I was about to have a hangry meltdown. I had a burger and Bill had a chicken sandwich. I was impressed by the burger, which was tasty and juicy, even if it was pretty messy.

*But they will make you walk the gauntlet of junk food and toys before you exit the store!*

We were maybe two hours or so from our destination after we ate our late lunch. I was feeling less irritable, even though the weather got pretty yucky. You can see by the photos, we went from sunny and warm to cloudy and grim!

Finally, in the late afternoon, we arrived in Gossensass-Colle Isarco, which is a little village just outside of Vipiteno, which we drove past on our way to our Gasthaus, Hotel Erna. I’m not sure why I decided to book this particular property. It might have been because reviews mentioned that the scenery was pretty, parking is free, and the service was good. It’s a pleasant, three star establishment that had all we needed, but was not particularly fancy. Their restaurant wasn’t open because it’s the off season. Fortunately, there are a couple of little shops and restaurants within walking distance of the hotel. There’s also a train stop, and when you check in, they give you a card that allows free rides on public transportation.

I was actually invited in by the proprietor, as I had charged ahead of Bill without picking up any luggage. He had decided to bring it in instead of getting it after checking in. We were assigned a corner room with two balconies. Since it was getting dark and was cold and rainy, we decided to settle in for the night. Hotel Erna also has a tennis court. Bill said the court looked like it was Wimbledon style, with grass. I wonder what the story is behind a tennis court at this little unassuming hotel!

It would have been nice to have had dinner, but our late lunch filled us up… and the weather just didn’t invite us to venture out. Maybe if we go back to that area again, we’ll do it when Hotel Erna’s restaurant is open. It really does have a different feel… as everyone was speaking German, even though we were technically in Italy.

In the next post, I’ll write about our visit to Vipiteno/Sterzing. Stay tuned!

adventure, house hunting

A touristy day in Chieti… (part six)

For our last full day in Abruzzo, Bill and I decided to visit the city of Chieti. Our host, Carlo, had recommended the city, which is the capital of the province of Chieti in the Abruzzo region. After another hearty breakfast at the B&B, we set off for the city, which is atop a hill/mountain and offers beautiful views. There are some nice museums in Chieti, but we only visited one, and that was because I needed to pee. We parked in a public lot near a military “kaserne” and walked around.

Chieti is kind of gritty, with narrow streets and walkways. I got a sense that it was sort of a working class town, but there was a certain charm to it. Below are some photos…

*This cat was actually hanging out by our B&B in Pescara.*

The cathedral was very beautiful, with a large plaza outside of it. For some reason, graffiti artists decided to deface the walls on the other side of the cathedral. I don’t mind some graffiti, but it’s sad when it’s done to truly beautiful buildings. At least they were decent enough to leave the cathedral itself alone.

After we walked through the cathedral, we made our way down a busy street heading west, and soon found ourselves near the University Museum of Chieti. Here, we found a very cool museum with restrooms! I was glad for that! The entrance fee was reasonable, and the people running the museum were so nice. A lively class of Italian youngsters were having a field trip as we made our way through the many exhibits that showed off everything from taxidermy to medicines. They even had a few mummies in there, which we were requested not to photograph. They were behind a sheer red curtain. Below are some photos from the museum, which was not only interesting, but really allowed me some relief! Most of the descriptions were in Italian.

*This must have been the bus for the schoolkids.*

After we left the museum, we walked to another small chapel, where I got a few more photos, then noticed it was getting close to lunchtime. We were, on this day, determined to have a proper Italian lunch. However, the restaurant close to the museum smelled good, but was very crowded. So we walked out of that area, and started hunting for our midday repast.

*Another church with what appears to be a shrine.*

We finally saw what appeared to be a restaurant that could accept us. Bill went inside and asked if they were open. The waitress said yes, in twenty minutes. Then she took our reservation. She said it was necessary. We soon found out why! Apparently, La Tavernetta gets very busy at lunchtime. It certainly did when we visited…

We each had two courses, bread, wine, and fizzy water… and when we were finished, we were pretty full. Good thing we didn’t want dessert! When we left, there were people waiting to be seated! I had ravioli with tomato sauce. Bill had ravioli with mushroom sauce. And then we had tagliata– chicken for me, and veal for him. Bill made the cashier smile when he handed her ten euros as a mance (tip). Tipping isn’t a big thing in Italy, so ten euros was pretty generous. It was about twenty percent of the tab, which was surprisingly economical for all we consumed.

It was mid afternoon by the time we finished lunch, and we had limited time for parking, so we headed back to the car. On the way there, we stopped in another church…

*Seems like they take recycling seriously, except this thing was locked.*

Realizing that we’d be heading north the next day, we decided to stop by another grocery store for more goodies. I made sure to buy some candy for Bill’s grandkids, including a bag of Haribo “fried egg” gummies. Since eggs are so expensive in the United States right now, I figured it was appropriate.

*The boxed wines are very good, and a good deal. These have about three bottles worth of wine in them! We only brought one home.*

Although we had intended, on the last night, to go into Pescara for dinner, we were still too full from lunch to do so. So we stayed in and watched movies from the 80s– Lost in America, National Lampoon’s European Vacation, and The Incredible Shrinking Woman. Sometimes I really miss the 80s!

We had one last night in Pescara, then packed up our stuff and headed north to Vipiteno/Sterzing, where we would be trading in our sunny skies for snowy skies. More on that in the next Italy post!

adventure, house hunting

Bad vibes and beach views (part five)

On Wednesday morning, we got up and had breakfast– the very same as we had the day before. I notice in Italy, things get started a bit later. Breakfast started at eight o’clock at each of our lodgings, although at the B&B, we were requested to have it at 8:30 AM, due to kids going to school. It was not a big deal for us, although we usually rise early. I probably wouldn’t do that if I lived alone, but Bill is like a rooster, and he wakes up early most days. Then, by about nine in the evening, he can’t keep his eyes open anymore. I have repeatedly tried to get him to go to bed without me, but he refuses to do it.

We had big plans for Wednesday, having decided to visit another town called Castiglione Messer Marino. I had seen a villa there at a very good price that I liked a lot. I wanted to see what the town looked like. After we ate, we set off for our destination, which took us down the Autostrada and then on another, more rural road. I was enjoying the scenery, and we were on track to reach our destination at about 11:00 AM or so.

But then, Bill took a wrong turn, and that fucked up our journey for about an hour. We ended up on a very primitive road that sent us through some more towns, including one called Bomba. I kind of liked the look of Bomba, which was situated on a hillside. I took a few photos as we passed through. It was easy, because Bill was creeping behind an elderly man with no sense of urgency as he walked to his compact car. I couldn’t blame him. The town looked like the kind of place where people don’t feel the need to hurry.

After we left Bomba, we kept driving through the very rural countryside. At least an hour was added to our travel time. Both Bill and I were needing to pee, and it was getting close to lunchtime. But things appeared to be fairly dead in that part of Abruzzo, so we kept driving. I kept taking pictures. A lot of these look very similar, but the landscape was so striking that I felt like I had to keep taking photos.

We finally reached Castiglione Messer Marino, and I immediately didn’t like the look of the town. And then, we pulled into a parking lot near what appeared to be a school, and a rather aggressive looking man stepped out of what appeared to be a booth of some sort. He came near our car and seemed notice us. I got hinky vibes from him, and given that we were victims of shady folks in France once, I decided not to get out of the car. The guy gave off a belligerent aura.

Luckily, Bill agreed, and we kept going, at first to what turned out to be a closed restaurant, and then in another direction. Bill got out and did the European thing, peeing on the side of the road. I continued to wait for a toilet. Fortunately, we like the same kind of music and talking to each other… the weather was getting colder and rainy, so we headed back to a more populated area.

I’m not sure I will consider that villa anymore, even though it’s going for a very good price and looks pretty well kept. I just didn’t like the town’s vibe… It wasn’t just the belligerent aura from the stranger, but the overall feel of the place. And now, I wonder if the town is the reason why the price recently went down on that property. I also noticed there weren’t many trees there, which gave the area kind of a desolate quality.

We ended up heading toward San Salvo, which is a beach town. Bill pulled up to an open restaurant, which was a blessing, since I was getting pretty cranky. We were the only ones there for lunch, and we both had pasta dishes. I also availed myself of the ladies room… whew! The very young and kind server spoke some English, and we enjoyed Forst beers, which come from Bolzano. We encountered them in 2020, when we visited Parcines.

After lunch, we stopped by the beach so I could get a few photos. The weather was getting worse, so I hurried. I’m sure in the summer, that place is packed with people…

Once again, we stopped by a grocery store for snacks, because we had a somewhat late lunch, and because after our day’s driving on hairpin, primitive roads, we were just kind of ready to be in for the night. I love Italy, but it can be kind of overwhelming and chaotic!

So ends my report of Wednesday. I am glad we went to Castiglione Messer Marino, even though I doubt it will be our future home. If nothing else, I did get some good photos, and I liked some of the other little towns we passed through as we traveled to and from there. Maybe we will find something in one of those places.

adventure, house hunting

Our first look at RURAL Italy… (part four)

Tuesday morning, we had our first breakfast at the B&B. Carlo’s wife, Francesca, brought out cheese, cold cuts, slice bread, butter, water, coffee, and “cornettos” (basically Italian style croissants). I don’t enjoy the Italy version as much as I do the French and Belgian, because the Italian version is less buttery. But the cornettos are probably marginally healthier. They gave us plain ones and ones with marmalade.

After breakfast, we decided to drive to Gissi (pronounced Gee-see), a little hilltop hamlet I had noticed offered some inexpensive homes for sale. As I mentioned before, we weren’t looking at any specific properties. We were just in Abruzzo to look around and assess whether or not we’d want to buy property there.

On the way out of the neighborhood, we encountered two guys driving a horse. That was something I don’t see everyday, so I got a photo…

Little did we know, the above horse photo wouldn’t be the only one I’d be taking. The GPS sent us to a rural road where there was a traffic jam. We soon realized that there was a guy there trying to hitch a horse to a “sulky”, which is a type of “chariot” type vehicle used for harness racing. I didn’t know it before our visit to Abruzzo, but apparently, they train horses for harness racing there. Pretty country abounds…

Once we got past the horses, we found ourselves in some extremely beautiful scenery…

As we drove up a hillside, we saw the outskirts of Gissi, which turned out to be a beautiful little town. I could see myself living there and liking it, as long as we found the right property. There’s a big free parking lot in the middle of town.

Unfortunately, when it came time for lunch, we couldn’t find anything open. I suspect that it was because it was early March. Bill and I went to a Tigros Market (grocery store) and bought snacks. The market was very small, but had the essentials on two floors. It wasn’t ideal, but it got the job done for me, as my blood sugar suddenly bottomed out.

After we walked around Gissi, we decided to move on to Vasto, which is a beautiful city by the coast. I also really liked Vasto, and could see myself living there. It’s much bigger than Gissi is, of course, and offers restaurants and services. However, it’s important to note that siesta is still very much a thing in that part of Italy and others. Most everything shuts down at about 1:00 PM and stays closed for a couple of hours.

*Castles like this are all over the place…*

We were fortunate enough to find a restaurant, 12 Cantin, that was open for lunch in Vasto. They were playing music, which alerted us to their lunchtime availability. We were fortunate to find this eatery, as the food was excellent, and the service was very friendly. The waiter even gave me a hug when we were leaving! I had sea bream with vegetables and Bill had tuna. We probably should have had more courses.

We walked around a little bit more in Vasto. I got some more photos, and we lucked into an open public restroom that was even somewhat clean. Then, as the afternoon got later, we headed back to Pescara. We stopped to pick up some wine and snacks, and then decided we were in for the night. Again, after driving around all day, we weren’t really feeling like driving for dinner… and the B&B was not nearly any place we could walk to with ease… I think we will probably add Gissi and Vasto to our list of places where we might like to see properties. Both had their own unique charms, in different ways…

house hunting

Moving onward to Abruzzo… (part three)

Monday morning, we woke up to steady, cold rain. It would have been tempting to just stay in bed. But we had a long haul ahead of us, and I realized that morning that we had neglected to call the B&B where we were going to be staying and let them know of our plans. That had been specifically mentioned in the instructions when we booked Peperosa in Collina B&B, in Pescara, Italy. We were supposed to give 24 hours notice, but I forgot. It was Sunday, anyway.

With some gentle prodding from yours truly, Bill was convinced to call the proprietor of the B&B, Carlo, and let him know when we expected to arrive in Pescara. Then we had breakfast… more of the same delightful cold cuts, juices, cheeses, and breads, accompanied by perfect cappuccinos. Bill ordered six bottles of wine from Tenuta Castello di Morcote, and we settled the bill.

There was a neighbor of the hotel, picking up what appeared to be new shrubbery and landscaping. The truck belonging to the landscapers blocked the entrance to the hotel, so the receptionist asked them to move, so Bill could get our Volvo close to the door and collect our bags. The owner of the house retorted quite rudely to the receptionist, who came back in and was muttering in what I assume was an annoyed way. I couldn’t blame her. The neighbor seemed to be quite difficult and bitchy.

Nevertheless, we managed to load up our vehicle and got on our way south. Lugano is pretty close to the border with Italy, so it wasn’t long before we were passing what used to be a pretty cool looking shopping mall called Centro Ovale. I didn’t know what it was as we were passing it, but it was a very striking structure. I looked it up and learned that it took longer to build this former shopping center than its days as a functioning business. It closed several years ago, but it still managed to turn my head. I had to zoom way in on Google Earth to find out what it was. Luckily, there was a picture of a sign for a parking garage for this weird looking mall. I didn’t get a chance to take a photo.

After some time we decided to stop for lunch. We ended up at an AutoGrill turned Eataly branch. Bill and I visited the original Eataly food hall in Torino/Turin back in May 2008, when it was newly opened. It’s a really amazing place. Eataly now has locations in several different countries, including a few in the United States. Bill has also been to the one in New York City, which he managed to visit when he went there for a job interview in 2014.

Below are some photos from our drive…

Someone came up with a bright idea to marry an Italian AutoGrill stop with Eataly, so it offers Eataly’s products, a couple of fresh food options, and other cool stuff. AutoGrills usually have good food and free restrooms, but they also make you walk a gauntlet to get in and out. I didn’t mind doing that at the Eataly version. We picked up some stuff to bring home with us. This particular location doesn’t get the greatest ratings, but we had a good experience there. They have a broad range of food choices there, but we both had salads.

At some point near our lunch stop, I happened to notice a tractor trailer truck, decorated with the cast and setting of The Dukes of Hazzard. Italians are nuts about that show, as well as Little House on the Prairie. I noticed when we visited Italy in 2022 that both shows were airing during prime time. I didn’t see it aired during this visit, but the tractor trailer was a reminder. I ripped off a few photos, because I wasn’t quick enough to get shots of my own… Yes… I DID see this. It was BIZARRO.

After lunch we continued southward, stopping at another AutoGrill for gas and a pee break. There, I found a novel version of Ritter Sport, which is a German chocolate bar made in Waldenbuch, a suburb near Stuttgart.

*Never seen one of these in Germany. It was good.*

All the while, I was keeping Carlo apprised of our progress, as I watched the weather and landscape change. The sun was shining, and we got beautiful views of the blue Adriatic Sea, as well as mountains. We passed San Marino, which I would have loved to have visited, as it’s its own country outside of Italy. I didn’t get the best photos, unfortunately…

Finally, we arrived in Pescara at about six o’clock in the evening. Carlo had told us to go to an address, and then input a different address. Apparently, GPS isn’t reliable with his destination. Once we arrived, he opened the locking gate for us and welcomed us to his B&B, which appeared to also be his home. I had reserved the biggest and most expensive room, called “Country Chic”.

Carlo explained everything to us in English, and invited us to our new home for four nights… As you can see from the first photo, his place is near the airport.

By the time we were settled, it seemed like too much of a hassle to go out again. Pescara was a bit hectic as we drove in, with lots of traffic and people on bikes and motorcycles edging for space on the crowded streets. Our journey had taken hours, and we were tired, so we decided to eat snacks, drink wine, and watch TV. I wasn’t that impressed with Pescara at first, but the drive down was nice. The Adriatic Sea is BEAUTIFUL.

We were well rested for the excitement of the next day. Stay tuned for the next post on that.

house hunting, videos

Strolling through Swiss vineyards and visiting an Italian exclave… (part two)

Sunday morning, Bill and I went down to the restaurant/breakfast room for a continental repast. A very cheerful lady made us cappuccinos and we loaded up on the usual Italian goodies… cold cuts, fruit, breads, and I think there were also eggs. Bill enjoyed the cheeses, although I skipped that.

After breakfast, we decided to walk to the vineyards, a nice perk of staying at Relais Castello di Morcote, which owns the property. To get to the vineyards, we had to walk through the “town”, which was an unusual experience. Part of the walk involved passing through a narrow covered building, where people were also living. It’s hard to describe it, but I did get some photos, which might help give you an idea of what I mean.

*This was on the walk to the vineyards…*

We got confused by the first stroll into the town, because we were told we needed to open a gate on the edge of the village. The first gate we came to wasn’t the right one, so we went back and asked for clarification. We hadn’t walked far enough the first time. So we went back through the town, strolled past some very expensive looking homes, and eventually found the correct gate, ready to accept the code and let us in for a beautiful walk and amazing views…

At the top of the hillside, you will see the castle ruins, which are also open to visit. We were the only ones walking through the vineyards during our visit, so it was quiet and peaceful, and the scenery was so beautiful… I took lots of photos. I probably should embrace the idea of economy, but when you have such beautiful views, it’s hard not to get carried away.

After I took some pictures of Lake Lugano, we walked through the castle ruins, which I guess are now used for events. I marveled at how we had the whole place to ourselves. It was really nice to be able to explore without anyone supervising. I don’t think you’d ever find that in the States.

After we visited the vineyards, we decided to go to Campione d’Italia, a very special part of Italy that I first learned about after I saw a YouTube video…

A fascinating and entertaining video about a tiny piece of Italy that is totally surrounded by Switzerland…

Bill had never heard of Campione before I mentioned it to him on our recent trip. It so happened that the exclave was located very close to our lodging and is easily accessed by car. So we drove there and walked around… The first two photos below are in Switzerland, near our hotel. The rest are Campione, a little piece of Italy with a long, fascinating history that dates back centuries. Watch the video for the story!

When it came time for lunch, we stumbled into a very busy restaurant offering sushi and pizza. Ordering was interesting. Every table gets a tablet, and you just order through the tablet, rather than talking to a person. The pizza was pretty good, but the sushi might have been a better bet. The people who ran the restaurant were Asian and I noticed a lot of people were having sushi and loving it.

We passed what appeared to be a church turned art gallery. I would have liked to have stopped in and looked around, but we didn’t have time. Bill’s meter was about to run out. So we skipped the art gallery, and passed the enormous casino, which apparently is the only one in Italy. The video explains why this is so… It really is a monstrosity!

We stopped by a Swiss Coop grocery store on the way back to the hotel and picked up some provisions for the evening, since the restaurant was closed, and there weren’t any others nearby. We were able to order some wine and cold cuts from room service. On the way back to the hotel, we stopped by the church where the parking garage was. The inside was extremely beautiful. Bill lit a candle for his father.

I was reminded that we have driven through the Lugano area so many times on the way to Italy. It really was worth stopping in, although next time, I think we need to go to the actual city and check it out. It’s very beautiful there, although it’s a lot more expensive in Switzerland than it is in Italy. But then, Switzerland is also noticeably less gritty.

We turned in early, since Monday morning meant a long drive to Abruzzo, the region in Italy we were determined to see. More on that in the next post.

house hunting

An Italian style respite from the chaos…

Featured photo was taken in Gissi (pronounced Gee-see), a very cute little town in Abruzzo where I’ve seen properties for sale…

Hi everybody. We got back from Italy yesterday. I meant to start writing this series earlier today, but it happens to be the second anniversary of Arran’s death. Arran, as some of my regular readers might know, was a beloved canine family member. I spent a most of the morning making a video about him and our other rescue dogs of the past. Then I decided to record two songs. So it’s now 3:30 PM, I haven’t had lunch yet, and I’m just now getting started writing this first installment of our latest travel series.

This is a link for those who want to see the video about Arran. It has some cute clips in it. That’s also where you’ll find the songs.

Anyway… about our trip.

I have recently mentioned that Bill has a friend from work who bought two cheap apartments in Italy. Given the current political climate, and the fact that we’ve been in Europe for so long that it feels like home, Bill and I are thinking maybe we might stay in Europe… If they don’t kick us out due to Trump’s idiocy, that is.

Bill’s friend gave us a link to the real estate site where he found his apartments down in Abruzzo, a province that is a little more than halfway down the eastern side of Italy’s boot. Since Bill had some vacation time banked, we decided to drive down there to have a look around. We had never been to Abruzzo, so it would be a new location for us to explore. I told Bill that I wanted this trip to be strictly about checking out the area and the mood toward Americans, to see if buying property is something we might seriously consider.

I thought about flying to Abruzzo, since it’s a pretty stout drive from where we live in Germany. I couldn’t find any flights that didn’t cost an arm and a leg and weren’t terribly inconvenient. I also realized that we’d probably want to hit some Italian grocery stores and load up on culinary goods and presents for Bill’s grandchildren. So we planned for a road trip, with two night stops on the way down and back up. Yes, we could have just done overnights, but I like to spend at least two nights at our stops when we can, because I like to have the chance to look around.

For the longest time, I had been wanting to visit Lugano, Switzerland. It just never worked out. We either didn’t have time, or I talked myself into continuing on to Italy, where everything is much cheaper! This time, I did book us two nights in Switzerland, although we didn’t stay in Lugano. Instead, we stayed at a beautiful hotel and winery in a little hamlet called Vico Morcote. The hotel where we stayed was once a convent, and has been beautifully renovated for guests who don’t want to be in the city.

I had a hard time choosing where we should stay in Abruzzo. I had been watching the real estate site for potential properties, but they weren’t necessarily all in the same areas. I ended up deciding on a B&B in Pescara, a decent sized city in Abruzzo that has views of the mountains and the Adriatic Sea. I was also very attracted to Ancona, which is a coastal city further north, but it would not have been convenient to our plans to stay up there.

Finally, on the way back to Germany, I remembered the charming commune of Vipiteno, which is also known as Sterzing. Vipiteno was once part of Austria, so German speakers might still call it Sterzing. Vipiteno is the Italian name for the town. I went there on a bus tour in 2009 and recalled that it was a very cute town, great for shopping. So I booked us at a small Gasthaus in the nearby hamlet of Colle Isarco.

We didn’t make any specific plans to see or do anything. The trip was strictly for exploring Abruzzo, relaxing a bit, and buying some stuff for Bill’s grandkids and our own pantry. All in all, we had a great time, as usual. We spent some money and I took many pictures, which I will share in this series.

I think I’ll take my time writing this travel series, since I don’t have a bunch of eager readers anymore. It helps keep the blog stats up when I slow down and spin the story. So, I hope you’ll join me as I share a blow by blow of our travels, lots of photos, new things I learned, and travel tips.

Below are three photos– one from each stop. It really was a very diverse trip, full of all kinds of weather and beautiful landscapes, which made packing and parking a bit challenging! Notice each place has a name that starts with a V!

Anyway, I’ll start writing the story in earnest tomorrow. Hope to see you back here then! I’ve got to stop messing with the computer and go have a snack before I pass out. Ciao!

The Traveling Overeducated Housewife

…the wanderings and ramblings of a boring housewife…

Tag Archives: Italy

2025 was an interesting travel year…

We tried out Akropolis Restaurant in Erbenheim…

Ten things I learned on our first Abruzzo trip– 2025!

Onward and upward to Vipiteno, Italy… (part seven)

A touristy day in Chieti… (part six)

Bad vibes and beach views (part five)

Our first look at RURAL Italy… (part four)

Moving onward to Abruzzo… (part three)

Strolling through Swiss vineyards and visiting an Italian exclave… (part two)

An Italian style respite from the chaos…