After taking a 15 minute ferry from Varenna to Bellagio to explore, I hopped on another ferry for a 15 minute ride to Mennagio. The scenic shore as we approached Mennagio.
I walked thru a hotel lobby to the pool…so pretty!
Lots and lots of lavender…
Sidewalk cafes…
More delicious Italian gelato!
p.s. If you’ve just began reading…I planned an 11 week, 5 European country, 21 accommodations solo trip from April – June of 2022. Photos were taken with my LG Velvet Android phone.
On one of the three days I stayed in Varenna at Lake Como, I took a 15 minute ferry (15 euros for all day) to Bellagio and then another 15 minutes to Menaggio. It was a full day of sightseeing. Bellagio was as beautiful as I’d heard. There were maybe a hundred steps to get up into the town and then I veered off to the other side of the lake and took another hundred steps down. I couldn’t wait to round another corner and see what delightful scene I would encounter. The weather was glorious and the sky and lake were so blue! I stopped to smell some honeysuckle as I wandered the streets.
There are lots of shops…
and outdoor cafes…
Goodbye Bellagio!
p.s. If you’ve just began reading…I planned an 11 week, 5 European country, 21 accommodations solo trip from April – June of 2022. Photos were taken with my LG Velvet Android phone.
After taking the Gotthard Panorama Express from Lucerne, Switzerland, I arrived in Varenna, Lake Como at 7:30pm. My lodging was located there, only a three minute walk to the train station and three minutes to the water. The next morning I did laundry in my washer, hung it to dry, purchased an all day ferry pass for €15, took a few photos in Varenna and then boarded a ferry for Bellagio (which I’ll cover tomorrow).
Varenna is charming.
The view of Varenna from one of the ferries.
Traveling solo has it’s pros and cons, like anything in life. Although this is a beautiful view, I didn’t sit around much. I was usually walking, exploring, and taking photographs.
p.s. If you’ve just began reading…I planned an 11 week, 5 European country, 21 accommodations solo trip from April – June of 2022. Photos were taken with my LG Velvet Android phone.
The Gotthard Panorama is an excursion that combines a 2 hr. 45 minute boat ride from Lucerne, Switzerland to Flüelen, where you take a 2 1/2 hr. train to Lugano, Switzerland. A first class ticket for the boat ride only costs 36 francs (which is half-price) if you have a Eurail pass.
The boat ride on Lake Lucerne is very scenic.
The small villages along the shoreline are so quaint.
The water is turquoise but appears green at certain angles and light.
Disembarking
Waiting in Flüelen for the train journey
Beautiful countryside and villages seen from the train.
I had two more trains to take before reaching my final destination…Varenna, Lake Como, Italy at 7:30pm.
p.s. If you’ve just began reading…I planned an 11 week, 5 European country, 21 accommodations solo trip from April – June of 2022. Photos were taken with my LG Velvet Android phone.
In June of this year, I flew from Chania, Crete at 6:20am to Zurich, Switzerland (with a connecting flight in Athens) arriving at 10:20am. An hour later I was on a 70 minute train from the Zurich Airport to Lucerne. I walked 10 minutes to my hotel, stored my luggage and went exploring.
The Chapel Bridge is very photogenic.
Since Covid-19, many establishments in the U.S. have created outdoor seating areas. I’ve always loved that about Europe.
The Lion Monument, or the Lion of Lucerne, was designed by Bertel Thorvaldsen and hewn in 1820–21 by Lukas Ahorn. It commemorates the Swiss Guards who were massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution.
Lake Lucerne is so pretty.
p.s. If you’ve just began reading…I planned an 11 week, 5 European country, 21 accommodations solo trip from April – June of 2022. Photos were taken with my LG Velvet Android phone.
I decided to fly from Santorini to the Airport in Chania, Crete instead of taking the ferry because the ferry stops about three hours away from Chania, the town I wanted to visit. I fell in love with Chania! It’s pedestrian only and the pathways are lined with outdoor cafes, flowers, and shops.
Old Venetian Port
This was just outside my hotel…
It’s so colorful!
Daily life…
I had tried Octopus once in Florida, but this was delicious!
Cats everywhere…
Sooo pretty…
p.s. If you’ve just began reading…I planned an 11 week, 5 European country, 21 accommodations solo trip from April – June of 2022. Photos were taken with my LG Velvet Android phone.
I mentioned my friend Rebecca who owns http://www.santorinilocaladventures.com in a previous post. She invited me to have lunch with her family while I was on Crete in June of this year. Her husband picked me up (and a couple of visiting relatives) from the city center and drove us about 40 minutes to their home in the country. It’s surrounded by olive trees. Rebecca told me that they don’t measure the land there by acreage but by olive trees and they have 450.
It was so nice meeting her family and seeing her again! The food was so fresh and amazing and included goat, lamb, rooster, pilafi, two salads, two potatoes, etc. and homemade wine. Of the eleven of us only three people didn’t speak English so it was fun to listen to a combination of Greek and English being spoken. They have goats and chickens and cats and dogs and her husband likes to go rabbit hunting with one of his dogs. Definitely one of the highlights of my Greek experience!
Rebecca and I
Her courtyard
The wine was flowing freely
The drive back home
p.s. If you’ve just began reading…I planned an 11 week, 5 European country, 21 accommodations solo trip from April – June of 2022. Photos were taken with my LG Velvet Android phone.
Rebecca, a friend that owns http://www.santorinilocaladventures.com invited me to a complimentary tour while I was on Santorini. It began in front of the Monastery of Agios Nikolaos, located between the villages of Firostefani and Imerovigli.
We strolled along Firostefani’s pathways, tasted local yummy food and spirits, and admired breathtaking views. Here was our group.
We tasted a variety of wines
The tour ended in Fira. It was a fun evening!
p.s. If you’ve just began reading…I planned an 11 week, 5 European country, 21 accommodations solo trip from April – June of 2022. Photos were taken with my LG Velvet Android phone.
My catamaran cruise was amazing! I booked the “Santorini: Catamaran Cruise with Lunch & Open Bar” cruise through Get Your Guide, but it was run by a local company, www.vistayachting.com. After being picked up at 2:15pm it took about an hour to pick up a number of other people scattered on the island, so I had a little tour of the island. My phone froze up and wouldn’t work or turn off before I left on the cruise, and I was worried that if it couldn’t be fixed, that my data might not be able to be transferred to a new phone. I decided not to worry about it and have fun on my cruise. I took my camera so I could have photos from the trip.
The “Captain”
We saw Red Beach from the boat, got up close to the volcano, and snorkeled near Mesa Pigadia beach. I made friends with a young couple from Denmark and did a mini photo shoot for them and another couple at sunset. I started a conversation with a couple from India, who live in London, and I asked him to take a look at my phone. He’s an engineer and he fixed it! I was so relieved I gave him a hug, after asking his wife if that was okay.
Mesa Pigadia Beach
There were snacks and drinks, dinner was delicious, and the scenery was stunning
It was a wonderful outing and the sunset was special!
p.s. If you’ve just began reading…I planned an 11 week, 5 European country, 21 accommodations solo trip from April – June of 2022. Photos were taken with my LG Velvet Android phone.
I took a two hour ferry from Mykonos (€80) to Santorini. Getting on and off the ferry is quite an experience, there are so many people. I had arranged transport through Get Your Guide for the 20 minute ride to my hotel, which was only a 10 minute walk into town. I went exploring the next day before going on a catamaran cruise (tomorrow’s post).
Santorini is dramatic and stunning! The cobalt blue sea is amazing! It’s a photographer’s playground.
I walked through Thera (Fira), almost to the 3 Bells of Fira. I kept wondering where are the pretty houses. I passed by lots of donkey dung. I had done so much research (months) for my 11 week trip especially concerning trains and 21 accommodations/18 day trips and everything else that I just assumed the pretty houses were here.
I finally asked a girl where they were and she said Oia. I saw a bus stop but it was faded and hard to read and she said to go back to Fira, to the bus station. I walked 2 miles total before taking the 8:30am bus, arriving at 8:55. The full size bus was packed.
I made good use of my time, taking paths up and down and back up again.
Here’s my hotel room. I had a patio with a view of the sea.
p.s. If you’ve just began reading…I planned an 11 week, 5 European country, 21 accommodations solo trip from April – June of 2022. Photos were taken with my LG Velvet Android phone.
There are lots of beaches to choose from on Mykonos and I chose Elia beach because it’s the longest stretch of Beach and there’s a bus (€4.6 r/t ) that leaves from the Old Port, which was a 15 min. walk from my hotel and takes about 25 minutes to get there. It actually stops in front of my hotel, but I wanted to see the Old Port anyway. After researching I knew there would be umbrellas and sun beds available for a fee (€25 per person). One side of the beach is gay-friendly and clothing optional. The water was cold but refreshing! I would have gone for a walk on the beach but after walking 300 miles according to my Fitbit since April 2nd, I thought I would just relax.
That morning I made reservations for dinner at Karavaki, located less than a 5 minutes walk from my hotel. I made the reservation for two because I thought they might not fit me in if I said one. While I was waiting for the bus at Elia Beach, I began talking with a man that was also waiting. His name was Olli. He’s from Finland, but splits his time between Belgium, where he works and a city south of Amsterdam where his children and other home is located. Anyway I mentioned my dinner reservation to him and said if he wanted to join me he could just show up. He asked for my phone number, which I gave to him. I told him if he decided to come he needed to be on time because I was going to tell them that my partner didn’t feel well. He arrived to the restaurant a few minutes before I arrived.
We had an enjoyable dinner and the view from the patio was amazing. I made it clear on the bus that I would be paying for my dinner but he insisted on taking care of the bill. That was his last day on the island for his vacation. He walked me back to my hotel and I showed him the steps he needed to go down to get to the Old Port area where his hotel was located (a 15 min. walk) He was afraid of getting lost and doesn’t use Google Maps so I had my hotel call him a taxi.
The view from our table
p.s. If you’ve just began reading…I planned an 11 week, 5 European country, 21 accommodations solo trip from April – June of 2022. Photos were taken with my LG Velvet Android phone.
It was the end of May of this year when I took four trains from Fussen and 3 ½ hours later I was at the Munich Airport for my flight to Mykonos. Side note about taking trains in Germany. Occasionally trains will split, meaning the front goes one way and the back would disengage at some point on the ride and go somewhere different. Since the scrolling messages on the platforms are in German, it’s wise to ask someone. It happened on one of the trains on my journey to the airport and numerous other rides I took during my almost two week stay.
I was picked up by my hotel’s shuttle and transported 10 minutes to my lodging. I’d only been to Greece once in 2010 for part of a day in Corfu while on a Mediterranean cruise. After checking in, I ordered a daiquiri from the pool bar (photos below) and walked 15 minutes round-trip to a grocery. Mykonos is lovely!
The Kato Mili, constructed in the 16th Century by the Venetians, are beautiful!
Little Venice Quarter
It was only a five minute walk downhill from my hotel to the center of town. My room was very nice.
The pool was so refreshing after a morning of exploring. The weather was perfect in the high 70’s.
My front patio and view.
That 13 euro daiquiri I mentioned.
p.s. If you’ve just began reading…I planned an 11 week, 5 European country, 21 accommodations solo trip from April – June of 2022. Photos were taken with my LG Velvet Android phone.
It was late May of this year when I took a short bus ride from the train station in Fussen at 8:05am to Neuschwanstein Castle. Actually the buses only go to the parking lot and then you can take a shuttle, horse drawn carriage, or walk up. I walked up and made my way to a hidden spot to take a few photos of Neuschwanstein. I discovered it through this blog. The Marienbrücke bridge is temporarily shut down so it came in handy. I tried to take a selfie but the lighting wasn’t good. It’s a little scary because you’re on the side of a cliff. After visiting Versailles and all of those Chateaus in Tours, France… I had no desire to go inside. I had also read that so much of it is closed off to the public that it’s kind of a let down.
If you walk to it, it’s uphill.
On the walk you pass this gorgeous view! You can see Hohenschwangau Castle on the right.
I rewarded myself later with these delicious German pastries.
p.s. If you’ve just began reading…I planned an 11 week, 5 European country, 21 accommodations solo trip from April – June of 2022. Photos were taken with my LG Velvet Android phone.
After spending one night each in five German towns along the Romantic Road or Romantische Straße, I boarded a train that took almost two hours to reach Fussen. Upon arrival I walked 5 minutes to my lodging for two nights, which was situated in the center of town, stored my luggage and began exploring. I was anxious to see the Neuschwanstein Castle, but wanted a fresh start the next day for that.
I walked a couple of miles which included going to Lechfall (shown below). It was raining and chilly.
A few of these photos are from the following day when it wasn’t rainy.
My lodging was in this building.
It was cute inside and even had Netflix. I hadn’t watched television in seven weeks, so I took advantage of it.
I slept here.
This was the view from my little apartment.
p.s. If you’ve just began reading…I planned an 11 week, 5 European country, 21 accommodations solo trip from April – June of 2022. Photos were taken with my LG Velvet Android phone.
I took two trains the morning I left Nordlingen for Augsburg, Germany. My room was ready early so I checked in and went exploring. It rained off and on as I explored one of Germany’s oldest cities, dating back to 15 BC when it was founded by the Romans. It seemed very progressive.
My first stop was the Fuggerei, the world’s oldest social settlement. In 1521 Jacob Függer the Rich founded this social settlement for Augsburgers in need. The yearly rent nowadays is still the equivalent of a Rhenish Guilder that is € 0,88. The tenants must be Catholic, have lived in Augsburg at least for two years, and be poor without being in debt, and must pray three times a day for the founders family.
Watch out for the trams if you visit…there are lots of them.
My last stop in Germany was Fussen, where the Neuschwanstein Castle is located (coming up tomorrow). I had spent one night in five towns, known as the Romantic Road or Romantische Straße.
p.s. If you’ve just began reading…I planned an 11 week, 5 European country, 21 accommodations solo trip from April – June of 2022. Photos were taken with my LG Velvet Android phone.
Sherry Lachelle Travels 