Visiting Places That Suddenly Feel Like Home, Part 1

Since the worldwide pandemic started I haven't ventured further then a county passed where I live.  Needless to say I've been romanticizing past travels.  Reliving memories.  Looking over photos.  Heh, and going stir crazy.

What's always interesting when traveling is how some places, even after just a few hours, suddenly feel homie.  Familiar, even when those places are drastically different from everything I know here in the States.

While there are other places that don't really click.  It was a nice visit.  Glad I went.  But I'm ready to see something new.

Whereas the homie places I want to visit again and again.

(These recollections are from a pre-pandemic world)

Bath, England

I love this city so much.  It's very tourist friendly, since it's easy to get there by train or bus, and there's so much to see and do.  There's the historical stuff like the Roman Baths and the Assembly Rooms.  Seeing Pulteney Bridge from a distance is a must, and it's fun to walk across.  There's a hop on/hop off bus that goes on two different routes, which will hopefully be operational after the pandemic, going around the historic city and country.  So many charming shops with buildings spanning various styles and history.  Dining in The Pump Room is elegant and charming.  There's the Jane Austen Center for those who love Jane Austen.  Nice parks.  Views.  History.  Just so much to do.

The first time I stayed it was at the Apsley House Hotel in Bath, a Georgian House built in 1830 by the Duke of Wellington.  It's a Bed and Breakfast, about 1 1/2 miles from City Center.  Close to the hotel is a charming pub/restaurant with the best fish and chips next to the river.  The second time I stayed in Bath it was at the Apex City of Bath Hotel.  Reasonable prices.  Right in City Center.  Across the street is the Green Park Brasserie, which, simply, is the best food I've had on any trip.  So, so good.  And in the evenings there's jazz music.

Another nice thing about Bath is that you can easily visit Cardiff, Bristol, the Cotswold's, Cheddar Gorge, and the Stonehenge.

Cardiff, Wales

On my third trip to the British Isles my Mom and I wanted to visit Wales.  Cardiff is just a little over an hour train ride from Bath, and there's a lot of trains and buses going back and forth.  Easily accessible. 

Heh, okay.  So while in Bath the waiter at TGIF said he used to live in Cardiff and wondered what on Earth we were planning on doing, because there's nothing to do in Cardiff.  I started getting worried.  Were my Mom and I making a mistake in visiting!!??  I did research and it seemed like we would have no problem finding something to do.

So we get there, visit the castle after checking into the Holiday Inn, and really enjoyed the castle and the little tour.  The tour is worth it, and wasn't that much money.

But that night.  Oh, My, Goodness!!!  

Heh, so the Holiday Inn is next to the Rugby stadium, which is kinda a big deal there.  And there was a game.  That night there was a party going on in the room next to our room.  People coming in and out.  Door opening and shutting.  Loud music with beats.  Talking.  Etc.  Couldn't sleep, and I was still jet lagged.  At 2 am it quieted a little, only for the room on the other side of us to get a new occupant.  Must have been a single older guy, because he was drunk singing.  Loud.  Various swear words here and there.  After he fell asleep, around 4 am, the party guys came back to their room and cranked up the music.  My Mom and I didn't get any sleep that night.  I was really worried about our choice in visiting Cardiff.  Thankfully we got a new hotel room with less shared walls, right next to the elevator.  But I'll take elevator sounds over drunk singing and partying any day... and night!! 

Cardiff was a lot of fun, and there's tons to do!!  Silly TGIF waiter.   There's the castle.  All those shopping arcades which are a lot of fun to wander around.  Parks.  You can take a bus by water and land to the bay area where there's lots of restaurants and things to see.

We took a day trip to the Brecon Beacons which included Caerphilly Castle, seeing the countryside of south and central Wales.  We were suppose to do a day trip to the Gower Peninsula, but Cardiff city center was doing a no car day, so the tour was canceled.  I hope to return again to see the beautiful coast.

Bowness-on-Windermere, Lake District, England

The land of Beatrix Potter.  But also a beautiful lake and cute little village.  I've been here twice, but with both visits I was on a tour and the stop was really quick.  The first time was about an hour, and all I really experienced was walking where the lake is and visiting places along the waterfront.  The second time was an excursion while doing a Disney Cruise around the British Isles, which included a boat trip across Windermere and 90 minutes in the town.  It was also a lunch stop, but my Mom and I decided to forgo eating and see as much as we could.  I want so badly to go back and just experience this area.

Orvieto, Italy

Orvieto was such a surprise.  On my Italy tour I was looking forward to Rome and Verona, but Orvieto stole my heart.  It's one of those Medieval rock cliff towns, perched up high.  The streets were so charming.  The homes quaint.  It was fun looking through the gift shops at all the ceramics, which Orvieto is known.  This little town is the sort of place I would love to spend a weekend, just enjoying the ambiance.  

Venice, Italy

What is there not to love about Venice!!??  Before the visit I've seen pictures and watched movies, but nothing prepares you for actually being there.  Venice is amazing.  All the tiny islands connected by bridges.  The atmosphere.  History.  My only regret was not being able to truly explore and wander around.  We were there for the day, but mainly stayed in St. Marks square, and there's so much more to see than that.  We saw Murano Glass being made.  Went on a Gondola ride, which is a must.  It seems touristy and cliché, but you have to see Venice from the water.  I would love to spend a week in Venice.  It was the last stop on the Italy tour, and the perfect way to end. 

*  *  *

This blog post got long, so I need to do a part two.

Until next time!  Salut

 

Italy in Tokyo DisneySea

(April, 2019)  There are so many things to love about Tokyo DisneySea.  It's definitely one of the best, if not the best Disney Park in the World.  The attention to detail.  This parks ability to fully immerse the visitor in different Worlds.  DisneySea is pure magic.  It really is.  So many hidden things to discover and love.

Tokyo DisneySea is built around different harbors/ports.  Mediterranean Harbor is where Italy is found, and it's the first part of the park you see when you enter.  Around the corner on the left is Venice where you can ride gondolas and buildings are modeled after real Venice architecture.  The detail.  It's just beautiful.  To the right of the entrance is another part of Italy, but I never quite figured out what region is depicted, but it's still gorgeous and a nice walk through.

This is just one aspect to what makes Tokyo DisneySea amazing.

Photos by Sarah, Robin, Steven, and Ty

Under the Tilting Pisa Tower

My Mom's been on a printing photo kick.  Well, technically she always has been.  When I was in High School my parents had a side business doing wedding, etc, photography, and I spent many hours waiting in a photo lab in Visalia CA.  My Mom meticulously went through every photo making sure there weren't any dust spots and what not.

They gave up the business long ago, but my whole family still loves taking photos.  And with modern technology, and at home printing machines, my Mom loves going through her phone and printing off pictures either for her collection or to give as gifts.

A few days ago she gave me this photo of us in Pisa standing under its famous Leaning Tower.  I haven't gathered everyone's photos, so seeing this was a nice surprise.  (Honestly, I have a few trips worth of photos to gather, as I'm the family Shutterfly book maker.  So behind.  Hence how behind I am posting about trips on this blog. Heh. Oops.)  Though it's fun going through all the photos; it's like reliving the trips all over again.

My Dad took a photography class for fun at UofU last semester, so on our Italy trip he brought his fancy camera that takes 3 exposures at the same time, and then he photoshops them together.  He has some amazing photos. 

I'm suddenly thinking of all the thousands of photos I need to go through.  I'm still not finished blogging about France, 2016!  And then it's the U.K. 2017 trip.  I haven't even started organizing those.  Yeah, I'm a little behind. 

Seeing this photo re-awakens my travel bug.  Though I would love to be good at getting over jet lag.  Still a struggle, even with taking melatonin supplements.  One day I'll figure it out.

Finding Utah in Orvieto Italy

While wandering the beautiful streets of Orvieto I found a travel advertisement for California and Monument Valley in Utah.  Utah!!  Here I was in this charming Italian village on a hill, and they're advertising Utah.  And then I realized how much of my own backyard I haven't ventured.

I've never been to Monument Valley.  Never been to Bryce Canyon or Canyonlands.  It's just one of those realizations of how I'm always dreaming of far off places, while not exploring the magnificent places that are a short drive away.  Well, Monument Valley is about a 6 hour or so drive with stops, but still, that's a days drive.

It was interesting seeing a little piece of home in this little Italian Village.

(Monument Valley is based in Utah, but also spreads into Arizona.)

 Such charming passages and streets. :0)

Visiting the Latter-Day Saints Rome (Roma) Temple Open House in Italy

 

The real reason many of us wanted to visit Italy.  The Rome (Roma) Temple Open House for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I've blogged in the past about other temple open houses, this is the furthest I've ever traveled to visit one.

That morning our tour group visited the Vatican City.  We saw the Sistine Chapel.  Saw the grandeur.  Marvelous works of art and architecture.  So it seemed visiting the Latter Day Saint temple open house would be a let down, but it wasn't.  This Temple is simple in comparison to that found in Rome and elsewhere, and yet it is elegant, the insides beautiful.  Sun light streamed through the stained glass windows in the most wonderful way while we stood in the Celestial room.  I didn't want to leave this room, looking over my shoulder to catch one last glimpse as I walked through the doors.

 First views of the Temple.

The visitors center.

There's a model of the Temple showing each room in miniature.

Christ and his apostles.

Early missionaries to Italy.

That Sunday we attended a church service in Florence.

There were 5 tour buses in total!  There were over 350 people scattered between the upstairs chapel and the lower rooms.  It took about 30 minutes to serve the sacrament to everyone.  Most of our tour opted to go to the other rooms were there was an English translator.  My Mom, Aunt, and I stayed in the chapel.  I don't understand Italian, but I wanted to hear the sacrament talk, given by one of the sisters in the ward, in the Italian language.  I didn't understand, but I felt what she was saying.  I felt her deep testimony and love for the Savior.  This was a truly beautiful experience.

It was also fun singing in Italian.

Before the meeting started a boy handed out these little papers to the visitors.  He was also waiting outside to say goodbye to everyone leaving.  He was probably 8 or 9 years old, and yet such an exceptional young man.

I really loved this visit.