I never thought I would say that I’ve been to the most beautiful place in the world, but after my trip to Austria I think I can honestly do so. We started off our weekend trip in Vienna where we walked, rented bikes, and figured out the much-more-efficient-than-Rome tram system. We stumbled across a number of Gothic cathedrals (my favorite architectural style, I have discovered), journeyed to the Belvedere and Hofburg Palaces, and got lost in the endless gardens on the grounds of the Schönbrunn Palace (these are an absolute must-see, especially in the Fall).
The highlight of the trip, however, was the day we spent in Salzburg. This city is without a doubt one of the most breathtaking places I have seen in my life, and I am so beyond thrilled that I did because the views are virtually indescribable. Our sole purpose for hopping on the train to Salzburg for a quick day trip was to go on the Sound of Music Tour, which was such a blast! I have loved and grown up with the movie my whole life, so having the chance to visit so many of the places in the movie was unreal. Because we only had a few hours before and after the tour, we wandered a lot to try and see things. There was so much that we were desperate to see, and I regret not spending more time in Salzburg to see them all.
The following weekend we went on our last ISA excursion to Firenze. I loved these few days because we managed to see the best parts of Florence in the time we were there. It is a very small city, but packed with plenty to do! The climb to the top of the Duomo was something I’m happy to say was checked off my list. (The view from the top at sunset was spectacular!) Of course, Michelangelo’s David was another must-see.
Our last stop before heading home to Rome was to il Castello di Verrazzano in the Chianti Region for a wine tasting. We sampled three different kinds of Chianti wine along with the appropriate foods that are meant to be paired with each. To say everything was delicious would be an understatement. It’s like it’s impossible for Italians to get food wrong. While at the wine tasting, we learned all about why certain wines taste the way they do, how to properly pair wine with food, and the proper steps in tasting a glass of wine. It was so much fun to be fully immersed in this pretty huge part of Italian culture.
