Quarantine Blues || Travel Memories for Times of Withdrawal || Our Best Travel Stories
We’re going through serious travel withdrawal with all of this COVID-19 and quarantine stuff.
So to make us feel a little better (and hopefully you too), we want to share some memory snippets from our favorite trips. Scroll through and read some of our funny, sentimental, and exciting adventures. And come back to this post whenever you’re feeling the quarantine blues.
We wanted to share a travel video first, and searched for our favorite, but there are so many! We are so blessed to have traveled to some of the most beautiful places in the world! So here’s one of our most recent videos…
KEY WEST
Key West is a trip that we knew would be fun, but never imagined it would be as unforgettable as it was!
We’re both Florida girls. Joanie was born and raised here for her entire childhood into adulthood. Jenni was born and raised until age eight and moved back at age twenty. So it’s safe to say that we know Florida. We expected to go to Key West and say ‘eh, just another city in the Sunshine State.’
WRONG!
Key West is the most stunning slice of paradise we’ve ever set foot in. As soon as you hit that first bridge off the coast and drive onto the first Florida Key, you’re in a different world. The people are a beautiful mix of Southern hospitality and island life. The food is out-of-this-world delicious. Make sure you get yourself an order of conch fritters! Caroline’s Café has the best.
The weather… the weather is perfect! And, as a little side note to everyone who think Florida is a constant 75˚ and sunny, that is incorrect! We live in the panhandle (Northwest Florida) and experience HOT summers and mild winters (30˚, 40˚ and 50˚ temps included). We also have the most horrendous humidity, spending most of the summer in the high 90%+ range. Meanwhile, in Key West, the humidity stays around 40% and the coldest temperature is about 45˚. Talk about perfection!
We have an entire city guide posted about Key West and a couple of videos (1, 2, 3). You can check those out if you want particulars on where to stay and what to do.
Our favorite memory of Key West was actually our last day. We had just extended our trip unexpectedly and took our last day slow. We slept in for a while in our beautiful B+B, the Curry Mansion Inn, and then ate lunch at Caroline’s Café. After a day of museums and walking around, we finished the day with dinner at Caroline’s Café, because it had become our favorite restaurant! Back at the Mansion, the resident cat Rusty wandered into our room and hung out for a while.
During this time of quarantine, our Key West trip has been at the forefront of our mind. It truly felt like a vacation and an escape, which is what we’re craving right now!
Key West pro-tip… if you’re looking for a tourist attraction, opt for the tourist trolley over the conch tourist train. You’ll get more bang for your buck and see more of Key West!
RÜDESHEIM, GERMANY
Rüdesheim, Germany (blog and video) was one of our last stops on our Viking River Cruises Rhine Getaway. Unfortunately, on this day of the cruise, Joanie was ill, so we didn’t explore our first port of the day. We both stayed inside in anticipation of our optional night excursion to the Rüdesheim dinner.
Joanie had been looking forward to seeing a traditional German oom-pah-pah band since the start of the cruise and didn’t want to miss it. Thank goodness for that, because this turned out to be one of the best nights!
The dinner was amazing. The band was great. But the overall experience was something else! There were bells and a marching band and, most importantly, schnapps.
Groups of us were lined up behind a wooden board with little silver cups attached. On your mark, get set, SCHNAPPS! We tilted the board back and took the shot.
Talk about an adrenaline rush.
Full disclosure, we are not alcohol people. We don’t regularly take shots, and probably wouldn’t have done it at all if it weren’t for the fact that we were in a group monitored by our Viking cruise director. We felt very safe, and comfortable taking a shot of schnapps. That’s important, y’all!
With that said, we had an incredible time and will never forget the singing, dancing, and laughter of this night. It was incredible.
BASEL, SWITZERLAND
We have talked so much online and in person about our experience in Basel, Switzerland (blog and 1, 2, and 3 videos). This was our first stop and our pre-extension on the Rhine Getaway with Viking. It was amazing.
We stayed at the best hotel, the Hyperion.
We had the best tour guide, Anne Marie.
We had the best time, so choosing a favorite memory is next to impossible. So we’re going to do this one a little differently…
Best restaurant - Walliser Kanne. We had traditional cordon bleu here and truly felt like we had the authentic experience. It’s just down the street from the Hyperion and oooohhhh what we’d give for another taste of that cordon bleu.
Best view - Basel Minster. If you go around back and through the courtyard, you’ll find a balcony area with the most stunning panoramic view of Basel. That’s where our first photo below was taken (and peep the Hyperion behind us).
Best way to get around - Metro. Hands down. No questions asked.
Coolest thing we saw - the car elevator. We wondered why there were no cars parked on the street. Well, because Basel is amazing and has installed car elevators for residents to easily access underground parking.
MONTE CARLO, MONACO
Monte Carlo (blog and video). Y’all. This place was ridiculous!
This was one of the ports on our Viking Ocean Mediterranean Odyssey Cruise.
It was STUNNING. Everywhere we looked we were oohing and ahhing over everything.
Highly, highly recommend Monte Carlo! We only spent about 2-3 hours in the city, so we didn’t eat at any restaurants. We basically just walked around, shopped a bit for souvenirs, and drank some Starbucks.
Fun fact, the official language is French, but most everyone speaks English.
Best memory (and kind of the worst thing ever), this place is one giant mountain/hill/thing. We’re pretty in the middle of the fitness spectrum. We’re not the fittest but not the most un-fit either. We do pretty well with long stretches of walking, which is what we expected with Monte Carlo.
HA!
WRONG!
You’re going uphill. The whole time.
But we made it!
When you go to Monte Carlo, wear comfortable shoes and pay attention to where you’re walking. There are some trip-hazards and stairs to watch out for!
VENICE, ITALY
Venice is one of our favorite places on the planet.
It has this incomparable balance between hustle and bustle and complete calm. You can be on one street, crammed into a tossed salad of people moving every which way. Then, you turn a corner, and you’re all alone with the beautiful architecture, breezy air, floating laundry, and cobblestones.
This was the final stop on our Mediterranean Odyssey, and what a beautiful way to end the adventure!
We spent the day wandering the streets on the hunt for Libreria Acqua Alta.
We stopped into a local art store and bought some amazing notebooks and decor that just reminds us of this amazing trip.
That night we took an optional extension with Viking that was part of their privileged access. We were able to go into this man’s family home and watch an opera performance. How cool is that?!
Overall, Venice is a 10/10 location and we highly recommend you hop on a Viking Cruise and get there after quarantine is lifted!
CORFU, GREECE
Another stop on our Mediterranean Odyssey Viking Cruise, Corfu (blog and video) was paradise.
We took the bus tour up the mountain and to the viewpoint with the perfect view of the monastery and Mouse Island (pictured below). We pet some cats, finished the bus tour, and broke off from the group for our own adventure.
Naturally our adventure involved food. A delicious meat and cheese tray with some spreads (the best hummus ever!) and coffee with ice cream (an interesting delicacy). After lunch we walked around town, bought a few too many things, and then took the long walk back to the ship.
Every moment we were in Corfu, we felt like we were in the middle of the ultimate paradise.
ROME, ITALY
Yet again, another stop on the Mediterranean Odyssey Cruise. Rome may have been the most hectic and panic-filled port we went to.
We had a great bus tour that zoomed by the major parts of the city and then we were dropped off in Vatican City with three hours of free time.
The number one thing we wanted to see while in Rome was the Trevi Fountain. So, our tour guide recommended buying tickets for the hop-on-hop-off bus and riding it to the Trevi, but we weren’t interested in buying another tour in addition to the one we had just taken. So, that was a no-go.
Next logical choice, a taxi.
Our choice, walk.
Let the stress begin!
We had a map, but the city streets in Rome are so confusing!
We couldn’t find the street signs.
We couldn’t figure out where the streets started and ended.
We ended up in some sketch alleyways.
And we ended up walking in a circle.
So we got a cab. Jenni nearly had a panic attack riding in it. But before we knew it, we were at the Trevi Fountain!
Joanie was less than impressed (because it’s pretty tiny). So we tossed in our coins, took a picture of a sweet American couple (at their request), and then hopped in a cab back to Vatican City.
it was a whirlwind. We were stressed. Tensions were high. It was a lot.
PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
Prague (blog, video 1 and 2) was the first city we experienced in Europe, and it will always have a special place in our hearts.
It was the first stop on our Grand European Tour and we were so blessed to have an amazing first experience in Europe!
Prague is the most gorgeous and CLEAN city (along with Basel). The people are incredibly nice. The food is delicious. It’s really just an amazing place and we haven’t met anyone who doesn’t love it!
Since this was our first step into Europe and our international travel obsession, we didn’t explore the city the same way we would now. So, there are no crazy adventures or hilarious happenings that occurred in Prague. We were both just so in awe as we took our day and night tours.
I wish I had a great local restaurant to recommend, but we ate at Hard Rock Café like a couple of tourists…
MELK, AUSTRIA
Melk was the most unexpectedly wonderful port on the Grand European Tour, and the first time we found our adventurous side.
We chose to forgo the tour and walk into town on our own and explore solo. This was the best choice we could’ve made! This also set a tone for how we like to travel. We enjoy the tours, but also enjoy splitting off on our own for more of a grand adventure!
Melk is still one of Joanie’s favorite spots and it ignited a love for the entire country of Austria.
The walk from the ship to town was a short, but picturesque one. We zig zagged through town and up to the Melk Abbey, where we snapped as many photos as possible. We hit everything at lunch time, so basically everything was closed, but we did take a trip to the corner store down the street and grab some snackies!
SALZBURG, AUSTRIA
Salzburg was an all-day optional excursion we added to our Grand European Tour. We just couldn’t pass up the chance to walk in Maria’s footsteps!
Our tour guide was such a joy, and we had an amazing time walking around, seeing all of the Sound of Music sites (and the Mozart ones too).
As part of our tour, we had a great lunch with a Sound of Music performance. That was a highlight for sure.
But the best part was truly just how gorgeous everything was. It was a pretty rainy day in Salzburg, but the greenery and flowers were blooming and shining despite the gray skies!
10/10 recommend this excursion!
KOBLENZ, GERMANY
We included Koblenz, because we’ve now been to this amazing city twice. Once on the Grand European Tour and again on the Rhine Getaway. We discovered new fun things both times, and honestly, we’re just obsessed with this beauty.
The first time we visited it was rainy. The second time it was gorgeous and sunny buy cold. It’s beautiful in all weather.
Both times we opted out of a tour and just walked around on our own. For food, Einstein’s is a great option, but there are restaurants galore!
On our second time around we took some brand photo for ROAM Luggage and discovered a giant thumb statute by a church. So, that was definitely a highlight.
They also have some surprisingly awesome Christmas markets if that’s something you’re into.
COLOGNE, GERMANY
Our final destination is Cologne, Germany. It’s an incredible city with more than enough to enjoy and explore! Just like Koblenz, we’ve been here twice: once on the Grand European and again on the Rhine Getaway.
During the Grand European Tour it was pouring rain, but we still explored the entire city. On the Rhine Getaway, Joanie was super sick and we decided not to go into town.
The main reason I included Cologne is for three stories that are both humorous and tragic. Ready?
First, on this trip we brought a bunch of crazy New Mix Leggings, which we love, but somehow chose the worst possible pair for Cologne. We wore fruit leggings… oh boy! While sort of cute and quirky, we couldn’t count how many stares we got with this pants and honestly wouldn’t be surprised if there were photos of us online with the hashtag #whattheheck. Do we care? Eh, not really. You do you, boo boo.
The next two story kind of go hand-in-hand and they are a bit TMI, so sorry in advance. Basically, this entire day Jenni seemed to have a bladder issue. She tinkled before leaving the ship. After crossing the bridge and exploring town, she tinkled again. Then it was lunchtime and she chose not to tinkle afterwards (BAD CHOICE!). It turned into an extreme emergency by the time we reached coffee paradise, AKA Starbucks. Jenni ordered her coffee and then asked about the restroom, because it was potty time.
It was downstairs. Simple enough, right?
Jenni begins the walk down the stairs and sees a sketchy man sitting beside the bathroom. A few deep breaths and nervous smiles and Jenni makes her way into the bathroom and BOOM. Immediate stink. The bathroom smelt absolutely awful. Like a bunny cage that hasn’t been cleaned in months. She tried to hold her breath as she tinkled and washed her hands and got out of there.
By the time she got back upstairs she was lightheaded and convinced she was going to pass out. She didn’t, but the trauma was real.
After sipping some coffee and chilling, we headed back out for a continuation of our adventure.
We wandered around, got kind of lost, and by the time we were nearing the bridge, Jenni had to tinkle again. NOTE this is highly unusual, so we don’t know what was going on. It was just unfortunate.
The whole time we walked across the bridge, Jenni was basically waddling, fighting the wind and rain and trying not to pee her pants. She didn’t. No thanks to Joanie and her laughing.
Overall it was just very memorable and a great way to finish this post.
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