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Showing posts from May, 2017

Culture Overload at Venice's Piazza San Marco

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At the height of its power, the Republic of Venice was THE major superpower in the world. Insanely wealthy due to its prime position as conduit between Europe, North Africa, and Asia, Venice has been lavishly decorated by its rulers and inhabitants throughout the centuries to showcase its grandeur. And in this city-state, the social, political, and religious worlds revolved around the Piazza San Marco.  * From the Lagoon, the Piazza can be accessed via the Piazzetta di San Marco , which contains the famous Lion of Venice (left) , symbol of St. Mark the Evangelist, and Statue of St. Theodore (right) , a warrior saint venerated by the Greek Orthodox Church.

Hello Venice!!

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After enduring my penchant for picking museums, beer halls, cathedrals and war memorials to visit on this trip, it was finally time for Monicca to get to her dream honeymoon location! The island of Venice is mythical in its beauty, fame, and grandeur. Once THE superpower in the medieval world (for over 700 years - think today's USA), Venice is every bit as charming and awe-inspiring as it appears in all photos showing its magnificence.    * The only way to and from Venice is via water transportation (water-buses, water-taxis, speedboats and gondolas).

Life in Poland

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It's a millennial's dream to explore Europe. As I was nearing my college graduation, I couldn't help but dream of the proverbial Eurotrip, that was probably in every millennial like me's bucket list. Doing everything I could, I was able to turn that dream into reality. Fresh out of college, my curious 21-year old self was fortunate enough to embark on a solo trip to Europe. I remember mixed feelings of excitement and anxiety as the day to fly out grew nearer. When the day arrived and after our plane took off, all feelings of anxiety and fear left. I remember thinking about this quote then as I played the Secret Life of Walter Mitty's 'Step Out' on repeat:  “It is so hard to leave—until you leave. And then it is the easiest goddamned thing in the world.” - John Green After going through the exhausting almost 20-hour transit, I finally reached my home for the next 2 months: Poland. I literally knew nothing about Poland. To be honest, I just randomly c