Beauty and Battleships in Norfolk, Virginia

My 4th of July weekend festivities have inspired me to continue celebrating America by posting about my trip to one of the original 13 colonies -- Virginia.

Happy Birthday, U.S.A. Looking good at 238.

Classing It Up in Turin

Palaces. Opera houses. Gardens. After getting to know beautiful, rusty Bologna, Turin felt like an extravagance. I arrived knowing little more than the following about the fourth largest city in Italy:

• It is home to the famous Shroud of Turin, which some believe to be the shroud in which Jesus was buried. 
• Italy's royal family, the House of Savoy, lived there.

Given its royal history, I figured that Turin would be elegant, but I'm not sure I bargained for this:

Bologna and the Love of Old Things

I've always had a fascination with all things old. As a kid, I briefly considered being an archeologist. I thought it would be exhilarating to unearth old things and discover hidden histories. The past is alluring to me, not because I think life would have been better in some romanticized "back then," but because there's comfort in continuity.

In Bologna, the past is very much alive. It's there in the architecture and in the traditional foods, a part of everyday life. As I mentioned in my last post, Bologna is home to the oldest university in the world, which was founded in the late eleventh century. Two medieval towers also showcase Bologna's past, standing tall in the city center. The taller of the two is open to visitors.

Fredericksburg: An All-American German Town

During my recent visit to Austin, Texas, I took a day trip to the charming town of Fredericksburg. When I arrived, all the Main Street-esque quaintness made me feel as though I were in a Disney version of small-town America. Thing is, Fredericksburg is actually quite German. It is called Fredericksburg, after all.

After my trip, I looked into the history behind this German settlement and found it fascinating. The Atlantic Times, an English-language German newspaper,  explains:

Visiting Coimbra Hogwarts

Students at the nearly 800-year-old University of Coimbra wear black capes to class. When I learned about the traditional uniform, I decided that the University of Coimbra was Hogwarts. Students study Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts. They learn to cast spells and play Quidditch. Seriously. You can quote me on this.

Since we were in town over the holiday break, we sadly missed out on meeting any Hogwarts students in their medieval garb. To compensate, we pretended to be them.

A Stroll Through Evora

Portugal is known for its many charming towns, so my friends and I were determined to visit a couple during our visit. Evora was a priority. Like Sintra, it's a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an easy day trip from Lisbon. As soon as we arrived, we popped into the tourist office for a map of recommended sites, but we quickly realized that our time would be best spent by roaming around the town without much forethought. More than 2,000 years old, Evora feels like a walking history lesson. Beats the classroom, and this coming from a self-professed nerd who always sits at the front of the class.

Sintra: Chasing the Fairytale

Once upon a time, there was a quiet, enchanted town where castles and palaces sat atop wooded hills, beckoning visitors to enter and explore.

This was the image projecting in my mind when I headed to Sintra. I felt compelled to make the short day trip from Lisbon after reading and hearing so much about the town’s beautiful castles and stunning views. I had read words like “mythical” and “magical” used to describe the UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a friend had told me that she’d felt like Cinderella there. Of course, reality is never quite like a fairytale. The castles are striking, and the views are impressive, but that uphill climb kills!