The Big Trip of 2013 (solo travel journey - part 2)
WARNING: long-post ahead! But it takes quite a bit of space to recap 5 months of travel!
In May 2013 I set-out on my first long-term solo travel adventure. To read more about what led to this adventure, how I saved the money to quit my job and travel for 5 months + more take a peek at Part 1 of this blog series. Here’s a preview of how the experience unfolded:
TURKEY: I started my trip in Turkey. After a few solo days exploring Istanbul, my friend Kelly actually joined me. Turkey was one of my favorite stops on the trip; it was so different than any place I had ever been before, so having a friend join for this first stop helped me get comfortable outside my comfort zone! Highlights below, and photos live here:
Istanbul: Grand Bizarre, the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, the delicious street food, exploring the underground cistern, learning about the Byzantine era and Islamic religious traditions, cruising the Bosphorus, trying Turkish coffee, taking a cooking class, exploring the traditional and modern neighborhoods.
Cappadocia: the landscape is so unreal! We stayed in a traditional cave hotel, had the most amazing farm breakfast and enjoyed a hot air balloon ride at sunrise. Magical.
Ephesus: the ruins here are incredible, and we had so many great interactions, experiences (and laughs!) with locals while trying local foods and wine. We also took a trip to the travertine terraces and mineral springs of Pamukkale.
CROATIA: my next stop was Croatia. After a busy 10-12 days in Turkey, I was ready for some slow-down time. Highlights below, and photos live here:
I started in Zagreb, and spent about 5 days enjoying this great capital city. I loved the cobblestone streets, upper/lower towns, visiting the daily food market, exploring the Museum of the Broken Hearted, slowly wandering the many urban parks, and I went to my first opera!
After a few days of recharge, I was ready to start exploring, and joined a small tour group to explore Plitvice Lakes National Park, Krka National Park, rafted the Kupa River, hiked through the mountains of Paklenica, kayaked and enjoying the seaside town of Trogir.
After this active week-long tour, I spent about a week on my own in Split (also on the coast) learning to cook, exploring this amazing city (built within walls of Diocletian’s Palace) hiking to amazing viewpoints, swimming in the sea, and exploring nearby islands and more.
SWITZERLAND: after Croatia I traveled by overnight train (that’s a whole other story, ha!) to Switzerland. Talk about a change in scenery! Highlights below, and photos live here:
My first stop was Zurich. I thought this would be just a big commercial city, but it was so much more! Charming, clean, right on the water, easy to get around, and full of great food and history.
My next stop was an easy train ride away to the town of Appenzell. This is what I originally imagined Switzerland to look like! Cows with giant bells, diets of cheese, bread and beer, alphorns, etc. Now I’ve learned that it’s much more than that! I loved this corner of Switzerland, and spent a few nights hiking in the mountains above Appenzell, including a stay at the (now famous) Aescher Guesthouse. It was here I was introduced to the famous Swiss dish, potato rösti. The hosts of the guesthouse were kind enough to show me how it’s made, and it’s still one of my favorite foods!
My next stop was southwest of Appenzell, in the car-free town of Mürren, nestled in the Bernese Mountains. Just getting here on all the trains and lifts is part of the magic! Staying here, and waking up to the epic mountain views, is something I never tire of (and have been back many times to enjoy!) And hiking through this area, with periodic stops for beer, sausages and rösti, with the snow-capped mountains in view, and to the sounds of cowbells ringing - tops my list of favorite travel experiences.
AUSTRIA, CZECH REPUBLIC AND GERMANY: my friend Kate joined me at the end of my stay in Switzerland. We started a 2-week road-trip that took us to Austria, the Czech Republic and Germany. SO.MUCH.FUN. Highlights below, and photos live here, here and here:
Salzburg: all-things Sound of Music (obvi) exploring the medieval castles, eating too many ‘Mozart Balls,’ Salzburger Nockerl and schnitzel.
Wachau Area: we loved exploring this UNESCO area, the small towns of Melk and Krems, riding bikes along the Danube River, and all the wine to be had at local homes known as ‘heurigers.’
Vienna: opulent, refined, full of culture and all-things-Habsburg; one of the most influential and distinguished royal houses of Europe. Their influence spread across Europe, and as a result the family frequently comes up when learning about the history of other corners of Europe.
Prague: what a beautiful city - no wonder it’s one of the few European capitals Hitler chose not to bomb during WW2 (according to local guides.) By this point in the trip we were ready to slow down a bit, so we spent a lot of time wandering the city streets and the Charles Bridge, shopping, sitting in bars and patios sipping local pilsner beers, exploring the Prague Castle, St. Vitus Cathedral and Old Town Square.
Berlin: the final stop of our road-trip was in Berlin, where we spent time exploring the history - the good and the bad, of this huge city! Thanks to the help of a friend from high school who lives there, we were able to see/do a lot in our time here. From touring the glass dome of the Reichstag Building, walking along the Berlin Wall, paying tribute at the Holocaust Memorial, visiting many of the amazing museums, spending a day at the Sachsenhausen concentration camp, enjoying global cuisine and even catching a live performance of Cabaret - it was a great visit!
ITALY: the next stop was Italy. I had traveled throughout Italy before, but hadn’t made my way south of Rome, so that’s where I started this visit. I flew to Naples, took the train down to Sorrento, a coach bus towards Positano, and then a local bus to my Italian home-away-from-home (Nocelle) in the steep hillside above Positano. Highlights below, and photos live here:
Positano: so beautiful, and even more stunning from above! I walked the 1,500 steps down to Positano on a few occasions to lay on the beach, swim in the sea, and enjoy a few boat rides to soak in views of the coastline. There were only two restaurants near the small village I stayed in - one night over dinner I asked the server (who seemed to host, cook, serve and clean!) if I could help her, and I was surprised when she said “YES! Meet me in the kitchen tomorrow at 10AM to prep for service!” It was a great day.
Sorrento: a small town at heart, but sadly very crowded by day! But at night, when the day-trip’ers leave, it was idyllic to roam the streets. I took a day-trip to the amazing ruins of Pompeii, explored the coastline by kayak, enjoyed more than my fair-share of limoncello, and had a great time making new friends at my hostel stay.
Ancona: a city on Italy’s east coast, this isn’t on the usual tourist trail, but I had family in the area to visit, and had the best time! Spending time with wonderful people is my greatest memory here, and they made it extra special with a visit to nearby wineries, a walk along the coastline, a home-made pizza night, large family meals, a visit to Assisi, and so many good laughs!
GREECE: full of ancient wonders and amazing beaches, Greece was my next stop! Highlights below, and photos live here:
I flew into Mykonos, and I’m pretty sure I had my first gyro of the trip within an hour of arriving. Mykonos is a beautiful city, full of white-wash buildings, cobble-stone streets, bountiful bougainvillea and loads of college-age partiers :) I spent time wandering the cute shops in the main town (AKA ‘Chora’) and also spent a few afternoons at the beaches surrounding the island.
Naxos was my next stop, and probably my favorite island of this trip. It has a mellow vibe compared to other islands I visited. I rented a car with a friend who happened to be there at the same time, and we drove around the island, and loved learning about the giant ‘kouros’ statues, the small towns and the sweeping sea views throughout the drive.
Santorini was my final island stop. And while crowded (especially in Oia) I can understand why it’s so popular! The sunsets here are magical. I stayed on the East side of the island (opposite of Oia) right on the black sand beaches, but it was easy to get around the island.
Before I said goodbye to Greece, I spent a few days in Athens. While visiting a big city after being on the easy-breezy islands was a tough transition, I loved the history to be learned here. The Acropolis Museum in particular, was a major highlight, of course followed by a visit to the actual Acropolis! I also enjoyed a cooking class and walking tour.
PORTUGAL: my next stop was Portugal! At the time of my visit Portugal wasn’t quite the cool-kid it is today. But after spending a few weeks there, I can see why it’s now one of the “it” places to visit! Highlights below, and photos live here:
Lisbon: because I was in Lisbon in August, most of the local residents were on their summer holiday, so many locations (restaurants, cafes, etc.) were closed. So the city felt a little empty, but that didn’t rob any joy of wandering the town, enjoying the charming old-school funiculars and cable cars, experiencing my first “Fado” performance and more.
Lagos: I traveled by bus down to the southern coast of Portugal, in an area known as “the Algarve” to the seaside town of Lagos. I was ready for downtime at this part of the trip, so most days consisted of sleeping in, spending most the day at the beach, stopping for a sangria on the way back to my apartment, taking a nap, and then going out for dinner. Sleep, and repeat, x 6 days. It was perfect!
SPAIN: after Portugal I took the bus to Spain for a glorious 3 weeks. Highlights below, and photos live here:
Sevilla was my first stop, and here it was all about TAPAS! I had heard of this great food tradition, and couldn’t wait to dive in to discover the hidden bars and iconic dishes, and was lucky to make some great friends at my hostel who were up for joining me on a tapas crawl!
Granada, also in southern Spain (region known as ‘Andalusia’) was my next stop, and here I loved learning about the history of the Moors, visiting the famous Alhambra, watching a flamenco show in the hills of the Albaicín, and more tapas, obvi.
Alicante: I traveled up the East coast to the seaside town of Alicante, where I had signed-up for a week-long Spanish immersion course. While a week is not enough time to be immersed in a language, it was a great experience and brought back much of what I had learned in high school!
I love food, so I couldn’t be on the coast without visiting Valencia for paella! I stayed at a great B&B with friendly hosts and guests, and spent many afternoons at the beach enjoying paella, fresh seafood and wine.
SPAIN + FRANCE: I had a few more stops to make in Spain, but my Mom joined for the next part of the trip, which included a road-trip through Spain and into France. Highlights below, and photos live here and here:
Barcelona: there is so much to see/do in this amazing city! We explored all-things-Gaudíi, great museums, food halls, champañeria’s for delicious Spanish cava, strolls along Las Ramblas + more.
San Sebastián: we traveled by train to this town on Spain’s north coast, and fell in love! It’s in an autonomous region known as the “Basque Country” and here you’ll feel a mash-up of Spanish and French cultures, food and more. The city is right on the sea, so we soaked in all the views on hikes, had our fair-share of pintxos (their version of tapas) joined in for a local festival and took a day-trip to the French coastal towns of Biarritz and Saint-Jean de-Luz.
Bordeaux was our next stop, and the focus was on small-town France and WINE! My Mom also tried to teach me to drive our manual transmission rental car, which didn’t go so well! But it was fun trying to learn :)
SCOTLAND: I said goodbye to my Mom and Spain, and flew to Scotland. This country blew me away. I found myself constantly wondering why more people aren’t talking about Scotland, and traveling here for vacation?! It’s that beautiful. Highlights below, and photos live here:
Glasgow was my first stop, and what a sharp contrast to Spain! The people, language, culture, food - I soaked it all in! There are fabulous museums here, great live music, and just trying all the new foods was an adventure in itself!
After a few days in Glasgow I joined a small-group tour to explore the Highlands. I was nervous about driving a rental car solo (and on the right side of the road!) so this tour was perfect. The guide offered great information, led us on hikes to great views, and introduced us to small charming towns - Portree was a highlight!
My next stop was the small town of Dunkeld. This small town was the perfect place to spend a few quiet days, and really start to digest the amazing travel experience that was about to end. I stayed at a cozy B&B, spent afternoons walking and journaling, and evenings at the local pub with locals.
I couldn’t leave Scotland without visiting Edinburgh. It was busy with tourists, but they’re here for good reason! The castle was really impressive, I loved the history and energy of the Royal Mile, and getting my final taste of classic Scottish dishes like haggis!
IRELAND: the final stop on my 5-month trip was in Ireland. Highlights are below, and photos live here:
Dublin was my first stop, and I spent the first few days staying with friends I had met in Sorrento. They took me on a few hikes outside of town and to their favorite local pubs. Staying with locals is always such a cool experience!
After a few days with my travel buds, I made my way into the city where my friend from the States met me! It was my birthday, and she managed to travel with a full birthday piñata, candy included, that we named ‘Seamus the Craic Horse’ (Craic = Irish word used to describe a fun/good time.) Kristin has cousins in Dublin, so they were great hosts as we explored the history of the town, including castles, Trinity College, amazing parks, shopping and more.
With Seamus in the backseat, and Kristin at the wheel, we set-out on an epic road-trip visiting Kilkenny, Cork, Dingle, Galway, the Cliffs of Moher and so many small charming towns in between. It was such a great road-trip and perfect way to wind down from an amazing trip.
WHEW! That’s a lot of travel. I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world, as it gave me the greatest gift of all (especially in my mid-20’s!) and that’s the gifts of perspective, mental space to think, inspiration from unlikely places, and quality time ‘with’ myself.
Along the way I learned quite a bit about solo travel, planning a long-term adventure + more. To read about my insights, lessons and tips head on over to Part 3 of this blog series.
Cheers!
Mary + the Living Big Travel team