Cityscape on Camera: Rome & Vatican City, Italy

Next up in my European Extravaganza recap series: Rome, Italy (including Vatican City)! I'm pretty late getting this Travel Tuesday post up, so it's going to be heavy on the pictures and light on the descriptions (but you only come for the pictures anyway, right?). If you want to know anything more about a specific picture, please ask! And make sure you're not a no-reply blogger so I can actually respond to your comment. :)

Photo via @mcstroup on Instagram

Travel Tuesday Contributor: Ech & Will

A huge thank you to Ech for being my first guest blogger while I am traveling this summer! She actually lives in Italy, so read on for some insider tips to a great local spot! And be sure to check back every Tuesday for more guest posts about fabulous trips around the world.

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Hi, I'm Ech from Ech & Will. I'm a proud Air Force wife living in Italy with my husband, Will. Our blog is all about our adventures in traveling, marriage, the military, and everything in between. Right now my husband is deployed, so lately I've been blogging a lot about just me. I love making connections with new people so stop by when you get a chance and say hi!

Now that the weather is getting better and better, it’s time to start planning lake and beach trips with our friends. One of our favorite spots is Lake Barcis (pronounced like March with a “B” and “is” like the beginning of Istanbul). We literally drive through the Italian Alps to get to Barcis. The tunnels are so long they have huge industrial fans throughout to keep air flowing. There’s pretty much everything there: hiking, camping, boating, boardwalks to stroll, a playground, big grassy areas to spread out over, picnic tables … everything.

The water is glacier-fed (a.k.a. really, really cold), so there are not a lot of swimmers. But it’s great for a quick, refreshing dip on scorching days. Every once in a while, the town will host speedboat races and concerts. I think last year they held a crash course for people who wanted to try out canoeing.

Usually the vibe is relaxing. Everyone is just lounging around, soaking in the sun. As with most of Europe, the women sometimes go topless. It’s rare, but we’ve seen a few brave women baring it all. Usually the Americans are tossing a football or Frisbee around while the Italians like to circle up and play “Keep It in the Air” with a soft volleyball or mini soccer ball.

Every time we visit, the lake looks different. The first time, it was a greenish color.

Last May it was bright, almost-glowing blue.

And in the fall it was a murky white color from the recent rain.

I like to wander into town for a gelato (see below), so so perfect for hot days … or cold days. If we don’t plan ahead and bring a cooler, there are a few restaurants and shops to grab food or drinks. It’s a really small town, so there’s not a ton of things to do, but it has the essentials. Parking can get a little tricky on the busy weekends, but we’ve never had a problem finding a spot. If you’re in the Aviano area, I highly recommend spending the day up at the lake.

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Thanks again for sharing your photos and experiences, Ech! Follow her on Twitter at @EchandWill.

Travel Tuesday: Week 5

Welcome to another edition of Travel Tuesday! This week's prompt deals with food! A few example questions I provided last week: What is the best food you’ve ever eaten abroad? What American foods do you miss the most when you’re traveling? What foreign cuisine do you like to make at home? How do you feel about eating McDonald's in other countries? As usual, please link up with your travel-related posts below, even if they're a different topic than the prompt I suggested.

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I traveled internationally for the first time when I was 10 years old. My family was heavily involved in the dairy industry during my childhood (yup, as in cows), and almost every year we traveled to the national American Jersey Cattle Association convention, which was always held in a different state. (See how many states I was able to visit through that opportunity here.) In 2000, my mom decided to attend the international convention in Italy, and she took me with her! Lucky dog, right?