Mapping My Month: August 2014

Where do I even begin?

Bagni della Regina Giovanna, Punta del Capo, Italy

July brought so many travels and adventures, beginning with a whirlwind trip through Italy's Campania and Lazio regions and ending with a more relaxed fortnight in the heart of Germany's Bavaria.  We wandered the ancient streets of Pompeii; swam in the crystal clear water of Roman ruins in Punta del Capo just outside Sorrento; ascended Mt Vesuvius and stared down her steaming throat; experienced the unforgettably packed "cattle wagon" of the Circumvesuviana train line from Naples; got our feet dusty and worn in Rome, gawking over the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Pantheon, and various churches; pilgrimaged to St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican and marveled at masterpieces of artwork by Michelangelo, Raphael, Bernini, and others; reached euphoric levels after having the best gelato of my life on the Piazza Navona and otherwise enjoyed many delicious (and not-so delicious!) Italian dinners.  And this was just in the first seven days!

I also made sure to leave an unforgettable impression on those around us by "throwing" pizza on the floor in Pompeii, stepping on a gooey piece of gum in Sorrento, being baptized by a bird, elbowing a waiter in the groin, frying my hairdryer and our converter at our hotel in Rome.  To just name a few things!

Deutschland ist nummer eins!!!

But we arrived in Germany just in time to experience a World Cup win!  It's becoming our tradition to watch the final matches of the World Cup with our friends in Stuttgart.  Four years ago we celebrated a third place finish for Germany, but this time we were overjoyed to see Germany earn the Weltmeister title! 

We visited Strasbourg, France; drove up windy roads in the heart of the Schwarzwald (Black Forest); ate our fill of wurst and schnitzel; celebrated the Kinderzeche, one of Germany's oldest festivals, in Danny's German home town of Dinkelsbühl; experienced the festivities of a bierzelt (beer tent) with our Stuttgarter friends; toured the aldstadt of Nuremberg; and spent blissful hours on windy Bavarian roads and, of course, testing out our rental car's engine on the autobahn!

There were a few difficult moments, even fewer downright stressful ones, but overall it was a wonderful trip.  I'm still thinking in "Deunglish," feel terribly guilty because we're not (yet) sorting our trash here, but overall I am glad to be back home in the good ol' U.S. of A.  August will be a quieter month for us in comparison.  We may go on a camping/tubing trip for my birthday or spend a few weekends on the Northern Neck, but otherwise it's time to plump our bank accounts and start dreaming of the next big trip.  And, of course, start writing more in-depth posts about July's adventures!

How was your July?  And what's on the docket for August?