Traveling with Laura

Charleston 2018: Day 0

May 25, 2018June 27, 2022Laura Irwin

I first fell in love with Charleston, South Carolina about 16 years ago when I took a road trip to visit my family at their new home in Florida. I spent a couple of days in Charleston on the way home, and it immediately captured my heart. The laid-back lifestyle, the quaint Charleston single homes with gas lamps beside the front door, and the genuine southern charm have brought me back several times since that first visit. It has been about 5 or 6 years since I was last here, and as soon as I stepped off the plane I wondered why I didn’t make it back sooner. It’s hard to believe that just a short 2 hour flight can transport you to such a completely different part of the country.

Charleston 2018 015 — Waterfront Park, Charleston

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Italy 2018: Day 7

April 20, 2018June 27, 2022Laura Irwin

The last day in Italy. If you had told me when I woke up this morning that by this afternoon I would be ready to head home, I wouldn’t have believed it. But after my “farewell tour” of Varenna this morning, and a trip across the lake to Menaggio, I’m ready for home.

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Italy 2018: Day 6

April 19, 2018June 27, 2022Laura Irwin

Switzerland. Not Zermatt or Lucerne, but Italian-influenced Lugano, on the shores of Lake Lugano. This was my 12th country, which doesn’t seem all that impressive given how much I love to travel. I’ll have to work on that. 😉 When I started planning this trip, and realized how close Lake Como is to Switzerland, I knew I would have to spend a day there. From Varenna, you can take the ferry across the lake to Menaggio, where you catch a bus to Lugano, a little less than an hour away. I had to set out early to catch a ferry to Menaggio that would get me there in time to make the 8:30AM bus to Lugano. No ten hours of sleep for me last night, but that’s okay.

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Italy 2018: Day 5

April 18, 2018June 27, 2022Laura Irwin

I’m just going to put it out there that today was not my favorite day of vacation. I mean, it was still Italy, so how bad could it be, but cities are not my thing and that’s where I spent the majority of my day. But let’s rewind to this morning, when I still had high hopes for the day. It must be the fresh Italian air… last night was the second night in a row that I slept for almost 10 hours. Or maybe I’m still recovering from jet lag. Either way, the sleep has been glorious. I’m not an alarm clock person at all; I can’t even remember the last time I woke up to my alarm. So when my phone alarm went off this morning, I nearly screamed as I bolted out of bed to turn it off! But it was all good because I was about to embark on my journey to Bergamo.

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Italy 2018: Day 4

April 17, 2018June 27, 2022Laura Irwin

Today it was off to the western shore of Lake Como to explore Lenno and Tremezzo. Both are relatively small villages, but lack the character and charm of Varenna and Bellagio. The attraction to both villages is the villas. Just outside of Lenno is Villa Balbianello and located in Tremezzo is Villa Carlotta. I took the boat first to Lenno to visit Villa Balbianello. I was looking forward to walking through the town as Tuesday is market day in Lenno. Unfortunately, the market was a mishmash of everything from underwear to shoes to cleaning products. There were a couple of stands selling fruits and veggies, but it wasn’t what I was expecting.

Italy 2018 495 — View of Lake Como from Villa Balbianello

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Italy 2018: Day 3

April 16, 2018June 27, 2022Laura Irwin

Off to Bellagio! I know what you’re thinking… “But Laura, isn’t Bellagio in Las Vegas?” Why yes it is, and the resort was inspired by the town of Bellagio on Lake Como in Italy. Bellagio is at the northern tip of the Bellagio Peninsula, which separates the two southern legs of Lake Como, and was the location for today’s adventure. Ferries ply the waters of Lake Como during the daylight hours, carrying passengers and cars to villages around the lake. Along with Bellagio and Menaggio, Varenna makes up the mid-lake triad and boats regularly travel between the three towns. I boarded the 9:23 boat, and a mesmerizing 15 minutes later I was walking the streets of Bellagio. I say mesmerizing because from the boat you can see every part of the lake with the majestic Italian Alps rising to the north.

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Italy 2018: Day 2

April 15, 2018June 27, 2022Laura Irwin

I love Italy. I know I say that about a lot of places I visit, but it is absolutely stunning here. And I know I’m not visiting any of the big cities like Rome or Venice, but this suits my style much better. Tiny villages where you only have to turn a corner to be away from anything even resembling a crowd. Cobblestone streets just barely wide enough for two people to pass. Italian villas tucked into hillsides. Delicious food. Who needs the sun in a place as beautiful as this?

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Italy 2018: Day 1

April 14, 2018June 27, 2022Laura Irwin

Car, plane, bus, train…. it was worth every minute of the 18 hours it took to get to this week’s vacation destination: Varenna, Italy. Seriously. I am typing this as I sit on the outdoor patio at Bar Il Molo overlooking gorgeous Lake Como and ~~gorging~~ feasting on my first authentic Italian pizza.

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St. Louis 2018: Day 2

March 24, 2018June 27, 2022Laura Irwin

First item on the agenda this morning: breakfast at Rooster in downtown St. Louis. Given that one of its breakfasts was named by Food Network as the best breakfast in Missouri, it had to be on the list. The Finnish pancake I ordered was interesting… a custard pancake with jam and syrup. It’s probably not something I would order again, but it was good. Unfortunately, the restaurant had a pervasive smell of grease, and I realized after I left that every piece of clothing I was wearing smelled like bacon.

St. Louis 2018 091 — Finnish Pancake at Rooster

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St. Louis 2018: Day 1

March 23, 2018June 27, 2022Laura Irwin

You’re probably wondering why I picked St. Louis for my latest weekend escape. I’ve been a huge gymnastics fan all my life, and for the past several years I’ve been following NCAA gymnastics pretty closely. When I found out that the 2018 SEC Gymnastics Championship was being held in St. Louis, it quickly got added to my “year of travel”. Plus, I’ve only ever passed through the St. Louis airport, so it was a good excuse to explore a new city. I wasn’t sure I was going to do any blogging this weekend because I didn’t think I’d have much to write about. As it turns out, St. Louis has some pretty amazing food. So if you’re hungry (or even if you’re not), prepare to salivate.