My Travel Adventures

My train left Málaga as scheduled at 7:30 in the morning, calling at Antequera and Córdoba before reaching Madrid at half past ten. I had an hour to kill until my friend Victoria arrived from Barcelona, so I took a short walk from the train station, passing by the Lope de Vega House Museum on the way to the Metr ópolis Building. From the eastern end of the Gran Vía, I looped back along the Cibeles Fountain, and we met at a brunch restaurant close to the train station. A long queue, I noticed, was snaking its way along the Museo del Prado, so we decided to visit it first thing in the morning the next day rather than in the afternoon.

This morning was the first cloudy morning during my entire trip, and I was very thankful for it. While it meant my pictures would not be full of beautiful azure skies, it also stopped my bouncing from shade to shade like a desiccating frog. My first stop today was the Gate of Dawn, which houses a prominent icon of the Virgin Mary in a chapel facing the inner part of the city. When locals walk through it, they often turn around and cross themselves, sometimes adding a short prayer. Right in the vicinity are the Church of Saint Theresa and the colourful Orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit, and farther along the same road one can see the imposing baroque-era Church of Saint Casimir and the city’s neoclassical town hall.

The second day of my weekend in Emilia-Romagna began with a quick breakfast at Bologna’s main train station. It was my first time eating a sfogliatella and I have to say, I really enjoyed the experience. We arrived in Ravenna a little after nine o’clock. As we soon realised, this was too late. Ravenna is a town where many attractions have a limited capacity and timed entrances. We spent the rest of the day trying to outrun the hordes of senior tour groups that had descended upon the city for the sunny weekend.

Bologna is not within easy reach of Geneva. All flights I could find had layovers, and the next fastest option was a multi-hour series of trains. After much deliberation, I decided that if I ever wanted to make a weekend trip to the city, I would have to take an overnight bus. I had never taken an overnight bus before, and many people dissuaded me from the attempt. However, it was either that or no trip to Bologna, and a nagging masochistic voice within me kept whispering that taking a night bus would be a fun experience.

I arrived in Geneva a few days ago to begin my traineeship at the EU delegation to the WTO. I am sure there are a few interesting things to see and do in the city, but with summer drawing its last few breaths, I placed my priorities elsewhere. September is when, after a summer of growing a ripening, the grapes planted on the vineyards above Lake Geneva are finally fit for harvest. Thus, it is a perfect time for hikes along the path snaking its way through Lavaux, one of Switzerland’s most scenic wine regions.

It may have been labour day today, but I have consistently been working my butt off as a driver and today was no exception. In the morning, Yang and I travelled to Šibenik, a quiet coastal town overlooked by three forts. The paths in Šibenik are narrow and steep, offering seaside views some in some places and glimpses of churches at others. After climbing to Saint Michael’s Fortress, we walked down to the UNESCO-listed Cathedral of Saint James, a multi-levelled structure with wholesome round gables and an elegant rose window.