My second Euro trip ended yesterday. The last one was exactly a year back when I traveled to France, Belgium, Netherlands and Czech Republic. This time, I chose Italy and Slovenia. As I sit down to look back at the last 11 days of solo exploration, I cannot help but pen down a few thoughts arising out of introspection and retrospection over the days gone by.
Like life, a long travel has its own share of ups n downs and isn’t about having fun all the time. This writing attempts to make you aware of the experiential dichotomy that is a characteristics of long journeys. It isn’t a travelogue but merely my reflections after completing a much-awaited Euro trip from India.
Let’s get into the details now.
Countries visited : Italy and Slovenia
Places visited : Milan, Florence, Siena, Venice, Ljubljana, Bled and Vintgar
Mode of stay: Couchsurfing in Milan, Ljubljana and Florence. Airbnb in Venice. Hotel in Venice. Hostel in Ljubljana and Milan. Well, this time I did a full circle when it comes to types of accommodation.
Mode of movement: Flixbus services for inter-city movements and local transportation (buses, water buses, subways, tram, cycle) for intra-city movements.
What I ate: Local food as much as possible – Burek, Kremsnita, Gibanica in Slovenia; Pizza, pasta, spaghetti, Gelato, wine, bread etc. in Italy.
Since my last Euro trip was a success, I had a benchmark to compare to this time. Not everything went hunky-dory this year. To start with, I felt somewhat uncomfortable in Florence during couchsurfing. Then, I had several tiffs with my travel-companion in Venice and had to part ways soon. My hostel in Milan wasn’t well-chosen in terms of location and was not conducive to my return journey. I had set off to Postojna to see the Caves without doing research and had to return empty-handed owing to the serpentine queues for tickets. To summarize, some things definitely could have been planned better by me. However, it’s important to keep in mind that not everything can go as desired over a long travel period. A traveller should be as much prepared to handle the unpredictable circumstances as he/she is to embrace the beautiful ones. In introspect, I believe that the not-so-good experiences made me appreciate the good experiences even more. 🙂
What went well? Well, everything other than that.
The things I got to experience – cathedrals, bell towers, Renaissance buildings and statues, palaces, museums, cobblestone pathways, lakes, gorges, countryside and mountains were undoubtedly one of the most beautiful things I have seen in my life so far. My trip was an eclectic mix of natural and man-made wonders. Could I have asked for more? Nah! And, how did it make me feel? In one word, carefree! I would roam around by myself in the streets of Italy and Slovenia till late in the night without being concerned about safety. It was a liberating feeling. It bestowed upon me a huge sense of freedom and empowerment.
The things I got to eat and the way I lived and commuted over these days made me aware of the local lifestyle and choices.
Small compliments here and there from Italian and Slovenian men were flattering, to say the least.
I met some really interesting and kind people in Milan, Florence, Siena and Ljubljana who made my trip unforgettable. The people I struck conversation with were from all corners of the world – Canada to Bangladesh, Europe to Australia. The most common reaction from them when they would hear I am from India was an astounding “wow”. They would go gaga over how much they love the colors of India, its cuisine, its diversity and most importantly, how much they wanted to visit the Taj Mahal! These reactions made me feel more proud and blessed about being born in a country which is admired across the world. However, they had one pertinent question for me – “Is it safe for women out there?” I upheld my travels as an example to make my answer credible. I explained to them how I travel alone in my country and how all tourist areas are safe and the people very welcoming. I shared my contact details with some of them to help them plan when they decide to visit my country.
To conclude, this was definitely one of those life-events which gave me powerful lessons and beautiful memories to cherish at the same time. I look forward to what life has to offer next.
Cheers.