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My Miracle at St. Rita’s Basilica
High in the mountains of Cascia, Umbria, a beautiful sanctuary provides a peaceful place of prayer and contemplation to followers of the patron saint of impossible cases, Saint Rita. The sanctuary is a 3-hour bus ride from the center of Rome. The catch? Staples There is only one bus per day that takes you directly to the sanctuary and only one that makes the trip back to Rome. THAT’S IT. The total trip is 3 hours long but makes 3 stops along the way, only to change buses warning! there are no bathroom breaks. Once in Cascia, you have 5 hours to explore as the return bus picks everyone up promptly at 3:30PM in the exact place…
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Citta Alta: Bergamo’s Best Kept Secret
Tucked away at the foot of the Alps, bordering Switzerland, Milan and a mere hour drive to Lake Como, you will find the small but beautiful city of Bergamo. Recently named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017, Bergamo is one of the most interesting, yet underrated cities in all of Italy. Among the many things to see and do in this historic city, my absolute favorite place to visit is a hidden gem called Citta Alta. Ironically, the only “hidden” thing about this city is that, for the most part, it is devoid of tourists – especially in comparison to the amount of people that swarm the main cities you…
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Discovering Antwerp in One Day
In my quest for a new fashion adventure, I came across a must-see museum in Antwerp, a small city in Belgium known for fashion, diamonds and The Antwerp Six. The Antwerp Six are a group of six avant-garde designers graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp including: Walter Van Beirendonck, Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Noten, Dirk Van Saene, Dirk Bikkembergs and Marina Yee – who put Antwerp on the map within the fashion world. Coming from Amsterdam, Antwerp was the perfect stop on the itinerary on my way to Brussels. I bought a train ticket on Trainline, my go-to train ticketing site, and planned a short 24-hour stay on…
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The Best Things to Do in Girona, Spain
There are few places in the world that can take you back to the times of medieval wars by way of powerful structures and historically rich buildings while also completely taking your breath away. Girona has a way of doing all this and more. Known for having one of Spain’s last surviving Jewish Quarters, spectacular yearly flower festival – Temps de Flors, and most recently for portraying the mythical city of Braavos in a little TV show called Game of Thrones, the city is packed with some of the most interesting things to see and learn about in all of Spain. Only an hour and a half drive from Barcelona and about a 30-minute cab…
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My Suitcase Was Stolen: How I Got $700 Insurance Reimbursement From Trenitalia
My travel adventures as a solo backpacker ironically started after my suitcase was stolen off of a train in Italy during the second week of my very first 3-month solo trip around Europe. My stolen suitcase fiasco was a combination of trusting the train conductors to keep my stuff safe and really, just being too trusting in general/not knowing better. However, as common as these stories are, it definitely doesn’t make them any less traumatic as they are happening. For many people, one of the hardest things to do when something bad happens and you’re on your own is think clearly. This is especially true when it’s something you never…
A TRAVEL SITE
