Sicily, A Few Final Highlights

Photos and a few more places

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Polizzi Generosa and the Madonie Mountains, Sicily 2025

Polizzi Generosa and the Madonie mountains deserve a more evocative write-up but many months have past since our trip, so I want to get words down on the page before more time passes.

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Ragusa, Sicily 2025

Here's more about our trip to Sicily in May.

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Villa Romana del Casale, Sicily 2025

I’ve always been drawn to old mosaics. When I see thousands of tiny pieces cut and set by hand, I am fascinated by the scenes frozen in tile and am in awe of the artisans who crafted them long before the days of electricity and power tools. 

Villa Romana del Casale, one of only a few Roman sites in Sicily, is a sprawling villa covered in 3,500 square meters (Over 37,000 square feet!) of mosaic floors. It is one of the largest collections in the world and was one of the highlights of our trip to Sicily.

Sicily in May

It is now August and I still have not written or posted anything about my recent trip to Sicily. It is a multi-part story so I'll get get around to sharing it bit-by-bit in separate posts. The bottom of this page will have the links to all of the posts.

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The Art of Roaming: Travel Tips for the Independent Globetrotter

Polizzi Generosa, Sicily, 2025

During a team meeting at work several months ago, a 20-something colleague asked about traveling abroad. He was interested but hesitant. Should he do it? The answer from the team was an unmistakable yes. 

A few of us lit up as we talked about the benefits of a journey abroad. There was consensus that international travel is a great way to expand your horizons, get a new perspective, keep your mind active, build confidence by navigating new places and unfamiliar languages and cultures, learn about the world, and maybe learn a few things about yourself. 

This conversation coupled with my recent trip to Sicily (Story coming soon!) got me thinking about travel advice. Here are a few practical tips for anyone wanting to explore the planet.

There are endless places to go and many, many ways to strike out on an adventure. This is my advice based on 15+ trips abroad since 2000. Your advice, which you can leave in the comments section of this post, is welcome but please be kind to novices and don't tell me "you're doing it wrong." I am well aware that there many things I've left out and not all tips works for all destinations.

From Sea to Shining Sea

My writing practice has really stalled. Here is another one stuck in my drafts folder. I wrote up the New York City piece shortly after I returned from that trip (Over a year ago!) but the San Francisco trip report (Last March) never materialized so I'm including a short paragraph and a few photos. 

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Walking Ireland's Wicklow Way - A Guide for Independent Travelers

Over the years I have come to revel in walking inn-to-inn. Although the experience isn’t as remote, wild, or free of people as backpacking, arriving at a destination on foot is still very satisfying. I have come to appreciate the convenience of carrying a smaller pack and having lodging and town services waiting for me at the end of the day. 

For our most recent trip abroad, Mike and I spent 14 days in Ireland including six days walking along the Wicklow Way. The outing offered the chance to explore a new country and the slower pace of travel allowed us to become fully immersed in a landscape different from home. In addition to the territory we discovered along the trail, our daily arrival gave us a chance to explore another new place whether it be a town or just a small inn.

Marley Park, Dublin

While many Wicklow Way trekkers go the self-guided route (A guide company books your accommodations, transports your bag, and provides support), Mike and I carried our bags and made reservations on our own. Below is a description of our walk and advice on logistics. While we walked more or less to our destination each day, there were still logistics to workout.

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Thermal Magic in Yellowstone

For those living far from Yellowstone, a trip to the park can be the highlight of the year. For Bozemanites like myself, who have two park entrances within 90 miles of home, Yellowstone is one of many nearby outdoor playgrounds. With wildlife, sweeping vistas, thermal areas, mountains, rivers, and more, there is an almost endless landscape to explore. At the same time, summertime crowds and the stop-and-go-traffic are a hassle making it is easy to get jaded about the park. With several mountain ranges an easy drive from Bozeman many locals avoid the chaos of Yellowstone in the summer. I had long done the same but over the past handful of years, I have developed a fondness for backpacking in the park.

The National Park Service estimates that 98% of Yellowstone’s four million+ annual visitors never explore further than half a mile from their car. With over 900 miles of trails and over 290 backcountry camp spots, it’s easy to get away from the crowds. My most recent trip in August was the first time I backpacked beyond Yellowstone’s marked trails to a land few people visit. I came away with an even deeper appreciation for the park, its special features, and how lucky I am to have it close to home. Yellowstone is popular for a reason, but those wishing to put in the time and travel beyond the known will be rewarded for their efforts.

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A Moment in Mostar

Here is one that got lost in my drafts folder. It's a quick sketch of a night in Mostar, Bosnia during our Croatia and Bosnia trip last summer.

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Montenegro - Ten Days & Ten Photos

Here's the write up on the second part of my trip. Once again, I challenged myself to tell the story using just ten photos.

Click here to read about the first part of the trip, which was to Austria

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Austria, Spring 2023 - Photos & Narrative

Rather than plopping a bunch of photos on social media, I thought I'd write about my most recent trip to Europe here. I challenged myself to using only ten photos to tell the story. 

Please read to the bottom as I need your insight on spritzes, lederhosen, and dirndls. You can leave your thoughts in the comments section of this post. (No login required.)

It was a two-part trip so there will be another post.

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Welcome Home Bingo - European Edition

Here's a fun game you can play when you return from your next trip to Europe. See how long it takes before you see or experience the following. Challenge your travel companions to see who can be the first to check off all of the items found on the list.

Do you have items to add to the list? If so, please share them in the comments section of this post.

Note: This list is based my experiences during numerous trips to Europe. I just returned from a trip to Croatia and Bosnia and many of the items found below are specific to the trip. I am by no means suggesting that this is how it is everywhere both home and abroad. And it is not my intention to pass judgement or to say that one way is better or worse than the other. These are just my observations. You may find different things during your travels and where you live.

Please take this game lightly as it is intended. Most importantly, get out and travel.

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Jet Setting

Jet setting off to West Palm Beach

I took of on a four-day weekend to West Palm Beach, Florida earlier in the month. I'll post about it soon (Visit my Instagram page if you want to see a few photos), but in the meantime, here are a few thoughts about taking off. 

The Great American Train Story Continues

Memories of a train trip from a long time ago. I first wrote about it several years ago on this blog and updated the piece for a writing class over a year ago. The piece continues to be refined. Here is the latest. 

Do you have a train story to share? Leave it in the comments section of this post.

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Summer 2020 - Backpacking Stats & Poem

Mountains, lakes, rivers, fields, ridge lines, and mammals. There was a lot to see and explore this summer. 

I hadn't planned on a big summer of backpacking but thanks to Mike's encouragement and support for a big thru-hike, that's the way it worked out. 

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Thru-Hiking the Centennial Trail

I once heard it said that unless you’re Bill Bryson, reading about someone’s thru-hike is about as exciting as reading about watching paint dry. With that in mind, I’ll keep it brief. At the end of the post you’ll find some practical advice for thru-hiking the Centennial Trail. 

Retelling the Story - The (Not-So) Great American Train Ride

Something I'm working on for my current writing class. I wrote the story several years ago (http://annvinciguerra.blogspot.com/2015/12/the-not-so-great-american-train-ride.html) but have changed its focus in this new version. My writing class will critique it on Monday. Your feedback is welcome

Summer Activity Stats

I've been working on this for a while. Between a busy few weeks at work and the need to consult maps before writing this up, I kept getting put it off. Before everything gets "lost in the mists of time," I've decided to document a few notable summer outings - a really quick summary to remember names but very lacking in details. 

For the First Time - Discovering the Wild East

During a long run this morning I found my thoughts drifting to the city of Prague. Still thinking about it upon my return, I took a few moments to jot down these recollections of my first visit there in 2000. This is a work in progress.