Polka Dot Life

   My husband and I are traveling as much as his work will allow for the month of July. As soon as I returned from the states I was in complete travel mode, from packing for our weekend trip to getting planned for the remainder of the month.So first up on our agenda...Plitvice National Park in Croatia.  One of the many waterfalls, this one I found to be pretty awesome    Plitvice National Park is the oldest national park in Croatia and was established in 1949. In 1979 it was recognized and added to UNESCO's World Heritage List. There are 16 different lakes, hundreds of waterfalls, lush forests, and a grand amount of different species (plant & animal) that make up the park. But something interesting about these waters, is that the waterfalls change their paths, frequently from what I'm told.   Everywhere you look, water is coming out of something    There's really nothing to do in this area except hike through, explore, and en...

What is Carnevale you ask? Think of Mardi Gras without the boobs or beads (reward for the boobs). Every year it is celebrated in February about 40 days before the Easter holiday. Since it is such a HUGE celebration, the streets are always packed, sometimes it is extremely annoying! Men and women are dressed in amazingly gorgeous costumes, some quite detailed and others simple but breath taking. Everyone wears a mask and if you show up without one then you're gonna need to buy one ASAP. Unfortunately the only large Carnevale celebration that I've been to is in Venice, which is still wonderful. But I would like to make it a little south to Tuscany for one of the biggest!  I regret that I wasn't able to make it this year, but here's a few photos that I took last time. I forgot to mention that everyone in costume plays the part with seriousness. Their costumes were very heavy Their passion was portrayed so well I named them Hanzel & Grettel I fell in l...

(Gondola rides...around 60-80 euro for 30 to 45 minutes) Venice...thought of as a beautiful and stunning place filled with romance, boutiques, cafes on every corner, lavish architecture, and the ever famous gondolas. It must be said, the American image of this foreign city is mostly correct! The only downfalls I find are the tourists, the prices, the stairs & no ramps (hard to do with a stroller), and of course the FAKE purse people that drive you crazy. Of course, the great things about Venice trump the not so great. (Basilica di San Marco) (Basilica di San Marco) (Piazza di San Marco) The Basilica di San Marco is the #1 must see in Venice and is located in the famous San Marco's Square. I have been in Italy for 2 1/2 years now and am sad to say that I have yet to go inside the church (Basilica di San Marco). The line is always so long that it wraps around to the back side...and when you have a toddler with you waiting in such a long line really isn't an option. I ...