Buongiorno, Italia!

Mr. Pickle met up with his friend Lana again for a beautiful and amazing trip to Italy to visit family there from September 26 - October 4. They saw many historic sites, took in art, and wined and dined Italian style. He visited Blevio, Chernobbio, Como, Milan, and Bellagio. Here we go:

Mr. P getting comfy and enjoying the view at the Villa in Blevio.

Mr. P is looking good in hat, but clearly lacks a vest. But he also lacks hands, so... all is well. 

Hey stranger. 

He's trying to tell her that she's had a wardrobe malfunction. 

Small Pickle, big cathedral.

P is for Pizza!

Mr. P does Bellagio.

P is still for Pizza!

Bellagio.

Bellagio. 

I'm on a boat! 

Mr. P's got a ticket to ride!

Mr. Pickle soaked in the vast beauty that is the Duomo de Milano cathedral. 

Duomo de Milano.

They are VERY excited to pose with the cathedral behind them. 

Tea cup ride in Chernobbio! He wants on!

Mr. P is loving the colors in Chernobbio!

Ice cream!

Market in Chernobbio.

Does Italy have happy hour? It's Mr. Pickle's job to find out while in Chernobbio. 

More research on that happy hour thing in Como. Ahem. 

~~~

And so ends a fabulous and amazing trip to Italy! It's the 15th country he's been to! 

And sadly, it's probably the last country he'll see. More on that later though. 

Travelin' with E, Pt. 2: Belgium

In traveling with his pal Elizabeth back in February and March, they stopped in Turkey on their way to Belgium, where Mr. P and his guests ate all the food and visited all the sights in Antwerp and Bruges. He swam in frites, ate a lemon, and almost got mailed far away.

In danger near a statue for one of Antwerp's many historic guilds.

Mr. P with a Belgian hero, Tintin.

Checking out frites, a Belgian late night staple.

There are no bridges over the Scheldt River. Mr. P is hanging out at the top of a very scary wooden escalator down into one of the pedestrian tunnels under the river.

Sampling a 'bolleke', local slang for a glass of De Koninck.

 Mr. P trying on a cuberdon, a nose-shaped Belgian gummy candy.

Mr. P at Middelheim, a large sculpture garden. He got some strange looks for checking out the (very strange) still lifes.

More still lifes.

More still lifes.

More still lifes.

More still lifes. WAIT! That car is crooked!

A day at the zoo with Mr. P! He liked taking his own pictures with his new camera.

Zoo times. Check out the glasses on that tree!

Mr. P was pretty dang excited to see windmills! Though maybe not as excited as E was.

Mr. P enjoys written correspondence and so had to check out several interesting mail slots.

More mail slots. OUCH!

Tiptoeing through the crocuses in a park in Antwerp on a springy day.

Mr. P checks out a fo' real castle: Het Steen, a medieval fortress along the Scheldt River in Antwerp.

Playing with his food at a birthday dinner. Pucker up!

Mr. P was excited to check out some of the oldest working printing presses in the world at the Plantin-Moretus Museum.

Plantin-Moretus Museum.

~~

Another grand trip with his pal Elizabeth! Knocking new countries off his list is one of Mr. P's favorites. 

He has some traveling to do this summer! Where are you taking him?! His schedule is pretty open...

Travelin' with E, Pt. 1: Istanbul, not Constantinople

Mr. Pickle joined one of his favorite traveling buddies Elizabeth on a grand adventure to Europe! Mr. P was able to add a few new countries to his visited-list and he ate many, many delicious meals. On their way to Belgium they spent 40 hours in Istanbul, Turkey. Here is what they were up to:

 
 Mr. P's first mosque: Süleymaniye Mosque. He didn't have to wash his feet when he went inside...because he doesn't have feet. He did have to remove his hat, however.

Mr. P crossing the Galata Bridge over the Bosphorus Strait into a different part of Istanbul. They thought they had walked all the way to Asia, but that would've been over a different bridge. They weren't all that impressed with the other side, so it's just as well that it wasn't Asia!

Taking a break with Turkish coffee and sweets after a long morning of walking. YUM. 

 Mr. Pickle in the Basilica Cistern, which was so cool! It was built in the 6th century to bring water into the city, and was featured in the movie From Russia With Love.

Basilica Cistern

Mr. P took a (blurry) photo with one of the famous Medusa heads, but didn't turn to stone himself.

Apparently they missed out on several major historical/tourist attractions, so Mr. P had to make do with taking photos outside.

 Mr. P's second mosque, the much more famous Blue Mosque. By this point, he was an expert in proper and respectful mosque behavior.

Mr. P wasn't sure what to make of this puffy bread at dinner on our last night in Istanbul. 

The end of Istanbul! Next stop: Belgium. 

~~

Mr. Pickle is THE FAMOUS NOMADIC PICKLE, and he's booking summer trips. Check his itinerary to see if your trip fits into his schedule. He's dying to get to all 50 states!!