Chow Bella

Cotswolds: Traditional Heart of England

Posted on August 16, 2019April 23, 2020 by ChowBella

I wanted to communicate what I had seen, so that others could see it.
Laurie Lee

We hope everyone gets a chance to visit the destinations we highlight in this Chow Bella blog, but for those that can’t or don’t get the opportunity, then as Laurie Lee says, “I wanted to communicate what I had seen, so that others could see it.”

While we were in Bristol, England, we decided to take a full day tour of the Costwolds through Mad Max Tours. We took a quick and easy train ride to Bath, where our tour guide picked us up to drive us through some of the towns. We highly recommend this tour because the guide was very accommodating and informative. It was nice because during the drives we would get all this information about what to see while in the town and then we were let out of the van to go explore on our own. We had so much fun!

Continue reading →

Submerge Yourself In Bath

Posted on August 15, 2019January 8, 2020 by ChowBella

You must be the best judge of your own happiness.
Jane Austen, Emma

We both had the best time getting to know Bath with its limestone buildings, quaint streets, and historical charm. It was Jane Austen, in her book Emma, who said, “You must be the best judge of your own happiness.” That is always a true statement. One of the things that makes us happy is traveling and we loved getting to know Bath!

We decided to visit Bath for the day while we were staying in Bristol. We recommend hopping on an early train so you can get to the Roman Bath right when it opens at 9 AM because the longer you wait, the longer the line. Here is our recommended self-guided walking tour of Bath! Follow along with our map.

Continue reading →

Bristol, Shiver Me Timbers

Posted on August 14, 2019December 10, 2019 by ChowBella

Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.
Robert Louis Stevenson

It was the amazing writer Robert Louis Stevenson that said, “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.” We are constantly planting new seeds in our minds about where we want to travel to next, but not every plan pans out, whether because of an increase in flight prices or all of a sudden we need to change our travel dates. But that’s the beauty of planting so many seeds — one of them will always sprout. We are excited for any chance we get to explore a new place and shed light on an area that maybe a lot of people don’t know much about (including ourselves). One of the first things we learned about Bristol was that it first was known for being one of the maritime ports of England, but now it is known for being a cultural hub.

Continue reading →

Frankfurt, Industrial Charm

Posted on August 9, 2019November 19, 2019 by ChowBella

We are shaped and fashioned by what we love.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

We are fortunate that both of us, our family, and our friends love to travel to new cities! There are so many different ways to explore a city. You could do a ton of research, you could just walk around and get lost, or you could collaborate with locals and friends. We enjoy doing it all! It is like what Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said, “We are shaped and fashioned by what we love.” We love traveling and all the things we learn are woven into the fabric of our past.

We were excited we got to experience Frankfurt with our two friends! We ended up going to Frankfurt for three days Be aware that even in August we found we needed a jacket in the mornings and evenings.

Continue reading →

Catania Made Us An Offer We Couldn’t Refuse

Posted on June 20, 2019November 4, 2019 by ChowBella

All that nature has of great, all it has of pleasant, all it has of terrible can be compared to Etna and Etna cannot be compared to anything.
Dominique Vivant Denon

It was Dominique Vivant Denon that said, “All that nature has of great, all it has of pleasant, all it has of terrible can be compared to Etna and Etna cannot be compared to anything.” While we were in Catania we heard so many locals talk about how throughout time they try to never upset Etna. They think of Etna as a mother because at times she can get upset, but mostly she is there to support and give things to them (e.g., the volcanic soil is rich and helps their agriculture).

The city of Catania sits below Mount Etna in Sicily’s east coast and has so much history. It is a beautiful port city with some great local cuisine. While we were there we stayed at Casa Provenza Bed and Breakfast from Thursday night until Monday and it could have not been in a better location. It was in the heart of the city, just two blocks away from Piazza Universita and Piazza del Duomo. Also, we enjoyed an amazing breakfast on the balcony that overlooked the dome of Chiesa della Badia di Sant’Agata.

Continue reading →