Most aspiring adventurers often get their starts in conventional settings. While the exoticism of India, or the orientalism of Japan can be very enticing, the settings themselves are often very challenging for the inexperienced traveler. And so many travelers have their humble beginnings in Europe, with its concentration of culture, relatively small distances and its comprehensive transportation web. While there are those that beat the common path from city to city, experiencing museum fatigue and hostel burnout, there are also those that seek something a little off the beaten path. I had started my first trip to Europe off well in this manner. I had started across the Mediterranean in northern Africa, traversed Sicily and then visited oft forgotten Malta. After getting as far north as Rome though, I was trapped in the same backpackers’
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