The next time you head to Padova, someone might suggest for you to see the Scrovegni Chapel to see the frescos of the 14th century master, Giotto. But don't overlook the works of a modern day master, Kenny Random, whose art can be found throughout the streets of Padova. Here's one we spotted while wandering through town one day.

Backpacks. If they do a good job, you won't even know they're there.
When we started planning our most recent trip to Italy, we decided that this time, we were going to go as light as humanly possible. Our ultimate goal: to get away with only carry-on bags, despite the fact that we were traveling for 3 weeks, packing electronics, and taking goodies for our Italian friends. With the luggage we owned, it seemed like a tough task. But, through some research, a few good blogs, and some luck, we were fortunate to stumble on the Blackhawk 3-Day Assault Pack. It seemed to be an enigma of a bag: it's easily smaller than most carry-on size limits, yet people reported that they'd been able to carry enough for almost any trip. To top it off, it's the standard issue pack for the US Army. It's got to be good, right?
Want to know how it held up on our trip? Keep reading to find out our thoughts on how well the Assault Pack performed.

Headed on a trip and don't have much time to plan? Why not skip the guidebook in favor of a local paper? Many cities, big and small, feature an alternative paper that really gives you the flavor of the city. Written by passionate, interesting and offbeat locals, they are the easiest way to get up to date, and peek into the arts, culture, food and music scene. Best of all, they're free. Still not convinced? Check out our five ways that a local paper can help you plan your next trip.

TBEX Road Trip: No McDonalds On This Trip
Have you checked out the TBEX Road Trip blog yet? Kelly just wrote a little article on it about a great site that she's using to find local food options while on the road to TBEX.

Image: Aghman.

This photo comes from the beautiful lakes of Plitvice, Croatia. I've never seen waters with such vibrant colors, anywhere.

We've got more photos of Plitvice, coming up soon. Despite the fact that we've been home for the past few weeks, we're still wading through our photos and other media so that we can present them to you in all their shining glory. Soon, I promise.

We've been snacking on Calabrian food we bought home with us from our friends that run SaporeVero. (By the way, get your store online please, we need a lifetime supply of sundried tomatoes. Seriously, these are life changing and I hate tomatoes.) We meant to post this food roundup while we were in Italy, but we were too busy eating. Check out some Calabrian specialities below.

Forks and Jets: Belly Of The Beast
In Madrid, traveling can get expensive. But the fine folks at Forks and Jets give us a tip on how to eat and drink well, on the cheap.

We're back after a month-long hiatus, 3 of which we spent soaking up the Italian sun (and heat!) We've got some great photos, video, and stories to share, as soon as we can collect ourselves enough to get them online. :)

But enough about us. What have you been up to for the past month? Got any great travel stories to share? Feel free to share in the comments below.

The brightly colored sails of boats floating along the Ayeyarwady River gives us a peak into Burmese life.