Oh, Rome! (Part 1)

This city is definitely wonderful. There is so much history and delicious food! I enjoyed myself during the two days we had in Rome. I also visited Rome a second time with my mother-in-law...maybe it was because I threw a coin into the Trevi Fountain on this trip! 

Today was such a busy day. We had a lot of walking to do but we got to see some amazing things. Our hotel in Rome was the Villa Pamphili just outside the city center. Our bus picked us up from the hotel and took us to the Vatican, which was our first stop. To say I was excited to see the Sistine Chapel is an understatement. I was ecstatic. 

Growing up, my sister and I loved the movie "The Scarlet and the Black" with Gregory Peck. Quick backstory, the movie is set during World War II. Gregory Peck plays a priest trying to help Allied POWs and downed airmen out of Nazi-occupied Rome. (Fantastic movie; watch it if you get a chance!) This, I remember, was my first view of the Vatican City. I couldn't believe I was standing there. 

We were taken to the museum and given so much historical information; I wish I could remember half of what we were told. Out of respect, there is no loud talking or picture taking inside the Sistine Chapel, so our guide took us to the garden and told us more about the chapel before going in. There were pictures of the ceiling on description boards in the garden, and he mentioned some interesting stories behind certain characters in the paintings, including the turmoil Michelangelo had in his life before he died. 

We really went at a great time. There weren't many tourists inside. Zach and I were able to walk around and closely examine the paintings. From "The Creation of Adam" above our heads to "The Last Judgment," every single painting truly was a masterpiece. Read more about the Sistine Chapel and its paintings here.

Photo by ZH

Our guide then took us to St. Peter's Basilica. We were shown the "Pieta," created by Michelangelo in 1499. As you walk into the basilica, it is located on the right side (north side). It sits behind bullet proof glass because of an attack on the sculpture in 1972. 

As you make your way to the front, you see the altar for the Apostle Paul. Constructed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the altar was done beautifully in the Baroque style, and he would later be considered one of the best Baroque sculptors and architects of his time. 

Photo by ZH

Photo by ZH

We had barely scratched the surface of our sightseeing in Rome. Stay tuned for Oh, Rome! (Part 2); I will finish up the rest of our time there! 

Florence, Round Two

Today was a fun and busy day. We saw the Basilica di Santa Croce. This lovely basilica holds the bodies of Dante Alighieri, Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, and Galileo Galilei. Zach and I admired this place because it had such prominent figures that you only read about in history books or literature.

We then visited the Accademia Gallery which holds several works of art by Michelangelo. Many of these works were started, but never completed. In the distance, we saw the representation of the Biblical hero David that Michelangelo completed in the early 1500s. 

Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore was next on our list. Stunningly beautiful is all I can say about the outside of this structure. The building began in September of 1296. Much has been added, restored, or changed since its construction so many years ago. The intricate details are absolutely amazing. There is an option to go up to the top of the bell tower, but our large group didn't get that chance. We were pressed for time, and we had a schedule to keep. 

After a busy morning, we checked out of our hotel and headed to our next destination, Siena. We stopped for lunch in a medieval Tuscan village called Monteriggioni. This walled village, constructed in the 1200s, was built on a hill to see any enemies approaching from below. As we walked through the village, I could imagine myself living there during medieval times. They had quaint shops which sold items ranging from clothes to cheese. 

We wound down our day at a family-owned vineyard which has been in the family for three generations. They have a restaurant where all of the ingredients are grown organically, including the vino! Our group had such a wonderful time, and we felt like part of the family! It was a delightful ending to an already lovely day. 

First Day In Florence

We left early the next morning from Venice to visit Florence. On our way, we stopped on the outskirts of Modena at a farmhouse called Leonardi Acetaia that has produced balsamic vinegar since the early 19th century. They have 100-year-old vinegar stored in barrels, and we were given the opportunity to try this creamy yet delicious balsamic vinegar. It is definately the best I have ever had. 

After arriving in Florence, we stopped at our hotel, the Mediterraneo, and off we went to a leather shop called Misuri. We watched a jewelry and leather demonstration before we began shopping. The shop had everything from handbags to coats to jewelry, all beautiful pieces. Since my birthday was coming up, Zach let me pick out a purse! I was excited, and I picked the purse they had a demonstration on. It was a handbag that was made for Grace Kelly when she was on location for To Catch a Thief. Misuri also engraved my initials on the inside for free. I was one happy gal! 

We then enjoyed some free time before dinner that evening, so we walked around Florence. We found another leather shop where Zach tried on some leather jackets. He bought a nice, tan-colored jacket. It looked pretty good on him too!

We finally met up with Ciro, and ate at a lovely restaurant called the Finisterrae. It was right across from the Basilica di Santa Croce in the piazza. We had a margarita pizza there for lunch, and we also had gelato, which was possibly the best-tasting gelato out of the whole trip! For dinner, we had a five-course meal...and by the third course, I was incredibly stuffed. But I carried on! I wasn't going to let all this lovely food go to waste. 

Ciro wanted to show us how the city looked at night before we saw it during the daytime, so our little group walked around Florence, and he showed us certain sites we would be seeing the next day. He showed us the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore and the Piazza della Signoria which had many statues on display including the Fountain of Neptune. After a long walk back to our hotel, we were exhausted. I couldn't help but fall asleep with a smile on my face knowing there was still so much more to see!

Venice & Burano, Italy, part 2

As I mentioned in my previous post, our next stop was an optional excursion to Burano. We took an hour boat ride to this colorful island. All the houses are painted in bright, vibrant colors. Instead of having house numbers, they are identified by the color of their house! We had a fantastic lunch and purchased some masquerade masks. The gentleman who owns the shop makes each mask by hand, and they were all so lovely that it was hard for me to pick just one! If you decide to purchase an authentic Venetian mask, look for one handmade in Italy with a seal from the maker. 

We then took the boat back to the Bridge of Sighs and walked to our hotel – yes, the hour walk we skipped from this morning! Zach and I decided for a quick 20-minute gondola ride instead. Our particular gondola had musicians and a singer. We sat back and enjoyed the music, the gentle breeze brushing our faces as we glided through the Venetian canals.

As part of our traveling experience, we try to purchase t-shirts or magnets from a Hard Rock Cafe in each city. Ciro showed us how to get to the only HRC, and cautioned us on where to eat because of extra charges or taxes that most restaurants along the waterway will include in your bill. We got our HRC purchases, walked along some alleyways, and came upon a small pizzeria. We sat outside for dinner and enjoyed a delicious margarita pizza. 

Nighttime fell upon us as we made our way back to the hotel. I enjoyed everything we did on that first day in Italy, but the gondola ride was the most memorable! 

Venice & Burano, Italy, part 1

The next morning we woke up refreshed and quite ready to start our trip. Zach and I ate a wonderful breakfast of eggs, bacon, fresh fruit, and English Breakfast tea at our hotel. We were up early to beat the crowds and the heat. Our group took a boat ride to the other side of Venice. We could have walked, but it would have taken us a good 45 minutes to an hour at a brisk pace, and we didn't have time for that! 

On this first day, we visited the Doge's Palace with its Bridge of Sighs and St. Mark’s Square. We also attended a glassblower demonstration which was spectacular to watch. 

The Doge's Palace housed the Doge of Venice, which was the supreme authority of the Republic of Venice. First opened in the 1920s, it is now a grand museum where we saw many paintings, weapons, and a seating area where the jury sat, and where they held court. Then, we crossed the Bridge of Sighs where the prisoners were taken to prison if convicted. 

Next, we walked through St. Mark's Square and saw the outside of the Basilica.  We made it to the Vecchia Murano Glass Factory and watched the glassblower do his work. He did it so quickly yet precisely. His first demonstration was of a vase, and his second demonstration was of a small horse. 

Our next stop was an optional excursion to Burano. We took an hour boat ride to this colorful island. Read more about this island next week on my blog! 

Arriving in Venice

In May of this year, Zach and I took a Globus trip of the United Kingdom, which you can read about here. But we had already been on another Globus tour in August 2014 where we visited Italy. It was a nine-day journey from Venice to Sorrento and it is definitely worth writing about now (even if it is a year later). The tour guides we met in each city loved what they did and were excited to share all they knew. Our main tour guide, Ciro, was fantastic, and he kept us entertained during our trip across the country. Like the UK tour, we traveled by bus with about 32 other fantastic people! 

We first flew into Venice Marco Polo Airport, and representatives from Globus picked us up, along with some other tour members, and took us to our hotel, the Hotel Carlton on the Grand Canal. Venice is a bunch of little islands completely surrounded by water, and there are no cars or roadways, only canals and boats. Because of this, we had to be dropped off a little ways from our hotel. But it was so gorgeous, and we were so delighted to be there that we didn't mind the walk at all. Globus took care of our luggage throughout the entire trip, so we didn't look ridiculous climbing the many stairs or cobblestone streets while in Italy. We rested up in our room for a few hours before we met Ciro and our traveling companions. After he went over some important information, we took a lovely stroll to a restaurant called Al Bacco Felice. Mama Mia! Here we had the most tasty spaghetti and fettuccine I have ever eaten. After lunch we treated ourselves to some biscotto and pistacchio gelato. For us, gelato wasn't just a treat...it was a meal in itself as we had some 3 or more times a day!

After our dinner, we walked back to the hotel and said goodnight to our group. We were both so excited to be there and couldn't wait for what was to come in our tour!

Last Day in the UK

In high school I liked reading what little works of Shakespeare I had read. It wasn't until college that I loved reading his plays even more. My professor was so passionate about Shakespeare it rubbed off on me. To this day, I love reading and learning more about anything related to Shakespeare.

So I knew today was going to be an exciting day.

We first stopped at the cottage of William Shakespeare's wife, Anne Hathaway, and took a photo with our group. We then visited the birth place of William Shakespeare himself. We walked inside the cottage and saw the room he was born in along with the kitchen and other bedrooms. We also wandered along the grounds and saw the beautiful gardens. And how can you not purchase books from the gift shop? We certainly had to. I bought a book of Mr. Shakespeare's sonnets, and Zach bought Star Wars books written in play form.

After touring the cottage we had a bite to eat. Suddenly it started to pour, and we ran back to the bus soaking wet and drove back to London. We said our goodbyes to Anne Marie, the best tour guide ever, and Steve, our awesome bus driver, and checked in to our hotel. Since it was our last night, we decided to have dinner and see a show. We tried to get tickets to War Horse but it was sold out on that night. We decided to see Wicked instead. Zach had seen it when he was younger and enjoyed it. I was so excited that we had excellent seats. The actors and actresses were amazing. The musical score was beautiful. I can't believe I hadn't seen this sooner! I purchased a t-shirt, CD, and program before the show started...good thing I loved it. After the show we took a taxi back to our hotel and crashed for the night.

We were sad leaving the UK the next day. We both had such an amazing time and wished we could have stayed longer. We have talked about going back to the little villages we stopped at along our way to stay at a bed and breakfast. I have absolutely no objections to that!

York, England

We visited both Alnwick Castle and York on the tenth day of our trip, but I had to give the castle it's own post because, well, it was just so grand. And I would have written a seriously long post last time if I hadn't! By now, Zach was taking all kinds of medication to help him recover, and he stayed at the hotel as I trekked the old streets of York alone. 

Before our Globus tour guide, Anne Marie, let us loose to explore on our own, she said that York Minster, the largest gothic cathedral in northern Europe, took 250 years to complete. It is also a cathedral which holds the Archbishop's throne. She then took us to Stonegate, a street filled with shops and bakeries. After pointing out a lot of streets that ended in "gate," Anne Marie explained that "gate" was the Viking word for "street." This section is kept free from all traffic to preserve the medieval architecture. 

I visited many shops and stumbled upon York's Chocolate Story, a specialty museum. Anne Marie mentioned that the Kit Kat, a favorite chocolate bar of mine in the Sates, was first made in York! How cool is that? Let me just say I tried the best Kit Kat I have ever had! They also have a guided tour of the shop. They not only tell you about the history of chocolate from ancient beginnings to present day, but also about how it is made. I bought a Kit Kat for me and a king size one for my sick hubby, along with some other chocolate bars. 

As our time neared its end in York,  I came across the Minster Gate Book Shop. It had at least four levels of books! There were many 1st editions to modern day books. Definitely a book heaven. I found a copy of Pilgrim's Progress from 1914 and purchased it. I wished I had time to look even more through the collections. 

I was sad to leave the cobblestone streets of York but anxious to get back to my husband. Still not feeling all too well, he did enjoy the Kit Kat and some other chocolates I brought him. He was pretty happy with both!