Walking around in the Eternal City

My first full day in Rome was filled with sightseeing. This place has a piazza or fountain on every other street it seems. It's a beautiful city.

I wandered about the area for a few hours. I started with a walk down Via Vittorio Veneto, the street made famous by the Fellini movies. This is the street that was called "la dolce vita." It's definitely a beautifully winding street full of cafe's and goodies.

From there I found the Trevi fountain and threw two coins over my shoulder. One ensures your return to rome, the other is a personal wish. It's a massive fountain! I then walked to the Piazza Popolo and the Spanish Steps. It was a nice, sunny morning to enjoy my walk.





In the early afternoon I ventured to Villa Borghese, a gigantic park close by. It was packed with people and yet it didn't seem touristy or too busy. There were people walking, cycling, riding golf carts and renting Segways. I walked by a man playing great music on his saxophone. It was a really fun atmosphere.








In the evening I took a "Rome Illuminated" tour to see Rome and it's monuments at night. Unfortunately, this tour was a load of crap. They put you on a closed bus with dirty windows and they sped by every place at break neck speed. Not sure what the point of that was. Oh well.

Here are the only clear photos from this tour:

La dolce vita

Buona sera from Roma! I arrived at around noon today and have already seen things I will remember for a lifetime.


First off, my train from Florence was great. I was a little nervous about the luggage situation as you only have so much space to store your stuff and my luggage is too heavy to lift into a compartment above my head! No worries, I was in the train early enough to get a good luggage spot. Anxiety averted.

I sat with a woman from Australia traveling with her husband and two young children. She told me her kids are learning italian so they thought they would bring them to Italy. Awesome mom! She said her kids are their translators while they are there. Perfect, she's already got them working too.

She was telling me on the train that you need to have reservations to see the Colosseum or you will wait all day in line. Ugh, I'm done with lines. So when I checked into the hotel the concierge recommended a tour I could take this afternoon that would get me in without the wait. Great!

Except... this means another dreaded bus tour with old people that complain incessantly. Everyone was complaining about the walking. They had no idea they would have to walk so much. Umm, hello, you are at the freaking Colosseum! When will you be here again. Suck it up grandpa and relax, or go grab a taxi and find an early-bird buffet. You don't even walk faster than a snails pace on these things anyways.

Ok, besides that minor annoyance. The Colosseum was larger and more impressive than I expected. And I expected a lot! The Romans sure knew how to build things that would last. It's a blessing to be in a place with so much history. To touch and walk around within it is an added bonus.








Look at this place! It's ginormous and kick-ass. Our tour guide was excellent. She really knew this place and you can tell she loved talking about it.

We then walked over to the ancient ruins. It was about a five minute walk. (Oh the horror!) How do you describe this place? It's just one of the coolest places ever. All this amazing stuff was just dug out of the ground. It's crazy that today's Rome is sitting on yesterday's Rome. After seeing what they have dug up so far, you understand why their subway is so limited.





So now I'm in the hotel room, sitting back and enjoying my evening inside. Oh yeah, my room is so nice here. I have a great view of the street with a little stone balcony to step out on and a walk-in closet! With the added bonus of free wifi and a pool. Yep, this is definitely a good hotel to end my trip.


Ciao

Sometimes no plans are the best plans

On my last day in Florence I left very early in the morning to get in line at the Accademia to see the David. The museum lineups in Florence are ridiculous. After waiting 40 minutes I finally got in.

When I turned the first corner in the museum I looked up and there he was at the very end. All five meters of him. David is magnificent! I'm so glad I made it in. The immense size of the statue is shocking. You cannot take your eyes off him. He really knows how to dominate a room.

I sat there for quite awhile just taking in each part of him. The fine veins in his hands and arms are so perfect and look real. The longer you look at him, the more you see. His face from straight on looks serene, then you move a few feet around him and you see his face is almost menacing. Very cool. His position makes it look like he's just about to move. And I never knew he was carrying the slingshot that took out Goliath on his back. (The following photo is from a replica of the David)


I also took some time to see other peoples expression when they first entered the room. It was pretty much the same. Eyes widen, a quick gasp, and then utter silence. How many things do that to so many people? Especially in a city dominated with amazing statues everywhere you step.

Afterwards, I thought I would take a chance at the Uffizi gallery one last time as it was still early and not yet open. I got in the gigantic line and waited with a couple from London on their honeymoon. She was patient to wait and he was ready to split. After an hour of waiting and chatting we got to a part of the line that said it was still a three hour wait to get in. Forget that! I don't want to waste my whole day in line.


So I left and ventured up some steep streets and steps to get to the Michelangelo Piazzale. After all my huffing and puffing it was worth it. The views of Florence from up there are spectacular. It was a bit hazy out, but the climb was worth it.





While up there I saw a man painting some watercolors. I fell in love with one of his pieces of the Tuscan countryside with poppies and daisies in it. He made me a deal and I was a happy camper. Also, another man was playing a quiet electric guitar of some great classic songs. I left after he finished "What a wonderful world."

I then ventured up to the church San Miniato al Monte. It is a monastery that is open to the public. Just as I entered the monks started their prayer time. I sat on some steps and watched and listened to them as they chanted and prayed. It was beautiful and so peaceful. It brought tears to my eyes. I wasn't the only one though. I noticed a young man wiping his eyes too.


Hmm, I think I will take that day over a day waiting in line. Now on to Rome, The Eternal City.

Statues from the Loggia dei Lanzi:








The Mona Lisa's from my hotel (nice tits):

Vineyards, stone villages, gelato, olive and cypress trees. Oh yeah!

I love the tuscan countryside more and more each day. I cannot put into words how beautiful this place is, so I won't. I'm going to attach photos instead.


Today was the day I went to Siena and San Gimignano. Siena is a town that held as much power as Florence way back in the day. Until Florence came in and took it over. Or something like that. I was so busy looking around that my attention to the tour guide went in and out. Nothing new for me.

The piazza in Siena is cool, it's shaped like a shell and it looks like most of the town circles around it. If I had known how beautiful it was, I might have stayed there instead of Florence.

We had a tour of the church there. Or what's left of it. At one time, it was larger than St. Peter's Basilica. Now, only one wing is still intact. It has Michelangelo and Donatello statues in it. The floor will make your jaw drop. It's all inlaid marble with the most amazing scenes. Thank god they don't let you walk on it.





After our tour, we had awhile to lunch and look around. I had a nice lunch on the piazza and then wandered around. With gelato of course! I mean look at this stuff! How can you resist?


After Siena, we drove to San Gimignano, a small medieval town that is still mostly intact. It was just awesome. Oh, and I had some gelato there too! I had to, they have won awards. It was good, but it wasn't as good as the one I had at Vivoli in Florence.


There were many stuffed boars in San Gimignano. They all had funky things going on. This one was wearing a hat. I saw another that was eating a piece of corn on the cob. Silly town.





On the tour I met a nice woman from Argentina. She's traveling with her parents to help them out. She started in London and has done almost the same trip as myself. We talked about how we are 20 days in and are a little homesick. It's true, I miss home, but I am also enjoying myself immensely here. We laughed at what a hard problem that is to have. ;)


I cannot believe I only have a few days left. It's been a long trip that seems to be flying by. I'm really excited to get to Rome. I want to finally see this "outside museum."

Ciao bella

Greetings from Florence, the heart of Tuscany; with rolling hills, tall cypress trees and breathtaking villas. Yes, I can see why people want to retire here. Maybe not retire right in Florence though. It is crazy-busy with tourists! It's busier than I thought it would be. You can hardly move in some places.


I arrived Tuesday afternoon and my room is a hundred percent better than "the hotel in Venice that is dead to me." I'm staying at the Hotel Monna Lisa. They have Mona Lisa pictures all over the place, but they are more on the kitschy side. Most of them depict Mona smoking from a bong or joint. There is one where she is holding a cat. Ha ha, cheeky.

After I was settled I looked for the Leather School of Santa Croce. It's been around for over 50 years and you can purchase their creations. I walked into the store and it smelled divine. You could just smell quality. I looked around and purchased a couple of small things (It's not badly priced). I was about to leave, but I decided to go through the bag room again. Big mistake! I found a red calf-skin carry-on bag. It's beautiful! It's also lined in leather. I splurged and bought it. They put your name or initials on items you buy, so I got my initials burned on the front. I imagine having this special bag forever.

I did a little sightseeing after that; looking and walking and looking and walking. When I get home I'm going to want to sit and veg and sit and veg!

On Wednesday I started out walking to the Uffizi to get a ticket and look at their collection of masterpieces by Botticelli, da Vinci and Michelangelo. Once I got there I was shocked at how long the line was. It was at least a two hour wait or more. I don't really have the time of patience to wait that long. I only have two full days in Florence, the rest is touring the countryside. Drat!

I went to Boboli gardens at Pitti Palace instead. It was beautiful and quiet. A nice change from the squares of Florence and Venice. I loved it! The garden is quite large and very high up, giving you nice views of the city.








After the gardens I met up with my Chianti wine tour bus. We went to a 900 year old winery called Castello del Trebbio. It was originally owned by the Pazzi family who tried to kill the Medici family. As you can tell, we got some history with our wine tour.








The wine was fantastic! I sat with an older man from Michigan, and two couples from Sweden. We had a great conversation over our wine and tapas.





When we got back I ventured to a restaurant that was recommended as one of the best places to get pizza. It was ok. I've had better in Winnipeg. I should have had the pasta. It looked better. I shared a table with two German women that were in Florence to learn Italian. Hmm, sound familiar? I wonder if they read "Eat, Love, Pray?"

I topped off my day by going to Vivoli, the famous Gelato place. So yummy. Not as good as Berthillon in Paris, but right up there.


These locks are everywhere. I believe the story goes that if you and your partner put a lock up you will be united forever. Or something like that.

What bridge is this?

It's my last day in Venice and there is a thunderstorm going on right now. I made it back to the room in time. Whew!

Yesterday was another warm, sunny day; a good day to wander around, which is exactly what I did. The nice thing about this city is you easily get lost, but then find your way again.








I would tell you where I went yesterday, but I have no idea where I was for most of it. I passed through markets and alleys that led nowhere. Went over so many bridges I lost count. Ate something wherever I went; pizza, fresh fruit, fresh strawberry juice, ice cream, cookies, more pizza and more ice cream. Oh, and this drink they call "Gingerina." Took a chance thinking it might be like ginger ale. Not even close. I can't even place the taste.


I ended up having one of my pizza slices outside a little restaurant that had the most delicious looking things called "special toast." They looked like extravagant pizzas on ciabattas, loaded with fresh ingredients. They were enormous! I didn't get one because I wasn't so hungry, but the couple sitting beside me did and they gobbled it up.

The couple were from Raleigh, North Carolina. I didn't get their names, but we ended up having our lunch together. We sat and chatted for over an hour. She is a pharmacist and he is a top Marketing Sales Associate for the largest rubber adhesive company in the world. I believe it was called "Lord." (Nothing to do with religion he said.) He seems to travel everywhere in the world for his job. I would imagine that's exciting at first, but then wears thin after awhile.

Anyways, I had a great lunch with them. Definitely a highlight to Venice. It was nice to have a lively conversation over a meal. Haven't had that in awhile. Forgot how much I missed it. Actually, I haven't had a good argument for a long time either. I'm sure CJ is missing that at work! ;)


Last night as I was walking back to the hotel room through St. Mark's square, I stopped to watch all the couples enjoying themselves as they listen to the orchestras play. It's so cute! This one older couple were bopping along, arms around each other with a hand in the other's back pocket. I couldn't resist, I had to snap a shot of them.



When I got back to the room I got a call from Chuck. He always knows when to phone me somehow. Spidey senses? He was looking for the lawnmower recharger. Ha ha. Nice, I got him mowing and cleaning cat litter. Next step, shoveling snow!

More of the same for today. For me, Venice is a two-day max visit. Now onto Florence. Ciao