Italian Adventure: Florentine Style Day 7

A day of ridiculous things.

What kinds of ridiculous things?

Pisa.  This was a dream come true for me!!

David.  Okay, you guys.  I am obsessed with Michelangelo's David sculpture. You can't take pictures of it, but if you ever get the opportunity to see it, go.  it will change your life.

Ponte Vecchio.

View from the Uffizi at night.

 

Dinner.  Bruschetta and Gnocchi with truffle cream sauce.

Notte Bianca.  You guys, Florence on April 30^th has something called “Notte Bianca.”  Loads of things are open all night and every Piazza is transformed into some type of performance.  This was one of the most ridiculously cool things I’ve ever done.

Italian Adventure: Tuscan Style Day 6

A day of rainy Tuscan touring.

We postponed our trip to Cinque Terre and did a tour of Tuscany instead. 

Beautiful village.

I am so into hats these days.

Fabulous hidden village.

San Gimignano

Had to snap this Rothko-inspired door on the street.

Medieval town where Dante wrote some of Inferno.

Italian Adventure: Roman Style Day 5

A day of delirious train travel from Roma to Firenze and Italian friends.

The Duomo

This guy hung out with the cast of the Jersey Shore before they got kicked out.

Italian Adventure: Roman Style Day 4

A day of letting the Earth move us to find pleasant surprises.

  

Surprises we stumbled upon:

Cute neighborhoods.

Markets.  “India—China—South Africa”  You know, Pri.  You know.

The Pope’s Cathedral

Lunch at the Colloseum

Archealogicalizing.  The archeological site of the Roman Forum.

 

Bocca dela Verita.

Inside the Pantheon.

Piazza Novona and the artists.  Bought a little painting.

Cool street artist.

 
Gelato, and the Trevi Fountain at night.

Italian Adventure: Roman Style Day 3

A day of trying to figure out what piles of rocks were and eating the most delicious food ever.  Ever, ever.

On today’s agenda:

1.  The colloseum is ridiculously cool.  And gigantic.  Utterly baffled as to how it was constructed.

2.  Pizza for lunch, what a surprise.  But really, this was ridiculously delicious.  My mouth is watering just remembering it.

3.  Found a little Texas in Roma!

4.  The Roman Forum…it may seem like a bunch of piles of rocks but is actually where all roads lead.

5.  And then we decided to nap in the Roman Forum with a view of the Colloseum…what is my life?

6..  Trevi Fountain.  Okay, so movies show this thing so fabulous and romantic.  And it was.  Except add a bajillion people.  Obviously made a wish!

7..  Beautiful Spanish Steps at sunset.

8.  THE MOST DELICIOUS MEAL I HAVE EVER EATEN, EVER.  Cirro Cirro.  Go there now.

9.  Getting lost on the way home.  Only in Europe would you stumble upon something like this.

Italian Adventure: Roman Style Day 2

A day of holiness and accidentally walking all of Rome.  And it was a surprise national holiday ending the german occupation in Italy…or something?

What did I learn today?  Prepare yourself, a lot:

1.  Italians don’t do breakfast.  They are late risers, and customarily grab a cappuccino and a pastry at a nearby cafeteria or paticceria.  Did I mention that I drank approximately 12 cappuccinos per day?

 

2.  The Vatican Museum is gigantic.  Luckily we had a cute little Italian tour guide who broke it down nicely for us.

 
3.  “Only in the Sistine Chapel!”  You can’t take pictures of the Sistine Chapel because of copyright laws…dumb!

4.  St. Peter’s Basilica is beautiful and very ornate.  And covered in gold.

 

5.  NUNS.  Are everywhere and are cute and little and I almost joined them in their nunneryness.
 

6.  The Swiss Guard protect the Pope.  They may look like court jesters but beware!
  

7.  This reminded me of that scene from Hercules (yes, wrong country, but go with me) where he knocks down all the pillars.
 
8.  Having lived in the Loire Valley (AKA Land of Chateux and Castles) we have an appreciation for these guys, these guys being castles.

 

9.  G.E.L.A.T.O.  It became its own food group.
 
10.  Piazza Novona.  Fabulous fountain with some new creepy Italian friends.
 
11.  The Pantheon…where we camped out for a solid five hours and witnessed one of the funniest mimes ever.