The Dog Days of Summer

Cody looking so innocent....who knows what terror he's dreaming up in his head to inflict on us!!!

Kimi is just over a year and a half years old. She's a real sweety and brings so much joy to our life.

The boy again...more plotting, I'm sure!!!

Hmmm...now the two of them may be in cahoots ;)

Don't let the innocent look deceive you...they are definitely cooking up something!!!!

Who...us?????

Roma In Less than 48 Hours

Two days is not near long enough to spend in Rome, but unfortunately, that's the only time that Donna, Jason & Regina had since they were all flying out on Monday morning. We tried to pack in as much stuff as possible in the less than 48 hours that we had. We arrived right after noon on Saturday so that only gave Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday. We were lucky to have found a B&B in Rome, within a 20 minute walk from the Piazza del Popolo. It was very reasonably priced and beautiful. If you're travelling to Rome anytime soon, definitely give Marco a call and check them out. His wife is a local artist and is quite famous for restoration work on frescoes around Italy. She has done all of the painting in their hotel (Suites Piazza del Popolo).

Here's Marco showing off his breakfast spread. Nothing fancy but plenty of strong espresso, cereal, orange juice, croissants, etc.

The Goldoni room...this is a huge room with a balcony. This is the room Jason & Regina stayed in.

This is the street view from our room. It's a very quiet street so there was no noise at all in our room (on the 3rd floor)...that's the shuttle tracks in the picture. Not only is it a short walk, but there is a shuttle that goes all the way to the Piazza del Popolo....very convenient if the weather is bad.

One of our very first views of St. Peter's. Donna had tickets to mass on Pentecost Sunday (with the Pope). I don't have her pictures yet but I promise to post them when I get them from her. The four of us did not go....we just went with her to pick up the tickets and walk around St. Peter's.

Sunday morning, the four of us walked to the Vatican to meet Donna after mass. Here's Jason & Regina taking a break across the river from the Castel St. Angelo.


This is one of the 10 angel statues along the Ponte Sant'Angelo. All of the angels hold instruments of the passion. This one is titled "Angel with the Garment and Dice."

The inscription reads: "Super vestimentum meum miserunt sortem" which translates to: For my clothing they cast lots (Psalm 22:18) The significance is found in Mark 15:24, Roman soldiers took Jesus' well-made garments and played dice for them.

Everywhere you go in Rome you will run into priests....

Saturday night near the Spanish Steps. My friend Robin over at My Melange is not a huge fan of Rome but I personally love it. I especially love Saturday nights around the Spanish Steps. There is so much energy and everyone is relaxed, having a good time.

Sisters in Rome at the Spanish Steps.


Artists in the Piazza Navona.

Sisters in Rome again....now we're heading to the Pantheon.

I love this guy on the fountain at the Piazza della Rotonda.

A great view of the Pantheon's oculus....it's only source of light and it's open to the weather allowing rain to enter and fall to the floor, where it is carried away through drains.

One of the fun things about being in Rome on this particular Sunday was the Giro d'Italia was finishing up. We did not spend much time watching the race but it was fun to be there amongst the crowds. This is along the Via del Corso...for my cycling friends...two names you might recognize:

Allesandro Petacchi who won several stages in the Giro and

Michael Barry of Team Columbia.

My peeps cheering the cyclists along the Via del Corso!

Donna, Jason & Regina having fun with the local Arma dei Carabinieri...the Italian National Polizia! Those Italians definitely have a sense of humor!!!

Fans at the Giro finish line.

A giro car at the Victor Emmanuel Memorial. This was the 100th anniversary of the Giro.

Approaching the colloseum...all of those people are there for the Giro...not the colloseum.

Monday morning....Donna, Jason & Regina are all off to the airport and Dick and I are heading north. Arrivederci Italy!

Venice - The City on Water

Paris continues to be my all time favorite city but when I go to Italy I get conflicted. I love Rome for it's ancient ruins and the energy of the city. I love Florence for the art and the beautiful Tuscan countryside. But when it comes right down to it, I think my favorite Italian city is Venice. I love everything about it...the water, the colors, the fact that it's so original....so I won't bore you today with much commentary...just photos.

My peeps waiting for our water taxi. We had just driven 3 1/2 hours from our villa to arrive here...

Our first glimpse...sun washed buildings

narrow waterways...


Brilliant colors....

Al Fresco dining on a canal...

Boats tied up....waiting.....

More al fresco dining!

Gondolas waiting for couples to be romanced down the gentle canals....

Our first glimpse of Piazza San Marco...



Narrow alleys...

Two sisters in Venice!!!

My honey bunny and me at Piazza San Marco.

Domes of San Marco Basilica...taken from the Campanile. Luckily for us, no climbing...this tower has an elevator!

Gondolier taking a break....

Pretty red dresses on canals...

Now the sun is starting to set and the colors are getting richer, deeper.....

The city takes on a much softer feeling at night...the air is cooler and the water seems more gentle without the sun beating down on it....

The sky begins to glow upon the Grand Canal as we say Arrivederci!

Tired, but happy, tourists speeding down the canal ...for a long drive back to our villa!

A day in Florence

It's Tuesday so we must be in Florence! We took our lives into our hands and let Dick drive us into Florence. It's always a harrowing experience but even more so during morning rush hour traffic. We had 10:30 a.m. reservations to see Michelangelo's David at the Accademia. What an incredible piece of art. No pictures allowed so you'll just have to head over to Florence and see him in person. Once that was checked off our list, we headed down to the Duomo.

The Duomo (The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore)is one of the main reasons people visit Florence. Designed by Brunelleschi its construction started in 1296 and took almost 150 years to complete. It is 153 m long and 38 m wide making it the 4th largest cathedral of the world. The exterior is faced with marble panels in various shades of green and pink bordered by white and has an elaborate 19th century Gothic Revival facade by.

The cathedral complex includes the Baptistry and Giotto's Campanile. The three buildings are part of the UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE covering the Historic Centre of Florence . The basilica is one of Italy's largest churches, and until the modern era, the dome was one of the largest in the world, being surpassed in width only by that of the Pantheon in Rome. It remains the largest brick dome ever constructed.

The line to go into the Duomo. It was scorching hot on this day so we decided to bypass the crowds that were going into the Duomo....

and make a climb instead to cupola. 463 steps to the top...but it was one of the highlights of our visit to Florence.

Once inside, you are treated to the magnificent paintings of the inside of the Dome...it's amazing because you are up close and personal to these beautiful pieces of art...although they are pretty scary depictions of heaven and hell.

The obligatory group shot of us outside the cupola....the beautiful tuscan hills behind us. We had beautiful weather the entire week...although the day in Florence was the warmest.

A view of Giotto's Campanile from the Duomo.

Another beautiful Catholic Church, the Basilica of Santa Croce, is seen the distance.

The Uffizi Gallery in the distance.

One last look through an ancient window.

With the cupola climb behind us, it is time to head out to the Piazza Dell Signora, a popular spot for tourists and one of the city’s most splendid piazzas which has been the hub of Florence political life since the 13th century. It is filled with replicas of famous sculptures and historical buildings including Palazzo Vecchio, a copy of Michelangelo’s David and the Neptune fountain.


One of the things I love about travelling in Europe (or anywhere else) is being able to watch the world go by. I love this pic taken at the Piazza della Signora because it's an example of how diverse the world is...and how wonderful it is to visit places that you can experience all of the different cultures surrounding you.

It's a hot day, remember? So a little bit of R&R is needed at the piazza.

After our quick break at the piazza, we headed off to find lunch and something cold to drink. I don't know what the actually Italian name of this restaurant is, but we all got a kick out of the English translation.



We finally made it to the Basilica de Santa Croce (Basilica of the Holy Cross) is the principal Franciscan church in Florence and a minor basilica of the Roman Catholic Church . The site, when first chosen, was in marshland outside the city walls and is the burial place of some of the most illustrious Italians, such as Michelangelo, Galileo, Machavelli and Marconi, thus it is known also as the Temple of the Italian Glories. It is also the largest Franciscan church in the world but unfortunately, today was not our day to visit. The church was surrounded by Italian secret police because the Italian President was visiting that very same day. Oh well...maybe next time!

I love the "living statues" all around Europe. This guy had just finished getting prepped...it must have been 100 degrees and he was sweating like crazy but once he got all of his gear on he was strictly professional. The amount of work that these guys put into these is amazing! Donna was the lucky recipient of his attentions since she's the one who dropped the coin in his basket.

Two sisters in Florence!

A scorching day on the Ponte Vecchio.

Ciao!

Relaxation in Italy

7 days isn't near enough time to spend in Italy (or Tuscany for that matter). It's difficult trying to balance relaxing time with tourist time...especially for first time visitors like Donna, Jason & Regina. Luckily, the temps were high (close to 100) on somedays so those were perfect days to lunch in Montespertoli then hang out by the pool...drink some limoncello...and just enjoy the pleasure of renting a villa in Tuscany.

Jason, Jennifer and Donna strolling through Montespertoli.

The girls striking a pose...

A toast to Tuscany!

Giuseppe, our favorite waiter at our favorite restaurant, joining us in an afternoon toast!

Jason & Donna checking out the limoncello supply.

Proof that limoncello brings out the goofiness in people....we were supposed to go to Pisa on this particular day but we were running late after a trip to the Ugolini vineyard and lunch so we decided to hang out in Montespertoli then hit the pool....here's the girls making our own "leaning tower".

Striking another pose for the boys :)


Limoncello will apparently also make you skip arm and arm through foreign streets....


Whew, it's hot so now we have to move to the pool....


Jason perfecting the art of keeping pool toys on your head with no hands!

Moving on from limoncello to red wine!

A friendly game of "volleyball"...

Fun in the sun!!!

Siena

I can't believe I'm actually getting several posts done in one day! We found ourselves in Sienna two days. We first visited on Sunday, after our day in San Gimignano. Unfortunately, it was late afternoon and we really didn't have enough time to explore the city. So, we ventured back on Wednesday to try our luck again. The most interesting part of our day was driving around the city trying to find someplace to park. Come to find out, Wednesday is market day in Siena so the city was packed. We finally got all settled in and started our journey through Siena.



Siena is another Tuscan town that was settled in the time of Etruscans. At one time, it was a major city of banking and the financial industry. In time, it fell to Florence and it's great reign came to end.



Our first view of the city through the trees....sigh.

Jason, Donna and Regina checking out the local fruit.


Fruit too beautiful not to take a picture of....

Jason and Dick obviously enjoying some Italian humor.

The Torre del Mangia. Built in 1325-1348, it is located in the Piazza del Campo, Siena's premier square, adiacent to the Palazzo Pubblico(Town Hall). When built it was one of the tallest secular towers in mediaeval Italy.

The marble loggia, known as Cappella di Piazza, was added in 1352 as a vow for the Holy Virgin by the Sienese survivors from the Black Death. The tower is visible from all parts of Siena and was built to be the exact same height as the Duomo di Siena as a sign that the church and the state had equal amounts of power.

The walls of the tower are approximatelty 11 ft. thick on each side. The stairwell up to the top of the tower is cramped and most visitors need to duck their heads at some point on the way up the tower. There is little room for two way traffic on the stairs, so only 25 visitors at a time are allowed to enter the tower...here's two of them now!

The girls hanging out at the top of the Torre del Mangia

Another day...another tower climbed by these two sisters.

I love Siena's rooftops...

Jason and Donna persuing the counryside...

A view from an ancient window...

The Piazza del Campo from the top of the Torre del Mangia. The Campo is the town square and is famous for hosting the Palio horse race.

I have no idea what was going on but it was quite a treat to see this group in their costumes...complete with drums and monks.

The Duomo del Siena

In the interior the pictorial effect of the black and white marble stripes on the walls and columns strikes the eye. Black and white are the colours of the civic coat of arms of Siena. The inlaid marble mosaic floor is one of the most ornate of its kind in Italy, covering the whole floor of the cathedral. This undertaking went on from the fourteenth to the sixteenth centuries, and about forty artists made their contribution. It is truly a spectacular church to see in person. Unfortunately, it's hard to take pictures so I don't have anything that does it justice.

This is my favorite part of the Duomo...The Piccolomini Library, housing precious illuminated choir books and frescoes painted by the Umbrian Bernardino di betto, called Pinturicchio, probably based on designs by Raphael.

The visual impact of these very colourful frescoes is stunning. The frescoes tell the story of the life of Siena's favourite son, cardinal Enea Silvio Piccolomini, who eventually became Pope Pius II. He was the uncle of cardinal Francesco Piccolomini Todeschini (then archbishop of Siena and the future pope Pius III), who commissioned this library in 1492 as a repository of the books and the manuscript collection of his uncle. The ceiling is covered with painted panels of mythological subjects. They were executed between 1502 and 1503 by Pinturicchio and his assistants.

To see these frescoes in person is amazing...they are extremely bright and colorful and look like they were painted yesterday.



The amazing ceiling:

The Continuing Italy Saga

Here I am again! Let's pretend that it's Sunday, May 24 and I am returning from a wonderful day spent with friends in San Gimignano. San Gimi is one of my all time favorite Tuscan towns. The town originally had 72 towers, giving it the nickname "Manhattan of Tuscany". Only 15 remain today...one of which Jason, Regina, Donna and I climbed. San Gimi is also known for it's local products: ceramics, olive oil, saffron and Vernaccia wine (a high quality white wine made exclusively in this medieval town).

Jason & Dick exploring the wee alleys of San Gimi:


There are fun courtyards with doors to peer around...


and gas lamps and frescoes to admire....


many towers to climb....

beautiful views from those towers....the Tuscan countryside is amazingly beautiful...too beautiful to capture in photographs.

and views into piazzas...whew, that's a long way down!!!

Photo ops for showing off new shoes!!! According to Donna, her new Keens were great shoes for climbing towers.

Fun ledges for more photo ops....

breathless laughter as we ascend another tower....

So many places to explore (and eat gelato)

tourists everywhere...

local ceramics....

yummo...local treats...

curious doors at the end of streets....I wonder who's lucky enough to live here?

My peeps: Jennifer, Donna, Dick & Jason posing for their San Gimi pic.

narrow streets all over town....

Hope you enjoyed the little tour of San Gimignano. It is a MUST see if you visit Tuscany!