I think Rome is one of my favorite cities. Who wouldn't stand in awe at the Coliseum, the Pantheon, a 2000 year old aqueduct that still spills ice cold water suitable for drinking (I drank the water and I'm still here), the Spanish Steps or the Fontana de Trevi (my personal favorite). I threw a coin into the Fontana de Trevi so I will be sure to return to Rome someday. For anyone who wants to know the technique it's your back to the fountain, coin in the right hand and toss it over your left shoulder. To be standing where people have stood for thousands of years is such a humbling experience. But equally inspiring was touring the Vatican, Vatican City and St Peters Basilica. Did any of you know that the coliseum used to be solid marble but it was stripped so the marble could be used at St Peters? We even went underneath where the popes are laid to rest and walked by the tomb of Pope John Paul II. And gelato. I had gelato every day. I so wish we had gelato here.
Florence is another one of my favorite cities. I think you'll hear me repeat that about every city though. To stand in the Sistine Chapel and see Michelangelo's original work The Creation was awe inspiring. And then later to see The David. THE David. The original. We also went to a scenic overlook and looked down on the city of Florence. It's so beautiful! I'm actually reading the book Brunelleschi's Dome, so it was very cool to see it in person.
Orvieto is a 3000 year old Etruscan city built high on a cliff. An excellent place to purchase hand painted pottery ! My box is on it's way here. Then a few nights in Artimino in Tuscany. Rolling hills full of grapes and olives and beautiful old villas. I could have stayed there forever ! I found out I'm pretty decent at making pasta from scratch.
Venice was our final stop in our Italian adventure. We made Carnival masks, rode in a Gondola, toured St Marks Square and wandered the small streets lost - seriously, totally lost. They say you're supposed to just get lost in Venice but I think it happens whether you want it to or not. And if you know me well you know I have absolutely no sense of direction at all so that was pretty easy for me. This time we also took the public transportation and went to Murano to see the glass blowing and then to Burano, famous for their handmade lace. Burano looks like a small Venice but each building is painted bright and vibrant colors.
An Aer Lingus flight took us from Venice (don't ask Clay about the Venice airport) to Dublin where we were met with the warmest and most wonderful people. That really helped offset the very cold and constant rainy weather. We toured Guinness (of course). I understand it's an acquired taste (I have not acquired it). But they have a gravity bar at the top with a 360 degree view of Dublin that is quite beautiful. And I found a great place to buy Waterford crystal. That box is on it's way as well.
The perfect end to this trip was two days at Disney World with my sister Doreen. Clay had gone on to spend a few days with dad in New Orleans so it was just us girls. I'm so lucky to have a sister who is my dear friend. We had a great time.
I was hoping this Euro trip would re-inspire me and it did. I will be playing with my trip photos for months. Hopefully I'll have ' the best of ' on the website in a few weeks. And a special thank you to Marco and Cinzia who were wonderful guides and to the wonderful new friends we made along the way.
I hope you are all having the best summer! I'm going to leave prom photos up longer so be sure to take a look. If you are traveling, travel safe. I'd love to hear about your adventures so email me if you like. I'm always looking for interesting places to go.
Ciao!
