The End

I write this, my last blog entry for this trip, almost, sadly. I am so thrilled to be back home, back around my loved ones and familiarity, but that adventure in my life is over. I may get to take another trip like that one day, and I know I will travel more, but I know things will never be the same. Life changes and evolves. For that, I am mostly grateful, but we never have the chance to go back to the way things were.

"And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference." - Robert Frost

I cannot thank you enough, my loyal readers, for reading about, and experiencing my adventures with me. It was a great comfort to hear from you all and to know that people were out there, thinking about my travels.

My trip was incredible. I don't know how to sum it up any better than that. I cannot describe it in a few words, a few sentences or even a few paragraphs. The things I learned about cultures and people, and about myself are totally invaluable. This trip is something that I will never forget, something I will always treasure.

I am slowly but surely loading the 3500 pictures I took onto a Shutterfly website. It will take me several days to get them all on the internet. When you have the time, I would love for you to venture through my travels through my photographs.

http://rebeccastravels.site.shutterfly.com/

If you have the opportunity to travel, do it. Make the sacrifice because the experience and memories you will create are totally worth it! If you have the opportunity to visit any of the places I traveled during my trip, please feel free to contact me. I would love to give you pointers or share stories to help you make your trip as enjoyable as possible!

Farewell my dear readers; it has been a true pleasure!
Rebecca

rebecca.annesmith@yahoo.com

Tips for Travelers

Tips for Travelers

I made a list as I went of tips that I thought would help other travelers. Keep in mind that some of my tips may be more for travelers going for a long period of time and some may be more for Europe, but nevertheless, I hope these tips help you on your trip just a bit!

1. Be open! Try new food, try new things and experience new cultures with an open mind!

2. Study! Get a travel book and read about the places you are going, even if you just read about them the day before, research and learn about these places so that when you see them, they will mean so much more to you. I was very pleased with the Rick Steves' book that I saw many people carrying, but I also enjoyed the small one-city books that easily fit into my friends' purses.

3. If you will be traveling for a long period of time, you will probably need to do some washing. A friend of mine told me this, and it was a huge life-saver! I packed some string and a few clothes pin to hang my wet clothes on to dry. Tide also makes special sink packets, so that it is the right size and travels well. Both were wonderful for washing a few things here and there. Also, take small bottles of Febreeze! It is a miracle worker!

4. There are McDonald's everywhere... don't eat at them. The ones here are not that good, why would you eat at one where there is Italian food all around. Just don't do it; there's no reason.

5. Whenever you can, take a walking tour guide somewhere. If you can afford it, get one just for you or with you and whoever you are traveling with, if not, just go on one with a small group. It is amazing how much history you get! If you get a personal one too you will get to go to places you probably would not have gone on your own, places that are outside of the touristy areas.

6. If you are traveling by train, make sure to make reservations ahead of time! :) If you are traveling in Europe, and you are only going to a few countries, I see no reason to purchase a Euro Rail pass. If you are going to be there for a while, going from place to place, then it probably it is cheaper to get a Euro Rail pass, but make sure you still make reservations!

7. Last of all, but most importantly... pack lighter! Nope, even lighter, nope EVEN lighter than that! I could have packed a lot lighter and it would have made things a lot easier, especially with all of our movings! It would have made things much more enjoyable! Wear the same clothes over and over again... who cares?! Here's a challenge... we met a guy traveling by himself for several months and his only luggage was a backpack the size my students use to bring their folders to school. Just think about that one for a few minutes...

Get out there! See the world!

What I...

What I have missed...
1. My family
2. My friends
3. My pets
4. My bed and my pillow
5. Milk
6. English TV
7. Surprisingly... the news
8. Vegetables
9. Good Showers
10. Clean Clothes!

What I will miss about Europe...
1. Gelato!
2. Walking Around at Night
3. Amazing Food
4. Piazza's and Squares with Entertainment
5. Beautiful Different Languages
6. So Much History
7. Street Markets
8. Walking Everywhere (walking to Dairy Queen is not exactly the same as walking to find gelato!)
9. Learning New Things About Myself and About Other Places
10. New Adventures... even though I hope those will still happen state-side!

Final Day...

Today, I write this entry from the comfortable couch at my parent's house, safe and sound, back in the states!

On our last day in Rome, Emily and I took it pretty easy. Both of us were tired and I believe ready to get home, so we decided to take it easy and just relish in the moment, while in Rome. We went to the Baths of Diocletian, which was close to our hotel and the train station. These baths were once the largest in the Roman area. Baths were once the social scene of an area. It was an area full of swimming pools, all different sizes and all different temperatures. The Romans, even thousands of years ago, had wonderful resources of water. They built large aquaducts that would carry the water from mountains into the cities, and these baths were ways for the higher class in society to enjoy the aquaducts.

Today, these baths have been transformed into a museum. I wouldn't put the museum top on your list, but it was interesting to explore on our last day in Rome. The museum was full of artifacts, mainly scultptures and pieces of marble with writing on it. They were not all that interesting, but I was very impressed with the history that was explained throughout the museum. The history of Rome, throughout its many years was well documented, including history about the society of early Romans.

Next we went to the church that was next to the baths, at one time it was connected. The church was Michelangelo's last architecture work, and just as all of his other works, it was beautiful. Huge, vast ceilings and beautiful glass domes. I truly cannot describe all of the churches and cathedrals that we saw in Rome, in fact all over Europe, but especially in Italy.

After lunch, we went back to the hotel and packed up our suitcases, which amazingly, with the help of small duffle bag, it all fit! Then we went back to the cathedral to participate in mass. Although it was in Italian, it was still a peaceful and meaningful service. I have now seen mass in four different languages! I love the fact that no matter what language you speak, there is a way to understand the deeper meaning in a service like that.

After the service we walked to the Pantheon and chose one of several restaurants surrounding the great square. We must have made a great decision, because our meal was delicious! We enjoyed a great bottle of the house wine and then I had fettucini bolognese. What a perfect last meal in Italy! Not only was the meal perfect, but we were looking at the pantheon as a street performer serenated us with opera songs. Ahhh... perfection!

We walked a few blocks away to the gelato store with over 100 flavors where I enjoyed my favorite kind of gelato, cream caramel. We enjoyed the city that night, our last night in Rome, our last night Italy before waking up before dawn to catch our flight.

We took a car to the airport, which, as driving in Italy, it is always an adventure. Drive quickly, just to slam on the breaks; zip from lane to lane; always exciting! Once we arrived at the airport, we learned that it was actually a building just hold lots of lines! We stood in a long line to do... something, then one to check in, one for security, one for customs, one to get on the bus to take us to the terminal, one to get our breakfast, one to board, one to well...wait to get on the plane, and then finally we made it to our seats! We had the last row of the plane, right in front of the bathroom.

It was there that we sat for 11 hours. It was there that we watched three, ok movies. It was there that we watched people pass to go to the restroom. It was there that we listened to the excited conversations of the teenagers that surrounded us. It was there that we tried to sleep. It was there that we enjoyed some pretty good airplane food and it was there that we awaited in excited anticipation to land.

After the long, sometimes bumpy journey, we did land safely in Atlanta, only to find more lines! :) We got off the plane and went through the passport check, then picked up our luggage, just to walk it through customs, then we checked our luggage back in, went through security, road the airport train to the furthest stop where we road an escalator to the excited faces of my parents! They met us with a sign reading "Limo for Rebecca and Emily!"

How great it is to be home again! There's no place like home!

All Roads Lead to Rome

It is basically true that once upon a time all roads did lead to Rome. Rome was the center of the trading world at one time; the center of great empires and the roads built by the emperors all led to Rome. Today we walked on the Appian Way, one of the main roads that led into the city!

We started the morning off, by braving the metro once again. I have really enjoyed using public transportation throughout my trip and I fully recommend you to try it as well! Once you get the system, it is not too hard! We went to the Castle Sant Angelo first. This huge building started in the 2nd Century AD, originally as a tomb for an emperor. No tombs were allowed inside of the city walls, so this tomb was built just outside of the city walls, across the river. It is a huge brick construction that later became a tomb for other emperors, as well as a fortress, a prison and even a last resort for a Pope under attack. Emily and I decided today that it was in fact a stair maze museum. Up and down stairs throughout the confusing building and although it provided for some amazing views of St. Peter's, there were very few artifacts and even fewer explanations of things throughout the circular castle. So we got turned around, lost and confused, but we made it through and enjoyed seeing the castle, although, I wouldn't put it high on your list whenever you visit Rome. (And trust me, I know you will get here one day, if you haven't been already, because after all, all roads lead to Rome!)

After a simple sandwich lunch, and some pistaccios we headed back to the metro. Since there are only two lines, they are really not that close to many major attractions. But today, we braved another line of transportation that we had not yet used in Europe, a bus! We took the metro to a bus stop where we got on a bus to take us to the Appian Way. This old, narrow cobble-stone road with brick tall brick walls on both sides is interesting to see, especially when you think of how much history; how many people have passed on this road.

There are several different catacombs in the area; we visited the catacombs of San Callisto. After purchasing our tickets, we waited around a few minutes for the English speaking guide. Our guides were older priests, carrying bamboo sticks to point things out to us. They were very enjoyable and guided us safely through the catacombs, telling our group interesting stories and facts along the way.

The catacombs are underground tombs, I believe he said that these were four different stories underground of tombs. On each of the heights, tombs are on both sides, four high along narrow passage ways. I cannot imagine how many people were once buried here, it would be thousands upon thousands. Our guide told us that altogether, in these catacombs alone there were 18 kilometers of pathways. Wow! I was happy to stay close to our guide as he led us through a very creepy, but interesting underground tomb! Thankfully it was not Halloween, nor was I on a ghost tour, so no hands reached out from the empty tombs. I'm not sure my heart would have made it through an event like that!

We made it safely back to the hotel where I think we will rest up for a bit before going out to see some of the main attractions of Rome at night, it should be lovely! Ciao!

Independence Day

"Let freedom ring; let the white dove sing!" The words from Martina McBride's "Independence Day" seem oddly appropriate on this Independence Day, but I'll get to that in a minute.

Wow! We have seen so many amazing things in the last couple of days and my vocabulary is not extensive enough to describe with appropriate grandure all the sights these eyes have beheld!

Yesterday morning we started with San Pietro in Vincoli, which translates to St. Peter in Chains. Along with all of the other churches in Rome, this one is incredible in size and majesty. The church was built to hold the chains that once held St. Peter. Michangelo also created a statue of Moses that stands nearby the chains. Moses has two horns coming out of his head, an odd image, but apparently, originally the Hebrew word for rays was translated as horns. Very different!

Next up, one of the most famous images in the world, the Colosseum. Can you imagine a building, a giant stadium if you will, that has been standing for 2,000 years? Absolutely incredible! Although many of the marble stones were actually taken off the Colosseum to help construct St. Peter's, most of it stands in tact. We were able to climb the stairs and look out over the stadium just as thousands of people did years ago to watch gladiators and animals as they fought.

We then wandered through the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill. This was originally the center of Rome, where all of the government officials lived, worked and played. The columns and walls that remain may not look like much now, but hey, they are still standing! While the walk was interesting and enchanting to see, it was hot. There are no real buildings to shade you and it is just plain hot here in Rome these days, so our walk was probably not as long as we would have liked, but no matter what, it was enjoyed.

The Circus Maximus, another huge stadium where chariot races once were held is now a long field, but never the less, it is fun to picture what it once must have looked like. Close to the Circus Maximus is the Mouth of Truth. It is a large, flat, circular face with a small hole where the mouth is. Legend says that people used to go and stick their hands in the mouth, perhaps as some sort of a confession, and the priest would stand behind the face. If the person was not telling the truth, the priest would cut off the person's hand with a sword. There was a very long line, so we did not get to have our picture taken with the mouth, but we were able to take pictures of it from just outside the fence. So, thankfully, I have both hands still and I am able to type just fine! :)

We had a late lunch and since it was so hot, I decided to divert from my traditional pizza for lunch and enjoyed another traditional Italian meal of melons and ham. It sounds sort of funny, but the salty of the ham and the sweet of the cantelope are a perfect pair, especially on a hot day!

Thanks to Rick Steve's, we purchased a Roma Pass which gives us a few free tickets to museums, plus public transportation and discounts on other museums, all for 20 euros! We were able to get into the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Capital Hill Museums all for free yesterday and already more than made up for the 20 euros. The Capital Hill Museums were not terribly interesting, lots of busts of former emperors and such, but the giant hand and foot of Constantine were in the museum and they were pretty cool to see! We were also provided with some great views of the Forum from the museum.

One interesting statue inside was the original she-wolf. Rome was supposedly founded by twin brothers, I believe born of the gods, or sent by the gods. They were raised by a she-wolf, and the statue of her nursing the twins is everywhere in this city. I did like seeing the original!

Just down from the Capital Hill is the Mamertine Prison, a small, very old prison that once held St. Peter and St. Paul. I know it is a prison, I know it is supposed to be a little scary, but man, it was creepy. It is underground, very low ceilings and rock walls. There is a hole from one floor to the next where prisoners were lowered down. Apparently a spring miraculously came up in the floor of the prison so that Peter could baptize his fellow cell mates and prison guards. The eerie feeling was well worth the small donation to enter, although I wouldn't want to spend much time there!

We were behind the Victor Emmanuel Monument, a giant, white building the Italians loving call the "Wedding Cake." Emily was pretty sure it was just a museum of stairs, but we basically just passed through the museum of war and military history to come out on the other side for some neat views of the huge monument.

On our walk from one end of the city to the other we stopped in a few churches along the way, just to admire and appreciate their beauty. The city, although it is large, is extremely walkable, and since I love walking, we have enjoyed doing that, just making sure to stop along the way to sit by a fountain, have gelato or go in a church and the time passes very quickly.

We went to Piazza Popolo, another huge piazza with twin churches on one end of it. We went in one church, small in comparison to most in the area, and more circular than in the shape of a cross. Nevertheless, it had the beauty and grandure of any church in Rome.

Our next destination was to enjoy some "America-time" by going to the movies for a girls night! We watched Carrie and her gang of New-Yorkers and thoroughly enjoyed the light-hearted movie. It brought many laughs and was perfect for two girls who have been away from home for a month now.

Our dinner, just a little spot outside of the theater was one of the best in Italy, at least mine was. I had pesto pasta, but the sauce was much creamier, probably cheesier than what we are used to at home. But that wasn't even the best part! The pasta and sauce were in a little bowl, the bowl was made of fried parmesean cheese!! Yes... it was that delicious, and although my stomach was completely full, I kept munching on the cheese bowl; how could I not?

Since we were on the other side of town, and it was late and we had not yet used the metro, we decided we would just take a cab back to the hotel. It was a much more pleasant experience than our first ride here and so we were thankful that we took the cab and conquered our fears!

This morning, we did brave the metro though. It is not very complicated, as there are only two lines, but the metro is widely known to be full of pick-pockets. We were extra careful though and did just fine. In fact, if anyone had been able to get into the sealed wallet in my zipped purse, I would have been very impressed! Nevertheless, always important to keep on guard!

We had an appointment at the Vatican Museum this morning. It turns out it was really not that crowded, but we were able to go with a small group and a guide, so it was nice to have a little bit of extra information. Our guide was very nice and she had obviously been doing this for many years. She told us that she once had a young boy ask her, as they were discussing the painting of God reaching out to Adam, why Adam had a belly-button. She was impressed with his question and answered him, saying that, well, God was creating him from clay, of course melting and cooking the clay and he reached him to poke him and see if he was done. Haha! That is why Adam had a belly-button in the painting I guess!

The Vatican Museum is huge, and very crowded. It was once where the pope lived and where many famous paintings and sculptures were housed. There is so much to take in there, that it is really too much. And there are so many people, that you sort of feel like cattle being shuffled through the museum in a one-way fashion, but you have to go, even if just to see the Sistene Chapel. I did appreciate our guide's knowledge and was glad about the things that she stopped to tell us about.

The Sistene Chapel is breath-taking. Unfortunately, the constant yells of "Shhh... No Camera!" take away from the ambiance of it all, but there is no way that you can stand in the presence of this chapel and not be amazed. It took Michelangelo four years to paint the ceiling and even more to paint one of the end walls. I just love the image of God reaching out his hand, just out of reach of Adam. It is incredible to see!

After exiting the museum and of course enjoying some pizza, next up was St. Peter's! The line was ridiculously long, but moved amazingly face. Although there were probably thousands of people inside the Basilica, it was really not that crowded, just because it was so huge. As Rick Steve says "To call it vast is like calling God smart." I agree. There should be new words created just to describe the size and majesty of this cathedral that holds the remains of so many pope's and St. Peter himself. My favorite part of the whole church is in the far end, a small stained-glass piece of a white dove flying, appearing almost from the sunshine as she is surrounded by yellow and orange glass. So that is how the "white-dove" that I mentioned earlier actually ties into this Independence Day.

Emily had bought a rosary for her mom and we had been told that we could easily get it blessed in the cathedral. Well, after walking and enjoying the church for quite some time, we had not seen a priest anywhere, and even asking a few people we did not get a straight answer. One would think that this place would be crawling with priests! Finally, Em spotted one that seemed to be bolting for the door. She was able to stop him though and explain what she wanted. Though the blessing was in German, it was blessed inside of St. Peter's, which is pretty cool, no matter what!

We went below the church to see the tombs of former pope's, including the simple tombstone of John Paul II, before going up above the church. We were there, why not climb the dome? We opted to take the elevator up and save 200 of the 500 stairs. We climbed over 300 very narrow, and often slanted stairs to enjoy, first a great view of the inside of the domb, and second a great view of Vatican City (its own country), and the rest of Rome. Truly worth the spiral stairs that were barely wide enough to fit myself and my purse!

We walked aways, of course stopped to enjoy some gelato and then made our way back to Piazza Navona where we enjoyed a small band, and an interesting street performer who danced with puppets on his hands, so that his fingers were their legs. I think it was a great way to round up another fabulous day in this amazing city!

I hope that each of one of you has an amazing 4th of July and that you enjoy time with family and friends as you celebrate the day by eating lots off the grill and shooting fireworks to light up the sky. I do sort of miss all the festivities, but hey, I'm in Rome! We fly out Monday morning!

Happy 4th of July!

When in Rome...

Ciao my loyal readers!

I am now in Rome, a glorious, hot, beautiful city! Our last night in Florence was just perfect. We ate dinner in one of the main piazza's, close to the Uffizi Gallery. Our meal was fine, but the surroundings were even better. An orchestra and choir were set up on a stage in front of the Uffizi, facing the square. The square was packed, I mean full of people; we were lucky to have gotten there when we did to get a table. The choir sang Joyful, Joyful in voices that carried into the night sky. It couldn't have been more enjoyable!

I took some night shots of the Ponte Vecchio and the Duomo, I love experimenting with my camera when the subjects are so interesting and attractive!

This morning we got up and headed to the train station. We got on the right train, with a reservation and fine seats. In less than two hours we were here in Rome. Our first experience was not the best as we were cheated, in more ways than one, by a taxi driver, but that was probably our fault. Oh well, you live and learn. The frustrating feeling left by the taxi driver did not last long, so no worries!

Our hotel is great. It is close to the train station and not too far from most of the main attractions of Rome. It is on the opposite side of town from the Vatican, but pretty easy walking distance to most other attractions. Our room is huge compared to the last one with air conditioning, although, no great balcony. The shower, as all showers here have been interesting, is again. Our last shower was basically just a corner of the bathroom, with doors, but the floor was equal to the bathroom floor and no way to keep the bathroom floor dry. Our shower here is a tub, with a shower head on the wall in the middle of the shower, but no shower curtain. Perhaps the maids appreciate our help with mopping the floor!

We had no real plans for today, but decided just to walk, enjoy the city and perhaps get in a few attractions. Of course we started our journey with pizza. (I have gotten very used to pizza for lunch and pasta for dinner... it is just perfect!) Then we went to the Spanish Steps. This is a very popular place to visit at night, and while the steps themselves were not crowded when we visited, the fountain at the bottom of the steps was full of people, people even drinking water and sticking their feet into the fountain for some small relief from the heat.

From the Spanish Steps we walked down a street surrounded by stores like Gucci, Louis Vuitton and others that were all a tad out of our price range. Our next destination was one of the most well known spots in Rome, the Trevi Fountain. It was packed with people from all over the world, tossing coins in and making wishes. The fountain is breath-taking, largley because of the incredible size of the fountain. Water gushes out of the fountain from ancient aqueducts and provides visitors with a beautiful wishing well. You are supposed to throw a coin over your shoulder, make a wish and hope to return to Rome someday. I can't say a lot about the wishes yet, but as I have thrown a coin into the fountain upon each of my visits and this is now my fourth visit to Rome, I guess it is working! :)

We enjoyed some banana and strawberry gelato as we sat in the shadow of this great fountain. We watched people, children, pigeons and even a sea gull who seemed quite at home at this fountain.

Why not continue our walking tour? It was hot, but not unbearably, and with frequent stops to sit for a bit, we enjoyed ourselves. We walked on to the Pantheon. This incredible dome building is one large room, similar to the dome area of a huge cathedral like that of the Duomo or St. Peter, but only the dome part. The top of the dome is 142 feet tall. When that sounds tall on its own, imagine building it without crains or heavy machinery. The one piece granite columns are the tallest in Italy, shipped from Egypt. It is pretty cool just to sit in awe of this creation.

We continued on to Piazza Navona, a large rectangular piazza with three incredible fountains. There are people impersonating statues, kids playing soccer and artists trying to sell their works. A nice place to sit and enjoy the sound of water running.

Along our journey today we discovered an incredible secret! Most of the churches in the area are open daily, cool and free. Why not stop in and visit? We stopped in four churches, because, why not. Now, I know that most of you have heard of St. Peter's, but how many of you could name another church in Rome? I don't think I could. The churches of course in no way compare to St. Peter's, but if they were in the US, we would all be amazed. Emily and I did stop and awe at each of the churches because they are incredible. They were all quiet, VERY few people in any of them. It was a little oasis, a place to escape the hectic, busy Roman streets. All of the cathedrals were beautifully decorated on the inside, peaceful and calming. We stopped in St. Ignazio of Loyola, St. Agnes, Chiesa el Gesu and one other that I cannot find the name of right now! It was the most pleasant of all though! We happened upon a mass, being conducted for a small group of people, I believe in German. Now how many people can say that they have seen a Catholic mass in Italy in German before? Though I knew little of the words being said, the actions were easy to understand and so the deeper meaning was easily conveyed and I fell into a peaceful trance as I watched the group of youngsters taking communion.

In times of despair or times of complete bliss, I usually feel another presence around me, comforting me. For me this spirit is God, the Holy Spirit, but I believe that most religions have a comparable feeling and being that they feel during times of need. I also have felt God's presence in certain places before. I knew I felt him in Jerusalem and Bethlehem when I was there before. I usually feel him in my home town church at the Christmas Eve service as we leave in silence. He's here too. I know He is always around, but there is just a feeling, a certain spirit in this place. Walking through the churches today, I felt that spirit and it calmed and relaxed my spirit. For so long this city has devoted so much of its time, energy and money to the Lord, to His glory. I know that often times it was a symbol of pride, but we also know that there were people who built these incredible monuments for the right reasons.

Next we walked by some ruins, that I had walked by many a times before. What I remembered about them was still true - all the cats! This small square of ruins, lower than the level ground now, is surrounded by a fence. It is a cat haven of sorts. I saw a sign today that said all the cats were sterilized and taken care of all by donations and that there was a shelter nearby you could visit. Can you imagine being a cat, spending your days lying around ancient Roman ruins? Not too shabby. I'm not sure I could count the cats, I probably saw 20 - even a three legged cat like my little Alex at home!

What I noticed today though, that I do not ever remember noticing, perhaps because it is only a tiny sign to mark such significance, but Julius Ceasar was assassinated on these very steps on the Ides of March. Kids, does anyone remember the story of the Ides of March? Julius Ceasar began fearing that his power may come to an end, just at the height of his glory. He found a fortune teller who told him his fears were credited and that he should "Beware the Ides of March." At the time, most dates were told in relationship to certain days of the month. Every month had an "Ides," it was the 15th of the month. On the Ides of March, Ceasar met with his council where they attacked and murdered him. The betrayl was led by his best friend Brutus. Ceasar's famous last line... "Et tu Brute?" (Mr. Lusco would be so proud!) So anyway, I saw the spot where this famous event took place today, even though I guess I had seen it before!

We then decided to head towards our hotel, and stop somewhere along the way for dinner. Neither of us were really hungry though, and we saw the internet cafe which sounded like a perfect alternative, so here we are! Tomorrow we will go to the Colosseum and the Roman Forums, a real history treat! I can't wait!

Tuscany...

Sunday night we enjoyed an absolutely fabulous meal for about the same price we had been spending on our food. We had made a reservation at Acqua al Duo, an amazing little restaurant. Emily and I decided to split some of their more famous meals. First we started with a pasta sampler. You never know what pastas you will be receiving, it is totally up to the cook. Each pasta is brought out one at a time so that you may savor each one and enjoy the taste. First we had gnocchi with gorgonzola cheese, which was fantastic, followed by a risotto in some sort of green/vegetable sauce that was also quite enjoyable. The third one was not our favorite, pasta in some sort of spinach sauce; just too much spinach I think! The fourth one was one of our favorites, just a bolognese (meat) sauce, but it was perfect! Our final sample was some long curly pasta in a spicy red sauce. I ate all of them, so even the ones that were not my favorite, I still enjoyed! For our main course, as if the pasta wasn't enough, we had steak in a blueberry sauce. We basically licked all of the sauce off the plate; it was that good and we just didn't want any of it to go to waste! Since we were having a fancy meal, why not finish it off with a dessert sampler? Ahhh... perfection!


After dinner we wandered around, still enjoying the taste of the meal, and found a pub that was playing the Euro Cup Final Game. Spain dominated Germany most of the game, but they only won one to zero. The game ended and all the Spanish players and fans were just in complete euphoria. We stayed and watched the players as they received their awards, danced around and just celebrated their beautiful victory. It was so much fun to be watch such complete bliss!


Yesterday we took a train to Seina, a town in Tuscany that once rivaled Florence, although it is much smaller in size. The train we took was nice, we didn't need a reservation and our EuroRail passes worked - who knows how all this works exactly! :)


The train ride itself was worth it! Just to see the rolling hills, fields of poppeys and vineyards stretched across the landscape was fantastic! Tuscany is just as beautiful, or perhaps even more than what you see on the movies and what you expect. It is breathtaking.


Seina itself is a fascinating town with a neat story, which we were able to be a small part of. The town is divided into seventeen small sections. Each section is represented by a flag and an animal and the families in each section take great pride in their section. Twice a year, sand is brought in to the Il Campo, the main square in the center of town, and one horse and jockey from each section race around with thousands of people crowded around watching. The horse race is a huge deal, for bragging rights and it can also get quite violent with so many tight spaces and so many people. Sort of like the running of the bulls in Spain, but not to that extent of course. The horse race happens twice a year and one of those times is Wednesday, so we were there just two days before the exciting event occurs. The sand had already been brought in for the horses to race around and the bleachers were being set up for spectators. Flags hung for all the buildings, it was always easy to tell which section you were in based on the flags that surrounded you. My favorite flag is a green and red one with a goose proudly strutting wearing a crown. Just reminds me of what actual geese probably think of themselves! :)

The train took a little over an hour and after finally finding a way to get up into the town center, we first set out to climb the tall tower right in the center of town. This tower, on the edge of Il Campo, gave us a fantastic view of the city, where the race would take place and the beautiful Tuscan countryside that surrounds the small hill-top city. I believe the view was perfectly worth the 375 steps to the top, despite the tight spaces along the way!


We found a little pizzeria for lunch and enjoyed some amazing pizza while Angela Lansbury solved murders on the TV in the dining room. There was no sound, but since it probably would have been in Italian anyway, we had fun trying to guess who committed the murder based off of Angela's expressions!


After lunch we went to the great church there. We went inside the Crypt, I don't think it was really worth seeing, then into the beautiful cathedral and the baptistry behind the church. The church is decorated with marble from top to bottom and while perfectly ornate, was not nearly as gaudy as some of the churches we had seen in Austria and Czech.


We walked around a little longer, enjoying gelato and some shopping. We found Saint Catherine, the patron saint of Siena's church and were pleased at the small size and small amount of people. We caught the train back, once again enjoying some great views of the surrounding countryside.


Emily and I enjoyed a quick pasta dinner, then went to the movies! There is an old movie theater here that plays English movies sometimes. The theater reminds me of the Alabama Theater, although not quite as large. There is an incredible stained glass dome in the center and two floors worth of seats. No matter what, it is a neat venue to watch a film. The Other Boelyn girl was playing. I must admit that I didn't know much about the story before watching the film - but wow! Besides the first two or three minutes, the film, the story, was truly heartbreaking and almost frustrating. Full of betrayl, of all sorts. It was a beautifully made film, very intriquing, but not a happy story, whatsoever!


This morning, as it is our last day in Florence, I decided to get up early and go out on a little hike. I hiked up to Piazza Michelangelo, a little ways up the hill, but with rewards of a great view on the city. It is worth the hike! The view is great of the whole city of Florence!


When I left home each of my parents made one request. My mom had asked for some small pieces of glass from Venice. They were these fabulous little teardrop shaped pieces of murano galss, with wire at the top so that you could put labels by things, or probably for namecards at fancy dinners. I looked EVERYWHERE and even, with a very pathetic drawing of mine asked people, but sadly, I guess they no longer exist in Venice! So, I knew that I needed to try to grant my father's one request, even though it seemed more difficult, just so that I didn't seem like a failure! (I know they wouldn't think that though!)

When my parents and I were here last, we hiked up to Piazza Michelangelo and then hiked back down a different path. My parents both have green thumbs and their retired days are occupied with plants and crafts. My father especially loves trees; he's been learning about grafting Japanese maples lately. So, before I left dad said, "Well, my one request is... you remember when we got up early and hiked up the hill that morning? Well, on the way back down, we passed these sycamore trees that were trimmed funny at the top. Would you get a picture of them for me?"

I know, the better question here is "Why didn't you get one the first time?" My mother and I were never lacking in film, I don't know why there is not a photo from the first trip, but oh well. I thought it was a wild goose chase when I set out this morning, but I wanted to fulfill my father's one request. Guess what? I found them!

On the way down from Piazza Michelangelo, not only did I find these trees (and take plenty of pictures!), but I found the cat houses. No, not those kind. It was some sort of protected feline area with little houses, similar to duck houses that you see on ponds sometimes. If you know me at all, you know that I love cats. I have six at home, just one that lives in town with me and he is spoiled rotten. He is staying out at Camp Smith while I'm away, and I must admit that I am beginning to miss my little Romeo, especially after seeing all the cats today.

As I walked down the steep stairs, I met four or five cats, all at different levels on the stairs, so each one got several minutes of my time, devoted just for her. They all seemed well taken care of and very friendly. Two of them were black with a white star on their chests, just like one of my cats. They rubbed on my legs, purred and let me scratch their chins! It was like a little oasis for me!

At the bottom of the stairs, I was given a choice of few different paths to take and was glad I looked to the right of me to see the sign for the rose garden. The sign was in Italian, but what I understood of it said, "Florence Rose Garden, Open to the Public." Why not? So, I pranced up the stairs with my headphones on, listening to "Be the Change" and enjoyed the sweet smell of roses. The garden was nothing terribly impressive, I am of course used to the one at the Botanical Gardens though. It was lovely though and another nice little oasis for me. Right next to it was a small Japanese Garden. I love finding little hidden treasures!

I found my way back down the hill and across the Ponte Vecchio to the Central Market. I love the Central Market (food market)! I walked around and took pictures of the beautiful fruits and vegetables as one of the men selling fruit broke into some sort of operatic song. He was actually very talented and the sound carried nicely.

Then... I spent money... Who knew you could spend that much money on food? Well, that's not true, I did know that, but I had fun! I'm in Tuscany, why shouldn't I send olive oil and balsamic vinegar home to enjoy later? In fact, why not send cheese and honey to go along with it? That's right. I shipped it all home so that I didn't have to worry about carrying it, but I could enjoy it later when I get home.

Emily and I then set out on some more visits in the city. Our first stop was Santa Maria Novella, another main church here in the center of town. This church was huge, but in comparison to Santa Croce and the Duomo, well, it didn't compare. There were great frescos and large paintings on the wall, but the outside of the church is probably about as pretty as it gets. I say that though, and to compare this church to any at home, this one would win by a longshot, but after you have been here and seen so many incredible cathedrals, it is hard to remember what we are comparing here.

We went to the Baptistry next, a small building right in front of the Duomo. It is not very big around, but with a huge, open interior; just one giant room. Marble floor and gold-paintings on the ceiling depicting scenes from the Bible.

After a delicious pizza for lunch, we set out to see David! David is housed in the Accademia Museum. We had made reservations, which cost a few euros more, but saved us from standing in a very long line. The rest of the museum, besides David, is interesting, but for a person like me who doesn't have a huge appreciation of art, nothing compares to the incredible statue at the center. David is enormous, a huge statue, which as Emily pointed out is ironic since he was supposed to be so small. I said, "you should see Goliath!" You are not supposed to take photos of David, but everyone else was, so I turned off my flash and tried to snap a couple secretively, which didn't really work out, so I just pulled out my camera, pointed like everyone else and got a good shot! Shhh...

The afternoon was topped off with some wonderful gelato! We had planned to visit another museum, the science museum, which I have never been to, but it closes early on Tuesdays. So, I suppose we will spend the rest of our afternoon walking around, shopping and doing some packing as we are headed to Rome tomorrow.

We have a tour set up for the Vatican on Friday, July 4th which somehow, althought I'm not sure why, seems appropriate. If I don't get a chance to update this before then, Happy 4th of July everyone! Have a great time celebrating our country's freedom, as I eat gelato in Italy! Save a hamburger for me though, as I will be home in less than a week!

On a side note, I'm sorry I haven't put up many pictures lately. The place we are using in Florence to get on the computer just doesn't let us upload things. I promise that once I get home, I will put all of my pictures on shutterfly and I will share that information with you!

Home Sweet Florence

Yep, I'm so at home here, so comfortable walking these streets, I feel like I could just take off my shoes and walk barefoot like I do at my own home. (And I just might do it if it wasn't 90+ and the dogs didn't use the streets as their own personal toilets.)

Friday night, we wondered around and found a place with delicious salad, covered in cheese, apples and walnuts. Just the thing for two relatively healthy girls who haven't seen many vegetables or fruits over the last few weeks! We sat right on one of the main piazza's and enjoyed the ambiance.

Afterwards we decided to follow our ears and find the music we had been hearing. In the shadow of the Uffizi Museum was a man with a guitar and a woman with a microphone. They really sounded amazing, but perhaps it was just their surroundings. I listened to her sing "Let It Be"and felt completely at peace.

For dessert we of course had to find gelato, and we weren't far from one of my favorite spots, Gelato de Neri. It is a small little gelato place, with delicious gelato! I actually remembered the guy who served us ice cream from four years ago. I guess it must be a good job to hold on to! And he wasn't 300 pounds heavier like I'm certain I would be if I worked at a gelateria for four years!

We are enjoying a few comforts of home in our hotel, mainly the DVD player with available English speaking movies. We watched Love Actually Friday night, what a great movie and a wonderful way to end our first day in Florence!

Yesterday morning we decided to go visit some of the churches. We started with the grandest of all, the Duomo, the center of Florence. The cathedral is grand, beautiful and relatively simple in a matter of speaking. The floors are decorated with beautiful marble designs and a few stained glass windows are scattered about. However, the dome itself is anything but simple. The inside of the dome is an incredible piece of artwork, a giant painting. It is a scene, the bottom of which is hell and then the top of the dome is heaven. The graphics of the the lower portion of the painting certainly make a person want to behave his/her best. You know, a two headed monster creature devouring humans... just stuff like that! :)

At the Duomo you may climb to the top of the dome or to the top of the belltower, sort of at opposite ends of the church. I had climbed the dome twice before and had decided we should climb the belltower to have a more beautiful view of the dome itself. But then, I realized that from inside the church, you are not permitted to go near the underside of the dome, so the only way to see the painting on the inside of the dome is to climb up and get closer to it.

The climb was difficult, but a lot more pleasant than I remembered. When I had climbed it before, the narrow, extremely narrow, spiral staircase was in fact and entry way and an exit way. It was quite nerve-racking. Thankfully, things have changed, and there are two different sets of steps you use. You climb up, and are then deposited to the interior of the dome so that you can admire the mural. Once you have made your way around the interior of the dome, you climb up a steep set of steps on the outside of the dome to the top so that you are rewarded with an incredible view of the city of Florence and the surrounding countryside. I fully recommend the 436 step climb to the top! It is totally worth it!

Besides the Duomo, there are two other main churches that help frame the city of Florence. We went to Santa Maria Croce next. Again, a beautiful, open cathedral with impressive statues, flooring and wooden ceiling. There were also statues and tombs of people such as Galileo and Dante. Wow!

We had seen in a book that one of the top ten best ice cream places in the world was here in Florence. (Another one we actually ate at in Paris, so we are checking off that list!) We went there and enjoyed some delicious ice cream, however, I don't really know how here in a place with so many delicious flavors of gelato, you can actually decide that one place has the best ice cream in the world!

We headed towards the Central Market, which is basically just a giant grocery store, but one of my favorite places here in Florence! When I lived here that summer, my classes were right next to the Central Market, so I would finish class, then go pick out somethings for lunch, go home and sit on my terrace and enjoy fresh foods of Italy. That's what we did yesterday! The downstairs has breads, meats (including cows' faces), and cheeses. The upstairs has vegetables, fruits, nuts and olives. I had a delicious meal of a banana, some thin rosemary bread, pistacchios and pecorino cheese dipped in honey. Yes, honey. It is amazing! I had learned that trick last time I was here, and who could really go wrong with two wonderful treats combined anyway? Cheese AND honey?!

We enjoyed the lunch in our room, in the air conditioning, while watching a movie then ventured out again. We went to the train station and made our reservations for Rome (we learned our lesson), and then did some shopping. We went in a few clothes stores, nothing too special and then went to the street markets! I love the street markets! Everything is really reasonable, of seemingly good quality and the market goes on forever. When I was here a few years ago, I bought two fabulous linen skirts that breathe well and are extremely comfortable. I have an orange one that came in handy at those hot fall football games. Well, I found the same guy, with the same skirts and now have a purple and brown one as well!! I enjoyed buying some small tokens and gifts along the way, including an Italia Soccer shirt.

We refreshed ourselves and then went out in search of a delicious meal. We ate on a different square, again enjoying the people (and carosel) watching. I had some fabulous lasagna! We were serenated by a street performer, of sorts, but one with real talent. She stood off to the corner of the great square with a microphone and an accompaniest on an accordian. It sound ridiculous, but she had one of the most beautiful, operatic voices I have ever heard. When she broke into Ave Maria, my heart just sank into another peaceful state like the night before. How pleasant life is right now! It is just perfect!

Of course we joined the children and rode the carosel as people watched us go round and round surrounded by children. What fun!

We went to a pub near where we eaten the night before because they said they had karaoke on Saturday nights, and well, I love karaoke! Unfortunately the place was practically empty, no singers and near 100 degrees, so needless to say, we did not stay for long!

I have enjoyed reading on the terrace the last couple of mornings. Although it is really just big enough for me to sit and then put my feet up on the other chair, it is so pleasant, greeting the morning with the pigeons around and the sounds of Italy. There is an older man who must live below and has the small garden area below us. Yesterday morning he mopped the area and this morning he was repairing a bicycle. I love this place!

Our hotel does not have breakfast, so we are forced to dine on croissants and other goodies from local bakeries. This morning we picked some up and then sat on the steps of the Duomo to enjoy our breakfast.

We went over the river to the Boboli Gardens. These gardens compare, although not quite as grand, to the gardens at Versailles. They are attached to the Pitti Palace, which I have visited before and once you've seen one palace, they aren't all that interesting. So, we just visited the gardens. They are so huge, so expansive. They provide incredible views of Florence and the surrounding areas. This is a definite for any visitor to the city. There are open, wide pathways, and ways that lead through the shade of old trees. There are fountains and statues scattered about. I think I could live with a garden (and gardener) like this!

We actually spent most of our time at a beautiful area; a small island with flowers, surrounded almost by a moat or small lakes. But we weren't just enjoying the beauty, but watching a poor hedgehog who wandered into the water and could not find his way out, so he was swimming in circles. We were two of about ten people who tried in vain to find a way to rescue him. Finally, after close to an hour, some men who worked there found a way onto the island and were able to scoop him up, but I'm afraid he may not have made it from sheer exhaustion. The men took him into the woods though and hopefully he came back to life after some rest. Not sure, but it was reassuring how many people were eager to rescue this small creature.

I of course met some cats along the way, oddly enough, I believe I remember meeting one of them there before, and he was very happy to accept my attention. He looked well fed and perfectly happy with his life. Who wouldn't be living in such a place!?

We found some much needed refreshments and sat by the palace for a while, just glad to be out of the sun. Then crossed back over the Ponte Vecchio. The Ponte Vecchio (literally Old Bridge) is covered with tiny jewelry shops. These shops, because they are not technically in Florence, do not have to pay taxes, that is why they sell expensive things! The bridge is also famous for being so romantic. Men take their ladies to the bridge, put a lock on the bridge and throw the key into the river, signifying that the key to their heart has been locked up and it belongs to that lady now. I know... awww...

We found a sandwich for lunch, but did not want to eat too much as we are going to a nice dinner tonight at a delicious restaurant! Then decided to come here, to the internet cafe for a bit, because it is air conditioned!

Love to you all! Have a great week!

Ahhh... Firenze

Well, if Italy is like a second home to me, Florence is the kitchen and the den in this home. Three or four years ago I spent part of a summer here in Florence taking a cooking class and a photography class. Yes, I don't know how I managed to make it through the difficult time! :) The photography class was a lot of fun and gave me an opportunity to get some beautiful black and white prints and this incredible city. But the cooking class is something I will never forget. I don't cook that much now, but at that point in my live, I didn't cook at all.

The first day of my class it was already harder than I thought it would be - just cracking an egg and mixing it with flour to make pasta. Simple enough, but my teacher was talking fast and everyone else seemed to know exactly what was going on while I struggled, lacking in my "kitchen abilities." However, the class soon became one of the best experiences I have had in my life. The class taught us about different festivals and holidays throughout Italy and the food that they traditionally cooked with the holiday. I didn't enjoy all of the food, but as a picky eater, I can honestly admit that I did try it all. If you have ever been to my house for a meal, I'm sure I fixed you the pasta sauce that I learned to make while I was here, as it is the best sauce ever. I have made it so many times, I know it by heart and it always brings back warm memories.

What I learned most in that class was not to follow recipes, or at least, not to depend on them. I learned that if something doesn't taste right, adjust. I learned that sometimes the best tastes come from experimenting. I learned that cooking was fun and that experimenting was even more fun. Our hotel is not far from the school where I studied. Maybe I can go back and tell Marcella what a difference she has made in my life!

Well, thats enough about that... I guess before I gush no about Florence, I should finish my tales of Venice. We enjoyed a delicious dinner on the grand canal of Italy, not far from San Marco's square and enjoyed just sitting and visiting in the Italian style of dinner. Then we wondered back through the square and enjoyed more gelato (I'm pretty certain it is a requirement here to eat it twice a day)! We watched children and families walking through the square, chasing pigeons as the sun went down and the lights came on in the square. It was really beautiful.

We went back to our hotel and watched the second half of the other semi-final game. Spain scored three goals against Russia in that second half and advanced onto the finals. So, Germany and Spain will meet on Sunday night in the Euro Cup finals. We will for sure find a fun place here in Florence to watch the game.

The heat had worn us all out again, but we were not quite ready to give up on the evening, so we decided to go sit in the shadow of the Rialto Bridge on the Grand Canal and have a drink and some dessert. It was a beautiful end to our time together in Venice.

Sadly, Angie left us this morning, headed to Prague with her family for a mission trip. Emily and I set off on our own to Florence, and yet again another train ride. We have a Eurorail Pass which gets us onto all of the trains, but then again I'm not positive what it does because...

We had had reservations for all of our other trains, but since most of them were long distance, we decided we should make reservations (which are cheaper with the Eurorail than just buying a ticket). This train from Venice to Florence left almost every hour, so we decided we would just hop on one. Apparently, that is not how it is done. We got on this great, very nice, air-conditioned train and comfortable seats. The train began filling up and most people who got on seemed to be looking for actual seat numbers rather than just anywhere like we had sat. We thought... oh well... we'll see what happens! Luckily, we took off and no one needed our seats! Until the next stop that is, when the train filled up completely. We sat in space in between the trains for a while until they cam to collect our tickets. We showed them our Eurorail Pass, but the kind lady told us we had to make a reservation, but that it was a full train, but we still had to pay. So we paid about 15 euros for no seat... oh well. We ended up in the snack car though (no seats, but little table to lean on) and made friends with a couple of Canadian travelers who we played Uno with to pass the time. We ended up having a great time!

Our hotel is similar to the last one, it is small, and just a door on the ground floor leads up two flights of stairs to the entry level and the rooms. It is more of a hostel, but Emily and I have a small bedroom and private bath. We somehow got lucky and have the only room with "conditioned air." We also have a tiny, but still exsistent, terrace. It is just big enough for two chairs, very tiny, but still a glimpse into the outside world, the inner workings of Florence and her small interior gardens. I love it! It reminds me of my apartment when I stayed here!

Emily and I have already eaten at a familiar restaurant and at the 72 Flavors Gelato place, another favorite of mine! Yes, there are 72 Flavors, even though it is actually called Festival Gelato. I got Zuppa Inglese (similar to tiramisu, but with rasberry instead of coffee) and Cream Caramel, otherwise known as a small slice of heaven! We walked by the Duomo, to the Uffizi, onto the Ponte Vecchio bridge and through the street markets. Man, it really feels like home! I love being back!

My "Complete" Venetian Day

Yes, it seems like I had a perfect day here in Venice! But first, let me tell you about last night. The food here is delicious, as you can only imagine. I have had pizza for lunch, but have decided I will have different types of pasta for dinner. Last night we went to a restaurant to watch the semi-final game. I chose a pasta that was described as "an herby dumplings with marzcapone cream cheese and walnuts." Well, the dumplings somehow tasted more like savory doughnut holes, and it was soaked in cream cheese. So as your mouth waters, I'll let you decide if it was good or not!

As far as the soccer, or football match, goes, we enjoyed a rather exciting game between Turkey and Germany. Turkey dominated the game. We ended up leaving with about 15 minutes left, even though the score was tyed at one each. The TV's kept going out and our wooden benches were not comfortable, so we decided if it went into overtime, we could catch the end of it in our hotel after a gelato. The game was over by the time we got back to our room, so we just all assumed that Turkey was moving on to the finals. However I asked someone this morning and they said that Germany had won, 3-2. So, we missed a lot of excitment... oh well! Russia and Spain play tonight to see who will join Germany in the finals.

I began my morning with a stroll, and another walk to the fresh market, it always grabs my attention! I found a delicious orange juice, then met Angie for a doughnut and some shopping! We all meet up together and made an important stop at the grocery store for a loaf of bread. We went to San Marco's after that.

The long seemed incredibly long, but it moved very quickly. Italian churches always amaze me, no matter how many times I have stood in their glory. San Marco's is particulary unique. Inside the church is incredibly detailed, just beautiful. The ceiling and the domes are mosiacs, mainly made up of gold leaf; simply stunning. The floors, though warped from years of floods, are made of mosaics of marble with intricate designs. It is breathtaking to stand in the grandeur of cathedrals like this, and I don't even think this one compares to those in Florence and Rome.

We climbed some very steep steps in order to have a fantastic view of San Marco's square, Venice's center and most recognizable image. People and pigeons are scattered about the large square, trying not to melt in the heat.

Next, we went up the tower that is also in San Marco's Square. I had actually never been up the tower before and was delighted to see the views it provided. This tower did have an elevator, and because of the heat, I must admit, I was thankful it was not a lot of stairs to the top. The views were just breathtaking. I love the rooftops of Europe, those red-clay tiles and small streets make for a picturesque scene everywhere you go! We were able to look out and see Lido, along with most of Venice.

At noon, while we were at the top of the tour, the bells began to ring! At first, this giant bell just started swaying back and forth, then all of a sudden, a loud clanging noise! It was extremely loud, but a beautiful tone as well! We were thrilled to hear the bells chime from so close despite the possible loss of hearing.

After that, we decided it was time to feed the birds, and no, it did not cost two pence a bag! :) Angie had not fed the pigeons last time she was here and she was determined to do that. Em and I were also eager! We had brought the loaf of bread and were much more prepared than most of the other tourists around. I started, just by throwing a couple of pieces of bread on the ground and within seconds, I was surrounded! They were all over my arms, my hands, my feet, even my head and shoulders! I couldn't see my feet or my purse that was on the ground because of the pigeons. They tickled my toes as they searched for crumbs.

Emily soon joined me as she couldn't stand missing out on the fun, but Angie was a bit hesitant. Em was covered as soon as she held a piece of bread, but Angie only reached down to feed them as she was unsure about them landing on her!

After our adventure with the pigeons, we, first washed our hands, and then enjoyed some delicious pizza and some more shopping. Shopping here is so much fun because all of the glass is just so beautiful and despite the fact that it is in every other shop, it is also unique!

I have been to Venice four times, but have never been on a gondola. I know... I think it was always because they were so expensive, and they are, but today, we decided it had to be done, and since we were doing it, why not do the longer tour!? We had a marvelous time in this old Venetian treasure, floating along quiet canals through Venice as our guide expertly manuevered us through the narrow passage ways. Sadly, he did not sing, but on a perfectly sunny day in Venice with some of your best friends, who needs the song?

(Notice our driver who trained for 2-3 years to drive a gondola is on the cell phone! :))

We head to Florence tomorrow! Hope you are having a great week! Also, please excuse any mis-spells you see! For some reason the spell check does not work here, and unfortunately I have come to rely on it!

Venice

Yes, it feels like home to me, even though I am making new and exciting discoveries!

Angie arrived yesterday afternoon and now we three are having a great time together! Yesterday afternoon we just spent some time walking around, getting lost in Venice. I somehow actually made it back to a church I had visited on a previous trip. This is the church that you see in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. If you remember, they were in Venice, inside of a library when they went down under the library and discovered one of the nights tombs. Soon they were surrounded by rats, but managed to escape. They popped out of a sewer hole, in the middle of a peaceful scene in front of a church. Well, we found that church! The inside of the church is not the inside of the film, but still, pretty cool!

We went inside to see an exhibition of some of Leonardo's amazing creations. Not only did he paint the oh-so-famous Mona Lisa, but he was an inventor and scientist. We didn't really understand all that we saw, but it was still pretty neat to see!

We made our way back to the canal and had a glorious dinner on the canal near the Rialto Bridge. I had some delicious pasta, Angie enjoyed some lasagna and Emily enjoyed some local oysters. We had a great time and ended up dining like true Italians, staying at our table for over three hours. Our waiters were fun and we decided that we should celebrate. So, since it was my 24 and 3/4 birthday, the waiters sang Happy Birthday to me and brought me a tiramisu with a candle! Who else can say that they celebrated their 24 and 3/4 birthday in that way?!? :)

Our hotel is just a couple minutes walk from the Rialto Bridge, so incredibly convenient. I explained that it was just a green door that led us to the place, but it is perfect. I will try to explain it, although it is a little complicated. You walk in the green door, up a flight of steps, so the hotel itself really does not have a ground floor, just a door on the ground floor. At the top of the stairs is a small reception office. You turn to your left and go up another flight of stairs to the rooms. What is really neat is that these stairs, while surrounded closely by 4-story buildings, are actually outside, open to the world above. At the top of the stairs there is just one level of hotel, about 8 rooms in all from what we can tell. Our room is at the end of the hall, curved back around, so that when I look out my window, I look outside, but also down at the reception desk... very strange, but also really neat!

The room is quite small, but just fine for the perfect location. We are just living out of our suitcases and enjoying the area! The shower however is a different story. It is in the corner of the bathroom, so two walls of the shower are walls of the bathroom and the other two walls are sliding doors. I would assume that each door is about 2 feet long, on a good day. These doors lock magnetically together. When washing your hair, in order to actually leave your hands on your head and put your elbows out, you must turn diagonally to spread your elbows out completely. Ahhh.... European showers....

Our hotel does not have breakfast, I believe this is our only one like that, but I'm ok with finding a few special breakfasts on our trip! I had a nice OJ, a delicious croissant and a small apple delicious-something. Perfect! We walked to the produce and fish market this morning, just to admire and wonder what life might be like here. You could buy anything from zucchini flowers to octupus. The fruits and vegetables were just beautiful, and the lobster crawling around was a little terrifying!

Angie had remembered going to one of the surrounding islands with her family and we decided to try that out. We went to Lido, a quaint little island, that is so quiet in comparison to the busy Venice. Our grand adventure, and honestly one of the most fun things I have ever done, was renting a two-person bike. Angie had told us about this and told us how her mom had sat in the middle and didn't do any peddling. I wish you could have seen the images I had in my head of Angie in the front, peddling on, with Em in the back working hard to keep up and me in the middle, somehow balancing and staying on. I just kept picturing us falling over.

Thankfully, my image couldn't have been farther than the actual and it was amazing! Picture, if you will a golf cart, only instead of a motor, it is two bikes together with a seat across just big enough for three small young ladies. We took turns peddling and just enjoying the few. We rode all around the little island! It was hot again today, but with our small canvas shade, it was not too bad!

Here we are riding in the bike...

We stopped at the beach, I think it was a private one, but oh well! We walked on the beach and stuck our feet into the Adriatic Sea! The sand was hot and the water warm. We collected shells and wondered how far they may have traveled. The sand did not compare to the beauty of ours in the Gulf, but you know what, I was on an Italian beach today, standing barefoot, collecting shells with some great friends on a sunny day... I'm not sure it could have gotten much better. Wait... did I mention we finished our ride with gelato? Now, it is perfect!

We rode/peddled our way around most of the island and enjoyed how peaceful it was! We saw Venice from afar and enjoyed the views along with the homes we came across.

We took the water bus back to San Marco square and set off to find some bird food so that we may enjoy one of the staples of Venice - feeding the pigeons in San Marco Square. However, we were sadly disappointed that while there were plenty of pigeons, for some reason the people selling food were missing. However, we found a grocery store and some bread and plan to return tomorrow, prepared!

The heat, the sun, the peddling and the breezes on the water took a toll on us all today, so we came back to the hotel and laid around for a bit, then showered to wash away sand and stickiness. Soon we will enjoy a delicious Italian dinner and watch the first of the semi-final games.

I am so glad to be back in Italy, and so glad to be enjoying this incredible place with friends. I'm sorry that you can't all be here with me! Thanks again for reading, I love hearing from you all!

Italia...

I'm not sure exactly why, but coming to Italy somehow feels like coming home. My mom's side of the family has some of the olive skin and dark hair typical of Italy, but I believe they are from Southern France. I don't know why I have such a passion for this country, but I do. I have been here four times and even though I cannot speak the language, nor really find my way around without a map, it still feels like home. I love this place!

Our overnight train was really quite pleasant. Perhaps that is because I am comparing it to our last overnight experience which was, to say the least, an adventure, but this one was not that bad. We were on beds, bunk style, in a small cabin with two other beds. One of the other people in our cabin was a young woman who taught English and Spanish at a school in the Austrian countryside. I enjoyed talking and learning from her. She taught at a vocational school for 15-19 year olds. The school was specifically for tree-growing and wine making. (Dad, maybe you could go for a while! :)) She said that most of the students boarded because it was the only school like that in Austria and that the school was 90% boys. She was headed to meet up with part of her school group who was visiting their sister school just outside of Venice. I have really loved learning about education in these other countries we have visited.

Our other cabin mate was a man who was very nice and seemed probably as uncomfortable being in there with three girls as we were with being in there with him. It really worked out fine though. I was never in a deep sleep, but I slept most of the time and felt relatively rested when I woke up.

We arrived in Venice! As the train station was crowded, we decided to try to figure things out on our own without a map. The hotel we are staying at had sent me directions. They told us which water bus (yes, water) to take and then the only directions said "walk through S. Bortolomeo Square and S. Lio Square - 10 meters before the San Lio Square you'll see a green door on the right side of the street." So with the help of a few kind strangers and those directions, we miraculously found our hotel. We were able to leave our luggage there, but not get into the hotel yet, which explains why we have taken the time to sit in the internet cafes and update our travels in the air conditioning.

The heat that we were lacking in Paris and Berlin, we are making up for here. It is in the 90's and very hot. But, I decided it would be this way at home too, so no reason to complain. (Of course if I was at home, I would probably be inside! :)) We are hot and sweaty, but so is everyone else, so when in Rome...

We ate an early lunch since we didn't really have much dinner or breakfast. I am so thrilled to be here with Italian food and I think Emily is as well! We sat and enjoyed incredible pizzas.... the food in Italy cannot be beat! We walked around for a while, went to San Marco Square and looked in some glass stores.

Our hotel, even though we haven't seen our room yet, seems great! It is a cute little place, doesn't look like there are very many rooms and it is only a couple minutes walk away from the Rialto bridge and about five minutes walk to San Marco's square. I am thrilled with the location!

If you haven't been to Venice before, it is quite the experience. So different from anywhere else in the world. There are no cars. The "streets" are incredibly narrow because it is just for people to walk along, no cars. The rivers and canals are the way you travel from place to place. So the public transportation is actually a boat, yes a boat. We rode on the water bus, which is similar to a small ferry just for people.

It always amazes me how beautiful this city is and how it was built. It was built onto a swamp and the whole city is built up on posts, yes posts. This would seem sort of understandable if it was a small city and all of the buildings were made of light wood, but no, these are giant stone buildings and a rather large city. Fascinating! Of course, the city is sinking slightly a little each year, so one day it may not be here. But we'll enjoy it while we can!

Soon we will go to our rooms and settle in a bit before meeting Angie at the water bus. Then our real adventure of the city will begin!

Salzburg and Vienna

I truly loved Salzburg, in great part because it was the home of the Sound of Music, no matter how cheezy that sounds, but that movie seems to be so magical to me, that being there among the story - both true and Hollywood, was pretty fascinating!

We enjoyed our last night in Salzburg watching Russia beat the Netherlands in the second overtime in the main square. We have had so much fun watching the Euro Cup, partly because it is just what you should do here and what everyone else is doing here. It is a way to participate, to be European. And we all love soccer and don't get to watch much of it in the states. It is fun to watch a crowd get into a game, no matter what country they are from, but just cheering on their favorite.

Sunday morning I woke up and hiked up to Nonnberg Abbey. It is here that the real Maria once lived, where she taught and where she was married. Some of the outside was shot in the film, but the interior of the abbey was in Hollywood. The scene where the children went to inquire after Maria and then the scene where the soldiers try to chase the family off, only to find their cars are not working, were shot here. I only ventured around a little. It was really quite open, but it was Sunday morning and I did not want to disturb.

Since I was already half way up the hill that also holds the fortress, I thought, why not, let's just go all the way. I only encountered a few people on my journey, mainly locals out for a walk or a jog, sometimes with their dogs. There were signs on the pathways, so I never really felt lost, even though I didn't really know where I was going! It was quite the walk upwards, but it was also enjoyable.

Once at the top, most of the pathway was shaded with old, beautiful trees and I was blessed with incredible views of the city. I wondered until I found the spot where Maria first taught the children to sing. Do you remember the scene? They had just learned the notes, out on the hillsides, then they went into town. Then, while sitting on a bench in front of a stone wall overlooking the city, she says "Now, once you know the notes, you can sing a million different tunes just by mixing them up." Herman and I both had our pictures taken here. Even if you don't have the love for the film that I do, you would have appreciated these views.

I set out on my walk about 7:30 probably, and starting at 8:15, the bells of the churches in town began ringing. I was incredibly blessed to have this serenation on my hillside journey until 9. It was just heavenly! The bells, these famous old city bells rang and led me on my way.

I had a little trouble getting back down. One sign pointed towards stairs, so I went about half way down the hill on these stairs, only to discover that the stairs ended with a pathway to go back up - makes sense right?!? :) No matter what though, I made it up and then I enjoyed a glorious morning on the hillside of Salzburg, and I did make it back down as well!

We went to Mozart's birthplace before we left. Although I do not have near the amount of appreciation for Mozart's music that I should, being in his birthplace was thrilling. I was in the actual room where he was born; the actual room where this musical genius was brought into the world. The room had objects that had once belonged to him. I saw some of his hair and a little stuffed rabbit.

The museum, his former house, is a very interesting museum, and we heard many say that it was much better than his residence that is also a museum. It was sort of modern, but I don't want that to scare anyone away. I fully recommend it! The room where he was born is a small room, wood floor, that is painted blue and it is well lit. On the ceiling are geese hanging, all headed in the same direction, towards the window. I know that this symbolized something, but sadly now, I cannot remember. In the walls surrounding the room, there are these items of his past.

Next, our train ride adventure from Salzburg to Vienna. We got on the train, to find that it was quite full, and the open seats were taken over by people who were not too keen on sharing. Some friendly Italian soccer fans squeezed in together though and opened some seats for us. We joined a man from San Fransisco, a more free-spirit DJ who generously shared his space. The train was a little miserable, only because there was no air, the windows did not open and it was 90 degrees outside. We enjoyed visiting, reading, napping and watching the scenery go by.

The car we were on was full of Italian fans; Italy was playing in Vienna that night! In fact, above our heads was an Italian flag drapped over the seats. They were loud, roudy and so much fun! It is so much fun watching people so into a sport and with such love for their team, similar to the way we all feel about Auburn.

Three hours later, we did arrive in Vienna and took a taxi to our hotel. Our hotel room was very nice and absolutely perfect for us. It was really a suite: three beds, two couches, two chairs, a table, a desk and a nice bathroom. We were able to spread out a bit and enjoy some space for a while after being cramped on a hot train.

We found our way to the Fanzone, the giant TV set up in the center of town to watch the Italians verse the Spanish. There were a ton of people there! It was quite the set up with multiple TV's, and since the game was actually in Vienna, the crowd there was pretty excited. We found one of the giant screens though were people were sitting (not standing) and decided that would be a good option!

The game went 0-0 the whole time, through two overtimes and into a shoot-out. Spain one the quarter-final game in the last shot of the the shoot-out. It is pretty impressive to me that three out of four of the quarter final games went into double overtimes, two of them even went into shoot-outs after the two overtimes. So Wednesday and Thursday night are the semi-final games between Russia, Turkey, Spain and Germany. Sunday night will be the final game. We will be in Florence then and happy to watch the exciting conclusion!

Monday morning, Mary left us early. We will miss having her with us! We only had the one day in Vienna and didn't really know what to do. Fortunately, I had a friend from high school who has been living in Vienna for a while who showed us around and gave us an amazing tour of Vienna! Chris has been living here for a while, teaching English to children and to business men. He seems to have enjoyed the city even though he will be heading back to the states soon. He was a GREAT tour guide and we cannot thank him enough for taking the time to show us around!

We walked all over the old part of the city, looking at churches, palaces, museums and parks along the way. Vienna is a beautiful city. The central part of Vienna is really very small, so it was easy for us to make our way around just by walking. Chris was able to give us some of the history of many of the places as well as some fun and interesting facts that only a true local can say. We saw places where Hitler had given speeches or where he had had coffee.

For lunch, Chris took us to a little place we would not have found on our own, a perfect place for us to enjoy our last Austrian meal! We had some delicious schnitzel in a huge portion and enjoyed almost every bite of our leisurely meal.

After lunch, since it is Vienna, and what most people do here is enjoy coffee at little cafes, we walked for a bit and then sat back down to enjoy some afternoon treats! It was a perfect day and a great way to see the city since we only had the one short day! Thank you so much Chris!!

We gathered our belongings and went to the train station where we would board our overnight train. We saw one of our first Auburn hats and were thrilled to yell, and receive a "War Eagle!"

Some Pics...

This is the castle and cathedral in Prague from the top of the "Eiffel Tower."

Here we are in front of the back of the house that was the Von Trapp's home in the film. By the way, the real famiy's house will be opening up as a Bed and Breakfast in a couple of months.

"I am sixteen going on seventeen!"

This was the way up the luge that we then slid back down! So much fun!

This is the Old Town Square in Prague where we watched all of our soccer games!

Another view of the Prague castle from Charles' Bridge.

I just had to include this picture to show that while we are thoroughly enjoying the amazing sites we are seeing, we are also making sure to take time and be our goofy selves!

And here is Herman at the famous Astronimical Clock of Prague!

My Favorite Things...

Today, I danced in on an Austrian hillside, walked down the aisle where Maria and the Captian were married, danced around the gardens that the children danced around, danced around the gezebo and sang Do Re Mi with a bunch of strangers; could life be any better right now?

If you are not an avid Sound of Music fan, first off, you may be crazy, second off, feel free to skip the next couple of paragraphs. Our tour guide, Martina, of Bob's Special Tours came to pick us up at the hotel. We were in a van which was great because we were free to ask questions and stop at smaller venues, things like that. We were really lucky and our other "van-mates" were all girls, all American and all our age. We had a great time together, and yes, there were seven of us and our leader, Martina... sound familiar to anyone?

The Von Trapps were a real family and a lot of the film is actually true. However, there was no Baroness, no Ralph and the character of Max represented the family priest. Maria was actually born on a train, raised in Vienna as a foster child with an atheist family. She went to school to become a teacher and then had a deep desire to become a nun. She requested the strictest of abbeys and was sent here to Salzburg. She taught in the nunnery school where she taught one of the Von Trapp children. She immediately fell in love with the child, and the other six children. There were seven, just two boys, although they were the oldest and the youngest. One day one of the children asked Maria if she liked their father, of course she said yes, what else do you say to a child. They rushed home and told their father, who was looking for a wife and mother for his children. He immediately proposed, story goes that she dropped the ceramic vase she was holding. She went to discuss the idea with Mother Superior and ended up marrying the Captain and they had a good life together. One other thing - he was 47, she was 22.

After marrying, they had three children together. The children did all have incredible voices and sang for people all over Europe, people such as the Pope and the Queen of England. Eleven years after marrying, they family snuck out of Austria on the train. The went to America from there. Although it was not like climbing over a mountain, Hitler did close the boarders the next day, so it was still a narrow escape.

Much of the inside shots of the film were shot in Hollywood, but the outside scenes were all around this area. The house was several different houses in fact, one was the backside, one the front and a different on the inside.

Edeilweiss is not the national anthem, it was composed by Rogers and Hammerstein, and it is a protected flower here that only grows at the peaks of mountains, so you are not allowed to pick it.

Liesel, the actress who played Liesel, sprained her ankle when dancing around the gazebo that was especially constructed for the film. There were actually two gezebos, they needed different size ones for different events. The gezebos were left here in Salzburg as a gift, but because too many people got hurt dancing around in the gezebo, they had to close it. So, we got to see the outside of it, but not go into it.

Our guide took us through the lake country, which was just beautiful and made the tour worthwhile even if you are not the avid van that I am. The lakes were teal, just beautiful and the surrounding towns were shot in the opening scene of the film.

We stopped on a lovely hillside with a huge field that looked like Maria's opening number in the film. We danced about, sang, and acted like the giddy fools we were. We even, as a group of seven, lined up and sang Do Re Me! Oh my! I couldn't have enjoyed myself more!

As a side stop, we went down a luge ride. It was really quick, but lots of fun to go down a mountain as you looked out over the beautiful countryside! We also went to a small place and had delicious, homemade "crisp apple strudel!" Amazing!

We went to the church where the wedding was filmed in one of the small towns. It was a huge church and it looked very different, it is amazing what Hollywood can do, but still, it was the church and I walked down that same aisle! The real Von Trapps were married in the church that is in the Nunberg Abbey here where Maria was a teacher. I hope to take the short hike up there in the morning.

We ended up at Mirabell Gardens where many of the scenes from "Do Re Me" were filmed. We jumped up the steps, pranced around the fountain, posed in front of statues, all of the above! Our tour of the Sound of Music ends there, but it was so much fun! Hailey, somehow we need to find a way to work into a field trip to bring kids here! Not only is it the home to the Sound of Music, but also the birth place of Mozart! I think it sounds very educational! :)

We walked around and enjoyed the small city of Salzburg. I came upon a store where my parents that my parents and I had marveled at before. It is a huge store full of decorated blown eggs. When I say huge, I mean thousands upon thousands of eggs. Have you even blown an egg to decorate for Easter? It is extremely difficult! I had remembered it from the last time I was here and decided that I could not pass up another opportunity, so I purchased a few and had them shipped home!

For the afternoon we went up to the Fortress that overlooks the city. It is one of the oldest and largest in Europe and is situated in a wonderful lookout spot. We spent a couple of hours wondering around the courtyard, the palace and military museums before sitting with a Coke to enjoy the view for a bit.

This evening I went into the Salzburg Cathedral which I thought was truly beautiful and not nearly as gaudy as the other churches in the area I have seen. It was huge and decorated with murals on the ceiling. I walked a few more short steps to St. Peter's, no, not the one in Rome, and happened upon some sort of service. The monks were singing and the acoustics were fantastic. I sat, mezmorized for a few minutes by the beautiful voices these men had.

I went out to the cemetry beside the church which was the inspiration for the cemetry in the film, although that was a Hollywood creation. Although the cemetry is old, the tombstones are not. This is because people rent these plots, they do not own them, so if family members don't pay rent, they're out and someone new is in!

After that, I walked over to the otherside of the river where I wandered down a small road to find the birthplace of the man who wrote Silent Night. Just a small landmark, but quite an important man!

Another soccer game will be on in the square in a few minutes, so we will probably enjoy those festivities again shortly! Tomorrow we head to Vienna, Mary leaves us the next morning, we spend the day in Vienna, the night on a train to Venice and then we will meet up with Angie in Venice! So, you probably won't hear from me for a few days, but we will be fine! Have a great week and I really do appreciate you taking the time to read!