Sunday, September 19

This morning we slept in until about 8:30 and then had a leisurly breakfast. The hotels in which we've stayed ALL offered wonderful breakfasts! I tehn waited to meet a friend of mine from Junior High School (am I dating myself?) whom I've not seen in about 40 years. She arrived in the hotel where we had a wonder chat after which we took the train and vaporetto back to the island of Venice. Jim, Marialuisa and I shared a wonderful lunch and tried to catch up on our lives. Marialuisa left and Jim and I had the rest of the afternoon to oursleves. We went for a gondola ride and actualy saw Cassanova's house. It was a beauty! Just as we had, people were taking photographs of us from the various bridges as we passed by. We then just walked, and walked, and walked. In the early evening we sat down for dinner along the Grand Canal with another couple from the group. The buildings across the Grand Canal were beautiful as they reflected the setting sun. This was another view I wanted to etch in my brain. We waited until dark so that I could take a few photos from one of the bridges of the lights along the canal. After a perfect day Jim and I returned to our room to pack and relax before we leave for Verona and Lake Como tomorrow. I am soooo happy that I am now up to date on this blog. Hugs to everyone...

Saturday, September 18th (Jim's Birthday)

We took a coach from Tuscany (Radda) to Florence (Firenze) to catch a train to Venice (Venezia). The trains are WONDERFUL...very smooth and clean. On arrival in Venice we immediately took a vaporetto (water taxi) which was reserved for the group to St. Mark's Square. We did a walking tour of the area where we saw and heard about the Bell Tower (formerly a lighthouse), the Doge's Palace which was a government building historically and St. Mark's Basilica. We then had a couple of hours to look around ourselves. Jim and I headed for the Rialto Bridge and discovered a shop which sold Hungarian Herend porcelain. I did not expect to see porcelain from other countries in Venice which is so famous for its glass. We were just short of Rialto Bridge when the heavens opened. Not only did it rain, it POURED!!!!!!!!!. With every other tourist in Venice we had to walk to the pier to catch the private vaporetto to take us to the train station. From the train station we went one stop to where our hotel was situated. Our check-in went quickly and when we arrived in our rooms all our suitcases were already there! We just love the fact that we don't have to worry about our luggage! We had dinner as a group at the hotel and then came upstairs to our very elegant room to crash! More to come... Love to all again.

Friday September 17th

Today was Day 7 of our 12 day trip. First we went to Castello di Verrazzano (Verrazzano Castle) which is a vineyard. The man for whom the Verrazzano bridge in NY is named was born in this castle. The family that bought the vineyard has made many improvements but all the cool undergraound storage areas for the wine to age was built hundreds of years ago. The castle even has its own 'wild boar' (though domesticated now) from which they make their own proscuitto hams. The wine tasting lesson was fascinating and we learned why grape vines must grow on hills rather than on flat ground. Apparently hardening the vines and not giving them much water makes them produce better grapes. When it rains the water does not get a chance to soak in to the ground but rather drain away. I think I need to try this with my tomatoes!!!! After a magnificent lunch of crostini, various hams and awesome salamis we were driven to San Gimignano about 45 minutes away. This little city is 700 years old! I still cannot believe that we walked on original cobblestones adn the building still look on the outside as they did 700 years ago. We had dinner at the hotel..but many of us declined since they were serving a typical Tuscan dish of rabbit... yes, bunnies! Actually Jim and I could not eat any more after the huge lunch at the catle earlier.

Thursday, September 16

The medieval city of Siena was our target today... it is located in the Chianti region of Italy and is surrounded by olive trees. I learned that #1, olives grow on trees and that olive trees only produce olives every other year. Also, olives picked by hand are the only ones that are allowed to be used for Extra Virgin Olive Oil... no equipment can be used. The olives grown around Siena have huge seeds and little meat because it is from the seeds that the oil is derived. We spent two hours on a walking tour with Nicoletta to see the Piazzo Del Campo which is the main square. Siena and Florence have fought bitterly historically and the pride of the people in both cities is very evident. In the evening we had dinner at a restaurant located overlooking the Chianti hills. The meal included 5 courses and was out of this world. Of course there was the requisite red wine served with the meal as well as a very sweet 'holy wine' which was served with biscotti. Tuscan Hills.

Wednesday, September 15th

Today was definitely one of the hottest days we've encountered. We spent our time visiting Florence (Firenze) where our guide, Giovanni, took us on a guided tour. Afterwards we were free for a couple of hours so Jim and I went to see Ponte Vecchio which was amazing... nice view of the Arno River and tons of beautiful shops loaded with jewelry. I found the prices to be exhorbitant compared to similar jewelry I see at home. That 19% VAT tax really adds to the bottom line. We also got tickets to the Uffizi Gallery. Some of the most famous Italian artists are represented. We walked around for about 1 1/2 hours and left to find some gelato! I really need to do some serious weight watching after we get home. At the end of the day we had the longest and hottest walks back to the bus to date. Dinner was back at the hotel after which we collapsed! I love having this little computer with us. It makes keeping in touch so much easier! Love to all again..

Tuesday, September 14th

We had no 'guide' today as we toured Assisi... a small town in the Umbria region of Italy which is the landlocked. It is a medieval town in which walking around reminded me somewhat of walking around Ithaca, NY. LOTS of hills and you get a good aerobic workout each day! Francis of Assisi is the patron sainf of Italy and is highly revered. He is responsible for the formation of the Franciscan Friars and is known for preaching to people in their own language rather than Latin. At left is a photo of the Basilica of St. Francis.

When finished with the tour we were taken to our hotel in Radda, Tuscany. It is out in the middle of the countryside and is very tranquil and peaceful. The rooms are gorgeous. We passed by perfectly aligned rows of grapevines loaded down with fat, juicy grapes. The harvest season is approaching.

And lastly... another 'still life' which I have come to enjoy seeing so much during our trip!

Until tomorrow...

Monday, September 13

This morning we went to see the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel followed by St. Peter's Basilica. Because our tour guide, Antonella, was so well versed in all things Vatican, St. Peter's and Micheangelo we viewed everything differently than if we had just walked in off the street to 'see the Vatican'. The Sistine Chapel was much smalleou look closely yr than we had anticipated and St. Peter's was a lot bigger! Several of the 'paintings' at St. Peters are actually mosaic images which you would not know unless you look very closely. Note: I can't figure out how to make the photos go where I want them... but I think you'll figure out what image goes with which comment. We spent the afternoon looking around in Rome during 'free time'. Many restaurants and food shops create 'still life's' using products they sell... the third photo reflects a very appetizing one! That is all for now. Tomorrow I hope to write about our Tuesday in Assisi and our entry into Tuscany and the wine country.

Sunday, September 12th

The theme today is ancient Rome - pre Christianity. We saw the ruins of the Forum..where the Senate met, The Circus Maximus and the Colosseum. I found it incredible that we were in the same place where gladiators once fought, where Christians were sacrificed and where the throngs of Romans were 'entertained'. From the ruins we went to Tivoli where the elite of Rome went to 'rest'. We visted the Villa d'Este from which we saw beautiful panoramas of Rome in the distance, fantastic water fountains which served multiple purposes. The running water actually was the mechanism by which an organ payed music. We also went to visit Villa Adriana. The Emporer Hadrian (with an 'H') built a summer retreat that would rival many palaces worldwide. It is in ruins but there is a scale model of what the villa looked like in its day. We're having a marvelous time and learning an awful lot. I never had that much interest in history but what we're seeing is truly remarkable when compunded with the narrative of our skilled guides. This day was a beast although we made it to a restaurant in downtown Roma where we ate 'al fresco' (outside). It was truly a wonderful meal and veryrefreshing. Eating at 8-9 and 10 PM is not what we're used to but when in Rome I guess you do as the Romans!

Saturday, September 11th

We were taken by coach to the hert of Roma today. We were shown 'baroque Rome'. This included Barcaccia Fountain which is at the bottom of the Spanish Steps. Jim took a photo of me throwing a coin into Trevi Fountain of 'Three Coins in the Fountain' fame and lastly the Piazza Navona where the last fountain, The Fountain of the Four Rivers is located. The four rivers represented are the Plate, Nile, Ganges and Danube. The number of tourists is unbelievable and since it was a Saturday, the half of Rome that did not go to the seaside for the weekend was also out sightseeing. We then had a not too delightful dinner as a group at the hotel where you not only pay for your wine...but also for your water. Although Rome's water is wonderful out of the tap and very cold... Romans prefer 'still' water out of a bottle. I'll update sunsequent days as I can. They keep us going...but I must say that we could not be happier that we're with a group. The guides are incredibly knowledgeable and know how to get us everywhere efficiently.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Our flight from Dulles to Rome was uneventful and went by more quickly than anticipated. We were offered the seats next to the Emergency Exit so we had tons of leg room. There was no window but since it was dark most of the trip it really did not matter. When we arrived at Fiumicino Airport there was no ramp brought to the plane. We actually had to go down steps to the tarmac.

We were met by the driver of a 'private car' at the airport. He had a sign with our name on it and was standing with 15-20 other drivers. We then experienced 'rush hour' Roman style! The drivers are heavy handed with the car horn and think nothing of driving on the shoulder in an attempt to get farther ahead in the line of cars. Motorcycles are plentiful and weave in and out of traffic. The number of Smart cars here is amazing! Whoever manufactures them is making a killing in Italy!

The 3rd photo I uploaded is the view from our hotel room... at an angle. Not too bad at all! Ok, time to catch 40 winks before we go exploring! Neither of us slept well on the plane and our bodies think it is 5:45AM... apparently this computer thinks the same! Bye for now.

A&J