We had been waking up so late for the past week that we had forgotten how painful it is to wake up so early. But it was a tast that must be done! We got dressed, jumped in the car, and drove to the nearest train station. We boarded the train and road all the way to Florance (a good hour ride).
Once there, it didnt look much different from the other bigger citys we have been to, besides the fact that there were huge street markets everywhere you went. We strode through them, trying to not look the venders in the eyes. Once you do, its like their a tiger pouncing on their prey. Once we made our way through one, we ended up in front of the statue of David (a famous statue made my Michaelangelo). After taking a couple pictures, we made our way to the reservation line for the Uffizi museum. After an airport security type deal, we walked for atleast an houre through a countless number of halls looking at hundreds of paintings. By the time we left, we had seen enough art to last a lifetime.
We had a delicious lunch, shopped for several more hours, boarded the train, and headed back home.
It was a great last day sight seeing, we werent very happy to leave.
Tomorrow is our last day here. The only thign we will be doing is cleaning and packing. We leave the next day really early so we're gonna try our hardest to get to be early tomorrow night. So, this means this is the last blog entry. Thank you all for reading, I hope you enjoyed hearing about our adventures here in Italy. It was a wonderful ytip of a lifetime that we will remember for the rest of our lives.
Next time... Austrailia?
See you soon, Washington. <3
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Day 18: Beach Day!
Nothing much to report today-
Since we had run out of places to see, we all decided to hit the beach one last time before we go home.
The weather was pefect, and our attitudes were great. We were determined to make our last beach visit count.
With even darker skin than we arrived with, we headed back home to have a good nights rest for our last sight seeing day the next day.
Watch out Florance, here we come!
Since we had run out of places to see, we all decided to hit the beach one last time before we go home.
The weather was pefect, and our attitudes were great. We were determined to make our last beach visit count.
With even darker skin than we arrived with, we headed back home to have a good nights rest for our last sight seeing day the next day.
Watch out Florance, here we come!
Friday, August 12, 2011
Day 17:San Gimignano and Volttera
Boy, are we early rises or what! Not. We left the house around 2, so we knew we wouldnt have much time at each stop. Today was the last day for seeing old citys and such, and there were only 2 citys left on our list. San Gimignano and Volterra.
San Gimignano was known for being super touristy, so we expected loads of people when we walked in. It met our expectations. The roads were crowded with tourists, and the sun was blazing hot. We walked around aimlesly through the crowds until we found a restraunt of our liking. Guess what we had? Pasta and pizza. Not a surprise there! After lunch, we entered the museum of torture (leaving mom behind, she didnt like the sound of the place) and saw some things that i could have gone my whole life without seeing. One of Reece's favroite forms was being strapped down and covered in sea salt water to have a really thirsty goat lick a spot so many times that your skin would ware away until you saw bone. Gross. I, how ever, hated it and will never return to a place involving toture.
After San Gimignano, we headed to Volterra, a cute city on the top of a mountain. Volterra literally means "land that floats" because the clouds hover right below it, making it appear to be floating (althought people cant see it from the ground because of the clods blocking the view). When my mom told me we were going there, something clicked in my head. Wasnt that the place New Moon (the second movie to the movie twilight) was filmed? Turns out I was right. If your not a fan of the sparkly vampire movies, dont bother reading this next part: A part of New Moon was filmed in Volterra (remember the Volterri? Makes sense now!). I stood in the plaza where Bella had run across to save Edward from exposing himself to the humans. Cool, huh?
It was an hour and a half ride back, in which we spent most of the time singing along to the CD our home exchange family had left us.
Since we spent the day walking around, tomorrow is our relax day and we will be spending it at the beach.
San Gimignano was known for being super touristy, so we expected loads of people when we walked in. It met our expectations. The roads were crowded with tourists, and the sun was blazing hot. We walked around aimlesly through the crowds until we found a restraunt of our liking. Guess what we had? Pasta and pizza. Not a surprise there! After lunch, we entered the museum of torture (leaving mom behind, she didnt like the sound of the place) and saw some things that i could have gone my whole life without seeing. One of Reece's favroite forms was being strapped down and covered in sea salt water to have a really thirsty goat lick a spot so many times that your skin would ware away until you saw bone. Gross. I, how ever, hated it and will never return to a place involving toture.
After San Gimignano, we headed to Volterra, a cute city on the top of a mountain. Volterra literally means "land that floats" because the clouds hover right below it, making it appear to be floating (althought people cant see it from the ground because of the clods blocking the view). When my mom told me we were going there, something clicked in my head. Wasnt that the place New Moon (the second movie to the movie twilight) was filmed? Turns out I was right. If your not a fan of the sparkly vampire movies, dont bother reading this next part: A part of New Moon was filmed in Volterra (remember the Volterri? Makes sense now!). I stood in the plaza where Bella had run across to save Edward from exposing himself to the humans. Cool, huh?
It was an hour and a half ride back, in which we spent most of the time singing along to the CD our home exchange family had left us.
Since we spent the day walking around, tomorrow is our relax day and we will be spending it at the beach.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Day 16: Cinque Terre-Episode 2!
Once again, we woke up early with one thing in mind- the beautiful Cinque Terre. Its moms favorite stop so far, but we hadnt seen all of it yet, and we were determined to see it all.
We started our day with an hour and 15 minute drive to the train station, then took the train to a part of Cinque Terre, and started our hike to a part that we had not seen before. This hike was suppose to be more difficult then the first one we did there, but we thought it was a tad bit easier. The beginning was insane! We climbed up what seemed like hundreds of stairs in the burning heat, hardly ever stopping to take some breaks. After the first part was done, it was a little easier. But it was still super hot!
After the hike we went straight to, you guessed it, the sea. We had an idea to rent kayaks, but when we got there we saw a pedal boat with a slide off the back. Who could pass that up? We rented it and rode out into the sea. As dad would say, the sea was rough that day my friend. It was bumpy and we were thrown back and fourth. I found out quickly that i get motion sickness pretty bad. So we used up the rest of our time and came in quickly.
We took a lunch break in the park (although it wasnt really lunch considering it was 5:30) in the shade. We fed our left overs to the birds and ants (there was a bird that had twine around it legs and couldnt move very well, we felt sorry for it and fed it more then the other birds) and headed to the train station after a quick stop at a gelato place (of course).
We boarded the train, drove home, and now we're all exhausted and ready for bed. The home sickness is spreading quickly as we talk to the care takers of our pets, family, and friends. Italy is beautiful, but theres no place like home. I'm sure we'll have NO problem loving the rest of our time here though! :)
Until tomorrow!
We started our day with an hour and 15 minute drive to the train station, then took the train to a part of Cinque Terre, and started our hike to a part that we had not seen before. This hike was suppose to be more difficult then the first one we did there, but we thought it was a tad bit easier. The beginning was insane! We climbed up what seemed like hundreds of stairs in the burning heat, hardly ever stopping to take some breaks. After the first part was done, it was a little easier. But it was still super hot!
After the hike we went straight to, you guessed it, the sea. We had an idea to rent kayaks, but when we got there we saw a pedal boat with a slide off the back. Who could pass that up? We rented it and rode out into the sea. As dad would say, the sea was rough that day my friend. It was bumpy and we were thrown back and fourth. I found out quickly that i get motion sickness pretty bad. So we used up the rest of our time and came in quickly.
We took a lunch break in the park (although it wasnt really lunch considering it was 5:30) in the shade. We fed our left overs to the birds and ants (there was a bird that had twine around it legs and couldnt move very well, we felt sorry for it and fed it more then the other birds) and headed to the train station after a quick stop at a gelato place (of course).
We boarded the train, drove home, and now we're all exhausted and ready for bed. The home sickness is spreading quickly as we talk to the care takers of our pets, family, and friends. Italy is beautiful, but theres no place like home. I'm sure we'll have NO problem loving the rest of our time here though! :)
Until tomorrow!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Day 15: Market, Pisa, and Beach
Making sure to get up early enough this time, we got up and drive to the local market. Mom was excited to see what the locals had to offer, and we all hoped it was something worth waking up earlier then usual for. It turned out to be quite small, but really cute. They had all set up little tents, displayed their stuff on the outside of them. On one end, there was a vegetable and fruit market and on the other side there was a clothing/accessories/house items. We looked around a bit and finally left with just one thing- A cute yellow dress for me! Thanks mom!
Our next stop was Pisa. Of course, we traveled there for one main reason. The leaning tower. When we entered, the streets were lined with venders selling souvenirs and cute accessories (i got a cute bag to match my dress of course). As we got closer and closer to the tower, we noticed at least 20 people standing on cement cylinders taking the famous "I'm holding up the leaning tower of Pisa so it wont fall" picture. We also saw other people getting creative and pretending to push the tower, hug the tower, and even carry the tower! After watching some people for a while, we tried our hand at our tourist picture. They turned out pretty good. (Look at the side of the page for the pictures)
After sitting in the shade of the tower and watching the tourists walk by, we headed back to our car; on the road again. Since it was so hot, we decided to hit the beach once again. We drove to our favorite beach and layed out our belongings on the burning hot sand. We immediately hopped in the ocean and were cooled down instantly by the refreshing water. As soon as we were cooled off, we noticed that the waves were legitimately bigger then last time we were there. Reece got out his boogie board and rode wave after wave into shore. As the waves got bigger, we had to keep moving our things farther and farther back from the shore line... our things almost got taken away to sea at least 3 times!
Sand in our hair and salt on our skin, we headed back home for another great dinner and nights rest.
We're all looking forward to going back to moms favorite place tomorrow; Cinque Terre.
Our next stop was Pisa. Of course, we traveled there for one main reason. The leaning tower. When we entered, the streets were lined with venders selling souvenirs and cute accessories (i got a cute bag to match my dress of course). As we got closer and closer to the tower, we noticed at least 20 people standing on cement cylinders taking the famous "I'm holding up the leaning tower of Pisa so it wont fall" picture. We also saw other people getting creative and pretending to push the tower, hug the tower, and even carry the tower! After watching some people for a while, we tried our hand at our tourist picture. They turned out pretty good. (Look at the side of the page for the pictures)
After sitting in the shade of the tower and watching the tourists walk by, we headed back to our car; on the road again. Since it was so hot, we decided to hit the beach once again. We drove to our favorite beach and layed out our belongings on the burning hot sand. We immediately hopped in the ocean and were cooled down instantly by the refreshing water. As soon as we were cooled off, we noticed that the waves were legitimately bigger then last time we were there. Reece got out his boogie board and rode wave after wave into shore. As the waves got bigger, we had to keep moving our things farther and farther back from the shore line... our things almost got taken away to sea at least 3 times!
Sand in our hair and salt on our skin, we headed back home for another great dinner and nights rest.
We're all looking forward to going back to moms favorite place tomorrow; Cinque Terre.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Day 14: Monsum Anno
Despite our last few days of relaxing, we all had a late start once again. By the time we all woke up and were out the door, it was 1pm. We headed down to where the market was, just to found out, to our disappointment, that it was closing down. So, in other words, our plans were canceled... and we didnt know what to do next. After a couple minutes of discussing what our next plan of action was, we decided to head on over to the nearest town, Monsum Anno. It was very quiet, and the only people wandering the streets besides us were other tourists. All the stores were closed down for siesta, so it was hard to find somewhere to eat for lunch. We ended up stopping at a kebab place, and we had a wonderful lunch there. Tummys full, we got back in our car and drove to the nearest grocery store. By the end of our shopping trip, our cart was full with what we hoped was the stuff we were looking for, payed, and left.
We all promised ourselves that tomorrow we will NOT have a late start.
Its time to get down to business and get some serious tourists stuff checked off our list.
Util tomorrow! Chao!
We all promised ourselves that tomorrow we will NOT have a late start.
Its time to get down to business and get some serious tourists stuff checked off our list.
Util tomorrow! Chao!
Day 13: Lucca and the beach
Since we spent most of yesterday relaxing and re-energizing, we were more then ready to hit the streets of Lucca... A beautiful city surrounded by a tall wall. As soon as we walked in the huge door, we followed the locals and all the other tourists and rented some bikes for an hour. With Reece and dad on their two-seater and me and mom on your separate bikes, we rode along the walls edge, which was made into a park. The path was lined with huge shady trees, and the breeze was just right. We rode around the whole wall (which took about 30 minutes) and once through the city back to our starting spot. After returning the bikes, our new plan was to walk until we found gelato. This plan didnt last long, because after walking only a block we came across a gelato place. We finished our gelato's, and walked back through the huge door and back to our car.
It was so hot, but we werent ready to go home for the day. So, in a desperate attempt to stay cool, we drove to the beach. This time, we decided to keep it cheap, and went to the free side. The water was just perfect and the waves were rolling in just big enough so Reece could use his boogie board. After spending the rest of the day there, we were sandy, salty, and ready to go home again.
We're looking forward to another wonderful day tomorrow.
Goodnight, Washington.
It was so hot, but we werent ready to go home for the day. So, in a desperate attempt to stay cool, we drove to the beach. This time, we decided to keep it cheap, and went to the free side. The water was just perfect and the waves were rolling in just big enough so Reece could use his boogie board. After spending the rest of the day there, we were sandy, salty, and ready to go home again.
We're looking forward to another wonderful day tomorrow.
Goodnight, Washington.
Day 12: Kickin it pool-side
A little tired from our day before, we were lazy and hot the next day when we woke up around 10:30 (11:30 for me). Since it was so late in the afternoon, and the humidity was getting to us, we took an off day and went to the pool.
The place we went to has 4 pools, a slide, two diving boards, and a gelato stand. Absolutely perfect. The girls tanned, and the guys practiced their flips off of the diving boards. When we got too hot, we went to the gelato stand and cooled off with some delicious cold gelato that sculptured into a rose shape on our cones.
Refreshed and energized, we now once again excited to see yet another Italian city. See you tomorrow, Lucca!
The place we went to has 4 pools, a slide, two diving boards, and a gelato stand. Absolutely perfect. The girls tanned, and the guys practiced their flips off of the diving boards. When we got too hot, we went to the gelato stand and cooled off with some delicious cold gelato that sculptured into a rose shape on our cones.
Refreshed and energized, we now once again excited to see yet another Italian city. See you tomorrow, Lucca!
Friday, August 5, 2011
Day 11: Siena
We woke up a little earlier then usual, but not much. By the time we rolled out of bed and ate breakfast, it was near 11... too much time wasted due to the fact that its a 2 hour drive to Siena and we wanted to spend the day there.
By the time we finally found our way there, it was the middle of the day and SUPER hot. The moment you stepped out of the car, humidity hit you in the face and you instantly start to sweat. Back pack full of frozen water bottles, we headed into the walls of Siena.
Siena was once a place of power back in 1200 AD. The king and queen lived there and all the important people. The wall was built around the city to keep them safe. Now, its just used for tourism. Its a VERY popular place for tourists to visit- just like us! Our favorite part of our visit to Siena? The tower. The tower is the tallest building in Siena, and from the top you can see the whole city. Whats scary about this tower is that when they built it, it was simply placed on top of the building it stands on with no extra foundation. The people that live there are surprised it hasnt fallen yet! So when mom announced she wanted to climb it to the top, i was a little hesitant. But we waited in line for atleast an hour and made out way up the long, narrow stair case. (It was VERY claustrophobic and made me and mom a little uneasy) I have to say, the reward was worth the climb. You could see miles and miles out from every direction you looked. No words I write could ever begin to describe the beauty. By far one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.
When we had enough pictures of the beautiful view and were satisfied, we made it back town the tower and onto our next point of interest- the cathedral. Also called "The Opa" (how cool!) A man at the door gave me and mom a paper shoulder sling thing to cover our shoulders. When inside, we saw 172 heads of the same 4 popes. A beautiful ground artwork called "Slaughter of the innocent" was amazing, yet depressing because it showed soldiers killing babies and the moms trying to get them back.
After exiting the cathedral, we had an early dinner at a small little restaurant in town. We all had kebabs, although, the werent they kebabs we're used to at home. It was basically meat, lettuce, and tomatoes wrapped in a burrito form. We all took a minute to wonder why they call them kebabs when they arent like kebabs at all, then headed back to our car for a 2 hour car ride home.
Tomorrow we're looking forward to another lazy day at the beach.
Missing Washigton, but loving every second here in beautiful Italy.
By the time we finally found our way there, it was the middle of the day and SUPER hot. The moment you stepped out of the car, humidity hit you in the face and you instantly start to sweat. Back pack full of frozen water bottles, we headed into the walls of Siena.
Siena was once a place of power back in 1200 AD. The king and queen lived there and all the important people. The wall was built around the city to keep them safe. Now, its just used for tourism. Its a VERY popular place for tourists to visit- just like us! Our favorite part of our visit to Siena? The tower. The tower is the tallest building in Siena, and from the top you can see the whole city. Whats scary about this tower is that when they built it, it was simply placed on top of the building it stands on with no extra foundation. The people that live there are surprised it hasnt fallen yet! So when mom announced she wanted to climb it to the top, i was a little hesitant. But we waited in line for atleast an hour and made out way up the long, narrow stair case. (It was VERY claustrophobic and made me and mom a little uneasy) I have to say, the reward was worth the climb. You could see miles and miles out from every direction you looked. No words I write could ever begin to describe the beauty. By far one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.
When we had enough pictures of the beautiful view and were satisfied, we made it back town the tower and onto our next point of interest- the cathedral. Also called "The Opa" (how cool!) A man at the door gave me and mom a paper shoulder sling thing to cover our shoulders. When inside, we saw 172 heads of the same 4 popes. A beautiful ground artwork called "Slaughter of the innocent" was amazing, yet depressing because it showed soldiers killing babies and the moms trying to get them back.
After exiting the cathedral, we had an early dinner at a small little restaurant in town. We all had kebabs, although, the werent they kebabs we're used to at home. It was basically meat, lettuce, and tomatoes wrapped in a burrito form. We all took a minute to wonder why they call them kebabs when they arent like kebabs at all, then headed back to our car for a 2 hour car ride home.
Tomorrow we're looking forward to another lazy day at the beach.
Missing Washigton, but loving every second here in beautiful Italy.
Day 10: pinocchio and a pool.
In the morning, we decided to be lazy for once and get a late star. Due to the fact that it was at least 2pm and we still hadn't left the house, we chose to go somewhere close. Our destination of the day? Pinocchio's park. The birth place of Pinocchio.
When we arived at our destination, we bought a couple toys and trinkets at the gist shop, took some pictures, and were on our way. We didnt stay there very long, but it was worth going because we met a HUGE Pinocchio statue. See the side of the blog for a picture!
By the time we were done there, we were hot and sweaty and needed to be cooled down. We typed in the nearest pool on our GPS and we were on the road again. When we got to the pool, we were pleasantly surprised at how big the area was. There were 3 pools- one regular one, one with two diving boars, and one with a slide going into it. Reece beamed with happiness as we spent the next couple hours hanging pool side.
The pool closed at 7, but we were more then ready to head home. We're planning on going back to that pool again!
Tomorrow, we're waking up early and headed to Siena. Goodnight Washington!
When we arived at our destination, we bought a couple toys and trinkets at the gist shop, took some pictures, and were on our way. We didnt stay there very long, but it was worth going because we met a HUGE Pinocchio statue. See the side of the blog for a picture!
By the time we were done there, we were hot and sweaty and needed to be cooled down. We typed in the nearest pool on our GPS and we were on the road again. When we got to the pool, we were pleasantly surprised at how big the area was. There were 3 pools- one regular one, one with two diving boars, and one with a slide going into it. Reece beamed with happiness as we spent the next couple hours hanging pool side.
The pool closed at 7, but we were more then ready to head home. We're planning on going back to that pool again!
Tomorrow, we're waking up early and headed to Siena. Goodnight Washington!
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Day 9: Cinque Terre
Yet another good night of sleep! We woke up early, ready for todays adventure. We had finally come to the conclusion that we were going to go to moms most anticipated destination: Cinque Terre, a little town (part of 5 towns, cinque means 5 pieces) hidden in/built into the mountains of Italy.
Up until 50 years ago, no one had access to these cute little towns unless they hiked there. And believe me, you wouldnt want to hike through THOSE mountains. Then they built a train into all the towns. Along with the trains, they built paths connecting every town. We decided to skip the train, and travel from one of the towns to the next one. It was a 1.5 mile hike, and it was one of the easier ones, so we thought we'd get through it fairly easy. We thought wrong. It took what seemed like days to walk that trail. The steps were steep, and it never seemed to run out of them. And when we had to step downward, it hurt our knees. But it was worth every second. It was the most beautiful hike all of us have ever been on.
With V shape sweat marks on our backs and sweat stains under our armpits, we reached the town we were hiking to... it was time to swim. In the harbor, we jumped off a mini cliff thing into the freezing water. Once you were in, it felt so good on our sweat layered backs.
After swimming, we got dressed and felt refreshed. Checking our Rick Steves tourism book (what seemed like our new best friend) we decided to have dinner at a little restaurant at the end of our hiking trail. After working our way back to where we had exited the forest, we found the cutest place ever! Our table over looked the whole sea and the whole town, it was truly beautiful. The food was delicious and cheap. our bill was worth the view we had, not to mention the food. After dinner we headed back to the train station, waited for the train in a carved out dome in the middle of the tunnel, boarded the train, and we headed home.
We're all exausted and ready for another good nights sleep. Who knows what tomorrow has in store for us!
Up until 50 years ago, no one had access to these cute little towns unless they hiked there. And believe me, you wouldnt want to hike through THOSE mountains. Then they built a train into all the towns. Along with the trains, they built paths connecting every town. We decided to skip the train, and travel from one of the towns to the next one. It was a 1.5 mile hike, and it was one of the easier ones, so we thought we'd get through it fairly easy. We thought wrong. It took what seemed like days to walk that trail. The steps were steep, and it never seemed to run out of them. And when we had to step downward, it hurt our knees. But it was worth every second. It was the most beautiful hike all of us have ever been on.
With V shape sweat marks on our backs and sweat stains under our armpits, we reached the town we were hiking to... it was time to swim. In the harbor, we jumped off a mini cliff thing into the freezing water. Once you were in, it felt so good on our sweat layered backs.
After swimming, we got dressed and felt refreshed. Checking our Rick Steves tourism book (what seemed like our new best friend) we decided to have dinner at a little restaurant at the end of our hiking trail. After working our way back to where we had exited the forest, we found the cutest place ever! Our table over looked the whole sea and the whole town, it was truly beautiful. The food was delicious and cheap. our bill was worth the view we had, not to mention the food. After dinner we headed back to the train station, waited for the train in a carved out dome in the middle of the tunnel, boarded the train, and we headed home.
We're all exausted and ready for another good nights sleep. Who knows what tomorrow has in store for us!
Day 8: The Local Beach
After a good night sleep in our new rooms, we decided to spend our first full day here at the beach where we could relax and enjoy the cool water.
The beach was full of locals. Apparently August is their vacation. (From school, work, ect.) So we didnt see very many tourists like ourselves. We payed for a spot on the beach and spent the next 5 hours swimming, sun tanning, and walking the beach.
Not much happened today, but it was nice to get a day of just being lazy.
We're not sure what we'll do tomorrow, but I'm sure we'll discuss ideas around tonights dinner that mom has prepared. Not pasta- Thank God!
The beach was full of locals. Apparently August is their vacation. (From school, work, ect.) So we didnt see very many tourists like ourselves. We payed for a spot on the beach and spent the next 5 hours swimming, sun tanning, and walking the beach.
Not much happened today, but it was nice to get a day of just being lazy.
We're not sure what we'll do tomorrow, but I'm sure we'll discuss ideas around tonights dinner that mom has prepared. Not pasta- Thank God!
Monday, August 1, 2011
Day 7: First Day Of The Nex 2 Weeks
Well, after a week of non stop walking and sight seeing (tourism up the ying yang) we were all thankful to be boarding the train to take us to our last stop on our vacation: Ponte Buggienese. I'm sure I spelled it wrong, and I'm sure I'll be corrected by mom later, but its not like it really matters anyways... you wouldnt be able to pronounce is right even if i spelled it right.
After 2 short (well, short compared to what we've gone through in the past week) train rides, we arrived in this small town outside of Florence, Italy and were quickly greeted by our new friends The Billi's. For who that dont know, our family did a home exchange with them. We basically switched homes for 2 weeks. They drove us to their home, our new apartment, showed us some little things around the house, and left us to take care of their home for the rest of our visit.
Afer they left, we had the wonderful pasta (of course) dinner they had left us. With full tummys, we un packed, claimed our rooms, and settled in. They left us a huge binder FILLED to the point of explosion of maps and information about the surrounding landmarks. We decided to take it easy tomorrow and relax after the full week of rushing around everywhere. So, tomorrow we will spend the day at the beach that is about 20 minutes from our house. Time to soak up the sun!
....i apologize for any miss spellings and such, I'm typing on their home computer which is italian based, so its a little more difficult to type on. Not to mention theres no spell check. Thanks for your patience :)
After 2 short (well, short compared to what we've gone through in the past week) train rides, we arrived in this small town outside of Florence, Italy and were quickly greeted by our new friends The Billi's. For who that dont know, our family did a home exchange with them. We basically switched homes for 2 weeks. They drove us to their home, our new apartment, showed us some little things around the house, and left us to take care of their home for the rest of our visit.
Afer they left, we had the wonderful pasta (of course) dinner they had left us. With full tummys, we un packed, claimed our rooms, and settled in. They left us a huge binder FILLED to the point of explosion of maps and information about the surrounding landmarks. We decided to take it easy tomorrow and relax after the full week of rushing around everywhere. So, tomorrow we will spend the day at the beach that is about 20 minutes from our house. Time to soak up the sun!
....i apologize for any miss spellings and such, I'm typing on their home computer which is italian based, so its a little more difficult to type on. Not to mention theres no spell check. Thanks for your patience :)
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Day 6: Lido Beach
What another beautiful day in our favorite place, Venice. Although we didnt have much planned for today, having nothing planned was one of the best plans we've had yet. After wandering around and several scoops of gelato, we finally decided to buy a 24 hour water taxi pass. We boarded the boat, and went miles down the shore line to the last island, Lido. Not sure what we would find, we were excited to see what awaited us.
After getting off the boat, we were shocked to see something we didnt think we would see for atleast another day... Cars. Apparently they were allowed on this island. We traveled to the other side where we were happy to find a beautiful beach. Picture perfect. There was only one problem: We didnt bring our swim suits. Luckly the italians think of everything. There were stores on the beach for swim suits. After purchasing them, we spent the rest of our day on the beach, soaking up the hot Italy sun!
For dinner, we decided to switch it up... we went to the only Chinese place in town. It was simply delicious. Especially after several meals of pasta. (Reece wants you all to know he tried super spicy sauce and "Almost died")
Our last full day of Italy was well spent. We're not looking forward to leaving this elegant puddle of decay tomorrow. But all good things come to an end sooner or later, right?
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Day 5: V-Town
Yet another wonderful day in Venice, Italy. We started our day with a lazy morning, interrupted with breakfast in bed. You'd be surprised to know that Italians dont eat much for breakfast. Ours consisted of a few small pastries and orange juice, then we were off on the sidewalks again. We didnt wanna waste a minute here.
As Rick Steve (the author of our tourist book) would say, we "soaked all day in this puddle of elegant decay." This statement couldnt be more true. We started our adventure by doing something that anyone should do when they come to Venice- Got lost. We wandered around aimlessly, looking for absolutely nothing but more beautiful buildings and waterways. After a BIG lunch at some small Italian restraunt (yes, we had pasta. How'd you know?) We walked back to our apartment for a siesta (a rest in the middle of the day that mexicans and italians call siesta) before our boat tour. Once we were all ready and refreshed, we walked to the dock located in the Grand Canal and boarded a ship with fellow Americans. Our tour guide brought us through the Canal, teaching us about the history behind Venice. Did you know Venice is made up of over 150 islands? Crazy, huh?
After our tour, we ate dinner at a magnificent pizzeria. The menu was italian, but we had pretty good basic food words in italian. After all, everything in Italy is pretty much made out of the same thing. So we ordered what we thought was basic pizza. To our surprise, we were brought a pizza with a sunny-side up egg in the middle. Yes, you read right... an egg. None of us saw that coming. It was even more of a surprise that we liked it and are planning on having it again some day.
Venice would be the most beautiful city in the world, if it wasnt for us annoying tourists" -Mom... 12 million tourists visit Venice a year.
As of right now, we're back at our apartment for another night. We're all really looking forward to another day in Venice. Tomorrow will consist of shopping, another tour, and a lot more wandering around. Goodnight Washington, we miss you!
As Rick Steve (the author of our tourist book) would say, we "soaked all day in this puddle of elegant decay." This statement couldnt be more true. We started our adventure by doing something that anyone should do when they come to Venice- Got lost. We wandered around aimlessly, looking for absolutely nothing but more beautiful buildings and waterways. After a BIG lunch at some small Italian restraunt (yes, we had pasta. How'd you know?) We walked back to our apartment for a siesta (a rest in the middle of the day that mexicans and italians call siesta) before our boat tour. Once we were all ready and refreshed, we walked to the dock located in the Grand Canal and boarded a ship with fellow Americans. Our tour guide brought us through the Canal, teaching us about the history behind Venice. Did you know Venice is made up of over 150 islands? Crazy, huh?
After our tour, we ate dinner at a magnificent pizzeria. The menu was italian, but we had pretty good basic food words in italian. After all, everything in Italy is pretty much made out of the same thing. So we ordered what we thought was basic pizza. To our surprise, we were brought a pizza with a sunny-side up egg in the middle. Yes, you read right... an egg. None of us saw that coming. It was even more of a surprise that we liked it and are planning on having it again some day.
Venice would be the most beautiful city in the world, if it wasnt for us annoying tourists" -Mom... 12 million tourists visit Venice a year.
As of right now, we're back at our apartment for another night. We're all really looking forward to another day in Venice. Tomorrow will consist of shopping, another tour, and a lot more wandering around. Goodnight Washington, we miss you!
Friday, July 29, 2011
Day 4: Goodbye Rome, Hello Venice!
As much as we'll miss Rome, there was no doubt in our minds that we werent going to simply adore Venice. We had done our reading and educating and were ready to board the 6 hour train ride to our new apartment in V-Town.
The train ride wasnt as bad as we first had thought it was going to be. The seats folded down into beds, which provided some extra sleep hours everyone needed. During the ride, though, I found out some very shocking news: Did you know Venice beach is in CALIFORNIA?! I had no idea! Who names a beach in California after a city in Italy? So when I asked my parents when we would be visiting Venice Beach, I got some very confused expressions for a while, then was laughed at for quite a while. Apparently I have a lot to learn still. I also found out that the bathrooms dont store the waste, so when you use the restroom everything is dumped onto the train tracks. After realizing this, my mom soon nick named our train "The Poo Poo Train." (Get it? It rhymes with chu chu)
After we departed our train, we walked out of the train station and saw our first glimpse of Venice. For a second, we stood there in shock. It was the most beautiful thing any of us have ever seen. The streets were paved with, not gold, but water. There was not one car is sight. To go where you needed to go, you went by boat. Everything was water, except for the narrow pieces of sidewalk between buildings. It was nothing any of us have seen before.
Our apartment is nice, the locals are sweet and welcoming, and so far the food is better then what we had in Rome. Although we had a wonderful time sight seeing in Rome, the streets are far more crowded and its way more stressful to get to where you needed to be. Some how, Venice had a more relaxed vibe. Less people, no car or motorcycle traffic to try to work around, and in my opinion, a lot more fun to look at. We have to admit though, there is a lot more to do in Rome then Venice.
After settling in, going out for dinner and gelato, we're ready for another good nights rest so we can explore the water streets of Venice tomorrow.
The train ride wasnt as bad as we first had thought it was going to be. The seats folded down into beds, which provided some extra sleep hours everyone needed. During the ride, though, I found out some very shocking news: Did you know Venice beach is in CALIFORNIA?! I had no idea! Who names a beach in California after a city in Italy? So when I asked my parents when we would be visiting Venice Beach, I got some very confused expressions for a while, then was laughed at for quite a while. Apparently I have a lot to learn still. I also found out that the bathrooms dont store the waste, so when you use the restroom everything is dumped onto the train tracks. After realizing this, my mom soon nick named our train "The Poo Poo Train." (Get it? It rhymes with chu chu)
After we departed our train, we walked out of the train station and saw our first glimpse of Venice. For a second, we stood there in shock. It was the most beautiful thing any of us have ever seen. The streets were paved with, not gold, but water. There was not one car is sight. To go where you needed to go, you went by boat. Everything was water, except for the narrow pieces of sidewalk between buildings. It was nothing any of us have seen before.
Our apartment is nice, the locals are sweet and welcoming, and so far the food is better then what we had in Rome. Although we had a wonderful time sight seeing in Rome, the streets are far more crowded and its way more stressful to get to where you needed to be. Some how, Venice had a more relaxed vibe. Less people, no car or motorcycle traffic to try to work around, and in my opinion, a lot more fun to look at. We have to admit though, there is a lot more to do in Rome then Venice.
After settling in, going out for dinner and gelato, we're ready for another good nights rest so we can explore the water streets of Venice tomorrow.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Day 3: Vatican + Galleria Borghese
Waking up in Rome is a feeling like no other. I think anyone that visits here can agree. Our third morning in Rome was a little more rushed then our previous two for one reason: We had scheduled appointments to attend to. Our first one? The Vatican.
Reserving our spot in the Vatican was one of the best decisions of the trip. Without one, you are forced to wait in a 3 mile long line outside of the Vatican wall in the scorching hot weather. Luckily, mom was smart enough to make our reservations in advance, thus letting us skip the line, and cut right in front of everyone. For those who dont know, the Vatican is a separate country apart from Rome. So once inside, we had to go through security not much different from those at the airport; handing over our back pack shortly after. After paying almost $100 to get inside, we enjoyed ancient Roman history and artifacts. We learned a lot about the Pope and the Catholic religion. The best part, though, was the Sistine Chapel. This is where the Pope is chosen when they need a new one. It is famous for its architecture and paintings. The ceiling was painted by Michelangelo and is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. After oooh'ing and ahhh'ing over the amazing "The Last Judgment" (the most famous painting in the Sistine Chapel) we exited, walked through hall after hall of more artwork, and left the Vatican after re-collecting our stuff.
After our trip to the Vatican, we walked to the nearest subway (which I almost fainted in- turns out I shouldnt be in crowded spaces under ground) so we could travel to our next destination: The Galleria Borghese, a famous museum. The general idea is this: Its a very old used-to-be house filled top to bottom with famous statues and paintings. Our favorite? Paolina. Look her up! A beautiful statue of a laying woman. She almost looked real. We would have never been able to see all the wonderful artwork if it wasnt for our wonderful mom, Tina. Its almost impossible to get into the Borghese without a reservation! Luckily we had one and got to enjoy the beauty of ancient Rome!
After we were sure we had seen enough statues to last a lifetime, we took a long walk home. When we arrived back at our little apartment and were ready to crash, the door wouldnt open. Irritation settled in quickly. We were all ready for some relaxation time. The door still wouldnt open. We eventually called the owner, and had to wait 30 minutes for him to arrive and open the door for us. By the time he got there and opened the door, we were ready to sleep for the rest of the day.
Tomorrow we leave early in the morning for a 6 hour train ride to Venice.
We'll miss Rome, but we're so excited to see whats in store for us in Venice.
Reserving our spot in the Vatican was one of the best decisions of the trip. Without one, you are forced to wait in a 3 mile long line outside of the Vatican wall in the scorching hot weather. Luckily, mom was smart enough to make our reservations in advance, thus letting us skip the line, and cut right in front of everyone. For those who dont know, the Vatican is a separate country apart from Rome. So once inside, we had to go through security not much different from those at the airport; handing over our back pack shortly after. After paying almost $100 to get inside, we enjoyed ancient Roman history and artifacts. We learned a lot about the Pope and the Catholic religion. The best part, though, was the Sistine Chapel. This is where the Pope is chosen when they need a new one. It is famous for its architecture and paintings. The ceiling was painted by Michelangelo and is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. After oooh'ing and ahhh'ing over the amazing "The Last Judgment" (the most famous painting in the Sistine Chapel) we exited, walked through hall after hall of more artwork, and left the Vatican after re-collecting our stuff.
After our trip to the Vatican, we walked to the nearest subway (which I almost fainted in- turns out I shouldnt be in crowded spaces under ground) so we could travel to our next destination: The Galleria Borghese, a famous museum. The general idea is this: Its a very old used-to-be house filled top to bottom with famous statues and paintings. Our favorite? Paolina. Look her up! A beautiful statue of a laying woman. She almost looked real. We would have never been able to see all the wonderful artwork if it wasnt for our wonderful mom, Tina. Its almost impossible to get into the Borghese without a reservation! Luckily we had one and got to enjoy the beauty of ancient Rome!
After we were sure we had seen enough statues to last a lifetime, we took a long walk home. When we arrived back at our little apartment and were ready to crash, the door wouldnt open. Irritation settled in quickly. We were all ready for some relaxation time. The door still wouldnt open. We eventually called the owner, and had to wait 30 minutes for him to arrive and open the door for us. By the time he got there and opened the door, we were ready to sleep for the rest of the day.
Tomorrow we leave early in the morning for a 6 hour train ride to Venice.
We'll miss Rome, but we're so excited to see whats in store for us in Venice.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Day 2: Colosseum
After a much needed night of sleep, we woke up to the sound of what sounded like laughing birds. The sun was shining, there wasnt a cloud in the sky, and we were all ready to hot the streets of Rome once again. We got dressed, ate some breakfast, and were on our way once again.
We had thought we left our room around 11am, but when we finally found out what time it actually was, we were shocked. It was 8:40 am. Which means we had woken up around 6am. We had a lot more time on our hands then we had originally thought. Taking our time, we crissed crossed our way through the narrow streets until we finally found what we were looking for... The Colosseum.
Even bigger in person then it is in pictures, we were surprised at all the history that goes behind it. For example, did you know that everyone accused Cesar Nero for starting the fire that destroyed a lot of the Colosseum? We learned how/when it was made, why it was made, and what it was used for until it became destroyed because of the fire and natural disasters. Today, 2/3 of the original Colosseum exist. We traveled completely around the 2/3 and took some amazing pictures. We will never forget the beauty of this historic landmark.
We visited the Roman forum shortly after. Exhausted, we wove our way through human traffic and ruins; learning along the way.
Time to prepare for day 3! Vatican, here we come!
We had thought we left our room around 11am, but when we finally found out what time it actually was, we were shocked. It was 8:40 am. Which means we had woken up around 6am. We had a lot more time on our hands then we had originally thought. Taking our time, we crissed crossed our way through the narrow streets until we finally found what we were looking for... The Colosseum.
Even bigger in person then it is in pictures, we were surprised at all the history that goes behind it. For example, did you know that everyone accused Cesar Nero for starting the fire that destroyed a lot of the Colosseum? We learned how/when it was made, why it was made, and what it was used for until it became destroyed because of the fire and natural disasters. Today, 2/3 of the original Colosseum exist. We traveled completely around the 2/3 and took some amazing pictures. We will never forget the beauty of this historic landmark.
We visited the Roman forum shortly after. Exhausted, we wove our way through human traffic and ruins; learning along the way.
Time to prepare for day 3! Vatican, here we come!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Day 1: Rome
Months and months of preparing, packing, stressing, and planning have finally come to its product; the trip of our lives. 3 weeks in Italy. What more could we ask for? This is sure to be a trip we'll never forget.
The plane rides was, well, exhausting to say the least. Flying standby causes a lot of unneeded stress for the whole family. Eventually we found our way to Detroit after 2 flights. Having plenty of time until our final flight to Italy gave us time to re-cooperate, so we checked into the nearest hotel and allowed ourselves a nice long nap. After, we drug ourselves back to the airport for one last flight... we were not looking forward to the 10 long hours to our final destination. But, we were pleasantly surprised to get first class, making the trip so much more tolerable.
After landing in Rome, we ventured to our hotel; a cute little apartment type building in the middle of town. We settled in, got dressed in something a little more appropriate for the hot weather, and took an adventure out in the streets of Rome. We soon found out that not only are the streets thin and narrow, so are the sidewalks which are ALWAYS filled with human traffic. The weather was just perfect, and so was our dinner we enjoyed at a small restraunt we discovered down a small hidden street. With our dinner, we listened to live authentic Italian music. After walking out our dinner, collecting more information about Rome, and sweating like crazy, we're finally back at home after a long day.
We're all looking forward to yet another day in our new favorite city, Rome, tomorrow. I see a lot of soar feet in our future.
-Lacey. :)
The plane rides was, well, exhausting to say the least. Flying standby causes a lot of unneeded stress for the whole family. Eventually we found our way to Detroit after 2 flights. Having plenty of time until our final flight to Italy gave us time to re-cooperate, so we checked into the nearest hotel and allowed ourselves a nice long nap. After, we drug ourselves back to the airport for one last flight... we were not looking forward to the 10 long hours to our final destination. But, we were pleasantly surprised to get first class, making the trip so much more tolerable.
After landing in Rome, we ventured to our hotel; a cute little apartment type building in the middle of town. We settled in, got dressed in something a little more appropriate for the hot weather, and took an adventure out in the streets of Rome. We soon found out that not only are the streets thin and narrow, so are the sidewalks which are ALWAYS filled with human traffic. The weather was just perfect, and so was our dinner we enjoyed at a small restraunt we discovered down a small hidden street. With our dinner, we listened to live authentic Italian music. After walking out our dinner, collecting more information about Rome, and sweating like crazy, we're finally back at home after a long day.
We're all looking forward to yet another day in our new favorite city, Rome, tomorrow. I see a lot of soar feet in our future.
-Lacey. :)
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