Lake Como

Verona and Lugano

Sienna-Travel to Venice

Assisi

Coming Home

Okay, so the organization of this blog has become non-existent, but oh well.  There will be time to clean it up later.  I am sitting in the airport in Rome waiting to board our flight.  We are leaving here an hour later than scheduled, but had a four hour lay-over in Atlanta so we should be fine.  I am going to add a bit that I wrote about Florence to this post.  I know I have missed a few days in between, but that will have to come later.

April 27, 2010

Full Day in Florence

This morning we headed into Florence to see something I have been dreaming about since college. Michelangelo's David. I took a lot of Art History classes at UCSB and that is really when my desire to come to Italy began. The first few days of this trip in Rome I got to see so many of the things that first inspired me. But I had to wait until today to see David. But oh was it worth the wait!

We met a local guide at the Academia museum. I was disappointed to find out we were not allowed to take pictures, but it allowed me more time to just stare. The statue of David is over 17 feet tall. He is at the end of a room that also has some unfinished works by Michelangelo. These are blocks of marble with partial statues working their way out of them. When I turned the corner and first saw the statue my breath was taken away. The size of the statue is amazing. The longer I looked at him the more real he seemed. It seemed that at any moment he would turn his head and look me right in the eyes. As I stared it began to seem as if I could see his chest rise and fall with his breathing. The detail in that statue is amazing! His fingernails and the veins in his hands all seem so real.

I am intrigued to learn more about Michelangelo because he is one of the few artists who carved statues without making a model out of plaster first or using a live model. He was a true genius who could see the statue inside the block of marble and somehow remove the marble that didn't belong. He carved the David when he was 27 years old in only 18 months. Amazing!

After the museum the local guide walked us around Florence. It was not as crowded or busy as Milan, but it definitely had a big city feel to it. When I wandered around on my own later I found what must have been the area where a lot of the students live. There were a ton of English speaking college age kids around. I thought a lot of Nicole, who must have walked the same areas with her friends when she lived there during college.

Once the tour with the local guide was over Heidi showed us a gold and leather shop. Those are the things Florence is most famous for. The person giving the demonstration in the gold shop started talking and I was surprised by the sound of her voice. She was clearly American, but I was startled to find that her voice sounded familiar, but very odd, to my ears. I know everyone thought I would come home speaking like an Italian. It turns out however, that I am instead coming home with the sounds of my Australian tour mates and Heidi's Belgian accent rattling around in my brain.

Full Day in Venice

Sorry it has been so long since I posted folks.  And now it is getting disorganized, but I thought I would put out what I had.  I am currently in the Tuscan hills.  Gorgeous!  Will try to update as I can!  I am going to enjoy the last few days.

April 23, 2010

Full Day in Venice

Weather this day was a bit questionable. It looked as though it might rain. I was a little bummed about that because we were asked not to bring a backpack. It turns out that if you want to go into St. Mark's cathedral you cannot bring a back pack. A huge purse, sure, but a back pack no. So, the only day I might have to use an umbrella was also the day I wasn't able to bring the back pack. Luckily I have the smallest travel umbrella around and it fit in my pocket pretty well. I also had to deal with carrying the camera around my neck the whole day. I am going to have the strongest neck muscles from lugging that thing around Italy!

The first thing we did that morning was to see a demonstration of glass blowing. It was pretty amazing to see the guy create something beautiful out of a glowing blob of glass. He made a vase first, but the amazing thing was the horse he created. It was crazy to see how he pulled the legs and really created something out of nothing. It looked so delicate and intricate.

After the demonstration we took a 45 minute boat ride around the islands to the island of Burano. It was during this ride that I really started to understand the structure of Venice. Venice is not a natural island. It is built on top of wooden logs put into the water. On our ride we got to see a new island under construction. They put all the logs into the water, then fill in with sand. It was pretty amazing to think of that whole island sitting on top of that structure.

The island of Burano is one that most people have seen pictures of. If you have been in my classroom you have most definitely seen an image of it because one of the puzzles on the wall is from Burano. The island also has houses that are very brightly colored in pinks, blues and purples with canals running through it. It is an adorable little town. I walked all over trying to find the exact spot of the puzzle in my classroom. I got one that I think is close, but will have to see when I get back. Our purpose on Burano was a seafood lunch. This lunch was in the Italian style, with course, after course, after course. We started the meal with a snapper pate. I will admit that I was a little nervous about the looks of some of the things we were served, but man, everything was delicious. This pate was great on a roll shaped like a seashell. Our second course was a seafood lasagna. It was very rich, and absolutely delicious. A third course included risotto, again with seafood. I can't remember if it was calamari or clams. We were also served fried calamari and shrimp. I generally don't like fried calamari because it is too tough. This, however, was fantastic! Next we got a green salad with tomatoes and a piece of grilled fish. By this time we were all crying mercy. It was so much food. All the time we were eating we were also given an unlimited supply of rose or white wine. It was very good as well. We ended the meal with a dessert of almond brittle and little cookies. The coffee was a must if we had any hope of staying awake for the rest of the day.

Back on Venice proper we were scheduled to have a tour with a local guide. It was really thinking about raining so it was nice that our tour was inside St. Mark's cathedral and the Doge's palace. St. Mark's cathedral was really amazing inside. There were mosaics with gold all over the ceiling. Next we went to the Doge's palace. I have to be honest, this was just not my thing. There were many beautiful paintings, but I wasn't very interested. I think part of the problem was the huge lunch combined with the mid-trip lull in energy.

After the tour we had some time to wander the streets of Venice. Unfortunately it had started raining lightly and I was exhausted. I made a quick stop in the Ferrari store (just for Mark!) and then found a bar to sit and have a cappuccino. I sat for a while when I overheard someone talking about the Rialto bridge. I realized that I hadn't been there yet. As much as my legs didn't want to get up, I couldn't pass up the chance to see it during the daylight. The neat thing about Venice is that you don't really have to know how to get where you are going. As long as you know the general direction you can get to the Rialto bridge or Piazza San Marco, St. Mark's square. All you have to do is follow the signs posted on the corners of the buildings every few blocks. I am glad I decided to walk to the Rialto bridge. It is pretty amazing and has some great views of the canals. There are a lot of little shops lining both sides of the bridge.

By the end of this day I was exhausted! My legs actually got close to as tired as I remember feeling during the marathon. Not only did I walk a lot, but there were a lot of stairs on all the bridges to deal with. I am very glad to have experienced Venice, I just wish we had more time to have done it at a slower pace.

Venice in the rain.

Today was an incredibly full day.  I am very exhausted and I don't want to short change Venice.  For now I will say that it was very beautiful and I really enjoyed my time there.  Even the slight rain in the afternoon did not take away from the experience.  If anything it added to it.  We have a bus ride tomorrow where I will attempt to catch up with my daily descriptions.

We stop in Verona, the setting for Romeo and Juliet.  We will be seeing "Juliet's house and balcony".  Then we are going into Lugano, Switzerland.  There is a chance of rain tomorrow, which would limit our views of the Alps, so keep your fingers crossed.

More later!  
Update:

First Night in Venice April 22, 2010

We went into Venice proper to take a gondola ride in the evening. We went six people to a gondola, through one of the smaller canals. The sun was just setting as we started, so we had the light of dusk during our ride. Each boat got its own bottle of prosecco, which is the Italian champagne. It was very fun to be floating along the canals of Venice. It was one of those moments where I had to remind myself that it was really happening to me.

We got off the gondola and walked through the winding streets of Venice towards il Piazza di San Marco (St. Mark's square). When we got to the square there were not too many people. It was pretty amazing to see the bell tower and St. Mark's cathedral. I have stayed in the Venitian in Las Vegas...it is nice, but it does not even come close to the real thing.

At that point we had time to walk around the canals. I went off on my own to explore. It was absolutely amazing. I loved the maze of streets with boats parked in the canals. It was quiet, with the lights of the town sparkling around. I was really moved by that experience. I couldn't believe I was really there.

We met the group back at St. Mark's square. We took a water taxi, a bigger boat, on the Grand Canal to get back to the coach. There was one area that was really lit up. It turns out that they are filming a movie with Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp. Sadly, they were not one of the hidden attractions on the tour. On the Grand Canal we also saw the Rialto Bridge. The whole evening was everything I have ever imagined Venice to be, only more. It was fantastic!

Venice here I come

We have just arrived at our hotel outside of Venice.  This hotel room is probably the nicest yet.  Yesterday's in Assisi was tiny and had a very European shower.  The whole floor of the bathroom was the shower.  It just had a drain in the floor.  Very interesting to navigate.  While on the subject of bathrooms.  Everyone warned me so much about the bathrooms in Europe...you have to pay, they don't have toilet paper, they won't be clean.  I have not had that experience at all.  One thing I have noticed is that they have many different ways to flush a toilet.  Some have a big push button on a wall.  Only one has had a handle like ours at home.  Many have the tanks posted high on the wall above the toilet.  Weird, I know, but just an observation.

We will be in this hotel for two nights.  This evening after dinner we are going into Venice for a gondola ride, a visit to St. Mark's square.  I am so excited to see Venice.  I have been looking forward to it for a long time.

I will try to post more after tomorrow's excursions.  While I have a connection I must add...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ETHAN!!!!  I love you.

Pompeii

Wednesday April 21, 2010

This morning we went to see the ancient ruins of Pompeii. That was an amazing sight. In 79 AD Mt. Vesuvius erupted. I always imagined that the lava was what destroyed the city, but it is really 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) away from the volcano. The thing that was so damaging was all the volcanic ash. It was rather ironic to be hearing about the damage caused by volcanic ash given the situation with the volcano in Iceland right now. The ash from Vesuvius really changed things there, including changing the shape of the coastline.

Pompeii was really interesting because we were able to see the buildings and lifestyle of people from so long ago. It is amazing how much has been preserved. We saw the equivalent of a fast food restaurant, which had pots of soup for sale along the streets. We saw the home of one of the wealthier citizens which had beautiful frescoes painted on the wall. It is amazing that they were painted so long ago and we can still see them today. One of the things that has amazed me the most is the age and the size of things here in Italy. Richard and I were commenting that it is unbelievable that they were able to make such amazing things, all without the use of the modern tools we have available. And yet, I doubt people 2000 years from now will be coming on tours to see the ruins of John Burroughs High School. What are the chances that it will still be standing then?

The forum at Pompeii, the meeting place, was beautiful as well. There were quite a few columns still standing from the original temples. There was also a two story colonnade that surrounded the entire area. The columns on the bottom row were Doric, and the top Ionic. (Do any of my students remember what that means?)

I have to admit I have always been skeptical of being one of those tourists in a big group. However, this experience has changed my mind. Both here and in Rome we used an audio system that gave me the freedom to wander a bit and get some great pictures, but to still hear the commentary from the guide. I really like hearing the details and the stories that you would definitely miss if you did the tour on your own.

I also have to mention that I have been really impressed with the timing on our tour. We have managed to visit most of the sites when there were not too many other tours. We were the first group to arrive today and walked through the site without seeing too many other tourists. By the time we left there were many more groups arriving. I know that has been due to the planning of our wonderful tour director, Heidi!

The Island of Capri

Tuesday April 20, 2010

This morning we took an optional excursion to the island of Capri. We took our big coach back to the area of the woodworking factory. We took smaller buses down to the harbor, Marina Grande, where we met our local guide Dario. The boat ride to Capri was wonderful. I love being on the water. Daniel and I stood upstairs on the outer deck at the back of the boat. We had great views of the mainland as we left, and a great view of the harbor at Capri as well.

Once we got onto the island we took even smaller buses on a road called Mama Mia. It gets its name from the narrow , winding, steepness of the road and the speed at which the people drive. I ended up sitting backwards, which worked out really well. I was able to get pictures out of both sides of the bus, and I avoided the anxiety the others had at seeing other buses and cars zooming towards us, sometimes only 1-2 inches away. It was a beautiful view and I enjoyed the ride very much!

We took the buses to the highest city of the island, Anacapri. On Anacapri we had the chance to ride a chair lift to the highest point on the mountain. Daniel and I decided to give it a try. I am so glad we did. It was beautiful up there. We could see Mt. Vesuvius and the blue water all around the island. It was definitely quite a drop down to the water.

We spent some more time that afternoon exploring the shops of the island. We had a beautiful lunch in the lower town of Capri.

We took the boat back to the mainland into Sorrento. We had some more free time to explore or shop. Those of you that know me know how I feel about shopping, so when Daniel decided to sit in a bar and relax instead I was all for it. Daniel, Richard and I found a bar/cafe a little removed from the main road. Our waiter was the quintessential Italian waiter. He had the slicked back hair, side burns, and the little mustache. He was very funny and like all of the waiters we have encountered he was very friendly and very nice.

We spent that evening at the hotel. We went up to the seventh floor bar and watched the sun setting over the Bay of Naples. Mt. Vesuvius really showed itself that evening. One more time I had to remind myself that I really was in Italy. It was a day filled with beauty. I really loved being so close to the water.

Rome to Sorrento

April 19th, 2010 Monday

I finally found the first thing I don't like about this trip, not that I have been looking for something not to like, but...packing the suitcase every other day is a real pain!

This morning we left Rome, and headed south towards the Bay of Naples. Along the way we got a treat. We stopped in a small town called Cassino, which happens to be the home of our lovely tour director, Heidi. She rocks by the way! We went to a cemetery for soldiers from the Commonwealth, who died during WWII. This area had Germans soldiers who were stationed at the top of the hill near an Abbey, which we learned has been destroyed and rebuilt several times. The last time was when the Americans bombed the area on top of the mountains to get to the Nazis. The area down below, which is the part we visited, was filled with people from all over Europe. They were being watched very carefully by the Germans up above. The memorial was very beautiful, with lots of soldiers from the UK, India, and Canada.

In Cassino I got to use my first foreign ATM. I made a mistake and pushed the button for Italian instead of English, but I figured it out. There are not too many buttons you have to get through to get your money out! I was surprised when the ATM gave out $50 Euro bills. I am so use to only getting $20 bills in America.

From Cassino we went to the Bay of Naples. We are staying in Castelemarre, but we went straight to Sorrento. We saw a demonstration in a wood working factory. They made beautiful things there. Just across the street from there I had what I feel was my first real Italian interaction. We couldn't find too many options to eat, but we found a small shop. (Think Otto's for those of you in Burbank.) The lady in the shop spoke very little English, we spoke very little Italian, but we managed to get out of there with some very delicious sandwiches. It was very wonderful to interact with her, and work through the language barrier. And it was probably the most delicious ham sandwich I have ever had. (Prosciutto and mozzarella)

After lunch we headed for an optional excursion to Positano. We drove in small buses along the Amalfi Coast. It was beautiful. The small beach town of Positano reminded me of a mix between Carpinteria and Santa Barbara. It was small like Carpinteria, but the shops were nicer, like in Santa Barbara. I wandered down past the shops to the beach. It was beautiful. When I walked back up I met Daniel and Richard in a cafe for some gelato. Have I mentioned how much I am loving the nocciola? YUM!!!

The drive back was just as beautiful and we really enjoyed ourselves. Again we found our group laughing a lot, though I can't even remember about what. I have laughed more in the last few days than I have in a while. It has been a real treat to travel with this part of my family.

That night we had our first included meal at the hotel. It was very good. We ordered some wine to enjoy with dinner. Dinner was pasta, salad, and fish. It was a sole fillet, (who knew that would become my new favorite!) that was breaded. It was very light and delicious. After dinner we went to the seventh floor bar which over looks the Bay of Naples. We enjoyed a local favorite, limoncello. Heidi shared with us her recipe for making it at home. I will be on a mission to give it a try when I return!

It was a very nice day. It was much more relaxed than the previous day in Rome. It really felt like a day of vacation instead of a tour!

Full Day in Rome

A Day of Rome, Sunday April 18^th

We started the morning early, wake up at 6:15, then down to breakfast by 7:00. Our continental breakfast at this hotel was better than I had expected based on what I read. We had eggs, although Suzanne wouldn't have touched them...slightly runny, bacon and other typical American continental breakfast type things. I have fallen in love with two things while here. The first, cappuccino, was available at our hotel in the morning. Yummmmy!

The first place we went this morning was St. Peter's Basilica. We met our local guide, Franca, who would be with us the rest of the day. I should note here that we have decided to take all the optional tours. We wouldn't have seen very much if we didn't take them, but it make for a very busy day. Seeing St. Peter's was pretty cool, just because of the history of the thing. I am a sucker for anything with columns, and well, that has a few. I love the contradiction of the Egyptian obelisk , (the tall pointy thing like the Washington Monument) in the middle of the Catholic church's most important place. One thing I have been blown away by in Rome, and this was no different, is the size of everything. Especially considering how long it took them to make such big buildings. Everything is HUGE!!! Walking inside the basilica was pretty amazing because of the size of the thing. I took pictures of statues of popes without knowing who they were! :) Since it was Sunday morning there was a mass going on. It was nice to hear the music and the language as we looked around. There were also some babies there getting baptized. Now that would be a story to be able to tell for the rest of your life!

After St. Peter's we went to the Colosseum. This tour was suppose to visit, but not go inside, the Colosseum. I was determined to find a way inside. Well, as will become the theme of the day, we were in luck. April 21^st is the anniversary of the founding of Rome. This week is a celebration week. So the entry to the Colosseum was free, which served us in two ways. One, it was free for us, but more importantly, the line moved quickly because no one had to pay, so we had time to go in. I split up from Claudia, Richard, Lynn and Daniel at this point. I wandered the Colosseum, taking pictures for almost an hour. It was amazing. I could totally picture where the marble seats would have been. After that experience anything else we do on this trip will just be icing on the cake. I was so happy!

After the Colosseum we went on our first optional to the Ancient Christian Rome. We went to see St. Paul's cathedral outside the walls and the Christian catacombs. Seeing the catacombs was pretty cool. Daniel and I noticed how short the spaces were where they had removed the bodies. The guide told us that in those days if you were 5 ft. tall, you were very tall.

After the catacombs we went on an optional walking tour of Rome. At this time we were all starting to drag, but the walk was worth it. We saw a ton!! The whole time we were with a local guide who used a headphone system. There we were, in a big group, with our blue earphones hanging out of one ear, following the red scarf up ahead. Classic tourist. If we weren't seeing all we were seeing I might have been appalled! We saw the Spanish Steps, well, I can only believe that they were the Spanish Steps. What I saw were a ton of people sitting. I can only imagine that there were steps beneath them. There were a ridiculous amount of people there. If the Colosseum had crawled with that many people I might have cried. Here it was comical. Next we went to the Trevi Fountain. It was pretty amazing. Huge! I threw in my coin and found the other new love there. Gelato! The local guide recommended a flavor for me. Nocciola, hazelnut. I combined it with chocolate. It was heaven. We continued on our walk, saw lots of things. The other highlight for me was the Pantheon. Again the tour advertises that we visit, not go into, the Pantheon. We got to go in. I got more chills walking into that temple than I did at the Vatican. I studied that temple pretty extensively in college and knew most of what the guide was telling us. It was amazing to stand inside and look up at the huge hole in the ceiling. Of course, all the original art work has been replaced with Christian ones, but the structure of the building is there, and blew me away!

By this time in the tour we were exhausted. We ended our day in the piazza Navona. We had an amazing dinner at a restaurant on the square. We ate outside in the beautiful weather. The five of us shared a bottle of wine, and laughed so much. I knew I would enjoy this trip with this group, but I had no idea how much fun we would have together. We have laughed so much and this dinner was the perfect example of that!

After dinner we were off to our hotel to pack up for our next days journey down to Sorrento.

Italy as I always dreamed it would be!

Tonight was it. That moment I have been dreaming about for so long. I literally had my breath taken away. The size of some of the buildings, along with the age is mind boggling!

We decided to go on the optional pizza party dinner tonight. It included a few sight seeing things, and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to finally see some of Rome. I was not disappointed. Ancient ruins, tiny Smart cars, it was quite a mixture. We saw the area where "Ben Hur" supposedly took place, Capitoline Hill, the Tiber river, the ruins of some ancient baths,a view of the Forum from Capitoline Hill, and the Colosseum at night. Man that was amazing! We ate dinner at this amazing little pizza place right across the street from the Colosseum. If I leaned over in my chair I could see the arches of the Colosseum as I ate my pasta, pizza and drank some Italian red wine!  
Fantastico!!!

In Italia!!

It is truly still hard to believe that I am in Italy.  I am sitting in the lobby of a hotel that would not seem out of place in America.  The exception is that the banter of the people behind the counter is definitely not English.

We arrived at the hotel around 12:00 pm.  We had to wait for a while for our rooms to be ready.  We caught quite a shock when we walked into the lobby to find it packed with people.  Come to find out they were at the end of their journey, trying to get home to the north, and stranded.  Apparently all the rental car companies will be in good business for a while!  It is interesting to see the effects of the volcano, even though it has not yet affected us directly.

The flight:  WOW!  That is a really long time.  We left the house about 3:15 am.  Things went pretty smoothly at the airport.  Claudia had to talk to a real person to check in as the computer check in didn't work for her.  It took a little longer, but was no big deal.  Laura was at the airport when we got to Atlanta.  Claudia and Lynn went out of security to see them for a few minutes.  Our flight was re-routed slightly due to the volcano, so the 9 hour 30 min. flight ended up taking over 10.  I was able to sleep some, and watched some movies.

My first impression so far.  I could be anywhere right now.  I have not seen, felt, or experienced anything distinctly Italian yet.  We meet with our tour director in 15 minutes, then we head into Rome proper.  I am sure I will have lots more pictures and more to say the next time!

The adventure begins...

Getting Ready!

I

I can't believe it is almost time to go.  Two more days!  I think I have everything ready to pack.  It has been quite an adventure just getting ready for this trip.  This is my first time to Europe, first time on such a long trip.  There are a lot of things to think about, but foremost is...don't take too much extra stuff!  I think I have done well with packing.  I guess I won't really know until I get there and get started on the trip!
 
Is it time yet???

Downtown Los Angeles

Today I decided to practice being a tourist.  Downtown L.A. served as my backdrop.  I took the Red Line to Civic Center.  I took my first ever ride up Angel's Flight, and wandered around with the eyes of a tourist.  It is funny to have grown up in a place, and for there to be so many things I have never seen.

In two weeks I will get to be tourist in Italy.  I can't believe it is almost here.  I got my travel documents from Trafalgar the other day.  It is all feeling very official!