Waking up in Rome was a grand experience as has been ever other morning in Italy. Pushing the window open, we allowed the city sounds to pour into our room filling it like water filling a glass. We had three major objectives for this day, The Colosseum, the Forum and St. Peter's Square. (You know, the Pope's front yard) We held a cab and set off to meet the Russell and Krystal at the Hilton, our base for the day. As we pulled along the Vatican City walls we noticed the line for the museum already stretching around the city wall. We redirected our cab to the end of the line and joined the other thousand or so people waiting to see the vast collection of art that lay with in the Roman Catholic Church museum.
The line moved quickly and we quickly figured out that we were trapped in a one directional flow that would eventually take us to the Sistine Chapel. I again can not do justice to all the things we took in wall inside Vatican City. The beauty of it all and the history made Kimbra and I simply shake our heads. We wondered through the exhibits wondering again how we could possibly convey the beauty of actually seeing the work by Michelangelo. We sit and listened to a Rick Steves podcast on the history of the room and watched as guards yelled at the visitors to be silent and to put their cameras away. NO PICTURES! SILENT! SHUSSSSH! I think Russell may have snapped a couple of photo's, but don't tell the guards!
We made our way to St. Peter's Basilica. Not being Catholic did not stop Kimbra and I feeling overwhelmed by the reverence of this majestic church. Signs of the impending Easter service were everywhere. Tourist stood in line to visit the confessionals, in their own language, and passed by Pope's laid to rest. I have read several books over the years that refer to this place and yet until I saw with my own eyes I did not appreciate the beauty and grandeur of this Holy site. If the pro's could not fully describe its splendor, I don't think this armature blog will come close either.
Not wanting to leave, but feeling the evil hand of time pressing upon us we made our way out to a tour bus that delivered us back to the Colosseum. This time we were able to fight our way inside. I say fight because, you guessed it, their was a line. We could have jumped the line by paying 60€ per couple but we didn't feel like 20 minutes would make that much of a difference.
Once we were inside the gates we used another Rick Steves podcast to fill in the story of this ancient sporting arena. We worked our way from the bottom up and imagined what it must have been like to push through the crowds to see the brutal sporting events taking place inside.
We shuffled from vantage point to vantage point like a well choreographed dance line connected by a single white ear bud tethering us all to the Ipod. I would highly recommend the Rick Steves Audio podcast while traveling. While we could have seen the sites with out the back story the experience would not have come to life in such a vivid manner. After completing our tour we headed to the Forum.
Once again we found ourselves being pushed by the hour of the day rather than our own willingness to move on. Once outside the gate we grabbed a cab the back side of the Forum only to find out that it was an exit and the entry point was down the hill right were we had just left. So we paid a cabby 4€ to take us to the entrance (so we thought) that was a 15 minute walk from the real entry gate. Normally that might have been funny, but we had 12 minutes before they closed the gates. So like track stars we began the sprint towards the park's entry point, arriving just before the gates were rolled shut. Nothing like running down a hill dodging other tourist and locals wondering what the rush is all about. Once inside, we only had an hour to take in this historic site. We strolled along paths that had once been walked by the most important people in Roman history. Now, I don't know about most people, but to me that was cool! We even got to see where Ceasar was murdered.("Et tu, Brute?")
We were sitting on some ancient steps listening to Kimbra reading about the history from her handy dandy Rick Steves book when the whistle blew signalling our need to exist. We gathered our stuff, having taken some great shots and wondering once again how do we explain the coolness of this trip to our friends and family. We still could not answer that question.
We walked down from the Forum an decided we should give the Roman Subway a ride since we had utilized every other means of public transportation on this trip. I can't say I was very impressed by the train although it did get us where we were going we felt like sardines in a can heading into an unknown world. Its hard getting on a train bound for somewhere, but not knowing where that somewhere is or how long it is going to take to get there. But, hey we were in Rome, and like Russell keeps saying, "When in Rome ..."
It turned out to be a great adventure, but not one I think I will want to repeat. We did manage to get to the Hilton shuttle and back to the hotel to pick up our luggage and back to the bus station with about 5 minutes to spare before the bus returned back to Sienna. What a rush, train, subway, bus, tour bus, cabs, we did it all in Rome. I would highly recommend this adventure, and I would even agree to be your personal tour guide.
That is the story of Rome. Bye for now. Make it a great day.
Dave
Friday, March 21, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Waking Up in Italy - A Flash Back to Venice
As I was resting last night, I realized I had not posted information about our time in Venice. So I will take you there with this post.
Kimbra and I arrived in Venice a little after midnight on Friday. We made our way to San Marco Square via the Vaporetto(Venice's version of public transportation). As we walked on to the plaza, Kimbra and I were awe struck. Tired and weary we were both still carrying grins like small children walking through the gates of Disney World for the first time. At this hour the square was all but deserted. Various couples strolled around hand in hand, but it was still and peaceful. We made a quick search for our hotel hoping they would be able to tell us of a late night cafe, but the gentleman checking us in for the night gave us a very little hope of finding dinner at this hour. He did however give us a little hope about our luggage as the airlines had called and requested we return their call in the morning.
We dropped our carry-on bag in the room and decided to head out into the darkened city in search of food. As we navigated around the city side walks we happened upon a restaurant just as they were closing. We talked the lady mopping into serving just one more meal, which turned out to be three more as two more couples followed us into the restaurant.
And so we ate our first Italian meal at an almost closed restaurant, served by a Chinese waiter. This is cool. We then made our way back to the hotel excited about the coming day in Venice, but we had no idea what the city had in store for us.
Our room was located on the first floor just above water level and was positioned at the intersection of two canals so that we had a window on two walls that looked out onto the streets of water.
The morning began with the sounds of the city coming to life. Shop keepers rolling up their gates and early morning delivery drivers chattering back and forth in Italian, their words echoing off the walls and water ways as they worked, and the water lapping against the buildings filled our room like an Italian Opera. This was waking up in Venice Italy. I would highly recommend it!
Venice, A City Built on Water
After getting ready, Kimbra and I took a few minutes to soak in the view our room provided. We waved as gondoliers cruised their boats and passengers by our window. It was fun being the subject in so many pictures of total strangers. After taking in the view we had breakfast in the lobby of Hotel Riva. It consisting of red orange juice, fresh bread, jam and freshly steamed hot chocolate. A great way to start the morning.
Upon leaving the hotel, Kimbra and I instantly fell in love with our surroundings. Tourist were already filling the square and the day was in full swing. It as a cultural mix unlike anything I have ever experienced. People from around the globe passing through the city sidewalks and passage ways. We visited St. Mark's Basilica which was built in the 11th century. The interior was filled with gold mosaics and colored marble. We paid 2 Euros to see the bones of St. Mark which have been housed on that site since 830 A.D.
After touring the church we roamed the city taking in all the beauty and wonder that is Venetian. We found afresh produce market and an even fresher fish market. They were cleaning on one side and selling on the other. We stopped briefly at an Internet cafe to check on our luggage and to blog previous day's adventures, paying 5 euros for 30 minutes on the web.
Our breakfast of bread could not hold our hunger off any longer so we looked for our next meal. What we found was a little restaurant called the Bora Bora Pizzari. We peaked through the glass door and saw only one open table and decided to take it. That proved to be a wise decision. The meal began with Lasagna, then fried calamari, and ice cream for desert. The room was no bigger than our dinning and breakfast rooms at home and the walls were decorated with pictures of people sun bathing on the beach, some with bathing suits and some with out! Kimbra and and I left Bora Bora stuffed and needing a break. An invitation by a Gondolier for a quiet tour of the central city made perfect sense. And so that is how we finished our time in Venice. Floating along narrow back channels getting an intimate view of the city. The city oozed romance and Kimbra and I soaked it in like a dry sponge.
Bye for now! We are off to Florence today. I hope to publish our time in Rome soon. Make it a great day!
Dave
Kimbra and I arrived in Venice a little after midnight on Friday. We made our way to San Marco Square via the Vaporetto(Venice's version of public transportation). As we walked on to the plaza, Kimbra and I were awe struck. Tired and weary we were both still carrying grins like small children walking through the gates of Disney World for the first time. At this hour the square was all but deserted. Various couples strolled around hand in hand, but it was still and peaceful. We made a quick search for our hotel hoping they would be able to tell us of a late night cafe, but the gentleman checking us in for the night gave us a very little hope of finding dinner at this hour. He did however give us a little hope about our luggage as the airlines had called and requested we return their call in the morning.
We dropped our carry-on bag in the room and decided to head out into the darkened city in search of food. As we navigated around the city side walks we happened upon a restaurant just as they were closing. We talked the lady mopping into serving just one more meal, which turned out to be three more as two more couples followed us into the restaurant.
And so we ate our first Italian meal at an almost closed restaurant, served by a Chinese waiter. This is cool. We then made our way back to the hotel excited about the coming day in Venice, but we had no idea what the city had in store for us.
Our room was located on the first floor just above water level and was positioned at the intersection of two canals so that we had a window on two walls that looked out onto the streets of water.
The morning began with the sounds of the city coming to life. Shop keepers rolling up their gates and early morning delivery drivers chattering back and forth in Italian, their words echoing off the walls and water ways as they worked, and the water lapping against the buildings filled our room like an Italian Opera. This was waking up in Venice Italy. I would highly recommend it!
Venice, A City Built on Water
After getting ready, Kimbra and I took a few minutes to soak in the view our room provided. We waved as gondoliers cruised their boats and passengers by our window. It was fun being the subject in so many pictures of total strangers. After taking in the view we had breakfast in the lobby of Hotel Riva. It consisting of red orange juice, fresh bread, jam and freshly steamed hot chocolate. A great way to start the morning.
Upon leaving the hotel, Kimbra and I instantly fell in love with our surroundings. Tourist were already filling the square and the day was in full swing. It as a cultural mix unlike anything I have ever experienced. People from around the globe passing through the city sidewalks and passage ways. We visited St. Mark's Basilica which was built in the 11th century. The interior was filled with gold mosaics and colored marble. We paid 2 Euros to see the bones of St. Mark which have been housed on that site since 830 A.D.
After touring the church we roamed the city taking in all the beauty and wonder that is Venetian. We found afresh produce market and an even fresher fish market. They were cleaning on one side and selling on the other. We stopped briefly at an Internet cafe to check on our luggage and to blog previous day's adventures, paying 5 euros for 30 minutes on the web.
Our breakfast of bread could not hold our hunger off any longer so we looked for our next meal. What we found was a little restaurant called the Bora Bora Pizzari. We peaked through the glass door and saw only one open table and decided to take it. That proved to be a wise decision. The meal began with Lasagna, then fried calamari, and ice cream for desert. The room was no bigger than our dinning and breakfast rooms at home and the walls were decorated with pictures of people sun bathing on the beach, some with bathing suits and some with out! Kimbra and and I left Bora Bora stuffed and needing a break. An invitation by a Gondolier for a quiet tour of the central city made perfect sense. And so that is how we finished our time in Venice. Floating along narrow back channels getting an intimate view of the city. The city oozed romance and Kimbra and I soaked it in like a dry sponge.
Bye for now! We are off to Florence today. I hope to publish our time in Rome soon. Make it a great day!
Dave
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Rome
Rome Pictures uploaded from the Hall's camera.
The morning began as we met with Manuela (Flavia's Mom). She took us to the bus stop to catch the bus to Rome. Manuela guided us to a parking lot with a small bus stop more like a city bus stop than the regional bus station I had envisioned. She told us to just sit under the tiny awning and wait for a bus and ask the driver if it was going to Rome. Our ticket said 9:00 a.m.,but it was well after 9:30 before a bus came that was headed to Rome. As we sit watching morning commuters catch their city bus we wondered if we had some how misunderstood the directions given in mostly Italian. However a nice charter bus finally arrived and the drive answered "si" when asked if he was headed to Rome.
If you are from the United States a bus ride conjures up a mental picture of a musty Grey Hound filled with people of questionable character. But when we climbed aboard for journey to the place where civilization was born I was amazed by our fellow travelers. Many looked as if they were headed to an important business meeting in Rome. We found our seats and roared out of Sienna.
Once in Rome we grab a cab from the bus station, but before leaving we snapped a picture of the station name so we could show a cab drive if we needed. The ride to the hotel was a little nerve racking as the cabbie kept consulting his pocket street index and map while we navigated our way through the maze of buildings and monuments that is know as the city of Rome. At one point the the cab turned down a street with barely enough room to open the doors on our cab. Our hotel was on the corner. I give our cab drive an A+++ for finding the door. No big neon sign or flags welcoming visitors, in fact the I began walking to the wrong door and the drive honked his horn and pointed me in the right direction.
The room was on the 2nd level and had a window that allowed Kimbra and I soak up the sounds and smells of this ancient city. We dropped our bags and headed off into the Italian concrete jungle. First on our hit list was the Pantheon, which stands for "Temple of all the God's". This majestic building is the oldest standing domed structure in Rome being built some time in the 7th century. The area outside was filled with tourist and street vendors doing a type of dance that was both uneasy and fascinating at the same time. Once inside we all stood in amazement as we gazed up at the incredible dome. I pulled out my ipod and found the Rick Steves audio tour I down loaded and handed an ear bud to our everyone in our party. It must have looked a little funny for Americans connected by a little white wire moving in sync around the crowed room.
But, we didn't mind as we were getting the history of the building and the artwork inside.
After completing the tour we moved onto our next target, Trevi Fountain. The Trevi Fountain is the largest — standing 25.9 meters (85 feet) high and 19.8 meters (65 feet) wide — and most ambitious of the Baroque fountains of Rome. It is located in the rione of Trevi. Navigating the confusing streets and alleyways of the Rome was half the adventure in visiting this great city. As we neared our destination we could hear the roar of water and of the crowds. We were not disappointed. The fountain spread out before us and as we thought about the meaning of its existence, we were again in awe.
Looking at our watch, we headed off to find the Colosseum. We needed to get to their by 16:30 and had just enough time to make it. While walking up to the massive elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire, we could not keep from taking pictures. We arrived at the gates has they were pulling them shut, 16:32. One picture too many!
We walked over to the Forum hoping to get in the gate before closing, but had little luck their as well. Rick Steves, our little guide book, said we had until 18:00 but he was wrong or we read it wrong. Either way we were denied admission. At this point we hopped on one of the sightseeing buses and rode around for a while getting off at Campo De Fiori.
We found a restaurant and took our seats. Eating two hours earlier than everyone else has its privileges. I now know why senior citizens eat at 4:30 p.m. The restaurant was empty and we had the full attention of the waiter. Krystal took the opportunity to take a picture of the cook. We could watch him at work through an open window and thought it would make for a great picture. This lead to a personal visit from the head chef. He wants us to send copies of the picture back to him. My limited creative writing abilities keeps me from fully describing the atmosphere of the evening.
3 bottles of vino and lots of food later we headed back to our hotel. We were hopping to blog on the laptop that Russell and Krystal brought, but the battery crashed and we didn't have the charger. The Halls headed off to their Hotel, a Hilton Cavaliri overlooking the Vatican, to see how really wealthy people travel to Rome. They were lucky enough to have some air miles donated to them.
Kimbra and I went up to the room, retrieved our Rick Steves book and set out on a midnight stroll through the streets of Rome. We made down the list of landmarks, finding out that Rome after midnight is very different than the Rome we had visited just 7 hours earlier. Their were couples walking arm in arm, college students on an Irish Pub craw were moving from one Irish pub to the next (it was St. Patrick's day) and Kimbra and I were taking it all in. We set on the Spanish Steps reigniting the passion that has been buried by the busy life of working parents. The aches and and pains of the day bled away as we sit holding each other listening to the sounds of the fountain down below. Unless you have seen pictures or have been here you I can not possibly convey the beauty of the Roman fountains in writing. They are unlike anything I have dreamed. The Romans truly knew how to flaunt their superior position in the world. As we make our way back to our hotel we realize that it's after 2:00 a.m. and we will only get a 4 hours of sleep. It was worth the exhausting we felt the next day. More on the 2nd day in Rome later. Make it a great day.
Dave
The morning began as we met with Manuela (Flavia's Mom). She took us to the bus stop to catch the bus to Rome. Manuela guided us to a parking lot with a small bus stop more like a city bus stop than the regional bus station I had envisioned. She told us to just sit under the tiny awning and wait for a bus and ask the driver if it was going to Rome. Our ticket said 9:00 a.m.,but it was well after 9:30 before a bus came that was headed to Rome. As we sit watching morning commuters catch their city bus we wondered if we had some how misunderstood the directions given in mostly Italian. However a nice charter bus finally arrived and the drive answered "si" when asked if he was headed to Rome.
If you are from the United States a bus ride conjures up a mental picture of a musty Grey Hound filled with people of questionable character. But when we climbed aboard for journey to the place where civilization was born I was amazed by our fellow travelers. Many looked as if they were headed to an important business meeting in Rome. We found our seats and roared out of Sienna.
Once in Rome we grab a cab from the bus station, but before leaving we snapped a picture of the station name so we could show a cab drive if we needed. The ride to the hotel was a little nerve racking as the cabbie kept consulting his pocket street index and map while we navigated our way through the maze of buildings and monuments that is know as the city of Rome. At one point the the cab turned down a street with barely enough room to open the doors on our cab. Our hotel was on the corner. I give our cab drive an A+++ for finding the door. No big neon sign or flags welcoming visitors, in fact the I began walking to the wrong door and the drive honked his horn and pointed me in the right direction.
The room was on the 2nd level and had a window that allowed Kimbra and I soak up the sounds and smells of this ancient city. We dropped our bags and headed off into the Italian concrete jungle. First on our hit list was the Pantheon, which stands for "Temple of all the God's". This majestic building is the oldest standing domed structure in Rome being built some time in the 7th century. The area outside was filled with tourist and street vendors doing a type of dance that was both uneasy and fascinating at the same time. Once inside we all stood in amazement as we gazed up at the incredible dome. I pulled out my ipod and found the Rick Steves audio tour I down loaded and handed an ear bud to our everyone in our party. It must have looked a little funny for Americans connected by a little white wire moving in sync around the crowed room.
But, we didn't mind as we were getting the history of the building and the artwork inside.
After completing the tour we moved onto our next target, Trevi Fountain. The Trevi Fountain is the largest — standing 25.9 meters (85 feet) high and 19.8 meters (65 feet) wide — and most ambitious of the Baroque fountains of Rome. It is located in the rione of Trevi. Navigating the confusing streets and alleyways of the Rome was half the adventure in visiting this great city. As we neared our destination we could hear the roar of water and of the crowds. We were not disappointed. The fountain spread out before us and as we thought about the meaning of its existence, we were again in awe.
Looking at our watch, we headed off to find the Colosseum. We needed to get to their by 16:30 and had just enough time to make it. While walking up to the massive elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire, we could not keep from taking pictures. We arrived at the gates has they were pulling them shut, 16:32. One picture too many!
We walked over to the Forum hoping to get in the gate before closing, but had little luck their as well. Rick Steves, our little guide book, said we had until 18:00 but he was wrong or we read it wrong. Either way we were denied admission. At this point we hopped on one of the sightseeing buses and rode around for a while getting off at Campo De Fiori.
We found a restaurant and took our seats. Eating two hours earlier than everyone else has its privileges. I now know why senior citizens eat at 4:30 p.m. The restaurant was empty and we had the full attention of the waiter. Krystal took the opportunity to take a picture of the cook. We could watch him at work through an open window and thought it would make for a great picture. This lead to a personal visit from the head chef. He wants us to send copies of the picture back to him. My limited creative writing abilities keeps me from fully describing the atmosphere of the evening.
3 bottles of vino and lots of food later we headed back to our hotel. We were hopping to blog on the laptop that Russell and Krystal brought, but the battery crashed and we didn't have the charger. The Halls headed off to their Hotel, a Hilton Cavaliri overlooking the Vatican, to see how really wealthy people travel to Rome. They were lucky enough to have some air miles donated to them.
Kimbra and I went up to the room, retrieved our Rick Steves book and set out on a midnight stroll through the streets of Rome. We made down the list of landmarks, finding out that Rome after midnight is very different than the Rome we had visited just 7 hours earlier. Their were couples walking arm in arm, college students on an Irish Pub craw were moving from one Irish pub to the next (it was St. Patrick's day) and Kimbra and I were taking it all in. We set on the Spanish Steps reigniting the passion that has been buried by the busy life of working parents. The aches and and pains of the day bled away as we sit holding each other listening to the sounds of the fountain down below. Unless you have seen pictures or have been here you I can not possibly convey the beauty of the Roman fountains in writing. They are unlike anything I have dreamed. The Romans truly knew how to flaunt their superior position in the world. As we make our way back to our hotel we realize that it's after 2:00 a.m. and we will only get a 4 hours of sleep. It was worth the exhausting we felt the next day. More on the 2nd day in Rome later. Make it a great day.
Dave
Rome - March 17 - 18, 2008
Just a quick note... Rome was fantastic! The Colloseum, the Vatican, the Pantheon all take you back to another time. Your mind allows you to ask the question, Imagine When? We are on our way to Pisa today. More on Rome later! Ciao for now!
Monday, March 17, 2008
Sienna and San Gimignano
We arrived in Siena by bus about 9:20 just in time to eat with Flavia and her family. We have discovered that in Italy most people eat two hours later than we do in Levelland. They give very little thought to breakfast around 8:30 or 9:00 a.m., eat a big lunch at 14:00 (2:00 p.m.), and have a light dinner around 20:00 (8:00 p.m.).
Dinner with Flavia's family consited of a variety of cheeses, salami, bread and vino. The main dish was a spicy pasta and more vino. The desert was prepared by Paolo, Flavia'a younger brother, and was a great tasting taramasu. There is no way to describe the atomsphere we are getting to experience here in Siena. Flavia's family owns a home inside the old city walls and have taken us in like family. They have given us a car to use while we are here, which is a fantastic adventure in of itself. There are mopeds and motorcycles flying around like little flies around the cars. There are very few street lights in Siena just turn arounds which are two lane circles and you choose the street you want. At first it all seems very crazy and out of control, but once you get in the flow it is very orderly and calculated. Turn signals are a must!
After dinner we made our way to the county home were we were staying and it was like a dream home we picked out of a travel magazine. This little cottage is more than we ever dreamed it could be, with three bedrooms and 1 and 1/2 baths, a fireplace and full kitchen furnished in antique style. We are at a lost in how to properly describe the experience we have found our selves emersed.
We awoke early and drove the grandfather's car to San Gimignano, a medievil walled city, famous for its white wine. The city sits atop a hill overlooking a brilliant Italian landscape with grape vines covering most of the open ground. We climbed the center tower with over 320 steps to get a birdseye view of the city and its surrondings. We ate pizza in the main square, had capacino in a local cafe, and roamed the city snapping pictures hoping to capture the essence of the city. Being here with our friends, Russell and Krystal, has turned out to be better than we ever imiagned. Having someone here to share in the experience insures this was not a dream.
We traveled back to Siena late in the afternoon. We wanted to get a better look at the place we are calling our home base. As we drove back into the city we took a few wrong turns and just explored the city outside the great walls of the inner city. Normally tourist would not be able to drive inside the walls of the city walls, but since Flavia's home is inside we get a special pass that allows us to pass through the grand arches into the secluded city. An experience I will not soon forget. We parked our car in the courtyard below Flavia's home and checked for our luggage, no luck. We make a couple of phone calls and within 10 minutes the door bell rang, our luggage had finally caught up with us.
We throw ournewly found bags in the car and head out on foot with Flavia to see her city from a local's perspective. We make our way through the narrow city streets dodging mopeds as we go. We find the set of a new James Bond movie shot in Italy. We walk down to the main square in the center of the square and find another tower, waiting to be climbed. We oblige and fight our way to the top with more steps than the last. The view is worth the excertion. The view is again unexplainable.
After decending the steep narrow steps we wind our way through the streets on our way to a family friends' house. The Filisio's have invited us to meet their friends who happen also to be Americans living in Siena. Once thier we are treated to a breath taking view of the city from thier balconey. A painted sky with brilliant hues of pink and purple fill the horizion, the city sprawling out below the horizion. Alfred and Ninfa offer a plate of fruit and cookies with vino to drink. We sit for an hour visiting like long lost friends catching up after a long seperation. As the sun sets fully below the horizon the city lights begin to fickler on across the city. We are being treated to fantastic views of the city one after another. It is one of those moments in time you log into your memory with every detail taken its rightful place in your mind. The smells, sounds, sights, the feeling of being welcomed into a home. This alone makes the trip worth more than we could have ever paid. Kimbra and I pinch each other to make sure we are not dreaming.
For dinner, Alfred and Ninfa argue as to which resturant we should go to, both wanting us to experience their favorite place. Ultimatley, Ninfa wins as Alfred's place is closed. Flavia walks us to the resturant and ask for menus in English. The answer is no. Flavia then does her best to explain the menu options, but in the end we just guess and hope for the best. We were not disappointed. The food is real Tuscan food. While it was great it's not anything like Carino's back home. This is the end of another unforgetable day in Italy. Tomorrow is Rome.
Dinner with Flavia's family consited of a variety of cheeses, salami, bread and vino. The main dish was a spicy pasta and more vino. The desert was prepared by Paolo, Flavia'a younger brother, and was a great tasting taramasu. There is no way to describe the atomsphere we are getting to experience here in Siena. Flavia's family owns a home inside the old city walls and have taken us in like family. They have given us a car to use while we are here, which is a fantastic adventure in of itself. There are mopeds and motorcycles flying around like little flies around the cars. There are very few street lights in Siena just turn arounds which are two lane circles and you choose the street you want. At first it all seems very crazy and out of control, but once you get in the flow it is very orderly and calculated. Turn signals are a must!
After dinner we made our way to the county home were we were staying and it was like a dream home we picked out of a travel magazine. This little cottage is more than we ever dreamed it could be, with three bedrooms and 1 and 1/2 baths, a fireplace and full kitchen furnished in antique style. We are at a lost in how to properly describe the experience we have found our selves emersed.
We awoke early and drove the grandfather's car to San Gimignano, a medievil walled city, famous for its white wine. The city sits atop a hill overlooking a brilliant Italian landscape with grape vines covering most of the open ground. We climbed the center tower with over 320 steps to get a birdseye view of the city and its surrondings. We ate pizza in the main square, had capacino in a local cafe, and roamed the city snapping pictures hoping to capture the essence of the city. Being here with our friends, Russell and Krystal, has turned out to be better than we ever imiagned. Having someone here to share in the experience insures this was not a dream.
We traveled back to Siena late in the afternoon. We wanted to get a better look at the place we are calling our home base. As we drove back into the city we took a few wrong turns and just explored the city outside the great walls of the inner city. Normally tourist would not be able to drive inside the walls of the city walls, but since Flavia's home is inside we get a special pass that allows us to pass through the grand arches into the secluded city. An experience I will not soon forget. We parked our car in the courtyard below Flavia's home and checked for our luggage, no luck. We make a couple of phone calls and within 10 minutes the door bell rang, our luggage had finally caught up with us.
We throw ournewly found bags in the car and head out on foot with Flavia to see her city from a local's perspective. We make our way through the narrow city streets dodging mopeds as we go. We find the set of a new James Bond movie shot in Italy. We walk down to the main square in the center of the square and find another tower, waiting to be climbed. We oblige and fight our way to the top with more steps than the last. The view is worth the excertion. The view is again unexplainable.
After decending the steep narrow steps we wind our way through the streets on our way to a family friends' house. The Filisio's have invited us to meet their friends who happen also to be Americans living in Siena. Once thier we are treated to a breath taking view of the city from thier balconey. A painted sky with brilliant hues of pink and purple fill the horizion, the city sprawling out below the horizion. Alfred and Ninfa offer a plate of fruit and cookies with vino to drink. We sit for an hour visiting like long lost friends catching up after a long seperation. As the sun sets fully below the horizon the city lights begin to fickler on across the city. We are being treated to fantastic views of the city one after another. It is one of those moments in time you log into your memory with every detail taken its rightful place in your mind. The smells, sounds, sights, the feeling of being welcomed into a home. This alone makes the trip worth more than we could have ever paid. Kimbra and I pinch each other to make sure we are not dreaming.
For dinner, Alfred and Ninfa argue as to which resturant we should go to, both wanting us to experience their favorite place. Ultimatley, Ninfa wins as Alfred's place is closed. Flavia walks us to the resturant and ask for menus in English. The answer is no. Flavia then does her best to explain the menu options, but in the end we just guess and hope for the best. We were not disappointed. The food is real Tuscan food. While it was great it's not anything like Carino's back home. This is the end of another unforgetable day in Italy. Tomorrow is Rome.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
2nd & 3rd Legs Complete
2nd Leg - DFW to London
After a two hour delay in Dallas, Kimbra and I began the 2nd leg of our journey to Italy. The eight hour flight was a bit uncomfortable, but after 2 tynenol pm and a glass of wine dream land finally came. I awoke with the sun beaming in our window as we were starting our decent into London. This complete what was Kimbra and I's first overseas flight. The time in London was 10:50 a.m.
3rd Leg - London to Bologna
Our delays continued in London. We boarded our plane on time, but after an hour of engineers working on the plane we were told we would have to take another plane. Before we left the plane we were told that the refreshment cart would not fit the new plane, and we were literally tossed our sandwiches. We were carted off the plane and onto buses that took us to a spare plane waiting for us on the other side of the airport. Finally, 3 hours after our scheduled departure we pushed back from the gate. A resounding cheer went up as the pilot announced we were headed to Bologna.
As we arrived in Bologna weary from the journey thus far our spirits began to lift as we realized we were finally in Italy! However our spirits were soon dampened as we were trust into that category of unlucky travelers who arrive at their destination only to discover their luggage did not make the same trip. Our Italian vaction has begun! More later, maybe!
Make it a great day!
Dave
After a two hour delay in Dallas, Kimbra and I began the 2nd leg of our journey to Italy. The eight hour flight was a bit uncomfortable, but after 2 tynenol pm and a glass of wine dream land finally came. I awoke with the sun beaming in our window as we were starting our decent into London. This complete what was Kimbra and I's first overseas flight. The time in London was 10:50 a.m.
3rd Leg - London to Bologna
Our delays continued in London. We boarded our plane on time, but after an hour of engineers working on the plane we were told we would have to take another plane. Before we left the plane we were told that the refreshment cart would not fit the new plane, and we were literally tossed our sandwiches. We were carted off the plane and onto buses that took us to a spare plane waiting for us on the other side of the airport. Finally, 3 hours after our scheduled departure we pushed back from the gate. A resounding cheer went up as the pilot announced we were headed to Bologna.
As we arrived in Bologna weary from the journey thus far our spirits began to lift as we realized we were finally in Italy! However our spirits were soon dampened as we were trust into that category of unlucky travelers who arrive at their destination only to discover their luggage did not make the same trip. Our Italian vaction has begun! More later, maybe!
Make it a great day!
Dave
Thursday, March 13, 2008
The First Leg Complete!
Arriving at DFW around 2:30 this afternoon Kimbra and I completed the first leg of our journey.
We quickly located our gate and spotted the Chocolate Factory. So with a carmeled apple and a Texas sized peanut butter cup we began our Romantic 10 Anniversary trip. Of course we will not have been married for 10 years until November, but who's counting.
Our next leg doesn't leave until 7:10. This has given us ample opportunity to people watch. DFW is certainly a rich environment for a diverse mix of cultures.
Until we meet again, make it a great day!
Dave
T-13 hours and Counting
No bomb threats today, thank goodness. The day passed in a blur as Kimbra and I tidied things up at work and made preparations to be gone next week. We both took time to eat lunch with Hondo (Griffin) at Levelland ABC. We took him his favorite fast food meal (4 piece chicken nugget Happy Meal with fries and a Diet Coke). Kimbra and I have no idea why he started drinking diet coke, and even though we get some pretty strange looks when he orders it, we just smile and shake our a heads in agreement.
Anyway, getting to have lunch with Hondo is something that Kimbra and I truly love to do. The smile on his face melts away all the stress of life and for a brief period of time we relish in the blessings of being parents. Lunch ends with Griffin doing his best to pull a loose tooth. He is cheered on by Jay McKay, another father eating lunch with his son. Jay offers Griffin a dollar to pull the tooth on the spot, but the pain seems to be too much. Before the tooth gives way the teacher calls for the children to line up and we head to the book fair to pick out Griffin's new favorite books. We quickly choose two books and say our goodbyes. On the drive back to work we get a call, its Griffin calling from the nurse's office with his tooth in hand. That's my boy!
Tonight we finished up the odds and ends of leaving home for 10 days. We packed the kids clothes and handed them off to Gigi and Grampy. We checked Kimbra's to do list and packed a few last minute items. Time is moving with lighting speed now and before we know it the clock strikes midnight. Time for bed, although I don't believe sleep with come. Tomorrow the adventure starts.
We also got good news about my father as he is now at home resting. He will have to use oxygen for a while, but should continue to get better. Thanks for your prayers and please continue to pray for us as we travel and for Gigi and Grampy as they get a chance to relive the toddler years! Make it a great day!
Dave
Anyway, getting to have lunch with Hondo is something that Kimbra and I truly love to do. The smile on his face melts away all the stress of life and for a brief period of time we relish in the blessings of being parents. Lunch ends with Griffin doing his best to pull a loose tooth. He is cheered on by Jay McKay, another father eating lunch with his son. Jay offers Griffin a dollar to pull the tooth on the spot, but the pain seems to be too much. Before the tooth gives way the teacher calls for the children to line up and we head to the book fair to pick out Griffin's new favorite books. We quickly choose two books and say our goodbyes. On the drive back to work we get a call, its Griffin calling from the nurse's office with his tooth in hand. That's my boy!
Tonight we finished up the odds and ends of leaving home for 10 days. We packed the kids clothes and handed them off to Gigi and Grampy. We checked Kimbra's to do list and packed a few last minute items. Time is moving with lighting speed now and before we know it the clock strikes midnight. Time for bed, although I don't believe sleep with come. Tomorrow the adventure starts.
We also got good news about my father as he is now at home resting. He will have to use oxygen for a while, but should continue to get better. Thanks for your prayers and please continue to pray for us as we travel and for Gigi and Grampy as they get a chance to relive the toddler years! Make it a great day!
Dave
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
T-1 day - Packing Day
Today began as any other with Kimbra and I rushing to get the kids up, fed, and dressed. We had prepared a list of to do items for today and armed with a plan in hand we began our second to last full day before jetting off to the other side of the world.
Kimbra and I discovered today that when your stress level rises everything and I do mean everything takes longer. For example, simply getting a picture printed out at Wal-Mart took 3 visits to the retail mammoth.
trip one: before work, cd the file was saved on would not work
trip two: during lunch, picture printed but had dust spots not noticed on computer
trip three: after work, finally made it out of the belly of the beast with the desired gem
Now in Levelland this is only a 15 minute round trip including time in the store, but still when every minute counts even the smallest of disruptions can throw you off your game plan. So by 8:00 I was already feeling the stress of lost time when I got word that the college were Kimbra works got a bomb threat! Are you serious, in Levelland? This must be a joke. Nope, no joke, the campus was evacuated and the buildings targeted were searched. Suddenly I snap back to the realization that life is so much bigger than a few wasted minutes fighting with a picture vending machine in the heart of Wal-Mart. I realized that while things seem to be out of kilter it could always be worse. So I thanked God for keeping my wife safe and went on with my day.
Finally getting home and getting the kids in bed, a task that can drain the life right out of you, Kimbra and I surveyed the task that lay before us for the evening, PACKING. Suddenly, with clothes scattered across the living room, the two suit cases we had chosen for our journey seem ed to be severely inadequate. We quickly call Russell and Krystal, who had packed over the weekend, to get encouragement and insight for getting all this into that. I am happy to report that after only two hours of ironing, folding, packing, repacking, and bagging (the process of putting clothes into large zip lock bags and squeezing the air out) we were able to get our clothes into the chosen bags. Lesson to be learned is that if you put several shirts into a 2 gallon zip lock bag and squeeze really good you can reduce the overall cubic area needed to a fraction of the original space required.
Well that's the story for today. Only one more full day left and I think we are o.k., but then again the glass is always half full with me. To update you on my father he seems to be getting better. Still not great, but maybe able to go home soon. Please continue your prayers for our family and my father as it is working. Make it a great day!
Dave
Kimbra and I discovered today that when your stress level rises everything and I do mean everything takes longer. For example, simply getting a picture printed out at Wal-Mart took 3 visits to the retail mammoth.
trip one: before work, cd the file was saved on would not work
trip two: during lunch, picture printed but had dust spots not noticed on computer
trip three: after work, finally made it out of the belly of the beast with the desired gem
Now in Levelland this is only a 15 minute round trip including time in the store, but still when every minute counts even the smallest of disruptions can throw you off your game plan. So by 8:00 I was already feeling the stress of lost time when I got word that the college were Kimbra works got a bomb threat! Are you serious, in Levelland? This must be a joke. Nope, no joke, the campus was evacuated and the buildings targeted were searched. Suddenly I snap back to the realization that life is so much bigger than a few wasted minutes fighting with a picture vending machine in the heart of Wal-Mart. I realized that while things seem to be out of kilter it could always be worse. So I thanked God for keeping my wife safe and went on with my day.
Finally getting home and getting the kids in bed, a task that can drain the life right out of you, Kimbra and I surveyed the task that lay before us for the evening, PACKING. Suddenly, with clothes scattered across the living room, the two suit cases we had chosen for our journey seem ed to be severely inadequate. We quickly call Russell and Krystal, who had packed over the weekend, to get encouragement and insight for getting all this into that. I am happy to report that after only two hours of ironing, folding, packing, repacking, and bagging (the process of putting clothes into large zip lock bags and squeezing the air out) we were able to get our clothes into the chosen bags. Lesson to be learned is that if you put several shirts into a 2 gallon zip lock bag and squeeze really good you can reduce the overall cubic area needed to a fraction of the original space required.
Well that's the story for today. Only one more full day left and I think we are o.k., but then again the glass is always half full with me. To update you on my father he seems to be getting better. Still not great, but maybe able to go home soon. Please continue your prayers for our family and my father as it is working. Make it a great day!
Dave
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
T - 2 days
With only two full days left until we take flight on our Italian expedition each passing minute has become increasingly important. Every waking minute seems to have an important tasked pre assigned to it. From the task of leaving work for two weeks to making sure we have our pre-trip checklist checked and rechecked.
Kimbra works to square away her operations for the next 10 days, and I also get to sharpen my planning skills at work. Now this may not seem like much of a challenge for most people, but for someone who normally spends his days creating grand visions of the future, planning the minute details of the next two weeks is a bit of a chore.
Levelland has suddenly become a flurry of activity with developers and would be prospects inquiring daily if not hourly about this or that and requesting information. This is obviously a desirable situation. But, add to the mix that my father has recently been admitted to the Hopkins County Memorial Hospital and you have a day full of agonizing stress.
As I read back over this post it seems to come off a bit whiny and while my wife says I am quite skilled at whining, I really do not mean to give that impression. In the end we are still going on an amazing voyage to Italy. So please excuse the above droning as I leave you with a single request for the day. Please pray for our family and my father who is getting better everyday, but still has a few days in the care of the good people at Hopkins County Memorial Hospital.
Make it a great day!
Dave
Kimbra works to square away her operations for the next 10 days, and I also get to sharpen my planning skills at work. Now this may not seem like much of a challenge for most people, but for someone who normally spends his days creating grand visions of the future, planning the minute details of the next two weeks is a bit of a chore.
Levelland has suddenly become a flurry of activity with developers and would be prospects inquiring daily if not hourly about this or that and requesting information. This is obviously a desirable situation. But, add to the mix that my father has recently been admitted to the Hopkins County Memorial Hospital and you have a day full of agonizing stress.
As I read back over this post it seems to come off a bit whiny and while my wife says I am quite skilled at whining, I really do not mean to give that impression. In the end we are still going on an amazing voyage to Italy. So please excuse the above droning as I leave you with a single request for the day. Please pray for our family and my father who is getting better everyday, but still has a few days in the care of the good people at Hopkins County Memorial Hospital.
Make it a great day!
Dave
Monday, March 10, 2008
Buongiorno
Kimbra and I have created this little blog to share our adventures in Italy with friends and family here in the States.
Kimbra and I are tagging along on a ten day trip through the Italian country side with our good friends Russell and Krystal Hall. They kept a foreign exchange student from Italy last year and this year we are getting to visit the home land.
Kimbra has been hard at work for two months planning every detail of the itinerary while I have spent the last two months doing research via Hollywood by watching "The Italian Job", "The Da Vinci Code", "Gladiator" and, I hate to admit it, "Under the Tuscan Sun". I am fairly confident that Kimbra's love of details will prove to be our saving grace.
We are a anxious about leaving the kids for ten days, but knowing that they are going to be at Gigi's and Grampy's house helps ease the anxiety considerably. Although when we return it may take weeks to undo the damage of complete spoil-a-zation (the complete spoiling by loving grandparents) that will surely take place.
It is our hope that we can give our friends and family a glimpse of the amazing journey God has seen fit to grant us. We ask only that you pray for us as we travel and pray for our children. This will be the longest period of time that we have gone with out each other. Kimbra and I thank you in advance for reading and ask that you post your comments to let us know you visited our blog. Make it a great day!
Kimbra and I are tagging along on a ten day trip through the Italian country side with our good friends Russell and Krystal Hall. They kept a foreign exchange student from Italy last year and this year we are getting to visit the home land.
Kimbra has been hard at work for two months planning every detail of the itinerary while I have spent the last two months doing research via Hollywood by watching "The Italian Job", "The Da Vinci Code", "Gladiator" and, I hate to admit it, "Under the Tuscan Sun". I am fairly confident that Kimbra's love of details will prove to be our saving grace.
We are a anxious about leaving the kids for ten days, but knowing that they are going to be at Gigi's and Grampy's house helps ease the anxiety considerably. Although when we return it may take weeks to undo the damage of complete spoil-a-zation (the complete spoiling by loving grandparents) that will surely take place.
It is our hope that we can give our friends and family a glimpse of the amazing journey God has seen fit to grant us. We ask only that you pray for us as we travel and pray for our children. This will be the longest period of time that we have gone with out each other. Kimbra and I thank you in advance for reading and ask that you post your comments to let us know you visited our blog. Make it a great day!
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