Day Six: Is that tower leaning or have I had too much wine?

Today started on short rest as we headed to Rome's Termini Train Station to catch our train to the Tuscany region of Italy. After a 90 minute ride trough beautiful countryside we arrived in Florence (Firenze) to SNOW!!! After checking in to our hotel we met up with our guide and headed to Pisa, Italy. Once we arrived in the area of Pisa we had to park outside the city limits due to local traffic restrictions. After a short 10 minute walk we were standing outside the city walls.

After meeting with another local guide that resides in Pisa we entered the city and explored "Piazza dei Miracoli" which was laid out to replicate the human life. First we explored the Baptistry (the start of life), then moved to the Cathedral (the center of life), and lastly we saw the Graveyard (the final resting place).

The Baptistry

Inside the Cathedral

The Graveyard

Now, I know what most of you are thinking "What about that tower they have in Pisa?". Well the famous leaning tower of Pisa was actually designed as nothing more than the bell tower of the Cathedral but gained it's notoriety by...well.. um... being a leaning tower. However, all the buildings in "Piazza dei Miracoli" are leaning, yet the tower is the one that gets all the attention... and trust me we gave it plenty of attention too, but we wanted to visit the Piazza as it's creators meant.

After a few hours in Pisa we headed back to Florence and had the best dinner so far. Shandle had Zuppa Toscana, Ravioli Toscana, and Creme Caramel while Greg had Fava bean/Barley Minestrone, Fiorentine Steak, and Tiramisu, and of course we enjoyed a half liter of the house "Vino Bianco". Well tomorrow we explore Florence and get to see Michaelangelo's "David", Brunelleschi's famous Cuppola, Giotto's Bell Tower, and the bridge so beautiful that even Adolf Hitler couldn't bring himself to destroy it "Ponte Vecchio".

Day Five: Moments of True Joy

Today was a day where we had no real plan of what we were going to do and in our wandering there turned out to be a constant theme, "Moments of True Joy". Our day started by taking a taxi to the southern part of Rome and just start walking. Within the first few moments we came upon Shandle's Turtle Fountain, it was the one fountain she absolutely HAD to see, that introduced us to moment of true joy #1.

After visiting the fountain we continued wandering through the narrow streets of Rome and discovered it's true secrets. Rome is known for it's massive monuments and ancient history but we discovered it's quaint churches and inviting lesser known piazzas. It is in this lesser known area of Rome where we found Shandle's sign and thus introduced us to moment of true joy #2.

After wandering for a few hours we decided to stroll along the edge of the River Tiber and that is where we found the only island in Rome and Greg found his "perfect picture". Everybody who enjoys photography knows that when everything sets up just right; the scenery, the lighting, the natural framing...it makes for that perfect picture and thus we had encountered moment of true joy #3.

Sadly it started to rain on our day so we jumped across the River Tiber and ducked into a local restaurant in the Trastavere neighborhood. After a delightful lunch of bread and pasta rigatoni alla'amatriciana we order dessert and Shandle had moment of true joy #4 CANNOLIS!!!

We wandered around Trastevere for a little while longer before jumping back across the River Tiber in search of a taxi to take us to Stadio Olimpico and the football match. We arrived 3 hours early and explored the Olympic Village and track area before heading across the street and grabbing a snack and some coffee before the game. Sitting with the patrons of this restaurant full of Lazio fans was fun but it was time to head into the stadium. Once inside we found our seats and they were right at midfield 13 rows from the players. Now anyone who knows Greg must think this was moment of true joy #5, but that wasn't the case. Moment of true joy #5 came 2 hours later when Lazio broke through AC Milan with some marvelous passing and some fancy footwork and scored the match's first goal. Greg jumped out of his seat with excitement and celebrated. The Italians surrounding us were cheering for Greg after that. Grown Italian men were screaming and yelling about the "Americano" and patting him on the back. It was just one of those indescribable moments of true joy.

After the game we searched and searched for a taxi to take us back to our hotel but could not find one anywhere. So after 30 minutes we were freezing cold and extremely tired when moment of true joy #6 occurred. A Roman man named Marco was driving his taxi on the opposite side of the street when he saw us frantically waving for him. He turned around and picked us up. After having a delightful conversation while sitting in the traffic leaving the stadium we discovered Marco was a truly kind Italian. Once we finally got back to our hotel the meter read 33 Euros and I was going to give Marco 40. He said "no no, only 25 Euros" and gave me the 15 Euro change back. I tried to tip him but he absolutely refused and said "Your kindness was enough". He gave us his business card and drove away leaving us with one of the best interactions we have EVER had in any city in any country with a local stranger. Moment of true joy #6!

Well tomorrow we catch the train to Northern Italy were we will visit the Leaning Tower in Pisa before heading to Florence to stay the night.

Day Four: Vatican City and Works of Masters.

Wow, today was the best day yet! We woke up and grabbed a taxi to the Vatican City. Vatican City is amazing for several different reasons; it is the center of the Catholic Religion, it is it's own country with 800 inhabitants living in a country that is 8 times smaller than New York's Central Park, it has it's own post office and currency... however we absolutely fell in love with the Vatican for it's artistic treasures. The Vatican Museuems are the 2nd most visited museums in the world osting over 10 million people per year, it's corridors would stretch over 7 miles long, and if you stopped to visit every piece of artwork for 30 seconds it would take you longer than 7 years to view it all.

Us in Vatican City.

 Our tour started with a quick view of the Vatican Gardens then moved into the Pine Cone Courtyard. After being briefed on what we would see inside the mueseums we entered full of excitement. We weren't let down, we travelled from Sculpture galleries to tapestry galleries to the Gallery of Maps. We saw The Dogma Room that depicted the Immaculate Conceptcion, Rafael's Rooms which were former Papal residences that Rafael painted from floor to ceiling, and finally we visited Michelangelo's The Sistine Chapel. See it for yourself, it is a true wonder of the world and an artwork only capable of a genius.

 Sistine Chapel (Very center of the picture is the famous "The Creation of Adam.")

 Michelangelo's "The Last Judgement."

 Gallery of Maps in The Vatican Museums.

The Dogma Room "Immaculate Conception."

Rafael's artwork which includes Plato, Aristotle, Leonardo DaVinci, Michelangelo, and other "forward thinkers."

After visiting the Vatican Museums it was time to turn our attention to the center of the Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica. We entered the Basilica and immediately saw another famous Michelangelo work "Pieta", then followed the corridor around to find tombs of all the Popes who have been Beatified. After viewing the monuments to all the different Popes we went to the very front of the church and viewed the current Pope's pulpit which lies directly underneath the Cupola which was designed by Michelangelo and built by Bernini. We left Vatican City in admiration of the art, history, and religious gravity that it holds.

 

Michelangelo's "Pieta" depicting the Virgin Mary holding Jesus Christ.

 Pope John Paul's tomb.

Current Pope's pulpit.

There are 3 actual embalmed Pope's bodies that are on display, this is an actual Pope's body with a mask over the face and hands.

Going with the religion and art theme we spent the rest of the day traveling through Rome visiting Castel San Angelo, The Angel Bridge, The Church of Santa Marie Maggiore, and The Church of San Pietro in Vincoli. These different churches and religious places held sculptures by Bernini, Rafael, and Michelangelo as well as the actual chains that the first Pope "Saint Peter" was shackled in before God's divine intervention released him (it should be noted that he was later crucified upside down on a cross before they cut off his feet). As the day was winding down and our senses overloaded with amazing facts and images we decided to have dinner to celebrate our Two Year Anniversary. After dinner we stopped at a little cafe and the owner gave us a special Cafe Latte to mark the occasion.

 Us in front of Castle San Angelo and The Angel Bridge.

 Church of Santa Maria Maggiore.

 Special Anniversary Latte from a Roman Cafe.

 Well tomorrow we visit the Jewish Ghetto, see the Tortoise Fountain (Shandle's must see attraction), eat lunch in the Old Trastavere neighborhood, and attend a European football match between Lazio and AC Milan.

Day Three: 79AD

Today started out very early for us as we had to wake up around 6:15am in order to meet our tour guide at 7:00am. We were picked up at our hotel and promptly bussed away down the Highway of the Sun. After travelling south for 3 hours we arrived in the Italian port city of Naples (Napoli). After briefly sightseeing throughout the city it was time to head to our true destination for the day, Pompeii.

Pompeii is the city that was famously lost in the first eruption of the Volcano Vesuvius in the year 79AD. Once we arrived in Pompeii we were shown around the current modern city where we briefly visited a Vatican owned Basilica and had lunch in the city center. After lunch we were transported back nearly 2000 years ago to a city lost suddenly and tragically.

On our tour of the Pompeii archeaological site we saw ancient basilicas, ancient temples to various Gods, ancient homes (some still completely intact), an ancient brothel that still has the original wall frescos in it, and people mummified by the volcanic ash that rained down on the city after the 3 day long Volcanic eruption. The day was extremely informative and truly awe inspiring, it was as if we were transported back to 79AD and those fateful days where a city was lost forever.

Tomorrow we go to, "where does the Pope live?" ...and no it's not the woods (That is a TV show FRIENDS reference for those who aren't hip to our ways)... Vatican City!!!

The Italian Port City of Naples. (Napoli)

The Volcano "Mount Vesuvius."

Pompeii ruins with Vesuvius in the background.

 Pompeii victim mummified by the ash that rained down upon the city.

 2000 year old Fresco that was hung in the Pompeii brothel (You didn't pick by woman, you picked by position).

 Us in the "Teatro Grande" of Pompeii.

Day Two: Ancient Rome and the Pantheon

So after a busy travel day yesterday we got some much needed rest before an early start to today. After breakfast and a short walk to the Colosseum we met up with our tour guide Davide and started our tour of Ancient Rome. First stop was The Colosseum were we walked around it, in it, and up it visiting the different levels of this 1900 year old arena which was used for Naval battles, animal hunts, and of course most famously Gladiator battles.

After the tour of the Colosseum we followed Davide into the Roman Forum where we saw the remains of early Rome including Rome's first butcher shop, Rome's first senate, Rome's first Basilica, the location where Caesar's remains were burned, as well as several buildings that had been built then destroyed then built then..well you get the point. Below is a picture of the overview of Foro Roma.

Our final stop on our Ancient Rome tour with Davide was Palantine Hill which is the largest hill in Rome. Palantine Hill was the location of Caesar's, Octavius', Romulus', and the other notable Kings/Emperors homes.

After ending our tour, we decided to head to the monument of Victorrio Emanuelle II. He was the first King of Italy and they erected a giant white marble monument in his honor.

After a quick visit at Victorio Emanuelle II monument we headed over to The Pantheon, where Rafael di Santi and the first and second Kings of Italy are entombed. The truly magnificent part of the Pantheon however is the fact that it is completely illuminated by natural light that shines through a 27 foot (9meter) occulus located directly in the center of the Pantheon. Below are pictures of the Piazza, the occulus, and us in front of one of the massive columns of the Pantheon.

After getting our fill of history for the day we decided to head to a couple of fun locations in Rome. So, we visited Piazza Navona and Campo dei Fiori where we saw beautiful fountains, street performers, and even a streetside marketplace selling fruits, vegetables, pasta, and spices. All in all it was a fantastic day in Rome. Tomorrow we head south to Naples then visit Pompeii.

 Above is the "Fountain of Four Rivers" by Bernini in Piazza Navona.

 Above is a look at Piazza Novona filled with tourists, street performers, and artists.

Day One

After 21 hours of travel we arrived safely in Rome. The flights were fine, mostly just us sleeping. The in-flight safety video from TAP Portugal is probably the only one we've ever actually paid attention to. It was claymation style, but the characters were made out of wood. And only if you are not made of wood will your life vest work, like 99.9% of us are. (Yes it seriously said that.)
We only had one hour between our flight from Portugal to Rome and had to clear customs and go through security again, when Greg realized we weren't going to make it he asked for us to move up the line. Thankfully it worked and we made our flight.
We arrived in Rome and the taxi ride was pretty boring unless you count the hula-hoop girl who did a little show at a stop light and then passed around a hat. Once we got into the city there was much more to see.
After we showered and checked in we found a place to have lunch had some yummy calzones while Greg watched football. Then we walked to the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and Trevi Fountain.We got a little lost on our way back to our hotel, but managed to find our way and then found a good restaurant right on this block for dinner. It's only 8:30 but we're pretty exhausted so we're turning in early tonight. We have tours scheduled tomorrow of the Colosseum and Roman Forum.
This is us at the Trevi Fountain. I'm having connection issues so the rest of the pictures will have to wait until tomorrow. 

One Week

We leave one week from today for Italy! I thought our first post in this blog should be of our planned itinerary.

Saturday January 28

• Arrive in Rome 11:30
• Check in at Hotel Grifo
• Eat lunch
• Walk to the Colosseum
• Walk by the Roman Forum (look over the ruins)
• Walk to the Pantheon (go inside)
• Get Gelato and walk to the Spanish Steps
• Walk to the Trevi Fountain
• Eat Dinner

Sunday January 29

• Colloseum and Roman Forum tour
• Walk Palantine Hill
• Visit the monument to Vittorio Emanuelle II
• Take elevator to the top of Vittorio Emanuelle II
• Go to Piazza Navona

Monday January 30

• Day trip to Naples and Pompeii                    

Tuesday January 31

• Guided tour of Vatican City 9am-4pm               
•  St Peters Basilica and Cuppola, St Peters Square,
•  Rafael's Room, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum
• Castel San't Angelo and the Angel Bridge
• Anniversary Dinner in Trestavere neighborhood

Wednesday February 1

• AC Milan vs. Lazio

Thursday February 2

• Take train to Florence Booked at Hotel Aurora
• Day Trip to Pisa 
• Tuscan dinner in Florence

Friday February 3

• Day trip of Florence                             
• Piazzale Michaelangelo, Giottos Bell Tower,
• Baptistrey/Brunelleschi Cuppola, Accademia Gallery,
• Eat lunch, Church of Santa Croce, Piazza Signoria,
• Palazzo Vecchio and Loggia del Lanzi, Uffizi Gallery                  
• Take train back to Rome

Saturday February 4

• Piazza del Popolo
• Santa Maria del Popolo church (inside visit)
• Old Roman Gate and Pincio Gardens
• Basilica di San Clemente
• San Giovanni in Laterano and Santa Scala

Sunday February 5

• Depart Rome 11:00am
• Arrive Lisbon 1:00pm
• St. George's Castle
• Alfama Area Visit
• Portuguese Dinner