Venice - Florence - Rome - Orvieto - Cinque Terre
Venice was a surprise, as I never thought I would actually get to visit this city to ride in a gondola, (and eat so much Italian Gelato).
We visited a mask maker that demonstrated how the carnival masks are made, and viewed the costumes available in his shop.
A couple in our group had been there years earlier, and suggested we join them for an evening vaporetto boat ride on the grand canal. As their memory was of a romantic ride, our trip turned out to be much more crowded, and more of a commuter bus journey. It was still an enjoyable experience once we managed to get seats near the front of the boat.
We visited a mask maker that demonstrated how the carnival masks are made, and viewed the costumes available in his shop.
A couple in our group had been there years earlier, and suggested we join them for an evening vaporetto boat ride on the grand canal. As their memory was of a romantic ride, our trip turned out to be much more crowded, and more of a commuter bus journey. It was still an enjoyable experience once we managed to get seats near the front of the boat.
Venice Photos & Slideshow
Florence was an artwork experience. We toured three museums (Accademia Gallery, Uffizi Gallery, and the Bargello National Museum). Austin and I also climbed the 414 steps up to the top of Giotto's Bell Tower. When we neared the top, the bells began ringing (which were amazingly loud and scary for a second). I could see one of the gigantic bells swinging back and forth directly above me. The view of the city from the top of the tower was amazing!
Florence Photos & Slideshow
In Rome we first visited St. Peter's Basilica which was just awe inspiring. Viewing the Pietà by Michelangelo actually brought tears to our eyes as we could feel the emotion in the statue. Later we walked through the Piazza Navona and enjoyed the fountain statues before heading on to see the Pantheon. We then enjoyed a group dinner at a restaurant called “Miscellanea”. After dinner we were all too tired to walk a bit further to see the Trevi Fountain, so that will have to wait for another trip. The next day we ran into a bit of trouble on the subway when we were heading to the Colosseum. As I stepped on the train a young woman grabbed the pole in front of me to apparently steady herself, which blocked me from moving further into the train car. At this point Lene and others in our group squeezed in behind me, and just before the next stop, Lene realized that she had been pickpocketed. At the Colosseum we called our bank and had Lene’s missing cards stopped, allowing us to continue with the Colosseum tour. The day was completed with a tour of the Vatican museums (which was rather hot without AC). At some point I had to find a place to sit and said I was having an "art attack" (too much art viewing - Lol).
Rome Photos & Slideshow
Orvieto is a city located on the flat summit of a large butte of volcanic tuff. We rode a funicular from the bus stop up to the town and walked to the cathedral at the top (Duomo di Orvieto). We enjoyed the view off the edge of the butte, petted various cats, had lunch and did some shopping before returning to the bus.
Orvieto Photos & Slideshow
Cinque Terre was probably our favorite stop of the entire tour. As one of our crew said (Nate), “it was a vacation from the vacation”. This was our opportunity to swim in the warm Mediterranean waters and to enjoy life at the beach. The first evening we had a wonderful dinner at Ristorante Belvedere where they cooked a variety of seafood in a ceramic pot that was then poured into a large bowl that was passed around the table. Amazingly tasty food with good company and great conversation!
The next day, Austin, Lene & I took the hike to the next town of Vernazza. It was good that we brought several bottles of water as the hike was hot, and gained considerable elevation up the many steps through the hillside vineyards. When we finally descended into the town we were ready for a swim to cool down. After lunch we took the train back to Monterosso al Mare and our hotel, where we had another wonderful dinner at a restaurant called ‘Barabba In White”.
The next day, Austin, Lene & I took the hike to the next town of Vernazza. It was good that we brought several bottles of water as the hike was hot, and gained considerable elevation up the many steps through the hillside vineyards. When we finally descended into the town we were ready for a swim to cool down. After lunch we took the train back to Monterosso al Mare and our hotel, where we had another wonderful dinner at a restaurant called ‘Barabba In White”.