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| Mom and I had seen what we wanted to in Florence, so we decided to hop on the train and spend the afternoon in Pisa with the ol' leaning tower. It was actually really neat to see in person, and I couldn't resist taking this cliche shot (it's not photoshopped, I promise). |
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| After wandering around Pisa, Mom and I cooled off with our typical afternoon treat, delicious gelato. You just can't beat it...though shout out to Temptations, Jaylin :-) |
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| The last big thing on our Florence list: David, in the flesh (or marble, shall we say). It really was worth the wait and the price to see it in person, as the sight is truly stunning--especially considering the sculpture is 500 years old, and stood oustide in a square for a good 350 years before it was protected. The picture above really does not do it justice. |
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| The Accademia also had quite a few other sculptures, as well as some nice interactive displays that taught us a bit about the sculpting techniques from 1500-1800. Mom and I snuck this picture of the sculpture room while the guard's back was turned...we had to have something to remember it by! |
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| Mom and I got up early to try and beat the line to see the Uffizi Gallery, which is rated as the best museum in Italy. We still had to wait in a line, but only for 45 minutes--much better than the 2-3 hour wait that happened later in the day! Does it live up to the hype, you may ask? Absolutely; it took us six hours with no stops or food to see all of what the museum had to offer. The artwork was phenomenal. Since you can't take pictures inside the museum, I've included the shot above, which is the view of Florence's west bank from the second floor of the gallery. |
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| After our six-hour journey through the Uffizi, all we wanted to do was sit down. Unfortunately, we got lost on the way back to our hostel, but we did manage to find this beautiful church, San Croce, where Michaelangelo and Dante are buried, among others. That combined with a quick gelato stop made getting lost not so bad at all! |
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| The Duomo, which is heralded as the crowning jewel of Florence, is truly magnificent. The facade is completely covered in red, white, and green marble, and the entire church is capped by Bruneschelli's marvelously designed dome. The dome was, and still is, an architectural wonder, and after being inside the church, Mom and I wanted to see it up close. So, we took the climb, and 463 steps through narrow passages later... |
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| ...we reached the top! The view of Firenze, with all the red roofs and the Medici villas gracing the hills in the distance, was spectacular, and well-worth the climb. The picture doesn't quite do it justice. |
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| One more shot of the Duomo, this time at sunset. The other building in front is the baptistry, also decorated in red, white, and green marble, and featuring an impressive set of bronze doors that took 40 years to scuplt. All in all, Mom and I had a great first day in Florence. |
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| Bologna--which, for future reference, is not pronounced like nor does it feature 'balony'--was a true Italian city. We only heard English once or twice all day, and I was able to practice my Spanish/Italian mix a fair bit. As we head south, what the Italians call 'African heat' is kicking it--and boy, is it toasty. Fortunately, once of the city's attraction is the Fontana di Neptune, which not only features the impressive Neptune and his sirens (naked, of course), but also a cool place to sit and wash your face and get a drink. |
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| Despite the heat, Mom and I managed to snag some fragola and caribe gelato (strawberry and vanilla rum) for an afternoon cool-down, as well as some traditional Bolognese food (tortilleni and tagliatelle alla Bolognese) for dinner, as pictured above. What a yummy finish to a delicious day! |
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| Mass at the Basilica of Saint Anthony in Padua was an amazing experience--in a room with at least 700 people and a world-class choir singing to you in eight-part harmony, it's hard not to have a good experience. There are so many people that they have Mass every hour on Sundays! And it's really hard to get a people-free picture, as you can see from my best attempt above. Mom and I were thinking of our beloved Fr. Tony the whole time, as this saint is his patron. |
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| We ate some leftover croissants for breakfast in one of the church's courtyards, which you can see behind me. These courtyards are invariably well-kept, with beautiful flowers, and all the churches we've been to have had a least one. My silhouette says hello to all! Also, happy 30th anniversary to my mom and dad! Dad, sorry I stole Mom from you...she sends her love. |
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| On the Ponte Pieta, looking towards the lovely villas in the hills north of Verona. No sign of Romeo or Juliet. |
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| After a hectic bus experience, we reached the Basilica San Zeno Maggiore, who was the patron saint of Verona. It offers quite the vista. The saint himself resides in the crypt underneath the church. Still no Romeo and Juliet, but Vicenzo and Valeria (real people!) were getting married in the church later that afternoon. We even got to hear the string quartet/organist practicing, and it was food for my ears. |
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| Venice by night from the water taxi is stunning. |
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| The Grand Canal by day is busy. |
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| Mom and I on one of the thousands of little Venetian bridges crossing the side canals. We somehow managed to not get lost (or fall in...I did my share of leaning over the side in the water taxi)--quite the triumph for our Venice stint! |
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| Milano's Il Duomo is beautiful inside and out! The picture above is one of the side chapels on the inside, where Mom and I began our sightseeing after taking the morning train from Zurich. After spending an hour or so exploring the inside, we took the plunge (or should I say climb?) and ascended 165 stairs to the roof of Europe's second-biggest church...and the view was worth it. |
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| Though we started with the old (and continued to see it in the form of a few more churches and a great museum), Milan also has quite a bit of new, most visibly in the form of incredible (and pricey!) fashion and food and hordes of bustling businesspeople. We ended our day where it began, at Il Duomo,which is absolutely lovely as the sun is setting. |
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| The river and lake, with their backdrop of the Alps (barely visible through the clouds) are beautiful, as is the architecture. |
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| Mom and I climbed to a terrace garden at the top of the city, and got this great overlook of the river. Mom was a little tired... |
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| Cousin Erica's Pensacola wedding was a family affair, and great fun was had by all. What a fine way to say "Farewell for now!" to the USA. Departure in 24 hours! |
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| Hot night, cool lake, fresh worms, fishing poles, a sunset, and family...does a Michigan summer get any better? |
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| All my worldly possessions are now in Michigan. Out of this Grapes-of-Wrath-style load, I must bring only a backpack for my time abroad--good luck to me. Sixteen days until departure! |
