a month of firsts…part one!

May

May has been a month of firsts for sure!

It was the first time that I went to Europe, 

Italy to be exact. 

And it was the first time that I wasn't afraid to fly!

I mean heck, I took a selfie for heaven's sake…I was ready to go :)

I really can't thank everyone enough for your prayers for safe travels and fun!

Day 1:

Our first stop was 

Rome or Roma!!

After traveling 13+ hours 

we met our drivers, went to our hotel, 

freshened up for an hour, and hit the streets of Rome!

This was our first picture together in "Italy"! 

Vatican City to be exact.

Vatican City is a Country!

It is the smallest country in the world. 

It covers over 100 acres, making it one-eighth the size of NYC Central Park.

We are standing in

The Colonnade Bernini.

We are choosing to stand at this spot because it is only here that you can see one row of columns.

When in fact…

…there are two.

St. Peter's Basilica and The Vatican in the distance.

We stopped at one of the main Vatican gift shops and met up with Tony's friend Cinzia. 

She works there as Signore Savelli's assistant.

He owns three gift shops and is granted special rights and privileges. 

(they issue ALL official Papal "Apostolic" blessings. Usually one has to submit an official request through a Vatican Cardinal.)

They can do this because there are two Popes in the Savelli family!

We would meet up with Cinzia and her family later that evening for dinner at a restaurant where her daughter is a server.

Our first group shot! 

(front row L-R)

Jen and Keith from AZ…however Jen is originally from West Lafayette, IN,  Zenephia or Dr. Evan's is from West Lafayette, IN, Tony or "T" the genius that put us all together, and Todd 

(back L-R)

Lisa from Boston, MA, Cheryl from Anderson, IN, Michelle from Pendleton, IN 

(her daughter Katie who was studying abroad in France and whom was on Spring Break, joined us the next day without knowing that her Momma was with us!), and me 

Walking out of the Country and looking back…

pretty shots of Vatican City, Pignola or Pine nut trees, and a glimpse of the

Tiber River (to the left) in Roma!

We were off to the Spanish Steps!!! 

This was something that I requested

 and 

I really want to thank everyone for hanging in there to go to see them…who knew we were going to walk an hour and a half there and back!

Anyway,

I have always wanted to see them because of the movie

Roman Holiday starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck!

On the way we passed the

Castel Sant'Angelo

(castle of the Holy Angel)

This was Hadrian's Mausoleum.

He was the fourteenth Emperor of Rome (117AD-138AD).

This building was once the tallest building in Rome and was initially built for Hadrian and his family. 

It was later used by the popes as a fortress and castle. 

It was also used as a prison.

Executions were performed in the small inner courtyard.

It is now a museum.

A bronze statue of Michael the Archangel

or 

St. Michael

stands on top.

(The Tiber River)

We are crossing over  the river on the 

Ponte di Angeli

the bridge of Angels.

Just a couple of the statues of the angels.

After walking for over an hour,

Tony said, "Hol, What do you see in the distance?!"

I looked up and saw the bright pink Azaleas and knew the steps were close 

and 

off I went! ha! 

Can you see the pink at the very end!!

There they are…under all of those people!

Construction was going on at the top of the 135 steps which is the Spanish Embassy.

This is what the Embassy looks like without the covering.

And, at night.

(pictures from dvdbash.com)

They were so packed because it was Italy's Labor Day!

We took pictures in front of the fountain

Fontana della Barcaccia

("fountain of the ugly Boat").

According to a legend, 

Pope Urban VIII had the fountain installed 

after he had been impressed by a boat brought here by a flood of the Tiber River.

It was now time for me to walk the steps!

 I stopped half-way up
(I'm in the middle)
for Todd to take a picture...

…and then descended the right facing staircase 

(on the right above the man with the red hat) 

to go get him to walk to the top with me.

Half way up!

Almost there...

At the top!

What a view!

Up here were dozens of artists painting 

and 

of course selling their goods. 

 Our first selfie in Italy!

Going down.

In to the Piazza di Spanga to meet up with the others.

Lots of good places to shop!

Beautiful palm trees amidst the construction.

AND

beautiful doors and windows!

This was my first window/door picture

(I took many…just ask anybody! ha!)

It was time to get some refreshments 

(I had a coconut Granita)

and 

head back over the 

Ponte di Angeli

to meet up with Cinzia.

 We had picked her up back at the gift shop and then went back in to Rome.

We had been up for over 30 hours at this point and I was getting pretty tired and hungry.

We were almost to the restaurant and Tony said,

"I want to show you this "new church".

I. Wanted. To. Die!

I needed food!!

But, 

I am sooooo glad that he showed us this church!

The "chanting" music that filled this massive opening

made me want to get on my knees and pray!

They were praying Adoration to the Lord.

Ok,

Now let's eat!

Tony sent this text to our group when we got home from Italy.

This is a great depiction of what dinner was like the first night.

It was in true Italian style!

This is Cinzia's beautiful daughter, on her right pictured with Lisa and Cheryl.

Upon Cinzia's arrival at the entrance of the restaurant 

her daughter hugged her and stroked her mom's hair and face while she talked to her. 

The revering quality, love and respect for her mother was so touching.

Her daughter's son, fiance, and father (Cinzia's husband) also joined us!

I am so glad that this group picture was taken before dinner 

because around 10:00 

I was nodding to sleep sitting up! 

We had walked approximately 22, 678 steps that first day

 and 

was up and going for close to 48 hours!

Good night, Rome!

I got this picture on Viber from Ashley when I woke up before starting day 2 :)

She's such a cutie!

Day 2:

The Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica was on the agenda the second day.

The Vatican 

St. Peter's 

Because of Labor Day being the day before,

 both buildings were closed 

which meant that we were there on a Saturday…their Labor Day Weekend 

and 

it was packed!

We had already paid for tickets in our "package deal" 

so our tour guide picked them up for us 

and

 then we went to get headphones so that we could hear her talk.

Her name was Francesca and she was the best!

Her passion and knowledge of all things Vatican were unreal!

I HIGHLY suggest that if you ever go to Italy, 

or anywhere for that matter, 

hire professional tour guides.

I learned so much about Christianity and how it linked to the art and works of Michelangelo.

Showing a different side of the square.

As you can see we picked up our tenth person!

Katie arrived around 1am!

In we go!

Upon entering in to the Vatican there was this Etruscan vase which was on this earth before Christ!

 Mind blown!

There was a period in time where all of the penises on statues were cut off!

There is even a penis room where they all reside!

(nothing gets tossed out or torn down in Italy)

She stopped to show us evidence of that.

The hallway ceilings were amazing!

They are painted to look like moldings and reliefs.

That is not a carving…that's paint!

That's paint!

We are working our way through long hallways to see the Sistine Chapel.

The hallway of tapestries was incredible.

They truly looked like paintings.

Jesus' eyes followed you on this tapestry.

This was the hall of maps.

These paintings were drawn before anything could be accurately measured
yet they are accurate!

I'm amazed at the topography of the land that is depicted!! 

The figurines that seem to be sitting on ledges…just paint!

Francesca had us pause for a moment and look out an open window in the hall 

to show us where Pope Francis resides.

He chose the more humble and simple retreat house 

(instead of the Papal apartments out in front of St. Peter's)

on the grounds called

 Casa Santa Marta. 

He lives in the very same room he was assigned to stay when he was first elected pope. 

(room 201, the apartment at the end of the second floor with the closed shutters)

And finally, 

the Sistine Chapel.

Painted by Michelangelo, 

whom:

1. did not want to paint it

2. he was a sculptor not a painter and had no previous experience with frescoes

3. he was 33 years old when he began in 1508

4. it took him four years to finish it

Built in 1470,
it serves a crucial religious function. 

Beginning in 1492,
the building has hosted numerous papal conclaves,
during which Cardinals gather to vote on a new pope. 

It is where the famous chimney is located to broadcast with white smoke that a new pope has been selected.

(History.com)

I know that I am not of the norm when I tell you that this was my least favorite chapel.

Shocking, I know!

I think that it was due to the fact that the human bodies look like statues

and

they all seemed to be unhappy and struggling. 

I can truly appreciate all of the skill, work, 

and 

time that was put in to such a feat…

especially when the person painting it didn't even want to be there.

It just seemed dark and harsh…

almost as if Michelangelo's feelings were in every brushstroke and color.

(just my feelings!)

Fun fact:

Only one small component is missing...

part of the sky in the panel depicting Noah's escape from the flood. 

That section fell to the floor after an explosion in 1797 at a nearby gunpowder depot.

(History.com)

 These ramps lead us out of the Vatican.

They were added not too long ago for a jubilee celebration
which takes place every 25 years.

 We were now entering St. Peter's

but
not through the Holy Doors!

These doors are only opened every 25 years for the above mentioned jubilee.

The last jubilee was in 2000 known as
 "the Great Jubilee"
while Pope Saint John Paul II was the pope.

(front of doors)

(backside of doors)

However,

Pope Francis called for an extraordinary Jubilee on March 13 of this year.

(the last one being in 1983 to celebrate 1,950 years since the death and resurrection of Jesus)

The Jubilee will be called
"the Holy Year of Mercy" 

and 

will start December 8, 2015

 and 

end November 20, 2016. 

Francesca, our tour guide,

 is convinced that this compassionate pope 

(whom she says is a pope of the people)

 won't be around long. 

She feels his life and what he publicly stands for is not liked in some parts of this mean world.

The pope says, "No one can be excluded from the mercy of God!"

This is the reason why he feels the need for the extraordinary Jubilee.

He wants the church to receive blessing and pardon from God and remission of sins. 

Saying he has "thought often about how the church can make more evident
its mission of being a witness of mercy."

He goes on to say in his March address that "I am convinced that the whole church-that has much need to receive mercy because we are sinners-
we will find in this jubilee the joy to rediscover and render fruitful the mercy of God…"

(National Catholic Reporter)

St. Peter is believed to be buried here. 

The body claiming to be St. Peter was found with graffiti on it 

(an Italian term of endearment)

and

this body buried below the church was found with two missing feet.

(Peter was crucified upside down)

In this picture above the inside of the Holy Door he is holding keys…which is usually how Peter is portrayed.

Opening to see below to where he is buried.

The following pictures are showing the inside halls and open spaces leading to other places 

to worship, get married, and to more alters. 

The dome of the Basilica.

This is a statue of St. Helena.

She is pictured with the cross because it is believed that on one of her crusades, 

to obtain relics of Christianity 

and 

bring them back to Italy to preserve them forever, 

she found the cross, nails and spear that plunged in to the side of Christ. 

She was able to go on such crusades because her son was Constantine the Great!

Parts of the cross are within this tomb 

and 

the spear is here.

This is the statue of Roman soldier, 

St. Longinus,

whom pierced Jesus while he hung on the cross.

Monument Pius VIII

This is over the door to the Sacristy and Treasury Museum. 

The Pope is shown kneeling in prayer over the door, 

below the sculptures of Christ Enthroned 

and 

Saints Peter and Paul. The allegory reliefs are Prudence and Justice.

(digitalimages.net)

St. Peter

His feet are worn down from centuries of pilgrims kissing and rubbing them. 

Pope Saint John Paul II 

This is the alter in which to reflect and pray but his body is in a coffin not more than a thousand feet away from the believed body of St. Peter.

 (Vatican.com)

Pope Saint Innocent XI

November 1955 his body was exhumed for beatification. 

Although 267 years had passed since his death in 1689,

it was discovered that his body 

had remained preserved!

Considered to be in corrupt, 

his body was placed in a glass and bronze-work sarcophagus 

with his face and hands covered in silver. 

After his beatification he rested where Pope Saint John Paul II is now. 

He was moved in April 2011.

(en.m.wikipedia.org)

Pope Saint Pius IX

He had the longest reign in the history of the post-apostolic papacy.

(31 years, 7 months and 23 days)

He was 85 years old when he died in 1878.

(en.m.wikipedia.org)

Tony said that he was declared a saint.

 And,

 120 years after he was buried they exhumed his body to move him to St. Peter's 

and 

his body was in excellent condition and he was still smiling!

Tony also said that there is a third pope, Pius X 

that was exhumed in 1944, 

30 years after his death. 

When they exhumed him he was in such good shape that his limbs were still flexible!

All three popes were declared saints, that is why they exhumed them.

I loved this Madonna. 

I am a protestant and am not well versed on the Catholics love and devotion to Mary.

I have discussed Mary millions of times with Tony

(who is a former preist)

but 

his explanation in Florence 

(while having affogato…I'll explain later!)

 finally hit home with me.

First,

 he explained how there has never been any type of 

clothing, jewelry, or even a body claiming to be Mary's found on any of the crusades etc. 

Nothing!

Yet, we know she was real. 

That in and of itself explains, 

in Tony's mind, 

how precious and loved she was by God.

God left nothing of hers behind to be subjected to criticism, doubt, hate etc.

except for Christ…

A gift for all believers!

He then said that Catholics love 

(not worship, as so many non-catholics word it) 

the virgin Mary because she bore Christ! 

That's it!

Then he stated that, 

"I would rather error on the side of loving her too much, 

when I meet God in heaven,

 then not enough!"

Pieta

Michelangelo sculpted this piece in 1497 at the age of 21 

and 

finished when he was 24 years old.

It is the only piece of sculpture he signed.

(italianrenaissance.org)

There is bullet proof glass protecting the sculpture.

In 1972, 

a man who was mentally disturbed rushed the statue with a hammer and started hitting it, 

including the left arm of the Virgin which came off, and her head, 

breaking her nose and some of her left eye. 

(italianrenaissance.org)

For years I have looked at a little replica statue that belonged to my grandma, 

which Evan obtained after her death. 

It has always sat on his nightstand in his room. 

I now truly appreciate all of the love put in to this one piece.

I can see the difference between this work of art compared to the Sistine Chapel ceiling…can you? 

It serves as a true reminder that our best shines through when we are doing what we love!

(again...just my own thoughts!)

I wish that you could have listened to Francesca speak about this sculpture.

She truly loves what she does and it shows!

The tour she gave us 

was money that she will never see 

as the government takes fifty percent of all earnings. 

She said that our tour was given for free and the money from the afternoon tour she could keep!

That being said, 

I am sure that we received the same blessings of her knowledge as the afternoon group did.

St. Peter's Bernini Baldachino

or 

The Heart of the Church

It is 98 feet tall and uses 100,000 pounds of bronze stripped fro the portico ceiling of the Pantheon.

The sunburst and the dove represent Christ's resurrection.

It fits nicely under Michelangelo's dome.

The bronze orb at the top represents the world and the cross

of course Christ. 

(which was supposed to be a gigantic statue of the risen Christ)

(digital-images.net)

The columns are filled in with concrete for stability.

Thank you, Francesca!

I loved your passion and appreciated your wealth of knowledge!

Cherub Holy Water

The same water that Tony sprinkled on Todd…boys!

Upon exiting St. Peter's 

we saw the 

Pontifical Swiss Guard.

 

Recruits to the guards must be Catholic, 

single males with Swiss citizenship 

who have completed basic training with the Swiss military 

and 

can obtain certificates of good conduct.

Recruits must have a professional degree or high school diploma 

and 

must be between 19 and 30 years old and at least 5 ft 8.5 ft tall.

There are 110 of them.

After we left Vatican City 

some of us wanted to go see the Colosseum, Forum and Government Building.

But first,

PIZZA!

My mouth was full of the most scrumptious pizza here!

It was Amore'!!! 

The Colosseum

This amphitheatre was built in 70-72 AD 

and 

could accommodate 87,000 spectators

for events such as 

gladiator battles, chariot races, executions and even mock navel battles.

(ancient.edu)

 The Arch of Constantine

When Constantine killed Maxentius in the battle of the Milvian Bridge, in 312, 

he marched triumphantly into Rome.

After the victory parade was over, 

Constantine decided he wanted people to remember this victory. 

(which he gives credit to to the Christian God and claimed he was a Christian afterwards)

The arch erected in 315  

and 

is the largest surviving Roman triumphal arch and the last great monument of Imperial Rome. 

(historyforkids.org)

We went to The Imperial Forums next.

People first began meeting here for business or to buy and sell their goods in 500 BC!

Just on the other side of the fence people are still making and selling their wares.

As we were walking to the Government Building I was amazed 

at the ruins.

 They would be right in the middle of new buildings.

 One thing that struck me was the way the Italians let their visitors and guests

walk, touch, climb etc. all over these ancient ruins.

At home most of our "old" structures are roped off and we have signs everywhere 

stating not to touch!

We could learn a lot from Europeans!

I also loved see the sisters walking around the city.

Old or young…they walked!!!

 I mean…!!!!

Wow!

Ha! Love it!

A little statue imitation from T!

The graffiti at the bottom of the statue, 

remember 

is a term of endearment in Italy…not defacing property.

Another term of endearment…booties for the poodle!

Todd took this for Ashley :)

Those cobblestone streets are rough to walk on!

The Government Building

It was a beautiful building and was in my favorite part of the city of Rome.

I felt like I was in the upper East Side of NY.

Next are some pictures of the sights as we walked

to the 

Pantheon.

We stopped in to a church...

we passed a long the way!

This is

Basilica di

Santa Maria sopra Minerva

and it is the only example of an original Gothic church building in Rome.

The Dominicans began building this structure in 1280 modeling it on their church in Florence.

The water stained marks that you see on the restrained Renaissance style facade are from flood waters (65ft) from the Tiber River.

Some date back to 16th and 17th centuries.

The elephant is making the base for one of Rome's eleven 

(this particular one being the shortest) 

Egyptian obelisks.

It was found in the Dominicans garden adjacent to the church in 1665.

(en.m.wikipedia.org)

The Gothic interior features arched vaulted ceilings that was painted blue with gilded stars and trimmed with brilliant red ribbing in a 19th century Neo-Gothic restoration.

This is the tomb of St. Catherine of Siena.

Everything but her head and one finger

(which are in Siena) 

is in this tomb.

St. Catherine worked to bring the three Pope's that fled to France back to Rome to establish peace among the Italian city-states.

Her body lies beneath the high alter in the background.

Stained glass is from the 19th century.

In 1909, the great organ was constructed and was restored in 1999.

The old saying was true:

Don't judge a book by its cover!

Who would've known how beautiful this church was without entering!

Continuing on...

Love those cobblestone streets!

AND

doors!

Flowers on the terraces!

And then every once and a while 

you would just come upon a vigil that someone placed on the corner of a building!

Finally, we were at...

...The Pantheon

This is an ariel view from Pinterest that Tony pinned to his wall.

We walked the left facing street around  

to the front of the building.

This building is the best preserved building from ancient Rome 

and 

was completed in 125 AD 

in the reign 

of 

Hadrian.

Its magnificent dome is a lasting testimony to the genius of Roman architects 

and 

as the building stands virtually intact, 

it offers a unique opportunity for the modern visitor to step back 2,000 years 

and 

experience the glory that was Rome.

 (ancient.eu)

We did not go in as it was time for Mass.

Within the structure are the preserved tombs of the Italian monarchy from 1870-1946 

and 

another notable tomb is that 

of the Italian painter and architect

Raphael (1483-1520).

(ancient.eu)

 I love how this ancient building is nestled in between the newer structures.

Some of the group walked back to the hotel.

However,

Todd and I took a taxi!

We rested
 and
then went with Katie and Tony
to purchase food for our own Italian feast
that would take place the following evening on the rooftop of our hotel.

 I stood outside and talked with Katie as I couldn't take the smell of the cheese!

(anyone who knows me knows how I loathe the smell of stinky cheese! ha!)

I want to take a moment and say that in Italy there are 

NO preservatives, pesticides, or gmo's in the food!!!! 

And, 

half the sugar content!

The strawberries, 

of which I could not get enough,

tasted sweet, not sour, and were soft and juicy not hard and pithy!

They tasted just like the wild one's I used to pick on the creek banks 

when I was a kid! 

That evening we all gathered and ate at

 one of Tony's favorite restaurants.

 La Rustichella

I had Pasta alla Pomodoro

or

spaghetti with tomato sauce!

Simple, 

but 

heavenly!

 

 And of course we hit the 

Millennium...

 …for gelato!!

This was my favorite, stracciatella!

It was such a beautiful night!

What a historic day!

Our second day was nearing the end.

We had walk approximately 18,000 steps!

Tomorrow, Ripi!

Day 3:

Ripi,
as far as the eye can see!

It is a village nestled in the hills of the mountain range.

And,

It is where Tony's Grandpa was born!

His last name was Venditti 

and 

his family still runs the only bakery for miles.

The woman to Tony's right reminds me of his momma!

(she is his momma's cousin)

The gentlemen in the blue shirt is just a neighbor but,

 Tony named him

"The Tom Hudson of Ripi!"

He said that he is so nice to everyone and always helps everyone out :)

Lisa was buying some goodies for our roof-top feast!

Todd and I decided to walk around.

As you can see…there are NO straight flat roads in Ripi!

After spending two days in the city of Rome, 

it felt nice to be out in the country.

And what Italy is known for...

…their lemon trees! 

And yes,

wisteria over a door/gate.

What a charming place!

I loved seeing Tony's family
 and
roaming about the hillside that Sunday afternoon.

We headed back in to Rome late that afternoon.

Todd took this picture from the bus.

This is the

Statue of St. Francis of Assisi and his first followers, 

arriving in Rome to see Pope Innocent III 

in 

1209 at Basilica of St. John Lateran, 

asking for approval of the new order and Rule.

That is where we headed next.

Known as the pope's church,

Basilica St. John Lateran

is the 

The Cathedral of Rome.

It is the most ancient church in the world.

It was built in 311-314 AD 

and 

has seen many updates after 

an earthquake in 896 caused the central aisle roof to collapse

 and

 after it was put on fire in 1308 and again in 1361.

It used to house the pope until 1377.

(rome.info.com)

As the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, 

it ranks above all other churches in the Catholic Church, 

including St. Peter's Basilica. 

 (en.m.wikipedia.org)

Pope Francis is the Bishop here.

(I love how I was able to just catch the sun peeking over the roof-top statues)

This church houses the statues of the twelve apostles.

Each apostle is sculpted to show how they met their demise.

For instance,

The apostle above,

Bartholomew,

is shown with a knife because he was skinned alive 

and 

was beheaded near the Caspian Sea.

Some of his skin and bones are still kept in 

The Basilica of St. Bartholomew in Rome, 

and 

part of his skull in in 

Frankfurt, Germany 

and 

an arm is venerated at the Canterbury Cathedral in England.

(scannedthoughts.wordpress.com)

The room of twelve niches

(that were left empty until the 1700's)

 that display the twelve apostles.

A close up of some of the ceilings.

Outer rooms where the Papal tombs are located.

Again, 

my iPhone captured a colorful sunlit wall!

We learned in Florence that the Cathedrals had painted murals

(such as the one's above)

 to teach the stories of the Bible 

to those who were 

too ignorant to read and/or couldn't afford a bible.

The one teaching would sometimes have a stick 

and 

point to the paintings, fresco's or tapestries to

teach the true historical events in the Bible.

All along I believed,

 like many other non-catholics,

that it was a waste of money and was haughty 

of the church to use that money towards a cathedral and not its people.

However,

they were teaching very large crowds "how to fish!"

It was just another point in this soul changing trip

where I was humbled.

Beautiful original floors!

Confessional

Beautiful door from the inside.

 And,

 from the outside.

Just to the left of the doors above 

was this statue of 

Constantine the Great.

He was the first Roman emperor to claim conversion to Christianity.

Just to give you an idea of scale

this was a two year old playing in front of the doors!

They were getting ready for mass.

We then crossed over to 

The Scala Sancta Church.

On the left hand side of the church you can see arched columns and steps leading in.

This is where the "Holy Staircase" is housed.

The stairs were brought from Jerusalem to Rome about 326 

by St. Helena, 

the mother of 

Constantine the Great.

As with the other relics she brought over which are housed in St. Peter's,

she was able to do so because of her son's position.

The Holy Stairs 

are a set of 28 white marble steps 

that are encased with a protective wooden framework.

These are the steps that lead up to Pontius Pilate 

on which Jesus stepped on his way to trial!

Pilgrims, 

as seen above can pray on these steps.

You can see how wavy and worn the wood is on the steps

from 

those who have prayed on them day in and day out.

We then headed back through town so that we could get started on our roof-top feast!

While going through town I was awe struck with these trees!

I bet the arch they form when they are all leafed out is beautiful!

Something else that was beautiful was our views from the 

Alimandi Hotel

A convent

and

the Vatican!

The view of the food wasn't all that bad either!!

Tony brought us all together for this trip.

He knew us all but none of us knew each other!

We all hit it off from the moment we met in Philadelphia to board the plane to Italy.

This night was nice because we got a chance to learn more about each other.

I have a feeling we'll all meet again someday! ;)

Up on this rooftop 

 we had some really good food, laughs, conversation...

...wine,

and 

limoncello!

The conversation before this toast was hilarious!

Another perfect day in Ripi and Rome!

We walked approximately 11,300 steps!

The next day we left Rome and headed to

the 

Amalfi Coast!

We stayed in Sorrento 

but first,

stopped in Pompeii.

It's always interesting what pictures from home we would get 

when we would wake up in the morning!

Tom sent this one of some grass we had planted in the backyard before we left.

He knew that Todd would be wondering about it…and, he was right!

Day 4:

Train day to 

Sorrento

We boarded the train with all of our luggage 

and

traveled to Naples.

It was there that we met our drivers who took us to Pompeii.

Pompeii

Mt. Vesuvius

This active volcano 

(the only one on mainland Europe)

erupted in 79 AD 

and

covered the entire city, 

65 feet deep in some areas, 

in black pebble 

that rained down for six hours literally 

freezing the ancient city in time.

It was rediscovered in the 18th Century

(1400 years later) 

and 

then again some 40 years later after its rediscovery. 

The people of Pompeii settled here because the ground was so fertile.

Most people would not have known that Vesuvius was a volcano or that a Bronze Age settlement in the area had been annihilated almost 2,000 years before.

(smithsonianmag.com)

We entered the city

and

 came upon a quad of grass and what looked like stall doors.

There were only three places where gladiators trained 

and 

Pompeii was one of them!

These trained gladiator's were the one's who fought at the Colosseum in Rome

and

these were their living quarters.

And directly in front of them was the quad where they trained.

Our tour guide, Antonella,  

had the guys stand in a room that was like the one's behind the wooden doors

 and 

show their gladiator muscles...

ummm, ok…moving on! Ha!

She said that girls used to watch them train over this wall.

There would've been wooden beams running through the square holes

(also seen in previous pictures)

 in the rock 

and 

more than likely there was a second story.

By the way,

anything that is wood or metal 

has more than likely been added since excavation has taken place

(with the exception of some bronze statues)

to help maintain the stability of the structure 

or

to help people move about the grounds

like the ramp in the picture below.

Now our group is heading in to the amphitheater.

Can you see the bottom three rows of pavers?

Those were for the "important men" in the city.

As you look up you can see how the seating is very shallow…

those seats were for the women.

Can you believe that these pavers are still together?!

We were standing on marble pieces from a time before Christ and it still looks this good!

(Pompeii was founded in the 6th century BC)

We then went out in to the streets.

 We looked to the right,
which would've been the entrance in to the city.

If you look on the cobblestones there are three raised stones.

Those are there so that ONLY Pompeii carriages would've gone through the city.

If guests came from outside of the city for a visit 

 they would have to pay a driver to take them through the city 

as the wheels on their carriages would've gotten stuck between the raised rocks.

This was one way the city made money.

The city covered 170 acres and was home to approximately 11,000 people.

Close up of the road block engineering for the carriages.

You can see the carriage wheel ruts 

AND

 drainage grates!

These would've been stables but,

more than likely not for horses

rather

donkeys or mules.

There were no such animals found in the ruins.

Only a dog.

When excavations started they would dig 

and 

then when they found a body or cavity they would stop 

and 

add plaster to the empty cavity. 

After it hardened they would finish excavating and pull up the object.

The plaster formed around this man before pulling him out of the rubble.

You can even see the type of sandals he was wearing.

We continued walking through the city and came upon 

what would've been a "fast food" joint!

You can see where they would place the pots over the fire in the L shaped serving counter top.

We entered into a multi room dwelling

which would've been a home for a wealthier family.

The entryway would've had a water feature here.

This table base was made with three legs for stability.

The fresco's that were uncovered were amazing!

It was believed that the owners must have been in the theater or lovers of the arts.

Can you see the rut line formed at the entrance of the house

on the two elongated rocks?

The ruts were caused by heavy wooden sliding doors.

These were the triple fold doors

 (these were plaster cast molds of the actual doors) 

that shows what would've hung at the entry of the house.

The work goes on as they

are in the process of uncovering more fresco's and statues.

These were two of the workers on site.

This would've been the brick oven at the bakery.

One could make up the dough for bread or pizza and bring it to the bakery 

or 

the bakery would make the dough for you.

If you brought your own dough 

(all the people of Pompeii had a ring with their family's initials on it)

one would punch the loaf of bread with that ring 

so that the bakers would know which loaf belonged to which family.

The afternoon that the volcano erupted there were 70 loaves of bread in the oven.

They were still in there when excavation was done in this area.

Outside of the bakery was a community water fountain.

It was here that we learned why the cobblestones had such a high relief to walk upon.

If you can imagine this being raw sewage instead of water, 

then you would be thankful for the raised rock and the narrow sidewalks!

Someone would clean the streets every morning!

Actual pipes from the irrigation system!

Through these gates the men entered the "Y"or gym and baths.

The women entered through this entrance on a side street. 

This shows the courtyard where only men were allowed.

The men would work out naked 

(which is probably one reason for a separate entrance for women)

and

then enter through the columns on the right

where the massages, hot, and cold baths took place.

One would walk in to the "waiting area"

 until it was their turn for a massage or bath.

Amazing fresco's. 

Then he would enter the cold bath.

(women didn't take cold baths)

And,

then enter in to a hot bath and massage room.

Then exit.

We also went in to a brothel. 

Women from Asia Minor and other countries would stand outside on the streets

and howl for the men.

They were called she-wolves.

Because these women were from other countries 

there were different fresco's above the doors of each of the rooms 

explaining the different positions that the men from this region of the world liked.

(you can't make this stuff up!)

Once outside of the brothel you could catch a glimpse of the chapel.

Just gorgeous!

It is being restored at this time,

and 

just by looking at it 

I felt as if I was "restored" after going through that brothel! ha!

Just as I was feeling good again,

Antonella points out the penis on the cobblestone! Ha!

Actually,

the penis symbol was used a lot in artwork and such

as it was a sign of strength!

She also pointed out the "cat eyes" in the cobblestone.

These marble pieces were put here purposely 

so that the moonlight would reflect off of them 

and help guide the citizens home at night 

when they were coming from the beaches of Naples.

A working sundial in the middle of this courtyard.

So ominous with the active volcano lurking in the background.

A bronze statue. 

We were now walking in to what would've been their forum or government center.

It was a quad that would've had a double row of columns 

top and bottom all the way around the perimeter.

Behind gates in this area is where they keep some of the artifacts.

This is a plaster mold of a pregnant woman.

Pans for mixing and baking.

A replica of a carriage.

It was now time to exit the city.

They even had tunnel systems.

On the way out we saw this man was restoring a wall.

When doing so, 

one must put a line of brick distinguishing the old structure from the new.

I looked at these vases 

and 

thought we aren't creative at all!

This was done thousands of years ago!

Our lovely group…and Keith's behind! Ha!

It is a place that stuck with me for days.

I am so glad that Cheryl put this on her list of things she wanted to do!!

We asked Antonella why people still choose to build around this mighty volcano

and 

she simply said,

"Carpe' Diam!"

Italians seize each and every day like it's their last! 

Amen!!!!

We said our goodbyes to one of the sweetest women.

She too knew her history!!

While we were on tour,

there was a group of four or five people that yelled out,

"There's nothing to see here!"

To which she replied,

"That's why you need a professional tour guide!" 

I couldn't agree more!

And when I tell you that the ground is fertile around here...

…this is proof!

Lemons as big as your head!!!

It was time to head to Sorrento!

We stopped and took this picture on the other side of 

Mt. Vesuvius

along the way.

The city below it is Napoli or Naples.

Gorgeous views of the Mediterranean!

Muck and T

Best of Buds!

Continuing on...

…we finally made it to where we would rest our heads 

for three nights.

 After many twists and turns up the mountain there was just one more narrow climb up to 

the 

Sorella Oblatos de Gesu Bambino

Sisters of the Child Jesus

Convent

The convent's balcony 

is where we sat every night.

(and hung our laundry to dry that we washed in the bidet!)

The view right outside of our doors!

And,

it only cost us $50 per room per night!

We then walked in to Sorrento, 

where

I had the best lunch of my life!

Homemade ravioli and gravy with fresh basil!!!!!

And, 

I got to share it with this Babe!

Todd and T had homemade Gnocchi 

or

dumplings that have potato in them.

T had to kiss the cook it was so good! Ha!

After lunch we walked 

and 

it was here that I got the urge to dip my toe in the Mediterranean!

So, 

we started our walk down!

The cobblestone steps were tricky at times!

But,

the views when we got down to the marina were out of this world!

Especially this familiar face!

We stopped for a picture 

and then Todd told T to take me to the water while he took pictures.

The water was really oily right here as this is where the boats are launched.

Tony is laughing because I put my foot in and then he saw a sausage casing!

(yes, it was a sausage casing!)

It was still worth it!

It was time to leave this colorful area and head back up the thousands of steps!

T and I took the winding road up while 

Todd opted for the, 

"It's faster get the agony over quicker" steps!

We made it back up and then did some shopping.

Limoncello shop!

We all picked up what we wanted for 

"our dinner on the balcony night!"

I wanted strawberries!!

We also stopped and got fresh flowers for the Sisters at the convent.

We ate out on the balcony,

 had some Limoncello,

and

watched the sunset!

(my iPhone pictures)

Todd's pictures from his camera.

Just beautiful no matter how you look at it!!

Day 4 was over and we had walked approximately 17,649 steps!

Tomorrow

 the tour of the Amalfi Coast!

Day 5:

Amalfi Coast

We took a small bus up and down,
and,
round and round
900 curves!

We stopped along the way to take pictures outside of the bus and to visit
the village of
Positano and Amalfi.

There are no words to describe such beauty!

We traveled by 

Furore

or

'il Paese Dipinto';

the painted village.

 The oldest part of Furore is down at sea-level,
where the Borgo, a cluster of fisherman's houses, appears to be glued to the cliffs.
(italyheaven.co.uk)

Our driver said that the fishermen chose this spot to live because
the unusual gorge that cut through the land inward from the sea
made it a great spot to hide from pirates.

Another fishing village.

I shot this picture from the bus window upon our approach in to Positano.

Population 4,000.

Positano is built into the mountain. 

This was a stairway leading from the bottom of a home where 

the people parked their car and then walked up to their house!

If you have seen the movie

"Under the Tuscan Sun"

some scenes were shot here.

Houses upon houses from the tippy top to the sea!

As you can see the beaches are very rocky.

Santa Maria Assunta 

(in the background) 

Features a dome made out of tiles

and 

 held an exhibit of a replica
Shroud of Turin.

This linen cloth replica
(real one is in Northern Italy)
shows an image of a mutilated man,
apparently naked, one image of his front, with the arms crossed over the genital area,
the other of his back.
The wounds resemble those of a crucifixion,
with an additional wound in the side
similar to the one inflicted on Jesus when he was on the cross.

(historytoday.com)

It was so peaceful in there.

Back outside to the stairs which 

is the only way of getting around Positano.

I did some shopping for my nieces

and 

Todd did some shopping too...

…in his mind!

He cringed when he saw how close this beautiful piece of machinery 

was parked to the bus on that steep hill!

As we got back in to the bus

 and 

headed down the road, 

we saw this village someone created at the base of the mountain 

replicating Positano.

Good bye

Positano!!

The 

Green Grotto 

was next.

We went in an elevator that took us to the bottom of the mountain

instead of in a boat

and 

then took a "boat ride" inside of the cave in the background.

The water turns green because of the light that shines through the underground opening.

Next stop was 

Amalfi!

BREATHTAKING!

A little bigger than Positano

Amalfi's population is around 5,500.

 As you can see at the base of this mountain there are some
beautiful resorts.

After lunch we went in to

St. Andrew's Cathedral.

The cathedral dates back to the 11th century.

In 1206 

The Apostle St. Andrew's skull was brought here

 and 

still resides in the crypt to this day!

 The black and white portion is the "new" church
and
the older church is to the right.

 The massive doors leading in to the cathedral.

Standing in the old church looking at the bell tower of the new church.

These would've been alter decorations in the old church.

Old baptismal troughs.

Inside the old church this is where the main alter would've been placed.

You can see the fresco's that were uncovered on the ceiling.

More fresco's uncovered while building the new church.

This is the shrine of St. Andrew.

You can look through the lighted caged in area to see his skull.

The bronze sculpture was sculpted by

Michelangelo Naccherino,

a pupil of 

Michelangelo.

The doors leading in to the baroque style new church.

The gold ceiling has four large paintings 

that depict 

the flagellation of St. Andrew, the miracle of Manna, the crucifixion of St. Andrew 

and,

 the Saint on the cross.

(en.m.wikipedia.org)

It was time to head back up the mountain to 

Sorrento.

Until next time Almalfi!

We headed back to the convent to rest and change for dinner.

Il Buco

(hole in the wall)

This restaurant sits where

long ago there were gates that closed to the city of 

Sorrento

to keep the pirates from coming in and looting.

 I know that it doesn't look like much,
but
it was the best "free" meatball appetizer ever! Ha!

Speaking of the best,

Todd ordered a Manhattan 

and 

he said that it was the best ever!

Zucchini blossoms stuffed with cheese. 

Yum!!

They were both making noises I've never heard! lol!

They were eating this sample plate of sushi and gels.

I know how they felt 

because 

I did the same thing 

when I tasted this tomato and basil with cream soup!

And

my pasta with shrimp, tomatoes, and capers!

And,

Katie made some noises of her own when these handsome waiters doted on her!

She was definitely caught off guard!

(sorry Katie…had to do it!)

She is such a doll!

Todd's pasta and fish with tomato.

Tony's lobster!

Cheryl, Lisa and Michelle

 Keith and Jen
Poor Jen was fighting a cold the whole trip!
And,
Zenephia could not join us this night.
She was back at the convent recovering from food poisoning! :(

My Instagram post picture.

That day we walked approximately 10,439 steps!

Tomorrow

Capri!

Day 6:

Capri

We left Sorrento and took a jet boat to the island of Capri.

Sorrento
in the background.

Arriving at Capri.

Sooo picturesque!

The guys and Jen took this lift up to the top of the mountain

and...

Zenephia and I 

DID NOT!

We stayed on the ground and walked around shops and took pictures of doors! ha!

But seriously,

look at that wisteria!

I'm so glad that they did go up.

The pictures that Todd took of the views are amazing!

This man was putting in his garden.

Todd taking a picture of T.

They were specifically on Ana Capri,

you can see Capri down to the right!

On the way down!

Todd

Tony

Jen

Keith

We ate some lunch 

and 

then went to the beach.

The beach had beautiful rocks

(I brought some home)

and blue-green water!

(I love him so much!)

Gorgeous!

What a beautiful island!

We headed home and cleaned up for our last dinner 

 together as a group of ten.

Michelle, in pink, was heading back to the states in the morning :(

Day 6 was in the books and was such a nice relaxing day.

We walked approximately 17,299 steps.

Tomorrow

Florence!

Day 7:

In the morning some of us took a tour to the sister's chapel to see the 

artwork that Sister Monica had painted.

They were working on the alter so the room was not as it should be.

The gold leafed paintings were what she painted.

They also lightened up the room with off white paint.

So pretty,

and 

she painted the doors too.

When I got close to the mantle I saw the roses we had gotten them 

lying on the alter :)

Three sisters reside here.

If you are ever traveling abroad I highly recommend staying in a convent!

Later,

Todd and I took one more walk in to 

Sorrento to get some coffee and breakfast.

When we came back we walked the drive instead of the steps 

up to the convent

and

Todd wanted me to stop and act like he was taking my picture.

Because,

he wanted to capture this older woman's picture.

She lives behind the old church 

in a building that used to house wine that came from the churches vineyard. 

We turned the corner and the vans had come early to take us to the train station.

The traffic was bad that morning and they didn't want us to miss our train.

We were on our way to 

the Tuscany region!

After getting off of the train

the first and only stop for the day 

was to our villa

in

Signa, Italy

Down this cyprus lined driveway 

was...

the

Hotel II Borgo di Villa Castelletti

This mansion is used for weddings 

but 

it used to be the main house on the vineyard. 

and

Via di Castelletti

This is where we stayed.

This structure used to house the vineyard workers 

who worked the land around the mansion.

Our view from our villa.

Each room is named and decorated with art from an Italian artist.

Ours was an artist who painted a lot of blue and white china.

(I can't remember her name)

We had a fully stocked kitchen and two bedrooms 

(one up and one down) 

with a bath.

We hurriedly changed our clothes 

and 

walked the grounds.

Left of the path was a vineyard.

We were almost to the top.

Once we got up there we turned around

and

this was the view!

The gardens mimicked the scroll work of that on the entry tile flooring.

That door frame and tile work!

We went inside through another set of doors.

The ceilings inside the mansion were incredibly detailed!

Another ceiling in the parlor.

That hexagon ceiling above the gorgeous stairwell.

The floors were beautiful original marble tiles and brick.

The interior made me think that I was out west somewhere in the US.

While looking out of the windows to the front of the house I saw Jen

running, 

and

taking in the beautiful sights.

We went through a garden room

(that now looks like a ball room for a wedding)

 whose back wall was nothing but arched doors

which led us down a hill 

to this serene sight.

We strolled alongside the banks of this beautiful lake.

It was at this point that we heard the wild horses 

we had been told lived on the property 

but, 

we never saw them.

And,

we saw remnants from another time.

The outside of this building

looked like this on the inside.

I would've loved to have hauled home some 

big wooden beams that were lying on the ground!

I did find some small blue tile pieces lying on the ground and I took a few of those home.

While walking the woods back up to the villa's 

we ran in to these beauties!

They were enjoying a refreshing drink!

And,

then I peeked through an opening in the woods and saw this beautiful sight!

My favorite picture I think I've ever taken of scenery! 

It doesn't even look real! ha!

Back at the villa

we met up with these fine folks by the pool

and 

drooled over the dinner menu!

This was the last dinner we would have with Katie.

In the morning she was headed back to France to study for finals.

What an accomplished young women she is!!

I really enjoyed getting to know her :)

At dinner I looked out the window

and 

saw this sunset!

Thank goodness Todd forgot his medicine so that I could go outside and take pictures of 

my first Tuscan sunset

on the way to the villa!

This region of Italy is known for its meats

and 

truffles!

(the mushroom kind not the chocolate kind, ha!)

Beef tar tare

that Todd and I split.

This is what Tony and Todd ordered.

Do you see those black truffles atop the egg?

They were in heaven.

I ordered this.

The potatoes were very good

however...

the meat just isn't good 'ol IN beef.

I'm not a meat eater anyway,
but for some reason I was craving it!

But,

 this sweet heavenly dessert Tony and I ordered did the trick!

This is affogato!

(Gelato with espresso poured on top)

My favorite dessert…

suffice it to say we didn't speak a word while eating it 

and, we didn't share!

My Instagram post for day seven!

We walked approximately 8,034 steps.

Tomorrow, Florence!

I woke up to this picture of Vladimir and Doug.

Ashley said that they were really missing us :(

Day 8:

Florence

After eating some of the best breakfast food I'll ever eat

in the building above,

(I made sure I woke up early every morning thereafter so I could graze longer!)

the driver picked us up bright and early and we were off for a 

jammed packed day!

Our first stop was 

The Accademia

This is the place where Michelangelo studied.

Once again,

we had a professional tour guide.

This is Mimi.

She had graduated with an

 Art History Major

Architect Minor.

She is currently in Graduate school for Art History.

She was fascinating to listen to!

We started the tour 

talking about the top of a hope chest trunk to learn a bit about Florence's history.

I will NOT go in to all of the details 

but

here are three of my favorites about this piece: 

1. the chest was so large because the bride was from a wealthy family

2. family members were painted with what they were wearing to the wedding in 1420

3. one can tell the brides family from the grooms by the matching patterns on their clothing 

In that same room was this sculpture named

The Rape of the Sabine Women

It is an episode in history
dated to 750 BC,
in which the first generation of Roman men
acquired women for themselves from the neighboring Sabine families.

The English word rape is a conventional translation
of the Latin raptio,
which in this context means
"abduction"
not the horrendous sexual act Americans link it to.

(en.m.wikipedia.org.)

At this angle you can see all three facial expressions.

The distraught father or brother on the bottom, the inebriated abductor and the scared Sabine woman.

This is the plaster version.

The contortion of the bodies was tedious work because the weight had to be 

equally distributed or it would crumble.

Why are they not clothed if this is not rape as we know it, you may ask?

Most people represented in statues aren't clothed because 

they want the figures and subject to remain timeless.

This is the Marble sculpture that sits outside of 

The Accademia.

It is on the right hand side of the 

Loggia dei Lanzi

This structure was built in 1376 

and 

was used as a terrace 

from which princes could watch ceremonies in the piazza.

(en.m.wikipedia.org)

Back inside we visited the room where 

Michelangelo's 

David is housed.

The block of Carrera marble from which David emerged had been started by two other sculptures.

The legs and opening had been started by the first sculpture 1464.

Both men rejected the enormous block of marble 

due to the presence of too many veins or imperfections in the marble.

 This block of marble remained neglected for 25 years, lying in a courtyard.

The statue was supposed to be placed up high on the Cathedral's Dome ledge.
However,
after the unveiling in 1504,
the vestry board all agreed that it was far too perfect to be placed up high.
(accademia.org)

The following pictures show where he calculated each measurement so that David would be to scale.

The second niche to the right on the shorter dome.

A close up of the niche.

David was placed in the political heart of Florence,

in 

Piazza della Signoria

It took forty days and the same amount of men to move the statue from the 

courtyard where Michelangelo created David to the Piazza 

and 

remained here until 1873, 

when it was then moved into the

 Galleria dell 'Accademia

 to protect it from damage and further weathering.

(accademia.org)

In 1501 when Michelangelo was only 26 years old, 

accepted the challenge with enthusiasm and secrecy.

From a close distance,

his passion for the human anatomy and his deep knowledge of the male body 

can be admired.

Michelangelo's face of David bears the resemblance of...

...this statue of St. George by Donatello.

Mimi said that Michelangelo studied under Bertoldo di Giovanni,

 who himself was a student under Donatello.

The veins in the hands are different on the left compared to the right.

Mimi said that he must have studied his own hands and how the veins react in certain positions.

They appear over sized,

but remember they were supposed to be viewed 80 feet high!

Students are still admiring the work of David.

Recent damage to David:

On September 14, 1991

a deranged man broke off a toe with a hammer.

Other damages include:

-1512 Damage to the base by lightning

-1527 Bench thrown out of a window hitting the left arm during a riot. 

-1813 Broken finger on right hand

-1843 Broken toe

All damages were fixed.

(pontecommedia.wordpress.com)

After our group picture 

Mimi took us over to another part of that room

to some of Michelangelo's unfinished work.

It is believed that he never finished because he wanted to show 

people how and what tools he used when he sculpted.

this might be due to the fact that he never had an apprentice 

and 

always created in private.

If you look closely you can see chisel marks and how he used the chisel 

and 

there is evidence of drill marks obviously from a drill.

There were several of these statues that were to be placed in St. Peter's 

for a pope who commissioned Michelangelo. 

However,

the pope died before he could finish

 and 

 in turn the statues were never finished.

The lineage of Christ

Family Tree

(another example of pictures telling the stories in the bible)

Thank you Mimi for your wealth of knowledge about the Accademia and the artwork within it.

She then took us to the 

Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Flore

(Cathedral of the St. Mary of the Flower)

We walked down the street and caught a glimpse of this 

massive structure through the narrow opening in the buildings.

Just this looked huge and then... 

Mimi said to look left.

She wanted to show us the niche where David was to sit.

I had never seen anything like it!

I just was in Awe!

I wanted to back up to see it all at once but the buildings next to it were to close to do so.

Looking to the right of the main doors.

The gold sphere atop the highest dome

is made out of copper.

It was placed there in 1472 but was struck by lightning January 7, 1600.

The ball tumbled down the side of the dome into the square below remaining intact.

It was replaced on top two years later.

(floreceinferno.com)

As you can see there was quite a line.

And,

you can see the exterior's green, pink and white marble.

The interior is stark in comparison!

Beautiful Gothic arches.

This is tile that looks like a tapestry.

The holes that you see in the ceiling of the dome served several functions.
They were there for support beams, to pass materials through, and for scaffolding while the dome was being built and painted.

The alter.

Beautiful intricate details on the floors.

Most clocks run on "French Time".

However,

this is the only clock in the world that runs on "Italian Time"

It runs right to left and has the roman numeral 24 on the bottom.

24-hour clock is common in Europe

(known as military time in the US).

The hour designated by the number 24 on the Duomo clock 

is not mid-night, but is the hour of sunset.

It was linked with the bells 

to tell residents to close the gates 

and 

make sure all citizens should be inside of the gate walls.

(tuscantraveler.com)

The bell tower

The first stone was laid on September 9, 1296 and the project lasted 140 years!

The Column of Abundance

There are four of these throughout Florence that was the bases for the cities layout.

Mimi said that when Caesar stopped in Florence he liked it so much that he stayed

 and 

put up four columns to make a perfect city block which had an opening that faced Rome.

This is where the saying from which, "All roads lead to Rome" originated.

In 59 BC Julius Caesar established the city of Florence,

the former Capital of Italy.

The "Modern" columns

(seen here on the right and in the picture above)

cover the specific historical spot that Caesar mapped out.

We then went to a church that used to be a city market.

The niches and statues were added to make it look like a church.

It was not a huge church.

The floors were nothing compared to the tile and marble floors of most churches.

It is the original market floor.

It was here that Mimi told us why there were, 

"Stories of the bible painted on all surfaces for those who were ignorant or couldn't afford a Bible."

We walked back to the 

Piazza della Signoria

and 

said our goodbyes to Mimi by the

Fountain of Neptune.
1563-1565

The day we were there it was roped off in areas while we were eating lunch in the square
and
there was a military presence.

(seniorgapyear.wordpress.com)

(www.florencedailynews.com)

We learned the reason why was due to Hollywood.

(www.joblo.com)

Ron Howard and Tom Hanks were there
filming the movie Inferno
coming out October 14, 2016.

After lunch we headed to the
Ponte Vecchio
on the
Arno River

We walked to the last bridge to get a picture on it and for Todd to get a panoramic view.

He got some great panoramic views!

And,

a picture of this fine group!

We split up until dinner and took in the sights of Florence

and 

did some shopping.

I had to... ;)

Aren't they so pretty!

We came upon a puppet show.

She had a tube running from her mouth to that of the puppet
which made him look like he was the one blowing bubbles.
 The kids loved it!

We also watched some street artists.

Fascinating!

And,
something that was not so fascinating was this…

you rub the snout of the pig for luck,

place a coin on the top of it and let it roll.

If the coin goes in to the mouth the one rolling the coin will return to Italy.

If it does not,

you will not return to Italy!

Darn it, anyway! 

That's the way the coin rolls!

We walked by a music store and saw this poster 

of Tony's cousin!

He is famous over here!

I may not have had any luck at the fountain 

but I did when I went shopping.

Todd completely surprised me and told me that I could go into 

Louis Vuitton

and 

pick out a handbag! 

ummmm…..!

(I do not deserve such things…)

And that was definitely a first!

Tony was waiting for us to come out while he sat at a sidewalk cafe'

and 

snapped this picture. 

I loved that he captured this moment.

And,

that I had no idea that he had until he posted it on his Instagram.

Under the picture he put,

"Have you ever seen a man so happy after shopping for the love of his life?"

We joined T for some wine and affogato. 

Tony said this on his Instagram about this picture,

"See that smile on Muck's face? Same smile when he met Hol. Same smile with her all week!"

So very sweet! 

We did have the best vacation together ever!!!!

Thanks T, for putting it all together!

Chocolate swirl gelato with hot espresso poured over it…GIANT sized!

We sat there and talked while Todd took a little nap.

This was where T and I had our discussion about Mary.

 We then walked to meet the others for dinner.

Great place!

We had a family style dinner that never ended!

Three antipasti, four different pastas, six different meats,

eight different desserts, free flowing wine, 

and Vin Santo!

Do you see the chocolate in the one dish and the pile of strawberries?

Yeah,

I put them together and made a meal out of it!

The chocolate in Italy isn't super sweet and I loved that!

We were in the city of Florence from 9am-11pm!

It was time to go back to our Villa.

We walked approximately 15,000 steps!

It was so good to wake up to this smiling face and

Evan and V!

Day 9:

San Gimignano, Siena, and Wine Country!

Before we headed to San Giamano

our van climbed the hillside 

so that we could get a view of Florence from above.

View of the Ponte Vecchio

on the
Arno River

Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Flore

Florence was not my favorite city but I loved the views from up here.

I guess realized I just love wide open spaces!

The Piazzale Michelangelo

bronze statue replica of David

by

Michelangelo Buonarroti

We hit this place at the right time because it was not super crowded.

There were entertainers,

and 

several artists.

I really liked this artists work and once again

Todd surprised me and purchased the first small sunflower painting on the upper left.

 While heading out of Florence we saw our second Ferrari.

We now had arrived at
San Gimignano

It is a small walled mid-evil hill town that was started in 450 AD.
It's known for its twelve preserved towers.
(there have been as many as 72 towers reaching 230 ft. tall!)

The entrance in to the City.

The outer wall of the cities entrance.

In the Middle Ages 

the city was used for a stopping point 

for Catholic pilgrims on their way to Rome and the Vatican.

It was so clean!

There were two weddings going on that day.

Why so many towers?

Aristocratic families built them to demonstrate their wealth.

The wealthier the family the higher the tower!

We stopped for lunch here at the

La Cisterna Hotel.

In the forefront is lasagna.

That is what I had…along with the bread soup that is right behind it.

Tony ordered that and let me have some! Yummy!

Todd ate the last dish which was barley.

Tony had ravioli with white truffle sauce and walnuts!

And of course,

Gelato!

Delicious!

 We had another hour to kill so we just walked around the city.
We didn't have a tour guide this day so I felt a little lost.

But,

that was ok because there were plenty of doors and windows to admire!

The best part about the pictures above is that Todd took them :)

He said that he did that for me…I think that he was beginning to 

appreciate the artistry of doors/windows!

These are the Tuscan views that this city admires day in and day out.

No wonder they wanted tall towers!

Next stop
Siena!

Founded in the time of Emperor Augustus 

70 AD and was the birthplace of 

St. Catherine.

The Basilica San Domenico

St. Catherine's 

head and thumb are entombed here.

 (no picture of that)

We walked around a bit and shopped for food for our last
pitch-in.

Next,
WINE COUNTRY!

Cool map telling you what region each wine is grown in.

Vineyard's for miles!!

Back at the Villa we had our last dinner together.

We ate out on this patio 

and again,

I excused myself to take pictures of my last 

Tuscan sunset.

Day 9 was over.
We had walked approximately 9,983.

We said good-bye to Tuscany!
My favorite place in Italy!

Back to Rome we go!

Day: 10

After we got back to Rome and repacked everything, 

did some shopping and had one more dinner at 

La Rustichella

Ravioli

And one more gelato!

Day 10 was over like that!

We walked approximately 9,464 steps.

By the end of the next travel day home we had walked over 80 miles!

Day 11:

Home!

It's not a great picture of Irene

but,

she and everyone that worked at the 

Alimandi Hotel 

were great!

Italians are the friendliest people.

When we tried to speak Italian they appreciated it 

but,

were never rude when we didn't speak it perfectly.

Yet another humbling moment for me.

Yes, 

we have those who do not speak our language well, 

or at all

who live in America. 

But, 

be kind! 

It will help them to learn how to speak our language easier :)

Leaving Italy! 

Arriverdverci! 

Back home again to Indiana!

We left at 8am in Rome and got home 8pm in Indianapolis!

I stayed up 'til 3am and woke up around 8:00am the next day.

I don't know if that was the trick, but I didn't have any trouble adjusting.

Again,

Thanks Tony for planning such an awesome experience!!

We all said that we want to do it again 

and 

now that I have been bitten by the travel bug,

I'm in!!

Next stop…

New Zealand?!