The Grand Finale

Today was a bittersweet day. We've had so much fun on our trip, but we're also ready to be back in the comfort of our own home. We've made wonderful new friends we won't see every day anymore, and we'll resume the craziness of life at home. With all this in mind, we began with another early day. After meeting Carol, Denise, Nick, and Fontaine at the bar, we made our way to the gangway and found our handsome Italian driver, Mario. After a few minutes in the van, I was again reminded that no one could pay me enough to drive in these cities!

The plan was to take in the Amalfi Coast via a van ride (with Johnny's Tour Service), while stopping a few times to explore and take pictures. I'll be honest. When we got in the van and began to drive I was disappointed. The weather forecast included fog through the day, and it certainly didn't help our tour! However, the fog slowly began to burn away which made viewing (and picture taking) much more enjoyable. The scenery along the way was like nothing I've ever seen before. After a relatively short drive through Sorrento and a few stops for photos along the Coast, we ended up in Positano. Of course the town was gorgeous, but also had a quaint sophistication about itself. We wandered and stumbled upon an old ornate chruch, which is still used today. A few of us ventured down to the beach. I think it was the most stunning view we saw all day. This shot from the beach, up the cliff is just amazing! It almost looks like the buildings are just stacked on one another. Positano had some super cute shops, but I was more impressed with the bakery. I got a meringe cookie the size of my hand for €1.50! It was almost like being in Venice again, but without the canals and with a very steep hill to climb.

From Positano we traveled to Amalfi Town. We had the most time to explore here, and I'm glad! After some window shopping, John whippped out his handy dandy Rick Steves book and found that the oldest paper mill (now museum) in Europe, Museo della Carta, was just a short distance away (uphill, of course). We made it up the hill just in time to join in with a tour that had recently begun. To watch the paper making process was interesting, and the old presses and tools were ancient! Well, maybe not literally, but does that even matter? Once we finished the tour, we rejoined the touristy area of the town, stimulated the economy, indulged in some pizza and much needed gelato (I couldn't help it. After being spoiled with it for an entire week, I was jonesin' for it!), and met up with our group in time to board the van for our next stop. As you may or may not know, this particular area of Italy is known for many things: ceramics, beautiful coastline, citrus fruits, and of course...limoncello! In true Nick fashion, a decent sized bottle was purchased, and it was gone (with everyone's help) by the time we arrived in Pompeii. But I digress...back to the tour!

The final town we visited was the highest we traveled, Ravello. To this point, most of the scenery looked similar. But, as we climbed the cliffside, we were awestruck. Terrace upon terrace layered the landscape with farms of many types: vinyards, olive trees, citrus trees, and even some shepherds with their herds of sheep. This town was much less crowded (and less touristy). We attempted to make the most of our time there, but we had less than an hour. We found a few treasures (both to bring home and to visit), and look forward to exploring more at some point in the future. The end of our tour here began our decent down the cliffside.

We arrived in Pompeii and allotted two hours for the tour (even though RS says three hours). There's only so much you can accomplish during the time you're in port. However, we had all seen so many ruins throughout the trip that we weren't exactly jumping with joy to trip over more, and some were already dragging from exploring three other towns prior. Not to mention that some more than others were feeling mighty fine after polishing off that bottle of limoncello! John played tour guide with his RS book and led us to the major sites throughout Pompeii. He did a good job; we all returned to the ship in one piece having learned something new. We saw the theatre, fast food joints, the largest home in Pompeii, and the most visited attraction: the brothel. As we exited, we finally captured a phenomenal picture of Mt. Vesuvius, the reason this site is so famous. One last look at the distant volcano and so came the finale of our land tours. It was a short trip back to the ship, and we all dreaded the imminent threat of real life as the ship came into view: packing. Mario took very good care of us all day, ensuring a safe trip and a timely arrival at the cruise port. To be honest, I don't quite know how he managed with all of us being loud and obnoxious all while driving up and down a cliffside of crazy sharp turns and scooters weaving in and out of traffic. But, he did and bid us farewell with bottles of more limoncello.

Our final embarkation was just another reminder that it was time to pack, and so we did. Well, we tried. First we packed. Then got frustrated and went to dinner. Then we packed again...and still we weren't finished. So, we met Nick and Fontaine for drinks. Then, you guessed it, we packed again! This time we finished and were glad to be done with it! We left the luggage outside the door and headed to the bar for one final get together with part of our group.

We enjoyed spending time with our Aussie and American friends, but the day's trip was taxing, and some of us were fading a little faster than others. Then, the life of the party showed up, Dustin! We all made sure to leave rave reviews about him on our comment cards, and we're hoping the next time we see him, he'll be our Cruise Director. A heartfelt and misty-eyed goodbye to our new friends left us feeling a little blue as we headed to our room. Although it was a long day, it was difficult to fall asleep with the excitement of returning to our own (much more comfortable) bed, along with the amenities we've evidently been taking for granted all our lifes (washer, dryer, iron, normal sized refrigerator). So now, it must be time to get some sleep, or it's going to be a long day of traveling back tomorrow!

History and the Ephesians

Today marked our last day in Turkey. At about 9:30 the ship pulled into the port of Kusadasi, on Turkey's western coast. Kusadasi is a resort town, very popular with foreign tourists and Turkish vacationers. We were not here to relax, however. Kusadasi is also the access point to the ruins of Ephesus, an ancient Greek/Roman town. After getting off the ship, we had about an hour to kill in Kusadasi. Everything within walking distance of the dock was tourist shops, so we just meandered until 11:00 when we met our vehicle and tour guide, Emre, from the company Ephesus Shuttle. We shared the tour with Nick and Fontaine, Dwight and Maria, and Peter and Margot.

After about a half hour drive, we arrived at our first stop of the day, The House of the Virgin Mary. This house is in a secluded location on a mountain above Ephesus. It is believed that St. John brought Mary here for protection a few years after Jesus's death, and that she lived the last years of her life in the house. A number of popes, including John Paul II and Benedict XVI, have visited the site. It is a very serene location and a mass occurring outside the house made our visit even more spiritual. After visiting the house we lit candles, drank water from the spring near the house that is said to be some of the purest water in the world, and left wishes on a wall to be burned by a priest. I greatly enjoyed this visit and found it to be a very meaningful experience.

After descending down the mountain, we entered the ruins of the ancient city of Ephesus. Recall how I said we had a half hour drive from the port. Ephesus used to be a port town which was situated on the coast. Over time, the nearby river silted up the area and pushed the ocean further away. These ruins are actually the third incarnation of the city, as it had been moved twice due to this silting. The issue is still occurring to this day. The ruins of Ephesus (which are only 18% excavated) are a sight to behold, a sprawling town of marketplaces, temples, houses, and more. The site makes the Roman Forum look like a bunch of pebbles comparatively. There were three places in the ruins that were highlights. First was the Terrace Houses, the houses which the rich of the city lived in, still under excavation. The second was the Library of Celsus, a reconstructed facade of the library of the city, which was, at its time, the third largest library in the world. The third was the Great Theater, where Christianity was preached by St. Paul; he was beaten for it. The picture to the left shows a lion mosaic on a floor of a child's room in the Terrace Houses. The pictures below show us in front of the Library of Celsus, and also the Great Theater.

After leaving the ruins of Ephesus, we got some takeout Turkish food from the shop outside the site and ate it on the bus as we headed to our next site. It would have been nice if we had been given time to eat at a non-touristy Turkish restaurant instead, and this was one of only two disappointments with the tour. Our next visit was to the Basilica of St. John. This set of ruins is the site where a church was built to honor St. John. This church was ordered by Justinian during the decline of Ephesus, and so it was built with reused materials and was devastated quickly by the passing of time. We saw the baptistetry, the area where the altar was, and also the tomb of St. John. Of course, the bones of St. John were removed from the tomb and are now in Italy. We then made a quick stop at the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, which is now nothing more than two pillars. The picture to the left shows one of the pillars (complete with stork's nest on the top), with the Basilica of St. John in the background.


On our way back to the ship, we encountered the second disappointment of the tour. We were suddenly taken to a carpet shop, a stop on the itinerary which was not discussed at any point prior to about 5 minutes before arrival. For a little bit of credit, the shop we were taken to is the one shop that Rick Steves recommendes in his guidebook for buying carpets in the Ephesus/Kusadasi area. We were treated to a nice demonstration on the making of rugs, Turkish drinks, and a very non-pushy salespitch. We endured the ritual and then headed back to the port. We had an early dinner, checked out the hot glass show on the ship, then retired. It was overall a very enjoyable day, and I cannot imagine a more impressive archaeological site than Ephesus. tomorrow brings Athens, and what is sure to be an interesting look at the history of the world.

Istanbul, Old and New

Today began our two days in Istanbul, Turkey. This overnight visit to Istanbul was one of the primary reasons we chose this particular cruise, so I was greatly looking forward to the day. We met up with a couple in the morning to join us for our tour of the historic part of the city. We had booked a tour with the company Private Tours in Turkey, and our guide met us outside the port at 08:00. Unfortunately, our originally booked guide was unavailable due to a family situation, but another guide, Hale, filled in for her. We hopped onto the city tram, which easily whisked us away to the historical core of Istanbul, the area known as Sultanahmet. Our first stop was the Hippodrome, a square which is situated over an area originally built by Constantine for chariot races in Constantinople. The obelisk shown to the right was originally an Egyptian obelisk, carved in about 1500 BC. The part of the obelisk in Istanbul is only the upper third, as it was chopped in pieces for transport to Constantinople.

Following our walk through the Hippodrome, we entered the famed Blue Mosque, which was stunning from both inside and out. As is customary in mosques, we removed our shoes and walked on the carpet in the mosque in socks or barefoot. The mosque was built in the early 1600s and received its name due to its ornate blue tiles on the inside. According to Hale, the building was originally to be constructed with golden (altin) minarets, but this was too expensive, so the sultan ordered six (alti) minarets instead.


Next on our tour was Hagia Sophia, a museum which was built as a church in the sixth century by Justinian (a rebuild of an earlier church by Constantine which was destroyed). When the Ottoman Empire took control of Constantinople in the 1500s, it was repurposed into a mosque and the Christian mosaics were plastered over. In the twentieth century, it was secularized and turned into a museum. Since then, work has continued to reveal the Christian mosaics, and as such, the church is an incredible example of both Christian and Islamic art and design at the same time. This can be seen in the interior picture below. The second picture shows the exterior.

A short walk away was the sprawling complex known as Topkapi Palace, the former palace of the Sultans. We explored a number of different sections of the palace, but the most notable included the treasury (filled with a huge number of jewels), and the Harem. The Harem was the part of the palace in which the Sultan lived, along with the his mother (who served as the de facto queen, as almost all sultans did not marry), servant eunuchs, concubines, and his favorites, who were the women chosen by the Queen Mother to keep company with the Sultan and bear him children. The entire Topkapi Palace was overwhelming, and we easily spent the most time here of any site of the day. The picture to the left shows just one of the courtyards of the Palace.


After the Topkapi Palace, our tour guide pointed us in the direction of a nearby restaurant which served cuisine which she described as "the same as we would cook at home". We all ordered far too much of the delicious food, and took a much needed break from all of the walking.

Our next stop was the Underground Cistern, which was built in the sixth century (during Justinian's time) in order to provide fresh water to the blue bloods of the city. Turns out it didn't really matter what the blue bloods did with their water, since most of it was poisoned with lead from the aqueducts (built using lead) and drank from lead cups. The term blue blood refers to the more noble people of the city, whose fairer skin meant that their veins appeared blue below their skin. The working class and slaves had darker skin from being in the sun, and as such, their veins appeared green, and they were called green bloods. The cistern was an extremely peaceful place, which included some neat architecture, as well as some very cool carvings of Medusa which were transplanted here. It is an interesting take on early recycling, as all of the columns here were used from other structures.

Our final stop of the tour was the Grand Bazaar. We found the bazaar to be overwhelming, and a large mismash of the same goods over and over. Since nothing has price tags, you are forced to speak to the shopkeepers to try and determine the value of goods and compare pricing; a tedious task, when even saying hello to a shopkeeper can then make it difficult to extract yourself from conversation with them. Even with these difficulties, we did our part to stimulate the Turkish economy with a few choice purchases.


Following the Grand Bazaar and approximately 8 hours of touring, we hopped back on the tram and made our way back to the ship. We parted ways with Hale, who proved to be a wonderful tour guide. We were quite pleased with the insights she provided and the little tricks she used throughout the day to save us time in lines and elsewhere.

We took a brief rest in our room, and then made our way back out in what at that time was a relatively steady rain in order to take in the modern side of Istanbul. There is a pedestrian friendly street, Istiklal Street, which according to RS provides a nice counterpoint between the Istanbul of the past and present. We originally planned to take a taxi, however, after one turned us down (for reasons unknown to me), we found our way to the funicular, which proved to be a cheap and easy way to reach Taksim Square (on one end of Istiklal Street). By the time we reached the Square, the rain had died down and we wandered the street for about an hour, shopping for books for Sarah, among other things, and also securing some baklava. The very busy pedestrian street had a number of upscale shops and was a whole different world compared with Istanbul's Old City. We were very glad to have made the journey. We hopped on the funicular and took the short walk back to the cruise ship. One very late dinner later, we rested for the the night, ready for more Istanbul in the morning.

Santorini or bust! (Or be a hitch hiker.)

What began as a low-key, relaxing day turned out to be quite an adventurous one! Once we grabbed a quick breakfast, we headed to the Solarium (adult only pool area), books and iPad in hand. We were lucky enough to snag one of the ginormous basketlike chairs, which could hold a family of four. As we read, we watched the tranqualizing Aegean waves ripple across the sea toward small islands. What a calming way to begin another beautiful day!

Our arrival in Santorini was uneventful, but we did opt for the Celebrity sponsored excursion. This enabled us to tender to the island before any of the other passengers (along with some friends we made through Cruise Critic: Fontaine & Nick and Lee & Karon). A short tender ride landed us in Athinios. There we waited until our bus drove us up the long, steep, and winding road to a local winery. There were picturesque views of the caldera and masterfully engineered vineyards. The bus dropped our group at the winery and we tasted the wine while exploring and taking in the beautiful scenery. It was a quick stop, then we were back on the bus for the main event: Oia.

Once we got off the bus, we totally ditched the tour group and headed off with our small group. Here in Oia, the views were simply stunning. The blue domed roofs and white washed walls atop the cliffs stood out brilliantly against the sea far below. We popped into a nearby church and I must admit, I was in awe. We've seen some beautiful churches since our adventure began, but nothing like this before! This tiny church was unassuming from the outside, blending with the shops and homes around it. But inside was a totally different story! Ornate and gorgeous, no...there are no verbs in the English language which do this church justice.

We began exploring this tiny town (always on the look out for The Red Bicycle, a restaurant recommendation from Jamie) and soaked in the beautiful views it had to offer. While the ladies shopped the men explored, sometimes where they shouldn't. We snatched up some great finds, including more books! Finally, we got directions to The Red Bicycle, but it was closed. Lee was kind enough to ask a local shopkeeper if it were possible to get in, and he gladly obliged. The manager opened early for us to share a bottle of wine, and we had the whole place to ourselves! The view from the restaurant was probably the best we had all day, and was well worth the prolonged search.

As you may (or may not) know, Oia is quite possibly the most beautiful setting at sunset. Unfortunately, due to our departure time, we are unable to tell you if this is true. We made our way back down the main street to the bus stop. Since we ditched our tour group (which only spent an hour in Oia), we needed to take the local bus instead. We took the short ride to Fira, the capital of Thira (the main island of Santorini), and explored some more. But first, we needed a potty break...and then we didn't. Some ladies found out (the hard way) that it was probably best to wait until we could find something that was more than just a hole in the ground with some cement around it. Of course the men found this hilarious, and were skeptical as to whether this could possibly be true. At that point, John was using the facilities, and the others wanted proof. Only at this point did the ladies realize (to our muted horror) there was a window and any person taller than 5'0" could see into the stall! I knew we would happen upon this type of toilet eventually, but was totally hoping the moment would never come. Later, Fontaine so wisely noted, "How is it they [the Greeks] invented the alphabet but they can't figure out plumbing?" Anyway, back to the adventure at hand!


Exploration of Fira was limited and was geared toward finding the cable cars (and something to eat). The path to the cable cars was clearly labeled, so we found a place to eat. Everyone was satisfied with their food and John enjoyed a Yellow Donkey, a beer brewed in Santorini. By the time we were finished with our snack it was about 20:00, just an hour and fifteen minutes before the last tender. Generally that wouldn't be a big deal. But, when there are only two ways down the cliff side (one the ladies vetoed: the 500+ "donkey steps"), the line for the cable cars is rather long.


As we waited a joke came to mind the tour guide told earlier in the day. What's the difference between a tourist and a hitch hiker? Anyone know? Five minutes. I didn't think it was a good time to bring that sort of levity to our semi anxious group at the time, so I abstained. And anyway...I'm not sure what we would've called ourselves. Just six Americans without their passports in a politically unstable Greece who missed their ship? Too long. A prize to anyone who can come up with anything better!

The wait atop the unusually cold and windy cliff seemed to last forever, but we finally made it to the ticket counter! From there, anxiety over whether we would make it decreased. And then we got our first close up of the cable cars. Holy smokes! Those suckers fit six to a car (enclosed, phew!) and only take three minutes to get from Fira to the port. The windy ride down was interesting, but quick. We hoped our adventure for the day would end here, but we were sorely mistaken. Our feet firmly on the ground, we scoped out the tendering situation. Final tender time was 9:15, and we made it just in time! There were three tenders waiting for passengers on our ship (a good thing considering there were at least 75 people behind us), the waves tossing them as though they were a child's toys. The ride back to the boat was manageable, although slightly unsettling. We finished the evening with dinner at the creperie (too late to make our dinner reservation) and what is definitely the worst show I've ever seen. (No, we did not stay for the whole thing; it would have been maddening.) As our ship pulled away, John was able to capture the beauty of Santorini at night...just gorgeous!

It was a wonderful day in Santorini, and I can see why it's such a popular destination. The calming effects of the blue and white landscape against the pumice stone and volcanic rock, with pops of color from a few daring Greeks make this island the most beautiful scene I've laid eyes on. Maybe we'll retire to Santorini one day. After all, who wouldn't enjoy walking out their front door to this view every morning?

Ancient Rome

I'll be honest. Yesterday was interesting, but I hoped today would be much more fun. In our experience, the further south we've traveled the less we've enjoyed the cities. Luckily today placed Rome only slightly below Florence, with Venice way out in front. It's not like we didn't enjoy Florence and Rome, but Venice was just amazing. The early morning trip to the Colosseum and surrounding ancient city was full of fact finding, but also shed some light on modern Roman society.


A few interesting tidbits about the Colosseum:

• The Colosseum was the world's first domed (awnings stretched about a third of the way to the center by sailors) stadium in the world.
• Gladiators were much like today's sports stars, with loyal fans and even sponsors.
• This is where the word "vomit" originated. Hallways to the seats were called vomitorium. It was said that all 50,000 spectators could enter or exit the Colosseum in about fifteen minutes, essentially vomiting out its contents quickly and efficiently. Certainly not like Beaver Stadium!
• Often times POWs and criminals were forced to perform their deaths based on well known stories (ie: Hercules).
• We might assume spectators were assigned seating based on social class, and this is true. The emperor and other VIPs had thier names carved in their seats, which were ring side. The next level up seated those of noble birth. Plaebians, free Romans, sat in the next level. In the highest level (think nosebleed section) were the foreigners, slaves, and of course the women. But it was more complex than that. All admitted had a ticket made of broken pottery with the appropriate entrance, section, row, and seat number. Very organized!

While touring, we saw groups of children dressed in activewear. From the view inside the Colosseum, we found that our instincts were correct and there was an outdoor volleyball tournament going on just a few blocks away. After the tour, the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure came bursting through the streets. It was inspiring to see how many people were running for such a good cause. It's quite admirable to participate in such an event. But to have the opportunity to do so with such a magnificent backdrop is like icing on the cake!

We continued to the Roman Forum, which was just a short walk away. As we made our way to the Temple of Julius Ceasar, we passed by the Temple of Romulus (still with its original bronze doors). According to legend, Romulus and Remus were raised here by a she-wolf. Back to Ceasar...Ceasar's temple wasn't as grand as I thought it would be, but I guess that's what happens sometimes when you're looking at ruins! Most interesting regarding the temple was the mound of dirt behind it. This is the spot where Ceasar's body was burned after his assassination. Romans leave flowers here in honor of Ceasar's personification of the city of Rome. He was the first Roman to become a god. It's amazing how the grandeur of what was once the heart of Rome is reduced to ruins. Along our RS audio tour, we learned more about Roman culture and government. As our tour came to a close we came across the Arch of Septimius Severus (six stories tall). Although Severus was an efficient emperor, the downfall of Rome was eminent. (Thank you, J.K. Rowling, for including Roman history into your books.) Another point of interest were the active archaeological sites. Since it was Sunday, no one was digging. Disappointing, but still very cool to see!

We stopped for a bite to eat, then walked to the market at Campo de' Fiori. Here we bought [what we hope will be] some great pasta and locally made candy. We also made a new friend, who in this picture has moved onto the next person to beg for food. We began the RS Heart of Rome walk. It took us from Campo de' Fiori to Piazza Navona, which is built on an ancient race track.

Next was the Pantheon. As we arrived it began to rain. It was pretty cool to see the rain sprinkling through the occulus overhead. From there we went in search of Rome's most famous gelateria, Giolitti's. They had some original flavors there, ranging from champagne to biscotti Oreo (which John got). I landed on a mix of orange and pear, an interesting combination. The gelato was good, and so were the prices! We made our way to the conclusion of the guided walk: the venerable Trevi Fountain. The fountain was enormous. So enormous such that no matter where I stood, I couldn't capture it entirely in a picture. We both threw coins into the fountain, in hopes that it will bring us back to the city.

Tomorrow we leave for the cruise. We had a wonderful, memory making time in Italy, but I am very excited to get on the ship, relax, and not pack again until we're headed home!

The Centre of Christendom

Today marked our farewell to Florence and our hello to Rome. We took a relatively early train ride and this time we were able to get first class tickets for only €4 per person extra. This was a nice touch, with wider, reclining seats and a drink included. After getting a direct comparison between second and first classes, I'd say first is worth maybe an extra €10 per person, so a very worthwhile upgrade for us. We arrived in Rome and dropped our bags off at our hotel, Roman Residence, near the train station.


A brief pause and a map markup from the friendly hotel owner, Massimo, and we were on our way to our destination for the day: Vatican City. After being able to walk everywhere in Florence and almost everywhere in Venice (we only rode the vaporetto 4 times and one was for an audio tour) it was a bit unsatisfying to have to ride Rome's dingy Metro. Nevertheless, it got us there. With only twenty minutes to go before our reservation at the Vatican Museum, we grabbed a marginal bite to eat at a stand near the metro and made our way in.

The museum was a set of seemingly never ending corridors designed solely to show off the immense papal wealth. One amazing statue after another, one brilliant fresco after another, all leading up to the "single greatest piece of art by one man", the Sistine Chapel. The level of detail and presentation of the Bible by Michelangelo was awe-inspiring, and also neck pain inducing. It took a half hour to listen to Rick Steves' audio guide of the room, which seemed to only scratch the surface of the work. You are not supposed to take pictures in the chapel, but once again, we were rebels (see right).

After sneaking through the "guided tours only" shortcut to Saint Peter's Basilica we took in the church. An immense building, we explored the various sections, but there happened to be a mass going on so disappointingly we were unable to approach the altar or view the place where Peter was crucified. This didn't stop us from getting a good view of the altar however, which you can see on the left. Note the section in front of the altar which is slightly off center to the right. This marks Saint Peter's tomb. The church was designed to be centered about the tomb but archaeologists later discovered that the tomb was slightly to the right, giving the configuration seen in the photo. While it was disappointing not to be able to get further forward in the room, the sounds and music of the mass were a delight to see and hear, almost making up for the disappointment.


Yesterday the climb up the Campanile in Florence almost destroyed our legs, but today we decided we were in for more. After leaving the Basilica we decided to climb its' dome. After an elevator to the roof, the twisting and turning (and thankfully one-way) stairs led us to breathtaking views of the Vatican and Rome. One such view can be seen below.

Back on solid ground, we headed out to the square (pictured above from the dome). On our way there we saw a Swiss guard (on the left below). One passerby tourist didn't believe me when she asked if it was a real person, and I responded yes. After taking in the square for a while, Sarah got a requisite silly picture of me drinking out of a water fountain near the obelisk (on the right below).

Some more wandering around the square and we hopped on the metro to Piazza del Popolo, where we took part in the Italian afternoon stroll, or passagiatta, down the shopping street of Via del Corso, to the Spanish Steps, where we took a quick break. While we were sitting and discussing nearby dinner options, a newlywed couple took to the stairs for pictures and cheers from the crowd. Afterwards , the bride even tossed away her bouquet. Beautiful and moving, showing some of the essence of the Italians.

Our final stop of the evening was for dinner at Ristorante il Gabriello near the Spanish Steps. Gabriello is the chef; his brother, Claudio, runs the front of the house, and Claudio's wife has a farm which provides organic products to the restaurant. We each had a different variation of spaghetti, and I enjoyed the house red. Finally, for dessert Sarah had a crepe which she raved about. Another fantastic dinner, which we were once again directed to by our good friend Rick. A quick metro ride home, and it was off to rest up for our day tomorrow in Ancient Rome.

Firenze and the Opera

Today marked our first travel between two cities, a train ride from Venice to Florence in the morning. Of everything involved in our trip, one of the things I was most anxious about was the train travel, in particular navigating the stations. We were up very late in St. Mark's Square the night before, and I had trouble falling asleep, presumedly due to my worry about the travel in the morning. So what ends up happening? We slept through our alarm... giving us approximately an hour to get showered, finished packing and get to the train station. Luckily, we managed to succeed, even with a few minutes to spare. The train ride was wonderful, and my fears were unfounded. Navigating the stations was superbly easy. I only wish that long distance train travel were more well developed in the United States. The ease and convenience makes going to the airport seem like cruel and unusual punishment.


We arrived in Florence and took the 15 minute walk to our B&B, Soggiorno Panerai, which included passing the famed Duomo. More on this later, as at this time we were solely focused on arriving and unloading our luggage. We were greeted at the B&B by its supremely friendly owner, Albena, who showed us a room and then told us she had a second room at another location around the corner and that we could pick which one we wanted. She told us it was a "very pretty room" and she was ever so correct. The second room is also closer to the train station, a plus for when we head to Rome on Saturday. So, we took the second room and she generously helped us move our luggage from one building to the other, while pointing out the directions of all the major sites. Once we were settled, she whipped out a map and marked all of the sites, as well as a number of recommended restaurants and other locations. A tremendously helpful woman who got our time in Florence off on the right foot.


About noon, we set out for the day, with our first stop being the Mercato Centrale, a large indoor market. After browsing we ended up with some delicious choices. Sarah had a slice of pizza (center of picture), I had some type of panini (rear left of picture) and we topped it off with our first Italian cannoli. An enjoyable, cheap meal which we enjoyed in the piazza outside the market.

Our first historical stop was the Medici Chapels, a facility designed by Michelangelo in order to house the tombs of the ruling Medici family of Florence. This was my highlight of the day, with the main room having beautiful statues, a wonderful ceiling, woodwork, etc. Unfortunately pictures were not allowed, and while many people appear to ignore these directives at the museums, we have, for the most part, obeyed them.


Next stop, the Baptistery, a thousand year old building (the oldest in Florence) next to the Duomo. The Baptistery was not originally Christian but, as you can tell by the name, it was converted. The most famous feature of the Baptistery is its bronze doors with 3D scenes designed into them. Following this we explored the Duomo. The dome consists of 500 steps in order to reach the top, which we decided against taking part in. I have plans on getting us up the only 400 step Campanile on Friday.


After the Baptistery and the Duomo, we headed to the Duomo Museum, which includes a number of impressive items related to the dome, including models used by the builders, etc. Our favorite piece in the museum was Michelangelo's Pieta, which a group of art students also enjoyed, as they were sitting on the steps in front of it, creating drawings of the work.


The below pictures are, clockwise from upper left: Baptistery doors, Duomo and Campanile from the ground near the Baptistery, inside of Duomo knave, and Michelangelo's pieta in the Duomo Museum with art students.

Following all of that, it was time for some gelato. Sarah had crema/melon and I had bacio nero, or black kiss. The photo shows our gelato being scooped. Next, after a short rest in our room, we headed across the river to Oltrarno, the less hectic side of town. At the recommendation of our hotel owner, we headed to dinner at Trattoria La Casalinga, a restaurant which we could tell would be good by the line of locals waiting for it to open up at 19:00 when we arrived at about 18:50. It didn't disappoint, some pasta for Sarah and some steak for me.

Next stop was just a half a block down the street, to St. Mark's Anglican Church to see some intimate opera, in this case, La Bohème. The operas are performed (in Italian) in the knave of Florence's English speaking church with a small cast (in this case four performers and a pianist) and a minimal set, and the audience of less than 100 is sitting just feet away from them. We were sitting in the second row. You can see Sarah in the picture, which I took from behind the "stage" (made up of the table on the left and furnace on the right) before the show began. We spent time chatting with Virginia, the girl sitting next to us (a student?), who is traveling Europe by herself staying in hostels. A very interesting perspective, and she shared some tips for Rome, which she had recently left. The opera was beautiful, and was a very enjoyable, but late evening. We of course topped off the evening with gelato (panna cotta for Sarah, cookies for me). The cookies gelato is probably my favorite at this point. So ended our night. Tomorrow...our second and final day exploring Firenze.