When in Rome....

Hi all,
We're finally back from our Italy trip. We have settled back into reality (laundry, getting up early, working out, grocery shopping, cooking, etc). During our stay "in heaven" we were free and chore-free.

Did we have a good time? How could you not in such a beautiful part of the world. The architecture, landscaping, lifestyle and food are all amazing.

Food:
We totally blew our diets with tons of pasta, bread and pizza. The pasta sauces were plenty and delicious; the bread is served at every meal; the pizza is thin so of course we ate a large pizza each (almost daily). All is very fresh, homemade, and tasty. Nothing can be said about the coffee; Greg loved it! He was having double expressos about 2 - 4 times a day. Let's not forget the gelato -- we did quite some sampling; they have ever kind you can think of.

Architecture:
It's amazing! It's inconceivable how these structures have remained for so many years; the style is beautiful and the craftsmanship is incredible. We visited many churches, castles, museums, duomos, and wineries. Many of the structures were built in A.D. and B.C. era. You can't appreciate the value/art unless you are standing in front of the priceless structures.

Transportation:
I was amazed at how many SMALL cars there were in Italy. I fell in love with them. Many were "toy cars". There were tons of SMART Cars in Rome -- very practical. Parking is super tight and the streets are very narrow. A major mode of transportation is scooters and bicycles (many people were riding in suits and women even had shorts skirts). Public transportation is also very practical. We used an open air tour bus for some of our excursions.

We did rent a car for 6 days. Greg had reserved an Alfa Romeo and to our surprise they were out of that type of vehicle; in its replacement, we were given a Jaguar -- YEP! We couldn't believe it. Although this is a very nice, luxury car, it was somewhat of a hassle due to its size. In town, it was a "boat"; way too large for the narrow streets and parking stalls. We found ourselves doing a lot of "3 point" driving. Having a vehicle was very practical -- we were able to visit many more "off the beat and path" landmarks. We did have a GPS and I would highly recommend one if you plan on driving in Europe. It was very accurate and allowed us to freely go where we wanted with no fear of getting lost.

Wine:
We were able to spend two nights in Tuscany at an old farm house in Livornano that was converted to a bed/breakfast (7 rooms total). It was located down a 4-mile dirt road. It was very peaceful, among the vineyards. If you want a tranquil environment, that is the place to go. No TV's; no phones; an old Italian lady doing the cooking (gourmet meals); tons of walking trails; no distractions.

We did our share of driving through Tuscany as Greg did wine sampling along the way. The rolling vineyards are very unlike Napa. The whole countryside is very lush green. Their winery tasting rooms vary from small bars to actual, modern tasting rooms. It was a nice change from the glitz and glamour of Napa. You could definitely get the feel of rustic, authentic, down-home wine fabrication in Tuscany. The roads are very windy and picturesque.

Locations:
During our 17-day stay, we were able to visit:
Rome - We both feel we enjoyed Rome the best. There was so much to see and do there. We loved the Colosseum!!

Milan - We thoroughly enjoyed the Duomo -- we were able to take the "roof" tour and it was amazing.

Florence - I really enjoyed this little town. There were many outdoor eateries, lots of great leather, and you could easily walk everywhere.

Venice - What a wonderful town built in the water. There are 118 islands in Venice. I loved the gondolas, very small water alleys, and the thousands of pigeons in St. Peters Square in Venice -- I couldn't resist feeding them and having my picture taken.

Tuscany - Very beautiful landscaping and vineyards. A pardise for wine-lovers.

Lucca - We really didn't care for this part of Italy. It didn't trip our trigger.

Pisa - I was amazed by the Leaning Tower. It seems impossible to me that something so large could stay up sideways. It was awesome standing there and seeing it with my own two eyes.

Cinque Terre - Loved this village along the water. There are actually 5 villages that make up Cinque Terre: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. You can visit these villages by boat, train or treking. We chose the train. We visited all five. Each has it's own character and charm.

Bellagio - Since we got married at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, it was only fitting that we visit and stay at Bellagio, Italy. We were there two nights. It's the cleanest, smallest little town. We were able to do the historic tour via foot and it took about 1 hr. 30 mins. It's beautifully situated on Lake Como amongst vast hillsides. From Bellagio we took the ferry to Varenna and hiked to their castle on the hill -- about the only exercise I got while in Italy!

Lake Como - No doubt that George Clooney has a home there; it's another gorgeous part of Italy.

Lido de Camaiore - This was our base hubb (home) for two nights; from here we went to Cinque Terre, Castello Malaspina, and Lucca.

Overall, another outstanding trip! I am so very lucky to be able to travel and see the world. I have the best travel partner, planner, and tour guide to accompany me. Some day we will be on the Amazing Race.

Ciao and enjoy the photos -- I will upload more as I can. It's super time consuming but I'm doing my best.
V