A quick update on our travels. Our pace has quickened since our last blog entry in Venice. Hold on to your hats, our trusty little Fiat has already logged 5,400 kms (3,400 miles), so here it goes, or was...
We drove north up to Austria and visited Vienna and Salzburg. Before Munich we jogged south from Salzburg to Berchtesgaden, Germany (Bavarian Alps)...2nd home to the 3rd Reich. After Munich, we continued north in Germany to Rothenburg (a classic medieval town) then to Berlin with a quick stop in Leipzig on the way.
Four days later, we said goodbye to Berlin and Germany, travelling west for The Netherlands. We took in all that Amsterdam had to offer and sped along to Bruges, Belgium.
Next up, northern France...Caen, Normandy, Mt. Saint Michele, Bayeux, and Rouen.
Paris awaits, as do the sunny beaches of Cancun. We will bore you more later with pictures and details of Europe.
Surely our world travels are not coming to a close...who's Surely?
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
So Long Florence...Hello Venice
So we bid farewell to lovely Florence and headed up to the canals of Venice. No drive to Venice is complete without a quick stop for lunch in Bologna.
Numerous people had suggested that we park just outside of Venice in a town called Mestre and train the remaining 10 minutes. Turned out to be great advice...cheap parking and no traffic (guess who's writing this entry???).
With help from our Roman friends we met in Vietnam, we booked 2 nights at a school run by Italian nuns. You will not be seeing this place in any guidebooks. For those "in the know"....and you're now "in the know", it`s a steal. FYI...you have to call to make reservations and they only speak Italian. Thank you Paula and Renato! In case you can't find it on your next visit to Venice, the door is just to the right of us in the picture below. Good luck finding it, we found it by accident...seriously.
With only one bridge between San Marco Square and our place we set out to get lost in this amazing place. Craving some live music, we decided to buy tickets to a 6 piece orchestra performing Vivaldi's 4 Seasons. They performed in a converted prison that held Casanova. Bravo performance and the viola player was a dead ringer for our favorite Charlotte.
The next day we did more wondering and went to see the art at The Academia. Unfortunately, we found out half way through that the most recognizable Leonardo Di Vicci sketch is not for viewing. They keep it stored in a dark room to help preserve it for well nothing because nobody gets to see it...there has to be a better way!
More pictures as we wondered through the endless canals and bridges. Venice was everything we expected and more.
Numerous people had suggested that we park just outside of Venice in a town called Mestre and train the remaining 10 minutes. Turned out to be great advice...cheap parking and no traffic (guess who's writing this entry???).
With help from our Roman friends we met in Vietnam, we booked 2 nights at a school run by Italian nuns. You will not be seeing this place in any guidebooks. For those "in the know"....and you're now "in the know", it`s a steal. FYI...you have to call to make reservations and they only speak Italian. Thank you Paula and Renato! In case you can't find it on your next visit to Venice, the door is just to the right of us in the picture below. Good luck finding it, we found it by accident...seriously.
With only one bridge between San Marco Square and our place we set out to get lost in this amazing place. Craving some live music, we decided to buy tickets to a 6 piece orchestra performing Vivaldi's 4 Seasons. They performed in a converted prison that held Casanova. Bravo performance and the viola player was a dead ringer for our favorite Charlotte.
The next day we did more wondering and went to see the art at The Academia. Unfortunately, we found out half way through that the most recognizable Leonardo Di Vicci sketch is not for viewing. They keep it stored in a dark room to help preserve it for well nothing because nobody gets to see it...there has to be a better way!
More pictures as we wondered through the endless canals and bridges. Venice was everything we expected and more.
Vecchio's, Vecchia's and Duomo's in Florence
We rented a car in Rome and decided to drive our way through Europe to Paris. We have a cute little Fiat that may or may not make it on the Autobahn. We started our tour by driving through Tuscany to Florence. I tried my best to get pictures between navigating and trying not lose the camera out the window.
It was a Sunday, so nothing was open, including gas stations. In the states, no problem, you just use a credit card. Not so easy in Italy. The first place had a pump that worked, but the gas nozzle didn't fit our gas tank (although I tried anyway and shot gas down the side of the car and all over my fleece). After 2 failed attempts and 10 euros lost we found a pump that worked and could laugh about the experience.
We stopped in Siena and wished we could stay longer, but we had a place booked in Florence already. We saw the Duomo and the main Piazza in Siena. Such a cute town with fabulous views of the rolling hills of Tusacny.
Once we arrived in Florence and found parking on the street, we set out to explore the town at night. We saw Florence's Duomo (awe-inspiring), Palazzo Vecchio and its statue, the statue garden of the Uffizi, and the Ponte Vecchio. We really liked Florences calmer vibe and beautiful architecture.
The next morning we set out bright and early for Pisa. It was freezing, but we got our obligatory pictures with the very leaning bell tower.
Once we returned to Florence, I wandered through a market and met Patrick at the Duomo. It was beautiful inside, but it was raining outside so we didn't climb to the cupola. Instead we wandered through the streets of Florence until we found a wonderful wine store with tastings of wine and olive oil. We are a huge fan of the white truffle olive oil. It was amazing!
The next day we had a museum packed day with Uffizi first and then Galleria dell'Accademia. We snuck a great shot of Michelangelo's David. It was very cool to see in person.
We went by the Duomo again (we were a little obsessed) and finally climed the 463 steps to the dome. Amazing views of the Florence, as well as the art on the ceiling of the dome and tile work below.
We really loved Florence and the perfect place we stayed (complete with a balcony and reasonable price).
It was a Sunday, so nothing was open, including gas stations. In the states, no problem, you just use a credit card. Not so easy in Italy. The first place had a pump that worked, but the gas nozzle didn't fit our gas tank (although I tried anyway and shot gas down the side of the car and all over my fleece). After 2 failed attempts and 10 euros lost we found a pump that worked and could laugh about the experience.
We stopped in Siena and wished we could stay longer, but we had a place booked in Florence already. We saw the Duomo and the main Piazza in Siena. Such a cute town with fabulous views of the rolling hills of Tusacny.
Once we arrived in Florence and found parking on the street, we set out to explore the town at night. We saw Florence's Duomo (awe-inspiring), Palazzo Vecchio and its statue, the statue garden of the Uffizi, and the Ponte Vecchio. We really liked Florences calmer vibe and beautiful architecture.
The next morning we set out bright and early for Pisa. It was freezing, but we got our obligatory pictures with the very leaning bell tower.
Once we returned to Florence, I wandered through a market and met Patrick at the Duomo. It was beautiful inside, but it was raining outside so we didn't climb to the cupola. Instead we wandered through the streets of Florence until we found a wonderful wine store with tastings of wine and olive oil. We are a huge fan of the white truffle olive oil. It was amazing!
The next day we had a museum packed day with Uffizi first and then Galleria dell'Accademia. We snuck a great shot of Michelangelo's David. It was very cool to see in person.
We went by the Duomo again (we were a little obsessed) and finally climed the 463 steps to the dome. Amazing views of the Florence, as well as the art on the ceiling of the dome and tile work below.
We really loved Florence and the perfect place we stayed (complete with a balcony and reasonable price).
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