We are winding down a wonderful day in the Cinque Terre, five tiny towns, connected by a local train on the coast. The towns are picturesque, and with Tracy sitting on the beach, they look like a postcard. But seriously, this is the Italy that I have dreamed about and we saw a lot of beautiful countryside and interesting locals today. I have really enjoyed the smaller towns, and yesterday on my bike in Lucca I may have pretended that I was one of the Van Trapp family, while riding through town. (You know the scene, where the kids are dressed in the drapes from Maria's bedroom.) Anyway, I was pretty impressed with the Leaning Tower of Pisa, because even though I know it has been leaning since construction, it was affirmining to see it for myself. I will let Tracy post about today's hike across the Cinque Terre. All I can say about it was that it was long and hot, and that I am not a mountain climber. I guess that my travelling talents are limited to drinking wine, trying to speak Italian, buying scarves,and eating almond biscuits. All very honorable skills indeed. Tomorrow we head to Venice and then begin the last leg of our journey.
Ciao,
Katie
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Monday, August 6, 2007
Last day in Florence... tear
Florence has been so good to us that we are a little sad to be leaving but also excited about the last week of our trip.
Yesterday we woke up late and met our Aussie pal for lunch and shopping. Then we went our separate ways, and Katie and I hit up Santa Croce Church before going to the Uffizi Gallery with the best Italian paintings. We met back up with Christina (Aussie friend) and had dinner at this great restaurant overlooking the Ponte Vecchio (bridge). After dinner, we hiked up a long flight of stairs to make it just in time to see sunset at the Piazzale Michelangelo, which offered gorgeous views of the city.
Christina hadn't been feeling well, so we hopped on a bus (although we had no idea where it was going but figured it would get us closer to our destination) and made our way back to our hood. All in all, another fabulous day.
Today was our side trip day to Pisa and Lucca. We opted to go to Lucca first since it had the earliest connection. Once we got to Lucca we ran into a couple from our Siena wine tour. We ate lunch and then rented bikes to ride around the town. I was loving being back on the bike and giving my calves a rest when my chain feel off about halfway through. If you know me, then you know I often have chain issues, so it shouldn't have come as a surprise to me. I couldn't get it back on the gear because it was covered, so I sent Katie on her way and pushed it back to the shop. I was frustrated with the situation until I realized that I AM in Italy.
Then we headed to Pisa to take the obligatory pics with the Tower. Not much else to see there really, but now we can say that it really does lean.
We had an easy time navigating the eurail, which is great since we will be riding it for the next several days. I have found it odd that they don't check your tickets here. We haven't been asked once to show our tickets on the bus or train. Another interesting thing to note is that all of the trains are different. Our first train had little leg room and no a\c while the last two were air conditioned and much more spacious.
Another thing we have found humorous is the influence of American music\media everywhere. All of the restaurants and stores play American music: Celine Dion, Michael Bolton, Michael Jackson, JT, Akon, Maroon 5... While we were waiting for our train this morning we jammed out to "It Must Have Been Love" by Roxette.
To end our blogs from Florence, we decided to make an "All Good Things Florence List," so here it is:
10. the Medici Family - powerful and influential family way back when
9. the smell of leather - Florence is known for its leather
8. sleeping in Tracy style (until 11 yesterday!!!)
7. not getting lost (as much)
6. all of the friendly tourists we met
5. seeing Santa Croce Church
4. regaining our faith in RS
3. climbing the Dome to see the 360° view of the city
2. seeing all of the many priceless works of art - the David was our fave
1. reuniting with Christina - she thinks of me as the All-American girl and said she pictures me as a cheerleader with a letterjacket
Tomorrow we will be heading out to Cinque Terre - five small towns along the coast that are supposed to be gorgeous. There we will be doing a 4-5 hour hike through the towns, hitting up the beach (McB: get your running shoes ready!!!), and enjoying some pesto. We are guessing we won't find an internet cafe out there, so don't be surprised if you don't hear from us again until Wednesday when we are in Venice.
I will post more pics once we get to Venice!
Cheers,
tracy
Yesterday we woke up late and met our Aussie pal for lunch and shopping. Then we went our separate ways, and Katie and I hit up Santa Croce Church before going to the Uffizi Gallery with the best Italian paintings. We met back up with Christina (Aussie friend) and had dinner at this great restaurant overlooking the Ponte Vecchio (bridge). After dinner, we hiked up a long flight of stairs to make it just in time to see sunset at the Piazzale Michelangelo, which offered gorgeous views of the city.
Christina hadn't been feeling well, so we hopped on a bus (although we had no idea where it was going but figured it would get us closer to our destination) and made our way back to our hood. All in all, another fabulous day.
Today was our side trip day to Pisa and Lucca. We opted to go to Lucca first since it had the earliest connection. Once we got to Lucca we ran into a couple from our Siena wine tour. We ate lunch and then rented bikes to ride around the town. I was loving being back on the bike and giving my calves a rest when my chain feel off about halfway through. If you know me, then you know I often have chain issues, so it shouldn't have come as a surprise to me. I couldn't get it back on the gear because it was covered, so I sent Katie on her way and pushed it back to the shop. I was frustrated with the situation until I realized that I AM in Italy.
Then we headed to Pisa to take the obligatory pics with the Tower. Not much else to see there really, but now we can say that it really does lean.
We had an easy time navigating the eurail, which is great since we will be riding it for the next several days. I have found it odd that they don't check your tickets here. We haven't been asked once to show our tickets on the bus or train. Another interesting thing to note is that all of the trains are different. Our first train had little leg room and no a\c while the last two were air conditioned and much more spacious.
Another thing we have found humorous is the influence of American music\media everywhere. All of the restaurants and stores play American music: Celine Dion, Michael Bolton, Michael Jackson, JT, Akon, Maroon 5... While we were waiting for our train this morning we jammed out to "It Must Have Been Love" by Roxette.
To end our blogs from Florence, we decided to make an "All Good Things Florence List," so here it is:
10. the Medici Family - powerful and influential family way back when
9. the smell of leather - Florence is known for its leather
8. sleeping in Tracy style (until 11 yesterday!!!)
7. not getting lost (as much)
6. all of the friendly tourists we met
5. seeing Santa Croce Church
4. regaining our faith in RS
3. climbing the Dome to see the 360° view of the city
2. seeing all of the many priceless works of art - the David was our fave
1. reuniting with Christina - she thinks of me as the All-American girl and said she pictures me as a cheerleader with a letterjacket
Tomorrow we will be heading out to Cinque Terre - five small towns along the coast that are supposed to be gorgeous. There we will be doing a 4-5 hour hike through the towns, hitting up the beach (McB: get your running shoes ready!!!), and enjoying some pesto. We are guessing we won't find an internet cafe out there, so don't be surprised if you don't hear from us again until Wednesday when we are in Venice.
I will post more pics once we get to Venice!
Cheers,
tracy
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Sunset
Today after a much needed night's sleep we woke up to church bells and spent a good Sunday shopping and eating. After walking throught the open market for a while, we had some traditional Tuscan soups. We walked throught the Santa Croce church which holds the tombs of Galileo and Michelangelo.
Now for a story about why I think some travel is not meant for children of dysfunctional families: If you are still reading, humor me and don't stop.
First of all travel is walking intensive, so I cannot imagine expecting a four year old to keep up with the steps of adults. Second, when I saw a man and wife with a baby stroller dodging the scooters, I thought they were crazy. And third, some sights are just not meant for children. Case in point: Yesterday when we climbed the 463 steps to the top of the Duomo, we were in for a breathtaking sight of Florence. Tracy and I had winded our way up a narrow staircase and were ready to see the top. We were almost to the top and could see the sunlight when a woman began to yell below at her husband, "The kids are up there already without supervision!" "How could you do this?" The husband, toting much of the families' travel supplies responded, "Then you better get up there." Mind you that "up there" was a step staircase that only one person at a time could crawl up. The wife continued to rant and rave at her husband in this cramped church tower until she reached her children (Julian, Sarah, Greg, by the way). The three kids were all under the age of 11 and were leaning dangerously close on the sloped marble floor on a railing that came to my waist. When the family was reunited the mother was determined to capture a loving shot. Before Tracy offered to take their picture, I watched as the mother wiped down the children (who were on the verge of heatstroke)and thought of the various captions that she might write in with her Christmas newsletter about the trip. Maybe I don't understand because I never had these sort of travel experiences as a young child, but please, parents, save the tower climb for the big kids and just go to Disneyland. That being said, Florence is my favorite place, I have enjoyed all the sights and food, and will post more stories later.
Katie
Now for a story about why I think some travel is not meant for children of dysfunctional families: If you are still reading, humor me and don't stop.
First of all travel is walking intensive, so I cannot imagine expecting a four year old to keep up with the steps of adults. Second, when I saw a man and wife with a baby stroller dodging the scooters, I thought they were crazy. And third, some sights are just not meant for children. Case in point: Yesterday when we climbed the 463 steps to the top of the Duomo, we were in for a breathtaking sight of Florence. Tracy and I had winded our way up a narrow staircase and were ready to see the top. We were almost to the top and could see the sunlight when a woman began to yell below at her husband, "The kids are up there already without supervision!" "How could you do this?" The husband, toting much of the families' travel supplies responded, "Then you better get up there." Mind you that "up there" was a step staircase that only one person at a time could crawl up. The wife continued to rant and rave at her husband in this cramped church tower until she reached her children (Julian, Sarah, Greg, by the way). The three kids were all under the age of 11 and were leaning dangerously close on the sloped marble floor on a railing that came to my waist. When the family was reunited the mother was determined to capture a loving shot. Before Tracy offered to take their picture, I watched as the mother wiped down the children (who were on the verge of heatstroke)and thought of the various captions that she might write in with her Christmas newsletter about the trip. Maybe I don't understand because I never had these sort of travel experiences as a young child, but please, parents, save the tower climb for the big kids and just go to Disneyland. That being said, Florence is my favorite place, I have enjoyed all the sights and food, and will post more stories later.
Katie
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Florence is fabulous
cheers to a wonderful first day in Florence!
enjoying a great evening with friends
view of Florence from the Duomo Dome
our hotel room in Florence
our postcard pic in the Tuscan countryside
We have been in Florence since 7:30 this morning and have been loving every minute of it. After seeing Michelangelo's David at the Accademia Museum (so impressive in person!), we went to the Medici Chapels, took in some shopping at the San Lorenzo market square, and climbed 463 steps to the top of the Duomo Dome to see an amazing view of Florence.
The 463 steps were a little bit daunting as you climb them through narrow, spiraling, steep staircases but we made it to the top and enjoyed the view from above. Well, I enjoyed it, but not right up close to the railing.
You can check out the Duomo for yourself here: http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Cathedral
We took another one of RS's recommendations and ate dinner with our Aussie pal at this lovely restaurant near her hostel. At the table sitting next to us was a young couple from San Diego who we ended up chatting with the entire time. They heard us talking about RS, so they chimed in with their two cents, and we immediately became friends. I guess RS is good for something after all! I kid, I kid, but seriously, he should hire me to check out all of his info that he publishes and keep him up to date. I wouldn't mind the job. :)
The hotel we are staying at is great - it's up a few flights of stairs but offers a nice view of the busy street down below and we are right in the middle of town. So far we have had good luck with the places we have chosen - or else we are just THAT good. ;) Either way, it has been nice to get back to our hotels after long days of travel.
Tomorrow we are sleeping in a bit for once and then heading out to do some more shopping, more museum hopping, and just taking in all the sights Florence has to offer. We have decided to spend our last day here on Monday trekking out to Pisa and Lucca since we will have pretty much seen all there is to be seen here.
Hope everyone at home is well!
tracy
Friday, August 3, 2007
Arrivederci Siena
Our time in Siena is sadly almost over. We were here for less than 24 hours but feel refreshed after getting away from the hustle and bustle of Rome.
Rick Steves (I've embraced him back into the familia like a true Italian would) says it best: "Rome is magnificent and brutal at the same time. But Rome is required, and if your hotel provides a comfortable refuge [it did, way to go Katie!]; if you pace yourself [we did the best we could for 3 days]; if you accept and even partake in the siesta plan [we did not]; if you're well-organized for sightseeing [we are better than when we first started]; and if you protect yourself and your valuables with extra caution and discretion [we did], then you'll do just fine."
We left early this morning from Rome, took a 3 hour bus, and will be leaving early tomorrow for Florence. I thought I was being so well-organized by buying museum tickets to Florence in advance (going off the recommendation of RS); however, in my organization, I overlooked the minor detail that tomorrow is when we are supposed to ARRIVE in Florence and booked our Accademia (where the statue of David is) for 8:45. Needless to say, we will be catching a VERY early bus to make it in time and will probably need that siesta tomorrow.
Siena has been such a nice breath of fresh area, so we are hoping Florence will follow that trend. Rome reminded me a lot of New York - huge, dirty, loud, exciting. It was fun to explore but not hard to leave. Siena has been a good break for our tired feet and the wine tour was exactly what we needed. Everyone we have met so far have been really friendly, and we are looking forward to meeting up with our George Michael lovin', Irish dancing Aussie roomie from Rome in Florence tomorrow night for dinner.
Catch up with everyone in Florence!
tracy
Rick Steves (I've embraced him back into the familia like a true Italian would) says it best: "Rome is magnificent and brutal at the same time. But Rome is required, and if your hotel provides a comfortable refuge [it did, way to go Katie!]; if you pace yourself [we did the best we could for 3 days]; if you accept and even partake in the siesta plan [we did not]; if you're well-organized for sightseeing [we are better than when we first started]; and if you protect yourself and your valuables with extra caution and discretion [we did], then you'll do just fine."
We left early this morning from Rome, took a 3 hour bus, and will be leaving early tomorrow for Florence. I thought I was being so well-organized by buying museum tickets to Florence in advance (going off the recommendation of RS); however, in my organization, I overlooked the minor detail that tomorrow is when we are supposed to ARRIVE in Florence and booked our Accademia (where the statue of David is) for 8:45. Needless to say, we will be catching a VERY early bus to make it in time and will probably need that siesta tomorrow.
Siena has been such a nice breath of fresh area, so we are hoping Florence will follow that trend. Rome reminded me a lot of New York - huge, dirty, loud, exciting. It was fun to explore but not hard to leave. Siena has been a good break for our tired feet and the wine tour was exactly what we needed. Everyone we have met so far have been really friendly, and we are looking forward to meeting up with our George Michael lovin', Irish dancing Aussie roomie from Rome in Florence tomorrow night for dinner.
Catch up with everyone in Florence!
tracy
A trip to wine country
Today we made our way to Siena, leaving the busy streets of Rome behind. We enjoyed the change of pace when we arrived. We met a tour group that went to the Chianti vineyard, saw two villages from the Middle Ages and tasted some good grapes. Now, we are headed to see the Duomo, eat some dinner, and head out for Florence early in the morning. Everyone wants to know where we are from, and we proudly say either Texas or Austin. I guess Texas pride knows no boundaries. We have met a lot of interesting people. One friend that we made from Australia always comments on our "good energy." Hope that we can keep that energy flowing through our next stops.
Katie
Katie
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Pictures ... finally!
My next purchase!
Staying hydrated!
Me and my new boyfriends.
We still love each other.
Our room at the International Women's Hostel
We are ready to head out of Austin! Well, Katie looks ready, but I look like I need to use the bathroom.
Katie loves our exit row seating!
Love,
Your multilingual techno genius
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