The first few days we had time in Florence to do a little sightseeing. Oh, did I say a little? Opps. Basically we saw almost everything Florence had to offer in two/three days... We had a guided tour of the Accademia (definitely even cooler once you know what everything in the museum is) went to Santa Croce, Santa Spirito, Piazza le Michelangelo, Palazzo Vecchio, Ponte Vecchio, and alot of other places that I can't really remember right now...
Then we went to Chianty. We got a tour of the vineyards from our private guide Guido. Whose name means "guide" in English. Coincidence? I think not. The vineyard was beautiful, despite the rain, and we got to have a fabulous meal of cingàle (wild boar) and lots of vine. Then we got to go into the wine tasting room and taste even MORE wine, grappa (a very strong liquor made from the skins of the grapes), homemade olive oil and the best tasting balsamic vinegar that they make at the vineyard. It takes something like 7 years to make balsami
c vinegar right. (I wasn't really listening to that part...I think Colleen and I were distracting each other...) We then left that vineyard and visited a town called Montefiori (Mountain Flower) that only has something like 100 residents. It was an ancient medieval town with the original stone walls still surrounding it. We went inside a small wineshop and I attempted to converse in Italian with the cutest little old man who owned the store and made his own wine with his sons. We got free tastings of three of his wines from 2004 and 2005. I was definitely a fan of these wines, but it may have had something to do with the little old man serving them. After we drank wine he handed me his card and then started telling me to look him up on facebook. Yes, a tiny mountain village in Italy with only 100 people living in, and this old man tells me to find him on facebook. Priceless.
c vinegar right. (I wasn't really listening to that part...I think Colleen and I were distracting each other...) We then left that vineyard and visited a town called Montefiori (Mountain Flower) that only has something like 100 residents. It was an ancient medieval town with the original stone walls still surrounding it. We went inside a small wineshop and I attempted to converse in Italian with the cutest little old man who owned the store and made his own wine with his sons. We got free tastings of three of his wines from 2004 and 2005. I was definitely a fan of these wines, but it may have had something to do with the little old man serving them. After we drank wine he handed me his card and then started telling me to look him up on facebook. Yes, a tiny mountain village in Italy with only 100 people living in, and this old man tells me to find him on facebook. Priceless.
On Thursday we went to Rome, which was possibly one of my favorite days. We started at six in the morning and didn't stop again until we were back on the train at eight thirty that evening. We received a guided tour through the Vatican by Brenda, a former American who now lives in Rome and does research for
the Vatican about Christianity and some other big words I didn't really understand. But, she was incredible and so knowledgeable! We got to see the Vatican museums, the Sistine Chapel, (which I may or may not have taken an illegal photo of...) and St. Peters. It was such a great tour! Then we left Brenda and was shown around the rest of the town by J
ulio (pronounced 'jew-lee-o', NOT 'who-lee-o' like my dad kept trying to call him...) I was not so impressed by Julio because he kept telling me the things I had learned in class was wrong. And I think I might believe Jeff Fontana who has a degree in the subject rather than this tour guide who writes fiction novels... But, anyways. We got to see the Pantheon, the Colosseum, Trevee Fountain (which I still don't know how to spell...) and the Spanish steps. I saw everything I wanted to see in Rome except for a few art museums that I might have to go back for later, but somehow we did it all in a day!!
the Vatican about Christianity and some other big words I didn't really understand. But, she was incredible and so knowledgeable! We got to see the Vatican museums, the Sistine Chapel, (which I may or may not have taken an illegal photo of...) and St. Peters. It was such a great tour! Then we left Brenda and was shown around the rest of the town by J
ulio (pronounced 'jew-lee-o', NOT 'who-lee-o' like my dad kept trying to call him...) I was not so impressed by Julio because he kept telling me the things I had learned in class was wrong. And I think I might believe Jeff Fontana who has a degree in the subject rather than this tour guide who writes fiction novels... But, anyways. We got to see the Pantheon, the Colosseum, Trevee Fountain (which I still don't know how to spell...) and the Spanish steps. I saw everything I wanted to see in Rome except for a few art museums that I might have to go back for later, but somehow we did it all in a day!!On Saturday, my mom's birthday, we went to Cinque Terre. The five villages along
the west coast of Italy that is now a National Park. It was so beautiful! These villages are very tiny, with only a few houses, restaurants, hotels, and shops, with narrow winding roads that connect them together. Each town is a little different than the next, but they are all right on the coast and all painted brightly to stand out among the dark stone cliffs. There are also hiking trails that connect them all together, but unfortunately the rain that had hit Florence all the previous week had made the trails too dangerous, so they were closed. However, we were able to drive to three of the five and explore the towns, take a ton of photos, have a FANTASTIC lunch of pesto pasta and pizza, (since these towns are known as the birth place of pesto) and toast to my mom's birthday with some lemoncello on the beach.
the west coast of Italy that is now a National Park. It was so beautiful! These villages are very tiny, with only a few houses, restaurants, hotels, and shops, with narrow winding roads that connect them together. Each town is a little different than the next, but they are all right on the coast and all painted brightly to stand out among the dark stone cliffs. There are also hiking trails that connect them all together, but unfortunately the rain that had hit Florence all the previous week had made the trails too dangerous, so they were closed. However, we were able to drive to three of the five and explore the towns, take a ton of photos, have a FANTASTIC lunch of pesto pasta and pizza, (since these towns are known as the birth place of pesto) and toast to my mom's birthday with some lemoncello on the beach.The week was so amazing and flew by entirely too fast! I miss my family alot, but I realize I only have less than two months left to see everything else I haven't gotten to see and to make some of the best memories I will ever remember! I am so thankful my family was able to come visit me and I hope they had an equally good time!!
2 comments:
I can explain your issues with JEWLEEO! Many of the tourist places in Italy do this, but Vatican City is the worst...They have an extensive "training program" that their tour guides have to go through in order to operate within the walls. This program pretty much consists of a whimsical fantasy land in which the Catholics never invaded anyone or looted any artifacts in the name of a pope or refuse to return said artifacts to their rightful owners. If you are caught guiding a tour without a "license" you can be fined like $500. When I was there I was with my classical studies professor who is obviously an expert and she got so pissed she made us run through the museum a second time so she could whisper the truth. Silly Italians :)
I sure am glad that you listed all the places we saw in Florence because my head is still swimming! I can't believe we saw all the things we saw - it was incredible to be in such an "old world" place. Can't wait for you to make your millions and buy the tuscan villa! Caio! Aunt Anne
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