Firenze and Milan

We took a bus from Siena to Florence with the help of a Nonna who helped us locate the ticket office and the Corsa  Rapide bus. Though she spoke no English, we were able to communicate with her quite well through gestures. Among other things, she reminded us that Florence is not as safe as Siena, and we should be careful of thieves. We told her that we found Siena to be wonderful city, which resulted in vigorous and prideful nodding. When we got off the bus in Florence, Nonna made sure we had our luggage and knew where to get a taxi to our hotel. Those sweet moments of travel linger with me.

The Duomo in Florence is huge and ornate on the outside, but looks a bit austere on the inside compared to the one in Siena.

Most of the treasures in this cathedral have been moved to a nearby museum where Jim found a kindred spirit.

The Baptistry of this Duomo was stunning and a bit different than others we had seen. The ceiling was all done in mosaic tile, adding a beautiful shimmer to the dome. 

The Ponte Vecchio is a pedestrian only footbridge spanning the Arno River and is lined with jewelers and art dealers as dictated by city fathers centuries ago. 

The streets of Firenze are lined with tourists even in this "off season" and the gelato shops make the most of this. They pile the frozen yumminess in beautifully sculptured towers. It's hard to pass by without tasting a small sample.

This is Santa Croce, the burial place of both Michelangelo and Galileo. Once again, the doors drew me right in. 

We had some excellent pasta in little neighborhood trattorias. Recreating this white truffle pasta will keep us busy when we get home. We have been inspired to start making our own pasta again, as you just can't beat that homemade taste. 

We visited the Uffizi Gallery in the morning and walked by so much beauty. Rick Steve's podcast helped us hit the high spots. That afternoon at the Academia, I was not aware that  pictures were not allowed and got this shot of David before I was asked to put my camera away. Crafted from a scrap piece of stone, Michelangelo captured a perfect expression on David's face as he stared down Goliath. This was the second piece of art in Italy that moved me to tears. 

The Academia was also a treat for me because in a special exhibition I saw the The Adventures of Ulysses by Apollonio DiGiovani. Having taught The Odyssey for many years, it was exciting to see people tell the story of Odysseus, as depicted by this painting, in their native tongue. I heard parts of the story retold in French, English, German and Italian. It made me happy in a nerdy-teacher way.

Jim, on the other hand, was happy that we were able to walk into one of the five best eateries in Italy, Ristorante la Giostra,  with no reservations and get seated. (Whitney's BFF Sting frequents this place, too.) 

It was an amazing dinner, one of the five best in our 34 years together. Again, Jim walked out with a menu and the inspiration to try to recreate some of their dishes. This wall of Italian wine was hog-heaven for him to peruse. 

In Florence, again on the the advice of Jim and Liz Walker, we stayed at the Hotel Monna Lisa. It is a beautiful property, full of history. These leaded doors, which lead out into the magnificent garden area are from the 1500s. 

We were especially thankful for the help of Loretta, at the front desk, who pointed us in the direction of three places to eat, helped us print our boarding passes and made us feel very comfortable in Florence. 


Rubbing the nose of this wild boar assures a return trip to Florence. We happily took part in this tradition and look forward to coming back to this beautiful city.  

We took a train from Firenze to Milan to catch our flight back to St. Louis. The train ride was comfortable and quite fast. Though it was pouring down rain for all 18 hours we were in Milan, a kind taxi driver who "loves his city" gave us a nice tour, and I even got a picture of their Duomo, which is second in size only to St. Peter's.

We departed as very happy campers. This was the smoothest and most stress-free trip we have ever taken. The cities we visited, the knowledge we acquired, the culture we soaked in, the food we ate, and the beautiful Italian people we met will definitely draw us back for another visit at some point in the future. 

Ahhh, Siena!

If Roma receives an Ohhh! upon arrival, Siena is a welcome Ahhh! Here is the view from our room:

This small town is a welcome relief from the hustle and bustle of Rome. We have walked around and fallen instantly in love. This is the Piazza del Campo, the heart of town. Can you spot Jim? We sat here for quite a while, and decided it is sort of like sitting on the beach--comfy, warm and communal.

At a neighborhood bakery, we found these little gems called Baci di Dama. I will spend the rest of my life trying to recreate them.

The Duomo in Siena is beautiful. The ceiling is done in my favorite motif, a deep blue background with golden star overlay.

Like every good Duomo, the one in Siena has a Panorama. It was worth the climb to see this view:

We ate well in Siena and were able to snag a table at Antica Osteria Da Divo, the hottest ticket in town. Jim was very pleased with his meal and even walked out with a souvenir menu.

We highly recommend the Palazzo Ravizza in Siena. Nathalie was most helpful in arranging a comfortable stay for us. She was a warm and friendly host.

Roma Food

On our first night in Rome we shared our dinner with five under five. This restaurant must have been written up in a book on traveling with children in Italy. We met six-month old twins from Idaho, six-month old Jasper from London, and a three-year old with her eighteen month old brother, also from the UK. Their parents kept apologizing for the noise, and we kept assuring them that we loved it!

We were dog tired on the second night in Rome. We had walked for miles and miles, and it began to rain just as we located the restaurant we wanted to try. Of course, we arrived there an hour before they opened. Our shoulders sagged at the thought of walking for another hour. Serendipitously, there was a lovely bar just next door with big sidewalk umbrellas over their outdoor tables (which were actually large wine casks) and several locals sipping their Chianti. We pulled up our stools and joined them, with a great bottle of wine and free appetizers. Happy Hour specials should never be overlooked. It was a great way to while away an hour and get our postcards written. Though Jim looks as though he was scrutinizing the the great bottle of brunello in a bad way, I think he was just memorizing the label.

Rome is a fabulous city to wander when you are hungry. There are small neighborhood places all over town that have mouthwatering and authentic Roman food. We were able to communicate our glee with this food by making various noises and waving our hands a bit. We had some of  this flatbread pizza, which is sold by weight. The other type of pizza served in Rome is called rotunda, with round and very thin crust. For dessert, we had some homemade strudel containing apples, raisins and pine nuts. Fabuloso! 

One of the highlights of our trip was a visit to Der Pallaro. Highly recommended by Jim and Liz Walker, this place was worth the price of admission. Owner Paola Fazi and her staff live by the philosophy that they know what we need to eat, so we had no say in what we were served. Six courses of food were presented, whether we wanted them or not. We loved the food here (bruschetta, olives, lentils, fennel, arancii, fried meat of some sort, fresh rigatoni with two types of sauces, roasted veal, cold green beans, homemade potato chips, mozzarella balls and Italian cream cake), but the ambiance was the star of the show. Rumor has it that Julius Caesar was murdered by his BFFs in the basement of this place. We were eagerly escorted to the scene of the crime. Paola gives very hearty farewell hugs.

Our final meal in Rome was the most fun. After such a huge lunch, we didn't want a heavy dinner. We read about Pizzeria da Baffetto and decided to try to get in. Remember Studio 54 back in the 80s where people lined up just to enter? Signore Baffeto has nothing on them. We arrived at sixish, as we have a tendency to get turned around in this city of twisting roads and alleys. For once we found the place we wanted with plenty of time to spare and thank goodness for that. We were second in line, with others quickly falling in behind us. At 6:30 the doors opened, and we were seated with a sweet German couple. The doors were quickly shut when the small place was filled. A white paper tablecloth, glasses and silverware were tossed on our table, and we worked with the Germans to set our places.

We sat right next to the kitchen and watched eggs and flour turn into perfectly shaped pizzas. This guy was a clown, but he could really crank out the food! It was fun to watch. The pizzas only cook for about four minutes as the oven was so firey-hot.

Our pizzas were outstanding. Jim's was topped with mushrooms, sausage, onions, artichoke, proscutto, peppers and an egg. Mine was a bit more tame, but only cost €4.


Signore Baffetto looks a bit like the father in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, don't you think? You should know that that the wine list (the bottles lined up behind Jim in this picture) has one less occupant than it did when we arrived. 

You flat out cannot beat the food in this city! We loved every dish we were given and will try to recreate some of them when we get back home.

Castel Sant'Angelo

(This picture above is a stock image from the internet, but allows you to see the Castel from a distance. I didn't take one from this vantage point.)

On a recommendation from our doctor, we made a to visit Castel Sant'Angelo. For years this fortress guarded the Vatican and is linked to it by an arcaded passageway, as noted in Dan Brown's book, Angels and Demons. We loved this place! It got its name during the great plague of 590, when Pope Gregory the Great passed by in a procession and had a vision of an angel sheathing its sword atop the ramparts. I wonder how closely his vision was met? 

This fortress is full of ramps and steep inclines, which dump you out on the top floor, affording stunning views of the city.

In the picture below, on the lower left, you can see the arcaded passageway to the Vatican. The dome at the far left is St. Peter's.

Campo di Fiori

Campo di Fiori is a lovely market place in the center of the city. It carries pretty much everything needed to make one the hostess with the mostest--from lovely flowers for the table,

to the bounty of the season,

to veggies ready for the best sauces,

to meats and fishes too gross to appear in this post,

and the spices needed to cook them,

to fruits to be used in dessert,

Campo di Fiori has it all!

The Colosseum and The Pantheon

It wouldn't be a trip to Rome without a trip to the Colosseum. We got there very early and had the place to ourselves for about thirty minutes. What an amazing structure.

We hoped to be able to explore the tunnels under the Colosseum, but did not find access available when we were there. That girl on the Today show got in just last week, but I guess she had a press pass that we failed to obtain.

The rain kept us from many of the older structures in this area, but we will be sure to see them on our next trip. (Yes--there will be a return trip!)

We went back to the Pantheon to watch the rain fall through the Oculus. There is a drainage system in the floor that allows the rain to pass through. 

It's amazing that this ancient building, which dates back to 27 B.C., is still standing.  This is another structure so massive that just can't be photographed well. I was mesmerized by the doors, each of which weigh 20 tons. How in the world was all of this built before modern machinery was available? 

The Spanish Steps and Tod's

Another iconic landmark of Rome, the Spanish Steps were actually funded by France in 1723, and serve as the entrance to the Spanish Embassy.  Where's Jim? That one is too easy, I know!

See that Palm tree on the right? I was shocked to see so many palms in the heart of the city.

Coming directly down from the Spanish Steps is Via de Condotti, one of the most fabulous shopping areas in Rome. Max Mara,  Ferragamo, Prada, Burberry, they're all there. On the day we left, I read an article in the WSJ about Signore Tod, owner of Tod's Shoes, a company I have long admired. I thought it to be a certain sign from God that I should buy a pair of Tod's in Rome. As we strolled down Via de Condotti, the clouds parted and a lone ray of sunlight illuminated a window--there it was, right in front of me--Tod's. 

The shoes are not any cheaper in Italy than they are at Saks in St. Louis, so I passed. The purple suede calls me yet today.

Holy Things

We spent this morning in Vatican City. I hate to think of everything we missed due to our lack of knowledge regarding fine art and the Renaissance, or what we have forgotten since Art Appreciation 101 at Mizzou. We thoroughly enjoyed the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo totally hit it out of the park on this one. How one mind could create such an original tribute to the glory of God is just beyond my scope of reference. The details included in each fresco bring the story of Christianity to life. No picture I could take would do this room justice.

We then went to St. Peter's Basilica. I have no words for all of the emotion this building brought to me. I knew better than to do this, but as you enter the basilica, the first thing you see on your right is the Pieta. I was going to save it for the grand finale, but I caved and went straight for it.

I wept as I looked at Mary holding her son's dead body. Some of my tears were shed because I put myself in her place, but some were shed as I marveled at the ability of someone to put such emotion into a piece of rock. With paint, an artist can use color to shade and tone and add nuance and depth to a subject, but to think this began as one slab of rock, shaped only by a chisel is stunning.  Mary's face shows such sadness. Her upturned left palm hints that she might be talking to herself as she tries to make sense of Jesus' death. Jesus' body looks spent and weak. Mary looks older and wiser than she is often depicted, but still so vulnerable. Though I was nearly knocked over by a tourist with a camcorder as I studied this sculpture, it was probably the most sacred moment of the trip for me.

The majesty and grandeur of St. Peter's can't be captured on film. The bronze altar, at the bottom right, is 17 feet tall. The very top of the dome, which contains the image of God, is 400 feet tall--higher than a football field is long. The church can hold 60,000 standing worshippers. The word awesome doesn't even begin to describe this church.

Ohhh, Roma!

You have won us over, hook, line and sinker. The flights were smooth and the jet lag is minimal. This is the view from our hotel room, Albergo Santa Chiara. They gave us an accommodation upgrade, a wonderful way to begin our stay in Rome. The concierge, Federica, was very helpful in getting us acclimated to life in Italy. 

Trevi Fountain was one of our first stops. It was packed with tourists, but that made it more fun.

As we wandered, we found this place and had to partake in honor of Mallory and Megan:).

Ciao!

And we're off!

Planning is more than half the fun.

Is there anything more exciting than planning a trip? The natural-born planner in me, would answer an emphatic, "NO!" As a teacher, my very favorite part of the job is planning new lessons. Learning all about something new, or delving into an already familiar subject at a deeper level can swallow entire days of my weekend in one, big delicious bite. It makes me so darned happy to utilize post-its and highlighters and web-based bookmark generators to mark my new learning.

Soon, we will have a whole new country to explore. Those closely-held frequent flier miles will allow us to jet off to Italy. But first, over-the-top, meticulous and intensive planning has taken place. Hotels have been checked off the list. Trip Advisor and Slow Travel have been almost as helpful as the advice of good friends familiar with the country. Museums, tours, cultural highlights and relics have been properly tagged and bookmarked. Podcasts have been downloaded. Restaurants and cafes have been identified. Our bags are packed and our spirits are high. We are glad to have you along for the ride!