Rome

Let me start by saying I have been seriously slacking on blogging for the past couple of months and have some serious making up to do. You should expect an obscene amount of posts in the next couple of days. We have been busy with family, the house in Utah and now I am finally done with majority of the Christmas tasks that are time sensitive...now it is time to catch up.

So on to Rome...I LOVE ROME!!! It was very close between Paris and Rome, but I think Rome won out for our favorite (maybe partly because the weather was MUCH better here). We spent most of the days like this (see picture below)-

We had a map of all of the local attractions and sites and would check them off as we wandered around the city (stopping at as many Gelato stores as possible). Since Wade had been here before it helped us get our basic direction and then we explored the city from there, utilizing the subway and train systems. Only once did we miss the last train and get stuck in a not so nice part of town.

I LOVED all of the fountains all over the city. We would walk for miles every day and stop to rest and enjoy the beautiful fountains. Rome also was great because it had free cold water, you just have to find an aqueduct and it had cold clear water running at all times.

This square that had three fountains in the middle of it. The place was always busy and all of the local artists set up booths to showcase and sell their art. There were also restaurants that surrounded the square to get great Italian food or Gelato. We bought our favorite painting from this square (thanks Gayla - birthday money put to good use)

Our favorite fountain by far was Trevi. We went to Trevi everyday, and most days twice a day. We would come sit during the day, people watch and just relax in the heat. Even with the crowds it was so peaceful and relaxing.

Trevi at night is amazing. We would finish dinner (we ate within a couple of blocks of Trevi almost every night) and get some Gelato and sit and enjoy the sites and sounds of Trevi. Wade's birthday lunch was spent eating the best pizza we have ever had in front of Trevi.

The coliseum was very interesting to see. I was amazed at the history and the stories behind this place.

Inside the coliseum - and getting a view of the underground tunnels and systems that made the coliseum.

The Vatican

Michelangelo's sculpture Pieta in St. Peter in Vatican Rome. His first sculpture and the only was that he signed.

On the long journey to the Sistine Chapel.

The ceiling...

On our last full day in Rome we rented a car and drove the Amalfi Coast. It was beautiful and an experience we will never forget. The car was a "midsized" and the driving is indescribable. I think this was Wade's favorite day...he says that when he retires he wants to drive cab in Rome. The only rule they really follow is stopping at red lights...other than that, it is a free for all and if "your nose is in front you go". They don't have laws on merging, or how many cars can be in a lane, or how fast you should go...it was perfect for Wade. After we made it back to Rome that night (after getting lost a bit in Naples - not a place you want to get lost) Wade drove to Trevi and we ate dinner in Rome. We had a Griswold experience in one of the roundabouts and it took us about 5 times around before we knew which way to go and could get "our nose out in front" to get out of there. All in all it was a very fun experience.

Lunch in the town of Amalfi; some of the most beautiful sites I have seen. The white buildings sitting on the cliffs that drop into the aqua water...breathtaking!

Rome was the final stop in our Europe trip. It was a vacation we will never forget and one of the best I have ever had. It only made me want to go back and explore other places and to eat more of the great food they have in Italy. I feel so lucky that we got to experience this and have this wonderful memory together.

Venice

When we got to Venice it was mid-morning, the sun was shining and it was absolutely beautiful! Once again, we didn't have any plans, and didn't know how we were going to get to our hotel. This was a little more tricky because we were staying in a little local hotel rather than a Marriott and we were now in a new country with a brand new language that neither of us speak. We found our way around and found a water taxi that took us to the town square (an hour later). We wandered around Venice with our luggage trying to find our hotel for about 45 minutes. In Venice they don't really use street names, they use direction that sound like "Go straight and then take a left, another left, a right, go over the bridge and make another right and you are there". We did this about 10 times until we finally ended up at our hotel. Since they really don't have streets, they don't have street names...which makes sense. Once we were there a day we could easily find our way around and know where we were going. We stayed in a hotel with a room overlooking one of the canals and they had the best coffee in the morning (for me...Wade would gag if he even had to try it). In Venice you just wander around looking at all of the shops and eating the best Italian food and gelato. They have the most amazing blown glass that they make in Venice - Murano glass...it is beautiful and they have it everywhere. After about a day and a half we ran out of things to do...Wade doesn't sit still very easy unless it is on a beach in the sun...so what did we do??? We found a beach with sun and spent our last day here laying, relaxing, people watching and doing nothing. It was the middle of the trip, a perfect resting day and it was great!

The water taxi to Venice....

The main square piazza san marco...at night the restaurants (extremely over priced and charged a sitting fee just to sit there and enjoy the atmosphere) would have live music and string quartets. It was a great place to get gelato, and stand around people watching and listening to the music.

Our first experience eating authentic Italian...it was amazing.

Piazza San Marco

Getting lost in Venice

The view from our room at night....

You can't go to Venice and not go on a gondola ride. We couldn't resist and we did learn a few interesting facts about Venice and it was a great way to see the city...it was however way over priced! That has to be the biggest way to get money out of the tourist.

We learned that the water in Venice is a part of the Adriatic Sea and so every day the water raises and lowers based on the tide. We were eating on the grand canal and it happened to be high tide...it was interesting to see that the restaurants don't really mind the tide and the people just get a little wet during high tide.

We spent the last day on Lido beach. It is a separate island outside of Venice and you take a water taxi to it. It is the largest island and is much more up to date. It has cars and buses and up to date stores and hotels. We walked to the public beach where you can rent a cabana really cheap (15 per day) for a nice umbrella and chairs and includes a shower and use of the toilet (you have to pay everywhere else to use the toilet). We had such a relaxing day listening to the ocean, laying out and people watching. Lets just say that we were really close to France and it made for some interesting people watching...it is always the people that shouldn't be wearing (or not wearing in some cases) that are. Wade described it as like a car wreck...you just can't help but look...

When we were on Lido Island, the international film festival was going on. We were walking on the beach and ended up stumbling upon the festivities. We walked right in (we are in sales...just act like you know what you are doing and that you are supposed to be there) and walked around looking at all of the people.

Everyone was screaming at this couple and yelling their name...we have no clue who they are but it is our picture of the people that must be famous somewhere.

Paris

Paris - one of our favorite places...

Once in Europe our travels between locations were done on really cheap (commuter) airlines that take you from place to place for about $50. Looking back at the trip I am really impressed that we managed to figure out the transportation system. We had our plane reservations, and our hotel reservations, but no travel to and from the airport or any sort of transportation during the stay. We took the trains and subways and managed to read the maps and communicate enough to get pointed in the right general direction. All in all this method worked out well, and only had us wandering with our luggage for minimal amounts of time. The night we arrived in Paris we didn't get in until almost midnight and we hadn't eaten anything. We traveled on the subway about 40 minutes and when we walked out onto the main street it was packed. Everyone was out, all the restaurants were packed and even Sephora was still open. It was great! No one eats until at least 8 or 9 and it has the vibe of New York City.

Champs De Elysee - Right outside out hotel.

The Eiffel Tower

We decided to take the stairs up the Eiffel tower rather than the "lift". Partly because we wanted to say to took the stairs, partly because the lines for the lazy people that took the "lift" were way too long, and partly because we felt cheap and didn't want to pay the extra money.

One of our favorite things on the whole trip was a sunset dinner cruise in Paris. It was a four course sit down dinner with our own private table and live music on the boat. It had the best views in the city and was absolutely amazing. Here are some pictures of our night...

Side note for the picture below - it is rated PG13. Half way through our cruise we hear laughing and cheering. We look, only to see a group of "kids" (I am sure they were college students) mooning every boat that passed. Wade of course had to take not one, or two, but three pictures of this. I picked the picture with the furthest distance that showed the least...but at least it made him happy that I posted it....have I mentioned how easy it is to please him?

Notre Dame

Outside the Louvre

Moulin Rouge - We took a subway just to take a picture in front of this. Not much else was close to it and it seems that most the other people around us did the same.

The last day we went to the Louvre. Most people would plan at least a day here if not two...it is absolutely huge. We lasted about an hour and a half. I love art, but it was so crowded and after seeing the Mona Lisa and some Michelangelo's work, there is only so many huge paintings of naked people that you can see.

You can see we made the most of our time in the Louvre....

We finished at the Louvre and had the whole afternoon to spare. We decided to hop a train and see Versalles (where Marie Antoinette lived).

On the train to Versalles enjoying one of our favorite lunches in Paris (the best bread ever!!! Wade bought 2 loaves of bread...just for himself).

Versalles was amazing and I enjoyed it so much more than the Louvre. I really enjoyed seeing how they lived back then and it helped me imagine it much more than I can through Jane Austen movies.

The grounds and garden were beautiful and so huge...I would have loved to spend a whole day lounging in the gardens with a loaf of bread and a book...too bad it was only about 50 degrees and stormy.

All in all Paris was definitely a place we would like to visit again. There is so much to do and it is busy no matter what time of day...but you can also get lost in the parks and fountains and spend a day doing nothing as well.