Italy Part 2: Florence & Rome

After the spectacular Cinque Terre, we headed to Florence.  At first, we weren't fans.  Florence is BUSY and the streets are all so tight.  It was also very hot once again and we walked around the first day feeling so exhausted.  But as time went on, we did grow to enjoy Florence.  We spent a lot of time in the Piazza Signoria, where Michelangelo's David once stood (now a replica has taken its original spot) and the amazing Uffizi museum sits nearby.  In the evenings, we listened to some beautiful orchestras play music under the lights (as we ate gelato of course) and we really liked the Boboli Gardens, a lesser known attraction in the city. 

The highlight of that trip was our experience seeing the David.  We had been told it would be our longest line and so we thought we might try to go before closing on our first night.  When we got there (yes, an hour and a half wait), we were told the museum would be staying open late for a few days so we could come back before 10 and maybe the line would be shorter.  So we had a leisurely dinner (that's the European style!) and headed to the Academia around 9 pm.  We got there and ... no line! We went right through security, turned the corner and down the hallway stood the magnificent David ... and only a handful of other people were in the museum!  We were able to enjoy it crowd-free and it really is such an awesome experience.  If I had brought a sketchbook with me, I would have loved to have drawn it.  Anyway, we felt pretty lucky ;)

Oh, and another highlight? Almost being taken out by a rogue segway. Seriously, we were walking through the center of Piazza Signoria and out of the crowds came a kid on a segway and he was flying!  As he came straight towards us, I truly thought this was the end of our trip.  But as we jumped out of the way, he swerved and completely ate it.  Poor kid.  But seriously, how terrible would it have been if one of us ended up in a European hospital (again!) because of being hit by a segway???  The look on that kid's face ... we actually couldn't stop laughing about it for the rest of the night.  Okay, the rest of the trip.

Florence really is lovely.  There is so much art to see and history to enjoy.  And we had some good pasta =)

*Sigh* ... Rome.  Rome is wonderful for so many reasons.  Big city.  Big charm.  Eric was so excited for this city as he is a history buff (especially Roman history).  The Coloseum was definately his highlight and I loved the streets and piazzas.  My favorite building was the Pantheon, though.  We walked A LOT in this city.  We enjoyed a tour of the Coloseum and forum/ruins on Palatine Hill, threw coins behind us into the Trevi Fountain (to ensure we return to Rome one day), took pictures on the Spanish steps, ate award-winning gelato (I had rose flavored ... and it really tasted like a rose even though I've never actually tasted a rose) and saw some beautiful churches.  We did visit the Vatican museum and saw the breathtaking Sistine Chapel and spent plenty of time in my favorite place ... the Piazza Navona, a ridiculously charming plaza with cafes surrounding a courtyard where people sell art.  There are fountains and Italians playing music for money and the most gorgeous church in all our travels.  We also had some spectacular food in Rome ... pizza that puts our American take-out to shame, wild boar pate (that was Eric's choice) and a romantic steak dinner in a wine cellar. 

Though it was sad to leave, we were exhausted and ready to come home.  It's time to plan our next adventure of course! (On the airplane, Eric looked at me and said, "So Hawaii next summer?")  Our travels home were not so smooth so when we actually made it home, we were so happy (think running through the airport at ridiculous speeds and then watching our plane pull away from the gate and then sitting on a chair gasping for breath and realizing that lovely handmade Italian scarf you were wearing went flying while you were running and now it nowhere to be found). 

Europe was amazing.  Loved everything, but next time my pick would be back to The Netherlands and then Germany, Switzerland and Austria.  I think that would be my cup of tea =)

Cheers!
~ Heidi

Italy Part 1: Venice & The Cinque Terre

After Paris, it was time to make our way to Italy.  This has been both Eric's and my dream for a long time and we were so excited.  First on the list was Venice, a destination we squeezed in only because I really wanted to see it, if only for a day.  Now, for anyone who has never been to Venice, you really only need a full day to see and enjoy it.  For us, it was HOT and HUMID.  It reminded me of Mexico in the summer.  Thankfully, Italy has something to offer its hot and weary tourists ... gelato.  Mmmmmmm.  It saved me many a hot day in Italy.  We walked around, window shopped, rode in the water taxi through the canals (no, not a gondola ... it may seem romantic, but it's actually pretty cheesy in my opinion as there's an Italian guy dressed in red stripes around every bend offering you a ride).  I will say Venice is a photographer's dream, even if it has been over-photographed.  One just can't get enough of a narrow water canal with clothes hanging out to dry between the windows above.

Okay, the best part of all ... after Venice, we trained a LONG way to the Italian Riviera where we stayed in Riomaggiore, the first of the five coastal fishing villages in The Cinque Terre.  This destination came recommended to us from some close friends with plenty of travel experience and we are so glad we took heed.  This place was spectacular and we really were able to relax instead of focus on sightseeing.  Now, unfortunately, upon arrival ... as we gazed out at the magnificent view of the ocean right below the cliff we were standing on ... a bird pooped on me.  Yep.  This is not the first, nor second, nor even third time I have been pooped on by a bird.  (In fact, I was once pooped on by a bird while I sat on a moving boat).  I looked up and realized I was standing under the ONE lightpole on the entire platform and on the ground around my feet was a colorful history of prior bird droppings.  Yuck. 

The next 20 minutes remind me of a scene from a movie.  Not a specific scene, but one you would expect to see in a movie.  As Eric and I stood near the platform staring out at colorful houses built into a cliff, we realized we had NO clue where to find our little inn.  A sweet Italian lady came up to us, looked at the address on our paper and pointed us in the right direction with a friendly smile.  Welcome to Riomaggiore, the most wonderful hidden gem.  We followed her direction and came to a rather steep hill (the only real road in the village).  Now, we're young and spry and can certainly handle a hill or two, but you see, both our pieces of luggage had broken by this point in the trip and my dear husband was dragging my giant suitcase while I had his.  So this hill looked like death.  We strained our way up it, though, until we came to the inn.  Thank goodness; not too far up the hill of death.  Eric went in and I stayed out with the luggage and petted a cat sleeping in a flower box.  Again, welcome to Riomaggiore, the most wonderful hidden gem.  In a few minutes, Eric returned followed by a little Italian woman.  Horray for being led to our room.  Or not.  She began walking up the hill.  Eric and I exchanged glances and had no choice but to follow.  With broken luggage and sweat dripping, we forged ahead behind the woman (who seemed to be having no trouble at all).  Up we climbed ... and up ... and up some more ... until I thought perhaps she was playing a cruel joke on us.  Silly Americans.  Finally, we arrived.  She opened the door and we followed her in.  To where you may ask?  A staircase of course! A tiny, cramped, creaking, spiral staircase that went up three floors.  As I hoisted Eric's suitcase on my hip to fit in the staircase, I lost it.  In a fit of giggles, I made it up to our room where the nice Italian woman smiled and left us to burst into laughter.  It seriously felt like the Olympics.  But our room was awesome and up one last spiral staircase was our private rooftop terrace with a tiny ocean view.  Totally worth it.

The next two days were spent dipping our feet into the water down at the marina, sitting on the rocks at Riomaggiore's beach as the waves swept up onto us, eating gelato while sitting on a cliff overlooking the ocean, ferrying to the other villages, exploring a couple of the villages (including a hidden cobblestone path in Monterosso which led us up to the most breathtaking view) and lounging on the beach.  We ate a lot of good food, got some sun, did a wee bit of shopping and had the time of our lives.  We could have stayed for a month.  (In fact, we did consider following Cory and Tapanga's idea and find jobs so we could live there.  Eric could lead scuba-diving classes and I would make jewelry.  We had it all figured out.)  

We will definitely be returned someday.  Though I'm afraid by the time "someday" rolls around, the villages will be over-run with tourists, but hopefully not.  Goodbye Riomaggiore, the most wonderful hidden gem.

~ Heidi

Traveler's Log: The Next Few Days in Paris

I loved The Netherlands!  In fact, if it didn't get so cold there, I would consider moving =)  Delft was probably my favorite destination that we visited ... so picturesque Europe and with hardly any tourists.  I would also like to give a big thanks to Annelies, John, Nadine & Vincent for welcoming us into your home and giving us a taste of true Dutch life.  I just may start putting sprinkles on my toast now!  I also must find a place here in the states that makes a tompous ~ the most delicious Dutch pastry.  But for now, Eric and I will take a stab at making some of the recipes from our Dutch cook book from Annelies (perhaps minus the raw herring).  But yes, the "homeland" was spectacular.

After leaving S'Gravenzande in The Netherlands, we trained to Paris.  Oh Paris.  I was intimidated at first and very much overwhelmed by the city which I found curious since I fell in love with New York the moment I stepped foot in it and Paris is very reminiscent of New York ... just with European style.  But I did grow to love Paris and especially the language.  First off, the weather could not have been more perfect as we explored the city by foot our first day.  Throughout the next few days, Eric and I became pros at the metro system and soaked up Paris ~ we visited all the tourist attractions, picniced in the park next to the Eiffel Tower while eating fabulous french bread sandwiches from a Rue Claire market, ate gelato in the park (a few times), gawked at giant Monet paintings, squinted at the tiny Mona Lisa, sipped espresso at cafes, ordered food in French (butchered French no doubt), watched the final EuroCup soccer game at a pub (apparently the French love the Spanish ~ lucky for us, it made for a great time), visted the gorgeous Palace of Versailles and finally spent a day in Montemarte, which was described to me as "old Paris" and it really was the most charming.  Van Gogh, among other famous artists, lived and dined here and it is the backdrop to a few lovely films, such as Amelie and Midnight in Paris.

Fun tidbits: Eric and I stayed in a studio apartment on the 3rd floor of an old building in the heart of Paris (so much fun and surrounded by locals), but it did come with some quirks (but that's what makes traveling such an adventure, right?)  When we arrived, it was so hot inside so I swung open the big picture windows only to have a view of everyone else's apartment in the courtyard.  Oh right, city living.  Within the half hour, we got a knock on the door and a French woman was standing there looking very frustrated.  For the next 10 minutes, we had a "conversation" mostly made up of hand motions and loud, annunciated words (as if the other person MIGHT understand our language if we slow the words down, haha).  We finally figured out that she was there to clean the apartment (hmmm, good thing we didn't touch anything yet) so we left her in peace and prayed our luggage would still be there when we returned.  Later on in our stay, Eric broke the lock (ahem, just being honest) on the shared toilet room so using it was a real joy now that the entire door wouldn't close completely (you know the feeling ~ "please nobody come around the corner ...")  And lastly, when we attempted to wash our clothes in the washer, a few things went awry and we ended up with sopping wet clothes that took days to dry.  A lovely smell for our future travels.  Awww but so much fun! Waaaay better than a hotel ;)

~ Heidi