Category: Italy
Europe Itinerary: 16 Days in France, Switzerland, & Italy
We spent 16 glorious days in Europe several years ago, visiting France, Switzerland and Italy. That was my first trip overseas, and one of the best times of my life. We flew into Paris, spent 3 days touring the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Louvre, […]
9 Reasons to Visit Italy
Day 17 – Final Day in RomeIt is no surprise to hear that Italy is a wonderful country to visit. The language barrier was a small issue, but you can usually get by speaking Spanish. They also seem more willing to speak Spanish than English. […]
Day Trip: Naples & Pompei
Day 16 – Naples & Pompei, Italy We were up at 6 today, picked up by a Trolley, which brought us literally around the block to the tour station. Had we known, we could have easily walked. What’s one block when you’ve spent more than […]
Pope, Coliseum, & Roman Forum
Day 14 – Rome, Italy We got up early today, anxious to catch the Pope at his Papal blessing. We arrived with no problem at 9:45, and found seats on the aisle, easier to sneak out if necessary. It was nice and sunny when we sat […]
Final Stop: Rome, Italy
Day 12– Rome, Italy We finally arrived in Rome after spending 2 hours circling one-way streets, desperately trying to figure out where to return our rental car. We eventually found this tiny parking garage on a one-way street, about 5 blocks from the railway station. […]
Tivoli, Italy
Day 11 – Tivoli, Italy We had some fun on the way to Tivoli, laughing at the road signs. I had to draw pictures of the road signs that we saw so we could remember them. There were hilarious signs in the tunnels, showing a […]
Catholic Rome: Day at the Vatican
Day 13 – Rome, Italy The man at the front desk greeted us in English, but when I replied “ciao,” he responded, “In Italy, you speak Italian! Bravo!” I learned to say a few more things in Italian and he was very happy to hear […]
The Search for Italian Ancestors in Abruzzo, Italy
Day 10 – Caramanico, Sant’ Eufemia, Italy After my husband tore me away from the beautiful La Ghiandia (meaning: The Garden), we took off for the Abruzzo region of Italy. This was the most remote area we experienced on the entire trip, but well worth […]
Tuscan Paradise: La Ghiandaia
SAERTANO, TUSCANY, ITALY : La Ghiandaia Located in the rolling hills of Saertano, Tuscany, at the foot of Mount Cetona lies La Ghiandaia. The 1,700 year old converted Church now boasts several unique guest rooms in classic Tuscan design. Each morning the owners supplied a […]
The Hills of Tuscany
Day 9 – Tuscany: Siena & Montepulciano, Italy Today we slept in a little bit, packed up our things, and grabbed a light breakfast. We weren’t supposed to pick up our rental car until 1 p.m., but in our exhaustion, we decided that we’d skip […]
Leaning Tower of Pisa & Florence, Italy
Day 8 – Florence & Pisa, Italy We savored our last hours in Venice. Our vaparetto ride to the train station was nice. The sunshine hit the water and splashed light on the ancient buildings. We bid farewell and found our train seats. Three hours […]
Venice B&B: Locanda Ca’Valeri
VENICE, ITALY : Locanda Ca’Valeri While visiting Venice, we booked ourselves into Locanda Ca’Valeri, a quaint bed and breakfast just minutes from San Marco Square. It was slightly tricky to find, because the location was tucked away on a side street. However, the location was amazing. We […]
Doge, Campanile,& St. Mark’s Basilica, Venice
Day 7 – Venice, Italy Breakfast was served in our room, with rolls, bread, and hot chocolate. Today our tour began at Doge’s Palace. Pictures were not allowed on the inside. It reminded us of a smaller version of the Palace of Versailles, with heavily […]
Dream Destination: Venice
Day 6 – Venice, Italy Today we woke up at 7 and got ready to leave Switzerland. After a breakfast of cereal and croissants, we checked out and prepared for our train journey to Venice. The ride was breathtaking from Spiez to Milan. The train […]