Venice - May 10th

Our last day in Italy already. It's hard to believe the trip is coming to an end! It was raining this morning and the group went to a glass blowing demonstration. Dad and I decided to skip this and ended up walking around the city. We went to the fish market which was closed because it is closed on Monday's. We did see a couple of wonderful stalls with fresh produce. The white asparagus and eggplants were beautiful.

We decided to go back to the restaurant we at last night over the Rialto bridge - Tratorria alla Madonna because we enjoyed it so much. The waiter who waited on us last night recognized dad, and even though he wasn't our original waiter this day, he took care of us. He brought us a complementary dish on the house which was a traditional Venetian dish of fried sardines in vinegar and onions. It wasn't my favorite, but tasted better than it sounds. It was so nice of him to do that for us!

Next we walked to the Fenice (phoenix) Opera house. This opera house has burned down 3 times and was almost totally rebuilt in the original style when it was first built in the 1700's. It was beautiful, but we were tired. Back at the hotel, dad rested a bit and I walked to Saint Mark's square for a bit of shopping.

That night was a farewell dinner at the hotel for the tour group. We really enjoyed every one's company and we had a wonderful evening.

Tomorrow morning will come early, as we have to get up at 3:15 in the morning and leave at 4:00 via water cab to get to the airport for our 7:00 flight.

Dad and I really had a wonderful time and enjoyed each others company; it was really a trip of a lifetime and I can't thank Dad enough for the opportunity to see Italy with him.

May 9 - Venice

We traveled to Venice on the fast EuroStar train. Our hotel is again phenomenal, and we ate lunch there.

Front of the hotel

Ivy growing on the back of the hotel

Next a visit to San Mark's square and Basilica and the Doges palace. Incredibly beautiful. Venice is really magical, to be a bit trite.

Basilica

Tower in Saint Marks

View of Saint Marks from top of the tower

Statue at the water's edge in Saint Marks square

Fresco outside of the Basilica

Stairway ceiling at the Doges Palace

Prison where we walked over the famous Bridge of Sighs

This afternoon we all went on a Gondola ride.

Rialto Bridget while walking to the restaurant

Dad and I had a wonderful dinner at the Trattoria alla Madonna. Grilled whole Sea Bass with fresh artichokes, and a wonderful spaghetti with clams. We talked to the couple at the next table, a young couple from Switzerland who were taking a long weekend away from the kids. See the advantages of living in Europe...!

We ended the evening in St. Marks square where we listened to the music, and it was so beautiful; a perfect end to the evening.

Saint Mark's square at night

Hoping the volcano blows our way and we can stay here longer.

May 8 - Last day in Florence

Woke up early to another wonderful breakfast buffet. Lauren and Shannon met us at the hotel for a tour of the Uffizi museum where we saw wonderful paintings by Botecelli, Donnetello and others.

Shannon stayed on at the museum and Dad and Lauren and I went in search of the Trattoria Anita. It was pouring and the Trattoria wasn't open yet, so we walked toward the square. Back at the restaurant, we ordered lunch and waited for Shannon. Dad and I shared a roasted chicken with a asparagus risotto. Wonderful! Lauren had pasta with pesto and Shannon just had a caprese salad because she had already eaten before.

Lauren and Dad in the hotel lobby

After lunch, Dad shopped for another bag because our suitcases are getting too full of great finds from our travels. Shannon and Lauren and I shopped the Mercado Centrale where I found a nice leather purse and some gifts. Lauren found a cute dress and bargain effectively with the shop owner - she was so proud of herself. Shannon got a cute skirt. The Italian men were checking the girls out and I kept them at bay. The streets were crowded with a car race - they blocked huge portions of the streets. It was a reenactment of a car race they had back in the late 1920's through the '50s; a lot of antique cars and slick looking Italian men.

It was a busy day. I wanted to see Pitti Palace, the Medici families residence but by the time we got there, it was closed. Well, I guess I need to plan a return trip to Italy to see every thing I missed.

Pitti Palace

We met up with dad and had a great dinner at the Osteria Giovani - Giovani himself was quite the character and loved chatting us up. He told us that cod was essential to his very life! The dinner was good - Osso Bucco for dad and I and we split a spaghetti. Giovani's wife is from the U.S. and made the desserts and they were wonderful. I had warm apple cake with vanilla ice cream, Lauren pears in red wine sauce with chocolate ice cream (weird but delicious), and Shannon had a great chocolate cake.

Tomorrow Venice.

Florence - May 7

What a day! Got up early today and the weather was rainy again, so dad and I didn't get our morning walk in. Breakfast at the hotel was fabulous! We had a great buffet of fruit, roasted veggies, scrambled eggs, and an assortment of cheeses, ham, and wonderful sweet rolls.

After breakfast the group had a 1 hour art history lesson from a professor here in Florence. He was very informative and spoke to our level (not experts!). He is from the United States, and teaches for one primary university as well as several others. After our art lesson, we got on the tour bus and went to the Accademia de'll arte. The main attraction there is Michelangelo's statue of David. Words can't describe the beauty of this amazing sculpture. It's so perfect and detailed, down to the toe nails and the veins in his hands and neck. Gorgeous.

Copy of the David in the square.

From there we walked to the Duomo. This has a dome that was the first dome built without a wooden support structure by Brunelleschi. It isn't the largest dome of it's type now, but Brunelleschi figured out how to engineer this structure without additional support and paved the way of all of the other large domes on cathedrals.

Brunelleschi's Dome

Church of Maria d'el Fiori - the church of Brunelleschi's dome

Dad and I stood in the square right in front of the gates of Paradise by Ghibertti waiting for Lauren and her friend Shannon. The gates of Paradise are the gates on the Baptistry which is right across the square from the Church of Maria d'el Fiori.

The Baptistry

Gates of Paradise

Statues on top of the Gates of Paradise

This was a perfect meeting spot and we were able to catch up with our group quickly at the government center area. This was a square with many marvelous statutes including a copy of the David. Sculptures of Neptune and the rape of the Sabine women are also on display in this square.

The government center looks like the Medici palaces and is the place where power was finally transferred from the Medici's to the people. It has holes in front of some of the windows where hot oil, arrows and even feces were thrown to quell the people uprising against government decisions. Dad thinks this is a great idea.

Old Government Center

A couple of gelatos later and we found our way to the Museo National del Bargello. There were wonderful sculptures from Donettelo, Gianbologna and of course Michelangelo. Next we went to the Santa Croce cathedral where Michelangelo is buried.

Santa Croce Church

Inside Santa Croce Church

And if that wasn't enough, we then walked up many, many steps to get to the top of the Piazala del Michelangelo. An incredible panoramic view of the city!! We walked up more steps to the small church at the top of the hill. It is a Franciscan church and was plain in comparison to the ornate baroque and Renaissance churches we've been in. But it was beautiful in it's simplicity.

Dad resting at the top of the steps

Shannon and Dad at the top

Dad, Lauren and Shannon

The many steps

View at the top

Lunch was at a restaurant close to Santa Croce, wonderful pizza and I had a great ravioli stuffed with ricotta cheese. Lauren had a salad. We had good food and had fun catching up with Lauren and Shannon.

Ravioli with ricotta

Lauren and her salad

We walked back to the hotel via the Ponte Vechio. Very tired jello legs! Dinner was at the Trattoria Quatro Leoni. The menu is all in Italian, so was challenging. Dad and I split the sea bass and a artichoke lasagna. Lauren had a pasta filled with cream cheese and pear - a weird but delicious combination. Shannon had the meat penne pasta. She also taught us the difference in pronunciation between penne which is pasta (pronounce the 2 n's distinctly) and pene (penis). Makes a big difference. Shannon had Tiramasu and Lauren a wonderful pear and chocolate cake for dessert - very good!

We gave the girls' money to take a cab back to their hostel. It was so great to see Lauren and she was beaming from ear to ear to be with family and having a great meal with us.

Tomorrow the Ufizzi gallery and for sure a lot more walking.

Buona Notte