francesandbobby

Monday morning we boarded a bus in Venice and traveled to the town of Trevisio. From their small airport we boarded a plane for Brussels, Henri and Noemi were there to greet us and drive us back to their home in Leige. Their house sits atop a hill, and from our room at night we can see the lights of the town below. However, my favorite spot is at the kitchen table surrounded by windows looking out at the garden. It felt like home and we really got a good night's sleep. On Tuesday, we rode around town, stopping at a couple overlook viewpoints to take in the sights. Liege has many old buildings that have great character. Dorothy's school was founded as a school for girls during a time when many did not think it ... read more

I will update on Friday and Saturday together. Friday morning, we decided we would spend our last hours in Florence climbing the dome of the Cathedral. I don't know how many steps, but it was quite a lot. However, the sky was clear enough for us to have great views from the top. Friday afternoon we boarded the train in Florence and traveled a little over 2 hours to Venice.(Venezia). When we got off the train we pulled our luggage across the Scalzi bridge, crossing the Grand Canal. Our hotel was just across the canal. After checking in and dropping off our luggage, we met the other couple, Glenn and Michele, in the lobby. Since we had a tour the next morning that began at the gates to the Royal Gardens on St Mark's Square, we ... read more

This morning I actually got up early and got a little exercise, a walk/run for 2 miles. I saw one jogger. People here don't seem to need to jog; they walk so much that you don't see much obesity. At 10, we met our new driver/guide...Leonardo (apparently a popular name here) for the drive to the Castle Verrazzano in Chianti. First we made a stop in Greve which is the capital of Chianti and this region seems to specialize in wild boar. At the Castle Verrazzano, we toured the winery which produces the great Chianti Classico wines. After the tour, which was not only about wine, but also about the olive oil they produce, we sat down for wine tasting and lunch. We began with bruschetta, then had a vaiety of cold cut type meats including ... read more

OK, for some reason, this is the 3rd time I am writing this entry. The blog keeps losing my text so I am saving every few sentences and you are getting the short version. Goodbye to Roma and we take a high speed train to Florence. (A nice young man helped us with our luggage, then came back asking for tips.) Smooth, quick ride to Florence....Hotel Albergotto on a streett lined with designer shops which we cannot afford. We meet our guide, Leonardo. After a 2 hour tour, we see two great plazzos...one with the requisite cathedral and the other with the government building. I will say there are many beautiful sculptures and a very interesting midevil section of town. Leo makes some suggestions for dinner. We find a quite place favored by the locals and ... read more

After breakfast in the hotel, we walked down Via Settembre to the Santa Maria....Bascilica. This is a beautiful church with amazing art and surprise, a lot of information on Galelio. Fortunately we had purchased umbrellas the afternoon before and we used them on our drizzly stroll. In the afternoon, we were driven to the next county-the Vatican.While we had overcast skys all day, it didn't rain in the afternoon. I guess it was worth lighting the candle in church this morning. I don't think I can begin to describe the beauty of St Peter's Square and the Sistene Chappel. To see work by Raphael, Michaelangelo, and Bernini to name a few-well, it was just incredible. How can one describe being surrounded by the m of theasterpieces of the greatest artists of the Baroque and Renaissance? Pictures ... read more