Cinque Terre

---

Hello! We have a little catching up to do on our blog. So to start we will tell you about Florence. We arrived late at night due to shopping in Venice, catching the train, switching trains and getting into Florence. Upon arrival we found our room (up 5 flights of stairs). Rick Steve's had a great restaurant recommended a few blocks away. In the restaurant we had our own private niche. Everything was homemade from the pasta to the wine (which was grown at the owner's vineyard in Siena).

The second day in Florence we all went to the Uffizi and Accademia (the Statue of David). The Uffizi was overwhelming a work of such beauty. The rooms had each artisit divided along with the time tables of art work. There were a lot of similarity between paintings of Christ, Mother Mary, angels, etc - but each had their own version. Kim bought books from each of the museums so everyone can take them and share. We were all so fortunate that Debe purchased the tickets in the states. The lines were long, long, long - about a 3 hour wait at one of them in the hot muggy day. We were able to get right in.

That night Teri Ann and Denise touring the city. They saw the squares lite up, the famous bridge Pontivecco, and many other sights. Debe and Kim were beat. They went and had pizza with gorgonzola chees, mushrooms and tomatoes. Yumm!!! Then it was home and to bed.

The next day we all went to a couple of famous churches, lit candels, and enjoyed the history and beauty. We caught the train to Pisa and did the touristy pictures (you know when it kindof looks like your holding the tower up). One the train to Cinque Terre to Venezza (one of the 5 towns). This place is spectacular! The ocean is right there along with restaurants, shops, etc. Our room is up the hill side about 4 blocks up stairs. We have a nice apartment with two rooms and two bathrooms. We are here tonight also. We have a wonderfuld dinner last night with local cusine (anchoives with lemon, 4 pasta dishes, stuffed baked mussels, baked anchoives with potatoes - I know anchoives YUCK - but these were actually very tastey, fresh and not like in the states.

Tomorrow we will be off to Siena which is the start to our hill towns. Hope all is well with everyone at home. We love you all and miss you! (If we could have stuck a few of you in our backpack to enjoy this experience we would have)

Jonah - mom says to tell you hi and a big hug and kiss. Have a great trip and I'm excited to hear about it when we get home. I love you lots! Thanks for all the help to all my family for allowing me this experience of my lifetime - Denise

Note to Ashely - I could have spent all day in the room of Botechelli (sp) gazing at "The birth of Venus". It is unforgettable.

Scotty, I am missing you. Dream about me!!!

TA here - notice the girls do not write on my behalf...HA! Anyhow...the last few days have been a whirlwind of events and burning feet and long walks and heat, heat, heat, humidity, and SWEAT! But I would not trade it for the world. We have seen amazing things, learned a lot about each other and the breaking points in each others personalities when doing a trip as big as this, and I think now we are all the better for it. Since I have not written since Venice, I will try to provide the "readers digest" version for everyone.

The train from Venice to Florence was beautiful...but it seems these days the trains are places to rest and try to get the blood flowing back to our feet. We also try to incorporate some beer & wine drinking on the trip, as well as grazing on some of the local specialities (cheese, proscuitto, salame, blah blah blah). When we arrived in Florence we had a colorful walk to our room at about 9:00 p.m., dragging our bags along a very busy street. I am SOOOO thankful for our compact bags right now I cannot even tell you. It has been my mission to NEVER put that bag on my back, and so far I have accomplished that....however, my handle is getting loose! Anyhow....we got to the room, checked in with some guy that was extremely flirtatious, dropped our luggage, checked the bathroom and noticed the mens urinal was located in the shower (believe me, things could be worse) and then made our trek down the seedy side streets to an AWESOME restaurant for dinner. The owner was 3rd or 4th generation restaurant owner from Siena, whose family grows the wine and grapes used in the restaurant. Try to imagine how special I felt at that moment...in fact it almost drowned out the smelly BO and pool of sweat that had accumulated in my bra. The next day we KILLED ourselves touring the Uffizi (look it up...more talent displayed there than anywhere in the world) and can I just say...our feet were KILLING us. We all felt like we were being punished for some past sins we had committed (me in particular...but another story for another day). At about hour 4...we were RUSHING through the exhibits because our feet were SCREAMING OBSCENITIES at us. I realized something had gone awry in Venice, but since noone else was complaining, I figured it was just me.....but OH NOOOOOOOOOOO...everyone has been in excruciating pain. And let me just say....we were very savvy when shopping for shoes to carry us through this trip. So when my feet have given out by day 4...then I am scared to death! Anyhow....enough of the complaining (I will save more for later of course!)

After the Uffizi, we hit the Accademia where I gawked and stared at Michelangelos "David." You can see it in pictues and on TV all day long, but when you turn the corridor and stare down the hallway...his nekkidness beckons you and takes your breath away. It is posted VERY CLEARLY not to take pictures....but everyone does. The woman who monitors that must live in eternal frustration...because no one complies with that...DEBE INCLUDED (thank gawd someone did it...just not me!) By the time we reached David...my feet were on strike....and we were several major cobblestoned blocks from the room. When we asked about a taxi...we were laughed at because Florence is considered a walking city! And the women all wear high heels! I swear...I am temped to try them because they must know something we do not. I guess our rubber soled shoes are good for the mountain hiking...but you need spiked heels for cobblestoned streets (who knew!)

After the Accademia, we were beat, so we hobbled (seriously) back towards the room, bought two bottles of wine, and uncorked them in the square next to 2 police cars (we needed assistance but I begged Denise not to ask). Kim and Debe stayed in, I paid Denise 5,00 Euro to go up several flights of stairs to trade out shoes for me, and we were off to enjoy more of Florence. We struggled with Kims camera (might have been the take out wine and beer) but made it to the Ponte Vecchio (ignore Kims spelling above...and my punctuation as these keyboards are in a FOREIGN language) and took lots of pictures. We ate a wonderful dinner...it has been a joy to see Denise eat things she SWORE she would never try...and then argued all the way back to the room about which way to go (envision arguing with your significant other about directions - FYI I was right...LOL). The next morning after having a meeting of the minds, we decided to slow WAYYYYYYYYYYY down and because of that we hit the most famous gelato stand (YYYYYYYYUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMM - mom tell dad I ate a GOB for him, including pistachio!) and viewed Santa Maria del Croce cathedral and the Duomo (biggest cathedral in that town). This made Denise very happy...and I, yes I, lit a candle at both in honor of my mother (MOM...TAKE NOTE).

We then hopped the train to Pisa....did the one hour onoff the train to take cheesy pictures, and departed at the Italian Riviera town of Vernazza. I will write more about this place after we depart, but I want to tell Curt one thing. Vernazza is a town of 500 perched on the cliffs of the Ligurian sea. The town is extremely close nit...many generations have raised their families here, and our room looks into the room of another family. I am not sure that typing my words will explain how amazing this place is, so I will be sure to post pictures on our next stop. HOWEVER...when we were walking down into town, a beautiful bride and her husband were walking up. I stopped, and pulled over to the side, as if it were a funeral procession, and waited for her to walk by, and told her congratulations and that she was very beautiful. She was carrying red flowers, and her bridesmaid was wearing red. It was a beautiful feeling to see that, and I thought of you and how special it would be if you were here. I love you and miss you terribly.

One last note...somehow the girls have been very fortunate (until yesterday) to be able to use semi-normal toilettes. Not me...first day in Vicenze I used the toilette in a local restaurant and it was a hole in the ground, with porcelain surrounding it (and grib dohickeys to keep you from slipping and falling in!) I explained this to the girls, but I do not think they understood. The toilettes from this point forward were regular commodes without toilet seats (imagine your man leaving the seat up). But oh imagine my satisfaction when the girls were finally forced to squat over a hole! How they managed to escape this to this point is beyond me...but now they have been brought to my level! We have pictures...so for those of you who are interested....stay tuned. I will be sure to post pictures of this adventure.

Goodbye for now...going to sip some white wine spritzers on the Ligurian Sea and soak up some sun. Love to all...TA

Denise here, one note, I also experinced these toilets! I seem to have to go more often than anyone else. however, I read the book and knew what to expect, it is like camping without the log. hahahahaha!, my love to everyone, and I will send postcards, however, the postage is like £1.oo euro, and $1.30 USA. so most of you will get one, mailed, and the rest in person.
love you all, and just wait till you see the pictures of this place, cinque terre, there is a huge castle right above our room. love you alll!!! not used to the foreign keys on this computer so forgive the errors. beueno vista! d.

---

Photos

Picnic at the steps by the Uffizi
Enjoy the local cuisine!

Night at the Bridge
The girls out on the town

Duomo
Lighting of the candle

Stairs
Here is the stairs to the room

Our Paradise Today
Cinque Terre Vernezza looking back at the city