Saturday, May 15, 2010
Friday, May 14, 2010
Finally Time to Blog
It is 11:30 in Florence and this is the first time I have been able to blog.
I walked my shoes off in Rome, I mean literally. The soles of my Ecco's started to come apart.
Still I was able to perservere and walk around the town.
We met our guide Sylvia and toured the Vatican, Sylvia was a was a smart idea. She pointed out some very interesting details. For example in the lower right hand side of the last judgment is a portrait of a cardinal that Michelangelo didn't like. He is pictured in hell with a snake biting his private parts. The girls got a kick out of this but I thought it was little strange.
Our favorite restaurant was a place called Lucci's. It is a fun a little Trattoria near the coloseum. You had to sit right next to other people and whether or not you wanted too, you became friends. Ordering at this restaurant was fun. If you asked for something and they did not feel like serving it to you they just gave you what they wanted to give you. All I know was that the house wine was great.
The colloseum was magnificent, of course you know Gail would find an interesting detail. She found the vomitarium. This is where the Vestal virgins would go if the games got too bloody, so they had a place to get sick. I guess everyone else just got sick all over each other.
The games were not that much different form tailgating. People had food, drink yelled and got sick. I guess the only big difference is that sometimes the losers died. However not as often as you think mainly because of the expense of training the gladiators. It is all about the money.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Lots of walking, Lots of History1
Greetings from Roma!
Tuesday May 11th was a spectacular day! We had our private tour of the Vatican with our wonderful and adorable tour guide Silvia, a young woman who is incredibly knowledgeable about just about everything.
Vatican City was amazing and the Sistene Chapel was beautiful and made me cry! We were able to visit the tombs of many of the popes including Pope John Paul II and we viewed the tomb of St. Peter. St. Peter!!!! That is amazing!
We toured St. Peter's Basilica and St. Peter's Square and saw some original apartments of a number of popes from centuries ago.
Later on in the day, we walked through the Palantine and the Roman Forum and saw the Trevi Fountain and along the way we stopped to visit every church. The Roman Forum was also amazing because there are these pieces of roman architecture just laying about on the ground as as well as seeing parts of the Temple of Saturn and the Temple of Romulus. These gems are smack in the middle of a very busy and bustling city. We did lots of walking and saw lots of people and lots of tourists.
The Sistine chapel is beyond words. The art by Michelangelo is so spectacular and so huge and so brilliant (especially since the work has been totally restored). The only issue was that there were so many tourists in the same spot, it took away from the solemnity of the chapel and was hardly meditative even though the guards kept reminding people that the chapel was a sacred space.
We dropped into bed after 10pm last night, exhausted after a full day of walking what seemed like about 10 miles.
Food is magnificent and dinner was at Al Moro close to the Via Corso but on a cute little side street. We ate outside, very romantic and chic with beautiful candlelight. We share an incredible antipasto full of meats enjoying great slices of crusty italian bread (no butter..Tim was bummed!) and a delicious al moro pasta also as a shared dish that was a very light carbonara. We each enjoyed the most tender veal dishes; Tim had a veal and porcini mushroom dish and I had veal scallopine which was light but filling.
No dessert or espresso for us last night but we enjoyed a starlight sky as we walked a few miles of a brisk walk back to the Hotel Lancelot. Another magical day together!
Gail & Tim
Tuesday May 11th was a spectacular day! We had our private tour of the Vatican with our wonderful and adorable tour guide Silvia, a young woman who is incredibly knowledgeable about just about everything.
Vatican City was amazing and the Sistene Chapel was beautiful and made me cry! We were able to visit the tombs of many of the popes including Pope John Paul II and we viewed the tomb of St. Peter. St. Peter!!!! That is amazing!
We toured St. Peter's Basilica and St. Peter's Square and saw some original apartments of a number of popes from centuries ago.
Later on in the day, we walked through the Palantine and the Roman Forum and saw the Trevi Fountain and along the way we stopped to visit every church. The Roman Forum was also amazing because there are these pieces of roman architecture just laying about on the ground as as well as seeing parts of the Temple of Saturn and the Temple of Romulus. These gems are smack in the middle of a very busy and bustling city. We did lots of walking and saw lots of people and lots of tourists.
The Sistine chapel is beyond words. The art by Michelangelo is so spectacular and so huge and so brilliant (especially since the work has been totally restored). The only issue was that there were so many tourists in the same spot, it took away from the solemnity of the chapel and was hardly meditative even though the guards kept reminding people that the chapel was a sacred space.
We dropped into bed after 10pm last night, exhausted after a full day of walking what seemed like about 10 miles.
Food is magnificent and dinner was at Al Moro close to the Via Corso but on a cute little side street. We ate outside, very romantic and chic with beautiful candlelight. We share an incredible antipasto full of meats enjoying great slices of crusty italian bread (no butter..Tim was bummed!) and a delicious al moro pasta also as a shared dish that was a very light carbonara. We each enjoyed the most tender veal dishes; Tim had a veal and porcini mushroom dish and I had veal scallopine which was light but filling.
No dessert or espresso for us last night but we enjoyed a starlight sky as we walked a few miles of a brisk walk back to the Hotel Lancelot. Another magical day together!
Gail & Tim
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
ROMA!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hello! Greetings from Roma!!
We have made it safely, although the flight delay and the flight itself took a very long time.
We are staying at the Hotel Lancelot a lovely 60 room boutique hotel with views of the colloseum from our adorable balcony! We are in a great residential neighborhood a few brief blocks from the colloseum and we are on the fifth floor so we overlook the rooftop gardens and other patios and balconies, with colors of the buildings lovely shades of yellow, creme and orange. It is beautiful and quaint. Although at times I feel like I am in the midst of the Bourne Identity movie, with the vespas racing by and the policia speeding by with their very unique sirens, and sitting next to people at dinner from so many different countries. It is wonderful!
The colloseum was magnificent!! Imagine being in the same spot as the Gladiators.... this whole city is history iteself. We were wandering through the colloseum for about 3.5 hours, and although there was a little bit of rain, a drizzle really... the site was so spectacular and awesome it took my breath away.
After our time at the colloseum, we wandered our neighborhood and found a great trattoria mnetioned to us by our driver. Luzzi was a fun neighborhood spot where the whole dinner cost aobut 26 euro! Tim was dying for spaghetti and meatballs but they offered him this incredible pasta with bolognese sause that was amazing. We had a delicious antipasto dish of fresh vegetables and a litre of maltipulciano that was yummy! After dinner outside on the sidewalk with people walking by and sharing tables with other wonderful people, we explored the neighborhood and did some window shopping and just enjoying! We found several gelatorias in our neighborhood and stopped at one for a small coni of chocolate and crema. We walked for awhile as the grey sky cleared a bit and we listened to the wonderful sites of a city slowing down and heading to sleep. Luckily we were able to stay awake until around 9:30 Roma time and were able to sleep through the night. We are 6 hours ahead from home, and 9 hours ahead (Andrew time!). Tim will figure out how to add some photos. Today we are off for a private tour of the Vatican. I am so excited! Roma is a beautiful and enchanting city with centuries of history staring at you every step of the way...Between the sites, sounds and wonderful smells of restaurants, gelatorias, bakeries and espresso bars, I am in heaven!!!!
Gail
We have made it safely, although the flight delay and the flight itself took a very long time.
We are staying at the Hotel Lancelot a lovely 60 room boutique hotel with views of the colloseum from our adorable balcony! We are in a great residential neighborhood a few brief blocks from the colloseum and we are on the fifth floor so we overlook the rooftop gardens and other patios and balconies, with colors of the buildings lovely shades of yellow, creme and orange. It is beautiful and quaint. Although at times I feel like I am in the midst of the Bourne Identity movie, with the vespas racing by and the policia speeding by with their very unique sirens, and sitting next to people at dinner from so many different countries. It is wonderful!
The colloseum was magnificent!! Imagine being in the same spot as the Gladiators.... this whole city is history iteself. We were wandering through the colloseum for about 3.5 hours, and although there was a little bit of rain, a drizzle really... the site was so spectacular and awesome it took my breath away.
After our time at the colloseum, we wandered our neighborhood and found a great trattoria mnetioned to us by our driver. Luzzi was a fun neighborhood spot where the whole dinner cost aobut 26 euro! Tim was dying for spaghetti and meatballs but they offered him this incredible pasta with bolognese sause that was amazing. We had a delicious antipasto dish of fresh vegetables and a litre of maltipulciano that was yummy! After dinner outside on the sidewalk with people walking by and sharing tables with other wonderful people, we explored the neighborhood and did some window shopping and just enjoying! We found several gelatorias in our neighborhood and stopped at one for a small coni of chocolate and crema. We walked for awhile as the grey sky cleared a bit and we listened to the wonderful sites of a city slowing down and heading to sleep. Luckily we were able to stay awake until around 9:30 Roma time and were able to sleep through the night. We are 6 hours ahead from home, and 9 hours ahead (Andrew time!). Tim will figure out how to add some photos. Today we are off for a private tour of the Vatican. I am so excited! Roma is a beautiful and enchanting city with centuries of history staring at you every step of the way...Between the sites, sounds and wonderful smells of restaurants, gelatorias, bakeries and espresso bars, I am in heaven!!!!
Gail
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Delayed Thanks toi the Volcano
Well we made it to the airport. However our plane is 3 to 4 hours late thanks to the Icelandic volcano. So far all I know about Iceland is that is was founded by Eric the Red who was kicked out of Sweden,they drink a lot of vodka , it is bankrupt and it has a big stupid volcano my suggestion is that it sinks into the ocean and be done with them.
Our driver Michell know how to get to JFK fast and also knew how to tail gate, it was a fun ride with Gail grabbing my hand every ten minutes.
We are now sitting in the Delta lounge, which is nice, and drinking wine and watching the Players Golf Championship. I think I will take a nap, just like home.
Things could be worse, this way we can sleep on the plane, thanks to Denny and his ambien ,and get into Rome refreshed and ready to go. Tim
Okay everything Tim said was right on target! I am nervous about flying and worried about sleeping and now I am worried about when we are leaving. Boy do I love traveling!!
Happy Mother's Day to all our wonderful friends and family who are the most excellent mothers ever!!
We packed everything we needed to pack except I forgot a spare pair of contacts, so I am checking on mail options to have them sent to me, just in case... You never know!
We have lists of places to visit a mile long, thanks to lots of reading and lots of friends commenting. We packed light, only one small bag each and Tim has a great Rick Steves backpack (Thanks Niki & Rich!!) with reading material and our netbook. Hope to continue writing hopefully from Rome Italy and not having to spend the whole week in the Delta sky lounge. Thanks for listening! Stay tuned.
Gail & Tim
Our driver Michell know how to get to JFK fast and also knew how to tail gate, it was a fun ride with Gail grabbing my hand every ten minutes.
We are now sitting in the Delta lounge, which is nice, and drinking wine and watching the Players Golf Championship. I think I will take a nap, just like home.
Things could be worse, this way we can sleep on the plane, thanks to Denny and his ambien ,and get into Rome refreshed and ready to go. Tim
Okay everything Tim said was right on target! I am nervous about flying and worried about sleeping and now I am worried about when we are leaving. Boy do I love traveling!!
Happy Mother's Day to all our wonderful friends and family who are the most excellent mothers ever!!
We packed everything we needed to pack except I forgot a spare pair of contacts, so I am checking on mail options to have them sent to me, just in case... You never know!
We have lists of places to visit a mile long, thanks to lots of reading and lots of friends commenting. We packed light, only one small bag each and Tim has a great Rick Steves backpack (Thanks Niki & Rich!!) with reading material and our netbook. Hope to continue writing hopefully from Rome Italy and not having to spend the whole week in the Delta sky lounge. Thanks for listening! Stay tuned.
Gail & Tim
Friday, September 11, 2009
The Riders are Home.
The Riders made it home to Connecticut. We had many adventures, met many new friends and saw the country from one end to another and it is a big and great country.
The last blog was written in Louisville with a great bourbon and if I can remember its name I will enjoy it again.
After the Riders left Durango and the jammers we headed for Rapid City, South Dakota and the Black Hills, but before that we had to do some serious traveling. We headed up through he San Juan Mountains and made it up to over 13,000 feet, for a sense of proportion, Avon mountain is almost 650 feet above sea level. The views were spectacular. We went up down , around and through mountains.
On the way we stopped in Boulder and took a look at Pikes Peak and the Garden of the Gods, a unique experience looking a a great mountain behind spires of golden rocks. The Riders celebrated with a sandwich and some ice tea and then back on the road.
When we entered Wyoming all we could think about was little house on the prairie. Miles and miles of grass lands with a sprinkling of towns where the amount of elevation is more than the populations. The moon off the prairies is a sight never to forget and the Riders became very romantic.
The next stop was the State Game Lodge in the Custer National Park, we tried to stay in the Calvin Coolidge room but we could not talk to front desk into giving us a break. We woke up to a beautiful day and antelope, off we went to Mount Rushmore.
Gazing at Mount Rushmore is truly a unique moment, it brings together not only the art of man but also the greatest of America and the grandness of nature.
For some reason the smaller of the riders wanted to visit caves, not a problem whne you are 5'4 but can cause bumps and brusies when you are 6' with broad shoulders. The cave we chose to visit was Rushmore Cave. The cave had a intresting history, it seems that many of the locals visited the cave to party. I could just picture a bunch of cowboys wiggling into a cave with laterns so they could drink whiskey and party, it is not a pretty sight.
The last blog was written in Louisville with a great bourbon and if I can remember its name I will enjoy it again.
After the Riders left Durango and the jammers we headed for Rapid City, South Dakota and the Black Hills, but before that we had to do some serious traveling. We headed up through he San Juan Mountains and made it up to over 13,000 feet, for a sense of proportion, Avon mountain is almost 650 feet above sea level. The views were spectacular. We went up down , around and through mountains.
On the way we stopped in Boulder and took a look at Pikes Peak and the Garden of the Gods, a unique experience looking a a great mountain behind spires of golden rocks. The Riders celebrated with a sandwich and some ice tea and then back on the road.
When we entered Wyoming all we could think about was little house on the prairie. Miles and miles of grass lands with a sprinkling of towns where the amount of elevation is more than the populations. The moon off the prairies is a sight never to forget and the Riders became very romantic.
The next stop was the State Game Lodge in the Custer National Park, we tried to stay in the Calvin Coolidge room but we could not talk to front desk into giving us a break. We woke up to a beautiful day and antelope, off we went to Mount Rushmore.
Gazing at Mount Rushmore is truly a unique moment, it brings together not only the art of man but also the greatest of America and the grandness of nature.
For some reason the smaller of the riders wanted to visit caves, not a problem whne you are 5'4 but can cause bumps and brusies when you are 6' with broad shoulders. The cave we chose to visit was Rushmore Cave. The cave had a intresting history, it seems that many of the locals visited the cave to party. I could just picture a bunch of cowboys wiggling into a cave with laterns so they could drink whiskey and party, it is not a pretty sight.
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